|
He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. |
Nagamasa was the leader of a group of Japanese mercenaries employed by the Shimazu clan in the early 18th century.
Trained in swordsmanship by the clan's head ninja Fuma Sukuna, Nagamasa and his men were sent to hunt down Shimazu Saito, who had gone rogue and joined the Zhang Wei Union. During their pursuit of Saito in the Philippines, some of Nagamasa's men elected to settle on the islands, displacing and killing many of the natives in the process.
On an island near the Sultanate of Sulu, Nagamasa and his mercenaries were defeated and captured by Saito, who then offered them a chance to exact retribution on the Shimazu clan for their mistreatment. Accepting the offer, Nagamasa and his men became allies of the Zhang Wei Union and helped them eliminate Sukuna and his followers.
Following this, Nagamasa and his mercenaries continued to accompany the Union members on their journey across Southeast Asia, where they searched for a set of three Pieces of Eden. Nagamasa remained loyal to Saito and hoped that together they could use the Pieces to overthrow the Shimazu clan.
Biography[]
Early life[]
- "My father... in fact, all of our fathers were abandoned in this foreign land. All my father ever wanted before he died was to taste the water of his homeland once more. And we, their forsaken children, live here as strangers, forever shunned by the natives. Not a day went by without the craving in our bones to be acknowledged for who we are. At least then... we wouldn't be doomed to the life of outcasts with no place to call home."
- ―Nagamasa telling Saito about his past, 1725.[src]-[m]
Nagamasa and his father arriving in the Philippines
Nagamasa was born on one of Japan's southern isles and migrated to the Philippines alongside his father at a young age. Nagamasa's father was affiliated with the Shimazu clan, but because of their mixed heritage, both he and his son were treated as outsiders and shunned by the clan's senior members. As a result, Nagamasa and his father wished to one day return to Japan and be acknowledged by the Shimazu clan for who they were, though the latter passed away before they could do so.[1]
Left alone in a foreign and hostile land, Nagamasa eventually became a mercenary and pirate and joined up with other individuals similarly shunned by the Shimazu clan. With Nagamasa as their captain, the group sought to earn the clan's favor at all costs, so that they would be welcomed back to their homeland.[1]
Hunting Shimazu Saito[]
- Saito: "Speak. Do you serve the Shimazu family?"
- Nagamasa: "You call that a family? Now that you mention it, my old man once called himself a Shimazu. But since when does your haughty clan care about the lowly mutts they cast aside? Oh, let me guess! Maybe even the mutt's litter belongs to the precious clan!"
- —Saito questioning Nagamasa after their duel, 1725.[src]-[m]
In 1725, Nagamasa and his men were hired by Fuma Sukuna to eliminate Shimazu Saito, a traitor of the Shimazu clan who had joined the Zhang Wei Union. In exchange for their services, the mercenaries were promised that they would be accepted into the clan as full-fledged members. Sukuna also personally trained Nagamasa and his men in swordsmanship to help them stand a better chance against Saito, teaching them many of the Shimazu clan's techniques.[1]
During their pursuit of Saito and her associates, Nagamasa's group accompanied Sukuna and his ninja followers to Monkey Island, where they massacred countless native villagers in search of information, to no avail.[2] After splitting up from Sukuna, Nagamasa and his men continued to raid numerous villages ,and their infamy quickly spread throughout the Philippines, leading to most natives becoming fearful of Japanese foreigners.[1]
Nagamasa defeated by Saito
While attempting to raid a village on an island near the Sultanate of Sulu, Nagamasa and his men fell into a trap set by the Zhang Wei Union, leading to their defeat and capture. Nagamasa confronted and dueled Saito herself, but the latter's superior training allowed her to quickly overpower and disarm the captain.[1]
Saito then interrogated Nagamasa to learn who he was serving, and the captain took the opportunity to express his disdain for the Shimazu clan before asking Saito to execute him, since returning to Sukuna empty-handed was as good as a death sentence. However, Saito revealed that she needed Nagamasa and his men alive to secure passage into the village, and they were subsequently taken prisoner.[1]
