Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows Accused Of Copying Zoro’s Sword From One Piece
Fans noticed an uncanny similarity between Zoro and Yasuke’s swords
It has been a rough launch for Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows game as the company finds itself in another controversy surrounding the game. A few days ago, Ubisoft was accused of stealing a flag from a Japanese historical re-enactment group, and now, they are being accused of copying the sword of Zoro from Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga.
Recently, Ubisoft participated at the Japan Expo in France, where various items from the Shadows game were put on display, including Yasuke’s mask and sword.
However, fans noticed an uncanny similarity between Zoro and Yasuke’s swords.
Katana et masque de Yasuke (par @PureArtsLimited ❤️) ou encore artworks du jeu, notre stand Ubisoft à la @japanexpo vous propose une expérience… immersive 👀🔴
On vous immerge avec nous dans l'esprit du jeu jusqu'au dimanche 14 juillet ! 🥷 pic.twitter.com/tzkE2BnkO6
— Assassin's Creed FR (@AssassinsFR) July 11, 2024
Ubisoft Faces Backlash for Allegedly Stealing Zoro's Sword from OnePiece and Using It in Assassin's Creed Shadows as Yasuke's Sword pic.twitter.com/EsoLJKGoM1
— Pew (@pewpiece) July 13, 2024
Upon researching more, people found out that the sword showcased at the pop-up can be purchased online, and it is officially marketed as a replica of Zoro’s sword!
あー！これ？？めちゃくちゃしっかりワンピース ゾロ ってかいてあるじゃん！お得に台座までついて……アサクリさんこれはどうしようもなくアウトじゃないかな…… pic.twitter.com/kvzGxg9YAo
— 芽生え (@dreamplace27) July 12, 2024
While many would initially chalk this off to a mere coincidence or even influence that bit the original too much, the Kanji on the sword makes the case infinitely worse for Ubisoft.
The Kanji (which is the same on both swords) stems from Buddhism and a few of Zoro’s attacks are based on Buddhist values, too.
On the other hand, Yasuke was brought to Japan by an order of Catholicism and the religion he followed might be Islam.
Essentially, the sword doesn’t fit Yasuke at all. While Ubisoft has not responded to the controversy so far, they did apologize for utilizing the stolen flag and promised to not use it for any other artwork or promotion.
Many fans are also speculating a lawsuit incoming, as Sueisha is infamous for claiming their copyrights wherever possible, even on content creators.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is Ubisoft’s newest title for the Assassin’s Creed franchise, releasing on November 15, 2024. The game will be released on PlayStation 5, PC (including macOS), and Xbox Series X/S.
