Moderators put a stop to debates over Yasuke's samurai status, citing bad faith arguments and the game's fictional nature.
If you're buzzing about the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows, you probably know that Yasuke, an African man who served the feudal lord Oda Nobunaga in 16th-century Japan, is one of the game's protagonists. But guess what? The internet has been in a tizzy over whether Yasuke was "really a samurai," and things got heated.
Yasuke’s Samurai Status: A Debate for the Scholars
Here's the deal: Yasuke’s status as a samurai is debated among scholars. Some of them, like biographer Thomas Lockley, assert he was one of Nobunaga's many samurai, with the term simply meaning a warrior serving a lord. But when Ubisoft announced Yasuke as a protagonist, the debate spilled into the public sphere, where some onlookers criticized it as "historically inaccurate" or "forced diversity."
Subreddit Moderators Say “Enough is Enough”
And this week, the moderators of the unofficial Assassin's Creed subreddit said, "Enough is enough!" They've had it with the endless arguments about Yasuke’s samurai status. In a now-closed thread, the mods addressed the controversy, pointing out that the game is historical fiction – meaning it's designed for fun, not strict historical accuracy. They emphasized that Assassin's Creed games often take creative liberties, like fighting mythical creatures in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Ubisoft’s Apology And The Community’s Reaction
In Ubisoft’s recent apology, they acknowledged the debate over Yasuke’s samurai status and clarified that the game includes a Japanese shinobi as the other lead character. However, the subreddit mods argued that most complaints about Yasuke’s inclusion weren’t genuine concerns about historical accuracy but thinly veiled bad faith arguments.
A Call To Enjoy The Game For What It Is
The mods' message was clear: Assassin's Creed is not a sourcebook for actual historical knowledge. They urged fans to enjoy the game for its immersive experience and let it inspire them to explore historical facts on their own. Any comments disparaging Yasuke’s inclusion or nitpicking historical details would be swiftly removed, and repeat offenders would be banned.
In short, the subreddit is over the debate and ready to focus on what really matters: enjoying a game that lets us dive into an exciting, albeit fictional, version of history. So if you’re still hung up on Yasuke's samurai status, it might be time to take those discussions elsewhere.