Shao Jun - Tumblr Posts

I know Ubisoft put zero research into this and has no idea what they've done, but Shao Jun having short hair is kind of a Big Deal, actually.

During Ye Olde China times, cutting your hair was often seen as a sign of disrespect or disgrace, because you were expected to keep it long and maintain it, as every part of your body was a gift from your parents.

This would have been an especially big deal during the Ming Dynasty, as the dynasty preceding it was ruled by Mongols, who braided their hair. Their customs were long viewed by Han Chinese as "barbaric," and so keeping their hair long and in Han styles would have been an act of cultural pride.

Ubisoft probably just felt like making a short-haired character! They couldn't even bother to give her a Chinese voice actress, so zero thought was put into her! But now I have all these in-universe headcanons about why she has short hair!!!!!!

Maybe she cut her hair when she joined the Brotherhood to signify that she didn't belong to anyone anymore, and besides, people couldn't see it from under the hood anyway.

My biggest headcanon is that she cut it when she went into exile, to signify that she had been severed from the motherland, and refused to let it grow back until she had come back and killed Zhang Yong!

I like to think that after she had come back and restored the Brotherhood, she grew her hair back out again, and that she grew into a wise old Mentor with hair longer and more well-kept than anyone's.

Aveline Frye & Evie Jun