The franchise that keeps on giving has announced yet another installment. The upcoming entry in theAssassin’s Creedseries promises to give fans one of their most requested settings:Assassin’s Creed Shadowstakes place in feudal Japan. The game tells the story of the Shadows during the Sengoku period in the country, one of the most violent eras in history. The trailer featured a stunning introduction to the two main protagonists. The first is Naoe, a female shinobi out to get vengeance for her family’s death. The other isYasuke, a historical figure who was the only African manto serve Oda Nobunaga.
The trailer featured a wide array of environments, from deep forests to cobblestone villages to war-torn battlefields. While no official gameplay has been released, the game is sure to wow fans and bring new players to the franchise. With so much potential in the new title, the arsenal of the Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins will no doubt adopt some of the most iconic tools in Japanese history. Here are some new weapons that have the potential to appear inAssassin’s Creed Shadows.
8Tekko Kagi
Easy to Hide, and Surprisingly Deadly
The Tekko Kagi is a pair of wrist/forearm-mounted gauntlets that have elongated claws on the front. They can be used in close-quarters combat, or for scaling tall structures. The weapon originates from the Tekko, which came from Okinaw. It was an iron weapon originally made from worn horseshoes.
InAssassin’s Creed Shadow, the Tekko Kagi would make an excellent addition to the arsenal of the Brotherhood of Assassins due to its fast and loose style of use. The weapon would provide excellent utility, inflicting grievous wounds that could cause heavy bleeding. Players could weave in and outside of target ranges while stacking heavy poison or bleeding damage.
7Naginata
A Swift Weapon Of Catastrophic Ability
When theAssassin’s Creed franchisemade a change to feature more RPG-focused combat, players' arsenals of weapons also expanded. Melee combat became more engaging, and the routes a player could take when facing multiple enemy types were not limited to counters and swordplay.
The Naginata has a long history in Japanese culture. It was even one of the weapons of choice for the female faction of Samurai, the Onna-Musha. The Naginata would make an excellent heavy weapon for Naoe when tackling heavily armored soldiers or horse-mounted threats.
6Shuriken
Fast, Flying Shards That Can Skewer Targets
Ranged and Throwing weapons are a staple inAssassin’s Creedand a fan favorite for taking out enemies without being discovered. Over the years, there have been blow darts, knives, and needles. Hopefully, whenAssassin’s Creed Shadowreleases later this year, shuriken will make an appearance.
Shuriken are a must for any ninja’s arsenal. They are among the best-known weapons of shinobi, appearing in countless media, such asanime like Naruto. The ability to rapid-fire projectiles or throw multiple shuriken simultaneously at different enemies could allow for more versatility in combat.
5Kunai
A Versatile Weapon Perfect For The Shadows
The Kunai is an exciting weapon for a ninja or kunoichi. The Kunai can be used as a ranged projectile, but more often, it’s used as a close combat weapon, like a dagger.
Originating in Japan, and derived from a digging tool called a trowel, the Kunai, in untrained hands, is a simple tool. But with a ninja like Naoe’s skill, it could be a deadly one-hit weapon for unsuspecting targets. Players could use it to exploit the gaps in samurai armor with clean cuts and puncture attacks. Should the weapon make it into the game, it could also be used as a way to plan assassinations with attached utilities such as smoke bombs or firecrackers for distractions.
4Odachi
A Monstrous Sword Capable Of Cleaving Targets In Two
Swords will be common in the upcomingAssassin’s Creedgame as the weapon of choice for most true Samurai. However, there are many classifications of swords, not just the traditional katana.
Among the wide array of blades wielded during the Sengoku period, the Odachi was a force to be reckoned with for any who dared learn to wield it. This massive blade stood nearly double the height of most adults. It would make an excellent weapon of choice for the powerhouse Yaskue, who was said to have the strength of ten men.
3Fans Of War
A Great Tool Of Deception
A great addition toAssassin’s Creed Shadowwould be the Japanese war fans, called gunsen. War fans would make for an interesting combat tactic in many respects. One is the ability to distract and mislead enemies with flickers and flourishes of the hands, hiding the lethal blades in sleeves or clothing.
Another aspect of the war fan could come into play if the game features any disguise missions. Perhaps Naoe, dressed as a Geisha, could lure a guard or hold the attention of a lord right before driving a hidden blade into their neck.
2Kusarigama
A Unique Weapon With A High Skill Ceiling
The Kusarigama is a unique tool to come from the shinobi arsenal, and is almost as unique in use as it is in design. The kusarigama is a large sickle fitted to the end of a chain. This weapon an unpredictable threat at multiple ranges with a wide range of uses, such as disarming or tripping.
One of the most notable renditions of the kusarigama is in theUbisoftFor Honorgame, where the shinobi hero uses two kusarigama to attack at range and cause severe bleeding to enemies. Another use for this weapon inShadowscould be for scaling large towers or hard-to-cover walls with ease.
1Kyoketsu
A Perfect Weapon For A Ninja
The Kyoketsu may be the most requested weapon to appear in the upcomingAssassin’s Creedrelease. Its flashy move set has appeared before in anime such asRurouni Kenshin,andvideo games likeNioh 2.
This weapon would make for a fun addition that allows players to control the fight on their terms. They could use the chain for grapples, and the blade on the end for stealth takedowns or for securing grapple lines. Some Kyoketsu also have a heavy ball bearing attached to the opposite end, which would make for great bludgeoning attacks that could knock out enemies instantly.
