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Assassin’s Creed Shadows marks the latest installment in the renowned series, yet its setting in feudal Japan places it squarely at the midpoint of the franchise’s historical timeline. Unlike many series that follow a strict chronological progression, Assassin’s Creed leaps through time, covering pivotal historical events from the ancient Peloponnesian War in Greece to the brink of the First World War.
With 14 mainline games and counting, the timeline of Assassin’s Creed has become increasingly intricate. IGN has meticulously analyzed every piece of lore to construct a comprehensive timeline that organizes the series' sprawling narrative in chronological order. Below, we delve into this timeline, starting from the earliest known events.
The Isu Era
75,000 BCE
------------------------To understand the Assassin’s Creed timeline, we must first explore its foundational lore. In the distant past, a highly advanced civilization known as the Isu governed Earth. These god-like beings engineered humanity as their servants, controlling them through powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, rebellion sparked when humans Adam and Eve stole an Apple and escaped, igniting a revolutionary conflict.
The ensuing war raged for a decade until a catastrophic solar flare devastated the Isu population. While humanity suffered, it ultimately survived and inherited the planet, setting the stage for the historical epochs that follow.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War
-------------------------------------------------------------During the tumultuous Peloponnesian War in Greece, mercenary Kassandra uncovers the Cult of Kosmos, a clandestine group manipulating the conflict from the shadows. Her journey reveals that her brother Alexios, kidnapped by the Cult as a child, has been transformed into a formidable weapon due to his Isu-descended lineage from their grandfather, the legendary Spartan King Leonidas.
Kassandra's mission to thwart the Cult's control over Greece leads her to dismantle their operations and destroy an Isu device used for predicting future scenarios. Along the way, she reunites with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting her immortality and the responsibility to safeguard the mythical city of Atlantis.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt
----------------------------------------------------------Set during Cleopatra's reign over Egypt, the narrative follows Bayek, a peacekeeper whose son is kidnapped by The Order of the Ancients, a shadowy group linked to the Cult of Kosmos. Unable to open an Isu vault as the Order hopes, Bayek inadvertently causes his son's death during their escape. Driven by vengeance, he and his wife Aya dismantle the Order, uncovering its global ambitions to control politics and religion through Isu artifacts like the Apples of Eden.
In response, Bayek and Aya found The Hidden Ones, a secret society dedicated to opposing the Order's tyranny, establishing bases in Egypt and Rome.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
861 - Islamic Golden Age
---------------------------------------------------A century after The Hidden Ones' inception, Basim, a street thief from Baghdad, is trained as an assassin at the stronghold of Alamut in Iran. His mission leads him to uncover The Order of the Ancients' pursuit of an Isu temple beneath Alamut, revealing his own reincarnation as the Isu god Loki, imprisoned in his past life. Basim vows to seek vengeance on those who once confined him.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
872 to 878 - Viking Invasion of England
-------------------------------------------------------------------Basim joins a Viking clan led by Sigurd and his sibling Eivor as they seek to establish their settlement in England, Ravensthorpe. They encounter the oppressive rule of King Alfred, a leader within The Order of the Ancients, who aims to impose a Christian regime.
After discovering an Isu artifact, Sigurd experiences visions, leading Basim to reveal that he and Eivor are reincarnations of the Isu gods Odin and Týr, whom he seeks to avenge. Eivor traps Basim in a simulated world within an Isu computer, leaving Sigurd to pass leadership to Eivor, who returns to England to defeat King Alfred and secure their community.
Assassin’s Creed
1191 - Third Crusade
---------------------------------------By the 12th century, The Hidden Ones evolve into the Assassin Brotherhood, confronting the newly formed Knights Templar, successors to The Order of the Ancients. During the Third Crusade, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, tasked by the Brotherhood leader Al Mualim, steals an Apple of Eden from the Templars. His mission to assassinate nine Templar leaders uncovers a conspiracy to harness the Apple's power.
Altaïr learns that Al Mualim plans to use the Apple to enforce peace, leading him to confront and kill his former mentor, taking command of the Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed 2
1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance
--------------------------------------------------------In the vibrant era of the Italian Renaissance, Ezio Auditore da Firenze is drawn into the Assassin Brotherhood following the Templar-orchestrated execution of his family. Armed with his father's tools and innovations from Leonardo da Vinci, Ezio battles the Templar-aligned Borgia family, ultimately securing an Apple of Eden.
Within the Vatican, he encounters the Isu Minerva, who warns of a looming apocalypse in 2012, hinting at the importance of hidden Isu vaults worldwide as potential havens.
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance
-----------------------------------------------------------------Ezio's victory over the Pope does not end the threat, as the Borgia forces seize the Apple of Eden. In response, Ezio strengthens the Brotherhood, leading them to dismantle the Borgia regime in Rome and secure the Apple in an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum.
