Just over a week ago, Ubisoft released the cinematic trailer for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. Set in feudal Japan during the 16th Century Sengoku Period, the story centers around the tale of Naoe, a young Japanese shinobi warrior, and Yasuke, a samurai retainer of African lineage.

While the balance of these two archetypes seems like it could be a good one (especially given that you’re said to be able to play as either in almost any mission), I want to take this time to talk about Yasuke. Particularly, the unwarranted hate that has been thrown at this character since the game’s reveal. I mean, we all know that the gaming community can be toxic as hell, but some of the things going on here are just blatant bigotry and malicious comments borne out of utter ignorance.

First, let’s talk about who Yasuke was. Yes…who he actually was. Yasuke was born circa 1550s in what is speculated to be Ethiopia, Mozambique, or South Sudan (historians cite several factors for this), and arrived in Japan in 1579 with a Jesuit missionary named Alessandro Valignano. After meeting a feudal lord named Oda Nobunaga, Yasuke quickly gained favor with the daimyo – who granted him his Japanese name – and became the first recorded foreigner (or nambanjin) to ever receive the title of samurai.

So… what’s with the hate being railed toward the character in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows? We’re getting our first actually-playable historical figure, and it seems as if the majority of the AC community has lost its collective mind. Let’s examine some of the chief complaints here:

A. “It’s not historically accurate to have a black samurai.”
Except… It is. As I touched on above, we know for a fact that Yasuke was a samurai in service to Oda Nobunaga. We also know that he became a high-ranking retainer in Nobunaga’s service, and that he served the daimyo until his story mysteriously ends in exile along with Jesuit missionaries.
Not only was there a black samurai at the time, there were also “several hundred African people living in Japan during the 16th century”, according to Dr. Natalia Doan – an Oxford University historian. These people worked as soldiers, entertainers, and interpreters, among other occupations.

B. “Just make an African Assassin’s Creed?
Because…it’s been made. Assassin’s Creed: Origins came out in October of 2017 to pretty great reviews across the board. The character of Bayek was well-received by audiences, and actually really fun to play. However, that’s not really what sticks with these people, is it? While Egypt is geographically an African country, its northern setting & more well-known history differ quite a bit from the denser landscape of someplace like Yasuke’s theorized birthplace: Mozambique.

 C. It’s “Wokeness”
Aside from the incredibly stupid fact that people try to use “woke” as an attempted insult when referring to concepts, words, or actions that embrace diversity, sensitivity, and understanding of others, let’s revisit point A: It’s historically accurate – and point B: None of these people batted an eye when they previously played as a person of color in AC: Freedom Cry, AC: Liberation, or AC: Origins.

So, I wonder what could really be the issue here?

Tell us what you think, readers. Are you upset about Yasuke? Why or why not? How do you feel about the backlash against the character? Also, if you’d like to learn more about the real Yasuke, check out the book African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan.