Nowaki
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Nowaki (died 1585), also known as The Ambusher, was a Japanese shinobi and a member of the Japanese Rite of the Templar Order during the Sengoku period. She grew up on Awaji with her older sister Suma, from whom she learned about the Templars, their ideology, and her stealth tactics.
Following Suma's death, Nowaki became more dangerous and feral, attacking and even killing any locals who visited her. Orphaned once again, she was then taken in and mentored by the Templar Kimura Yukari, who sharpened her into an effective tool within her arsenal. In time, Nowaki became known as Yukari's personal ambusher, one of her three taishō (大将, lit. "general"), and led a team of shinobi to fight against those who rebelled against her mistress's control.
However, the Templars' hold on Awaji began to dwindle in 1585, when the Kakushiba ikki members Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke traveled there in search of Naoe's mother Tsuyu and the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi, one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. To diminish Yukari's will over the island, Naoe and Yasuke eliminated all of her allies, including Nowaki and her shinobi.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Early life[edit | edit source]
At a young age, Nowaki was orphaned and was taken in by her older sister Suma. Unconventionally close, Nowaki began to learn how to hunt and fight under Suma's tutelage. At some point, Suma was recruited into the Templar Order and divided her time between working as their enforcer and training her sister. After being assigned an exceptionally difficult mission, Suma, fearing she may not return from it, left Nowaki a letter, instructing her to seek the Templars and continue her work if she were to perish.[1]
Following Suma's death,[2] Nowaki was left alone once again and became wild and vicious. When visitors came to check on her at her home, she left traps that hurt or even killed those that came too close.[1] Eventually, Nowaki was found and essentially adopted by the Japanese Templar Kimura Yukari,[2] who came to Awaji and garnered power after starting a relationship with the island's daimyō.[3]
Service under Kimura Yukari[edit | edit source]
By 1585, under Yukari's discipline and direction, Nowaki harnessed her skills as an ambusher and began to lead her own group of shinobi to enforce fear and kill any who opposed Yukari's rule.[2] In time, Yukari recruited an army of loyal followers that became known as the Sanzoku Ippa, and Nowaki took a position as one of the group's taishō, alongside Imagawa Tomeji and Yasuhira.[4]
At some point, Yukari captured the Master Assassin Fujibayashi Tsuyu, who held information on the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi, one of the Imperial Regalia.[5] Along with Yasuhira, Nowaki was directed by Yukari to inflict methods of torture,[6] but after years of brutal interrogation, Tsuyu never broke and refused to disclose the Sword's location.[5] With this setback, Yukari sent out puppet shows to entice Tsuyu's daughter Naoe, who had established her own Kakushiba ikki, to come and rescue Tsuyu.[3] The plan worked, and Yukari and Tomeji captured Naoe at Sumoto Castle, holding her prisoner alongside Tsuyu.[5]
However, Naoe and Tsuyu's containment was short-lived, as fellow Kakushiba ikki member Yasuke rescued them.[7] With Tsuyu injured during their escape, Naoe left to find the key for the Sword and obtained its location from bō master Taguchi Myoga.[8] Unbeknownst to Naoe, Nowaki followed her and ambushed her at the Okunoin Sasayama Shrine, after the former had retrieved the key. Nowaki shot at Naoe as her shinobi attacked the Assassin, but Naoe survived the ambush and defeated the shinobi, forcing Nowaki to retreat.[9]
Later, the Templars managed to track Naoe and Yasuke to Myōshō-ji. There, they found and captured Yasuke, taking him hostage, before they looked for Naoe. Outside one of the temples, Nowaki stood beside Yukari, her fellow taishō, and a group of Sanzoku Ippa soldiers as they saw Naoe exit the temple with the Sword. With Yasuke as their bargaining chip, Naoe agreed to trade the Sword for their lives. Nowaki was sent to take the Sword, though as she picked it up, Naoe remarked that they would not get far.[10]
Having acquired the Sword, Yukari reneged on the deal and commanded her followers to kill the Kakushiba ikki members. Just as Tomeji was about to strike Yasuke with his kanabō, multiple arrows were loosed at the Templars, killing their guards. Ambushed, Nowaki dropped a smoke bomb as she, Yukari and Tomeji fled while their remaining men faced off against Naoe and her allies, including Hattori Hanzō and Konatsu.[10]
Hunted down[edit | edit source]
With the Sword in the Templars' possession, Yukari moved forward with her plans.[11] Meanwhile, Nowaki returned to her main task of hunting down Naoe and Yasuke. She continued to track them while the pair investigated any clues to learn more about her background. After corresponding with a leather merchant in Yura, the pair headed to meet Shiro, a former associate of Nowaki, at the Hunter's Lodge.[12] After finding Shiro, they began to talk with him about Nowaki. However, their meeting was cut short when Nowaki and her shinobi attacked, with the intent of killing Naoe, Yasuke, and Shiro. The Kakushiba ikki members eliminated the shinobi, but Nowaki escaped again.[13]
