"Assassin's Creed: Shadows" faces backlash over black samurai

The latest entry in the "Assassin's Creed" video game series, titled "Shadows," has sparked significant debate over its historical accuracy and character choices. The game, which was released on Thursday, is set in 16th-century feudal Japan and features a black samurai named Yasuke as one of its main characters. The inclusion of Yasuke has led to controversy. Some critics argue that depicting a black character as a samurai is historically inaccurate and disrespectful to Japanese culture. A petition in Japan against this choice has collected over 100,000 signatures, claiming it undermines cultural integrity. Historians involved in the game, such as Pierre-Francois Souyri, defend the creative decision. They argue that Yasuke was a real person, though his exact status as a samurai is debated. Souyri insists that the game is a work of fiction, not meant to be a strict historical record. The debate has been intensified by social media, with some suggesting that the outrage is part of a broader culture war, particularly in the United States. A report noted that a small group of accounts contributed significantly to the online discourse about the game. Ubisoft, the game's developer, initially faced criticism for not producing a game set in Japan until now. Recent successful games set in the same era may have influenced their decision to create "Shadows." However, the portrayal of Japan’s history in games continues to be a sensitive subject, leading some experts to caution against how these narratives are shaped. While "Shadows" aims to blend history and fantasy, the reactions highlight ongoing tensions over representation and cultural respect in video games.