Assassin's Creed Timeline: A Complete Guide %v

Assassin's Creed Shadows, the latest installment in this sprawling franchise, might seem chronologically out of place. Set in feudal Japan, it occupies a middle ground in the series' complex timeline. That's because Assassin's Creed doesn't follow a strict chronological order; it leaps through history, exploring pivotal moments from the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece to the eve of World War I. With 14 mainline games and counting, the narrative's historical tapestry is intricate. This timeline, meticulously researched, untangles the centuries-spanning saga, clarifying the overarching story and the interconnectedness of each game.

The Isu Era: 75,000 BCE

Before we delve into the historical timeline, a crucial piece of lore needs to be understood. Eons ago, a technologically advanced civilization of god-like beings, the Isu, ruled Earth. They created humanity to serve as their slaves, maintaining control through powerful artifacts known as the Apples of Eden. However, humanity's inherent desire for freedom led Eve and Adam to steal an Apple, sparking a decade-long revolutionary war. This conflict ended abruptly with a devastating solar flare that wiped out the Isu, leaving humanity to inherit the Earth.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: 431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War

Amidst the chaos of the Peloponnesian War, mercenary Kassandra uncovers the Cult of Kosmos, a clandestine organization manipulating the conflict. She discovers her long-lost brother, Alexios, a demigod-like weapon created by the Cult. Kassandra learns the Cult targeted Alexios due to his Isu lineage, tracing back to the legendary Spartan King Leonidas. Kassandra's mission to thwart the Cult's ambitions involves confronting their use of an Isu device capable of predicting the future. She ultimately eliminates the Cult's leaders, ending their influence over the war. Her journey also reunites her with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who bestows upon her the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality and appointing her guardian of Atlantis.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

Assassin’s Creed Origins: 49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt

During Cleopatra's reign, Bayek and his wife Aya confront The Order of the Ancients, another shadowy organization working with the Cult of Kosmos. The Order's kidnapping of Bayek and his son triggers a quest for revenge, leading them to uncover the Order's global conspiracy to control politics and religion through Isu artifacts. Bayek and Aya dismantle the Order, establishing the Hidden Ones, a secret society of assassins operating across Egypt and Rome, laying the groundwork for future conflicts.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

Assassin’s Creed Mirage: 861 - Islamic Golden Age

Centuries later, Basim Ibn Ishaq, a street thief in Baghdad, undergoes assassin training in Alamut. His investigation into the Order of the Ancients reveals their pursuit of an Isu temple beneath Alamut. He aids the assassins in defending Alamut, discovering a technologically advanced prison holding Loki, an Isu revered as a god by the Norse. Basim learns of his own connection to Loki and vows revenge.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: 872 to 878 - Viking Invasion of England

Basim accompanies a Viking clan to England, continuing his pursuit of the Order. Eivor and Sigurd, the clan's leaders, face the tyranny of King Alfred, a Templar aiming to impose Christian rule. The discovery of an Isu artifact triggers visions in Sigurd, revealing their Isu heritage as reincarnations of Odin and Týr. Basim's revenge attempt is thwarted, leaving Eivor to lead the clan and defeat King Alfred.

Assassin’s Creed

Assassin’s Creed: 1191 - Third Crusade

The Hidden Ones evolve into the Assassin Brotherhood, facing the Knights Templar, the evolved Order of the Ancients. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's mission to steal an Apple of Eden leads him to uncover Al Mualim's betrayal and his own ambition to control the Apple. Altaïr ultimately confronts and defeats his former mentor.

Assassin’s Creed 2

Assassin’s Creed 2: 1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

Ezio Auditore da Firenze's quest for revenge against the Templars leads him to possess an Apple of Eden, revealing the location of an Isu vault beneath the Vatican. His confrontation with Rodrigo Borgia, the Templar Grand Master and Pope, results in Ezio securing the vault and receiving a warning from Minerva about an impending apocalypse in 2012.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood: 1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

Ezio rebuilds the weakened Assassin Brotherhood in Rome, reclaiming the Apple of Eden and securing it in an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum.

Assassin’s Creed Revelations

Assassin’s Creed Revelations: 1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War

Ezio's journey to Masyaf to investigate Altaïr's library leads him to Constantinople, where he confronts the Byzantine Templars. He discovers Altaïr's remains and a message from Jupiter, revealing the location of the Grand Temple and its importance in the impending apocalypse.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: 1579 - Sengoku Period

In 16th-century Japan, Yasuke, an African mercenary, joins Oda Nobunaga's forces, encountering Naoe, the daughter of a shinobi master. Their shared goals unite them amidst the Sengoku period's conflicts.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag: 1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy

Edward Kenway's involvement with the Templars leads him to search for The Observatory, an Isu device capable of global surveillance. His alliance with Bartholomew Roberts, the Sage, culminates in Edward securing The Observatory and eliminating the Templar threat.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue

Assassin’s Creed Rogue: 1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War

Shay Patrick Cormac's disillusionment with the Assassins leads him to join the Templars, where he works to prevent the Brotherhood from uncovering more Isu temples, culminating in a confrontation with his former mentor, Achilles.

Assassin’s Creed 3

Assassin’s Creed 3: 1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

Connor Kenway's quest for revenge against those who destroyed his home and killed his mother sets him on a path to become an Assassin, fighting against the Templars during the American Revolution. His conflict with his father, Haytham Kenway, ends with Connor securing the key to the Grand Temple.

Assassin’s Creed Liberation

Assassin’s Creed Liberation: 1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana

Aveline de Grandpré's fight against the Templars in New Orleans involves uncovering a conspiracy involving slaves and an Isu temple. She uncovers the identity of the Company Man as her stepmother and activates the Prophecy Disk, revealing the story of Eve.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

Assassin’s Creed Unity: 1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Arno Dorian's quest for revenge and his involvement with the Assassins during the French Revolution leads him to confront François-Thomas Germain, the extremist Templar leader. Arno's actions ultimately result in the death of Élise and the sealing away of Germain's remains.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate: 1868 - Victorian England

Jacob and Evie Frye's mission to recover The Shroud in Victorian London involves dismantling the Templar's control over the city. Their efforts culminate in the assassination of Crawford Starrick and the safeguarding of The Shroud.

Transition Period: 1914 to 2012

The Templars establish Abstergo Industries, utilizing the Animus to explore the memories of their ancestors and control the future.

Assassin’s Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3

Assassin’s Creed (1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3): 2012

Desmond Miles's involvement with Abstergo and the Assassin Brotherhood leads him to explore the memories of his ancestors, ultimately culminating in his sacrifice to prevent the apocalypse.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag