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'''Ashikaga Yoshiaki''' (足利 義昭, 1537 – 1597) was the 15th and final ''[[shōgun]]'' of the [[Ashikaga shogunate]], ruling [[Japan]] from 1568 to 1573.<ref name="Wiki">{{WP|Ashikaga Yoshiaki}}</ref> | {{Imageneed}} | ||
{{Quote|The fool fights even when all is lost. The wise concedes victory and looks to the future.|Ashikaga Yoshiaki, 1582.|Assassin's Creed: Shadows|The Man Behind the Mask}} | |||
{{Character Infobox | |||
|name = Ashikaga Yoshiaki | |||
|image = ACSH Ashikaga Yoshiaki Closeup 1.png | |||
|birth = 5 December 1537<br>[[Ashikaga shogunate]] | |||
|death = 19 October 1597 {{c|aged 59}}<br>[[Japan]] | |||
|species = [[Human]] | |||
|database = [[Database: Ashikaga Yoshiaki|Ashikaga Yoshiaki]] | |||
|affiliates = *{{Wiki|Ashikaga clan}} | |||
*[[Ashikaga shogunate]] | |||
*[[Shinbakufu]] | |||
*[[Templars]] | |||
}} | |||
'''Ashikaga Yoshiaki''' (足利 義昭, 1537 – 1597), also known by his [[Shinbakufu]] alias '''The Tatsu''' ([[wikt:龍#Japanese|龍]], lit. "The [[Dragon]]")<ref name="Topple the Traitor">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Topple the Traitor]]</ref> or, alternatively, '''The Horseman''',<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Man Behind the Mask]]</ref> was the 15th and final ''[[shōgun]]'' of the [[Ashikaga shogunate]], ruling [[Japan]] from 1568 to 1573.<ref name="Wiki">{{WP|Ashikaga Yoshiaki}}</ref> | |||
After securing his position with the aid of [[Oda Nobunaga]], Yoshiaki, dissatisfied with Nobunaga's influence over him, eventually turned on his benefactor, only to be defeated and overthrown. In retaliation, the former ''shōgun'' formed the secret cabal known as the Shinbakufu with the goal of regaining his title and exacting revenge on Nobunaga.<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask" /> | |||
Though he attempted to rule, Yoshiaki noticed that his power relied on Nobunaga's aid. By 1572, there was tension between the two, with Nobunaga issuing several admonishments | To sponsor the group's activities, Yoshiaki established an alliance with the [[Templars]], who lent their support to the Shinbakufu in exchange for the three [[Imperial Regalia of Japan]],<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask" /> which were safeguarded by the [[Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins|Kakushiba ''ikki'']]. Leading a purge of the ''ikki'', Yoshiaki succeeded in recovering all the regalia by 1581,<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Meaning of the Blade]]</ref><ref name="The Onryo Samurai">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Onryo Samurai]]</ref> but despite Nobunaga's death during the [[Honnō-ji incident]],<ref name="Temple of the Horseman">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Temple of the Horseman]]</ref> he ultimately failed to re-establish himself as ''shōgun'' when the Shinbakufu began to be hunted down by [[Fujibayashi Naoe]] and [[Yasuke]], who revived the Kakushiba ''ikki''.<ref name="Lightning and Thunder">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Lightning and Thunder]]</ref> | ||
After the deaths of all of his allies, a defeated Yoshiaki surrendered the regalia he had in his possession to Naoe and Yasuke, and was allowed to live the rest of his days in exile as a [[Scholar|monk]].<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask" /> | |||
==Biography== | |||
===Early life=== | |||
The third son of {{Wiki|Ashikaga Yoshiharu}}, the twelfth Ashikaga ''[[shōgun]]'', Yoshiaki was born in 1537 and was not destined for a political career, becoming a monk at [[Kōfuku-ji]] in [[Nara]].<ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Database: Ashikaga Yoshiaki]]</ref> Following their father's passing, Yoshiaki's older brother {{Wiki|Ashikaga Yoshiteru|Yoshiteru}} succeeded him as ''shōgun'', but was [[Assassination|assassinated]] in 1565 by {{Wiki|Miyoshi Nagayoshi}} and {{Wiki|Matsunaga Hisahide}}, who placed a puppet ''shōgun'' on the throne: Yoshiaki's cousin {{Wiki|Ashikaga Yoshihide|Yoshihide}}.<ref name="Database"/><ref name="Echoes Shadows 05">''[[Echoes of History]] – Shadows'' – Oda Nobunaga</ref> | |||