Later, Saito visited Nagamasa and his men in the warehouse where they had been tied up, and demanded to know what the Shimazu clan had promised them in return for their services. Nagamasa feigned ignorance at first, claiming they had been offered gold, but Saito had deduced from their desperation during the fight that something more personal was at stake. The captain then confessed that he and his men had been promised a place in the Shimazu clan and told Saito about how they had been treated as outcasts their entire lives.[1]
To Nagamasa's surprise, Saito revealed that she understood his position better than anyone since she, too, had been an outsider once. She then extended him an offer to join her in exacting revenge on the Shimazu clan, promising that if they succeeded, the entire clan would be theirs. After using a knife to cut his bindings, Nagamasa expressed interest in the samurai's offer and asked how much she would pay them for the job.[1]
Nagamasa being questioned by Saito
When Saito claimed she was fighting for a noble cause and questioned if honor meant nothing to Nagamasa, the captain laughed and explained that, as a mercenary, he could not accept a job if he believed he had nothing to gain from it. Despite this, Saito still decided to release Nagamasa and his men, as an act of mercy from one outcast to another.[3]
Nagamasa was confused by Saito's actions and commented that, whatever her plans may be, they were far more unhinged than he could imagine. He then regrouped with the rest of his mercenaries who had also been freed by Saito and together they escaped from the village unnoticed, using their grappling hooks to scale its walls.[3]
Betraying Fuma Sukuna[]
Returning to Sukuna, Nagamasa told him of his encounter with Saito, claiming he and his men had barely managed to escape with their lives. Sukuna was not surprised, remarking that he never expected the mercenaries to stand a chance against Saito and that their only task was to learn her whereabouts so he and his ninja could deal with her.[3]
After Nagamasa revealed where Saito and her allies were hiding, Sukuna prepared to hunt them down. Before he left, Nagamasa decided to try and bargain for a larger pay, given that the enemies they were facing were no ordinary foes. Sukuna tossed the captain a koban, telling him to consider it a "down payment" and that he would receive the rest of his pay once their mission was completed successfully. This surprised Nagamasa, who told his men that Sukuna's sudden generosity could only mean two things: either he really needed their help, or he had already decided this payment would be their last.[3]
Nagamasa reporting back to Fuma Sukuna
Later, Nagamasa and his men returned to the village, though as they approached it, they noticed footmarks on the ground, indicating that the Zhang Wei Union had already abandoned the settlement. Claiming Saito and her allies were not foolish enough to leave such an obvious trail, Nagamasa concluded that the crew had hidden their ship, the Fenghuang, nearby, and proceeded to track it down.[3]
On a beach, Nagamasa and his mercenaries rejoined Sukuna and his ninja, who were observing from afar as the Fenghuang's crew was loading supplies onto their ship. Moments later, the Qing Empire's Rattan Shield Company arrived, having been sent to assist Sukuna in eliminating the Zhang Wei Union.[3] Alongside Sukuna, Nagamasa stood and watched as the Company fell into a trap set by the Union members when they attempted to attack the Fenghuang, suffering heavy casualties.[4]
After Sukuna ordered Nagamasa and his men to lend their aid to the shieldmen, the captain protested, remarking that it would be suicidal and pointless since Saito was not even present. In response, Sukuna merely told Nagamasa not to question his orders, which made the latter realize that he and his men were nothing more than cannon fodder in the Shimazu clan's eyes. Thus, he declared to his mercenaries that it was time for a "change of allegiance."[4]
Alliance with Saito[]
Returning to the village, Nagamasa greeted Saito, Edward Kenway, and Xialun Qing, prompting Edward to draw his sword, though Saito stopped the Assassin from attacking Nagamasa and his men by claiming they were her "guests." After the captain revealed that he had come to negotiate with Saito, he again asked her how much she was willing to pay for their services. The samurai confessed that she had no money to hire the mercenaries, but promised that, should their mission to overthrow the Shimazu clan succeed, all of its resources would be put at their disposal.[4]
Saito and Nagamasa becoming allies
