Assassin's Creed: Full Timeline Revealed

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the latest addition to the expansive Assassin’s Creed series, set in the rich and tumultuous period of feudal Japan. This setting places it at the midpoint of the series' historical timeline, as the franchise famously jumps through different eras, from ancient civilizations to pivotal moments in modern history. With a total of 14 mainline games and counting, the Assassin’s Creed universe weaves a complex tapestry of events and narratives. IGN has meticulously analyzed the lore to present a comprehensive timeline that organizes the series' historical events in chronological order, providing clarity to the overarching story and how each game fits into the broader narrative.

The Isu Era

Before diving into the timeline, it's crucial to understand the foundational lore. In ancient times, a highly advanced civilization called the Isu ruled the Earth. These god-like beings created humans to serve them, controlling them with powerful artifacts known as the Apples of Eden. However, humans, led by Eve and Adam, rebelled against their creators after stealing an Apple of Eden, sparking a revolutionary war. This conflict lasted a decade until a catastrophic solar flare wiped out the Isu. The surviving humans then rose from the ashes, inheriting the Earth and setting the stage for the saga to unfold.

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

As the Peloponnesian War rages across Greece, mercenary Kassandra uncovers the sinister Cult of Kosmos, a secretive group manipulating the war. Among its members is her long-lost brother Alexios, transformed into a powerful weapon by the Cult due to his lineage from the legendary Spartan King Leonidas, a descendant of the Isu. Kassandra's quest to thwart the Cult's plans leads her to dismantle their operations, destroy an Isu device used to predict the future, and reunite with her father, Pythagoras, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality and the duty to guard Atlantis.

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

During Cleopatra's reign in Egypt, the Order of the Ancients, another shadowy organization linked to the Cult of Kosmos, abducts peacekeeper Bayek and his son in a bid to access an Isu vault. Tragically, Bayek accidentally kills his son during their escape, fueling his quest for vengeance. Alongside his wife Aya, Bayek dismantles the Order, which had infiltrated Egyptian governance and sought to control the world using the Apples of Eden. Their resistance leads to the formation of The Hidden Ones, a precursor to the Assassin Brotherhood, dedicated to fighting tyranny and oppression.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage
861 - Islamic Golden Age

Nearly a century later, The Hidden Ones have established strongholds worldwide, including the fortress of Alamut in Iran. Basim, a street thief from Baghdad, is trained as an assassin and tasked with uncovering the Order of the Ancients' activities. His journey reveals their quest for an Isu temple beneath Alamut, where he discovers a prison once holding Loki, an Isu revered as a god by the Norse. Learning of his reincarnation as Loki, Basim vows to seek revenge against those who imprisoned him in his past life.

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

In the subsequent decade, Basim accompanies a Viking clan to England, pursuing members of the Order of the Ancients. The clan's leaders, Sigurd and Eivor, navigate the political landscape, seeking allies to establish their settlement, Ravensthorpe. They uncover the tyranny of King Alfred, a member of the Order aiming to impose a Christian regime. Sigurd's encounter with an Isu artifact triggers divine visions, leading to Basim's revelation that Eivor and Sigurd are reincarnations of Odin and Týr, respectively. After a confrontation, Eivor traps Basim within an Isu-generated simulation, leaving Sigurd to relinquish leadership, allowing Eivor to return to England as a hero after defeating King Alfred.

Assassin’s Creed
1191 - Third Crusade

Over the next three centuries, The Hidden Ones evolve into the Assassin Brotherhood, facing off against the Order of the Ancients, which transforms into the Knights Templar. During the Third Crusade, assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad works to retrieve an Apple of Eden from the Templars. His mission, though successful, leads to the death of a fellow assassin, prompting Altaïr to eliminate nine Templar leaders. His journey reveals a deeper conspiracy, culminating in the discovery that his mentor, Al Mualim, had betrayed the Brotherhood to control the Apple. Altaïr kills Al Mualim, taking leadership and safeguarding the Brotherhood's future.

