Racial Controversy Over Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Why The Racial Controversy Over Assassin’s Creed Shadows Has Me More Excited For Its Release
Written By: Ural Garrett
For over a decade, fans of Ubisoft’s open-world social stealth franchise Assassin’s Creed have wanted Japan to be a setting. Playable ninjas and samurais within such a culturally rich setting would make so much sense. Those fans got their wish in mid-May this year through Assassin’s Creed Shadows which is set during the Sengoku period. Like 2015’s Assassin's Creed Syndicate, the game will feature two protagonists that players can switch between for different controls and quests. One will be Naoe, a Japanese female shinobi. The other is Yasuke, an African samurai inspired by the historical figure.
Yasuke, an African samurai, served under the powerful Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga during the late 16th century. Originally brought to Japan as a slave by Jesuit missionaries, Yasuke's impressive stature and strength captivated Nobunaga, who eventually freed and enlisted him. Yasuke's presence in Japan was groundbreaking, as he was one of the first Africans to be documented in Japanese history. His story has inspired various cultural depictions, highlighting his unique role and the cross-cultural interactions of the period. The character of Yasuke is ripe for different interpretations.
In 2021, Netflix released an anime series based on the figure that featured voice work from Lakeith Stanfield and music from Flying Lotus. There were even plans for a live-action film Black Samurai based on Yasuke with Chadwick Boseman playing the lead before he succumbed to colon cancer in 2020. Even Koei's Samurai Warriors games featured a playable Yasuke.
When it was announced that Yasuke would be a playable character, a vocal minority reacted negatively to the idea of a Black samurai. Despite numerous samurai-themed games featuring Japanese protagonists, some critics labeled this move by the Assassin’s Creed series as DEI-driven and mistakenly called it cultural appropriation. This reaction ignored other samurai-inspired media with non-Japanese leads, such as the 2003 Tom Cruise film The Last Samurai and Koei Tecmo's 2017 game Nioh, based on the historical figure William Adams, which also recently inspired the FX series Shogun.
Currently, most critics of Yasuke's inclusion in Assassin’s Creed Shadows display anti-Black sentiments and hold ignorant stereotypes about Black people. Additionally, these individuals often aren't genuine fans of the series. It's worth noting that the groundbreaking 2020 samurai game, Ghost of Tsushima, still features a Japanese male protagonist.
Since kicking off the franchise in 2007, Assassin’s Creed has always played loosely with history and historical figures. The first one unfolds in an alternate history centered around the Third Crusade in the Holy Land in 1191. The main character, Desmond Miles, is a modern-day bartender who, using a device called the Animus, experiences the genetic memories of his Arab ancestor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. This game was released while America was facing new heights of post-9/11 islamophobia. Meanwhile, Assassin’s Creed was released a week after Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare which served as the new apex of military shooters set primarily in the Middle East. Considering the controversy over its take on the Third Crusade, it made sense for Ubisoft to hold a disclaimer saying:
"This work of fiction was designed, developed and produced by a multicultural team of various religious faiths and beliefs."
Interestingly enough, the Assassin’s Creed series would use the games to give their takes on various historical moments. 2012’s Assassin’s Creed III took players right into the middle of the Revolutionary War as the biracial half-Native American and British protagonists. Its sequel Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag took place during the Golden Age of Piracy and included the fantastic Freedom Cry DLC expansion (Downloadable Content) that put players in the shoes of a Black pirate whose primary goal is to free Haitian slaves.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows highlights a recurring issue in modern pop culture where representation faces undue backlash. As a long-time fan of the series, I've felt disconnected from recent entries set in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Scandinavia due to their focus on open-world RPG mechanics over the original social stealth and assassination gameplay. These games have become burdened with repetitive mission design and busy work. Assassin’s Creed Shadows aims to reverse this trend by returning to the series' roots while also making a bold narrative choice by including diverse characters. And, I’m all here for it.
Look for Assassin’s Creed Shadows to be released November 12, 2024 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows and MacOS.