As Nagamasa was contemplating the offer, two Shimazu ninja arrived to confront him for disobeying Sukuna's orders and running away. The captain promptly killed them with his sword and told Saito that he accepted her proposal.[4] As they shook hands to officially secure their partnership, Nagamasa warned Saito not to mistreat him or his men, or they might end up betraying her. Saito assured him that would not be the case and compared their uneasy alliance to the one between herself and Edward, remarking that she found the coincidence rather amusing.[5]
While Saito and Edward engaged in some brief banter, Nagamasa smiled to himself and remarked that he might have just accepted his "most ridiculous and least profitable job yet." He then informed Saito and Edward that Yun Pyeong-Gyu and the other Zhang Wei Union members who had ambushed the Rattan Shield Company were being pursued by Sukuna's ninja. Edward promptly ran off to deal with them while Saito decided to set a trap for Sukuna.[5]
Knowing Sukuna could not resist the opportunity to take a valuable hostage, Saito had Qing serve as bait by standing in an open field. When Sukuna and his ninja arrived to try and capture Qing, Saito revealed herself and confronted them. She then signaled Nagamasa and his men to emerge from their hiding spots and they quickly surrounded Sukuna's ninja, initiating a standoff.[5]
Angered by the mercenaries' betrayal, Sukuna asked if this was their way of repaying the Shimazu clan's generosity. Nagamasa retorted that he and his men had been treated as nothing but mongrels, and declared his new allegiance to Saito. In response, Sukuna drew his sword and vowed that none of them would leave the island alive, but at that moment, Edward, Yun, and the other Zhang Wei Union members arrived, prompting the ninja to retreat.[6]
Nagamasa fighting a Rattan Shield Company soldier
Saito subsequently devised a plan to ensure their enemies could not escape again, and Nagamasa and his men joined her and the other Union members as they faced off against the Rattan Shield Company. After a prolonged battle, the group ran out of ammunition, and Sukuna and his ninja, who had been watching from afar, decided to seize the opportunity to attack them. However, Saito had anticipated this and ordered her allies to unleash their Greek fire flamethrowers, creating a wall of fire around them and the ninja.[6]
With their enemies trapped, Saito, Nagamasa and his men engaged the ninja while the remaining Union members retreated. During the fight, Nagamasa saw Saito dueling Sukuna and offered to help, but the samurai ordered him to stay out of it. When Saito appeared to be defeated, a concerned Nagamasa immediately rushed to her aid, though by the time he reached her side, Saito had gained the upper hand and killed Sukuna.[7]
After exchanging concerned looks, Nagamasa tried to make an excuse for his reaction and insisted that he was only worried for Saito's well-being because she was his client. He then asked her how it felt to finally achieve her vengeance, to which Saito replied that it felt like "the clouds [had] lifted at last."[7]
Following this, Nagamasa, his men and Saito went to regroup with the other Union members, only to witness Edward single-handedly wipe out the Qing Empire's Special Cavalry Unit that had attacked them. Saito deduced that Edward had been corrupted by the crescent amulet in his possession and went to take it away from him before placing the amulet in a chest. Witnessing the Piece of Eden's powers first-hand, Nagamasa was impressed by Saito's ability to resist the amulet's temptation, and believed that the artifact may allow them to succeed in their goals.[8]
Nagamasa bidding Saito farewell
After Saito and her fellow Union members jumped into the water to board the Fenghuang, Nagamasa and his men did not join them and remained on the island. The captain intended to deal with the remaining Rattan Shield Company soldiers, but revealed that he had his own ship docked nearby and promised to join the Union members at their destination as soon as possible. Saito told Nagamasa that she and her crew would be sailing to the Sultanate of Sulu, and the two parted ways for the time being.[8]
Helping the Zhang Wei Union[]
- Nagamasa: "Well, I'll be... Fancy seeing a pirate on his knees, Mr. Kenway."
- Edward: "You... you work for Saito..."
- Nagamasa: "And after we gave what seemed like the entire Qing Navy the slip, here we are, only to find you just about ready to give up. You ought to thank Master Saito for sending me to scrape you off the ground."
