Assassin’s Creed Redwas officially revealed during September 2022’s Ubisoft Forward presentation. One of the series' many upcoming titles,Assassin’s Creed Redmay be the most anticipated in decades, as the title confirms thatAssassin’s Creedis finally headed to Japan. Details about the title have been shared in the last few months, and describe a narrative shared between two protagonists - a samurai and a shinobi. Of the two, the shinobi protagonist offers the clearest insight into howRedties into the largerAssassin’s Creedlore, as additional details have revealed the character’s unique position within the title’s feudal Japan setting.
Assassin’s Creed Redtakes the series to feudal Japan over a decade after the setting was teased inAssassin’s Creed 3. InAC3,players are shown three symbols, each referring to Hidden Ones from earlier civilizations: The Eye of Horus, the Omega Symbol, and a Japanese Torri. While the first two were hints atAssassin’s Creed OriginsandAssassin’s Creed Odyssey, respectively, the third was entirely ignored, asAssassin’s Creed Valhallaopted for a Norse setting. Little is known aboutAssassin’s Creed Red, aside from surface descriptions of its two protagonists. However, this surface information is still enough to predict how one character in particular, the shinobi, may tie into the title’s larger plot.
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Assassin’s Creed Red’s Shinobi Could Connect the Series' Narratives
Though little is known about the title, the description ofAssassin’s Creed Red’s shinobi protagonistoffers a significant potential connection between historical and in-game events. The shinobi is presumably male, as the samurai is confirmed to be female, and described as an African refugee in feudal Japan. Historically, shinobi belonged to Japan’s lower class, while samurai belonged to the noble class. It makes perfect sense then that a refugee could become a part of the shinobi inRed’s feudal setting. Moreover, the societal station of the shinobi protagonist hints that they will be aligned with the Assassins Brotherhood, which may infer that the noble samurai is one ofRed’s Templars.
It is common forAssassin’s Creedprotagoniststo be outsiders in some way, whether due to societal structure, a foreign location, or birth. However,Red’s African shinobi has further lore implications. Africa is an important location within theAssassin’s Creedseries, as Ancient Egypt is the birthplace of the Brotherhood of Assassins.Assassin’s Creed Redtakes place at least 1200 years later, as the feudal Period of Japan lasted from 1185 to 1603 AD.Red’s shinobi may be a trained assassin already, aligning himself with Japan’s assassin equivalent and spreading the order there.
An African refugee-turned-warrior also holds significance within feudal Japan’s real history. Yasuke, an African man who arrived in Japan in approximately 1579 AD, became the country’s first non-Japanese Samurai and served under one of its most important Lords. The figure was the inspiration for theYasukeanime serieson Netflix. Though, this depicts his inspiring tale as more fantasy than reality.
Assassin’s Creed Red’s Potential Ties to Other AC Titles
It is important to note thatAssassin’s Creed Red’s feudal setting means that its events occur either in parallel with or betweenthe events ofAssassin’s Creed(2007),Assassin’s Creed 2,Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, andAssassin’s Creed: Revelations,as these titles cover the same time period. This means that its shinobi protagonist is a member of the Brotherhood at the same time as Altair or Ezio, important ancestors to series protagonist Desmond Miles.
As fans may remember, Miles' final playable ancestor, Connor, is the only one to exist outside that same period, and he discovered the symbols hinting at Hidden Ones existing in Japan. It is possible, then, that some interaction between the characters and events of these titles may occur inAssassin’s Creed Red, whether in-person, supernaturally, or through correspondence.
Red’s ties to the largerAssassin’s Creedlore may find further connections inthe upcomingAssassin’s Creed Mirage, which explores Basim’s induction into the hidden ones in the Middle East during the Third Crusade. The title’s potential ties to bothAssassin’s Creed ValhallaandAssassin’s Creed (2007)may lay the groundwork for connectingRedto the series' early titles. ThoughMirageis set to release later this year,Assassin’s Creed Redhas yet to receive a release window. Players who wish to gain further insight intoCodename Red’s setting and protagonists likely won’t receive any official updates until the end of 2023, or early 2024.
Assassin’s Creed Redis in development.
MORE:How Assassin’s Creed Red Can Take Advantage of Existing Japan Lore
