Assassin's Creed: Full Timeline Revealed

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the latest entry in the iconic series, set in the intriguing backdrop of feudal Japan during the Sengoku period. While it might seem like a new chapter, its historical setting actually positions it at the midpoint of the Assassin’s Creed timeline. This timeline isn't linear; the franchise jumps across centuries, from the ancient Peloponnesian War to the dawn of the First World War, weaving a rich tapestry of historical events.

With a total of 14 mainline games and counting, the chronology can become quite intricate. To help fans navigate this complex narrative, IGN has meticulously analyzed every piece of lore to create a comprehensive timeline that aligns the series' events in chronological order. This timeline not only traces the overarching story but also illustrates how each game fits within the broader narrative.

The Isu Era
75,000 BCE

Before delving into the timeline, it's crucial to understand the lore. In the distant past, a highly advanced civilization known as the Isu ruled the Earth. These god-like beings engineered the human race to serve as their slaves, controlling them with powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, the human spirit yearned for freedom, leading Eve and Adam to steal an Apple and spark a revolutionary war against their creators.

The conflict lasted a decade until a cataclysmic solar flare struck, wiping out the Isu. Humanity, though decimated, rose from the ruins to inherit the Earth.

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

Amid the chaos of the Peloponnesian War in Greece, a mercenary named Kassandra uncovers the sinister Cult of Kosmos, a shadowy group manipulating the conflict. Her journey reveals her brother Alexios, kidnapped and transformed into a powerful weapon by the Cult due to their shared lineage with the legendary Spartan King Leonidas, a direct descendant of the Isu.

Kassandra's mission to dismantle the Cult leads her to destroy an Isu device used to predict future events, ending the war. During her quest, she reunites with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality, and asks her to guard Atlantis.

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

In the era of Cleopatra's rule, the Order of the Ancients, another clandestine organization allied with the Cult of Kosmos, kidnaps peacekeeper Bayek and his son. Seeking to unlock an Isu vault, the Order targets Bayek's bloodline. Tragically, Bayek's son dies during their escape, fueling Bayek's quest for vengeance.

Together with his wife Aya, Bayek uncovers the Order's global ambitions to control politics and religion using the Apples of Eden. To combat this, they found the Hidden Ones, a secretive group of spies and assassins, establishing bases in Egypt and Rome.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage
861 - Islamic Golden Age

A century later, the Hidden Ones have fortified their presence globally, including a stronghold at Alamut in Iran. Here, Basim, a street thief from Baghdad, undergoes training to become an assassin and investigates the Order of the Ancients' activities. He uncovers their plan to access an Isu temple beneath Alamut, which houses a prison for Loki, an Isu considered a Norse god.

Inside the temple, Basim discovers his true identity as Loki's reincarnation and vows to avenge his past imprisonment.

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

Basim joins a Viking clan traveling to England to hunt down Order members. Led by Sigurd and his sibling Eivor, the clan seeks allies to establish their settlement, Ravensthorpe. They uncover King Alfred's tyrannical rule, a leader within the Order aiming to impose a Christian regime.

After discovering an Isu artifact, Sigurd experiences visions of divinity. In Norway, Basim reveals that Eivor and Sigurd are reincarnations of Odin and Týr, Isu who imprisoned Loki. Eivor traps Basim in a simulated world, while Sigurd, traumatized, hands leadership to Eivor, who returns to defeat King Alfred and become a hero at 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, still pursuing global domination. During the Third Crusade, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, a member of the Brotherhood, steals an Apple of Eden from the Templars.

Tasked to redeem his errors, Altaïr assassinates nine Templar leaders, uncovering their plot to use the Apple's power. He discovers his mentor, Al Mualim, had betrayed the Brotherhood to seize the Apple and impose his version of peace. Altaïr kills Al Mualim and takes command of the Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed 2
1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

In Renaissance Italy, Ezio Auditore Da Firenze joins the Assassin Brotherhood to avenge his family, killed by the Templars. Armed with his father's gear and Leonardo Da Vinci's inventions, Ezio battles the Templar-aligned Borgia family, eventually acquiring an Apple of Eden that reveals an Isu vault beneath the Vatican.

Confronting the Pope, Rodrigo Borgia, Ezio enters the vault and encounters Minerva, an Isu who warns of an impending apocalypse in 2012. She hints that a network of Isu vaults might hold the key to humanity's survival.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

Although Ezio spares the Pope, the Borgia forces retaliate, seizing the Apple of Eden. Ezio rebuilds the Brotherhood, becoming the leader of the Italian Bureau. They dismantle the Borgia regime in Rome and secure the Apple, which Ezio hides in an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum.

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

Seeking more Isu knowledge, Ezio travels to Masyaf to explore Altaïr's library. The Templars, already aware of the library, are collecting keys to unlock it. Ezio allies with the Ottoman Assassins in Constantinople to thwart their plans and secure the keys.

Inside the library, Ezio finds Altaïr's remains and an Apple of Eden. A message from Jupiter reveals vital data for humanity's survival stored in the Grand Temple. Recognizing this knowledge is not for him, Ezio leaves the Apple secured as intended and retires, later succumbing to his accumulated injuries.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1579 - Sengoku Period

While details on Assassin’s Creed Shadows' storyline are scarce, we know it involves an African mercenary and a Catholic Jesuit missionary arriving in Japan. The mercenary, named Yasuke, becomes a samurai under the powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga, who is unifying Japan's clans.

