Alessandro Valignano

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.

This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: Shadows. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all.

This template should be removed from the article 20 June 2025.

"These converts are our foothold in this country."

―Alessandro Valignano.^[src]^-[m]

Alessandro Valignano (1539 – 1606) was an Italian Jesuit missionary and a Templar, who helped supervise the introduction of Catholicism in the Far East, most specifically in Japan.

Biography[]

Jesuit mission[]

In 1579, Valignano was sent to aid Francisco Cabral, who was already doing missionary work in Japan, but the two men despised one another almost instantly. Valignano used his Jesuit connections to scour Japan for Templar recruits, and upon Cabral confronting Valignano regarding this, the latter used his influence to force Cabral to resign from his post as Superior of the Jesuit Mission.^[1]

Meeting Oda Nobunaga[]

On 8 March 1581, Valignano arrived in Kyoto with Luís Fróis and his swordbearer Diogo to meet with the daimyō Oda Nobunaga to discuss the free travel of his priests in the country. During the meeting, Nobunaga took a liking to Diogo and acquiesced Valignano's request on the condition that he take Diogo into his service. A disgruntled Valignano accepted the terms, though not before telling Nobunaga that Diogo was better for little more than bearing one's sandals.^[2]

Behind the scenes[]

Alessandro Valignano is a historical figure and character first introduced in the 2014 mobile game, Assassin's Creed: Memories. He made his mainline debut in the 2025 video game, Assassin's Creed: Shadows, where he is voiced by Paulino Nunes who also voices Nuno Caro.^[3]

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

Assassin's Creed: Memories (first appearance)
Echoes of History (mentioned only)
Assassin's Creed: Shadows

References[]

↑ Assassin's Creed: Memories
↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – The Lord's Favor
↑ Assassin's Creed Shadows at the Internet Movie Database

Assassin's Creed: Memories

Characters

Assassins	Ratonhnhaké:ton • Achilles Davenport • Aveline de Grandpré \| Edward Kenway • Ah Tabai • Mary Read • Adéwalé \| Hattori Hanzō • Yamauchi Taka • Liu Yan • Yamauchi Kazutoyo • Hattori Masanari • Mogami Yoshiaki \| Ezio Auditore da Firenze • Francesco Vecellio • La Volpe • Bartolomeo d'Alviano • Niccolò Machiavelli \| Qulan Gal • Nergüi • Darim Ibn-La'Ahad • Marco Polo • Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad • Maria Thorpe \| Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad • Malik Al-Sayf • Al Mualim • William of Cassingham • Robert Fitzwalter • Niccolò Polo • Jabal

Templars	Haytham Kenway • William Johnson • Benjamin Church • Charles Lee • John Pitcairn • Thomas Hickey \| Benjamin Hornigold • Laureano de Torres y Ayala • Julien du Casse \| Mochizuki Chiyome • Alessandro Valignano • Uesugi Kenshin \| Charles de la Motte • Emilio Barbarigo • Juan Borgia the Elder • Cesare Borgia • Lucrezia Borgia • Rocco Tiepolo \| Tamir • Sibrand • Robert de Sablé • Majd Addin • Jacques de Molay • Abu'l Nuqoud

Others	Ashley Gaudreau \| Israel Putnam • George Washington • David Walston \| Anne Bonny • El Tiburón • Bartholomew Roberts • Charles Vane • Jack Rackham • Edward Thatch • Laurens Prins • Peter Chamberlaine • William Kidd \| Chaya Shirōjirō Kiyonobu • Ii Naomasa • Shima Sakon • Mōri Motonari • Oda Nobunaga • Sakai Tadatsugu • Honda Tadakatsu • Sakakibara Yasumasa • Date Masamune \| Lorenzo de' Medici • Leonardo da Vinci \| Ögedei Khan • Hülegü Khan • Jochi Khan • Alexander Nevsky • Genghis Khan • Kublai Khan • Attar of Nishapur • Subutai \| Adha

Factions

Locations

Events

Terms and concepts

Cards | Animus (Genetic memory • Memories) • Assassination targets • Guards • Piece of Eden (Chalice • Swords of Eden)

Assassin's Creed: Shadows

Characters

Assassins	Dan • Heiji • Ibuki • Junjiro • Monta • Fujibayashi Naoe • Oni-yuri • Rokkaku Katsuhime • Sen no Rikyū • Shido • Shinobu • Tomiko • Yagoro • Yagyū Munetoshi • Yasuke • Yaya \| Alvaro Catarribera • Fubuki • Fujibayashi Nagato • Hattori Hanzō • Kaede • Kishi • Momochi Sandayu • Sanjo • Sumire • Tsubasa • Tsuyu • Yu-no-shin

Templars	Alessandro Valignano • Duarte de Melo • Hosokawa Tama • Kimura Kei • Nuno Caro

Shinbakufu	Akechi Kagemitsu • Akechi Mitsuhide • Ashikaga Yoshiaki • Bessho Harumasa • Ido Yoshihiro • Ise Sadaoki • Joken Hokkyo • Oichi • Takeda Motoaki • Ukita Naoie • Wada Koretake • Yaita Wakasa

