Caught in a secret war between the Templar Order and the Assassin Brotherhood, feudal Japan becomes a battleground for Assassins and shinobi alike!

Through its devious machinations, the Templar Order has increased its influence all over Japan, but hope has come to Iga. An Assassin and his young apprentice have come to the birthplace of ninjutsu seeking aid from legendary shinobi like Hattori Hanzo and Momochi Sandayu in their fight for justice.

There is one way to stem the tide of the Templars: one must live in the darkness but serve the light. Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Tales of Iga is the story of the ninja who protect Japan.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Tales of Iga has a story and art by regujie. English translation is done by Abby Lehrke and lettering by Phil Christie. Published by Viz Media (June 16, 2026). Rated T.

Erica Friedman
Rating:

One of the thrills, I suspect, of the Assassin's Creed franchise is the appearance of names that are well-known and deeply imbued with mythological and historical importance to a particular time and place. In this, Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Tales of Iga, Volume 1 succeeds. We will meet the famous Hattori Hanzo, who, albeit reluctantly, will train with a villager…and a woman, Tsuyu, who can hand them both their asses.

This mashup of “assassin” and “shinobi” makes for an action-filled historical fantasy that casts the Templars as the bad guys, while never letting us really relax around Hanzo. In fact, his inevitable betrayal of Tsuyu and Masayasu weighs so heavily here that we are merely wondering when he does it, not if he will.

The setting is the kind of mess that doesn't really matter all that much. The Templars were destroyed in 1312, and Hattori wasn't even born until the 1540s. We know it was the Jesuits, not the Templars, who came to Japan to control their resources, also in the 1540s, but, honestly, who cares? Fine, fine, it's the Templars. Once we accept that, and the somewhat simplistic view of politics and shinobiing, the story here is full of some very fun training and fighting scenes. The art has moments of excellence, as well.

Masayasu is going to be our avatar—a common man with the desire to help his people, while Hanzo plays with politics, both personal and national. We are left to watch Tsuyu, the highly skilled assassin, navigate through this landscape, which doesn't seem to particularly interest her, beyond it being her master's job. I expect more deep cuts of childhood and adult trauma in her future.

This is a fun, fast-paced, and not too taxing manga addition to the Assassin's Creed mythos.