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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. |
Oda clan warriors armed with arquebuses
An arquebus is a long-barreled firearm that was developed in the late 15th century and which saw early use in battles in Europe[1] and the Ottoman Empire,[2] but also managed to reach places as far as Japan where they were known as teppō (鉄砲).[3]
From the mid-16th century onward, the musket, which had been invented in the early 1500s and was a heavier weapon, became more common for infantries.[1] Though originally distinct, later modifications made to the muskets turned the two weapons indistinguishable from each other, and they became known indiscriminately as muskets.[4]
An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier.
History[]
By 1500, many standing armies in Europe had already created units of arquebusiers, including the Papal States under the control of Rodrigo Borgia. A great number of arquebusiers provided security throughout Rome.[5] A contingent of them was mobilized to aid Cesare Borgia's forces during the siege of Monteriggioni, where they were able to seriously wound Ezio Auditore da Firenze in the shoulder and abdomen, tipping the attack in their favor.[6]
Gaspar de la Croix aiming an arquebus
In 1502, during a visit by his fellow Templar Fiora Cavazza, the engineer Gaspar de la Croix tinkered with an arquebus, pausing at times to aim it out of his front window at the passing crowd, before making more adjustments.[7] Around 1503, Baltasar de Silva organized a division of arquebusiers as an ambush for now Templar-turncoat Fiora Cavazza, luring her into warehouse where the arquebusiers were hidden, though a team of Assassins was able to shoot down the enemies and rescue her.[8]
Later that year, a number of French arquebusiers under Charles de la Motte were key factors in a trap set by Charles and Cesare Borgia for the Assassins of Rome. Though the Assassin apprentice team of Francesco Vecellio was able to kill several arquebusiers with bows, this broke their cover and led to them being overwhelmed by the combined Templar forces.[9] Though the Assassin team escaped to the roof of an inn, another contingent of arquebusiers surrounded and fired upon them from nearby buildings, wiping out virtually all of them.[10]
Arquebusiers continued to be used by the Templar forces around 1511. Leandros made use of them as protection in a stronghold near Masyaf while the Byzantines used them to protect any Assassin Dens they captured in Constantinople, as well as the rooftops of Derinkuyu.[11]
In 1543,[12] first contact was made between the Portuguese and the Japanese on Japan's southern shores, bringing, among other things, firearms. The Japanese quickly developed their own versions and soon deployed this new armament into the battlefields. Oda Nobunaga's armies were among the first to use the arquebus in Japan[3] due to his deep trade relations with the Portuguese,[13] contributing to the higher bodycount of the battles of the Sengoku period, compared to those of previous eras.[3] Yasuke, a samurai in Nobunaga's service, used the arquebus alongside his melee weapons.[14]
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
The arquebus is a weapon that first appeared in the 2010 video game Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, where it was only used by enemy soldiers. It did not become a usable weapon until the introduction of Yasuke as a protagonist in the 2025 video game Assassin's Creed: Shadows,[14] though it is referred to by the Chinese loanword teppō (鉄砲 lit. "iron cannon"),[15] rather than the more accurate tanegashima (種子島).[16]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Shadows
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Arnold, Thomas (2001), The Renaissance at War, Cassell & Co, ISBN 978-0-304-35270-8
- ↑ Ágoston, Gábor (2008), Guns for the Sultan: Military Power and the Weapons Industry in the Ottoman Empire, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-60391-1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Echoes of History – Shadows – Episode 1: Civil War in Feudal Japan: The Sengoku Period
- ↑ Chase, K. W. (2003). Firearms: A global history to 1700. Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-82274-9.
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood – Vilified
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy – Rome: Chapter 1 – Fiora Cavazza: Spare Parts
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy – Rome: Chapter 1 – Fiora Cavazza: Moving Target
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy – Rome: Chapter 3 – Francesco Vecellio: Cover Fire
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy – Rome: Chapter 3 – Francesco Vecellio: Marathon
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- ↑ Echoes of History – Shadows – Episode 3: Portuguese Missionaries in Japan
- ↑
Assassin's Creed Shadows Explained - Samurai, Shinobi, and Feudal Japan on the Ubisoft YouTube channel
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Purslow, Matt (15 May 2024). Assassin’s Creed Shadows: 40 Details You Need To Know. IGN. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved on 18 May 2024.
- ↑ Firearms of Japan on Wikipedia
- ↑ Tanegashima (gun) on Wikipedia
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