Yasuke

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.

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

"You are still a frog in a well who knows nothing of the sea. The oceans fill with new ships, but they all come from the same river: greed, power, vengeance."

―Yasuke to Fujibayashi Naoe.^[src]^-[m]

Yasuke (弥助; born c. 1555),^[1] known to the Portuguese under the baptismal name "Diogo",^[3] was an African samurai who served the Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga. In 1579, the Portuguese Jesuits brought him as a slave to the port city of Sakai,^[3] shortly following their rescue of him at sea.^[4] By 1581, he had entered into Nobunaga's service after capturing his attention as the first African man he had ever met and impressing him with his strong stature and intelligence.^[3]

In 1581, Yasuke and his lord invaded Iga Province as part of the Tenshō Iga War, devastating the region.^[5]^[6] Despite having destroyed Fujibayashi Naoe's home, Yasuke later allied himself with the young Igan kunoichi, joining her league, the Kakushiba ikki. As one of Naoe's most important allies, Yasuke often accompanied her on the field, assisting her in not just intelligence-gathering but also assassinations.^[7]

Together they hunted and eliminated members of the Shinbakufu, a secretive organization founded by the ousted shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiaki as a way to reestablish his position. His plans were foiled as Yasuke and Naoe systematically dismantled the group which directly brought about its downfall.^[8] Yasuke also tracked down members of the Portuguese Rite of the Templar Order and, after killing their leader Nuno Caro, effectively declared war on the Templars on behalf of the Kakushiba ikki.^[9]

Personality and traits

Yasuke was a thoughtful and intelligent man, who was able to learn the Japanese people's language, customs, and martial arts quickly upon arriving in their country. His respect for the local culture enabled his adaptation to his new environment.^[5] These qualities, alongside his physical prowess and aptitude in combat, were what earned him Oda Nobunaga's respect.^[6] His down-to-earth sensibilities complemented the fiery and passionate temperament of his later ally Fujibayashi Naoe.^[5]

Having personally experienced societies worlds apart from another, Yasuke nonetheless observed that they all shared common features no matter their cultural differences. Whether it was the world of his homeland, that of his Portuguese slavers, or that of the Japanese warlords, self-interest, power politics, and violence seemed to be the universal language. It was Naoe who challenged him to discover through his own choices that a world not dictated by these features was possible.^[7]

Skills and equipment

ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 2 — Yasuke attacking a soldier with a *kanabō*

On the battlefield, Yasuke was a powerful warrior capable of slaying multiple enemies with ease. Apart from his mastery of the katana, his great physical strength permitted his use of the kanabō while he was also skilled in the arquebus.^[6]^[10] Yasuke could also wield a naginata to keep several enemies at bay at once and clear large spaces,^[11] and he demonstrated proficiency in the use of the yumi bow in medium-range combat encounters.^[12]

Yasuke was at least bilingual, fluent in both Portuguese and later Japanese, with his fluency in the latter surprising many native speakers of the language;^[3] he furthered his knowledge of Japanese by learning its written form when his Shinkage-ryū (新陰流,, "new shadow school") instructor Kamiizumi Nobutsuna had him take calligraphy lessons under Lady Nene^[13] before continuing them as part of his own curriculum.^[14] Yasuke could also read and translate Latin,^[15] though his grasp of written Portuguese was minimal at best.^[4]

Behind the scenes

Yasuke is a historical figure who stars as one of the two protagonists in the 2025 video game Assassin's Creed: Shadows. He is portrayed by the Zimbabwean actor Tongayi Chirisa.

If choosing not to implement canon mode Yasuke can have four potential love interests: Hori Hidemasa, Rin, Oichi, and Ibuki. However, he can only enter a relationship with either Rin or Ibuki.^[16]

In a series first, his database entry in the 2018 mobile game Assassin's Creed: Rebellion is taken word-for-word from his character summary in the official reference guide released as part of the promotions for Shadows.^[17]

Etymology

Diogo is a Portuguese masculine given name, equivalent to the Spanish name Diego, of which they are both related to the Old Galician-Portuguese Diago. The roots of all three names is derived from the Latin Didacus. A pin-pointed origin of the name is uncertain, with possible explanations including a masculine form derived from the Greek διδαχή (didakhḗ) "teaching", a blend with διάδοχος (diádokhos) "successor", or connections to Basque, Celtic, or Celtiberian roots.

Yasuke is a Japanese masculine given name, written with the kanji 弥, meaning "increase" or "long-lasting," and 助, meaning "help" or "assist." The historical origin of this name bestowed by Oda Nobunaga is unknown.^[18]