Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Tales of Iga Chapter 1
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He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Iga no Monogatari. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. |
Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Iga no Monogatari Chapter 1 is the first chapter of the manga Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Iga no Monogatari, a prequel to Assassin's Creed: Shadows. The manga, written and illustrated by Reguje, was released on 20 March 2025.
Summary
Iga, 1560
The Spanish Assassin Alvaro Catarribera and his apprentice Tsuyu stand atop the hills overlooking Iga. He reminds her of their mission entrusted to them by the since deceased Emperor Go-Nara and comments on Iga and the well renowned shinobi Momochi Sandayu and Hattori Hanzō who hail from the region. He also tries to make a joke about Tsuyu befriending Hanzō, who is around her age. However, Tsuyu remains ever-stoic and performs a Leap of Faith down the mountain.
Meanwhile, a young girl, Chiyo, is playing around with her farmer grandfather when their cart-pulling bull gets spooked and runs towards Chiyo. Fujibayashi Masayasu suddenly appears and stops the charging bull with his own hands, surprising Chiyo's grandfather with his strength. After introducing himself to an equally impressed Chiyo, Masayasu returns to his work tending to the fields. However, he is interrupted when the village comes under attack by a pair of samurai who beheaded Bunkichi, the son of one of the villagers. After the samurai demand a tribute to spare the rest of the village, Masayasu confronts them and defeats one of them, but the other proves difficult to overpower.
At that moment, Hattori Hanzō appears and assassinates the second samurai from above. Masayasu, awed by Hanzō's reputation and skills, pleads to be trained as a shinobi after feeling powerless during the attack on Iga. However, Hanzō harshly refuses, dismissing him as an unfit farmer and suggesting he'd be better off serving a local daimyō if he truly wants to honor his ancestors.
Momochi Sandayu interrupts, willing to oblige Masayasu's request. Masayasu does not recognize Sandayu, even after he introduces himself; something that does not surprise the senior shinobi, as not many people outside the Iga ikki know of his existence. Sandayu chastises Hanzō about his lack of care towards status needed to become a shinobi. To prove his worth, Sandayu decides to have Masayasu spar with Hanzō. During their fight, Catarribera watches from atop a tree while speaking to Sandayu.
Hanzō quickly gains the upper hand and throws Masayasu down a small cliff. As Hanzō begins to taunt his opponent, Chiyo, who came to spectate, interrupts him and claims that Masayasu is a hero who bravely defended their village. Annoyed, Hanzō grabs and threatens Chiyo, saying that if they were on the battlefield, he would have killed her, as it is not uncommon for innocents to perish during wartime. Seeing Chiyo in danger, Masayasu regains his strength and resolve and defeats Hanzō using underhanded tactics.
Sandayu ends the fight and praises Masayasu, inviting him to be trained as a shinobi. After bidding farewell to Chiyo and the villagers, Masayasu dons a new set of robes and heads to the village's border, ready to leave his old life behind and start his training. From atop a rooftop, Tsuyu observes Masayasu, a look of intrigue on her face.
Characters in order of appearances
- Alvaro Catarribera
- Tsuyu
- Emperor Go-Nara (mentioned only)
- Chiyo
- Chiyo's grandfather
- Fujibayashi Masayasu
- Bunkichi (appears as a corpse only)
- Hattori Hanzō
- Momochi Sandayu