How to unlock Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows (chapter and mission explained)

As one of the two Assassin’s Creed Shadows protagonists, Yasuke plays a key role in Ubisoft's latest open-world stealth adventure game. Interestingly, however, players will only get a brief taste of the African samurai's playstyle in an intro tutorial before the game cuts to the other protagonist, the shinobi Naoe. As such, new players who want to step back into the boots of the powerful samurai may wonder how long it takes for another character switch in the story.

This guide explains all there is to know about when you can unlock and play as Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Disclaimer: This article contains minor spoilers for the story.

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When do you unlock Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

After fully unlocking Yasuke, you can use the samurai to explore the open world in Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Image via Ubisoft)

If you expect Naoe to let go of the narrative reigns soon after coming into focus, you will likely be disappointed. Setting up the stage for her vengeance-driven origins, you will be in control of this character after the brief tutorial for at least 8-10 hours. This could even extend to twice that duration if you take your time playing as the sneaky, lethal shinobi.

In short, Yasuke becomes playable again during the ninth main mission chapter of Assassin's Creed Shadows, dubbed Temple of the Horseman, which has a Level Recommendation of 12. This story quest becomes available after finishing the previous mission, Belly of the Beast. The objective is for Naoe to gain entry into the Honnoji Temple and assassinate Oda Nobunaga, Yasuke's master.

The mission culminates in a proper boss fight against Nobunaga himself. Defeating him will let you control Yasuke as the next mission Lightning and Thunder begins. Back at the Hideout during the A New League mission, you are free to choose between the two protagonists. Thus, you can either continue playing as Naoe or switch to Yasuke.

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Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.