Assassin's Creed: A Full Timeline Revealed

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the latest installment in the storied franchise, set against the backdrop of feudal Japan. This setting situates it at the midpoint of the series’ historical timeline, which does not progress chronologically but rather jumps between different eras. From the ancient Peloponnesian War to the onset of the First World War, the series explores a wide range of significant historical events.

With a total of 14 mainline games and counting, the timeline of these events has become increasingly intricate. IGN has meticulously analyzed every piece of lore to construct a comprehensive timeline that organizes the series' events in chronological order, providing a clearer understanding of the overarching narrative and how each game fits within the broader saga.

The Isu Era

75,000 BCE

Before diving into the timeline, it's essential to understand some background lore. In ancient times, a highly advanced civilization known as the Isu ruled the Earth. These god-like beings created humans to serve as their slaves, using powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden to maintain control. However, humans, led by Adam and Eve, rebelled against their oppressors after stealing an Apple of Eden, sparking a revolutionary war that lasted a decade. This conflict was abruptly ended by a catastrophic solar flare that obliterated the Isu, allowing humanity to rise from the ashes and inherit the Earth.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War

During the Peloponnesian War, mercenary Kassandra uncovers the Cult of Kosmos, a secretive group orchestrating the conflict. Among its members is her long-lost brother, Alexios, who was kidnapped and transformed into a formidable weapon due to his lineage from the legendary Spartan King Leonidas, a direct descendant of the Isu. Kassandra's quest to stop the Cult involves destroying an Isu device that predicts future outcomes, ultimately ending the war in Greece. Along the way, she reconnects with her biological father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting her immortality and the responsibility to guard Atlantis.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt

Set during Cleopatra's reign, the Order of the Ancients, another shadowy organization linked to the Cult of Kosmos, kidnaps Bayek and his son in pursuit of an Isu vault. In the ensuing chaos, Bayek accidentally kills his son, prompting a vow of vengeance against the Order. Alongside his wife Aya, Bayek dismantles the Order's control over Egypt, which extends through their manipulation of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Realizing the Order's global ambitions, Bayek and Aya found the Hidden Ones, a secret society dedicated to opposing the Order's tyranny.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

861 - Islamic Golden Age

By 861, the Hidden Ones have established strongholds worldwide, including Alamut in Iran. Here, Basim, a Baghdad street thief, is trained as an assassin and tasked with thwarting the Order of the Ancients' plans to access an Isu temple beneath Alamut. Inside, Basim discovers a technologically advanced prison once holding Loki, an Isu revered as a Norse god. Learning he is Loki's reincarnation, Basim vows to seek revenge on 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 on a quest to hunt down more members of the Order in England. The clan's leaders, Sigurd and his sibling Eivor, seek to establish a settlement named Ravensthorpe. Their journey reveals the oppressive rule of King Alfred, a member of the Order. After discovering an Isu artifact, Sigurd experiences visions leading him to believe he is a god. Basim reveals that Eivor and Sigurd are reincarnations of Odin and Týr, the Isu who imprisoned Loki. Eivor survives Basim's attack and traps him in a simulated world within the Yggdrasil computer. Sigurd, traumatized, relinquishes leadership to Eivor, who returns to England to defeat King Alfred and secure Ravensthorpe's future.

Assassin’s Creed

1191 - Third Crusade

Three hundred years later, the Hidden Ones evolve into the Assassin Brotherhood. Their adversaries, the Order of the Ancients, transform into the Knights Templar, yet their goal to establish a new world order remains unchanged. During the Third Crusade, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad works to retrieve an Apple of Eden from the Templars. His mission leads him to assassinate nine Templar leaders, uncovering a plot to use the Apple's powers. However, Altaïr learns that his mentor, Al Mualim, betrayed the Templars for his own gain, planning to use the Apple to impose peace. Altaïr kills Al Mualim and assumes leadership of the Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed 2

1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

In the Italian Renaissance, Ezio Auditore Da Firenze joins the Assassin Brotherhood to avenge his family, killed by the Templars. Armed with his father's equipment and Leonardo Da Vinci's innovations, Ezio battles the Templar-aligned Borgia family. His journey leads him to an Apple of Eden, revealing an Isu vault beneath the Vatican. Inside, he encounters the Isu Minerva, who warns of an impending apocalypse in 2012. She suggests that a network of Isu vaults 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 backfires when the Borgia army seizes the Apple of Eden. Ezio rebuilds the weakened Assassin Brotherhood, becoming the leader of the Italian Bureau. They overthrow 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 journeys to Masyaf to explore Altaïr's library. The Templars, also interested in the library, have collected keys to unlock it. Ezio travels to Constantinople, aligning with the Ottoman Assassins to thwart the Byzantine Templars and secure the keys. 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. Ezio leaves the Apple sealed as intended and retires, succumbing to his injuries shortly thereafter.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

1579 - Sengoku Period

Set in the 16th-century Sengoku period, Assassin’s Creed Shadows follows an African mercenary and a Jesuit missionary who arrive in Japan. The mercenary, named Yasuke, becomes a samurai under the powerful lord Oda Nobunaga, aiding in the invasion of Iga province. Here, he meets Naoe, a shinobi and daughter of Fujibayashi Nagato. Despite their initial opposition, Yasuke and Naoe unite in pursuit of a common goal.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy

During the Golden Age of Piracy, Edward Kenway inadvertently joins a Templar conspiracy after killing an Assassin. He learns of their quest for the Observatory, an Isu device capable of spying on anyone. Only the Sage, a human reincarnation of the Isu Aita, can unlock it. Edward allies with pirates to find the current Sage, Bartholomew Roberts, to access the Observatory. After a betrayal by Roberts, Edward retrieves the device's key and eliminates the Templar leader, choosing the world's safety over personal gain.