With Yoshihide lacking any real power and unable to free himself from his "protectors",<ref name="Database"/> Yoshiaki traveled around Japan seeking a benefactor to back his own claim to the shogunate. In 1568, he visited the ''[[daimyō]]'' [[Oda Nobunaga]], who had just established himself at [[Gifu Castle]], and presented his case. Surprisingly,<ref name="Echoes Shadows 05"/> Nobunaga agreed to support him and the two marched on [[Kyoto]], but Yoshiaki was unaware that Nobunaga was only using the shogunate's usurpation as a pretext for military action.<ref name="Echoes Shadows 07">''[[Echoes of History]] – Shadows'' – Kyoto: Japan's Imperial City</ref> That November, Nobunaga entered Kyoto with his army and installed Yoshiaki as ''shōgun''; Yoshiaki offered him the position of deputy ''shōgun'', but Nobunaga declined.<ref name="Echoes Shadows 05" /> | |||
===Deposition=== | |||
{{Quote|Warmongering fools like Oda Nobunaga betrayed our world. Sacrificed our people. Men like him have undermined the order of the Shogunate for more than a century with their thirst for power. They have plunged us into chaos. Am I not, after all, the legitimate ruler of our lands? I wanted only to take back my rightful place. To return us to order.|Yoshiaki explaining his motives for betraying Nobunaga, 1582.|Assassin's Creed: Shadows|The Man Behind the Mask}} | |||
Though he attempted to rule, Yoshiaki noticed that his power relied on Nobunaga's aid. By 1572, there was tension between the two, with Nobunaga issuing several admonishments that caused Yoshiaki to take offense. Yoshiaki began plotting against him, trying to convince other ''daimyō''<ref name="Echoes Shadows 05"/> like [[Takeda Shingen]]<ref name="Wiki"/> to turn against Nobunaga and "rescue" Yoshiaki in Kyoto.<ref name="Echoes Shadows 05" /> | |||
In 1573, Yoshiaki {{Wiki|Revolt of Ashikaga Yoshiaki|rebelled}}, leading an alliance of several great lords, including the {{Wiki|Mōri clan|Mōri}}, the [[Takeda clan|Takeda]], and the {{Wiki|Asakura clan|Asakura}}, against Nobunaga's forces.<ref name="Database" /> However, Nobunaga's army soon marched on Kyoto and expelled Yoshiaki. He escaped with his life and took up residence with the Mōri clan in Western Japan, from where he continued attempting to undermine Nobunaga,<ref name="Echoes Shadows 05" /> even raising troops against him for the [[Ishiyama Hongan-ji War]],<ref name="Wiki"/> but he never managed to overthrow his enemy nor to reinstall himself as ''shōgun''.<ref name="Echoes Shadows 05"/> | |||
===Life in exile=== | |||
====Leading the Shinbakufu==== | |||
{{Quote|Foreigners are coming. The samurai is proof enough of that. But there are still fools here who refuse to recognize the sea change. We are a string of islands in a vast ocean of ever-shifting powers. We are not strong enough to turn its tide. But if we pivot and ride this tide... we emerge victorious.|Yoshiaki to Naoe and Yasuke, 1582.|Assassin's Creed: Shadows|The Rising Tide}} | |||
Following his deposition, Yoshiaki, resentful of Nobunaga, sought to eliminate him and also to claim the three [[Imperial Regalia of Japan|Imperial Regalia]], which were said to grant the divine right to rule over Japan. To this end, Yoshiaki formed a secret organization known as the [[Shinbakufu]], which he led under the alias of "The Tatsu".<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask" /> | |||
Taking advantage of the [[Templars]]' recent expansion to Japan, Yoshiaki and his fellow Shinbakufu members succeeded in recovering two of the regalia safeguarded by the [[Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins|Kakushiba ''ikki'']], decimating the Brotherhood in the process,<ref name="The Meaning of the Blade" /> and gave them to the [[Portuguese Rite of the Templar Order|Portuguese Templars]], who had their own need of the artifacts. In exchange, the Templars would fund the Shinbakufu's operations and help Yoshiaki regain his title and power. However, the Kakushiba ''ikki''{{'}}s [[Assassin leader|leader]] [[Fujibayashi Tsuyu]] escaped the Shinbakufu's purge; Yoshiaki was less concerned with her identity than the fact that she somehow evaded his spies.<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask" /> | |||
On 30 September 1581, after discovering the third and final regalia's whereabouts in [[Iga]], a masked Yoshiaki, accompanied by the rest of the Shinbakufu, used Nobunaga's [[Tenshō Iga War|invasion]] of the region as cover to infiltrate Iga and steal the artifact. Despite opposition from Tsuyu's husband [[Fujibayashi Nagato|Nagato]] and their daughter [[Fujibayashi Naoe|Naoe]], who killed one the group's members—[[Ido Yoshihiro]]—the Shinbakufu succeeded in seizing the regalia's box after ambushing Nagato and Naoe outside [[Katano Castle]].<ref name="The Onryo Samurai" /> | |||
