Yes, Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ protagonist Yasuke is based on a real historical figure. The real Yasuke was a warrior and retainer to Oda Nobunaga, a prominent warlord of the era, and is remembered for being the first, and perhaps only, Black samurai.
Not much is known about Yasuke’s life, particularly before he arrived in Japan in 1579 and after Nobunaga’s death in 1582. He’s the first African to appear in Japanese records, though information like his birth name and place of origin are unknown.
Based on historical records, most believe Yasuke came from what is now Mozambique in southeast Africa, though it’s unclear if he was enslaved or left Africa as a mercenary.
Yasuke arrived in Japan while working with Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. He first met Nobunaga while accompanying Valignano to an audience with the warlord, who immediately took an interest in him due to his skin color and gave him the name “Yasuke.”
A year after their meeting, Nobunaga’s reign would end during the Honnō-ji Incident in which retainer Akechi Mitsuhide betrayed him and forced him to commit seppuku. Yasuke fought in Nobunaga’s defense, but was ultimately spared for unclear reasons.
While he was treated by Jesuit missionaries following the incident, it’s unknown what happened to Yasuke afterward.
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