It takes a while for Assassin's Creed Shadows to touch on some of the most traditional aspects of the series, with a hidden blade that Naoe receives from her father serving as the most tangible link to the Assassin Brotherhood. As the game starts to gesture toward the world of Assassins, however, one name comes up in particular: the Kakushiba ikki. Even though Shadows doesn't explain the Kakushiba ikki right away, it does eventually go into more depth, providing a look at how the game connects to the Assassin Brotherhood as a whole.Warning: The following article includes spoilers for the story of Assassin's Creed Shadows.While the Assassin Brotherhood has frequently appeared in its full capacity throughout Assassin's Creed games, Shadows isn't the first one to establish a slightly less direct connection. In jumping back to before the founding of the Brotherhood, Origins covers the founding of a precursor group known as the Hidden Ones, which has stuck around in other games that predate its primary incarnation. Set in Japan's Sengoku period, Shadows takes place well after the founding and flourishing of the Brotherhood, but its influence hasn't comprehensively reached the shores of Japan.

The Kakushiba Ikki Are An Assassin Brotherhood Splinter

Not The Assassin Brotherhood, But Close Enough

Rather than the Assassin Brotherhood firmly establishing an official Japanese chapter, a former member of the Brotherhood ended up creating a splinter group in Japan. Naoe's personal story brings her to a Tomb of the Ancients that houses the log of a Spaniard named Alvaro Cattaribera. Yasuke reads a bit of the text before the game delivers Catarribera's narration through the Animus.

The Animus has a largely minimal presence in Assassin's Creed Shadows, but some information about the modern-day story can also be collected and viewed through the Animus Hub interface.

Catarribera was exiled from the Brotherhood after breaking the three tenets of the Creed: "Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent," "Hide in plain sight, be one with the crowd," and "Never compromise the Brotherhood." His narration implies that he mistakenly killed or injured a young girl in a pursuit. After coming to Nagasaki in 1549, he resumed the path of the Assassin on his own, teaching the same skills and lifestyle to another young girl that he saved.

Based on the surrounding context, that girl would seem to be Naoe's mother Tsuyu, who ultimately did the work of expanding the newly formed brotherhood of the Kakushiba ikki. While it may have been founded by an excommunicated member, the Kakushiba ikki appears to uphold the same values and emphasize the same skills. It focuses on the three virtues of valor, wisdom, and benevolence that are represented by the three sacred treasures of Japan's imperial regalia.

The Kakushiba Ikki Were Mostly Destroyed

A Betrayal Cost The Kakushiba Ikki Almost Everything

To venture into significantly deeper spoiler territory, the Kakushiba ikki's initial growth was ultimately cut short by a betrayal. Hattori Hanzo, a famed samurai of Japanese history who has appeared in Assassin's Creed lore before, ultimately sold them out because of his anger that Tsuyu had built a life with Naoe's father instead of him. As Naoe finds in the remnants of their hideouts, most of the Kakushiba ikki have died, essentially leaving her as the heir to the brotherhood.

All hope is not lost, however, as the league of companions that Naoe and Yasuke build throughout the game embrace the ideals of the Kakushiba ikki. There's also some lingering hope for Naoe to find her mother again, whose death was presumed but never confirmed. The Kakushiba ikki ultimately regain some of the lost items they were safeguarding by the end of the game, but as of the ending, there's still work to be done.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Features A Heavier Templar Presence

The Templars Have A Presence In Japan

In contrast to the Kakushiba ikki's loose connection to the Assassin Brotherhood, the Templars have infiltrated Japan more directly. Several key figures in the story are direct of the Templar, and they affirm that the Templar's overall might is greater than Yasuke can imagine. Without the Brotherhood or an extant group of Kakushiba ikki to intervene, it's no surprise that the Templars have managed to grow their numbers in Japan.

Naoe's story ultimately focuses on uncovering the truth behind her parents and the Kakushiba ikki, while Yasuke's focuses on his interactions with the Templars, splitting the two sides of the equation across characters. Assassin's Creed Shadows is ultimately lighter on lore surrounding the Brotherhood and Templars than classic games in the franchise, but the information provided about the Kakushiba ikki does flesh out a bit more history than was previously known.