Assassin’s Creed Revelations
1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War
---------------------------------------------------------------Seeking more knowledge about the Isu, Ezio journeys to Masyaf, where he discovers Altaïr's library. His quest to secure the library's keys leads him to Constantinople, where he allies with the Ottoman Assassins against the Byzantine Templars. Inside the library, Ezio finds Altaïr's remains and a message from the Isu Jupiter, revealing the location of the Grand Temple, which holds crucial data for humanity's survival. Ezio leaves the Apple secured and retires, succumbing to his accumulated injuries shortly thereafter.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1579 - Sengoku Period
-------------------------------------------------Details about Assassin’s Creed Shadows' storyline are scarce, but we know it follows an African mercenary and a Jesuit missionary in 16th-century Japan. The mercenary, named Yasuke, becomes a samurai under the powerful lord Oda Nobunaga, who is unifying Japan's warring clans. Yasuke's journey intersects with Naoe, the daughter of a shinobi master, leading them to unite despite their opposing allegiances.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy
---------------------------------------------------------------------During the Golden Age of Piracy, Edward Kenway finds himself embroiled in a Templar plot to seize The Observatory, an Isu device for surveillance. Only the Sage, a reincarnation of the Isu Aita, can unlock it. Edward allies with pirates, including the current Sage, Bartholomew Roberts, to thwart the Templars' plans. After a betrayal, Edward reclaims the device, assassinates the Templar leader, and secures the Observatory, prioritizing global safety over personal gain.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue
1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War
-------------------------------------------------------------Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin, inadvertently triggers a devastating earthquake while retrieving an Isu artifact in Lisbon, prompting his defection to the Templars. His journey leads him to thwart the Assassins' search for Isu temples, collaborating with Haytham Kenway, son of Edward. Their efforts cripple the Assassins' operations, with Shay suggesting a French revolution in response to American unrest.
Assassin’s Creed 3
1754 to 1783 - American Revolution
-------------------------------------------------------Haytham Kenway's pursuit of the Isu's Grand Temple key leads him to America, where he fathers a son, Ratonhnhaké:ton (Connor Kenway), with a Mohawk woman. After losing his mother and home to a Templar attack, Connor joins the Assassins to dismantle Templar influence within the British forces. His quest culminates in a confrontation with Haytham, resulting in Connor's victory and the burial of the Grand Temple key, thwarting the Templars' ambitions.
Assassin’s Creed Liberation
1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Parallel to Connor's story, Aveline de Grandpré uncovers a Templar plot in Louisiana to control the region using enslaved labor to unearth an Isu temple. Her investigation reveals a larger conspiracy orchestrated by her stepmother, whom she ultimately confronts and defeats. Aveline's discovery of a Prophecy Disk connects her to the legendary human rebellion leader, Eve.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
1789 to 1794 - French Revolution
---------------------------------------------------------Orphaned Arno Dorian, raised by a Templar family, is framed for murder and joins the Assassins to clear his name. His investigation reveals a Templar schism led by François-Thomas Germain, who ignites the French Revolution. Arno and his Templar sister Élise track Germain to a crypt, where he attempts to use a Sword of Eden against Arno, leading to Élise's death and Germain's revelation as the current Sage. Arno seals Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
1868 - Victorian England
-----------------------------------------------------In Victorian London, twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye combat Templar control over the city. While Jacob targets Templar leaders, Evie searches for The Shroud, an Isu healing device. They ultimately retrieve The Shroud from Buckingham Palace, defeating the Templar leader Crawford Starrick. Evie later tracks down and eliminates Jack the Ripper, while her daughter Lydia continues the fight during World War I, thwarting a Templar espionage network.
Transition Period
1914 to 2012
--------------------------------The Assassin’s Creed series employs a modern-day framing story that bridges its historical narratives. During this period, the Templars establish Abstergo Industries, a pharmaceutical company that develops the Animus, a device for exploring ancestral memories. Abstergo's aim is to control the future by uncovering the past, particularly Isu artifacts.
Assassin’s Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3
2012
-------------------------------------------------------------In 2012, bartender Desmond Miles is captured by Abstergo to explore the memories of his ancestor Altaïr through the Animus. With help from an Assassin mole, Lucy Stillman, Desmond escapes and joins the modern-day Assassins. Exploring the memories of Ezio, Desmond uncovers an impending apocalypse and the location of an Apple of Eden, but is possessed by the Isu Juno, leading to Lucy's death. Desmond eventually sacrifices himself to activate Isu technology that prevents the apocalypse, releasing Juno.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
2013
-------------------------------------Post-Desmond, Abstergo continues its search for Isu technology through his ancestors' memories. An unnamed researcher, "The Noob," explores Edward Kenway's life, uncovering the Observatory's location. Amidst this, the modern-day Sage, John Standish, attempts to use The Noob as a host for Juno, but fails and is killed by Abstergo security.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
2014
-----------------------------Abstergo releases Helix, a public software for exploring genetic memories, to track down Sage remains. An unnamed initiate, guided by an Assassin named Bishop, explores Arno Dorian's life and secures the Sage François-Thomas Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
2015
---------------------------------The initiate's next mission involves locating The Shroud in London through Jacob and Evie Frye's memories. Abstergo acquires The Shroud first, intending to use it to create a living Isu. Juno manipulates Abstergo employees to sabotage this plan, highlighting her ongoing influence.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
2017
-------------------------------Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus version that uses DNA samples to explore memories. In Egypt, she relives Bayek and Aya's lives, learning about The Hidden Ones' origins. William Miles recruits her into the Assassin Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
2018
-------------------------------Using DNA from the Spear of Leonidas, Layla explores Kassandra's memories and discovers Atlantis. Kassandra, having lived for centuries thanks to the Staff of Hermes, entrusts Layla with the staff and prophesies her role in balancing the Assassin and Templar forces.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2020
--------------------------------Layla investigates magnetic field fluctuations and explores Eivor's memories, discovering the Yggdrasil computer in Norway. Entering the simulation, she collaborates with Desmond's consciousness, "The Reader," to prevent future apocalypses. Meanwhile, Basim escapes the simulation, claiming the Staff of Hermes and joining the Assassins to search for Loki's children.
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