Yasuke is actually a fantastic choice as far as history/narrative goes.
A shame the game looks like more generic Assassin's Creed Mapfucking+Crowd Supermurder.
Which is fine if that's your thing, but I haven't been thrilled by an AC game since... well, AC1.
Then pick the Japanese woman...?
Japanese women aren't capable of representing their culture or what?
I'm sure men and women were treated exactly the same in that period of time in Japan, so surely you have made an excellent point.
Samurai women were expected to train with the naginata. A samurai woman would not be expected to travel and fight, but she would be expected to die protecting her household.
Also, like 16th-17th century samurai were all gay as fuck. Women were for making babies with, the most honorable and respectable love was of that between two men serving as retainers of the same master.
I'd love to play as the "gay as fuck" as you say samurai of the 16th and 17th century, if thats actually true.
I’ll keep digging for my copy of English translations of 16th century gay samurai love stories, but this practice is described on Wikipedia.
I have a wonderful little book that was published in English in the 50’s or 60’s - has a warning that the material is prurient and shouldn’t be in the wrong hands. The speculation in the prologue is that Asians look more feminine (well, they used the term “mongoloid features”) and thus that Asian men are more likely to be attracted to each other. Almost all of the stories end up with the samurai tragically killing themselves, which indicates the “bury your gays” trope predates television (I jest.)
My favorite is of a man encountering a former lover who has been reduced to prostitution and disease. He cares for his lover, and I think they die together. Another incentive to find the damn book.
Unironically, if ubisoft filled their games with interesting bits of history like this I would be far more likely to play them. Also if they'd drop the rpg nonsense.