As a masked [[Akechi Mitsuhide]] was about to execute the mortally wounded Nagato, [[Wada Koretake]] intervened and asked that their enemies be left to die in pain. Yoshiaki, having achieved his primary objective, granted Koretake's request and departed with the box, leaving Nagato and Naoe to succumb to their injuries.<ref name="The Onryo Samurai" /> | |||
====Encounters with Naoe and Yasuke==== | |||
{{Dialogue2|Yasuke|You were afraid of them.|Yoshiaki|Terrified.|Lord Nobunaga feared no such force. His name will live on forever. You will live in shame, and die forgotten.|Yoshiaki and Yasuke discussing the Templars during their final meeting, 1582.|Assassin's Creed: Shadows|The Man Behind the Mask}} | |||
By 1582, Yoshiaki had made his way to [[Yamashiro]], where he took a liking to spectating ''{{Wiki|sumo}}'' matches at the [[Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine]]. In late June of that year, he met Naoe—who had survived the events in Iga—and [[Yasuke]], and though neither of them recognized him until after he had left, he imposed some philosophical life lessons onto them.<ref name="The Rising Tide">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Rising Tide]]</ref> | |||
After founding their own incarnation of the Kakushiba ''ikki'',<ref name="Lightning and Thunder" /> Naoe and Yasuke, seeking revenge against the Shinbakufu for their own personal reasons, hunted the group's members until only Yoshiaki and Mitsuhide remained. Following the latter's defeat at the [[Battle of Yamazaki]], he informed the pair of Yoshiaki's identity as the Shinbakufu's leader in his final moments,<ref name="Topple the Traitor"/> leading the pair to confront the former ''shōgun'' at the [[Kurama-dera]] temple.<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask" /> | |||
Humbly sitting on the ground with his mask and the box containing the regalia stolen from Iga before him, Yoshiaki offered information in exchange for his life. While Yasuke was immediately suspicious of him and claimed they could not trust his word, Yoshiaki pointed out that he had nothing to gain from lying. He answered the pair's questions truthfully and, suspecting that Naoe sought to find her mother Tsuyu, directed her to [[Sakafuneishi]] in [[Yamato]]. Naoe accepted his offer and reclaimed the box.<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask" /> | |||
However, Yasuke declared that Yoshiaki must answer for Nobunaga's death and his betrayal of Emperor [[Michihito|Ōgimachi]]. Yoshiaki defended his actions and condemned Nobunaga's, then correctly deduced that Yasuke sought information on the Templars and advised him to head to [[Takahara Village]] to investigate their activities. With their business concluded, Naoe declared that Yoshiaki no longer posed a threat without the Shinbakufu, and Yasuke added that Nobunaga's name would live on while Yoshiaki's would be forgotten.<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask" /> | |||
====Later life==== | |||
Despite Nobunaga's death during the [[Honnō-ji incident]], Mitsuhide's failure to succeed him and his own death only two weeks later meant that Yoshiaki lost all hopes of ever restoring the Ashikaga shogunate. With the support of [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]], who took over Nobunaga's mantle of unifying Japan, he resumed his monastic life.<ref name="Database" /> Towards the end of his life, Yoshiaki made additional efforts to regain his power and began to oppose Hideyoshi, but these efforts did not amount to anything and he died in exile in 1597.<ref name="Wiki" /> | |||
==Gallery== | |||
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180"> | |||
ACSH Ashikaga Yoshiaki 2.png|Ashikaga Yoshiaki meditating | |||
</gallery> | |||
==Appearances== | ==Appearances== | ||
*''[[Echoes of History]] – Shadows'' {{ | *''[[Echoes of History]] – Shadows'' {{1stm}} | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' {{1st}} | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
{{Templars nav}} | |||
{{ACSH}} | |||
[[Category:1537 births]] | [[Category:1537 births]] | ||
[[Category:1597 deaths]] | [[Category:1597 deaths]] | ||
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[[Category:Ashikaga clan]] | [[Category:Ashikaga clan]] | ||
[[Category:Shinbakufu]] | [[Category:Shinbakufu]] | ||
[[Category:Templar allies]] | |||
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Latest revision as of 18:59, 28 May 2026
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Ashikaga Yoshiaki (足利 義昭, 1537 – 1597), also known by his Shinbakufu alias The Tatsu (龍, lit. "The Dragon")[1] or, alternatively, The Horseman,[2] was the 15th and final shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate, ruling Japan from 1568 to 1573.[3]
After securing his position with the aid of Oda Nobunaga, Yoshiaki, dissatisfied with Nobunaga's influence over him, eventually turned on his benefactor, only to be defeated and overthrown. In retaliation, the former shōgun formed the secret cabal known as the Shinbakufu with the goal of regaining his title and exacting revenge on Nobunaga.[2]
To sponsor the group's activities, Yoshiaki established an alliance with the Templars, who lent their support to the Shinbakufu in exchange for the three Imperial Regalia of Japan,[2] which were safeguarded by the Kakushiba ikki. Leading a purge of the ikki, Yoshiaki succeeded in recovering all the regalia by 1581,[4][5] but despite Nobunaga's death during the Honnō-ji incident,[6] he ultimately failed to re-establish himself as shōgun when the Shinbakufu began to be hunted down by Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke, who revived the Kakushiba ikki.[7]
After the deaths of all of his allies, a defeated Yoshiaki surrendered the regalia he had in his possession to Naoe and Yasuke, and was allowed to live the rest of his days in exile as a monk.[2]
Biography[edit | edit source]
Early life[edit | edit source]
The third son of Ashikaga Yoshiharu, the twelfth Ashikaga shōgun, Yoshiaki was born in 1537 and was not destined for a political career, becoming a monk at Kōfuku-ji in Nara.[8] Following their father's passing, Yoshiaki's older brother Yoshiteru succeeded him as shōgun, but was assassinated in 1565 by Miyoshi Nagayoshi and Matsunaga Hisahide, who placed a puppet shōgun on the throne: Yoshiaki's cousin Yoshihide.[8][9]
With Yoshihide lacking any real power and unable to free himself from his "protectors",[8] Yoshiaki traveled around Japan seeking a benefactor to back his own claim to the shogunate. In 1568, he visited the daimyō Oda Nobunaga, who had just established himself at Gifu Castle, and presented his case. Surprisingly,[9] Nobunaga agreed to support him and the two marched on Kyoto, but Yoshiaki was unaware that Nobunaga was only using the shogunate's usurpation as a pretext for military action.[10] That November, Nobunaga entered Kyoto with his army and installed Yoshiaki as shōgun; Yoshiaki offered him the position of deputy shōgun, but Nobunaga declined.[9]
Deposition[edit | edit source]
- "Warmongering fools like Oda Nobunaga betrayed our world. Sacrificed our people. Men like him have undermined the order of the Shogunate for more than a century with their thirst for power. They have plunged us into chaos. Am I not, after all, the legitimate ruler of our lands? I wanted only to take back my rightful place. To return us to order."
- ―Yoshiaki explaining his motives for betraying Nobunaga, 1582.[src]-[m]
Though he attempted to rule, Yoshiaki noticed that his power relied on Nobunaga's aid. By 1572, there was tension between the two, with Nobunaga issuing several admonishments that caused Yoshiaki to take offense. Yoshiaki began plotting against him, trying to convince other daimyō[9] like Takeda Shingen[3] to turn against Nobunaga and "rescue" Yoshiaki in Kyoto.[9]
In 1573, Yoshiaki rebelled, leading an alliance of several great lords, including the Mōri, the Takeda, and the Asakura, against Nobunaga's forces.[8] However, Nobunaga's army soon marched on Kyoto and expelled Yoshiaki. He escaped with his life and took up residence with the Mōri clan in Western Japan, from where he continued attempting to undermine Nobunaga,[9] even raising troops against him for the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War,[3] but he never managed to overthrow his enemy nor to reinstall himself as shōgun.[9]
Life in exile[edit | edit source]
Leading the Shinbakufu[edit | edit source]
- "Foreigners are coming. The samurai is proof enough of that. But there are still fools here who refuse to recognize the sea change. We are a string of islands in a vast ocean of ever-shifting powers. We are not strong enough to turn its tide. But if we pivot and ride this tide... we emerge victorious."
