AC Shadows' Dual Protagonists Should Inspire a Future Ghost…

Summary

AC Shadows' dual protagonists offer unique playstyles & personalities, enhancing gameplay diversity.
Players can seamlessly swap between Yasuke & Naoe for distinct combat approaches.
A future 'Ghosts of' game by Sucker Punch could benefit from a dual-protagonist system.

Assassin's Creed Shadows has a vast number of things contributing to its ongoing success in 2025, but its dual protagonists are among its best features. Sure, Assassin's Creed has done dual protagonists before, but never in the way that Assassin's Creed Shadows handles its own, Yasuke and Naoe. With these distinct playable characters, players can approach combat and exploration situations in Assassin's Creed Shadows with unprecedented diversity, giving them more control over how fresh the game feels the more time they spend with it. Now, based on the success and popularity of this approach, a future Ghost game by Sucker Punch would be remiss not to follow suit.

Now that Sucker Punch's Ghost franchise has determined its new direction with Ghost of Yotei, that means most of its new entries moving forward will take place in a different time period with a brand-new protagonist. However, should the franchise be bold enough, it could evolve its formula by adopting Assassin's Creed Shadows' dual-protagonist approach for a "Ghosts of" game that features multiple playable characters at the helm of its story. It would likely be a long way off, but it's a concept Sucker Punch shouldn't shy away from, especially now that Assassin's Creed Shadows has proven how viable it can be.

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By Josh Cotts

AC Shadows' Dual Protagonists Are a Perfect Fit for a Ghost Game

Assassin's Creed Shadows' Dual Protagonists Offer Unique Playstyles and Personalities

Assassin's Creed Shadows doesn't just give players two protagonists who are different in name and face only, and that's ultimately why the approach works. Yasuke and Naoe offer two highly distinct playstyles in Assassin's Creed Shadows, with Yasuke specializing in direct confrontation and brute force, and Naoe possessing excellent parkour skills and preferring to stick to the shadows where she can eliminate her enemies unseen.

What makes the unique playstyles of these characters even better is the fact that players can swap between each protagonist seamlessly, so instead of respeccing their build or choosing at the beginning of the game who to control (as they had to with Alexios and Kassandra in Assassin's Creed Odyssey), players can almost instantly change the currently playable character and their playstyle simultaneously. Should players grow weary of the patience required to clear castles in Assassin's Creed Shadows using Naoe's stealth expertise, they can simply swap to Yasuke, break down the doors, and mow down anyone in their way.

Assassin's Creed Shadows doesn't just give players two protagonists who are different in name and face only, and that's ultimately why the approach works.

Yasuke and Naoe are also immensely different in their personalities, with Naoe being a fiery yet compassionate individual and Yasuke opting for a more humble, honorable, and "dangerous teddy bear" demeanor. These personalities are reflected in Assassin's Creed Shadows' dialogue and cinematics, of course, but they are also exhibited in each character's playstyle, making for a unique experience regardless of who players are controlling.

A Future 'Ghosts of' Game Could Feature Dual Protagonists

This is an approach that a future Ghost game by Sucker Punch could capitalize on and potentially even improve, simply due to what the franchise already did with its very first protagonist, Jin Sakai. Jin was essentially a hybrid of Naoe and Yasuke, with the ability to strike from the shadows (hence the title of "Ghost"), but plenty of strength in open, direct combat as well. Furthermore, based on what has been revealed so far about it, Ghost of Yotei's Atsu looks like she will also be a hybrid, though more footage of her in open combat has been shown than her in stealth scenarios.

The inclusion of matchlock guns in Ghost of Yotei also suggests Atsu may lean more on the direct combat side of things, but she wouldn't truly be a Ghost without a significant emphasis on stealth mechanics.

Rather than continuing this tradition and only featuring one hybrid protagonist in every Ghost game from here on out, however, Sucker Punch could take the plunge and feature two Ghosts for players to control, each of whom has a unique playstyle. One Ghost, for example, could be a true Ghost whose playstyle emphasizes stealth, whereas the other Ghost could be a more honorable samurai who prefers to confront their enemies directly. This would also allow for some interesting character development and relationship dynamics as the two potentially clash, thereby increasing its storytelling value in the long run.

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