Assassin's Creed Shadows, the latest addition to the iconic series, transports players to feudal Japan, situating it at a pivotal point in the franchise's expansive historical timeline. Unlike a linear progression, Assassin's Creed games leap through time, covering significant historical events from the ancient Peloponnesian War to the eve of World War I. With 14 mainline games and counting, the timeline becomes increasingly intricate, prompting IGN to meticulously analyze the lore and piece together the chronological sequence of these events. Below is a comprehensive timeline that outlines the key moments in the Assassin's Creed universe.
The Isu Era
75,000 BCE ------------------------Before diving into the timeline, it's essential to understand the lore. In the distant past, a highly advanced race known as the Isu dominated Earth. These god-like beings engineered humanity to serve as their workforce, controlling them with powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, resistance sparked when two humans, Eve and Adam, stole an Apple, igniting a revolutionary war against their Isu overlords. This conflict lasted a decade until a catastrophic solar flare decimated the Isu, allowing humanity to rise from the ashes and claim the planet as their own.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War
During the tumultuous Peloponnesian War in Greece, a mercenary named Kassandra uncovers The Cult of Kosmos, a secretive group manipulating the conflict. Her long-lost brother, Alexios, has been transformed into a formidable weapon by the Cult due to his lineage tracing back to the legendary Spartan King Leonidas, a direct descendant of the Isu. Kassandra's mission to thwart the Cult's plans reveals their use of an Isu device to predict future outcomes and control the war. She eliminates the Cult's leaders and destroys the device, ending their influence over Greece. Additionally, Kassandra reunites with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality and the duty to safeguard Atlantis.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt
In the era of Cleopatra's reign over Egypt, The Order of the Ancients, another shadowy faction linked to the Cult of Kosmos, abducts peacekeeper Bayek and his son in their quest for an Isu vault. The attempt fails, leading to the tragic death of Bayek's son during their escape. Fueled by vengeance, Bayek and his wife Aya dismantle The Order, which has infiltrated Egyptian politics, puppeteering Pharaoh Ptolemy and aligning with Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Their journey exposes The Order's global ambitions to manipulate power using the Apples of Eden. In response, Bayek and Aya found The Hidden Ones, a clandestine network of assassins and spies based in Egypt and Rome, dedicated to opposing The Order's tyranny.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
861 - Islamic Golden Age
A century later, The Hidden Ones have established strongholds globally, including Alamut in Iran. Here, Basim, a Baghdad street thief, is trained as an assassin and tasked with investigating The Order of the Ancients' activities. His investigation leads to the discovery of an Isu temple beneath Alamut, where The Order seeks to harness its power. Inside, Basim finds a technologically advanced prison that once held Loki, an Isu revered as a Norse god. Learning he is Loki's reincarnation, Basim vows revenge against those who imprisoned him in his past life.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
872 to 878 - Viking Invasion of England
A decade later, Basim joins a Viking clan in England, hunting members of The Order of the Ancients. The clan's leaders, Sigurd and Eivor, seek allies to establish their settlement, Ravensthorpe, while uncovering King Alfred's oppressive rule, a leader within The Order aiming to impose a Christian regime. An Isu artifact triggers visions in Sigurd, convincing him of his divinity. Basim reveals that Eivor and Sigurd are reincarnations of Isu gods Odin and Týr, whom he seeks to avenge for imprisoning him as Loki. Eivor traps Basim in an Isu-generated simulation, leaving Sigurd traumatized and prompting Eivor to take leadership and defeat King Alfred at the Battle of Chippenham, returning triumphantly to Ravensthorpe.