- ―Yoshiaki to Naoe and Yasuke, 1582.[src]-[m]
Following his deposition, Yoshiaki, resentful of Nobunaga, sought to eliminate him and also to claim the three Imperial Regalia, which were said to grant the divine right to rule over Japan. To this end, Yoshiaki formed a secret organization known as the Shinbakufu, which he led under the alias of "The Tatsu".[2]
Taking advantage of the Templars' recent expansion to Japan, Yoshiaki and his fellow Shinbakufu members succeeded in recovering two of the regalia safeguarded by the Kakushiba ikki, decimating the Brotherhood in the process,[4] and gave them to the Portuguese Templars, who had their own need of the artifacts. In exchange, the Templars would fund the Shinbakufu's operations and help Yoshiaki regain his title and power. However, the Kakushiba ikki's leader Fujibayashi Tsuyu escaped the Shinbakufu's purge; Yoshiaki was less concerned with her identity than the fact that she somehow evaded his spies.[2]
On 30 September 1581, after discovering the third and final regalia's whereabouts in Iga, a masked Yoshiaki, accompanied by the rest of the Shinbakufu, used Nobunaga's invasion of the region as cover to infiltrate Iga and steal the artifact. Despite opposition from Tsuyu's husband Nagato and their daughter Naoe, who killed one the group's members—Ido Yoshihiro—the Shinbakufu succeeded in seizing the regalia's box after ambushing Nagato and Naoe outside Katano Castle.[5]
As a masked Akechi Mitsuhide was about to execute the mortally wounded Nagato, Wada Koretake intervened and asked that their enemies be left to die in pain. Yoshiaki, having achieved his primary objective, granted Koretake's request and departed with the box, leaving Nagato and Naoe to succumb to their injuries.[5]
Encounters with Naoe and Yasuke[edit | edit source]
By 1582, Yoshiaki had made his way to Yamashiro, where he took a liking to spectating sumo matches at the Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine. In late June of that year, he met Naoe—who had survived the events in Iga—and Yasuke, and though neither of them recognized him until after he had left, he imposed some philosophical life lessons onto them.[11]
After founding their own incarnation of the Kakushiba ikki,[7] Naoe and Yasuke, seeking revenge against the Shinbakufu for their own personal reasons, hunted the group's members until only Yoshiaki and Mitsuhide remained. Following the latter's defeat at the Battle of Yamazaki, he informed the pair of Yoshiaki's identity as the Shinbakufu's leader in his final moments,[1] leading the pair to confront the former shōgun at the Kurama-dera temple.[2]
Humbly sitting on the ground with his mask and the box containing the regalia stolen from Iga before him, Yoshiaki offered information in exchange for his life. While Yasuke was immediately suspicious of him and claimed they could not trust his word, Yoshiaki pointed out that he had nothing to gain from lying. He answered the pair's questions truthfully and, suspecting that Naoe sought to find her mother Tsuyu, directed her to Sakafuneishi in Yamato. Naoe accepted his offer and reclaimed the box.[2]
However, Yasuke declared that Yoshiaki must answer for Nobunaga's death and his betrayal of Emperor Ōgimachi. Yoshiaki defended his actions and condemned Nobunaga's, then correctly deduced that Yasuke sought information on the Templars and advised him to head to Takahara Village to investigate their activities. With their business concluded, Naoe declared that Yoshiaki no longer posed a threat without the Shinbakufu, and Yasuke added that Nobunaga's name would live on while Yoshiaki's would be forgotten.[2]
Later life[edit | edit source]
Despite Nobunaga's death during the Honnō-ji incident, Mitsuhide's failure to succeed him and his own death only two weeks later meant that Yoshiaki lost all hopes of ever restoring the Ashikaga shogunate. With the support of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who took over Nobunaga's mantle of unifying Japan, he resumed his monastic life.[8] Towards the end of his life, Yoshiaki made additional efforts to regain his power and began to oppose Hideyoshi, but these efforts did not amount to anything and he died in exile in 1597.[3]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Ashikaga Yoshiaki meditating
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Echoes of History – Shadows (first mentioned)
- Assassin's Creed: Shadows (first appearance)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Topple the Traitor
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – The Man Behind the Mask
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3
Ashikaga Yoshiaki on Wikipedia
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – The Meaning of the Blade
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – The Onryo Samurai
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Temple of the Horseman
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Lightning and Thunder
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Database: Ashikaga Yoshiaki
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Echoes of History – Shadows – Oda Nobunaga
- ↑ Echoes of History – Shadows – Kyoto: Japan's Imperial City
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – The Rising Tide
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