Draft:The Great War of Assassin's Creed

The Great War of Assassin's Creed began on May 15, 2024, when Ubisoft released the trailer for its highly anticipated game, Assassin's Creed Shadows. Set in Japan, this installment fulfilled a long-standing request from fans who had eagerly awaited a Japanese setting since the inception of the franchise. The controversy erupted with the revelation that one of the characters in the game would be a black man, a historical figure known as Yasuke, dubbed "The Black Samurai."

This announcement divided the entertainment world. On one side were purists who argued for a Japanese protagonist to maintain historical accuracy. On the other side stood liberals who embraced the character choice, asserting that the race of the protagonist was inconsequential. The debate quickly escalated, with accusations flying. Critics accused Ubisoft of cultural appropriation, revisionism, and pandering to "woke" ideologies. They argued that this choice showed a disregard for Asian culture, referring to Yasuke derogatorily as a mere servant or even a sexual object of the feudal lord, Oda Nobunaga.

Conversely, supporters of the decision labeled the purists as racists for opposing a black protagonist. They claimed that if the character had been white, there would have been no controversy, citing examples from other media such as "Nioh" and "The Last Samurai."

The conflict has reached such proportions that Yasuke's Wikipedia page has been edited dozens of times, with some asserting his status as a samurai and others vehemently denying it. The historical debate centers on whether Yasuke was indeed a samurai. Evidence suggests he was, but concrete proof is lacking as he is scarcely mentioned in contemporary documents or chronicles.

Notably, two credible sources have emerged in this debate: YouTuber Metatron and Reddit user ParallelPain. ParallelPain provided detailed analyses, citing passages from books where Ôta Gyûichi uses the same terms to describe Yasuke as he does other samurai. This scholarly approach lends weight to the argument that Yasuke was indeed regarded as a samurai by his contemporaries. And it appears that we can bestow the title of the greatest ninja of all time upon Naoe, the secondary protagonist of Assassin's Creed Shadows. Her exceptional skills have been demonstrated by the fact that no one seems to remember her existence, perhaps the pinnacle of stealth

As the controversy continues, the gaming community remains deeply divided, reflecting broader societal debates about race, history, and representation in media.