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 causes an earthquake that devastates Lisbon. Guilt-ridden, he defects and steals the Brotherhood's map of Isu temples. Rescued by the Templars, Shay ascends their ranks, targeting prominent Assassins. His mission leads him to confront his former mentor, Achilles, in the Arctic, halting further Isu temple searches. In 1776, Shay suggests the Templars ignite a revolution in France in response to the Assassins' actions in America.

Assassin’s Creed 3

1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

The Templars aim to unlock the Isu's Grand Temple. Haytham Kenway, after killing for the key, travels to the American Colonies, where he falls in love with Kaniehti:io and fathers Ratonhnhaké:ton (later Connor Kenway). Years later, after his mother's death, Connor joins the Assassins and battles Templars during the American Revolution. His quest leads to a confrontation with Haytham, resulting in Connor killing his father to prevent Templar dominance. Connor 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 to control Louisiana. Her investigation reveals a broader conspiracy led by the 'Company Man,' using slaves to unearth an Isu temple. Aveline gathers components to form an Isu device called the Prophecy Disk, which tells the story of Eve's rebellion against the Isu. She discovers her stepmother is the Company Man, kills her, and activates the Disk.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Orphaned Arno Dorian grows up with the French Templars after his father's murder by Shay Cormac. Framed for another murder, Arno is imprisoned and recruited by the Assassins. His investigation uncovers a Templar faction led by François-Thomas Germain, who sparks the French Revolution. Arno and his sister Élise track Germain to a Templar crypt, where Germain attempts to use a Sword of Eden. The sword explodes, killing Élise and revealing Germain as the current Sage. Arno seals Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs.

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 have seized control of the city. Jacob assassinates Templar leaders while Evie races to find the Shroud. The Templar leader, Crawford Starrick, steals the Shroud from Buckingham Palace, but the Frye twins kill him and return the Shroud to its vault. Later, Jacob leads the London Assassins, and Evie tracks down Jack the Ripper before retiring to the countryside.

Transition Period

1914 to 2012

The Assassin’s Creed series includes a modern-day framing story. During the transition from the Victorian era to the modern timeline, the Templars establish Abstergo Industries in 1937, a pharmaceutical company aimed at controlling the world through capitalism. In the late 1970s, Abstergo develops the Animus, a virtual reality machine to explore ancestral memories and control the future.

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

2012

In 2012, Desmond Miles, a bartender, is kidnapped by Abstergo to locate Isu artifacts through his ancestor Altaïr's memories. With help from an Assassin mole, Lucy Stillman, Desmond escapes and joins the Assassins. Exploring Ezio's memories, he learns of an impending apocalypse and finds an Apple of Eden, but Juno, a villainous Isu, possesses him, forcing him to kill Lucy. Desmond awakens from a coma to enter the Grand Temple and sacrifices himself to activate Isu technology, preventing the apocalypse but freeing Juno.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

2013

Using Desmond's samples, Abstergo continues its search for Isu technology through Edward Kenway's memories. An unnamed researcher, "The Noob," is tasked with exploring Edward's life to find the Observatory. The researcher is manipulated by John Standish, the modern-day Sage, to hack Abstergo's systems. Standish's plan to use "The Noob" as a host for Juno fails, and he is killed by Abstergo security.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

2014

Abstergo releases "Helix," a software allowing the public to experience genetic memories. An Assassin guide, Bishop, assists an initiate in exploring Arno Dorian's life to find the remains of Sage François-Thomas Germain. The initiate learns that Arno sealed Germain's bones in the Paris Catacombs, believed to be safe from Abstergo.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

2015

The initiate's next mission is to locate the Shroud in London through the Frye twins' memories. Abstergo retrieves the Shroud first, planning to create a living Isu. The Assassins learn of Juno's manipulation of Abstergo employees to sabotage the plan.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

2017

Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus that explores memories via DNA samples. In Egypt, she uses Bayek and Aya's DNA to trace the origins of the Hidden Ones. 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 and discovers Atlantis. Kassandra, kept alive by the Staff of Hermes, reveals Layla's role in balancing the Assassins and Templars. She gifts Layla the Staff and dies, relieved of her duty.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

2020

Layla investigates magnetic field disturbances linked to Desmond's actions in 2012, using Viking remains to explore Eivor's memories. She discovers the Yggdrasil computer in Norway and enters its simulation, meeting Basim and Desmond's manifestation, "The Reader." Layla abandons her mortal form to prevent future apocalypses, while Basim escapes, claiming the Staff of Hermes and joining the Assassins to search for Loki's children.