In Assassin's Creed: Shadows, you initially control Naoe, but the second character becomes unavailable after the very first mission, Yasuke, becomes available only later in the game.

How to unlock Yasuke

You always start a new game as Yasuke, but after the main events of the game, you switch to Naoe, where you follow the same path as Yasuke, but with your own changes for NAOE, Then some time passes in the game before you can play as the second Yasuke character again.

To unlock Yasuke as a playable character, you need to complete part of the main storyline. You will need to complete the following tasks:

• Kill the first two main targets from the main story (on the task board):
  • The wounded
  • Golden Teppo
• Complete the main task "Temple of the Horseman" and you will gain access to your third goal.
• Mission: Thunder and Lightning
• Complete the capture of Mibuno Castle

This action sequence completes the first act of the game, and should unlock Yasuke's character when you return to your Hideout.

How long will it take you to unlock Yasuke

• The time it takes to unlock the second character depends on you, and your individual play style and the number of side quests you complete. However, if you focus solely on the main tasks first, you will be able to unlock Yasuke after about 5-8 hours of continuous play.

For those who like to dig deeper into the additional content in Assassin's Creed Shadows, it may take significantly longer to reach the end of the first act of the game and unlock Yasuke. ​It solely depends on how much additional content you go through.

How to switch between Naoe and Yasuke characters

After unlocking the second character: You can switch between Naoe and Yasuke at any time in the game. It's very easy to switch, you just need to:

• Open the inventory menu
• Go to the items tab
• Tap the required button on the screen that will allow you to switch your Active Character.
• Or click the [play as Character Name] button

As soon as you switch, the game will restart, and the season in the game may change, so keep that in mind. It's also useful to know that they won't inherit another character's "Wanted" status. If you have a high "Wanted" status with Naoe, you can switch to Yasuke to move around safely until you get rid of the "Wanted" status.

Please note that you will not be able to switch in the middle of a battle or if you are completing a task or are in a location where a certain character is required. For some actions, for example, in Kofun, sometimes one or another character is required, and some tasks, of course, depend on the character. For example, for NAOE, you can not perform some tasks related to Yasuke.