Naoe vs Yasuke: Who should you play as in Assassin's Creed Shadows?

In Assassin's Creed Shadows, you can play two very different characters: Naoe and Yasuke. After starting the game with an introduction to both characters, you’ll be locked into playing as Naoe for the first eight to ten hours. Once you’ve progressed through the story, you can switch between them almost anytime.

In this guide, we’ll break down the differences between Naoe and Yasuke to help you decide which character suits you best.

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Naoe vs Yasuke: Who should you play?

Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Naoe is a shinobi (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Ubisoft)

1) Stealth and agility

Naoe entails the traditional stealth-based style of gameplay featured in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. She is a shinobi trained in assassination and stealth, moving as nimbly as a shadow. Her areas of specialization are agility, exploration, and taking down enemies when they least expect to be attacked.

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2) Weapons and combat style

Naoe wields a katana, a weary tanto, and a kusarigama. The katana functions best with an opponent's movements and is very efficient for thrusting and countering attacks.

The kusarigama’s efficiency lies in combating multiple opponents, especially crowds. You can do this by making use of disarming tackles. Due to the tanto’s effectiveness in combat, stealth kills become easy, efficient, and exploitable for Naoel.

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3) Skills and abilities

Naoe's skills focus heavily on stealth and agility. She can use a grappling hook to scale walls and reach difficult areas, eavesdrop on conversations to gather intel, and distract enemies with tools like kunai and smoke bombs. Her Eagle Sense helps highlight threats and points of interest, giving her a tactical advantage in stealth situations.

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4) Best aituations to use Naoe

Naoe thrives when you approach missions with a calculated, quiet strategy. If you enjoy sneaking around, using distractions, and taking down enemies silently, Naoe is the better choice. She’s also better suited for exploring the map and synchronizing viewpoints, thanks to her superior climbing and movement skills.

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Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Yasuke is the legendary African samurai (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Ubisoft)

1) Strength and direct combat

Yasuke, on the other hand, is a powerhouse built for direct combat. He is a samurai whose strength lies in his ability to charge head-on into a fight and emerge victorious. Unlike Naoe, Yasuke is not suited for stealth — his approach is about power and endurance rather than subtlety.

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2) Weapons and combat style

Yasuke's weaponry illustrates his raw power. His katana can cut through even the most durable of armor. The Naginata is a pole weapon that is excellent at cleaving several people at the same time. The Kanabo is a very large club that does a lot of damage but is slower to swing. Yasuke also uses a bow for mid-range shots and a teppo for long-range ones.

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3) Skills and abilities

Yasuke’s skills are centered around toughness and damage dealing. He can single-handedly push through the enemy lines, move opponents aside, and even self-regenerate while fighting. His combat-oriented stamina allows him to take damage and not die even when he is engulfed by enemies.

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4) Best situations to use Yasuke

Yasuke is great for users who enjoy using brute force over stealth and enjoy melee combat. However, he is not the greatest explorer due to his inability to use the grappling hook or blender in tight spaces, so do not expect him to perform well in reconnaissance missions.

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Deciding between Naoe and Yasuke is not about which character is better, but rather which one is more suited for the task. Naoe is better at stealth and scouting, while Yasuke is better at open combat. The optimal approach is to mix both depending on the scenario. For quiet assassination attempts, use Naoe, and for combat situations where you need to fight through multiple enemies, use Yasuke.

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Check out our other Assassin's Creed Shadows guides:

• All Samurai Skills for Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows, and how to unlock them
• Assassin's Creed Shadows vs Ghost of Tsushima: Similarities and differences explored
• How to change gear apperance in Assassin's Creed Shadows