Assassin's Creed: Full Timeline Revealed

Assassin’s Creed Shadows marks the latest installment in the iconic series, set during the feudal Japan of the Sengoku period in 1579. This setting places it at the midpoint of the Assassin’s Creed historical timeline, which doesn't follow a chronological order but rather jumps across different eras, from the ancient Peloponnesian War to the dawn of the First World War. With 14 mainline games and counting, the series' timeline has become increasingly intricate. IGN has meticulously analyzed every piece of lore to create a comprehensive timeline that organizes the key events of the Assassin’s Creed universe in chronological order.

The Isu Era

To understand the Assassin’s Creed timeline, we must first delve into the lore of the Isu. In the distant past, a highly advanced civilization known as the Isu ruled the Earth. These god-like beings created humans as their slaves, controlling them with powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, humans, led by Adam and Eve, rebelled against their oppressors after stealing an Apple of Eden. This sparked a decade-long war, which ended abruptly when a solar flare devastated 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 in Greece, the mercenary Kassandra uncovers the Cult of Kosmos, a secretive group manipulating the conflict. Her brother Alexios, kidnapped and transformed into a weapon by the Cult, is revealed to possess the genes of their grandfather, the legendary Spartan King Leonidas, a direct descendant of the Isu. Kassandra's mission to thwart the Cult's domination of Greece leads her to destroy an Isu device used to predict future outcomes. She also reunites with her father, Pythagoras, another 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's rule, the Order of the Ancients, another shadowy organization linked to the Cult of Kosmos, kidnaps Bayek and his son, believing Bayek's bloodline can unlock an Isu vault. After accidentally killing his son during an escape, Bayek vows revenge. Alongside his wife Aya, he dismantles the Order, which has infiltrated Egypt's leadership, including Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Discovering the Order's global ambitions to control politics and religion using the Apples of Eden, Bayek and Aya form The Hidden Ones, a secret society of spies and assassins operating from Egypt and Rome.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage
861 - Islamic Golden Age

Nearly a century later, The Hidden Ones have established strongholds worldwide, including Alamut in Iran. Here, Basim, a street thief from Baghdad, is trained as an assassin and tasked with investigating the Order of the Ancients' activities. He discovers their pursuit of an Isu temple beneath Alamut, which houses a technologically advanced prison once holding Loki, an Isu revered as a god by the Norse. Learning he is Loki's reincarnation, Basim vows revenge against 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 in England, hunting members of the Order of the Ancients. The clan's leaders, Sigurd and Eivor, seek allies to establish their settlement, Ravensthorpe, while uncovering the tyranny of King Alfred, a leader within the Order aiming to impose a Christian regime. After discovering an Isu artifact, Sigurd experiences visions of divinity. Basim reveals that Eivor and Sigurd are reincarnations of Odin and Týr, Isu who imprisoned Loki. Eivor survives Basim's attack and traps him in a simulated world within an Isu computer resembling the Yggdrasil tree. Sigurd, traumatized, relinquishes leadership to Eivor, who defeats King Alfred at the Battle of Chippenham and returns to Ravensthorpe as a hero.

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 a new world order. During the Third Crusade, assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad works to steal an Apple of Eden from the Templars. After a successful theft marred by the death of a fellow assassin, Altaïr is tasked with assassinating nine Templar leaders. As he completes his mission, he uncovers a conspiracy involving the Apple of Eden. He learns that his mentor, Al Mualim, had betrayed the Templars to seize the Apple for himself, intending to use it to impose peace. Altaïr kills Al Mualim and assumes 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 to avenge his father and brothers, killed by the Templars. Armed with his father's equipment and new tools from Leonardo Da Vinci, Ezio battles the Templar-aligned Borgia family. He acquires an Apple of Eden, which leads him to an Isu vault beneath the Vatican. The Templars, aware of the vault, have made Rodrigo Borgia Pope to access it. Ezio confronts Borgia and, upon entering the vault, encounters the Isu Minerva, who warns of an impending apocalypse in 2012 and reveals the existence of Isu vaults worldwide that could avert this disaster.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

Despite defeating Borgia, Ezio spares his life, a decision that backfires when Borgia's forces besiege Ezio's villa and steal the Apple of Eden. Ezio rebuilds the weakened Assassin Brotherhood, becoming the leader of the Italian Bureau. The Assassins dismantle the Borgia regime in Rome, reclaim the Apple, and hide it in an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum, safeguarding it from the Templars.

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

Seeking more Isu knowledge, Ezio travels to Masyaf to investigate Altaïr's library. The Templars, already there, are collecting keys to unlock it. Ezio allies with the Ottoman Assassins in Constantinople to thwart the Byzantine Templars' plans to re-establish their empire and secure the keys. Inside the library, Ezio finds Altaïr's remains and an Apple of Eden, which projects a message from the Isu Jupiter about data crucial for humanity's survival stored in the Grand Temple. Understanding this knowledge is for a future observer, Ezio leaves the Apple locked away and retires, later dying from injuries sustained over his long career.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1579 - Sengoku Period

Set in the Sengoku period, Assassin’s Creed Shadows follows an African mercenary and a Catholic Jesuit missionary arriving in Japan. The mercenary, named Yasuke, becomes a samurai under the powerful lord Oda Nobunaga, who is unifying Japan's warring clans. Yasuke participates in the invasion of the Iga province, home to Naoe, daughter of shinobi master Fujibayashi Nagato. Despite their opposing sides, Yasuke and Naoe eventually 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 becomes entangled in a Templar plot after killing an Assassin and taking his place. The Templars seek The Observatory, an Isu device for spying on humans, which can only be unlocked by the 'Sage,' a reincarnation of the Isu Aita. Edward allies with pirates to find the current Sage, Bartholomew Roberts, and disrupt the Templars. After unlocking The Observatory, Edward and Roberts clash over its use, leading to betrayal. Edward eventually retrieves the device's power source, assassinates Templar leader Laureano de Torres y Ayala, and seals the device away, prioritizing global safety over personal gain. He returns to England to live with his children, Jennifer and Haytham.

