Almost a month since its launch, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is shaping up to be one of the top hits of 2025. Industry expert Mat Piscatella notes that Shadows has dominated U.S. sales charts for three weeks straight, securing the crown as the second best-selling game this year. While die-hard Assassin’s Creed enthusiasts are likely thrilled by this success, many are already setting their sights on the series’ future with the next mainline release, Assassin’s Creed: Codename Hexe. Although details are scarce, the enigmatic character Alvaro Catarribera from Shadows might serve as a fascinating link between these two installments.
The opening sequences of Assassin’s Creed Shadows cast a veil of mystery over the story of Fujibayashi Naoe’s mother and her family’s deep ties with the Assassin Brotherhood. Naoe’s true lineage only comes to light after encounters with Tokugawa Ieyasu and a reunion with Hattori Hanzo. It is during an exploration of an ancient kofun used by past Assassins that Naoe and Yasuke stumble upon a journal owned by a foreigner called Alvaro Catarribera. Yasuke translates its contents, and the animus shares glimpses of Catarribera’s memories with a yet-to-be-revealed modern-day character. Alvaro Catarribera was a dedicated member of the Spanish Assassin Brotherhood in the 16th century.
Once fiercely committed to freeing the oppressed, Catarribera lived by the Assassin’s Creed principles until a tragic incident during a mission—an accidental killing of an innocent girl—led to his expulsion from the Brotherhood. Wracked with guilt, Catarribera roamed far and wide, covering lands from Malaysia to Taiwan, eventually reaching Macao, China. In Macao, he uncovered a Templar plot to extend their grasp to Japan, prompting his journey to Japan in 1549. It was there that he found renewed purpose, embodying the Creed’s ideals of liberty and the protection of innocents.
Catarribera’s journey in Japan led him to save a young girl named Tsuyu near Nagasaki, who later married Fujibayashi Nagato and became Naoe’s mother. Together, Catarribera and Tsuyu established the Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins, also known as Kakushiba ikki. Tsuyu, as the first recruit, was crucial in recruiting others like Fujibayashi Nagato, Hattori Hanzo, and Momochi Sandayu. Even Emperor Go-Nara enlisted their aid to safeguard the three Imperial Regalia against the Templars. Before eventually leaving Japan, Catarribera appointed Tsuyu to lead Kakushiba ikki.
Alvaro Catarribera, if alive during the main events of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, could still play a role in the franchise’s future. Rumors suggest Codename Hexe will delve into the witch trials of the 16th or 17th century Holy Roman Empire, potentially providing a fitting stage for Catarribera’s return. Whether during his time with the Spanish Brotherhood or post-Japan, his character could unravel new narratives or establish connections between different Assassins’ factions.
There’s also the possibility of Catarribera making an appearance in the upcoming DLC for Shadows, the Claws of Awaji Expansion. Set on the island of Awaji, this DLC hints at Naoe and Yasuke’s quest to recover a powerful relic, possibly a Piece of Eden. Catarribera could step in to assist, driven by news of the original Kakushiba ikki’s fall and the missing treasure, setting the stage for his transition into Codename Hexe if he returns to Europe to forge alliances.
As we await further developments, Catarribera remains a tantalizing thread that could weave together stories across the Assassin’s Creed universe, enhancing both current and future narratives with his rich backstory and ongoing exploits.
