Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on March 20, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S and allows you play as two completely distinct characters: Naoe, an agile ninja, and Yasuke, a hulking samurai. Nearly everything about them is different, including what weapons they can use. Naoe and Yasuke can each equip up to two different weapon types to switch between, with each offering unique strengths and strategies to use in a fight. Here is a breakdown of all the weapons in Assassin’s Creed Shadows so you can find the right combination for any situation.

Yasuke’s Weapons

Long Katana

A samurai is nothing without his katana, and Yasuke’s long katana is his fastest weapon type, allowing him to quickly slice through foes with deadly precision. While it doesn’t have the longest range, its attack speed makes it ideal for dealing with small groups of enemies – or for when you just want to feel  like a samurai and slash through a wandering ronin who thought himself strong enough to challenge you.

Naginata

A polearm capable of sweeping attacks, the Naginata is perfect for dealing with large groups of enemies at once. While slower than the long katana, it has the longest reach of any of Yasuke’s melee weapons, allowing you to keep threats at a distance. It’s also particularly useful when facing enemies with naginatas of their own.

Kanabo

A massive club, what the Kanabo sacrifices in speed, it more than makes up for in sheer brute force. Even light attacks with the Kanabo can break an enemy’s guard and subsequent hits will dismantle any opponent’s armor – and likely their entire health bar – in seconds. The Kanabo is a slow weapon, so Yasuke can be vulnerable while using it in large groups when many different attackers can interrupt his swings.

Bow

One of Yasuke’s two ranged weapons, the bow is a silent killer. The ultimate tool in a stealthy Yasuke’s arsenal, it’s great at silently picking off guards from a distance. Certain abilities allow you to slow time while shooting or fire multiple arrows in quick succession, making the bow a viable option in a full-on fight as well.

Teppo

When silence isn’t high on Yasuke’s list of priorities, the teppo rifle packs a serious punch but be prepared for it to attract a lot of attention as well. You’ll have to reload after each shot, meaning you might need to hot swap to a melee weapon as enemies swarm. It’s not just a one-trick-pony, though – there are abilities that allow you to detonate a sack of gunpowder to create area-of-effect damage, and you can even use the rifle as a club to knock opponents down before shooting them, if you want to make an entrance.

Naoe’s Weapons

Katana

Don’t let the name fool you. The way Naoe wields her katana, it might as well be a completely different weapon to Yasuke’s. A full combo of attacks with Naoe’s shorter katana is likely to feature as many kicks and flips as swings and slashes. A medium speed weapon in Naoe’s hands (to be fair, no weapons are slow in Naoe’s hands), the katana is a solid all-around choice, good for one-on-one fights and small groups.

Tanto/Hidden Blade

The tanto is a dagger that Naoe wields with extreme speed, and couples with her Hidden Blade to unleash a flurry of rapid strikes on her enemies. Its range is minimal, so Naoe will have to get up close and personal to use it effectively, but it’s great for fighting singular enemies. As a bonus, a passive upgrade to Naoe’s Assassin mastery tab allows her to use the tanto to perform dual assassinations, but only if the tanto is one of her two equipped weapons.

Kusarigama

A scythe and a spikey metal ball connected by a long chain; the Kusarigama is arguably Naoe’s most versatile weapon. Light attacks mean quick strikes with the scythe end, while heavy attacks are sweeping swings with the metal ball end, perfect for dealing with large groups. Its huge range allows Naoe to keep her distance if she chooses.

There’s never really a bad time to use Naoe’s Kusarigama, unless you’re worried about collateral damage as those heavy swings will tear through everything from crates and shoji doors to bamboo trees and fruit baskets. Like the tanto, a passive ability in the Assassin mastery tab allows Naoe to use an equipped Kusarigama to rush assassinate targets, using the chain to hook enemies and launch herself in for the kill.

