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Assassin’s Creed Shadows is built around two contrasting protagonists: Naoe, an Iga shinobi whose strengths are stealth and infiltration, and Yasuke, a samurai whose strengths are direct combat and a broad range of weapons. Ubisoft says players can approach quests as either character, but their distinct skills, stats, progression, and gear make that choice matter in play.
Two protagonists in late-Sengoku Japan
The story follows Naoe and Yasuke in sixteenth-century Japan, amid the turbulence of the late Sengoku period. Their stories become intertwined, but they are not interchangeable versions of the same hero: Ubisoft presents them as fully realized protagonists with complementary playstyles. Its official game page sums up the choice this way: “You decide whether to play as a shinobi or samurai.”
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows - Limited Edition (Amazon Exclusive), PlayStation 5 | $61.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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![Assassin's Creed Shadows [PlayStation 5]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cgBmgsqGL._SL160_.jpg)
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Assassin's Creed Shadows [PlayStation 5] | $34.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Art of Assassin's Creed Shadows | $29.69 | Buy on Amazon |
The contrast is also the point of the title’s “two very different assassins” framing—with an important distinction: Yasuke is presented as a samurai, not simply as a second stealth-focused Assassin.
How Naoe and Yasuke play differently
| Protagonist | Role and focus | Tools and combat |
|---|---|---|
| Naoe | A shinobi Assassin from Iga Province, oriented around stealth, mobility, and infiltration. | Distractions, parkour, a grappling hook, and hidden-blade assassinations support getting into position and taking down targets quietly. |
| Yasuke | A powerful samurai whose approach favors direct combat. | Attacking, blocking, and parrying, with weapons including katana, kanabo, bows, and naginata. |
In practical terms, Naoe’s described toolkit rewards avoiding detection, finding a route through an area, and choosing when to strike. Yasuke’s is built for confronting opponents more openly and meeting them with force, defense, and different weapon options. That is a difference in approach, not a simple weak-versus-strong ranking.
#1 Best Overall
- Only at Amazon Limited Edition Content includes the base game and Sekiryu Character Pack
- Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
- Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles.
- Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
- Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
Can you use either character for quests?
Ubisoft says players can approach quests with either protagonist. Each has separate progression, stats, skills, and gear, so switching characters means choosing a different toolkit rather than changing only the story’s point of view. Naoe and Yasuke are designed to complement one another: stealth and mobility offer one way into an encounter, while Yasuke’s combat abilities offer another.
What is historical, and what is fictionalized?
Ubisoft describes Yasuke as a historical African samurai, and sets the game in sixteenth-century Japan. That historical setting does not make the game a documentary: its story and characterization are fictionalized. Engadget’s June 10, 2024 hands-off preview noted that the game takes liberties with historical fact; it was a preview of a demonstration, not a report of the journalist playing the game firsthand. Keep the historical figure distinct from the character and events in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Rank #2
- Experience an epic, historical action adventure in feudal Japan and become a deadly Shinobi assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open game world in chaotic times
- Sneak as a Naoe to not be discovered, use your agility to confuse your opponents and stretch down your opponents with deadly precision and power as a Yasuke
- Use information as weapons and build your own spy network to have eyes and ears everywhere and find your targets easier and recruit new allies on the go with unique skills to help you with your missions
- Create a fully customizable hideaway for your growing Shinobi league, where you train recruits, craft new equipment and interact with important characters; set the room layout, decoration and accessories yourself
Current game and expansion context
Ubisoft’s game page, accessed October 7, 2026, lists PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Ubisoft+, Amazon Luna, Apple-silicon Macs, and Windows PC storefronts. The same page says “Also coming to iPad”; that wording does not establish that an iPad version is currently available.
Claws of Awaji released on September 16, 2025. Ubisoft describes it as adding more than 10 hours of content, its stated amount rather than an independently measured completion time. Access requires completing the main story arcs for Naoe, Yasuke, and Junjiro.
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Quick Recap
Rank #3
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