Assassin's Creed Shadows marks the latest installment in the storied franchise, set during the feudal Japan era, which interestingly situates it at the midpoint of the series' historical timeline. The Assassin's Creed series is renowned for its non-linear approach to history, jumping across different time periods from ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War to the eve of the First World War. This non-chronological storytelling enriches the series by allowing it to explore various pivotal moments throughout history.
With a total of 14 mainline games and counting, the timeline of these events becomes increasingly intricate. To help fans navigate this complexity, IGN has meticulously analyzed the lore to create a comprehensive timeline. This timeline organizes the key events of the Assassin's Creed universe in chronological order, providing clarity on the overarching narrative and how each game fits into the grand scheme.
The Isu Era
75,000 BCE
Before diving into the historical timeline, it's essential to understand the lore of the Isu. In ancient times, a highly advanced civilization of god-like beings, known as the Isu, ruled the earth. They created humans as their slaves, controlling them through powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, humans, led by Eve and Adam, rebelled after stealing an Apple of Eden, sparking a revolutionary war against their oppressors.
The conflict lasted a decade but was abruptly ended by a catastrophic solar flare that wiped out the Isu. Humanity, surviving the disaster, rose from the ashes to inherit the earth.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War
During the tumultuous period of the Peloponnesian War in Greece, a mercenary named Kassandra uncovers The Cult of Kosmos, a secretive group manipulating the war from the shadows. Among its ranks is her estranged brother, Alexios, who was abducted by the Cult as a child and transformed into a formidable weapon due to his lineage from the legendary Spartan King Leonidas, a direct descendant of the Isu.
Kassandra's mission to dismantle the Cult involves neutralizing their use of an Isu device that predicts future outcomes to control the conflict. By eliminating the Cult's key members and destroying the device, she brings an end to their machinations in Greece. Her journey also reunites her with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality, and tasks her with safeguarding Atlantis for eternity.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt
In the era of Cleopatra's reign in Egypt, Bayek, a peacekeeper, finds himself and his son kidnapped by The Order of the Ancients, a shadowy organization linked to the Cult of Kosmos. Believing Bayek's bloodline holds the key to an Isu vault, they fail to unlock it, leading to a tragic confrontation where Bayek inadvertently causes his son's death. Driven by grief and a desire for vengeance, Bayek and his wife Aya set out to dismantle The Order.
Their quest reveals The Order's global ambitions, using the Apples of Eden to manipulate politics and religion. In response, Bayek and Aya establish The Hidden Ones, a clandestine group of spies and assassins, to combat The Order's oppression from bases in Egypt and Rome.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
861 - Islamic Golden Age
Nearly a century later, The Hidden Ones have expanded their influence, establishing strongholds like the mountain fortress of Alamut in Iran. Basim, a street thief from Baghdad, is recruited and trained as an assassin to investigate The Order of the Ancients' activities. His discoveries lead him to an Isu temple beneath Alamut, where he encounters a high-tech prison that once held Loki, an Isu now worshipped as a Norse god. Learning of his past life as Loki, Basim vows to exact revenge on his ancient captors.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
872 to 878 - Viking Invasion of England
A decade later, Basim joins a Viking clan in their quest to hunt down more members of The Order of the Ancients in England. The clan's leader, Sigurd, and his sibling Eivor, work to establish their settlement, Ravensthorpe, while confronting the tyranny of King Alfred, a prominent member of The Order seeking to impose a Christian regime.
After discovering an Isu artifact, Sigurd experiences visions convincing him of his divinity. Basim reveals to Eivor that they are reincarnations of Odin and Týr, the Isu who imprisoned Loki, and seeks revenge. Eivor survives the confrontation and traps Basim in a simulated world generated by the Isu's Yggdrasil computer. Traumatized, Sigurd relinquishes leadership to Eivor, who returns to England to defeat King Alfred and lead Ravensthorpe to victory.
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, continuing their quest for global domination. During the Third Crusade, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, a member of the Brotherhood, is tasked with stealing an Apple of Eden from the Templars. His mission, though successful, leads to unintended consequences and the death of a fellow assassin, prompting him to undertake a redemption quest to assassinate nine Templar leaders.
