Kō Risa

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Kō Risa
Biographical information
Born	2001 Yokohama, Japan
Species	Human
Political information
Affiliations	Assassins Japanese Brotherhood

Kō Risa (born 2001), also known as Lisa Huang, is a young Japanese woman of Han Chinese descent living in Yokohama. She is a descendant of the Chinese Assassin Shao Jun.

In 2019, she began treatment at Abstergo Industries' clinic in Yokohama to help with her violent tendencies. Through multiple sessions reliving the memories of her ancestor, she became aware of Assassins, the Templars, and their age-old struggle.

Biography

Early life

Risa was born in Yokohama, Japan to Chinese parents. Unable to rein in her violent impulses, she was repeatedly expelled from schools as a teenager due to fighting with her teachers. At some point she got into an argument with a friend that ended their relationship. Risa would also protect her cousin Mari from her abusive father and on one occasion stepped between them.

Receiving treatment

In 2019, she was sent to receive therapy. As part of her treatment at an Abstergo clinic in Yokohama, Doctor Kaori Kagami had the teenager relive the memories of her ancestor, the Assassin Shao Jun through an Animus.

Unfortunately for Risa, Dr. Kagami was not actually interested about improving her mental health but was rather occupied with finding the location of Jun's "treasure". Risa desynchronized from her first Animus session after Shao Jun performed a Leap of Faith, unsettled by how real the simulation was. Dr. Kagami explained that it was not real and nothing would harm her as they were only memories. Ending the therapy, Risa left and called her mother, informing her that the therapy helped and that she would continue with it.

Risa desynchronizes after witnessing Liu Jin's execution

During Risa's second Animus session with Dr. Kagami, she relived a young Jun witnessing the public execution of the corrupt eunuch Liu Jin and desychronized in horror. When asked by her doctor to stop for the day, she insisted on continuing her treatment. Through further simulated memories, she learned of the Assassins and Templars and their ongoing struggle. After being brought out of the Animus, she asked Dr. Kagami about the two factions. Dr. Kagami told her patient that the Assassins sought chaos while the Templars fought for peace and order.

Dr. Kagami told Risa that she is a descendant of the Assassin Shao Jun and that her genes were the reason for her violent behavior. When Risa asked if the Animus treatment would definitely help her, Dr. Kagami insisted to her that she is on her side as long as they work together. Accepting this answer, Risa reentered the Animus. While reliving Shao Jun's memory of the 1526 fire of Macau, Shao Jun's guilt from the incident affected Risa who started getting a flashback to when she felt guilty when she fell out with a friend. Later when she was out the streets after her session had ended, she was suddenly grabbed by her cousin Mari who stated that she had been looking for her.

The two cousins sit down at a café for drinks. Mari mentioned that she could not find Risa upon stopped by Risa's house and it was therefore lucky that they had crossed paths instead. Mari asks about Risa's treatment and details on what exactly they are. Risa describes what the Animus experience is like, but Mari is convinced she doesn't need treatment, as Risa was still the kind person she has always known. The two were then interrupted by a scary Yakuza-like man, he introduces himself as Kiyoshi Takakura. Kiyoshi voices his negative opinion on the Animus and its dangers and hands Risa a business card telling her to meet him at 5pm the next day. Before leaving, he whispers to Risa that he is an Assassin like her. A curious Risa and a wary Mari accept the invitation and meet with him the next day.

Risa and Mari meeting Kiyoshi

Meeting with Kiyoshi, the Assassin told Risa the truth of the Assassins and Templars. Risa, thinking they were an ancient organization long dissolved, was surprised to find out they were very much still active. Kiyoshi also revealed that Risa's doctor Kagami was a Templar and did not care about Risa. Kiyoshi then warns Risa further about the dangers of prolonged Animus sessions resulting in the Bleeding Effect. Kiyoshi pleaded with Risa to not let the Templars get their hands on the treasure, but Risa declined to help, angered at the accusations against her doctor whom she trusts. Storming out of the shop without Mari, Risa wandered the streets of Yokohama. Seeing an illusion of a Ming soldier, her muscle memory of Shao Jun placed her in a combat stance ready to fight. After realizing it was not real, Risa collapsed to her knees worried that she was already losing her mind.

Personality and traits

Kō Risa is a protective individual, standing up for her cousin and holding her ground against her uncle. Although she was a relatively happy child, during her teenage years she became more withdrawn and colder towards others. Risa also has a tendency to lash out psychically, something she wishes to change.

Skills and equipment

Risa has some minor combat abilities, being kicked out of school for fighting. After reliving the memories of the Assassin Shao Jun, Risa experienced the Bleeding Effect and instinctively got into a combat stance when the Bleeding Effect conjured an illusion of a Ming soldier.

Behind the scenes

Kō Risa is the main protagonist of the manga Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun, which debuted in 2019 in Japanese. Her name given in Japanese is 黄里沙 (Kō Risa), which would be Huáng Lǐshā in both the Hanyu Pinyin and the Wade–Giles systems of romanization for Mandarin. Prior to the publication of the English edition, the fan website Access the Animus reported that her name would be anglicized as Lisa Yang; Yang is an entirely different surname from Huang. The error has not appeared with the release of the French and English editions, where the Mandarin reading of her surname is properly romanized as Huang.

The conversion of her name into a Western form that is common among Overseas Chinese communities in Anglophone and Francophone nations may not be reflective of the character's actual practice. Since the original language of the manga is Japanese, the setting is Japan, and the characters converse in Japanese, it can be deduced that Lisa Huang canonically uses the name Kō Risa in day-to-day life. Because of its official usage, however, the name Lisa Huang remains a valid alternative when used to discuss the character.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun