Nakano Takeko

Nakano Takeko (中野 竹子; 1847 – 1868) was an onna-musha and a member of the Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins from the province of Aizu, a Japanese feudal domain loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate.

Biography

She took part in the Boshin War in 1868. She was tasked by Matsuo with protecting the Musashi Masamune from the Templars and the Imperial Court in Kyoto. Takeko also served as a bodyguard to Saigo Kayano, an inept lord of the Tokugawa army who owned the blade. During the conflict, Takeko had unmasked a 16-year old girl known as Shiba Atsuko, who had disguised herself as a male soldier to fight on the frontlines with her brother Shiba Ibuka. Takeko later befriended Atsuko and trained her in the Assassin arts. During the leadup to the Battle of Toba–Fushimi she tasked Atsuko and her brother with poisoning the well in the village of Fushimi to kill any Imperial soldiers that went there. Atsuko upon befriending the innocents living in the village decided she could not go through with poisoning their well and returned to Takeko where she discovered her brother had poisoned the well in secret, killing everyone in the village who drunk from it. She was fatally shot in the Battle of Aizu, and Atsuko had to sever her head so as to avoid her body falling into the hands of the enemy. Nevertheless, Takeko's teachings helped Atsuko become an Assassin.

Personality and traits

Takeko strongly believed women should be able to choose what they do with their lives and as such trained to become a warrior. While the men around her fought by traditional means she preferred subterfuge and had few qualms with how things got done, using blackmail and having no qualms killing innocents for a slight advantage on the battlefield. She also possessed a hint of arrogance when initially given her task to bodyguard Saigo Kayano she initially believes it beneath her but ultimately bended to the orders of her fellow Assassins.

Behind the scenes

Historically, Takeko is said to have been beheaded by her younger sister Yūko with the help of Aizu soldier Ueno Yoshisaburō.

Trivia

• Takeko is a Japanese name derived from the kanji 竹, meaning 'bamboo', and the suffix 子 (ko), meaning 'child' which is commonly used in feminine names.
• A couple of comments made by Takeko to Atsuko, implied that she preferred the company of women.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Blade of Aizu