Assassin’s Creed
1191 - Third Crusade
Over the next three centuries, The Hidden Ones evolve into the Assassin Brotherhood, while their adversaries, The Order of the Ancients, transform into The Knights Templar, yet maintain their goal of global domination. During the Third Crusade, assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad seeks to recover an Apple of Eden from the Templars. His overconfidence leads to the death of a fellow assassin, and he is tasked with eliminating nine Templar leaders as penance. As Altaïr completes his mission, he uncovers a plot involving the Apple's power. It turns out that his mentor, Al Mualim, had betrayed the Templars to secure the Apple for himself, planning to use it to impose his version of peace. Altaïr confronts and kills Al Mualim, taking command of the Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed 2
1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance
Fast forward to the Italian Renaissance, where Ezio Auditore Da Firenze is drawn into the Assassin Brotherhood seeking vengeance for his family's murder by the Templars. Equipped with his father's tools and innovations from Leonardo da Vinci, Ezio battles the Templar-aligned Borgia family, ultimately gaining possession of an Apple of Eden. This leads him to an Isu vault beneath the Vatican, where the Templars, led by Pope Rodrigo Borgia, aim to harness its secrets. Inside, Ezio encounters a vision of the Isu Minerva, who warns of an impending apocalypse in 2012, suggesting that a network of Isu vaults worldwide could be humanity's salvation.
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance
Despite defeating the Pope, Ezio spares his life, a decision that haunts him when Borgia's forces seize the Apple of Eden. In response, Ezio revitalizes the weakened Assassin Brotherhood, becoming the leader of the Italian Bureau. They dismantle the Borgia regime in Rome, reclaim the Apple, and secure it within an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum, thwarting the Templars.
Assassin’s Creed Revelations
1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War
Seeking further insight into the Isu, Ezio journeys to Masyaf to explore Altaïr's library. The Templars, however, are already after the library's keys. In Constantinople, Ezio allies with the Ottoman Assassins to thwart the Byzantine Templars' plans. Inside the library, Ezio finds Altaïr's remains and an Apple of Eden, which projects a message from the Isu Jupiter about vital data stored in the Grand Temple to combat an apocalypse. Realizing this information is meant for another, Ezio leaves the Apple locked away and retires, later succumbing to the wounds accumulated over his long career.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1579 - Sengoku Period
Details about Assassin's Creed Shadows are scarce, but we know it is set during Japan's Sengoku period in the 16th century. An African mercenary and a Catholic Jesuit missionary arrive in Japan, meeting Oda Nobunaga, a powerful lord unifying the country. The mercenary, named Yasuke, becomes a samurai and participates in the invasion of Iga province. There, he encounters Naoe, a shinobi's daughter, and despite their initial opposition, they unite for a common cause.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy
During the Golden Age of Piracy, Edward Kenway becomes entangled in a Templar plot after assuming the identity of a slain Assassin. He learns of The Observatory, an Isu device capable of surveillance, which the Templars seek to control through the 'Sage,' a reincarnation of the Isu Aita. Edward allies with pirates to find the Sage, Bartholomew Roberts, and gain access to The Observatory. However, their partnership dissolves when Roberts betrays Edward, leading to a confrontation where Edward retrieves the Observatory's artifact and eliminates Templar leader Laureano de Torres y Ayala, ultimately choosing the world's safety over personal gain. He returns to England to spend his remaining days with his children, Jennifer and Haytham.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue
1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War
Shay Patrick Cormac, sent by the Assassin Brotherhood to retrieve an Isu artifact, inadvertently triggers an earthquake in Lisbon, causing widespread destruction. Overwhelmed by guilt, Shay defects and steals the Brotherhood's map of Isu temples. Rescued by Templars, he rises through their ranks, targeting Assassins, and confronts his former mentor, Achilles, in the Arctic to prevent further Isu disturbances. Shay's influence extends to suggesting a revolution in France, inspired by the American uprising.
Assassin’s Creed 3
1754 to 1783 - American Revolution
The Templars pursue the Isu's Grand Temple, with Haytham Kenway acquiring the key and journeying to America. His romance with Kaniehti:io results in a son, Ratonhnhaké:ton, whom he later abandons. Years later, after the destruction of his Mohawk village, Ratonhnhaké:ton, now known as Connor Kenway, trains as an Assassin and fights the Templars during the American Revolution. His quest brings him face-to-face with Haytham, leading to a tragic confrontation where Connor kills his father and buries the Grand Temple key, thwarting the Templars' plans.
