Yasuke: The First African Samurai

Was Cleopatra actually Egyptian?It's a surprisingly important question. When most people think of Cleopatra, they have a specific person in mind. The Egyptian queen who married Julius Caesar and loved Mark Antony, and nearly ruled the Roman Empire for herself. But she was merely ...  Show more

The unforeseen consequences of this war led to the first scientific history book, the birth of philosophy. and the rise of Alexander the Great. Assassin's Creed Odyssey puts us at the heart of the expansive conflict that occurred when Athens went to war with Sparta: the Peloponne ...  Show more

Japanese Daimyo Oda Nobunaga was fascinated by the mysterious, towering slave of a visiting Jesuit missionary, and soon this man, Yasuke, joined Nobunaga's court, eventually becoming a full-on samurai. Join the guys as they explore the strange life of the African-born samurai, Ya ...  Show more

Near the end of Japan's "Warring States" period a remarkable visitor arrived in the country with a group of European Jesuit missionaries. He was a soldier originally from East Africa acting as a bodyguard for the ranking Jesuit in Japan. The Japanese would come to know this man a ...  Show more

Matt Lewis presents a special episode from his podcast Echoes of History on the medieval 'Demon' Samurai.

In the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the legendary Hattori Hanzo embodies both samurai and shinobi warriors, and earned himself the nickname "The D ...

The samurai—warriors of honor, discipline, and legend. As well discover, they were much more than warriors. They shaped the history and culture of Japan forever. Who were these iconic figures, and what was life like for them beyond the battlefield? Tonight, step into the world of ...  Show more