Who’s Better in Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Naoe or Yasuke?

Stealthy assassin or unstoppable samurai? If you’re wondering who’s the better choice in Assassin’s Creed Shadows—Naoe or Yasuke—this deep-dive has your back (and blade).

Two Protagonists, Two Very Different Vibes

Ubisoft wasn’t playing around when they handed us both a shinobi and a samurai as playable protagonists in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. It’s like being asked to pick your favourite child—if one child was a stealthy ninja with smoke bombs, and the other could bulldoze through ten armoured guards without flinching.

Enter Naoe, your classic Assassin’s Creed poster child. She’s got the stealth, the shadows, and the tools that make sneaking into castles feel like an artform. Then there’s Yasuke, a walking tank with a blade that screams “Subtlety is for people without muscles.” Both have their strengths, both have their flaws—and depending on how you like to approach missions, one might just fit like a hidden blade in a leather glove.

Naoe: Stealth Is Her Love Language

Let’s start with Naoe. She’s essentially the spiritual successor to fan-favorite assassins like Ezio and Altair. With her quick movements, gadgets like kunai and smoke bombs, and the ever-reliable Eagle Vision, Naoe feels like home for long-time AC fans. She can double-assassinate, slip through tight corners, climb like a cat, and has access to tools that let her turn every mission into a mini puzzle of how-not-to-be-seen.

Sneaking into enemy territory at night, extinguishing lanterns, hiding in the rafters? That’s her playground. Plus, her playstyle encourages creativity. You don’t just stab and run—you manipulate the environment. Want to cut open a tent to make a new entrance? Naoe’s got the blade. Need a distraction? Toss a bell. She’s the queen of subtlety and misdirection.

But here’s the catch—if your stealth plan goes sideways, Naoe isn’t exactly built for tanking damage. You’ll need to rely on finesse and fast reflexes when things get loud. Which, let’s face it, happens a lot when you’re playing a stealth game like it’s an action movie. Still, if sneaky-stabby is your jam, Naoe’s your girl.

Yasuke: The Living Freight Train

Now meet Yasuke. Based on the real-life African samurai who served under Oda Nobunaga (history buffs, rise up), he’s a powerhouse wrapped in ornate armour. Where Naoe is all about silence and shadows, Yasuke is about walking up to the front gate and daring someone to stop him. Spoiler: they won’t.

Yasuke’s toolkit is built for crowd control and sheer dominance. From cleaving through rows of enemies to parrying arrows and throwing enemies into walls like ragdolls, his style is perfect if you’re done playing hide-and-seek and want to play “King of the battlefield” instead. He also carries a bow, which gives him a surprising amount of flexibility in ranged encounters. You can pepper enemies from a distance before charging in like a hurricane in plate armour.

Combat with Yasuke feels weighty and satisfying. Every hit lands with a crunch, every finisher is brutal, and every swing of his weapon feels like it could demolish a small barn. He’s also less reliant on sneaky tactics, so if you’re the kind of player who always gets spotted halfway into stealth sections, Yasuke may feel like a sigh of relief wrapped in iron.

Wait, Can You Mix and Match?

Yes—and that’s where Assassin’s Creed Shadows really shines. Once you unlock the ability to switch between the two characters, you can tailor your approach depending on the mission or even your mood. Stealth gone wrong with Naoe? Tag Yasuke in to clean up the mess like a boss.

Both characters have skill trees that reflect their specialities but also allow for a little cross-training. Want Yasuke to lean more into assassination techniques? You can invest in skills like Brutal Assassination and chain stealth kills. Prefer Naoe to be a little more lethal in direct fights? She can unlock stronger melee options too. The game doesn’t pigeonhole you into one role—it nudges you to experiment. And that flexibility keeps things feeling fresh even dozens of hours in.

What About the Story?

Without spoiling too much, Naoe and Yasuke have their own narratives that slowly intertwine as the story progresses. Each character brings a unique lens to the world of feudal Japan—Naoe from the shadows of rebellion, Yasuke from the halls of nobility and honour. It’s genuinely refreshing to see both ends of the historical spectrum explored so deeply.

And yes, you might find yourself more emotionally invested in one story arc over the other. That’s fine. The dual-protagonist format isn’t just a gameplay gimmick—it adds narrative weight, letting you see different angles of the same world.

So, Who’s the “Better” Character?

Here’s the spicy answer: it really depends on your preferred flavour of chaos.

If you’re a patient strategist, someone who gets a thrill from planning the perfect infiltration and watching it all go down like a ninja heist movie—Naoe is your best pick. She’s quiet, clever, and satisfying to master. If you’re more about raw power, cinematic finishers, and telling enemies to bring it on—Yasuke is your guy. He’s loud, proud, and unstoppable once you get rolling.

But the truth? Assassin’s Creed Shadows is at its best when you let both shine. Some missions are tailor-made for Naoe’s finesse; others demand Yasuke’s brute strength. The game encourages you to swap often, and that’s part of the magic. Why limit yourself to one flavour of awesome when you can have both?