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This year is looking to be very busy for Mackenyu. Not only is he set to reprise his role as Zoro in One Piece season two for Netflix, but he is also set to join the Assassin’s Creed franchise as well. While we don’t expect to see Gennojo running around with a sword in his mouth, apparently Mackenyu’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows character has some very important traits in common with Zoro.

While season two of One Piece will focus on upping Zoro’s badassery, it seems that Mackenyu was able to draw on his experience with the Straw Hats for his Assassin’s Creed Shadows character, Gennojo. “Gennojo and Zoro both have a strong moral code that they bring to their missions,” Mackenyu said in an interview to promote the game’s impending release. “But also an underlying loyalty to the people around them. I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with either of them.”

We don’t currently have a lot of details about Gennojo. We know he is a thief and a member of the Shinobi League who plays a role in helping the protagonist track down a crucial target. He is described by Ubisoft as “a charming, reckless, and deeply conflicted figure, driven by guilt to dismantle a corrupt system.” Which doesn’t sound a million miles away from Zoro, to be honest. We just need to see if Gennojo gets lost quite as easily as Zoro before we make any judgments.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be released on March 20, 2025 worldwide, so we don’t have long to wait to find out how much of Zoro leaked into Gennojo through Mackenyu’s performance.

The gaming industry has come a long way since Pong blew all our minds in the 70s. We've got everything you need to know about the next big thing in games. Of course, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be the big game of 2026, but there are plenty of other games coming out between now and then. Here is our starter guide for every gamer:

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