AC Shadows: Naoe and Yasuke

The latest installment of the Assassin's Creed series returns to the concept known from Syndicate and that is introducing two fully-fledged playable characters with different skill sets. On this guide page, we explain the differences between playing as Yasuke and as Naoe, how to switch between characters and when to use each character.

• How to switch characters?
• Hints for switching characters
• When to choose Naoe?
• When to choose Yasuke?

How to switch characters?

1. Players will be able to change characters throughout the game quite freely. The only limitation is that you have to be anonymous and you cannot be in the midst of combat. So, for example, if you feel that you are struggling during a fight as Naoe and would like to switch to Yasuke, you either have to run away or load the game to a moment before the fight started.
2. To change characters, you need to go to the character menu. At the bottom of the screen, you will see the "Play as" option - if you use the button shown next to it, you will return to the game as the selected hero or heroine.
3. You can also change the character by using fast travel points - if you choose a viewpoint from the map, one of the options will be fast travel as the other character.
4. You will have to choose a character after the cutscenes where Yasuke and Naoe are talking to each other. Once they end, the "Play as Yasuke" and "Play as Naoe" options will appear on the screen, and to continue playing, you must choose one of them.

Hints for switching characters

1. Switching characters can come in handy when you're being wanted - you can then switch to the other character to avoid being caught because the guards will stop looking for you.
2. On the world map, you will find locations available only for one character.

When to choose Naoe?

1. Fujibayashi Naoe is a fictional daughter of a real historical figure, Fujibayashi Nagato, a famous 16th century ninja. In the game, he decides to teach his daughter to fight, due to the approaching war.
2. Her main strengths are stealth and efficient climbing, as well as moving across rooftops. She also has climbing hooks. She is fast and agile and can crawl as well.
3. Naoe specializes in silent assassinations (she has a Hidden Blade at her disposal). Apart from that, she also has a tanto: a short sword, allowing her to perform double stealth assassinations. Even during open combat, she may disappear for a moment thanks to her smoke bombs, which she can use to kill a smoke-blinded opponent without a fight.
4. She uses light weapons, such as a katana. As her ranged weapons, Naoe uses traditional Japanese shurikens, which you can use to weaken enemies in combat or deactivate alarm bells. She also has a kusarigama, which is a metal chain with a heavy weight at its end.
5. Naoe has few health points, much less than Yasuke. She won't always be properly protected since she doesn't wear heavy armor (it makes stealth more difficult).
6. Choose Naoe when you need to be invisible, e.g. while infiltrating a location or following someone. Naoe will make unlocking viewpoints much easier.

When to choose Yasuke?

1. Yasuke is the first playable historical character in the series (if we exclude the Syndicate DLC character, inspired by the semi-legendary Jack the Ripper). The later samurai appeared in Japan as a slave of a Portuguese Jesuit.
2. Yasuke is completely unsuitable for stealth or running across rooftops due to his size and the heavy armor he wears. He also attracts attention due to his appearance, which is rather unusual for Asia: as a big, dark-skinned samurai, he doesn't really blend into the crowd.
3. However, he wields a heavy, powerful weapon, dealing massive damage. He is effective in open combat and can easily defeat several enemies at once. He also has a firearm that inflicts massive damage - however, it is very slow; it needs to be reloaded after each shot.
4. Yasuke can perform a brutal assassination - if you perform a stealth attack on an enemy, you will be able to deal a blow that depletes their entire health bar. The downside, however, is that you will always make noise in the process, and nearby NPCs will pay attention to you.
5. The samurai has more health points. Due to his heavy armor, he is not very agile but is very resistant to damage instead.
6. Yasuke is a typical tank. Choose him for melee combat when many opponents are attacking you and for boss fights.

See also:

1. What are Boards?
2. All missions
3. How do skill trees work?

Assassin's Creed: Shadows

March 20, 2025

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