Duarte de Melo

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Duarte de Melo (died 1582) was a Portuguese slaver and a member of the Portuguese Templars during the 16th century. He joined fellow Templar Nuno Caro, who planned to exploit the resources and commerce of Japan, in establishing a new rite for the Order in the country.

Alongside Caro, de Melo manipulated the Shinbakufu into stealing the Imperial Regalia of Japan for the Templars, and lied to the Inner Sanctum about the artifacts' nature as Pieces of Eden so that they would continue to sponsor their mission. Unlike their Templar higher-ups, de Melo and Caro believed in controlling the people of Japan not through any Pieces' power, but by influencing their beliefs and convictions. However, their ambitions were cut short in 1582 by Yasuke, who assassinated both Templars as revenge for enslaving him and murdering his mother years prior.

Biography

Expedition to Japan

Under the orders of the Inner Sanctum, de Melo followed Nuno Caro's mission to Japan to search for any artifacts. For the next twenty years, both Templars discovered a number of different artifacts and treasures, most importantly the Imperial Regalia, which they saw their counterparts, the Kakushiba ikki, fight and die to protect.

At one point, de Melo and Caro discussed how they would convince the Inner Sanctum to continue funding their mission. Caro assured de Melo that the Inner Sanctum would believe whatever he told them, just like how they had bought his lie about the Imperial Regalia being Pieces of Eden, and claimed that their progress in Japan would give more promise and commerce for the Templar Order. Needing allies, they convinced the deposed Ashikaga shōgun Yoshiaki, who had founded the secret organization, the Shinbakufu, to offer up the regalia in exchange for his return to power. As a result, the Kakushiba ikki was nearly eradicated by the Shinbakufu in their pursuit of the regalia, allowing the Templars to continue their schemes virtually unopposed.

However, de Melo brought up the problem of Lord Oda Nobunaga and his mission to unify Japan, which he believed could hinder their plans. Caro reassured him that one of Nobunaga's men, Akechi Mitsuhide, was already under his influence and that all he needed was a "simple nudge" to betray his lord. When de Melo questioned why they could not kill Nobunaga themselves, Caro claimed that influencing others to further their goals was the way the Templars had always operated. He then stated that, while the Japanese clans' divisions ran further, their plan would grow closer to completion.

A rainy voyage

One stormy day, de Melo and Caro sailed on one of their voyages alongside the coast of Japan per their usual business. However, the former caught sight of two slaves, Diogo and his mother, handling Templar documents. After snatching the documents from the enslaved woman's hands, de Malo called out for Caro, who promptly walked into his quarters alongside his men.

After de Melo showed him the documents, Caro looked at them and the slaves and gave a slight signal to Duarte, who laughed happily. While the Templars' men dragged Diogo and his mother to the deck, de Melo punched Diogo to the floor and stood on him. Caro then asked the slaves who they were helping and, when Diogo denied any wrongdoing, Caro killed his mother.

Before Caro could kill Diogo, an Assassin revealed himself and started to take down the Templars' men. While the Assassin killed most of the guards, he was soon stabbed by de Melo. Near death, the Assassin yelled at Diogo to go before being slain by de Melo. Diogo escaped with his mother's necklace by jumping overboard, though not before being shot by Caro.

Business in Wakasa and death

By 1582, de Melo was conducting his slavery affairs in Obama, Wakasa, primarily with the pirate Samemaru. However, Samemaru's rumored affiliation with Shinbakufu member Takeda Motoaki led him to be targeted by Diogo, by now known as Yasuke, and his fellow Kakushiba ikki member Fujibayashi Naoe. When Yasuke chased down and fought the pirate, Samemaru accidentally revealed de Melo's name, though he refused to give up the Templar's location before Yasuke killed him.

Yasuke subsequently began searching for de Melo, investigating around the Trading Port in Obama, where he found Duarte's instructions to Samemaru to light three beacons around the port as a signal for him to come ashore. After lighting the three signals, Yasuke waited until nightfall and then found de Melo's men. After dealing with them, he found a note from a boatman to Duarte. Locating the boatman, he demanded to be taken to de Melo.

At sunrise, Yasuke climbed onto de Melo's ship, where he saw him torturing and executing one of his slaves. As soon as he caught sight of Yasuke, de Melo recognized him. After Yasuke demanded Caro's whereabouts, de Melo grinned and refused to speak, then promptly attacked him. However, Yasuke ultimately bested and mortally wounded de Melo.

Asking for Caro's location again, Yasuke received no answer as de Melo kept insulting his need for vengeance and calling him "no one." Momentarily, Duarte was released but soon spoke ill of Yasuke's mother. Pulling out a knife, de Melo tried to stab Yasuke but the samurai quickly finished off the Templar before he could act. Before leaving the ship, Yasuke recovered a note in Portuguese from de Melo's personal effects about the Templars and traveled to Kyoto, Yamashiro, to speak with his old friend, Father Luís Fróis, to help translate it.

Personality and traits

"Bloodshed. Great for business."

―Duarte de Melo to Nuno Caro.

Duarte de Melo was a cruel and remorseless man, whose lack of human compassion stemmed from his bigotry and his depraved moral compass. When he offered to kill Oda Nobunaga himself, he sadistically remarked that he had not claimed a "daimyō's tongue" yet. Like his partner Nuno Caro, de Melo cared about little more than enriching himself and, at one point, even called the Inner Sanctum a group of "useless shits" for buying Caro's lie about the Imperial Regalia being Pieces of Eden.

De Melo's sadism went so far that he took enjoyment in torturing those beneath him, particularly his slaves. He disliked tears and found any show of weakness an unnecessary display. His excessive cruelty led him to be feared by many, as he was rumored to have once severed someone's arm simply because they dared to take extra rations.

Skills and equipment

In combat, de Melo used a Carracks black sword as his main weapon and a pistol as his secondary weapon.

Behind the scenes

Duarte de Melo is a character introduced as an antagonist and assassination target in the 2025 video game Assassin's Creed: Shadows.

Etymology

Duarte is an Iberian given name and is a derivation of the English given name, Edward, formed from the Old English words ēad ("wealth, fortune") and weard ("guardian, protector"). De Melo is a toponymic surname meaning "of/from Melo", with Melo being a Portuguese village.

Gallery

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  Concept art
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  Close-up of de Melo
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  Duarte de Melo
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  De Melo without his armor

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Shadows (first appearance)
  • Story Drops (mentioned only)
• Animus Hub (mentioned in Database entry only)