Assassin's Creed: A Full Timeline Revealed

The latest addition to the storied Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, transports players to feudal Japan, setting it at a pivotal midpoint in the series’ historical timeline. Unlike many series that follow a chronological progression, Assassin’s Creed jumps through different eras, from the ancient Peloponnesian War to the cusp of the First World War, weaving a rich tapestry of history and adventure.

With a staggering 14 mainline entries and counting, the timeline of these events can be complex. To help fans navigate this intricate narrative, IGN has meticulously analyzed every piece of lore, crafting a comprehensive timeline that chronologically arranges all the key events in the Assassin’s Creed universe.

The Isu Era

To fully appreciate the Assassin’s Creed timeline, it's essential to delve into its lore. In the distant past, a highly advanced civilization known as the Isu ruled the Earth. These god-like beings engineered humanity as their workforce, controlling them with powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, humanity's desire for freedom led to a rebellion spearheaded by Adam and Eve, who stole an Apple of Eden, igniting a revolutionary war against their oppressors.

This conflict lasted a decade until a devastating solar flare struck, wiping out the Isu. Humanity, now free, rose from the ashes to inherit the Earth, setting the stage for the saga that follows.

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

Amidst the chaos of the Peloponnesian War in Greece, the mercenary Kassandra uncovers the sinister Cult of Kosmos, a shadowy group manipulating the war from behind the scenes. Among them is her brother Alexios, who was kidnapped and transformed into a formidable weapon due to his lineage from the legendary Spartan King Leonidas, a descendant of the Isu.

Kassandra's mission to thwart the Cult's ambitions leads her to discover their use of an Isu device that predicts future outcomes to control the war. After eliminating the Cult's key members and destroying the device, she reunites with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting her immortality, and tasks her with safeguarding Atlantis.

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

In the era of Cleopatra's rule, the Order of the Ancients, in league with the Cult of Kosmos, kidnaps Bayek, a peacekeeper, and his son, seeking to unlock an Isu vault. The ordeal leads to Bayek's son's tragic death, fueling his quest for vengeance against the Order. Alongside his wife Aya, they dismantle the Order's control over Egypt, which extends through their puppet Pharaoh Ptolemy and allies Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.

Discovering the Order's global ambitions to manipulate politics and religion using the Apples of Eden, Bayek and Aya form The Hidden Ones, a secret society dedicated to opposing the Order's tyranny from bases in Egypt and Rome.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage
861 - Islamic Golden Age

A century later, The Hidden Ones have fortified their presence worldwide, including at Alamut in Iran. Here, Basim, a former street thief from Baghdad, is trained as an assassin and tasked with investigating the Order of the Ancients. His investigation uncovers the Order's search for an Isu temple beneath Alamut, leading to a confrontation where Basim discovers his past life as Loki, imprisoned by the Isu. Driven by a desire for revenge, he vows to confront those who wronged him in his previous existence.

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

Following his discoveries, Basim joins a Viking clan in England to pursue the Order. The clan, led by Sigurd and his sibling Eivor, seeks to establish their settlement, Ravensthorpe, while combating the oppressive rule of King Alfred, a member of the Order aiming to impose a Christian regime.

After uncovering an Isu artifact, Sigurd experiences visions suggesting he is a god. Basim reveals to them their past lives as Odin and Týr, the Isu who imprisoned Loki. In the ensuing conflict, Eivor traps Basim in a simulated world within an Isu computer. Sigurd, shaken by these revelations, cedes leadership to Eivor, who returns to England to defeat King Alfred and solidify his status 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 driven by their ambition to establish a new world order.

During the Third Crusade, assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad works to steal an Apple of Eden from the Templars. His mission leads to the death of a fellow assassin, and he is tasked with assassinating nine Templar leaders to atone. As he carries out these missions, Altaïr uncovers a plot involving the Apple of Eden, discovering that his mentor, Al Mualim, betrayed the Templars to seize the artifact for himself. Confronting Al Mualim, Altaïr kills him 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 seeking vengeance for his family's murder by the Templars. Equipped with his father's tools and innovations from Leonardo da Vinci, Ezio battles the Templar-aligned Borgia family, ultimately securing an Apple of Eden that reveals an Isu vault beneath the Vatican.

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

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

Despite sparing Borgia's life, Ezio faces repercussions when the Pope's forces besiege his villa and reclaim the Apple of Eden. In response, Ezio revitalizes the weakened Assassin Brotherhood, becoming the leader of the Italian Bureau. His efforts dismantle the Borgia regime in Rome, and he secures the Apple in an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum, protecting it from Templar hands.

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

Seeking more insights into the Isu, Ezio journeys to Masyaf to explore Altaïr's library. The Templars, however, are already on the trail, seeking the library's keys. Ezio allies with the Ottoman Assassins in Constantinople to thwart the Byzantine Templars' plans to revive the Byzantine Empire.