Yasuke participates in the invasion of Iga province, home to Naoe, daughter of a shinobi master. Despite their initial opposition, Yasuke and Naoe eventually unite for a common purpose.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy

During the Golden Age of Piracy, Edward Kenway, a rogue, inadvertently joins the Assassin Brotherhood after killing one of their members. He learns of the Templars' quest for The Observatory, an Isu device capable of spying on humanity. Only the 'Sage,' a reincarnation of the Isu Aita, can unlock it.

Edward allies with pirates to locate the current Sage, Bartholomew Roberts, and disrupt the Templars. Despite their initial success, Edward is betrayed by Roberts, who steals the Observatory's artifact. Edward eventually retrieves it, assassinates the Templar leader, and seals the artifact away, prioritizing global safety over personal gain. He then retires to England with his family.

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

Shay Patrick Cormac, sent by the Assassins to retrieve an Isu artifact, inadvertently causes an earthquake that devastates Lisbon. Guilt-ridden, Shay defects, stealing the Assassins' map of Isu temples. Rescued by the Templars, he ascends their ranks, targeting his former allies.

In the Arctic, Shay and Haytham Kenway, Edward's son, confront Shay's former mentor, Achilles, injuring him to prevent further Isu temple excavations. Shay later suggests sparking a revolution in France to counter the Assassins' influence in America.

Assassin’s Creed 3
1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

The Templars seek to unlock the Isu's Grand Temple, with Haytham Kenway acquiring the key. In the American Colonies, he falls in love with Kaniehti:io, fathering Ratonhnhaké:ton (later Connor Kenway). After the Mohawk settlement is destroyed and Kaniehti:io killed, Connor seeks vengeance and trains with the Assassins.

During the American Revolution, Connor eliminates Templars within the British forces, eventually confronting Haytham. Their ideological clash leads to Connor killing his father and burying the Grand Temple key, thwarting the Templars' plans.

Assassin’s Creed Liberation
1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana

Simultaneously, New Orleans assassin Aveline de Grandpré uncovers a Templar plot to control Louisiana. Her investigation reveals a larger conspiracy involving the 'Company Man,' who uses slaves to unearth an Isu temple. Aveline collects components forming the 'Prophecy Disk,' discovering her stepmother is the Company Man.

After killing her stepmother, Aveline activates the disk, which recounts Eve's leadership in the human rebellion against the Isu.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Orphaned by Shay Cormac, Arno Dorian is raised by the French Templars' Grand Master, François de la Serre. Framed for de la Serre's murder, Arno is imprisoned but later joins the Assassins to uncover the truth. Their investigation leads to François-Thomas Germain, a Templar extremist sparking the French Revolution.

Arno and his adoptive sister Élise pursue Germain, who attempts to use a Sword of Eden. The sword explodes, killing Élise and wounding Germain, who reveals himself as the current Sage. Arno seals Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs, keeping them from the Templars.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
1868 - Victorian England

In Victorian London, twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye search for The Shroud, an Isu device. They uncover the Templars' control over the city through industry and crime. While Jacob targets the Templar leadership, Evie races to find The Shroud.

Despite the Templars' initial success, Jacob and Evie assassinate their leader, Crawford Starrick, and return The Shroud to its vault. Jacob later leads the London Assassins, while Evie tracks down Jack the Ripper. Their daughter, Lydia, becomes an Assassin and, during WWI, eliminates a Templar-led German spy network.

Transition Period
1914 to 2012

While most Assassin’s Creed games focus on historical settings, the overarching narrative unfolds in the modern era. During this transition, the Templars establish Abstergo Industries, a pharmaceutical company aiming to control the world through capitalism. In the late 1970s, they develop the Animus, a device to explore ancestral memories and control the future.

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

In 2012, Desmond Miles, a descendant of Altaïr, is abducted by Abstergo to locate Isu artifacts. With help from Assassin mole Lucy Stillman, Desmond escapes to a Brotherhood safehouse, where he explores Ezio's memories, learning of an impending apocalypse predicted by Minerva.

Desmond retrieves an Apple of Eden, but Juno, a malevolent Isu, possesses him, forcing him to kill Lucy. Despite a coma, Desmond continues exploring Ezio's memories, discovering the Grand Temple's existence. Awakening, he sacrifices himself to activate the temple's technology, preventing the apocalypse but releasing Juno.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
2013

Using Desmond's DNA, Abstergo explores Edward Kenway's memories to locate The Observatory. An Abstergo researcher, "The Noob," is assigned this task but is manipulated by the head of IT, John Standish, a modern-day Sage, to hack Abstergo's systems. Standish's plan to host Juno fails, and he is killed by security.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
2014

Abstergo releases Helix, a public software simulating genetic memories. An initiate, guided by Assassin Bishop, relives Arno Dorian's life to locate Sage François-Thomas Germain's remains, believed safe in the Paris Catacombs.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
2015

The initiate explores Jacob and Evie Frye's memories to find The Shroud. Abstergo retrieves it first, planning to create a living Isu. Juno, also seeking The Shroud, manipulates Abstergo employees to sabotage their efforts.

Assassin’s Creed Origins
2017

Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops an Animus version that uses DNA samples directly. In Egypt, she relives Bayek and Aya's memories, 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 relives Kassandra's memories, discovering Atlantis and meeting the immortal mercenary. Kassandra reveals Layla's role in balancing the Assassins and Templars and gifts her the Staff of Hermes before passing away.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2020

Layla investigates magnetic field fluctuations, using Viking remains to explore Eivor's memories. She discovers the Yggdrasil computer and enters its simulation to stabilize the field. Inside, she encounters Basim and Desmond's consciousness, working to prevent future apocalypses. Basim escapes, claiming the Staff of Hermes, which holds Aletheia's consciousness, and joins the Assassins to search for Loki's children.