Assassin's Creed: Full Timeline Revealed

Assassin's Creed Shadows, the latest installment in the acclaimed series, transports players to feudal Japan, marking a significant midpoint in the historical timeline of the franchise. Unlike many video game series, Assassin's Creed does not follow a straightforward chronological progression. Instead, it jumps through time, exploring pivotal historical events from ancient Greece's Peloponnesian War to the eve of the First World War. With 14 mainline games and counting, the series' timeline has become increasingly intricate. IGN has meticulously analyzed the lore to create a comprehensive timeline that places all major events in chronological order, ensuring fans can fully appreciate the series' overarching narrative and how each game interconnects.

The Isu Era

75,000 BCE

To understand the Assassin's Creed timeline, it's essential to delve into the lore of the Isu. In this ancient era, a highly advanced civilization known as the Isu ruled the earth with god-like powers. They engineered humanity to serve as their workforce, controlling them with potent artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, the desire for freedom sparked a rebellion led by humans Adam and Eve, who stole an Apple of Eden, igniting a decade-long war. This conflict was abruptly ended by a catastrophic solar flare that wiped out the Isu, allowing humanity to rise from the ashes and inherit the earth.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey

431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War

Set during the tumultuous Peloponnesian War, Assassin's Creed Odyssey follows the mercenary Kassandra as she uncovers the sinister Cult of Kosmos, manipulating the conflict from the shadows. Among the cultists is her brother Alexios, who was kidnapped and transformed into a formidable weapon due to his lineage from the legendary Spartan King Leonidas, a descendant of the Isu. Kassandra's mission to thwart the Cult's domination of Greece leads her to destroy their predictive Isu device and reunite with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant. He entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, an Isu artifact granting immortality, tasking her with safeguarding Atlantis for eternity.

Assassin's Creed Origins

49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt

In the era of Cleopatra's reign, Assassin's Creed Origins introduces the Order of the Ancients, a shadowy group working alongside the Cult of Kosmos. After the tragic loss of his son during a kidnapping by the Order, Bayek vows revenge. Alongside his wife Aya, they dismantle the Order, discovering its global ambitions to control politics and religion using the Apples of Eden. To combat this threat, they establish the Hidden Ones, a secret society of spies and assassins operating from Egypt and Rome.

Assassin's Creed Mirage

861 - Islamic Golden Age

By the time of Assassin's Creed Mirage, the Hidden Ones have spread across the globe, including a stronghold in Alamut, Iran. Here, Basim, a street thief from Baghdad, is trained as an assassin to investigate the Order of the Ancients' activities. He uncovers their plan to access an Isu temple beneath Alamut and helps fend off their attack. Inside, Basim discovers a high-tech prison that once held Loki, an Isu revered as a Norse god. Learning he is Loki's reincarnation, Basim sets out to avenge his past imprisonment.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

872 to 878 - Viking Invasion of England

In Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Basim joins a Viking clan on their quest to England, where they confront the Order of the Ancients' influence through King Alfred. As clan leader Sigurd and sibling Eivor navigate the English landscape, they uncover Isu artifacts that trigger visions in Sigurd, leading him to believe he's a god. Basim reveals Eivor and Sigurd as reincarnations of Isu gods Odin and Týr, whom he seeks to punish for imprisoning him as Loki. Eivor traps Basim in a simulated world, and Sigurd, traumatized, relinquishes leadership to Eivor, who returns to England to defeat King Alfred and secure their settlement.

Assassin's Creed

1191 - Third Crusade

Three centuries later, the Hidden Ones have evolved into the Assassin Brotherhood, facing the newly formed Knights Templar, successors of the Order of the Ancients. During the Third Crusade, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad undertakes missions to retrieve an Apple of Eden from the Templars. His journey leads him to assassinate nine Templar leaders, uncovering their plot to use the Apple for world domination. In a shocking twist, Altaïr discovers his mentor, Al Mualim, betrayed the Templars to seize the Apple for himself, forcing Altaïr to kill him and assume leadership of the Brotherhood.