As Altaïr completes his mission, he uncovers the Templars' plan to use the Apple of Eden. He also learns of his mentor, Al Mualim's betrayal, who intended to use the artifact to impose his own vision of peace. Altaïr is forced to confront and kill his mentor, assuming leadership of the Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed 2
1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance
During the Italian Renaissance, Ezio Auditore Da Firenze joins the Assassin Brotherhood after his family is unjustly executed by the Templars. Armed with his father's equipment and innovative tools crafted by Leonardo Da Vinci, Ezio seeks vengeance against the Templar-aligned Borgia family. His journey leads him to an Apple of Eden, which reveals the location of an Isu vault beneath the Vatican.
Despite the Templars' efforts to control the vault through Pope Rodrigo Borgia, Ezio confronts him and uses the Apple to unlock the vault. Inside, he encounters Minerva, an Isu who warns him of an impending global catastrophe in 2012, suggesting that a network of Isu vaults could be humanity's salvation.
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance
Following his victory over the Pope, Ezio's decision to spare Borgia's life backfires when the Papal Army seizes his villa and the Apple of Eden. In response, Ezio works to strengthen the weakened Assassin Brotherhood, becoming the leader of the Italian Bureau. Their efforts dismantle the Borgia regime in Rome and recover the Apple, which Ezio secures in an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum, keeping it safe from Templar hands.
Assassin’s Creed Revelations
1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War
In pursuit of further Isu knowledge, Ezio journeys to Masyaf to explore Altaïr's library. He discovers that the Templars are close to unlocking it with five keys. Traveling to Constantinople, Ezio allies with the Ottoman Assassins to thwart the Byzantine Templars' plans to restore their empire and secure the keys.
Inside the library, Ezio finds Altaïr's remains and an Apple of Eden, which projects a message from Jupiter about data crucial for humanity's survival against an impending apocalypse. Realizing this message is for a future observer, Ezio leaves the Apple sealed in the library as intended by Altaïr. After retiring, Ezio succumbs to injuries sustained over his long career.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1579 - Sengoku Period
While specific details about Assassin's Creed Shadows' storyline remain scarce, it is known that during the 16th century, an African mercenary travels to Japan with a Catholic Jesuit missionary. There, he meets Oda Nobunaga, a powerful lord unifying Japan's warring clans, who recruits the mercenary as one of his samurai. Named Yasuke, he participates in the invasion of Iga province in 1581, where he encounters Naoe, the daughter of a shinobi master. Despite their opposing allegiances, Yasuke and Naoe eventually join forces for a common cause.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy
During the Golden Age of Piracy, rogue Edward Kenway becomes entangled in a Templar conspiracy after killing an Assassin and assuming his identity. He learns of the Templars' pursuit of The Observatory, an Isu device capable of global surveillance, which they plan to use for blackmail. Only the 'Sage', a reincarnation of the Isu Aita, can unlock it, and they seek the current Sage, pirate Bartholomew Roberts.
Edward sees an opportunity to profit from The Observatory and allies with pirates to establish an independent republic. After locating Roberts and gaining access to The Observatory, their partnership sours when Roberts betrays Edward, locking him inside. Edward escapes, tracks down Roberts, retrieves the stolen skull powering the device, and assassinates Templar leader Laureano de Torres y Ayala. Deciding the world's safety outweighs personal gain, Edward seals away the skull and returns to England to live with his family.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue
1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War
Shay Patrick Cormac, sent by the Assassin Brotherhood to retrieve an Isu artifact from Lisbon, inadvertently triggers an earthquake that devastates the city. Overwhelmed by guilt, Shay defects, stealing the Brotherhood's map of Isu temples. After surviving an assassination attempt, he is rescued by the Templars and rises through their ranks, targeting prominent Assassins.
His pursuit leads him to confront his former mentor, Achilles, in the Arctic, where, alongside Haytham Kenway, they severely injure Achilles to prevent further Isu temple excavations. In 1776, Shay proposes a revolution in France in response to the American uprising instigated by the Assassins.
Assassin’s Creed 3
1754 to 1783 - American Revolution
The Templars aim to unlock the Isu's Grand Temple, and Haytham Kenway acquires the key after a murder in London. His journey to the American Colonies leads to a romance with Kaniehti:io, resulting in the birth of their son, Ratonhnhaké:ton. Abandoned by Haytham, Ratonhnhaké:ton, renamed Connor Kenway, seeks vengeance after his village is destroyed and his mother killed.
Training with the reluctant Achilles, Connor becomes an Assassin, thwarting Templar plans during the American Revolution. His quest leads to a confrontation with Haytham, whose vision of Templar control conflicts with Connor's ideals, culminating in Connor killing his father. He then buries the Grand Temple key, thwarting the Templars' ultimate goal.
