Japanese historian Yūichi Goza speculates that Yasuke was not a samurai as video game developer Ubisoft has claimed, but was rather just Oda Nobunaga’s bodyguard and entertainer.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
In an interview with Japanese website The Sankei Shimbun with translation via DeepL, Goza, who is a faculty member of the International Research Center for Japanese Studies focusing on Japanese medieval history and the author of “, was asked, “What kind of person was Yasuke, and was he a samurai or not?”
Goza responded, “There are very few historical records about Yasuke, so it is difficult to say. The history of Yasuke has not been the subject of much research, in part because the history of personalities is not the main stream of historical studies. In the 15-volume ‘Nobunaga Koki’ in the collection of the Sonkei Kaku Bunko, which is one of the biographies of ‘Nobunaga Koki,’ a chronicle of Nobunaga’s life, there is a description of Nobunaga giving Yasuke a sword and a house, indicating that he treated him as a samurai. However, this is something that only appears in this biography among the dozens of manuscripts of the Nobunaga Chronicle, and we cannot deny the possibility that it was added later when the manuscript was transcribed.”
Goza continued, “Also, even if he was a samurai, he may have been a ‘formality. For example, in the Edo period, feudal lords who were fond of sumo had their own personal wrestlers. Formally, they were treated as vassals or samurai and allowed to wear a sword, but even if a war broke out, it was not expected that the feudal lords would allow their retainers to fight on the battlefield.”
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
When asked about the magnificent armor that Ubisoft depicts Yasuke wearing in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and what position he actually held under Nobunaga, Goza responded, “The Japanese people around Nobunaga were very surprised by Yasuke’s dark skin and seemed to be interested in it. In a sense, it was a show, and having a black man like Yasuke so close to him would attract attention and, in a sense, show off Nobunaga’s ‘power’.”
“In a sense, Nobunaga could show off his ‘power.’ Therefore, I believe that the most important purpose was to show off to everyone,” he relayed. “In the Jesuit historical records, it is written that Yasuke was powerful and could do a few tricks. I believe that he was in fact Nobunaga’s bodyguard and entertainer.”
He then declared, “He was not the ‘Samurai Warrior’ that Westerners imagine him to be, slaying one enemy after another. Even if he did fight, he did not command his men, but worked as a single combatant.”
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
Furthermore, Goza shared his thoughts on the backlash to Assassin’s Creed Shadows that includes a petition calling for Ubisoft to cease production on the game. The petition currently has over 102,000 signatures.
Screenshot of a petition calling for the shut down of Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Change.org
Goza said, “I understand that many people think that if you want to respect the samurai culture, the main character should be a Japanese samurai. Especially since the story is based on a real person, it would be more natural to have a famous swordsman/samurai such as Miyamoto Musashi as the main character, rather than a black man named Yasuke, whose actual character is not known.”
He continued, “If Yasuke, who may or may not have been a samurai, is made to be a ‘representative of the samurai,’ it would be like taking something away from the Japanese samurai culture. Therefore, I think it is natural that some Japanese and foreign people would react with discomfort and dissatisfaction when they hear the word ‘cultural theft’ being used in the film. Even if Yasuke were to appear in the game, it should have been in the form of a Japanese samurai (as the main character) and Yasuke as well.”
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
Goza was then asked about various forms of media aside from video games including movies, TV shows, and novels adopting stories that are contrary to historical facts and what his thoughts are on this.
He responded, “I think it’s a matter of degree. For example, there is a rare theory that Minamoto no Yoshitsune did not die in Hiraizumi, but went to the continent and became Genghis Khan. This theory was mainly popular before the war, but it was denied by historians at the time as ‘impossible.'”
“If a game in which Yoshitsune became Genghis Khan and fought in the game were to be sent out to the world, I think it would still be problematic, even if it were labeled ‘This is a fiction,'” Goza explained. “Especially Mongolians would be angry because Genghis Khan is the greatest hero of Mongolia.”
“Of course, I don’t think that all creative works based on history can be based on historical facts, but especially when they are put out to the world, I think there should be consideration for the fact that it could become a diplomatic issue if the game is put out in a way that hurts the pride of people in other countries,” he asserted.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
Goza then contrasted Assassin’s Creed Shadows to the recent remake of Shogun that aired on FX, “As a contrasting example, I would like to cite the American drama Shogun (2024), remade with Hiroyuki Sanada in the lead role. The main character is modeled on Tokugawa Ieyasu, although his name has been changed. The events leading up to the Battle of Sekigahara have been altered considerably, and the historical background, including buildings, is a bit suspect. But when I watched it, I felt the understanding and respect for Japanese history.”
He continued, “An Englishman modeled after William Adams (Anjin Miura) washes ashore in Japan and teaches the protagonist how to move a ship and use a cannon, and so on. This alone would suggest that a white man with an advanced civilization is teaching things to a stupid colored person, but this is not the case. The Englishman is at first confused and repulsed, but gradually becomes impressed by the proud way of life of the Japanese samurai, and the process of understanding and respecting them is depicted. It is not a one-way relationship, but a story of mutual understanding. There is a respect for other cultures at the root. I think this is an important aspect of fiction based on history. If you depict the history and culture of a foreign country, I think if you had a proper understanding of those basic aspects and paid respect to them, problems like this would not have occurred.”
Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshii Toranaga in Shogun (2024), FX
It appears clear that Goza does not believe that Ubisoft and their game Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been respectful of Japanese history and culture. And it’s not hard to figure out why given Ubisoft was attempting to market the game as historical. In an interview with Xbox Wire, Game Director Charles Benoit detailed, “We’re at the end of Sengoku era, in a turning point of Japan history. Assassin’s Creed is well known for its depiction of the history and accurate recreation of the world and it’s what players can expect with Assassin’s Creed Shadows. We’re showing real historical figures, such as Oda Nobunaga and a lot of events that happened during that time, so you’re not only playing in feudal Japan, but learning about this fantastic time period.”
“Also, we’re giving the opportunity to the players to live not just one, but the two best fantasies of Japan: the Samurai and Shinobi,” he concluded.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
In an interview with Famitsu, the game’s Creative Director Jonathon Dumont also admitted why they chose Yasuke as one of their protagonists, “We were first looking for ‘our samurai,’ someone who could be our non-Japanese eyes though, this is because through from the beginning the story of the Portuguese arrival would be a very good way to tell the crisis in Japan. The team liked the character Yasuke, and we thought we could expect to use him to discover Japan.”
He continued, “We thought that starting with a samurai already in Japanese society would make for a very interesting and intriguing character who has also concepts that we don’t necessarily know about. And it would aroused our interest in what happened to him. Starting as a character who is already rooted in history, we will be starting to find out something happens around him, which tickles our curiosity.”
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What do you make of Goza’s comments regarding Yasuke and Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