Minor targets	The Betrayers (Fujichika Nakayama • Endo Tomoyasu • Itakura Shigezo • Masatoshi Nakahara • Sato Genta • Sato Katsubei • Usami Yoshiko) • The Butterfly Collectors (Gamemaker • Kacho • Mucho • Richo • Shucho) • The Corrupt Daikan (Endo Riku • Gamo Morinari • Ise Asuka • Isshiki Mansaku • Izumi Bunzo • Okudaira Toshizo) • Genzaburo's Soldiers (Akane • Genzaburo • Seiji • Shin-no-suke • Yasokichi) • The Godai Shinobi (Kaji • Akira • Azai Jukei • Kazumi • Rokkaku Yoshimitsu) • The Hunters of Kyonyo (Inumaru • Kamakichi • Shishi-o • Toro • Tsuchi-Gumo) • The Iron Hand Guild (Ginroku • Kanta • Kin-no-suke • Tamao • The Iron Hand) • The Kabukimono (Big Sueki • Chief Cuckoo • Corrupt Blade • Ember • Ghost General • Grave Dancer • Laughing Man • Peacock) • Kurai Eikyou (The Akiyama Agent • The Blacksmith Agent • The Katsuragi Agent • The Tsutsui Agent • The Messenger) • Nobutsuna's Students (Asari Nobutane • Hozoin In'ei • Marume Nagayoshi • Nagano Saemon • Sanada Masatoyo • Yagyū Munetoshi • Yuki no Kata) • The Pirate Alliance (Kage • Little Kappa • Lopo Cruz • Oni-yuri • Sen) • The Silver Smugglers (Enju • Fernam Moreno • Takeru • Mai • Nycollaao de Castel Branco • Shinji • Yoshisada) • The Twisted Tree (Takahashi Goro • Takahashi Ichi-Hime • Takahashi Inoshichi • Takahashi Jiro • Takahashi Saburo • Takahashi Shiro • Takahashi Taro) • The Winter Raiders (Akumu • Hayate • Sobei • Jinbei • Yasha) • The Yamabushi Imposters (The Clifftop Yamabushi • The Forest Yamabushi • The Mountain Yamabushi • The Pathway Yamabushi • The Pond Yamabushi • The River Yamabushi • The Shadow Yamabushi • The Valley Yamabushi • The Village Yamabushi) • The Yokai (Ao Andon • Daitengu • Kappa (Kappa Taku • Kappa Rei) • Makuwauri no Bakemono • Oshiroi Babā • Suika no Bakemono • Taka Nyudo • Yuki-onna)

Others	Animus EGO user • Ego • The Guide \| Akechi Mitsuyoshi • Aoi • Aoki Ujimasa • Asajiro • Bessho Nagaharu • Luís Fróis • Fujita Juro • Furuta Tanji • Fuyu • Gamo Yoshimitsu • Gennojo • Genpaku • Hatakeyama Yoshimasa • Hori Hidemasa • Hosokawa Fujitaka • Imai Sōkun • Imai Sōkyū • Ise Sadatame • Ishikawa Goemon • Kanō Eitoku • Kamiizumi Nobutsuna • Kennyo • Konishi Yukinaga • Kuma • Kumebe Ujiie • Kuroda Yoshitaka • Kyonyo • Mamushi • Matsu • Mayu • Mitsumune • Mori Ranmaru • Murakami Norimasa • Nagoya Yagaro • Nakamura Tadashige • Nene • Niwa Nagahide • Norimune • Oda Nobukatsu • Oda Nobunaga • Ōta Gyūichi • Otama • Rin • Samemaru • Satoko • Shibata Katsuie • Shindo Hiroshii • Shin'nyo • Shōtei • Sorin • Suzu • Tetsuo • Tokubei • Tokugawa Ieyasu • Tatsugoro • Tomita Nobutaka • Toyotomi Hideyoshi • Ukita Hideie • Ujimasa • Yakichi • Yamamoto Masakatsu

Factions

Assassins (Kakushiba ikki) • Templars (Abstergo Industries | Japanese Rite • Portuguese Rite • Roman Rite) • Shinbakufu • Japanese clans (Akechi • Fukui • Niwa • Oda • Rokkaku • Takahashi • Takeda • Tokugawa • Toyotomi • Tsutsui • Ukita) • Japanese confederations (Iga ikki • Ikkō-ikki • Koga ikki) • Japanese subcultures (Kabukimono • Rōnin • Samurai • Shinobi • Sōhei • Yamabushi) • Minor factions (The Butterfly Collector • Godai Shinobi • The Iron Hand Guild • Kurai Eikyou • The Pirate Alliance • The Winter Raiders) • Portuguese Empire • Jesuits

Locations

Japan (Harima (Aga • Himeji • Miki) • Iga (Hijiyama • Ichinomiya) • Kii (Saika) • Ōmi (Azuchi • Kameyama • Nagahama) • Izumi Settsu (Amagasaki • Katano • Nakayama Peak • Sakai • Osaka • Takatsuki) • Tamba (Fukuchiyama • Yakami) • Wakasa (Obama • Tsuruga) • Yamashiro (Arashiyama • Kyoto • Misuno • Yamazaki) • Yamato (Asuka • Katsuragi • Koriyama • Takatori • Yoshino))

Events

Sengoku period (Tenshō Iga War • Honnō-ji incident • Battle of Yamazaki)

Terms and concepts

Animus (Anomalies • Database • Genetic memory • Hub • Memories • Rifts) • Crafting • Kakurega • Activities (Hidden Trails • Horse Archery • Kata • Kofun • Kuji-kiri) • Collectibles (Kamon • Tea sets • Sumi-e • Kano Paintings) • Imperial Regalia • Skills (Assassination • Eagle Vision • Freerunning • Eavesdropping • Leap of Faith) • Wardrobe (Naoe • Yasuke)

Weapons and tools

Blunt weapons (Kanabō) • Bow • Firearms (Teppō) • Grappling hook • Hidden Blade • Kusarigama • Polearms (Naginata • Yari) • Shinobi Tools (Kunai • Bells • Nightingale floor • Shuriken • Smoke bombs) • Short blades (Tantō) • Swords (Katana)

DLC

Thrown to the Dogs • Story Drops • Claws of Awaji