Tools

Naoe doesn’t have traditional ranged weapons like Yasuke, but she does have throwable tools that can help her kill, deal damage, and distract at a distance. Her kunai can take out many unarmored enemies in a single headshot, while her shuriken only deal minimal damage and are best used to stun enemies mid fight so you can regroup to go in for the kill.

Upgrading Weapons

There are multiple ways to upgrade your weapons in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Each weapon type has a dedicated mastery tab that you can invest your mastery points in to increase damage and unlock new abilities. Weapons also have levels; you cannot equip a weapon that has a level greater than yours, but if you’ve built a Forge in your Hideout, you can upgrade lower-level weapons to meet your current player level, thereby increasing their base stats.

Weapons come in five tiers of rarity: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary. Uncommon weapons each come with a single engraved perk that provides a unique bonus, such as an increase to critical hit chance when striking multiple enemies. Rare and above weapons have two engraving slots, one with a predetermined perk, and another slot that allows you to select an individual perk from your Hideout’s blacksmith. Like to use abilities while fighting? You can engrave a perk that increases your adrenaline gain (adrenaline allows you to use abilities) when striking afflicted enemies. Couple that with a weapon that causes bleeding or poison affliction, and your adrenaline will stay topped up.

There’s no wrong weapon loadout or combination in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and a master Assassin will learn to skillfully wield them all. As long as you have more health than your targets then you’re doing just fine.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches March 20, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S. That means you still have time to pre-order Assassins’ Creed Shadows on the Microsoft Store for Xbox to get the Claws of Awaji expansion (coming later in 2025) and the Thrown to the Dogs bonus quest for free. You can also pick up Assassin’s Creed Shadows Digital Deluxe Edition which includes the above items, plus the Sekiryu Dual Pack including gear and weapon sets for both Naoe and Yasuke, the Sekiryu Beast, and Dragon Tooth trinket as well as the Sekiryu Hideout Pack that includes four unique ornaments to customize the hideout, as well as five mastery points.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

UBISOFT

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

PRE-ORDER BONUS Pre-order now to get the Thrown to the Dogs bonus quest available at launch, and the Claws of Awaji expansion, releasing later in 2025. Feel the fear of being hunted and under threat on a mysterious island. Reclaim a lost treasure while avoiding the traps and ambushes of deadly new foes. Master the Bō (a new weapon type), unlock new skills/gear/abilities, and get over 10 hours of additional content. Experience an epic action-adventure story set in Feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and powerful, legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch between these two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan. ENTER FEUDAL JAPAN Explore the captivating open world of Feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments. MASTER COMPLEMENTARY PLAYSTYLES Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. MAKE INFORMATION YOUR WEAPON Travel the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions. BUILD A PLACE TO CALL HOME Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s buildings layout, decorations, and accessories.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Digital Deluxe Edition

UBISOFT

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$89.99

Pre-order

PRE-ORDER BONUS Pre-order now to get the Thrown to the Dogs bonus quest available at launch, and the Claws of Awaji expansion, releasing later in 2025. Feel the fear of being hunted and under threat on a mysterious island. Reclaim a lost treasure while avoiding the traps and ambushes of deadly new foes. Master the Bō (a new weapon type), unlock new skills/gear/abilities, and get over 10 hours of additional content. The Assassin’s Creed Shadows Digital Deluxe Edition includes: – The base game – The Sekiryu Dual Pack including gear and weapon sets for both Naoe and Yasuke, the Sekiryu Beast, and Dragon Tooth trinket – The Sekiryu Hideout Pack including four unique ornaments to customize the hideout for your shinobi league – Five mastery points Experience an epic action-adventure story set in Feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and powerful, legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch between these two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan. ENTER FEUDAL JAPAN Explore the captivating open world of Feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments. MASTER COMPLEMENTARY PLAYSTYLES Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. MAKE INFORMATION YOUR WEAPON Travel the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions. BUILD A PLACE TO CALL HOME Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s buildings layout, decorations, and accessories. Internet connection and Ubisoft Account required to redeem digital content.