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For over 17 years, players have traveled back in time to several dynamic eras of world history throughout theAssassin’s Creedfranchise. From the religious wars of the Third Crusade in the late 12th century within the Holy Land to the rapid conflicts in England spun from the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century, players have been able to embody heroic Assassins of all kinds to help defend people’s freedom. Along the way, many historical figures and fictionalized inhabitants of numerous nations were recreated and encountered to help accurately depict the ancient civilizationsAssassin’s Creedgames take place in. While many would become allies to the Assassins, others were dastardly villains loyal to the Templar cause of creating peace and order through domination.
In many ways, the antagonists of anAssassin’s Creedgame can defy the success, engagement, and legacy ofanAssassin’s Creedstoryjust as much as the protagonists could. Every great story needs an understandable, conniving, fear-inducing, and alluring villain, just as they need a relatable, thought-provoking, and inspiring hero or lead for audiences to root for. With 30 games making up the entirety of theAssassin’s Creedseries and the 31st coming out soon withAssassin’s Creed Shadows, it’s worth taking a look at every primary antagonist seen in theAssassin’s Creedfranchise. Each antagonist will be ranked by their impact on the protagonists, maniacal schemes, and efficiency in completing their goals.
Spoilers ahead for theAssassin’s Creedseries.
S-Tier: Standout Assassin’s Creed Antagonists
Assassin’s Creed’s best villains are ones that are as complex as the protagonist themselves or, at times, even more so. Most longtime series fans may giveHaytham Kenway fromAssassin’s Creed 3andRoguethe title of the best antagonist in the entire franchise due to his morals, honor, and way to convince characters and players that his goal and the Templar Order may be right with logic. He justifyingly criticized the American patriots and the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood and swayed many fans to his side when gamers were able to play as him for three sequences. Kenway’s flaws were that he failed to see how his underlings abused their positions and punished the colonists and Native Americans and put the Templar Order above family.
Other greatAssassin’s Creedantagonists were characters that continuously threatened protagonists directly and helped inadvertently mold Assassins into the heroes they would become. Villains such asAl Mualim, Rodrigo Borgia, and Warren Vidicused people’s lives for their own ends, no matter the moral quandaries which ultimately sealed their own fates. Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad rose above Mualim’s greed to become a selfless hero who rebuilt the Assassin Order with the goal of protecting people’s freedoms. Ezio Auditore initially sought revenge against Borgia but grew to become a great mentor to a whole new generation of Assassin’s and the downtrodden. Desmond Miles used lessons from his ancestors to stop Vidic’s goal of domination and ultimately learned to sacrifice his life for the entire world.
A-Tier: Quality Assassin’s Creed Antagonists
SomeAssassin’s Creedantagonists never reached the impactful or convincing heights as those previously mentioned but still left lasting impressions on players’ experiences. Achilles Davenport was one such antagonist, being both a mentor inAssassin’s Creed 3and an antagonist inAssassin’s Creed Rogue. Davenport’s actions can be linked to the downfall of the Colonial Brotherhood as his grief from the loss of his wife and son and desire to withhold Precursor artifacts from the Templars led him to ignore the tenants the Assassins lived by. This led to the death of thousands of innocents andthe betrayal of Shay Cormac. Though Davenport would learn to regret his actions, it was far too late to prevent further destruction.
Many antagonists were conniving and despicable in their goals but were either revealed too late in games to make greater impacts or were underutilized compared to their potential. Madeleine de L’Isle fromAssassin’s Creed 3: Liberationwas one such villain, as she was the stepmother of protagonist Aveline de Grandpré. However, her true intentions and role as Master Templar were weighed down by her absence in most of Liberation’s runtime. Similarly, Alexios A.K.A. Deimos was the brother toKassandra inAssassin’s Creed Odysseybut trained at an early age to be a weapon for the Cult of Kosmos. Despite his complex character and relationship with his sister, Deimos was seldom used inOdyssey’s story to make a significant impact on the game’s narrative.
If players choose to play as Alexios inAssassin’s Creed Odyssey, Kassandra will fill the role of Deimos throughout the game.
B-Tier: Fine, But Forgettable Assassin’s Creed Antagonists
SeveralAssassin’s Creedantagonists have little to no major role or impact in their games’ stories despite being the primary antagonists.Bartholomew Roberts fromAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagmay serve as the primary villain to Edward Kenway, but he seldom appears in the game and barely acts as a villain towards the pirate. Instead, Roberts acted more as a nuisance and a MacGuffin for the Assassins and Templars to chase after to discover the Observatory. Similarly, Basim Ibn Ishaq only acted as an ally to Eivor Varinsdottir for most ofAssassin’s Creed Valhallauntil the ending where his true identity as Loki was revealed. Basim’s role as an antagonist is further diminished as he still intends to help the Assassins.
Numerous antagonists had little roles in theirAssassin’s Creedgames’ narrative and lacked character complexity, appearing to be simply evil for evil’s sake and to act as someone for the player to fight against in a concluding boss fight. BothAssassin’s Creed Unity’s François-Thomas GermainandAssassin’s Creed Syndicate’s Crawford Starrick were susceptible to this distinction. Germain, while he orchestrated the death of Arno Dorian’s adoptive father, François de la Serre, he didn’t truly play a prominent role till the game’s climax and served primarily to kill Elise de la Serre. Strarrick had no complexity to his goals, with those being to acquire the Shroud of Eden and use its powers to embolden his abilities as he sought to rebuild England’s leadership in his own image.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.• Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.• Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.• Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.• Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