Assassin’s Creed Liberation
1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana
Parallel to Connor's journey, Aveline de Grandpré, an Assassin in New Orleans, uncovers a Templar plot to control Louisiana. Her investigation leads to the 'Company Man', who is using slaves to unearth an Isu temple. Aveline gathers three components of an Isu device, the 'Prophecy Disk', and learns that her stepmother is the mastermind behind the plot, aiming to induct her into the Templars.
After confronting and killing her stepmother, Aveline activates the Prophecy Disk, revealing the story of Eve, the leader of the human rebellion against the Isu.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
1789 to 1794 - French Revolution
Orphaned Arno Dorian is raised by François de la Serre, the French Templar Grand Master, alongside his adopted sister, Élise. Framed for de la Serre's murder, Arno is imprisoned but recruited by the Assassin Brotherhood to investigate the crime. Their findings reveal a Templar schism led by François-Thomas Germain, who seeks to overthrow the monarchy and spark the French Revolution.
Arno and Élise track down Germain to a Templar crypt, where he attempts to kill Arno with a Sword of Eden. The weapon backfires, killing Élise and mortally wounding Germain, who reveals himself as the current Sage. Arno ensures Germain's remains are sealed away in the Paris Catacombs, out of Templar reach.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
1868 - Victorian England
In 1868, twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye arrive in London to find The Shroud, another Isu device. They discover the Templars' control over the city through industry, politics, and crime. Jacob focuses on eliminating Templar leadership, while Evie races to find The Shroud before the Templars.
Despite Jacob's success in killing the Templar lieutenants, leader Crawford Starrick steals The Shroud from Buckingham Palace. The twins assassinate Starrick, returning The Shroud to its vault. Jacob later becomes head of the London Assassins, and Evie tracks down and kills Jack the Ripper. They eventually retire to the countryside, where Evie raises her daughter, Lydia, as an Assassin.
Transition Period
1914 to 2012
While each Assassin's Creed game is set in a historical period, the series uses a modern-day framing story. During the transition between Assassin's Creed Syndicate and the modern era, the Templars establish Abstergo Industries, a pharmaceutical company aimed at global control through capitalism. In the late 1970s, Abstergo develops the Animus, a device for exploring ancestral memories to locate Isu artifacts.
Assassin’s Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3
2012
In 2012, Desmond Miles, a bartender with Assassin lineage, is kidnapped by Abstergo and forced to use the Animus. With help from Assassin mole Lucy Stillman, he escapes to a Brotherhood safehouse, where he explores the memories of his ancestor, Ezio, learning of an impending apocalypse and the Brotherhood's mission to prevent it.
Desmond locates an Apple of Eden hidden by Ezio, but it leads to Lucy's death by Juno's possession. Comatose, Desmond still accesses Ezio's memories, discovering the Grand Temple's location. Awakening, he and the Assassins find the temple, where he sacrifices himself to activate Isu technology that prevents the apocalypse, freeing Juno.
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 exploring Edward's life, uncovering The Observatory's location. John Standish, the modern-day Sage, manipulates The Noob but is killed before Juno can emerge, keeping her existence secret.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
2014
To track down the remains of past Sages, Abstergo releases the Helix software, allowing the public to experience genetic memories. An Assassin initiate, guided by Bishop, relives Arno Dorian's life, learning the location of François-Thomas Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs, believed to be safe from Abstergo.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
2015
The initiate's next mission is to find The Shroud in London through the memories of Jacob and Evie Frye. Abstergo beats the Assassins to it, planning to use The Shroud to create a living Isu. Juno manipulates Abstergo employees to sabotage these plans, highlighting her ongoing influence.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
2017
Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus that can explore memories without a descendant. In Egypt, she uses Bayek and Aya's DNA to uncover the origins of The Hidden Ones. William Miles recruits her into the Assassin Brotherhood, recognizing her potential.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
2018
Using DNA from the Spear of Leonidas, Layla relives Kassandra's memories, discovering Atlantis. Kassandra, kept alive by the Staff of Hermes, explains the need for balance between Assassins and Templars and prophesies Layla's role in achieving it. She bequeaths the Staff to Layla and dies, relieved of her duty.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2020
Monitoring Earth's magnetic field disturbances, Layla and the Assassins explore Eivor's memories, uncovering the Yggdrasil computer in Norway. Inside the simulation, Layla, with the help of Desmond's consciousness, works to stabilize the field. Basim escapes, claiming the Staff of Hermes, and joins the Assassins to continue his quest for Loki's children.