Assassin’s Creed 2
1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

During the Italian Renaissance, Ezio Auditore Da Firenze is drawn into the Assassin Brotherhood after his family's execution by the Templars. Armed with his father's equipment and Leonardo Da Vinci's innovations, Ezio battles the Templar-aligned Borgia family, eventually securing an Apple of Eden that leads him to an Isu vault beneath the Vatican. Inside, he encounters the Isu Minerva, who warns of an impending apocalypse in 2012, hinting at a network of Isu vaults that could save humanity.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

Despite defeating the Pope, Ezio spares him, a decision that backfires when the Borgia's forces seize the Apple of Eden. Ezio rebuilds the weakened Brotherhood, becoming its leader in Italy. His efforts dismantle the Borgia regime, reclaim the Apple, and secure it in an Isu vault beneath the Roman Colosseum, thwarting the Templars' plans.

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

In pursuit of Isu knowledge, Ezio travels to Masyaf to explore Altaïr's library, only to find the Templars already seeking its keys. His journey leads him to Constantinople, where he allies with the Ottoman Assassins to thwart the Byzantine Templars. Inside the library, Ezio discovers Altaïr's remains and a message from the Isu Jupiter, revealing crucial data for humanity's survival. Understanding the message is meant for a future observer, Ezio leaves the Apple sealed as intended and retires, succumbing to his injuries shortly after.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1579 - Sengoku Period

While details about Assassin’s Creed Shadows' storyline remain sparse, it's set during Japan's Sengoku period. An African mercenary, traveling with a Jesuit missionary, meets Oda Nobunaga, who appoints him as a samurai named Yasuke. Yasuke's path intersects with Naoe, a shinobi from the Iga province, as they navigate the conflict and 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, a rogue pirate, infiltrates the Templar ranks after killing an Assassin. He learns of their quest for The Observatory, an Isu device capable of global surveillance. The key to unlocking it lies with the Sage, a reincarnation of the Isu Aita, currently embodied in pirate Bartholomew Roberts. Edward's pursuit of Roberts and the Observatory leads to betrayal and bloodshed, but ultimately, he secures the device and defeats the Templar leader, returning home to England to live with his children.

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

Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin sent to retrieve an Isu artifact, inadvertently causes a devastating earthquake in Lisbon. Stricken with guilt, he defects and steals the Brotherhood's map of Isu temples. Rescued by the Templars, Shay ascends their ranks, hunting down former allies and thwarting their quest for Isu artifacts. His actions influence the French Revolution, suggesting a Templar-led uprising in response to the American Revolution sparked by the Assassins.

Assassin’s Creed 3
1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

The Templars' focus shifts to the Isu's Grand Temple, with Haytham Kenway seeking its key. His journey leads to a romantic entanglement with a Mohawk woman, Kaniehti:io, resulting in a son, Ratonhnhaké:ton, later known as Connor Kenway. Driven by vengeance after his mother's death, Connor trains as an Assassin and targets Templars within the British forces. His path crosses with Haytham's, leading to a tragic confrontation and Connor's decision to bury 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 in New Orleans uncovers a Templar plot to control Louisiana, part of a larger scheme by the 'Company Man' using slaves to access an Isu temple. Aveline's quest leads to the discovery of her stepmother as the Company Man, whom she confronts and kills. Activating the 'Prophecy Disk', she learns of Eve's role in the human rebellion against the Isu.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Arno Dorian, orphaned after Shay Cormac kills his father, is raised by the Templar Grand Master François de la Serre. Framed for de la Serre's murder, Arno joins the Assassin Brotherhood to uncover the truth. His investigation reveals a Templar schism led by François-Thomas Germain, who seeks to overthrow the monarchy. Arno and his sister Élise pursue Germain, leading to a confrontation where Germain's attempt to use an Isu weapon fails, resulting in Élise's death. Arno secures Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs, preventing their misuse by the Templars.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
1868 - Victorian England

In Victorian London, twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye seek The Shroud, an Isu device. They find the city under Templar control through industry and crime. While Jacob targets Templar leadership, Evie races to find The Shroud. After thwarting Templar leader Crawford Starrick's plans, the twins return The Shroud to its vault. Jacob later leads the London Assassins, while Evie confronts and eliminates Jack the Ripper, eventually raising her daughter Lydia as an Assassin, who during World War I, uncovers a Templar espionage network.

