Assassin’s Creed Shadows Receives New Details on Naoe’s Backstory and Mission

From not knowing about her absent mother and seeking vengeance to discovering a "world in need," Naoe goes on quite the journey.

Posted By | On 23rd, Dec. 2024

Assassin's Creed Shadows_03

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows fulfills a long-requested fantasy for many fans: Playing as an Assassin in Japan. It stars Naoe, the daughter of Fujibayashi Nagato, and Yasuke, a vassal for Oda Nobunaga in the late Sengoku period. Their paths cross when the daimyo invades the Iga Province, leading to the destruction of Naoe’s home.

Naturally, she seeks vengeance. However, after meeting Yasuke, they begin a crusade to punish the guilty. As creative director Jonathan Dumont revealed to Entertainment Weekly, there is a bit more nuance. For instance, her mother has been absent, and Naoe knows little about her.

“[Naoe] was shielded by her father from what’s happening in the world, and it comes crashing down. She is pushed into war. She doesn’t know much about her origins. Her father’s been training her, but she doesn’t know much about her mother, who’s been gone. But as a cool proverb from Japan says, ‘a frog in a well knows nothing of the sea.’

“She is tossed into the real world, and through that, she will learn that she is not just a shinobi, that there is a little bit of a lineage or at least some mystery about some sort of different type of shinobi. They’re Assassins, so she’s somewhat linked to that.”

So while revenge is the catalyst, Naoe eventually “discovers a world in need,” and “begins to really value the community values her father taught. Can she make a better world? [She realizes] they are people who cannot defend themselves, which is tied a little bit more to the models of the [Assassin] Brotherhood.” She also starts envisioning a better future for Japan through her interactions with a child named Junjiro, though additional details on his backstory are currently unknown.

Dumont did confirm that each of Naoe’s tools connects to her history and training. “The Hidden Blade is given by her father, and we’re going to learn a little bit more about what that means.” He also describes her as a “panther looking at her prey.”

Where the Templars, the long-time rivals of the Brotherhood, tie into all this remains to be seen. Then there’s Yasuke, whose ultimate fate after the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582 may be explored further.

Launching on February 14th, 2025, Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Head here to learn more about the differences between Naoe and Yasuke.


Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Keep On Reading!

Tales of Graces f Remastered Review – JRPG Greatness Refined

Tales of Graces f Remastered Review – JRPG Greatness Refined

The added remastered content makes an already amazing JRPG feast even better.

Mortal Kombat 1 Trailer Offers First In-Game Look at T-1000 and Conan the Barbarian

Mortal Kombat 1 Trailer Offers First In-Game Look at T-1000 and Conan the Barbarian

A brief look at Conan's Brutality is available before the DLC character's reported launch for Khaos Reigns own...

Why Marvel Rivals is Overshadowing Overwatch 2

Why Marvel Rivals is Overshadowing Overwatch 2

Blizzard's hero shooter has been floundering for a while, but it's completely outclassed by the launch of Marv...

Path of Exile 2 Developers Have No Plans to Move Away From Death Penalties in Endgame Content

Path of Exile 2 Developers Have No Plans to Move Away From Death Penalties in Endgame Content

Path of Exile 2's on-death punishments might seem harsh, especially in endgame content, but the developers wan...

Black State Gameplay Video Showcases Gorgeous Visuals and Combat

Black State Gameplay Video Showcases Gorgeous Visuals and Combat

The gameplay video for Black Slate, captured at CES 2025, showcases the title's emphasis on high-end visual fi...

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Origins Get Updates to Fix Windows 11 24H2 Compatibility Issues

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Origins Get Updates to Fix Windows 11 24H2 Compatibility Issues

Other Ubisoft titles like Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora haven't gotten any update to fix ...