Assassin's Creed Red supposedly features a shinobi and a samurai protagonist, according to a recent report. As many fans know, Assassin's Creed Red is an upcoming open-world RPG set in Japan, with similar reports suggesting it will release in 2024 or 2025. Fans have been calling for a Japan-set game for quite some time.
In fact, Ubisoft itself teased Assassin's Creed Red as far back as AC3. One image Connor encounters depicts symbols from Egypt, Greece, and Japan, with the first one corresponding with Assassin's Creed Origins and the second with Assassin's Creed Odyssey. AC Valhalla, then, came as a bit of a surprise, but at the very least, a Japan-set game is on the way.
According to Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson, there are two playable characters: a samurai and a shinobi. The official teaser of Assassin's Creed Red is said to depict the game's female samurai protagonist, while the other character is said to be a shinobi and an African refugee, one who joined the Brotherhood at some point.
It is not said whether there is a choice between the two characters, whether the two characters are gender-locked (but does seem likely to be so), or whether they are both playable characters like Assassin's Creed Syndicate's Jacob and Evie. It could be that there is a choice, much like Assassin's Creed Odyssey's Alexios and Kassandra.
If this character rumor is accurate, then the choice of a shinobi and a samurai is an interesting one. Generally speaking, samurais were warriors belonging to the noble classes, while ninjas often originated from the lower classes. This makes perfect sense, then, why the shinobi would be a refugee to Japan. This could suggest that the Samurai is aligned with the Templar Order (or Order of the Ancients) despite branding a Hidden Blade, while the shinobi is aligned with the Brotherhood (or Hidden Ones). It could also be that these are distinct and separate factions operating alongside the well-established mainstays of the franchise, or it could be that they are still on the same side. It's unknown, but the pick of a samurai and shinobi could lead to some interesting narrative elements, depending on how it is approached.
Of course, as with any rumor regarding Assassin's Creed Red, all of this should be taken with a grain of salt. Very little is known about the game since it is so far away, but fans should be learning more about Assassin's Creed Mirage in the coming months.
Assassin's Creed Red is in development.
Source: Insider Gaming