Yun Pyeong-Gyu

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. This template should be removed from the article 12 June 2024.

"Here, I can give free rein to my imagination! What greater pleasure could there be for an engineer?!"

―Yun talking about his freedom working for the Zhang Wei Union, 1725.

Yun Pyeong-Gyu was a Korean Confucian scholar, engineer and official who served in the Office of Military Armaments in the Joseon dynasty during the reign of King Yeongjo. He was also an ancestor of Noa Kim.

After being rescued by the Assassin Edward Kenway from pirates who had taken him prisoner, Yun agreed to join the Assassin's organization, the Zhang Wei Union, while looking for a way to return to Korea. Subsequently, Yun became the Union's engineer, operating out of their headquarters in the A-Ma Cultural Village near Macau, where he built various weapons and tools to aid them during their missions.

Biography

Meeting Edward Kenway

Yun: "I was hoping for a chance to properly express my gratitude, good sir! Why, I owe you my life!"

Edward: "Aye, it was no trouble... But, say, you seem to have an exceptional grasp of the English tongue."

Yun: "But of course! Speaking multiple tongues is but elementary for an aide to an envoy of the Great Qing Empire!"

—Yun introducing himself to Edward, 1725.

Yun meeting Edward

In 1725, Yun travelled to the Manchu Qing Empire as an aide to the Joseon envoy. At one point however, he was held captive alongside a number of slaves aboard a pirate ship in the South China Sea near the Philippines. He and the slaves were rescued when the ship was boarded by the British Assassin Edward Kenway. After the rest of slaves were rescued, Yun and Edward were the last to jump overboard when the ship exploded due to its gunpowder kegs catching fire.

Later on, Yun offered his services to repair the wheel of a Dutch East India Company ship that Edward had rescued from the pirates earlier. After Edward's ship escorted the Dutch vessel back to Macau, the Assassin invited Yun to work for his organization, the Zhang Wei Union, as an engineer due to his knowledge and abilities, while helping him to find a way back to his home country. Yun accepted the offer and went off to drink with Edward and his mate John Young later on.

Joining the Zhang Wei Union

"As much as I desperately yearn for the land of morning calm... I have a feeling that working with you will keep me much better entertained! Not only that, I would be remiss in my duties as a Confucian if I didn't repay the debt to my life's savior! Lacking though my skills may be, I gladly offer them at your service."

―Yun offering his services to the Zhang Wei Union, 1725.

Yun accepting Edward's request to develop weaponry

Upon joining the Zhang Wei Union, Yun set up shop at the organization's headquarters in the A-Ma Cultural Village, where he began working on a number of weapons he had developed back in Korea. When Edward visited Yun at his workshop to request his aid for an upcoming job, he was impressed by his designs and provided him with the resources and manpower needed to craft his inventions, which Edward believed could prove crucial to the job's success.

During their mission, Edward and his crew managed to capture several Chinese junks from pirates, including a large vessel they later named the Fenghuang, which became the flagship of the Union. Subsequently, Yun repaired the ship and installed a number of new armaments such as European-style cannons used in Korea modified by Yun himself, swivel guns that had increased caliber, and several volley guns.

Yun presenting Edward with his modified Hidden Blade

When Edward came to check on his progress, Yun informed him about the modifications to the ship's artillery and thanked the Assassin for allowing him to express his creativity in such a way, claiming that his imagination had been severely restricted while serving in the Office of Military Armaments. He also revealed that he had modified Edward's right Hidden Blade, adding a crossbow-like mechanism to allow him to eliminate targets from a distance.

Not long after, Edward and John infiltrated a floating gambling hall owned by the merchant Sun to recover a sea log in his possession. Yun joined Rupiya aboard the Fenghuang as they waited nearby for Edward's signal in order to retrieve him and John. However, the pair were ultimately unsuccessful in their mission and were attacked by the fleet of Admiral Jeong, who had destroyed the gambling ship. Yun and Rupiya sailed to their rescue, destroying one of Jeong's ships and forcing the admiral to withdraw, which allowed Edward, John, Shimazu Saito, and Xialun Qing to board the Fenghuang and escape to safety.

Befriending Shimazu Saito

"I haven't had so much fun in ages. I look forward to many more archery contets in the future. I'll consider you a friend as long as the arrows fly at least."

―Yun agreeing to work alongside Saito, 1725.

Following the group's return to the Zhang Wei Union's headquarters, Yun was furious to learn about Edward's decision to recruit Saito into the Union. While Edward and John were confused as they had never seen Yun in such an agitated state, Zhang explained that Yun's animosity towards Saito roused from the Imjin War fought between their respective countries over a century prior. Yun clarified that he had ancestors who had perished in the war and that, while he did not dislike all Japanese people, he could not trust Saito due to her nature as a samurai.

Yun and Saito becoming allies

However, Yun's attitude towards Saito changed after she approached him during one of his archery training sessions. Yun at first refused to acknowledge her presence, but Saito complimented the Joseon bow he had built and showcased her own archery skills. This led to a contest between the two, observed by the entire Zhang Wei Union, in which Saito ultimately emerged victorious, ending Yun's win streak. The engineer subsequently recognized Saito's abilities and dropped all animosity towards her, agreeing to work together as members of the Union.

Later, Yun and Saito joined Edward in deciphering the contents of the sea log the Assassin had failed to recover, which Saito had memorized. Together, the three were able to find a hidden message saying that they should follow in the footsteps of the explorer Ferdinand Magellan to find the lost Khmer city of Angkor, which was rumored to house a treasure belonging to the Isu. The group deduced that this meant they had to travel to the Philippines to find Magellan's resting place.

Journey to the Philippines

Edward: "Mister Yun, am I right in thinking you've still got a trick up your sleeve for us?!"

Yun: "Oh, most assuredly, sir! I'm sure you'll find it a blast from the past--"

—Yun telling Edward about the explosive barrels he had created, 1725.

Yun and the others leaving on their journey

In preparation for the long journey to the Philippines, Yun created a suit of armor for Saito outfitted with a Hidden Blade-inspired retractable kunai, and a blowpipe for Edward at the Assassin's own request. Due to lacking the necessary medical knowledge to create the poison darts for the blowpipe, Yun enlisted the help of Xialun Qing to do so. After presenting Saito and Edward with their respective "gifts", Yun joined them, John, Qing and Rupiya aboard the Fenghuang as the group left Macau and sailed towards the Philippines.

As the Fenghuang neared Manila, the ship suddenly came under attack by Jeong's fleet, which had followed them. After Edward ordered the crew to return fire, Yun told the Assassin of his latest invention: fire barrels which exploded on impact. The crew subsequently dropped several barrels into the sea, causing considerable damage to the enemy vessels.

Legacy

When Noa Kim, a descendant of both Yun and Edward, relived the latter's memories during his imprisonment by Abstergo Industries, he quickly deduced that Yun was his ancestor upon "meeting" him as Edward. Believing that Noa wished to learn more about Yun, Doctor Shimazu Sei added a database entry for him, which contained details about his life.

Personality and traits

"I'm rather confident in my skills, if I do say so myself!"

―Yun to Edward, 1725.

Yun wielding a bow

As a scholar, Yun was a well-cultured man who possessed a great deal of knowledge about various subjects. He also took great pride in his work as an engineer and would enthusiastically talk about his inventions at any given opportunity. Yun was frustrated by his workload at the Office of Military Armaments, where he could never build the inventions he desired due to budgetary restrictions, and as such was grateful to Edward for providing him with the opportunity to give free rein to his imagination.

While Yun maintained a generally cheerful attitude, he could lose his composure in certain situations. The Imjin War, in which many of Yun's ancestors had perished, was a particularly touchy subject and caused Yun to develop animosity for all Japanese warriors, especially samurai. As a result, he was initially hostile towards Shimazu Saito but the two were eventually able to develop a strong friendship over their shared passion for archery.

Equipment and skills

A skilled engineer, Yun was capable of designing and building a variety of weapons, including hwachas, swivel guns, and volley guns. He was also shown to have some experience repairing ships, as he easily fixed the broken wheel of a Dutch East India Company ship, and later oversaw repairs to the Fenghuang. However, perhaps his most notable feat was his invention of a prototype Phantom Blade for Edward, several decades before the weapon's implementation by the French Brotherhood of Assassins.

Aside from his engineering talents, Yun's other notable skills included his multilingualism; in addition to his native Korean, he was able to perfectly understand and communicate in English, as well as presumably other languages. He was also a proficient archer, regarded as the best in the Zhang Wei Union until the arrival of Shimazu Saito.

Gallery

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  Yun and Edward in the water after escaping from the pirate ship
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  Edward and John celebrating Yun's recruitment to the Zhang Wei Union
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  Edward checking on Yun's progress repairing the Fenghuang
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  Yun with Rupiya aboard the Fenghuang
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  Yun protesting against Saito's recruitment into the Zhang Wei Union

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple