Assassin’s Creed Shadows marks the latest entry in the expansive Assassin’s Creed franchise, uniquely set during the Sengoku period of feudal Japan. This setting situates it at the midpoint of the series' historical timeline, reflecting the franchise's non-linear approach to history. From the ancient Peloponnesian War to the dawn of the First World War, each game explores different eras and significant historical events, weaving a complex tapestry of narratives.
With over 14 mainline games, the Assassin’s Creed timeline has become increasingly intricate. IGN has meticulously analyzed the lore to construct a comprehensive timeline, detailing the chronological order of key events and how each game interconnects within the broader narrative.
The Isu Era
75,000 BCE
To fully grasp the Assassin’s Creed timeline, it's essential to delve into the lore of the Isu. In the distant past, a highly advanced civilization of god-like beings, the Isu, governed the Earth. They engineered humanity as a labor force, controlling them with powerful artifacts known as the Apples of Eden. However, the human spirit resisted; Adam and Eve, pivotal figures, stole an Apple of Eden, sparking a revolutionary war against their creators.
The ensuing conflict lasted a decade until a cataclysmic solar flare decimated the Isu. Humanity, though severely impacted, emerged from the ashes to reclaim the Earth.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War
Set against the backdrop of the Peloponnesian War, the game follows Kassandra, a mercenary who uncovers the Cult of Kosmos manipulating the conflict. Her journey reveals her brother Alexios, transformed into a weapon by the Cult due to his lineage tracing back to the legendary Spartan King Leonidas and the Isu. Kassandra's quest to dismantle the Cult leads her to destroy an Isu device used to predict future events, ending their control over the war.
Along the way, Kassandra reunites with her father, Pythagoras, an Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality, and tasks her with guarding Atlantis.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt
In the era of Cleopatra, the Order of the Ancients, linked to the Cult of Kosmos, kidnaps Bayek and his son, seeking to access an Isu vault. The tragedy of accidentally killing his son during their escape fuels Bayek's vengeance against the Order. Alongside his wife Aya, they uncover the Order's global conspiracy to control politics and religion through Isu artifacts. In response, they establish The Hidden Ones, the precursor to the Assassin Brotherhood, to combat this tyranny.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
861 - Islamic Golden Age
A century later, The Hidden Ones have fortified their presence globally. Basim, a street thief from Baghdad, is trained as an assassin to thwart the Order of the Ancients' plans to exploit an Isu temple beneath Alamut. Within the temple, Basim discovers his past life as Loki, an Isu, and embarks on a path of vengeance against those who once imprisoned him.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
872 to 878 - Viking Invasion of England
Basim, alongside a Viking clan, pursues members of the Order in England. The clan's leaders, Sigurd and Eivor, navigate the political landscape, confronting the tyranny of King Alfred, a key figure in the Order. Sigurd's visions, triggered by an Isu artifact, reveal their past lives as Odin and Týr, leading to a confrontation with Basim, who seeks revenge for his past imprisonment. Eivor traps Basim in a simulated world and assumes leadership, ultimately defeating King Alfred at the Battle of Chippenham.
Assassin’s Creed
1191 - Third Crusade
Three centuries on, The Hidden Ones evolve into the Assassin Brotherhood, facing off against the Knights Templar, the evolved form of the Order of the Ancients. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, a key assassin, steals an Apple of Eden, uncovering a conspiracy. His mentor, Al Mualim, betrays the Brotherhood to control the Apple's power. Altaïr assassinates Al Mualim, taking control of the Brotherhood to thwart his plans.
Assassin’s Creed II
1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance
Ezio Auditore da Firenze, driven by revenge against the Templars for his family's murder, joins the Brotherhood. Armed with his father's tools and innovations by Leonardo da Vinci, Ezio battles the Templar-aligned Borgia family. His journey leads him to an Isu vault beneath the Vatican, where he encounters the Isu Minerva, who warns of an impending apocalypse in 2012 and reveals the existence of other Isu vaults worldwide.
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance
After sparing Pope Rodrigo Borgia, Ezio faces the consequences as Borgia's forces attack his home and reclaim the Apple of Eden. Ezio rebuilds the Brotherhood, leading them to dismantle the Borgia regime and secure the Apple within an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum.
