Assassin’s Creed fans rejoiced when it was revealed that the franchise’s beloved hidden blade is making a return in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. However, they instantly noticed that something was off: the hidden blade wasn’t exactly hidden because it can be seen on the upper part of the protagonist’s wrist as opposed to being concealed at the bottom.
Quizzed about this design choice, narrative director Darby McDevitt confirmed that it was done deliberately to stay true to the Viking culture. He explained that Vikings had a sense of honor and they wanted people to know when they killed someone.
McDevitt said:
It’s something that Eivor feels very strongly about. When he or she gets a hold of this hidden blade, it occurs to Eivor that it would be much more interesting to let people see this weapon, to be conspicuous about it. Vikings were known as having a sense of honor and it was very important that when you killed somebody, that you let people know that you killed them. Oftentimes, people would not be punished for murder if they had a small justification, like, say somebody insulted you. They would not be punished for the murder as long as they admitted to it, as long as they stated openly that ‘Yes, I killed that person because we got into combat.’ And so, having the hidden blade visible is actually kind of an extension of that honor. We want this conspicuous aspect of the blade to be reflected in the way that Eivor presents him or herself to the world.
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[Source: Assassin’s Creed via GameSpot]