The Assassin’s Creed franchise continues to slay in the gaming industry, incorporating its own take on classic tales and ancient locations. Due to this long reign, the series is packed with intriguing details, both in-game and in its origins. So, if you want to take a Leap of Faith into the series’ rich history, we’ll show you some Assassin’s Creed facts you may not know about.
Return to the Sands of Time
Going back to where it all started, the Assassin’s Creed series was actually meant to be a spin-off to the iconic Prince of Persia trilogy but was instead branded into a series of its own. The title was initially deemed “Prince of Persia: Assassin,” which was meant to focus on the protectors of the prince with some possible co-op action. However, since it was too focused on other characters, the developers decided to maximize this assassin aspect, paving the way for the franchise we know and love today.
Although the Prince of Persia series has been relatively set aside (with the exception of The Lost Crown), Ubisoft continues to show off its love for the title, including Mirage’s preorder bonuses that are reminiscent of the prince’s attire. We’ll still need to cross our fingers for the Sands of Time remake, but for now, we can at least pretend to go back in time with the exclusive dagger set.
Assassin’s Creed 101
History lessons have taken on a new form with the Discovery Tours of Assassin’s Creed, where real-life teachers have utilized them for their classrooms. The series was made for those who want to go on guided tours in the immersive universe, helping students create a more visual environment rather than simply reading about it through textbooks.
The Discovery Tours have become so popular that it earned the Winner of Best Learning Game and G4C People’s Choice award in the 2019 Games for Change Awards. The series has expanded with each passing AC installment, allowing you to explore notable structures and historical figures in the time of Ancient Egypt, the Vikings, and Ancient Greece. It will likely introduce more locations as more stories unfold, especially now that Mirage has implemented a new map with Baghdad.
Black Flag Was Originally Meant to Be a DLC
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is considered one of the best games in the series, thanks to its beloved cast of characters and entertaining gameplay. But even if it is a part of the core storyline, it initially started as an Assassin’s Creed III DLC, centering around various pirates in six episodes. Instead of experiencing the life of Edward Kenway, it was supposed to follow the journey of Connor’s grandfather as he explored the seas with Captain Avery.
During the development, Ubisoft shifted the narrative in a new direction, focusing on a pirate’s life rather than an assassin. The creative team saw promise with this side of the franchise and ushered in the Golden Age of Piracy as a full game. This change was certainly the right call, considering the positive feedback from the fans and reviewers.
Valhalla Is the Most Successful Game in the Series
With so many titles in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, you may wonder which one is the most successful, and fortunately, we have that answer with Ubisoft’s 2021-2022 financial reports. The details from these notes indicate that Valhalla is the second most profitable game in Ubisoft’s history, all in the span of its first-year launch.
By the first week, Valhalla had sold more than any other Assassin’s Creed game, making over a billion dollars in sales. The game has also earned the title of Ubisoft’s best-selling PC installment despite having mixed reviews on this platform. We’ll just have to see if Mirage will encounter the same success, bringing in a more modern approach with the next-gen consoles.
Assassin’s Creed Has Its Own Book, Comic, & Manga Series
Aside from the games, Ubisoft has changed the dynamics of the AC franchise through its book, comic, and manga collections. If you have ever wondered about the side adventures of the assassins, you can dive into the Chronicles narrative line, including a storyline that broadens Edward Kenway’s story in the Assassin’s Creed: Forgotten Temple webtoon. There’s also a manga series that focuses on Shao Jun, who seeks to take down the tyrannical empire within her homeland in China.
But if you want something entirely new, you can look at The Magus Conspiracy, featuring an original cast of characters in the Victorian era. Apart from these entries, fans can experience familiar tales on the go with the direct adaptations that retell fan-favorite Assassin Creed narratives.
Unity Introduced More Realistic Structures
Up until Assassin’s Creed Unity, Ubisoft confirmed that the historical structures used in the games were roughly 80 percent accurate to their actual size. However, the graphics ultimately changed with Unity’s 1:1 scale, permitting the team to create a more precise version of locations like Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Bastille. This new feature also brought in a more fluid parkour mechanic to improve the traveling gameplay altogether.
Other than realistic world-building, Unity was the first-ever game to allow players to explore the entire world right from the beginning. It is a tool that is still used in the franchise, but you will need to consider the challenges of high-level enemies if you choose to travel to distant locations.
The Real-Life Origins of the Creed
The Assassin’s Creed series derives from the tales of the Order of the Assassins, who were a part of the Nizari Isma’ili faction. Hassan-i Sabbah founded the group with the goal of eliminating enemies of the Isma’ili state; sounds a bit familiar, right? The Knights Templar, the series’ main antagonist, is also a part of the world’s actual history, as the military order of the Catholic faith during the Middle Ages.
It is believed that the Knights of Templar and the Order of the Assassins were actually allies, differing from their ongoing battles in the AC universe. On the other hand, the Counts of Tripoli and Lebanon in the Twelfth Century novel suggests a quarrel between the two factions, which could be the inspiration behind their enemy origins in the games.
Why Altair Only Has Nine Fingers
When Assassin’s Creed initially released, many players wondered why Altair, the series’ first playable assassin, was missing a finger. This is due to the tradition of an assassin sacrificing a finger to help with the movement of their hidden blade on their arm. It is also linked to their resolve to prove their commitment to the Creed, showing just how much they are willing to sacrifice for their oath.
Unfortunately for Altair, this tradition no longer exists, given that the designs of the hidden blade have since changed, as mentioned by Leonardo da Vinci in Assassin’s Creed II. That’s why the other Creed members have most of their fingers intact while also making it less obvious for those who knew about the group’s finger sacrifice.
The Jackdaw’s Demise
One detail that many Assassin’s Creed fans were shocked to hear is the cruel fate of Black Flag’s Jackdaw vessel that was discovered in Freedom Cry. In this storyline, you can loot the famous ship as a side activity, where you can claim its figurehead for your collection. It isn’t explicitly clear why the vessel ended up at the bottom of the ocean, but fans have made a few theories to understand its fate.
In particular, Reddit user Anarion89 believes that Edward Kenway did this intentionally after the events in the fourth installment. Others seem to think this Easter Egg is left unanswered so that the community can develop their own ideas about this beloved ship.
The Hidden Truth Behind Desmond Miles’ Son
The franchise’s first protagonist (present-day), Desmond Miles, plays a massive part in the beginning of the series as the descendant of the deadly assassins. Yet, what you might know is that he has a son, a fact that was revealed within a file in Syndicate. Although the son, Elijah, never appeared in the game, he is shown in the comic book Assassin’s Creed: Uprising, where he has taken on the role of a Sage.
Elijah has been mentioned several times in the series, including Brotherhood and Black Flag, but he hasn’t been talked about much since then. Given that Assassin’s Creed: Mirage is tied to the origins of the Creed, we could learn more about this mysterious character, mainly due to his father’s connection to the past.
