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There are plenty of things that might come to mind when you think of Naruto – the headbands, the epic storylines, or the long filler arcs, for example. But you’ll probably also think of that unique run the characters do. You know the one – arms trailing back behind them as they lean forward and run full speed ahead. It is called the Naruto Run for a reason and soon you’ll be able to do it in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game as well.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows isn’t out until February 2025, but that hasn’t stopped the game’s creative director Jonathan Dumont from dropping some juicy hints about what fans can expect from it. While Yasuke is more of a brawler, the other protagonist, Naoe, is the “fastest Assassin we ever made.” How did the developers choose to show her speed? By adding a reference to anime’s most famous ninja – Naruto.

“We do have a run on top of buildings that has a little bit of a wink-wink to it,” Dumont says as he describes the Naruto Run that players can do in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Because if you are going to include a ninja character, a little reference to Naruto won’t go amiss.

The inclusion of Naruto’s iconic run in a game as mainstream as Assassin’s Creed shows just how deeply anime has begun to penetrate pop culture. While Naruto has enjoyed plenty of success in the video game world, this is an example of something distinctly anime becoming part of a franchise that has, until now, not had any anime references in it.

Now we just need to wait for modders to put Naoe in an orange jumpsuit to really complete the look.

"In the ninja world, those who don't follow rules are trash." as Obita Uchiha once said. And while we can't say these are rules, they are the king things you'll want to read next about Naruto: 

• How to watch Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden in order
• Want to visit the Ninja World? You can in 2026, as Naruto is getting the theme park treatment
• The 10 best Naruto arcs, ranked best to worst 
• 25 years later, Naruto's portrayal of a world tackling the sins of its past remains frustratingly relevant