From her village in Japan’s Kii region, Rin is looking for help to fight off a group of bandits terrorizing her people. She’s looking for a samurai to take care of the problem, but also to learn to fight for herself. That’s where Yasuke comes in: he’s got the skills both to fight off the bandits and to help Rin become a strong fighter.
Like the other romance options in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Rin’s storyline unfolds through a series of different quests. But the big difference with Rin is that there’s an element of patience within her three quests: Her first questline is called Arrow Strike, and it begins with Yasuke and Rin meeting at her grandfather’s hut to clean up. Rin wants to live her life on her own terms. She wants to learn to shoot arrows with a bow, to be able to defend herself. She wants Yasuke to teach her to use a bow. And he does, plus a little bit of flirting. When the lesson is through, Yasuke must leave: You’re only able to bring him back to visit Rin once the seasons have changed.
It’s a stark difference from the way I played through other romance storylines; though I could have implemented my own patience, it wasn’t required. I could just keep running through the quests, leading to romance options that did often feel sweet, but rushed. Necessitating the wait in continuing the Rin and Yasuke story is pure absence makes the heart grow fonder. I found myself eager to see the seasons change and to be able to check in on Rin’s progress.
The second part of Rin’s story, when the season changes, is a lesson in horseback riding. It’s a sweet moment, trail riding by a waterfall and racing to a lake. The relationship continues to develop, but once again, Yasuke must leave — and return again once the season has changed. The last part of the quest is a ride into town (the quest, naturally, is called Ride into Town) to mingle among the merchants and artists, and it’s, quite possibly, one of the most wholesome and sweetest moments in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. While it begins with watching Rin use her skills to fight off bandits that attacked her hut, it ends with a conversation of art, music, and plum onigiri. A perfect date — and one that’s well worth the time and effort it takes.
