Should You Play As Naoe or Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

Naoe and Yasuke have vastly different playstyles in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and this article explains who you should play as in the game.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows sees the return of the dual protagonist feature, though it is vastly different from the last iteration. Unlike the Frye twins from AC Syndicate where the fighting was mostly similar, Naoe and Yasuke are complete contrasts in AC Shadows. Their fighting style and approach to objectives are completely different in this game, and you will need to think about which character to use in many situations.

That automatically raises the question of who you should be playing as in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. There is no one-liner to answer this, and you will need to weigh in a few factors before coming to a decision. In this article, we will explain whether you should play as Naoe or Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. We will also go over the situations and outcomes where both these characters shine and falter.

Naoe or Yasuke: Which Character Should You Play As in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

If you are looking for intense combat, Yasuke is the better choice in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. On the other hand, if you want to go for a stealthy-ninja playstyle, Naoe is the better choice. This broadly conforms with the Samurai and Shinobi styles of the respective characters. However, more discussion is needed on their individual styles to get a better understanding of these pointers.

When Should You Choose Yasuke?

If you know there’s going to be a lot of mob fights, Yasuke is the definitive better choice. His attacks hit harder, he has better defense, and he can handle a lot of enemies with ease owing to his skill set. If strictly objective-oriented or stealthy gameplay is not your cup of tea, then you will probably end up choosing Yasuke for a lot of the missions.

Along the same lines, if you enjoyed past iterations of the game like Odyssey and Valhalla, Yasuke should be more up your alley. This character embodies the brute presence and abrasive playstyle of Kassandra/Alexios and Eivor from the titles mentioned respectively. Finesse is not his forte. Missions in broad daylight are also better for Yasuke, since Naoe might have a harder time finding areas to be stealthy.

When Should You Choose Naoe?

Naoe is your ideal Assassin’s Creed Shadows pick if you want to stick to methodical and stealthy gameplay. She excels in subterfuge missions, where she can go in and go out undetected with her stealth. Missions at night are much easier for her, since she can lurk in the shadows to strike at the most opportune moment.

If you are a long-term fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, and have been playing since the era of Altair and Ezio, Naoe is definitely going to fit your style better. However, Naoe is easily overwhelmed in mob fights, and she is a speed-attacker with lighter hits compared to Yasuke. Boss battles with Naoe will take considerably longer as compared to Yasuke. You should properly weigh in the mission objectives and your targets before deciding which character would work the best for you.

---

We provide the latest news and create guides for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Meanwhile, you can check out the following AC Shadows articles or catch us playing games on Twitch and YouTube:

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows: PS5 and Xbox Performance and Quality Modes Explained
• Can You Do One-Shot Assassinations in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
• How To Get Assassin’s Creed Shadows Slash of Sprecher for Free
• Who Are the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Protagonists? Everything We Know About Yasuke and Naoe
• Can You Play Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Steam Deck
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows Release Time Countdown for All Regions