Assassin's Creed Shadows marks the franchise's first foray into feudal Japan, bringing with it the intriguing dynamic of dual protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke. While not the first time the series has experimented with multiple playable characters (Assassin's Creed Syndicate allowed switching between the Frye twins), Shadows refines this mechanic, offering distinct playstyles and even character-specific romance options.

Previous entries like Odyssey and Valhalla, which leaned into RPG elements, forced players to choose a single gender for their protagonist, with minimal impact on the narrative. Shadows, however, offers more flexibility. Creative director Jonathan Dumont confirmed players won't miss crucial story elements by focusing on one character.

While both Naoe and Yasuke have intertwined stories, Dumont assures a substantial portion of the game can be played with either character. This alleviates the pressure to constantly switch and caters to players who develop a preference for a specific playstyle.

In an interview, Dumont explained that both Naoe and Yasuke have individual introductory sequences and unique questlines.  "The core of the game can be pick your character and the game adapts," he clarified.  This suggests that while character-specific quests exist, the main narrative adapts to the player's chosen character.

Players can switch between protagonists based on gameplay preferences or simply because they favor one character's personality and story. However, Dumont emphasized that Ubisoft designed the game to avoid forcing players to "split the time" equally between the two.  He stated that "quite a bit of the game" can be completed with a single protagonist, though he didn't specify an exact percentage.

Dumont himself enjoys switching characters every few hours to experience the contrasting gameplay styles.  Naoe, a stealth-focused ninja, offers a vastly different experience compared to Yasuke, a more direct and powerful samurai.