Inside the library, Ezio finds Altaïr's remains and an Apple of Eden. A message from the Isu Jupiter reveals the existence of the Grand Temple, which holds crucial data for humanity's survival. Recognizing the message's intended recipient is not himself, Ezio leaves the Apple secured and retires, later succumbing to the injuries sustained during his long service to the Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1579 - Sengoku Period

Set during Japan's Sengoku period, Assassin’s Creed Shadows follows an African mercenary named Yasuke and a Catholic missionary as they arrive in Japan. Yasuke, serving under the powerful lord Oda Nobunaga, becomes a samurai and participates in the invasion of Iga province. Here, he encounters Naoe, daughter of a shinobi master, and despite their initial opposition, they 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 assuming the identity of an assassinated Assassin. His quest leads him to The Observatory, an Isu device capable of surveilling humanity, which the Templars seek to control. Edward allies with pirates to form a republic, eventually confronting the Sage, Bartholomew Roberts, over the Observatory's control.

After a betrayal and subsequent escape, Edward eliminates Templar leader Laureano de Torres y Ayala, secures the Observatory, and returns to England to spend his final days 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, inadvertently causes a catastrophic earthquake in Lisbon. Overwhelmed by guilt, he defects and joins the Templars, climbing their ranks while targeting prominent Assassins. His journey leads him to confront his former mentor, Achilles, and he suggests sparking a revolution in France in response to the American uprising.

Assassin’s Creed 3
1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

The Templars aim to unlock the Isu's Grand Temple, with Haytham Kenway leading the effort. After failing to access the Temple, Haytham starts a family with a Mohawk woman, Kaniehti:io, but later abandons them. Years later, their son, Ratonhnhaké:ton (Connor Kenway), seeks vengeance for the destruction of his village and joins the Assassins.

Against the backdrop of the American Revolution, Connor battles the Templars within the British forces, eventually confronting and killing his father, Haytham. With the Grand Temple key in hand, Connor buries it, 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 in Louisiana led by the 'Company Man,' who uses slaves to unearth an Isu temple. Her quest leads to the discovery that her stepmother is the mastermind behind the plot. After confronting and killing her, Aveline activates a Prophecy Disk, which recounts the human rebellion against the Isu led by Eve.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Orphaned Arno Dorian grows up under the care of the French Templar Grand Master François de la Serre. Framed for de la Serre's murder, Arno is imprisoned but escapes with the help of the Assassins. His investigation reveals a Templar schism led by François-Thomas Germain, aiming to overthrow the monarchy.

Arno and his sister Élise track down Germain, who attempts to use a Sword of Eden against them. The weapon's explosion kills Élise and wounds Germain, who reveals himself as the current Sage. Arno seals Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs, keeping them out of Templar reach.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
1868 - Victorian England

In Victorian London, twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye seek The Shroud, an Isu device. The Templars have infiltrated the city's power structures, prompting the twins to divide their efforts: Jacob targets the Templar leadership, while Evie races to find The Shroud.

Despite the Templars' temporary success in securing The Shroud, Jacob and Evie assassinate their leader, Crawford Starrick, and return the artifact to its vault. In the aftermath, Jacob leads the London Assassins, and Evie tracks down and eliminates Jack the Ripper before retiring to the countryside with her daughter, Lydia, who later confronts Templars during World War I.

Transition Period

While each Assassin’s Creed game explores a historical setting, the overarching narrative is framed by events in the modern era. During this transition period, the Templars establish Abstergo Industries, a pharmaceutical company, in 1937 as part of their plan to control the world through capitalism. By the late 1970s, Abstergo develops the Animus, a device that allows users to explore their ancestors' memories, aiming to control the future through the past.

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

In 2012, Desmond Miles, a descendant of Altaïr, is kidnapped by Abstergo to locate Isu artifacts through the Animus. With help from an Assassin mole, Lucy Stillman, Desmond escapes and joins the Assassins. Exploring Ezio's memories, Desmond learns of an impending apocalypse and the need to find Isu technology to avert it.

Desmond's journey leads him to the Grand Temple, where he sacrifices himself to activate Isu technology that prevents the apocalypse, inadvertently releasing the Isu Juno.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
2013

Abstergo continues its search for Isu technology using Desmond's genetic material, assigning a researcher known as "The Noob" to explore Edward Kenway's memories. Amidst this, the modern-day Sage, John Standish, attempts to use The Noob to resurrect Juno but is killed before he can succeed.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
2014

To locate the remains of past Sages, Abstergo releases Helix, a public software allowing users to experience genetic memories. An Assassin initiate, guided by Bishop, relives Arno Dorian's life, learning that the Sage François-Thomas Germain's remains are safely hidden in the Paris Catacombs.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
2015

The following year, the initiate searches for The Shroud in London through Jacob and Evie Frye's memories. Abstergo's plans to create a living Isu using The Shroud are thwarted by Assassin intervention and Juno's manipulations.

Assassin’s Creed Origins
2017

Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus that can explore memories directly from DNA samples. In Egypt, she relives the lives of Bayek and Aya, uncovering the origins of The Hidden Ones. This leads to her recruitment by the Assassin Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
2018

Using DNA from the Spear of Leonidas, Layla explores Kassandra's memories, leading her to Atlantis. Kassandra, immortal due to the Staff of Hermes, reveals Layla's role in balancing the Assassin and Templar forces to prevent disaster. Kassandra passes on the Staff before dying, freeing Layla to continue her mission.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2020

Investigating magnetic field disturbances, Layla explores Eivor's memories, discovering the Yggdrasil computer in Norway. Inside its simulation, she meets Basim and Desmond's consciousness, "The Reader." Layla sacrifices her physical form to prevent future apocalypses, while Basim escapes with the Staff of Hermes, beginning his quest to find Loki's children.