Assassin's Creed: Full Timeline Revealed

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the latest addition to the long-standing series, set during the Sengoku period in feudal Japan, which places it roughly at the midpoint of the series' historical timeline. The Assassin’s Creed franchise doesn't follow a chronological order; instead, it jumps across different eras, exploring pivotal historical moments from the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece to the onset of the First World War.

With 14 mainline games and more on the horizon, the timeline of the series has become increasingly intricate. IGN has meticulously analyzed every piece of lore to create a comprehensive timeline that chronicles the key events in the Assassin’s Creed universe in chronological order.

The Isu Era

75,000 BCE

To understand the timeline, we must first delve into the lore of the Isu. In ancient times, a highly advanced race known as the Isu ruled the Earth. They created humans as their slaves and maintained control using powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, humans, led by Eve and Adam, rebelled against their Isu masters after stealing an Apple of Eden. This sparked a decade-long war, which was abruptly ended by a catastrophic solar flare that wiped out the Isu. Humanity then rose from the ashes, inheriting 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 manipulating the conflict. Her brother, Alexios, was kidnapped by the Cult and transformed into a weapon due to his Isu heritage, stemming from their grandfather, the legendary Spartan King Leonidas. Kassandra's mission to thwart the Cult's domination over Greece leads her to destroy an Isu device used to predict future outcomes. She also reunites with her father, Pythagoras, who gives her the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality, and entrusts her with guarding Atlantis.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt

In Cleopatra's Egypt, the Order of the Ancients kidnaps Bayek and his son in an attempt to unlock an Isu vault. Bayek's failure results in his son's tragic death, spurring him to seek revenge. With his wife Aya, Bayek dismantles the Order, which has infiltrated Egyptian politics and religion through Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Discovering the Order's global ambitions and their pursuit of the Apples of Eden, Bayek and Aya form the Hidden Ones, a secret society dedicated to opposing the Order's tyranny.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

861 - Islamic Golden Age

Nearly a century later, the Hidden Ones have established strongholds worldwide, including Alamut in Iran. Basim, a street thief from Baghdad, is trained as an assassin to investigate the Order of the Ancients. He uncovers their plan to access an Isu temple beneath Alamut, which houses a prison containing Loki, an Isu deity. Discovering his own reincarnation as Loki, 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

Basim joins a Viking clan in England to hunt down the Order of the Ancients. Clan leader Sigurd and his sibling Eivor work to establish their settlement, Ravensthorpe, while uncovering the oppressive rule of King Alfred, a member of the Order. Sigurd's exposure to an Isu artifact leads him to believe he's a god, prompting Basim to reveal Eivor and Sigurd as reincarnations of Odin and Týr. Eivor survives Basim's attack and traps him in a simulated world. After defeating King Alfred, Eivor returns to Ravensthorpe as a hero.

Assassin’s Creed

1191 - Third Crusade

By the 12th century, the Hidden Ones have evolved into the Assassin Brotherhood, facing off against the Knights Templar, the evolved form of the Order of the Ancients. During the Third Crusade, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, tasked by the Brotherhood's leader Al Mualim, steals an Apple of Eden but inadvertently causes the death of a fellow assassin. To atone, Altaïr assassinates nine Templar leaders, uncovering their plot to control the world. He ultimately discovers Al Mualim's betrayal and takes leadership of the Brotherhood after killing him.

Assassin’s Creed II

1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

In the Italian Renaissance, Ezio Auditore da Firenze seeks vengeance for his family's execution by the Templars. Using his father's assassin gear and Leonardo da Vinci's inventions, Ezio battles the Templar-aligned Borgia family. He gains possession of an Apple of Eden, which leads him to an Isu vault beneath the Vatican. There, Ezio confronts a vision of Minerva, who warns of an impending apocalypse in 2012 and hints at Isu vaults that could save humanity.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

After defeating Pope Rodrigo Borgia in a confrontation, Ezio rebuilds the weakened Assassin Brotherhood, becoming its leader in Italy. The Assassins overthrow the Borgia regime in Rome and secure the Apple of Eden, which Ezio hides in an Isu vault under the Colosseum to keep it safe from the Templars.

Assassin’s Creed Revelations

1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War

Seeking further Isu knowledge, Ezio travels to Masyaf to access Altaïr's library, only to find it locked by the Templars. He journeys to Constantinople to ally with the Ottoman Assassins against the Byzantine Templars, securing the keys to the library. Inside, Ezio finds Altaïr's remains and a message from the Isu Jupiter about data vital for humanity's survival. Realizing this knowledge is for a future observer, Ezio leaves the Apple locked away and retires, eventually succumbing to his injuries.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

1579 - Sengoku Period

Set in 16th-century Japan, Assassin’s Creed Shadows follows an African mercenary named Yasuke, who becomes a samurai under Oda Nobunaga. During Nobunaga's campaign to unify Japan, Yasuke invades the Iga province, home to Naoe, daughter of a shinobi master. Despite their initial opposition, Yasuke and Naoe eventually unite for a common cause.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy

During the Golden Age of Piracy, Edward Kenway becomes entangled in a Templar plot to control The Observatory, an Isu device capable of spying on anyone. The device can only be unlocked by a Sage, the reincarnation of the Isu Aita. Edward allies with pirates, including Bartholomew Roberts, the current Sage, to gain access to The Observatory. After a betrayal, Edward retrieves the device's key and eliminates the Templar leader, choosing to protect the world over personal gain.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue

1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War

Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin, accidentally triggers an earthquake in Lisbon while retrieving an Isu artifact. Stricken by guilt, he defects to the Templars, stealing a map of Isu temples. Shay ascends the Templar ranks, targeting Assassins and thwarting their plans to access more Isu sites. He suggests starting a revolution in France to counter the Assassins' influence in America.

Assassin’s Creed III

1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

Haytham Kenway, a Templar, seeks to unlock the Isu's Grand Temple, murdering to obtain the key. In the American Colonies, he fathers Ratonhnhaké:ton with a Mohawk woman, Kaniehti:io, but abandons them. Years later, after the Mohawk settlement's destruction, Ratonhnhaké:ton, now Connor Kenway, becomes an Assassin and fights against the Templars during the American Revolution. His quest leads to a confrontation with Haytham, resulting in Connor killing his father and burying the Grand Temple key.

Assassin’s Creed Liberation

1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana

In parallel to Connor's journey, Aveline de Grandpré, an Assassin in New Orleans, uncovers a Templar plot to control Louisiana using slaves to unearth an Isu temple. She discovers the plot is orchestrated by the 'Company Man', her own stepmother, who aimed to induct Aveline into the Templars. Aveline kills her stepmother and uses a recovered Isu device, the Prophecy Disk, to learn about 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 French Templars and is framed for murder, leading to his imprisonment in the Bastille. Helped by the Assassins, Arno seeks to avenge his adoptive father's death, uncovering a Templar rift led by François-Thomas Germain. As Paris descends into chaos, Arno and his sister Élise pursue Germain, who attempts to use a Sword of Eden but dies in the process. Arno seals Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs, preventing Templar access.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

1868 - Victorian England

In Victorian London, twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye seek The Shroud, another Isu device. They find the city under Templar control, with Jacob assassinating the leadership while Evie searches for The Shroud. Templar leader Crawford Starrick steals the device but is killed by the twins, who return it to its vault. Jacob later leads the London Assassins, while Evie tracks down Jack the Ripper. Their daughter, Lydia, becomes an Assassin and during WWI, thwarts a Templar spy operation led by a Sage.

Transition Period

1914 to 2012

The Assassin’s Creed series uses a framing story set in the modern era. During the transition period, the Templars establish Abstergo Industries, a pharmaceutical company aimed at controlling the world through capitalism. Abstergo develops the Animus, a device to explore ancestors' memories, in hopes of locating Isu artifacts and controlling the future.

Assassin’s Creed I, II, Brotherhood, Revelations, and III

2012

In 2012, Desmond Miles, a descendant of Altaïr, is abducted by Abstergo to locate Isu artifacts. With help from an Assassin mole, Lucy Stillman, Desmond escapes and joins the Assassin Brotherhood. Through reliving Ezio's memories, Desmond learns of an impending apocalypse and locates the Apple of Eden. After Juno possesses him, forcing him to kill Lucy, Desmond continues exploring Ezio's memories, eventually sacrificing himself to activate Isu technology and prevent the apocalypse, releasing Juno in the process.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

2013

Abstergo continues its search for Isu technology using Desmond's DNA, tasking "The Noob" to explore Edward Kenway's memories. The Noob 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's killed by Abstergo security.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

2014

Abstergo releases "Helix," allowing the public to experience genetic memories. An Assassin initiate, guided by Bishop, relives Arno Dorian's life to locate the remains of Sage François-Thomas Germain, secured by Arno in the Paris Catacombs.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

2015

The initiate explores Jacob and Evie Frye's memories to find The Shroud. Abstergo retrieves it first, intending to create a living Isu. Juno manipulates Abstergo employees to sabotage these plans.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

2017

Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus to explore memories via DNA samples. Using Bayek and Aya's remains, she relives the origins of the Hidden Ones and is recruited by the Assassin Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

2018

Layla uses DNA from the Spear of Leonidas to explore Kassandra's memories and discovers Atlantis. Kassandra, kept alive by the Staff of Hermes, reveals Layla's role in maintaining balance between the Assassins and Templars, gifting her the Staff before dying.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

2020

Layla and the Assassins explore Eivor's memories to address magnetic field disturbances caused by Desmond's 2012 actions. Layla enters the Yggdrasil simulation, where she meets Basim and Desmond's consciousness. She works to prevent future apocalypses, while Basim escapes and joins the Assassins, using the Staff of Hermes to pursue his own goals.