Assassin’s Creed Revelations
1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War
Seeking more knowledge about the Isu, Ezio journeys to Masyaf to access Altaïr's library. He allies with Ottoman Assassins against Byzantine Templars, thwarting their plans to re-establish the Byzantine Empire. Inside the library, Ezio encounters a message from the Isu Jupiter about the Grand Temple, vital for humanity's survival. Respecting Altaïr's wishes, Ezio leaves the Apple secured and retires, eventually succumbing to his injuries.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1579 - Sengoku Period
Set during Japan's Sengoku period, Assassin’s Creed Shadows follows an African mercenary, Yasuke, who becomes a samurai under Oda Nobunaga. Alongside Naoe, daughter of a shinobi master from the Iga province, they navigate the political landscape and unite for a common cause, though details of their storyline remain scarce.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy
During the Golden Age of Piracy, Edward Kenway, a pirate, infiltrates a Templar meeting and learns of their quest for The Observatory, an Isu device capable of global surveillance. Edward's pursuit leads him to Bartholomew Roberts, the Sage who can unlock The Observatory. After a betrayal and escape, Edward assassinates the Templar leader and seals the device away, returning to his family in England.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue
1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War
Shay Patrick Cormac, tasked with retrieving an Isu artifact, inadvertently causes a devastating earthquake in Lisbon. Guilt-ridden, he defects from the Assassin Brotherhood and joins the Templars. Shay's rise within the Templar ranks leads him to confront his former mentor, Achilles, thwarting further Isu temple explorations. His actions also sow the seeds for the French Revolution.
Assassin’s Creed III
1754 to 1783 - American Revolution
Haytham Kenway, seeking to unlock the Isu Grand Temple, falls in love with a Mohawk woman, Kaniehti:io, fathering Ratonhnhaké:ton (Connor). After a tragic attack on their settlement, Connor joins the Assassins, targeting Templars during the American Revolution. His journey leads to a confrontation with Haytham, resulting in Connor's victory and the burial of the Grand Temple key.
Assassin’s Creed Liberation
1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana
Aveline de Grandpré, an Assassin in New Orleans, uncovers a Templar plot to control Louisiana and unearth an Isu temple. Her investigation reveals her stepmother as the 'Company Man' manipulating the plot. Aveline's actions lead to the discovery of the Prophecy Disk, an Isu device telling the tale of Eve's rebellion against the Isu.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
1789 to 1794 - French Revolution
Arno Dorian, orphaned by Shay Cormac, grows up with the Templar Grand Master's family. Framed for murder, he joins the Assassins to uncover the truth. Their investigation leads to a Templar schism and the French Revolution, culminating in Arno's confrontation with François-Thomas Germain, the Sage, who attempts to use the Sword of Eden. Arno seals Germain's remains, preventing further Templar exploitation.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
1868 - Victorian England
Twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye arrive in London to recover The Shroud, an Isu healing device. They dismantle the Templar-controlled city, assassinating their leaders and securing The Shroud. Jacob becomes the head of the London Assassins, while Evie later confronts Jack the Ripper and raises her daughter, Lydia, who eventually thwarts a Templar espionage network during World War I.
Transition Period
1914 to 2012
The Assassin’s Creed series frames its historical narratives with a modern-day storyline. During this period, the Templars establish Abstergo Industries, a pharmaceutical company aiming to control the world through capitalism. Abstergo develops the Animus, a device that allows exploration of ancestral memories, furthering their quest for Isu artifacts.
Assassin’s Creed I, II, Brotherhood, Revelations, and III
2012
Desmond Miles, a descendant of key Assassins, is kidnapped by Abstergo to locate Isu artifacts. With help from an Assassin mole, Lucy Stillman, Desmond escapes and joins the Brotherhood. His exploration of Ezio's memories reveals an impending apocalypse and the location of the Apple of Eden. Desmond sacrifices himself to prevent the apocalypse, inadvertently freeing the Isu Juno.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
2013
Abstergo continues its research using Desmond's DNA, assigning a researcher to explore Edward Kenway's memories. The researcher uncovers a plot by the modern-day Sage, John Standish, to host Juno's consciousness. Standish's plan fails, and he is killed by Abstergo security.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
2014
Abstergo releases the Helix software, allowing public access to genetic memories. An Assassin initiate, guided by Bishop, relives Arno Dorian's life to find the Sage François-Thomas Germain's remains, securing them from Abstergo.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
2015
The initiate's next mission involves locating The Shroud in London. Abstergo secures it first, aiming to create a living Isu. Juno manipulates Abstergo employees to sabotage their plans.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
2017
Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus version and uses DNA from Bayek and Aya to explore the origins of The Hidden Ones. She is later recruited by the Assassin Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
2018
Using DNA from the Spear of Leonidas, Layla relives Kassandra's memories and discovers Atlantis. Kassandra, immortal due to the Staff of Hermes, reveals Layla's destiny to balance the Assassins and Templars, passing on the staff before dying.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2020
Layla and the Assassins investigate magnetic field fluctuations, using Viking remains to explore Eivor's memories. They discover the Yggdrasil computer and the consequences of Desmond's actions. Layla enters the simulation to stabilize the magnetic field, working with Desmond's consciousness. Basim, freed from the simulation, joins the Assassins and begins his quest for Loki's children.
