Unveiling the Truth: Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Hanno-ji Betrayal Secrets!

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This article contains SPOILERS for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

The Assassin’s Creed series is widely recognized for its inclusion of numerous historical figures, spanning from Benjamin Franklin to Napoleon and many more in between. However, the series truly shines when significant real-world events are seamlessly incorporated into the main plot of an Assassin’s Creed game. For example, players participate in the Boston Tea Party in Assassin’s Creed 3, fight in the Battle of Themopylae in AC Odyssey, and escape from the Bastille prison during the Storming of the Bastille in AC Unity. Similarly, Assassin’s Creed Shadows features several similar historical moments within its storyline.

Since the year 1581, the setting for “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” takes place at the close of the Sengoku era, a time marked by frequent wars and internal strife among Japan’s lords and clans. The narrative of “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” starts during Oda Nobunaga’s campaign to unify Japan; however, this endeavor is abruptly halted by the Hanno-ji Incident, an event that players can experience directly.

The Real-World History of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Hanno-ji Incident Explained

Setting The Stage for Betrayal

By the year 1582, Oda Nobunaga, fresh from annihilating the Takeda clan, stood as the dominant daimyo in Japan. His ambition to rule the entire nation drove him to dispatch his elite commanders to conquer each of central Japan’s crucial provinces. These provinces were already reeling from their own strife and battles against rival clans, making them easier targets for Nobunaga’s expansion.

With Japan’s unification seemingly imminent, Nobunaga decided to return to Kyoto. Upon learning that the Mori clan had more soldiers than initially estimated, Nobunaga dispatched Akechi Mitsuhide to reinforce his troops in the Chogoku region. Before setting off to join them, however, Nobunaga intended to rest at Hanno-ji, a Buddhist temple nearby.

The Death of Oda Nobunaga

While most of Oda Nobunaga’s army and generals were engaged in battles far away, they left his capital with minimal security. Seizing this opportunity, Akechi Mitsuhide swiftly took advantage of the temporary vulnerability. With a force of 13,000 soldiers, Mitsuhide approached Hanno-ji temple, where Nobunaga’s defenses were insufficient to counter the attack.

In a span of merely two hours, Akechi Mitsuhide successfully concluded his attack on Hanno-ji Temple. The temple’s fortifications were demolished, and the temple was reduced to ashes. Inside, Oda Nobunaga, betrayed and lifeless, had taken his own life through seppuku.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Interpretation of the Hanno-ji Incident

In the opening acts of “Assassin’s Creed: Shadows”, I find myself as Naoe, drawn into a clandestine gathering at Akechi Mitsuhide’s stronghold. It is here that I learn a shocking truth – Oda Nobunaga, the man I’ve known as a powerful samurai leader, is actually the mastermind behind the Shinbakufu group responsible for my father’s demise. With a heavy heart and burning resolve, I pledge my aid to Mitsuhide in his quest to dethrone this ruthless ruler.

Naoe stealthily moves past Nobunaga’s defenses at Hanno-ji without a hitch, meeting up with the daimyo while Mitsuhide’s troops assault. However, Nobunaga reveals to Naoe that she was tricked by Mitsuhide, it was him who murdered her father, not Nobunaga himself. Overwhelmed with grief, Naoe departs from the temple as it ignites. Ultimately, Nobunaga performs seppuku, and Yasuke takes on the task of cutting his lord’s spinal cord unwillingly.

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2025-03-28 04:14