The official Assassin’s Creed Shadows X account recently revealed a manga series based on the game. The story is a prequel and follows the journey of an as-yet-unnamed assassin in Japan. The manga is planned for release alongside the game on March 20 in Japan. Unfortunately, fans in other countries will have to wait if they want to get their hands on it. “Discover the official prequel of the game. Follow the story of a young Assassin apprentice as she fights against the growing presence of the Templar Order in Japan,” Ubisoft said.
The manga is titled Assassin’s Creed Shadows: The Tale of Iga. The artist, known as Reguje, has an Instagram account (@regu0707). They have worked on two other manga projects, which can be found on the YanMaga website. However, since the site is in Japanese, English-speaking readers may have difficulty understanding the content. Reguje has also shared additional details, stating that the manga will be available on YanMaga Web.
The cover of Assassin’s Creed Shadows: The Tale of Iga features beautiful artwork of a female assassin wearing a white uniform. Due to her black hair, many fans speculate that the main character could be Naoe. However, this seems unlikely, as Naoe is shown obtaining her hidden blade during the early parts of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, meaning she wouldn’t yet be a trained assassin in this prequel manga.
Another popular theory is that the protagonist could be Naoe’s mother. It would make sense for her to be a trained assassin fighting against the Templars. This could also provide an opportunity for Naoe to inherit her mother’s uniform and weapon in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. “I hope Naoe will get this robe then since it will be significant to her,” one Redditor said. Another pointed out that a similar robe appeared in leaked concept art.
Fans have responded positively to the announcement, with many eager to read Assassin’s Creed Shadows: The Tale of Iga. “Holy freaking cover art,” one fan replied to Ubisoft on X. Some have also wondered whether the manga will receive an English translation. Based on the official announcement, it seems likely. However, fan translators will probably upload an English version much sooner than Ubisoft.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows: The Tale of Iga is not the first manga adaptation based on the popular game series. Besides this upcoming title, there is also Blade of Shao Jun, a manga focusing on the Chinese assassin Shao Jun. Written and illustrated by Minoji Kurata, it was serialized from 2019 to 2021. Fans can also check out Forgotten Temple, a Webtoon series centered on the swashbuckling pirate Edward Kenway.
