Assassin's Creed: Full Timeline Revealed

Assassin’s Creed Shadows stands as the latest addition to the storied franchise, set during the feudal Japan of the Sengoku period, which situates it chronologically at the midpoint of the Assassin’s Creed timeline. The series, renowned for its non-linear historical progression, jumps across time to explore pivotal events ranging from the ancient Peloponnesian War to the dawn of the First World War.

With a total of 14 mainline games and counting, the timeline of Assassin’s Creed has grown increasingly intricate. IGN has meticulously pieced together the lore from each game to create a comprehensive chronological timeline, detailing the overarching narrative and how each installment connects.

The Isu Era

To understand the timeline, it's essential to delve into the series' lore. Long before recorded history, a highly advanced race known as the Isu governed the Earth. These god-like beings created humans to serve as their slaves, controlling them with powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, the human spirit rebelled; Eve and Adam stole an Apple of Eden and sparked a revolution against their Isu masters.

This conflict lasted for a decade until a catastrophic solar flare struck the Earth, annihilating the Isu. The remnants of humanity emerged from the chaos, inheriting a world left in ruins.

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

Amid the tumult of the Peloponnesian War in ancient Greece, mercenary Kassandra uncovers the Cult of Kosmos, a secretive group manipulating the conflict. Her journey reveals that her long-lost brother, Alexios, was kidnapped and transformed into a weapon by the Cult due to their shared lineage with the legendary Spartan King Leonidas, a direct descendant of the Isu.

Kassandra's mission to thwart the Cult's domination involves destroying an Isu device that predicts future events, thereby altering the course of the war. Her journey also leads to a reunion with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality, and tasks her with safeguarding the mythical city of Atlantis.

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

In the time of Cleopatra's Egypt, the Order of the Ancients, a precursor to the Templar Order, kidnaps peacekeeper Bayek and his son, believing Bayek's bloodline holds the key to an Isu vault. After accidentally causing his son's death during an escape, Bayek, driven by vengeance, teams up with his wife Aya to dismantle the Order, which has infiltrated the highest echelons of Egyptian and Roman society.

Discovering the Order's global ambitions to control humanity using the Apples of Eden, Bayek and Aya form The Hidden Ones, a secretive group of assassins dedicated to resisting the Order's oppression from strongholds in Egypt and Rome.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage
861 - Islamic Golden Age

A century later, The Hidden Ones have expanded their influence, establishing bases like the fortress of Alamut in Iran. Basim, a Baghdad street thief turned assassin, is tasked with investigating the Order of the Ancients' operations in his hometown. He uncovers their plan to access an Isu temple beneath Alamut, which holds a technologically advanced prison that once contained Loki, an Isu revered as a god by the Norse.

Inside the temple, Basim learns he is a reincarnation of Loki and vows to seek vengeance on those who imprisoned him in his past life.

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

Following his discovery, Basim joins a Viking clan on their journey to England, continuing his hunt for members of the Order. Alongside clan leader Sigurd and his sibling Eivor, they seek allies to establish their settlement, Ravensthorpe, while uncovering the tyrannical rule of King Alfred, a prominent Order member intent on imposing a Christian regime.

After encountering an Isu artifact, Sigurd experiences visions of divinity, prompting a return to Norway where Basim reveals that Eivor and Sigurd are reincarnations of Isu gods Odin and Týr. Basim's attempt at revenge fails when Eivor traps him in a simulated world within an Isu computer. Traumatized, Sigurd relinquishes leadership to Eivor, who returns to England to defeat King Alfred and become a celebrated leader of Ravensthorpe.

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, maintaining their goal of world domination. During the Third Crusade, assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad works to retrieve an Apple of Eden from the Templars, but his arrogance leads to a comrade's death.

Tasked with assassinating nine Templar leaders to atone, Altaïr uncovers a plot involving the Apple of Eden. He learns that his mentor, Al Mualim, betrayed the Templars to claim the Apple for himself, planning to use it to impose peace forcibly. Altaïr is forced to kill Al Mualim and assumes leadership of the Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed 2
1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

In the vibrant era of the Italian Renaissance, Ezio Auditore da Firenze is thrust into the Assassin Brotherhood after his family's execution by the Templars. Armed with his father's tools and innovations from Leonardo da Vinci, Ezio wages a campaign against the Templar-aligned Borgia family, eventually acquiring an Apple of Eden that leads him to an Isu vault beneath the Vatican.

Inside the vault, Ezio encounters a vision of the Isu Minerva, who warns of an impending apocalypse in 2012 and suggests that Isu vaults worldwide might hold the key to humanity's survival.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

Despite defeating the Pope in combat, Ezio spares his life, a decision that haunts him when the Papal Army retaliates by seizing the Apple of Eden. In response, Ezio rebuilds the weakened Assassin Brotherhood, rising to lead the Italian Bureau. Their efforts culminate in the overthrow of the Borgia regime in Rome and the reclamation of the Apple, which Ezio secures in an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum.

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

Seeking further knowledge about the Isu, Ezio journeys to Masyaf, where he discovers a library built by Altaïr. However, the Templars are also after the library's secrets, prompting Ezio to travel to Constantinople to ally with the Ottoman Assassins against the local Byzantine Templars.