Assassin’s Creed Liberation
1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana
Parallel to Connor's story, Aveline de Grandpré, an Assassin in New Orleans, uncovers a Templar plot in Louisiana, orchestrated by the 'Company Man' using enslaved people to uncover an Isu temple. Aveline gathers components forming an Isu 'Prophecy Disk,' revealing her stepmother as the Company Man. She confronts and kills her, activating the disk, which recounts Eve's role in the human rebellion against the Isu.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
1789 to 1794 - French Revolution
Arno Dorian, orphaned by Shay Cormac's murder of his father, is raised by Templar Grand Master François de la Serre. Framed for de la Serre's murder and imprisoned, Arno is recruited by the Assassin Brotherhood to investigate. Their search leads to François-Thomas Germain, a radical Templar sparking the French Revolution. Arno, alongside his sister Élise, tracks Germain to a Templar crypt, where he attempts to use an Isu Sword of Eden. The sword explodes, killing Élise and mortally wounding Germain, who reveals himself as the Sage. Arno seals Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs, keeping them from the Templars.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
1868 - Victorian England
In 1868, twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye arrive in London to find The Shroud, an Isu device. They discover the Templars' control over the city via industrialists and criminals. While Jacob targets Templar leaders, Evie races to secure The Shroud. Templar leader Crawford Starrick steals The Shroud from Buckingham Palace, but the Frye twins assassinate him and return the device to its vault, securing another victory for the Assassins. Later, Jacob leads the London Assassins, and Evie tracks down Jack the Ripper and raises her daughter, Lydia, as an Assassin. During World War I, Lydia investigates a Templar-run spy facility, eliminating its Sage leader.
Transition Period
1914 to 2012 --------------------------------While each Assassin's Creed game is rooted in historical settings, the overarching narrative is framed in the modern era. During this transition period, the Templars establish Abstergo Industries in 1937, a pharmaceutical company aimed at global control through capitalism. In the late 1970s, Abstergo develops the Animus, a virtual reality machine to explore ancestral memories and shape the future.
Assassin’s Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3
2012
In 2012, Desmond Miles is abducted by Abstergo to locate Isu artifacts through his ancestors' memories. With help from an Assassin mole, Lucy Stillman, Desmond escapes and joins the modern Assassin Brotherhood. Exploring Ezio's memories, Desmond learns of an impending apocalypse and the importance of Isu vaults. After discovering an Apple of Eden, Desmond is possessed by Juno, an Isu villain, leading to Lucy's death and his coma. Upon recovery, Desmond's exploration leads to the Grand Temple, where he sacrifices himself to activate Isu technology that prevents the apocalypse, releasing Juno in the process.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
2013
Posthumously, Abstergo uses Desmond's DNA to explore Edward Kenway's memories in search of The Observatory. An unnamed researcher, known as "The Noob," is manipulated by John Standish, the modern-day Sage, to hack Abstergo's systems. Standish's plan to host Juno fails, leading to his death at the hands of Abstergo security.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
2014
Abstergo releases "Helix," allowing public access to genetic memories. An Assassin initiate, guided by Bishop, explores Arno Dorian's life to locate Sage François-Thomas Germain's remains, believed to be safely hidden in the Paris Catacombs.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
2015
The initiate's next mission involves The Shroud in London. Through Jacob and Evie Frye's memories, they learn its location beneath Buckingham Palace. Abstergo retrieves it first, but the Assassins uncover plans to create a living Isu. Juno's manipulation of Abstergo's staff aims to sabotage these efforts.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
2017
Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus version using DNA samples, bypassing the need for descendants. Her exploration of Bayek and Aya's memories leads to the origins of The Hidden Ones. Layla is then recruited by the Assassin Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
2018
Using DNA from the Spear of Leonidas, Layla relives Kassandra's memories and locates Atlantis. Kassandra, immortal via the Staff of Hermes, reveals Layla's role in maintaining balance between the Assassins and Templars. Kassandra passes on the staff and dies, freeing Layla to continue her mission.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2020
After detecting magnetic field anomalies, Layla explores Eivor's memories, discovering the Yggdrasil computer. Inside the simulation, she works with a manifestation of Desmond's mind to stabilize the magnetic field, while Basim, also trapped, escapes and joins the Assassins, embarking on a quest related to Loki's legacy.
