One of the great aspects of Assassin’s Creed is how it embraces history. Throughout the franchise, historical events and figures are regularly featured and spotlighted. Even more importantly is just how seamlessly the game’s story inserts the fictional Assassins to shape world events. This is either by causing historical moments or even assassinating prominent members of history.
The games even use the Assassins’ stealthy ways as an excuse for how they have been left out of the history books. No doubt, some Assassins have had more of an impact on how history unfolded than others. Here’s a list of just how much of an effect various Assassins have had on history.
10 Adam & Eve
It’s hard to know the exact impact Adam and Eve had on history given that their main historical context is from the Bible, but in the world of Assassin’s Creed, they were very real. In fact, they were humans during the height of Isu civilization, a time that has been talked about heavily in Assassin’s Creed games.
Other than brief mentions and the minor video from Assassin’s Creed II, Adam and Eve have largely been absent from the story. However, in the world of Assassin’s Creed, it’s hard not to argue that they didn’t play an important role in shaping the future with their actions in the ancient past.
9 Darius
Darius holds two distinctions that made him an important character to have affected history. In a very real-world sense, he is known as the man who of assassinated Xerxes I of the Persian Empire. Given the vast army the Persian King had at his disposal, being able to take him out was quite an accomplishment.
However, he’s also known as the first one to utilize the Assassin’s trademark hidden blade. His story after Xerxes’ assassination was chronicled in the Assassin’s Creed: Origins DLC Legacy of the First Blade. Without this incredible contribution, it’s possible that the Assassin Brotherhood would not have had the great impact on history that they did.
8 Amunet
Ever since her statue first debuted in Assassin’s Creed II, Amunet’s legend was profound. It wasn’t until Assassin’s Creed: Origins that fans got to see the character in action and her immense impacts on history. In terms of the lore of Assassin’s Creed, the games wouldn’t exist without her as she was the driving factor behind establishing the Hidden Ones as an actual group and a force for history.
That footnote aside, she’s also responsible for the assassination of Cleopatra, one of histories most revered beauties. Cleopatra’s death is one of the most famous details of her life, so Amunet’s involvement is pretty important.
7 Edward Kenway
The Golden Age of Piracy was an absolute wild time in history. The New World was still a relatively lawless place, and pirates took full advantage of the vast openness to plunder at their whim. Wars were fought over riches in the New World, and pirates like Edward Kenway sought to make their mark in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
Even though the Caribbean was far from the home countries from which these colonies were based, the actions of pirates, of which Edward Kenway was highly revered, had ripple effects throughout Europe. It’s hard not to argue that his influence was great.
6 Nikolai Orelov
Overall, Nikolai hasn’t had the tremendous worldly impact that other Assassins have. His assassinations involving Russian royalty certainly affected Russian history, but he has earned a spot on this list for his involvement in some pretty historical events that are known around the world. First off, he was on the ground during the infamous Tunguska explosion.
In the world of Assassin’s Creed, the explosion was the result of first civilization technology. But there is also an infamous Borki trained derailment in 1888 that Nikolai was responsible for. This event was detailed in comics, where Nikolai had derailed the train in his attempt to assassinate Tsar Alexander III.
5 Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad
Any high school, history student understands the importance of the Crusades. This was a time of great upheaval in the Holy Land, and its effects can still be felt in a very real sense today. During this time, Altair was instrumental in trying to combat the crusaders and shifting control of this heavily sought out territory away from Templar control.
In some franchises, the Templars are portrayed as good guys, such as in the National Treasure films. However, for Altair, killing Templars went a long way in affecting how history would play out. And, that doesn’t take into account his role in revitalizing the Brotherhood for generations to come.
4 Arno Dorian
The French Revolution was a very pivotal time in history. After the Americans successfully revolted against England, the French were inspired and follow suit. However, unlike the Americans, the French never reigned in their taste for revolting, and things got out of hand.
In Assassin’s Creed: Unity, Arno Dorian was stuck in the middle of this as he had to go up against Robespierre, a man who by many accounts allowed the French Revolution to get out of control. Plus, the revolution led into Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign, which affected all of Europe. Arno’s relationship with Napoleon can’t be overlooked in how greatly this Master Assassin affected history.
3 Connor Kenway
Then there’s the American Revolution, of which Connor Kenway played a huge part. Besides all the extremely influential Founding Fathers Connor had relationships with, the Americans quite possibly couldn’t have won the war without him. He had a role in many major battles that turned the tide of the war in Assassin’s Creed 3.
This doesn’t even take into account the alternate reality he and George Washington experienced together when Washington declared himself King. That undoubtedly had an effect on the country’s first president. Unfortunately, Connor’s effect wasn’t great enough — his fellow Native Americans didn’t have a stake in the new country the way he had hoped.
2 Ezio Auditore
The Italian Renaissance was a remarkable time. It’s no wonder that Assassin’s Creed developers chose it as not just the setting for the second game in the series but for two more games after that. Ezio’s influence during that time could not be understated. He met truly influential historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli.
However, it was his enemies that allowed him to affect history the most. The Borgias were notorious for what they did in Italy and beyond. The fact that Ezio, a popular character that’s had many crossovers, considered the family his arch-enemies is enough to make him rank towards the top of the list.
1 Kassandra
There could be a lot said about Kassandra’s life as a proto-Assassin in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. She was an infamous mercenary all across Greece and had a profound effect on the Peloponnesian War. This doesn’t even take her family history into account as the granddaughter of the legendary Spartan King Leonidas.
However, what allows her to top this list is her supernatural longevity. The fact that Kassandra had the Staff of Hermes that granted her immortality cannot be overlooked. She had the grandest effect on history simply because she lived the longest, all the way through Ancient Greece and into modern times. That kind of lifespan allows one to leave a mark few can match.