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New duel1ST2ND3RDSee your ResultsFinish playing for your personal results or see the community’s!Continue playingSee resultsTransition Period
1914 to 2012

The Assassin’s Creed series features a framing story set in the modern era, where the Templars establish Abstergo Industries in 1937 as a pharmaceutical company to control the world through capitalism. By the late 1970s, Abstergo develops the Animus, a device allowing users to explore ancestral memories, aiming to locate Isu artifacts and control the future.

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

In 2012, Desmond Miles, a bartender with Assassin lineage, is abducted by Abstergo to use the Animus. An Assassin mole, Lucy Stillman, aids his escape, leading him to a safehouse where he explores Ezio's memories, learning of an impending apocalypse. Desmond locates an Apple of Eden, but Juno, an Isu, possesses him, causing him to kill Lucy. Awakening from a coma, Desmond sacrifices himself at the Grand Temple to prevent the apocalypse and stop Juno's plans.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
2013

Using Desmond's DNA, Abstergo continues its search for Isu technology through Edward Kenway's memories. An unnamed researcher, 'The Noob,' is tasked with hacking Abstergo's systems, uncovering the modern-day Sage, John Standish, who plans to host Juno. However, Standish's attempt to kill The Noob fails, and he is killed by Abstergo security.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
2014

Abstergo releases Helix, allowing public access to genetic memories. An Assassin, Bishop, guides an initiate to explore Arno Dorian's life, locating the remains of Sage François-Thomas Germain in the Paris Catacombs, believed safe from Abstergo.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
2015

The initiate searches for The Shroud in London through Jacob and Evie Frye's memories. Abstergo retrieves it first, intending to create a living Isu. Juno manipulates Abstergo employees to sabotage this plan, while the Assassins hack into Templar systems to learn more.

Assassin’s Creed Origins
2017

Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus that can explore memories directly from DNA samples. In Egypt, she uncovers Bayek and Aya's remains, exploring their origins of The Hidden Ones. William Miles recruits Layla into the Assassin Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
2018

Using DNA from the Spear of Leonidas, Layla relives Kassandra's memories, discovering Atlantis and meeting the immortal mercenary. Kassandra reveals Layla's role in maintaining balance between the Assassins and Templars, gifting her the Staff of Hermes before passing away.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2020

Investigating magnetic field disturbances, Layla explores Eivor's memories, uncovering the Yggdrasil computer in Norway. Inside its simulation, she works with a manifestation of Desmond's mind to prevent future apocalypses. Basim escapes, claiming the Staff of Hermes, and joins the Assassins to find Loki's children.

Assassin's Creed: The Complete Playlist

From the debut title in 2007 to upcoming projects across various platforms, here is the entire Assassin's Creed series in one comprehensive list. Log in to track your progress and see which games you've played.

See AllAssassin's CreedUbisoft MontrealAssassin's Creed [Mobile]GameloftAssassin's Creed: Altair's ChroniclesGameloft BucharestAssassin's Creed IIUbisoft MontrealAssassin's Creed: BloodlinesGriptonite GamesAssassin's Creed II [Mobile]GameloftAssassin's Creed II: DiscoveryUbisoftAssassin's Creed II: Battle of ForliUbisoft MontrealAssassin's Creed II: Bonfire of the VanitiesUbisoft MontrealAssassin's Creed II MultiplayerUbisoft