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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. |
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Oda Nobunaga (Japanese: 織田 信長; 1534 – 1582) was a powerful daimyō during the Sengoku period of Japan, and the first of Japan's three great unifiers (三英傑). Inheriting the title of daimyō of Owari after his father Oda Nobuhide died in 1551, Nobunaga's carefree lifestyle as a youth neglecting lessons on statecraft meant he had to quickly reconsolidate the Oda clan's power in the region if he hoped to survive.
After securing his position, he set out to unite the country under his banner. His rule was marked by brutal military campaigns, often bringing significant force against the slightest opposition that refused to recognize his authority, first initiating the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War against the Buddhist Ikkō-ikki before twice invading Iga to start the Tenshō Iga War against the shinobi of Iga ikki.
Biography[]
When the Japanese Assassins made contact with Nobunaga, he was sympathetic to their cause and promised an alliance once he had unified his country. However, after he came into possession of a Sword of Eden, the possibility of an alliance was compromised.[1]
On 21 June 1582, when the daimyō's vassal Akechi Mitsuhide betrayed and attacked him at Honnō-ji in Kyoto,[2] Nobunaga was confronted by Fujibayashi Naoe, who had been deceived by Mitsuhide into taking Nobunaga's life by lying that the daimyō was the leader of the Shinbakufu responsible for the death of Naoe's father Nagato. Nobunaga's retainer Yasuke, who accompanied his lord, refused to take Naoe's life, so a cornered Nobunaga committed seppuku.[3]
In the aftermath of his death, the Assassin Yamauchi Taka retrieved Nobunaga's Sword of Eden and brought it to Liu Yan, who transported it to China.[4] After Nobunaga's death, his vassal Toyotomi Hideyoshi took over the mantle of conquering the land.[1]
Legacy[]
In 2014, when an Abstergo Entertainment research analyst relived Yamauchi Taka's genetic memories in the Animus, they witnessed an altered version of the Honnō-ji incident, where Taka assassinated Nobunaga to take his Sword of Eden.[4]
Behind the scenes[]
Oda Nobunaga is a historical figure and character first introduced in the 2015 digital card game Assassin's Creed: Memories, which depicts his death at the hands of the Assassin Yamauchi Taka in order to retrieve his Sword of Eden. However, the promotional website Who's In Your Blood? for the 2016 Assassin's Creed film does not acknowledge these events.
When Nobunaga later appeared in the 2025 video game Assassin's Creed: Shadows, he is shown committing seppuku during the Honnō-ji incident, like he is recorded to have done in real life. Additionally, the game does not acknowledge Nobunaga being in possession of a Sword of Eden at any point, suggesting that the events of Memories have been retconned.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Memories (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed film (promotional material only)
- Echoes of History – Shadows (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Shadows
References[]
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