Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes the franchise to feudal Japan, where players fight for the soul of a nation as two protagonists: Yasuke, a samurai, and Naoe, a shinobi. Shinobi, or ninjas, were peasants who banded together in ikki (leagues) throughout the Iga Province during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. This was a period of severe civil war that led to the Azuchi-Momoyama period, when Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place.

Fujibayashi Naoe was the daughter of a beloved shinobi leader, Nagato, who raised her with love and taught her the value of honor and loyalty alongside skills with a sword. But who is she at her core, and what is it like playing as the shinobi character?

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Naoe grew up longing to carry on her family’s legacy. When the army of Oda Nobunaga invaded Iga, she stood by her father to defend her people. When they were defeated, and Iga was destroyed, she formed her own ikki alongside Yasuke and other friends they made in their joint quest to protect the people of Japan from forces that would do them harm.

Naoe’s past is mysterious, unfolding slowly throughout the game. Her father has a mysterious connection to a box they must protect at all costs and a hidden blade that holds deep meaning to him. Her mother died long ago, and few people talk openly about her except to speak lovingly. Participating in kuji-kari mediations allows players to delve into Naoe’s past to learn more about the people of Iga who she loved and the tragedy that befell it.

She also comes to form a special bond with a child, Junjiro, who helps raise her to health after nearly dying fighting the Oda clan. Junjiro helps teach Naoe the importance of forgiveness and letting go while remaining a bright light in her life when he becomes a member of her ikki and comes to live at the game’s hideout.

How do you play as Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

Throughout the majority of the game, players can choose to play as Naoe at any time. From the pause menu, she can be selected in the open world. During certain missions, players will be asked to choose between playing as Naoe or Yasuke. The decision doesn’t affect the story, but it does impact gameplay.

Naoe is a stealth-forward character. Her attack and health are lower than Yasuke’s, but she can be harder to spot by enemies than Yasuke and has tools that help silently dispatch enemies. Her assassin’s blade allows you to quietly assassinate enemies on the spot while her shinobi tools like shuriken and smoke bombs make dispatching and distracting enemies easier from a distance. Naoe can also go prone in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and use shadows anywhere in the world to hide.

Naoe has three types of weapons: katana, kusarigama, and tanto. The katana is the first weapon she holds and is best for standard attacking, parrying, and blocking. It has a medium range and is practical for nearly every situation. The kusarigama is bigger, so it has a longer windup, but it also reaches a bit farther and has a wider attack radius for hitting multiple enemies at once. On the other hand, the tanto used in conjunction with Naoe’s hidden blade is weaker and has a short range but attacks the most rapidly. It is required for double assassinations when unlocked in the skill tree.

However you play as Naoe, her equal parts anger and kindness make her a great new addition to the Assassin’s Creed stable of characters. Sneak around carefully with her while uncovering more of the story of how she came to wield a hidden blade.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available March 20th on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.