Speaking with Shiro again, Naoe and Yasuke learned of Nowaki's house near Kamaguchi Village and rumors of her morning visits to the Sannomiya Shrine.[13] Before leaving to investigate, they spoke with Shiro more and learned about Nowaki's upbringing. Traveling to her home, they managed to bypass and dismantle all of Nowaki's traps before entering the house. Inside, they found a shrine, a Templar cross necklace and a note from her late sister Suma, who had left the necklace for her. Leaving, they planned to confront her at the Sannomiya Shrine, using Suma's necklace to draw her out.[1]
At the shrine, Naoe and Yasuke waited until the next morning as Nowaki walked cautiously onto the shrine's grounds. Confronted by the pair, Nowaki planned to escape until they revealed their knowledge of Suma and showcased her necklace. Nowaki threatened them in response before instructing them to follow her as she ran away from the shrine. Naoe and Yasuke obliged and chased Nowaki to a swamp, where she took up a sniping position as she began shooting at the pair with her teppō.[14]
In an arena of Nowaki's own making, Naoe and Yasuke were forced to overcome the Templar by dodging her shots, staying hidden, and dismantling her traps as they slowly snuck up on her. Each time they got close enough to land a hit, Nowaki would drop a smoke bomb and move to a different position, until she was finally wounded enough to make her final stand atop a watchtower. Naoe and Yasuke once again approached Nowaki without her noticing and delivered a killing blow, eliminating Yukari's ambusher. Before they left, the pair recovered the teppō Little Helper from Nowaki's personal effects, alongside a note detailing the location of Suma's personal kusarigama.[14]
Legacy[edit | edit source]
Despite the Sanzoku Ippa being dismantled after Yukari's death,[15] Nowaki's remaining shinobi continued their activities on Awaji. Scattered, they planned to reconvene and rebuild the Sanzoku Ippa, until Naoe and Yasuke, with the help of Konatsu, found and killed all the shinobi, ridding the island of Nowaki's ambushers.[16]
Personality and traits[edit | edit source]
Nowaki was a vicious and savage killer who became a devout follower of the Templar cause to honor her late sister's final wishes.[1] To blend in with her surroundings, she wore a unique leather attire, sourced from a local merchant in Yura.[12]
Despite her unstable nature, Nowaki possessed an unusually loyal side due to her upbringing[11] under both Suma[1] and later Yukari.[11] The loss of Suma, the only caring presence in her life, deeply traumatized Nowaki, to the point that she became a recluse[1] and threatened to kill anyone who spoke of her sister.[14] By contrast, Yukari was able to control Nowaki's temper, enough to turn her into a loyal follower by encouraging her to use her talent for hunting and setting ambushes to further the Sanzoku Ippa's goals.[2][11]
Skills and equipment[edit | edit source]
Nowaki was trained in the shinobi ways by her sister and relied on her stealth skills and tools to surprise and entrap her enemies. She wore a self-made mask and had visible scarring on the left side of her face. Unlike other shinobi, her weapon of choice was the teppō, making her a skilled markswoman who specialized in eliminating targets from afar.[17]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
Nowaki is a fictional character introduced as a secondary antagonist and assassination target in Claws of Awaji, the downloadable expansion for the 2025 video game Assassin's Creed: Shadows.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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Concept art of Nowaki fighting against Naoe -
Concept art of Nowaki fighting against Naoe
Appearances[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – Home of a Killer
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – Database: Nowaki
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – The Puppet Show
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – A Shinobi on Awaji
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – The Reunion
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – A Snake in the Shrine
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – Prison Break
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – Way of the Bo
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – A Long Lost Key
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – The Regalia
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – A Sour Defeat
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – Hunting the Hunter
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – Origin of a Killer
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – Turning the Tables
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – The Final Assault
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji – All That We Leave Behind
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Claws of Awaji