Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis an extremely large game, even by Assassin’s Creed standards. The world is expansive, but with a little bit more depth and complexity than some may be expecting. It’s taken things up a notch in every department, and the voice acting meets the moment.
The voice acting and motion capture performances in Shadows are nothing short of extraordinary. The characters and the story presentation have been elevated from recent entries when it comes to style, and all the following actors (and many more, considering just how many characters are in this game) had a part to play in elevating the narrative.
5Fujibayashi Naoe
Masumi Tsunoda
One of two protagonists that you play as in the story, you’ll be spending quite a bit of time asNaoe in the early going, especially. And since both main actors are bringing their all, it’s never a letdown to be playing as either one.Masumi Tsunodahas been involved in multiple productions, includingYakuza Princess, Naruto: Climbing Silver, NCIS: Hawai’i, CheckMate, and more.
Naoe’s character in AC: Shadows starts from a place many people can identify with: ayoung person trying to prove themselves. Her story branches onward from that into grief, hatred, and revenge, all wrapped up in someone figuring out who they are.Tsunoda plays all of this from a very grounded and subtle place, making the particularly emotional moments pop all the more.
4Yasuke
Tongayi Chirisa
Yasuke is the other protagonist in Shadows and actually the first one you’ll play as in the intro to the game. You’ll eventually be able to play as him in the story as well, once you’ve progressed far enough as Naoe.Tongayi Chirisahas been in a wealth of productions, includingMayfair Witches, Transformers; Rise of the Beasts, iZombie, American Horror Story, Wolfenstein: The New Order, and many more.
Yasuke has an interesting role to play in Shadows, and it’s impossible to say too much about his role without giving some story spoilers. But,his role is a complex one from the very beginningand requires a performance that can do a lot without showing too much.Chirisa manages to accomplish this beautifully, with a performance that bringsa lot of humanity to a historical figure.
It takes quite a bit of playtime to actuallyunlock Yasukeoutside the very beginning of the game. But once you unlock Yasuke, you can more or less choose to play as and swap between Yasuke and Naoe at any point for the rest of the game, allowing you to deal with situations as you see fit.
3Fujibayashi Nagato
Peter Shinkoda
Nagato is Naoe’s father, doing what he can to push her to be the best she can be, while still trying to shield her from some of the world, as many fathers do. Nagato is played byPeter Shinkoda, who has been blessing many productions with his abilities for a long time. Some of his previous roles have includedDaredevil, The Man in the High Castle, The Predator, Godzilla (2014), and The Terror.
Nagato brings a warmth to Nagato that elevates his characterfrom someone that could be one-note and predictable into someone that you genuinely care about, especially when viewed through Naoe’s eyes. Much of the emotional impact of Naoe’s journey depends on this dynamic, and Shinkoda knocks it out of the park, creating a characterwhose presence you can feel, even when they aren’t actually on-screen.
2Oda Nobunaga
Hiro Kanagawa
Oda Nobunago is another character that plays a pivotal part of Shadows' narrative, and he’s also one of the first characters you’ll be introduced to. Nobunaga is played byHiro Kanagawa,who you might know fromShogun, Percy Jackson, and the Olympians, Star Trek: Discovery, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Altered Carbon, and many more.
Nobunaga plays an integral part to both Yasuke and Naoe’s character arcs, though his involvement is very different for both of them. His importance in the story means the performance could make or break important moments, and Kanagawa’s performance, like the rest, elevates everything. His character needs to becapable of complexity, bringing out different things in different people, and he does it wonderfully for both protagonists.
1Gennojo
Mackenyu
Gennojo is one of the more memorable side characters in Shadows, playing a recruitable thief that becomes available partway through the game. Gennojo is performed byMackenyu, who you might be familiar with from the live-actionOne Piece show, Pacific Rim: Uprising, House of the Owl, and more.
Gennojo’s performance isas agile as it is emotional, and Mackenyu is up to the task in both regards. He’s a character that is, quite simply, fun to be around, and adds some levity to balance out the tone in certain areas.
It’s important to note that Gennojo’s character is not a guaranteed inclusion as a recruit; you’ll need to make the right choices for him to involve himself in your dealings. Furthermore,you can romance Gennojoon top of recruiting him, making him a character that can mean different things to different people, depending on how you play the game.