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 in Lisbon. Stricken with guilt, he defects, stealing the Brotherhood's map of Isu temples. Rescued by the Templars, Shay rises through their ranks, killing prominent Assassins. He tracks his former mentor, Achilles, to the Arctic, where he and Haytham Kenway, Edward's son, injure Achilles to prevent further Isu temple excavations. In 1776, Shay suggests sparking a revolution in France in response to the American uprising led by the Assassins.

Assassin’s Creed 3
1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

The Templars aim to unlock the Isu's Grand Temple. Haytham Kenway obtains the key in London and travels to the American Colonies, where he falls in love with Kaniehti:io, a Mohawk woman, and fathers Ratonhnhaké:ton. After abandoning his family, the Mohawk settlement is destroyed, and Kaniehti:io is killed. Seeking vengeance, Ratonhnhaké:ton, now Connor Kenway, trains as an Assassin and eliminates Templars within the British forces during the American Revolution. Reuniting with Haytham, their conflicting visions lead to Connor killing his father. 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 journey, Aveline de Grandpré, an Assassin in New Orleans, uncovers a Templar plot to control Louisiana. She learns of a larger conspiracy led by the 'Company Man,' who uses slaves to unearth an Isu temple. Aveline collects components forming an Isu 'Prophecy Disk,' discovering her stepmother as the Company Man. After killing her, Aveline activates the disk, revealing the story of Eve, the human rebellion leader against the Isu.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Orphaned Arno Dorian, taken in by the French Templar Grand Master François de la Serre, grows up with his new sister, Élise. Framed for de la Serre's murder, Arno is imprisoned and later recruited by the Assassin Brotherhood to find the killer. Their investigation reveals a Templar rift led by François-Thomas Germain, who ignites the French Revolution. Arno and Élise pursue Germain to a Templar crypt, where he attempts to kill Arno with 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 1868, twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye arrive in London to find The Shroud, an Isu device. They discover the Templars' control over the city through industry, politics, and crime. Jacob focuses on assassinating Templar leaders, while Evie races to find The Shroud. Despite losing his lieutenants, Templar leader Crawford Starrick learns The Shroud's location beneath Buckingham Palace and steals it. Jacob and Evie assassinate Starrick, return The Shroud to its vault, and secure another victory for the Assassins. Later, Jacob leads the London Assassins, and Evie tracks down and kills Jack the Ripper. They retire to the countryside, where Evie raises her daughter, Lydia, as an Assassin. During World War I, Lydia investigates a Templar-run German spy facility in London, killing the espionage network's leader, the latest Isu Sage.

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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 from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate to the modern storyline, 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 for exploring ancestral memories, hoping to control the future through the past.

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

In 2012, Desmond Miles, a bartender, is abducted by Abstergo to locate Isu artifacts through his ancestor Altaïr's memories. With help from Assassin mole Lucy Stillman, Desmond escapes to a Brotherhood safehouse, where he explores Ezio's memories, learning of an impending apocalypse. Desmond finds an Apple of Eden hidden by Ezio, but it projects a vision of the Isu Juno, who possesses Desmond, forcing him to kill Lucy. Despite a coma, Desmond continues exploring Ezio's memories, discovering the Grand Temple's existence. Awakened, Desmond and his team locate the Temple, where he sacrifices himself to activate Isu technology that prevents the apocalypse, releasing Juno.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
2013

Using Desmond's samples, Abstergo continues searching for Isu technology through Edward Kenway's memories. An unnamed researcher, "The Noob," is assigned to this task and is manipulated by Abstergo's head of IT, John Standish, the modern-day Sage, to hack the company's systems. Standish plans to use The Noob as a host for Juno, but she is not ready to emerge. Standish's attempt to kill The Noob fails, and he is killed by Abstergo security.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
2014

Abstergo releases "Helix," a public software allowing players to experience genetic memories, aiming to track down former Sages' remains. An unnamed initiate, guided by Assassin Bishop, relives Arno Dorian's life and learns that François-Thomas Germain's remains are sealed in the Paris Catacombs, safe from Abstergo.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
2015

The initiate searches for The Shroud in London through Jacob and Evie Frye's memories, discovering its location beneath Buckingham Palace. Abstergo retrieves it first, planning to create a living Isu. Juno manipulates Abstergo employees to sabotage these plans, but the Assassins, led by Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane, learn of Abstergo's intentions through hacking.

Assassin’s Creed Origins
2017

Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus version that explores memories via DNA samples. In Egypt, she uses Bayek and Aya's remains to relive 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, explains the need for balance between Templars and Assassins and prophesies Layla's role in achieving it. Kassandra gives Layla the Staff and dies, relieved of her duty.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2020

Observing Earth's magnetic field fluctuations, Layla and the Assassins explore Eivor's memories, discovering the Yggdrasil computer in Norway. The disturbances are linked to the Isu technology Desmond activated. Layla enters the simulation, meeting Basim and "The Reader," Desmond's manifestation. She abandons her mortal form to prevent future apocalypses. Basim escapes, claiming the Staff of Hermes, which contains Aletheia's consciousness, 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 consoles, PC, mobile, and VR, here is the entire Assassin's Creed series in one comprehensive list. Log in to track which ones 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