Assassin's Creed 2

1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

Assassin's Creed 2 follows Ezio Auditore Da Firenze, who joins the Assassin Brotherhood to avenge his family's murder by the Templars. Armed with his father's assassin gear and Leonardo Da Vinci's inventions, Ezio confronts the Templar-aligned Borgia family. His quest leads him to an Isu vault beneath the Vatican, where he encounters the Isu Minerva. She warns of an impending apocalypse in 2012 and hints at a network of Isu vaults that could be humanity's salvation.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

After defeating Pope Rodrigo Borgia in combat, Ezio spares his life, only to face the consequences when Borgia's forces seize the Apple of Eden. In Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Ezio rebuilds the weakened Brotherhood, becoming the leader of the Italian Bureau. They dismantle the Borgia regime in Rome, reclaiming the Apple and securing it in an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum.

Assassin's Creed Revelations

1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War

In Assassin's Creed Revelations, Ezio journeys to Masyaf to uncover secrets about the Isu. There, he discovers Altaïr's library, but the Templars are already on the hunt for its keys. Ezio allies with the Ottoman Assassins to thwart the Byzantine Templars' plans. Inside the library, he finds Altaïr's remains and an Apple of Eden, which projects a message from the Isu Jupiter about data crucial for humanity's survival in the Grand Temple. Understanding this knowledge is for a future observer, Ezio leaves the Apple secured and retires, succumbing to his injuries shortly after.

Assassin's Creed Shadows

1579 - Sengoku Period

While details about Assassin's Creed Shadows are limited, it's set during Japan's Sengoku period. An African mercenary, alongside a Catholic Jesuit missionary, arrives in Japan and meets Oda Nobunaga, a warlord unifying the country. The mercenary, renamed Yasuke, becomes a samurai and participates in Nobunaga's campaign against the Iga province. Here, he encounters Naoe, the daughter of a shinobi master. Despite their opposing sides, they unite for a common cause.

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy

Set during the Golden Age of Piracy, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag follows Edward Kenway, who infiltrates a Templar meeting after killing an Assassin. He learns of their quest for the Observatory, an Isu device for spying on humans, which can only be unlocked by the Sage, a reincarnation of the Isu Aita. Edward teams up with pirate Bartholomew Roberts, the current Sage, but their partnership ends in betrayal. Edward ultimately retrieves the Observatory's key, assassinates the Templar leader, and secures the device, choosing the world's safety over personal gain.

Assassin's Creed Rogue

1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War

In Assassin's Creed Rogue, Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin, inadvertently causes a devastating earthquake in Lisbon while retrieving an Isu artifact. Stricken with guilt, he defects to the Templars, stealing the Brotherhood's map of Isu temples. As a Templar, Shay targets his former allies, eventually confronting his old mentor, Achilles, in the Arctic. His actions lead to a temporary halt in the Assassins' search for Isu artifacts. Shay later suggests sparking a revolution in France to counter the Assassins' influence in America.

Assassin's Creed 3

1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

Assassin's Creed 3 follows Haytham Kenway, who seeks to unlock the Isu's Grand Temple, and his son, Ratonhnhaké:ton (Connor Kenway), who becomes an Assassin after his village is destroyed. Their paths cross during the American Revolution, where Connor eliminates Templar influences within the British forces. Despite hopes of peace, their conflicting ideologies lead to a tragic confrontation where Connor kills his father. He then 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, Assassin's Creed Liberation follows Aveline de Grandpré, who uncovers a Templar plot in Louisiana. Her investigation leads to the 'Company Man', who uses slaves to unearth an Isu temple. Aveline collects components of an Isu device called the Prophecy Disk, which tells the story of Eve's rebellion against the Isu. She confronts her stepmother, the Company Man, and, after defeating her, activates the Disk to learn more about humanity's past.

Assassin's Creed Unity

1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Assassin's Creed Unity focuses on Arno Dorian, orphaned when Shay Cormac kills his father. Raised by the French Templar Grand Master, Arno is framed for murder and joins the Assassin Brotherhood to clear his name. His investigation uncovers a Templar faction led by François-Thomas Germain, aiming to overthrow the monarchy. Alongside his sister Élise, Arno confronts Germain in a Templar crypt, where a Sword of Eden explodes, killing Élise and wounding Germain. Arno seals Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs, keeping them out of Templar hands.

Assassin's Creed Syndicate

1868 - Victorian England

In Assassin's Creed Syndicate, twins Jacob and Evie Frye arrive in London to find the Shroud, another Isu artifact. They discover the Templars have seized control of the city. While Jacob assassinates Templar leaders, Evie searches for the Shroud, which is ultimately stolen by Templar leader Crawford Starrick. The twins defeat Starrick, recover the Shroud, and secure it in a vault beneath Buckingham Palace, ensuring another victory for the Assassins.

Transition Period

1914 to 2012

The Assassin's Creed series also features a modern-day framing story. During the transition from the Victorian era to the present, the Templars establish Abstergo Industries in 1937 as a front for their global control agenda. In the late 1970s, Abstergo develops the Animus, a device that allows users to explore their ancestors' memories. This technology becomes central to the ongoing conflict between the Assassins and Templars.

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

2012

In 2012, Desmond Miles, a descendant of Altaïr and Ezio, is captured by Abstergo to locate Isu artifacts through his ancestors' memories. With help from Assassin mole Lucy Stillman, Desmond escapes and joins the modern-day Brotherhood. Exploring Ezio's memories, he learns of an impending apocalypse and the existence of the Grand Temple. Desmond sacrifices himself to activate the Temple's technology, preventing the apocalypse but freeing the Isu Juno.

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

2013

After Desmond's death, Abstergo continues its search for Isu technology using his genetic material. An unnamed researcher, "The Noob," explores Edward Kenway's memories to find the Observatory. The researcher is manipulated by Abstergo's head of IT, John Standish, who is revealed to be the modern-day Sage. Standish's plan to use The Noob as a host for Juno fails, leading to his death at the hands of Abstergo security.

Assassin's Creed Unity

2014

Abstergo launches "Helix," a public software that lets users experience genetic memories. An unnamed initiate, guided by Assassin Bishop, relives Arno Dorian's life to locate the remains of Sage François-Thomas Germain. Learning the remains are sealed in the Paris Catacombs, Bishop believes they are safe from Abstergo.

Assassin's Creed Syndicate

2015

The initiate's next mission is to find the Shroud in London by reliving Jacob and Evie Frye's memories. Abstergo retrieves the Shroud before the Assassins can, planning to use it to create a living Isu. Juno manipulates Abstergo employees to sabotage this plan, showing her ongoing influence.

Assassin's Creed Origins

2017

Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus that can explore memories via DNA samples. In Egypt, she uses Bayek and Aya's remains to trace the origins of the Hidden Ones. Layla is then recruited by the Assassin Brotherhood's leader, William Miles.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey

2018

Using DNA from the Spear of Leonidas, Layla relives Kassandra's memories and discovers Atlantis. Kassandra, preserved by the Staff of Hermes, reveals Layla's role in maintaining balance between the Assassins and Templars. As her final act, Kassandra passes the Staff to Layla and dies, relieved of her duty.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

2020

After detecting magnetic field fluctuations, Layla explores Eivor's memories to find the Yggdrasil computer in Norway. Inside the simulation, she encounters Basim and a manifestation of Desmond's consciousness, "The Reader." Layla abandons her mortal form to prevent future apocalypses. Basim escapes, takes the Staff of Hermes containing Aletheia's consciousness, and joins the Assassins to find Loki's children.