Summary
Assassin’s Creed has had many references throughout its long series, andAssassin’s Creed Shadowsis no different. Ubisoft enjoys putting some cheeky references here and there, and it’s always funny to see these things in the final product.
While the game itself doesn’t reference past entries a lot (though it has a nice throwback in this regard), it has references based on Japanese culture, pop culture, other games, and, of course, anime, which makes sense for the one Japanese entry of the series. While there are quite a few to talk about, these are our favorites of the bunch.
10Ezio Reference
His Actions Didn’t Go Unnoticed
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Shadows both happenin the 16th century- though Brotherhood is right at the beginning while Shadows is closer to the end. That said, when Yasuke finds evidence from Templars in Japan, he asks for an acquaintance, Jesuit Luís Fróis, to help him translate the information.
When Luís talks about it and mentions the Templars, he also mentions the fall of the Borgia family at the hands of a mysterious organization. In other words, he references the work of none other than Ezio Auditore da Firenze - and allies - from the events of Brotherhood.
9Split Boulder
Anime Or Cultural Reference?
In the game, you can find a rock that has a somewhat clean cut to it when you go through thePath of Secrets.Many believe this is a reference to the anime Demon Slayer, where the protagonist, Tanjiro, cuts a rock with his sword.
The thing is, these rocks do exist in Japan, with many interpretations as to what they mean - the one that looks like a Demon Slayer reference resembles the real stone known as Itto-Seki, which is what the anime used as a reference for its scene. Thus, whether Shadows is referencing the anime or both the game and the anime are referencing the stone, we can’t say - we need to wait for the developers to talk about this one.
8Ringo
The Horse
If you’re not satisfied with the starter horses you get with each character, you can unlock a multitude of horses by buying them from vendors across Japan - or doing archery challenges, but that’s not important right now.
One of the horses you can unlock is called Ringo, and his description states, “This good apple steadily prances on beat.” For those who are already too young to catch the reference, this horse is a reference to Ringo Starr, drummer of the Beatles.
7Cat Island
There’s No Such Thing As Too Many Cats
If you’re a cat person, be on the lookout for a place called Okishima, an island in the Omi region. Okishima, both in the game and in real life, is known for being one of Japan’s cat islands - places where a huge number of stray cats gather and live.
So, as you can guess from our description, if you go to Okishima in the game, you’ll find a lot of cats, and you get to pet every single one of them if you’re that patient. It’s also a good way to unlock cats for your hideout.
6Melon Lord
A Reference Within A Reference
If you eavesdrop on civilians, you may hear a conversation about a yokai, which even triggers a side mission about it, the Suika no Bakemono - the watermelon monster, in a direct translation. It’s a samurai-looking creature with a watermelon as its head.
This creature appears in a scroll named Buson Yōkai Emaki, along with another one whose head is shaped like an oriental melon (the Makuwauri no Bakemono).
In the game itself, these yokai are simply two men fighting over which fruit they consider superior. That said, the winner declares himself the Melon Lord, which is a cute reference to Avatar: The Last Airbender.
5Knee Shot
Ubisoft Loves Skyrim
Assassin’s Creed has referenced the iconic “arrow to the knee” line before in Valhalla, but this time, they went a step further. Instead of someone saying the line at a random moment, this time you have a trophy/achievement to unlock called Adventurer.
To unlock this trophy/achievement, you need to equip your bow and, as you may have guessed already, shoot someone right in their knee. Once that’s done, you’re one step closer to getting all of them, and whoever took the shot is one step closer to retiring from being an adventurer.
4300 Reference
You’re A Long Way From Sparta
Another trophy/achievement that works as a reference is called This Is Japan, Actually. It’s a fun reference to the movie 300 while also being a reference to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in the process. A reference of the reference counts, right?
The movie has the iconic scene where Leonidas yells, “This is Sparta!” and proceeds to kick his victim into a well. Odyssey also had an ability for Kassandra (or Alexios, if you ignore canon), where she can kick people, referencing the move. Yasuke also has a similar kick, and you get this trophy/achievement by kicking someone from a high location.
3Naruto Run
That’s The Way Of The Ninja
For an anime Easter egg that we can confirm, as the developers have stated to be the case, is how Naoe runs. Whenever she’s running through ropes, the top of walls, or rooftops, she does a specific run animation that resembles the famous Naruto run.
The animation itself isn’t exactly the same - probably because it’d clash too much with the realistic style from the game - but it is just similar enough to be a nice nod to the anime series.
2Dark Souls' Bonfire
Bonfire Lit
If you have been wandering for too long and killed too many enemies by now, you may want a place to rest. Luckily, in the Kii region, you can find a nice bonfire waiting for an adventurer like you to rest, and it even has a blade stuck to it.
This bonfire is a clear reference to the famous rest points in the Dark Souls series, and many games have added them to their aesthetic as a nod to the amazing series. Here is no different.
1Yasuke And Sumo
He Likes It
During the game, there’s a scene where Yasuke is not focusing on his surroundings because he keeps paying attention to a sumo match. This seems to be a slight nod to an authentic piece of artwork of a black man fighting sumo while being watched by Nobunaga.
Yasuke’s real life is shrouded by mystery,to the point that we can’t even confirm if the art was indeed about him, even though most signs point to it. Regardless, it’s a fun nod to what real-life Yasuke could’ve done in the past.