Inside the library, Ezio finds Altaïr's remains, who had sealed himself away with an Apple of Eden to prevent it from falling into Templar hands. A message from the Isu Jupiter reveals the existence of the Grand Temple, containing data crucial for humanity's survival. Ezio leaves the library intact, retires from the Brotherhood, and soon after succumbs to his accumulated injuries.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1579 - Sengoku Period

Details about the storyline of Assassin’s Creed Shadows are scarce, but it is known that an African mercenary, accompanied by a Catholic Jesuit missionary, arrives in Japan during the Sengoku period. Here, he meets Oda Nobunaga, a powerful lord unifying Japan's warring factions. The mercenary, renamed Yasuke, serves as one of Nobunaga's samurai and participates in the invasion of the Iga province, home to Naoe, daughter of shinobi master Fujibayashi Nagato. Despite their opposing allegiances, 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, rogue Edward Kenway becomes entangled in a Templar plot after killing an Assassin and assuming his identity. The Templars seek the Observatory, an Isu device that can monitor anyone, hoping to use it for global control. Only the 'Sage,' a reincarnation of the Isu Aita, can unlock it, and they target pirate Bartholomew Roberts as the current Sage.

Edward, seeing potential profit in the Observatory, allies with pirates to find Roberts and thwart the Templars. Despite their initial success, Edward is betrayed by Roberts, who locks him in the Observatory. After escaping, Edward tracks down Roberts, retrieves the artifact, and assassinates the Templar leader, Laureano de Torres y Ayala. Deciding the world's safety outweighs personal gain, Edward secures the artifact and retires to England to live with his children, Jennifer and Haytham.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue
1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War

Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin, is sent to retrieve an Isu artifact from a temple in Lisbon, inadvertently causing an earthquake that devastates the city. Stricken by guilt, Shay defects from the Assassins, stealing their map of Isu temples. Rescued by the Templars, he rises through their ranks, targeting former Assassin allies.

Tracking his mentor Achilles to the Arctic, Shay and fellow Templar Haytham Kenway (Edward's son) injure Achilles to prevent further Assassin excavations of Isu temples. Later, in Versailles, Shay suggests sparking a revolution in France as a counter to the Assassin-instigated uprising in America.

Assassin’s Creed 3
1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

The Templars focus on unlocking the Isu's Grand Temple. Haytham Kenway kills to obtain the key and travels to the American Colonies, where he falls in love with Kaniehti:io and fathers Ratonhnhaké:ton, later known as Connor Kenway. Abandoned by Haytham, Connor trains with the Assassins and seeks revenge during the American Revolution, targeting Templars within the British forces.

Reuniting with Haytham, Connor hopes for peace, but their conflicting visions lead to a fatal confrontation. 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 story, Aveline de Grandpré, an Assassin in New Orleans, uncovers a Templar plot to control Louisiana. Her investigation leads to a larger conspiracy involving the 'Company Man,' who uses slaves to find an Isu temple. Aveline gathers three components of an Isu device, the Prophecy Disk, and discovers her stepmother as the mastermind behind the plot.

After confronting and killing her stepmother, Aveline activates the Prophecy Disk, which recounts the story of Eve, leader of the human rebellion against the Isu.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Orphaned Arno Dorian grows up with the Templar Grand Master François de la Serre's family. Framed for de la Serre's murder, Arno is imprisoned but later joins the Assassins to hunt the killer, extremist Templar François-Thomas Germain, who incites the French Revolution.

Arno and his adoptive sister Élise pursue Germain to a Templar crypt, where he attempts to use a Sword of Eden against Arno. The sword explodes, killing Élise and wounding Germain, who reveals himself as the current Sage. Arno secures Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs, preventing Templar access.

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. Discovering the Templars' control over the city, the twins split duties: Jacob targets Templar leaders, while Evie races to locate the Shroud. Despite Jacob's success, Templar leader Crawford Starrick steals the Shroud but is assassinated by the twins, who return it to its vault.

Jacob leads the London Assassins, while Evie tracks down and eliminates Jack the Ripper. Later, Evie raises her daughter, Lydia, as an Assassin. During World War I, Lydia is tasked with investigating a Templar-run German spy facility, ultimately killing the network's leader, another Sage.

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1914 to 2012

While each game explores a historical period, the series is framed by a modern-day narrative. 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. By the late 1970s, Abstergo develops the Animus, a virtual reality device for exploring ancestral memories to control the future.

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

In 2012, Desmond Miles, a descendant of Altaïr, is kidnapped by Abstergo and forced into the Animus to locate Isu artifacts. An Assassin mole, Lucy Stillman, aids his escape to a Brotherhood safehouse, where Desmond explores Ezio's memories, learning of an impending apocalypse.

Desmond locates an Apple of Eden hidden by Ezio but is possessed by the Isu Juno, forcing him to kill Lucy. Despite falling into a coma, Desmond continues to explore Ezio's memories, uncovering the Grand Temple's existence. Upon awakening, Desmond sacrifices himself within the Temple to prevent the apocalypse, unleashing Juno.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
2013

Using Desmond's DNA, Abstergo continues searching for Isu technology through Edward Kenway's memories, assigning "The Noob" to the task. The Noob is manipulated by John Standish, the modern-day Sage, who attempts to use him as a host for Juno. However, Standish's plan fails, and he is killed by Abstergo security.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
2014

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

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
2015

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

Assassin’s Creed Origins
2017

Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus version to explore memories directly from DNA samples. In Egypt, she relives the lives of Bayek and Aya, learning about 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 explores Kassandra's memories and discovers Atlantis. Kassandra, still alive due to the Staff of Hermes, explains the need for balance between the Assassins and Templars. She entrusts Layla with the Staff before passing away.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2020

Observing Earth's magnetic field fluctuations, Layla explores Eivor's memories and learns about the Yggdrasil computer in an Isu temple in Norway. Entering the simulation, she works with a manifestation of Desmond's consciousness, "The Reader," to prevent future apocalypses. Meanwhile, Basim escapes the simulation, claims the Staff of Hermes, and joins the Assassin Brotherhood to search for Loki's children.

Assassin's Creed: The Complete Playlist

From the debut title in 2007 to upcoming projects across consoles, PC, mobile, and VR, the entire Assassin's Creed series is listed here. Log in to track which games 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