- —Nagamasa, after finding Edward in Sulu, 1725.[src]-[m]
When Nagamasa and his men arrived in Sulu, they found the Fenghuang engaged in battle against a Qing fleet commanded by Admiral Jeong. Narrowly avoiding the enemy ships, the mercenaries were sent by Saito to rescue Edward and John Young, who had failed to prevent the Chinese Assassins Xiao Han, Liu Qing, and Xue Yan from escaping with the crescent amulet after killing Xialun Qing.[9]
After reaching the shore, the mercenaries engaged a group of arriving Suluese soldiers while Nagamasa talked to a despondent Edward. The captain encouraged Edward not to give up and sent some of his men to pick up John, who was mourning Qing's death and refused to leave her body. The mercenaries then retreated back to their ship and sailed away from Sulu, accompanied by the Fenghuang.[9]
Nagamasa and the others discussing Edward's visions
Following a brief stop in Singapore, Nagamasa joined Edward, Saito, John, Yun, and Rupiya aboard their ship, where they discussed Edward's visions caused by the crescent amulet. The Assassin explained that the amulet was but one part of a set of three Pieces of Eden, that the second artifact was hidden in the Shwedagon Pagoda, and that, should anyone acquire all three Pieces, they would gain the power to rule over the entire world.[10]
Wishing to prevent this from happening, all of Edward's allies vowed to stand by his side until the end of their adventure. They then set sail for Burma, which both Nagamasa and Rupiya were familiar with, in order to recover the Piece of Eden from the Shwedagon Pagoda.[10]
After arriving in Yangon, Nagamasa sent his crew to establish contact with several native people in the region who shared a plight similar to theirs, hoping to recruit them to their cause. As Saito and her companions were preparing to infiltrate the Shwedagon Pagoda, Nagamasa informed her of this and told her that his men should return with good news soon. The samurai then left the Fenghuang in Nagamasa's care until her return.[11]
Personality and traits[]
- Saito: "Does honor mean nothing to you?"
- Nagamasa: "Ha, I don't know about fancy samurai like yourself with grand ambitions way above my pay grade... but there ain't no better cause or honor than coin for mercenaries like us."
- —Nagamasa dismissing Saito's notion of fighting for honor, 1725.[src]-[m]
Nagamasa showing concern for Saito's safety
Despite his rough upbringing and choice of profession, Nagamasa was a reasonably good-natured person who maintained an upbeat attitude even in the heart of battle. He possessed a sarcastic sense of humor, which he mainly displayed in his interactions with Shimazu Saito, to whom he jokingly referred by various nicknames such as "Princess Samurai".[3] However, Nagamasa also had a sadistic and ruthless side, showing no qualms about massacring entire villages, and could be sent into a frenzy if he believed his men's lives were in danger.[1]
As a mercenary, Nagamasa cared about his and his men's well-being first and foremost and would decline a job if he believed they had nothing to gain from it.[3] As a result, his loyalty only extended as far as his payment, though this changed upon meeting Saito. Sharing her resentment of the Shimazu clan for their mistreatment of outsiders like himself, Nagamasa agreed to join her in her mission to exact revenge on the clan.[4]
In time, Nagamasa grew to greatly respect and even admire Saito due to her qualities as a leader.[8] He also began to care about her as a friend, or perhaps something more, as implied by his concerned reaction when he saw her fighting Fuma Sukuna.[7]
Skills and equipment[]
Nagamasa killing a Shimazu ninja
Although trained in the ways of the Shimazu clan, Nagamasa was a rather unskilled swordsman according to Saito, who remarked that his iaidō stance was "skewed without balance" and that he could "barely swing a sword."[1] While his lack of proper training put him at a disadvantage against stronger opponents, Nagamasa could still hold his own in a battle, fending off several Rattan Shield Company soldiers,[6] and effortlessly killing a number of Shimazu ninja.[7]
In terms of equipment, Nagamasa wore light armor underneath his robes and carried two katanas, as well as a grappling hook, which could be used to scale walls.[3]
Behind the scenes[]
Nagamasa is a character introduced in Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple.
Etymology[]
Nagamasa is a masculine Japanese given name which can have different meanings depending on the kanji used to write it. For instance, one possible spelling for the name is 永将, which roughly translates to "eternal leader", with 永 meaning "eternity, permanence", and 将 meaning "general, commander, leader."
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 80
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 65
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 81
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 82
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 83
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 84
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 85
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 86
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 92
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 96
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 97