The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline

Assassin's Creed Shadows, the latest installment in this sprawling saga, might seem chronologically misplaced. Set in feudal Japan, it occupies a middle point in the series' vast historical timeline. That's because Assassin's Creed doesn't follow a strict chronological order; this epic franchise leaps across centuries, exploring pivotal moments from the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece to the brink of World War I.

With 14 mainline games and counting, untangling this intricate timeline can be a challenge. IGN has meticulously researched every detail of the lore to present a clear, chronological overview of the centuries-spanning story and how each game fits into the grand narrative. This timeline covers all the key events in chronological order.

The Isu Era

75,000 BCE

Before we delve into the historical timeline, a bit of background is necessary. Eons ago, a highly advanced civilization of god-like beings, known as the Isu, ruled the Earth. They created humanity to serve as their slaves, maintaining control through powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, humanity, naturally averse to enslavement, rebelled. Eve and Adam, two humans, stole an Apple of Eden, sparking a revolutionary war.

This war raged for a decade before a devastating solar flare wiped out the Isu. Humanity, scarred but surviving, inherited the Earth.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War

Amidst the chaos of the Peloponnesian War in Greece, Kassandra, a mercenary, uncovers the Cult of Kosmos, a shadowy organization secretly manipulating the conflict. She discovers her long-lost brother, Alexios, kidnapped as a child and transformed into a demigod-like weapon by the Cult. Alexios possesses the genes of their grandfather, the legendary Spartan King Leonidas, a direct descendant of the Isu, making him a target.

Kassandra sets out to thwart the Cult's plan for Greek domination, uncovering an Isu device used to predict and control the war's outcome. She eliminates key members of the Cult, destroys the device, and brings an end to the conflict. Her journey also reunites her with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who bestows upon her the Staff of Hermes, an Isu artifact granting immortality, and tasks her with guarding Atlantis.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt

During Cleopatra's reign, Bayek, a Medjay (peacekeeper), and his son are kidnapped by the Order of the Ancients, another shadowy organization collaborating with the Cult of Kosmos. The Order believes Bayek's lineage holds the key to an Isu vault. Tragically, Bayek accidentally kills his son during his escape, fueling his quest for vengeance.

Bayek and his wife, Aya, systematically dismantle the Order, which controlled Egypt through its puppet Pharaoh, Ptolemy, and its influence over Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Their investigation reveals the Order's global reach and its manipulation of politics and religion through Isu artifacts. To combat the Order's oppression, Bayek and Aya establish the Hidden Ones, a secret collective of assassins operating across Egypt and Rome.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

861 - Islamic Golden Age

Centuries later, the Hidden Ones have established numerous strongholds, including Alamut in Iran. Basim Ibn Ishaq, a street thief from Baghdad, undergoes assassin training and investigates the Order of the Ancients' activities in his city. He uncovers their pursuit of an Isu temple beneath Alamut and helps defend it. Within the temple, he discovers a technologically advanced prison holding Loki, an Isu considered a god by the Norse. Basim learns of his own reincarnation as Loki and vows revenge.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

872 to 878 - Viking Invasion of England

Basim accompanies a Viking clan to England, continuing his pursuit of the Order of the Ancients. Sigurd, the clan leader, and his sibling, Eivor, establish Ravensthorpe, encountering King Alfred, a Templar seeking to impose Christian rule. Sigurd's discovery of an Isu artifact triggers visions, revealing his status as a reincarnation of Odin. Basim, revealing himself as the reincarnation of Loki, attacks them seeking revenge. Eivor survives, trapping Basim in a simulated world within the Yggdrasil Isu computer. Eivor defeats King Alfred and returns to Ravensthorpe as a hero.

Assassin’s Creed

1191 - Third Crusade

Over the next three centuries, the Hidden Ones evolve into the Assassin Brotherhood, facing the Knights Templar, the evolved Order of the Ancients. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, an assassin in the Holy Land, steals an Apple of Eden from the Templars. His actions lead to a mission to assassinate nine Templar leaders. He uncovers Al Mualim's betrayal and his plan to use the Apple for world domination, forcing Altaïr to kill his mentor and assume leadership.

Assassin’s Creed 2

1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

Ezio Auditore da Firenze joins the Assassin Brotherhood to avenge his family, murdered by the Templars. Using his father's equipment and Leonardo da Vinci's inventions, he battles the Borgia family. He obtains an Apple of Eden, revealing an Isu vault beneath the Vatican. He confronts Rodrigo Borgia, the Templar Grand Master and Pope, gaining access to the vault and a vision from Minerva, warning of an impending apocalypse in 2012 and the importance of Isu vaults.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

Following Borgia's defeat, Ezio rebuilds the Assassin Brotherhood in Rome, reclaiming the Apple of Eden and securing it in an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum.

Assassin’s Creed Revelations

1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War

Ezio travels to Masyaf to investigate Altaïr's library, discovering Altaïr's remains and an Apple of Eden containing a message from Jupiter, revealing the Grand Temple and its importance. Ezio leaves the Apple untouched, retiring and later dying.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

1579 - Sengoku Period

[ttpp] Details about the storyline are currently limited, but it involves an African mercenary, Yasuke, in 16th-century Japan, allying with Oda Nobunaga and encountering Naoe, daughter of a shinobi master.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy

Edward Kenway becomes embroiled in a Templar conspiracy involving the Observatory, an Isu device capable of spying on anyone. He seeks Bartholomew Roberts, the current Sage, and ultimately secures the Observatory, killing Laureano de Torres y Ayala and securing the artifact.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue

1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War

Shay Patrick Cormac, after causing an earthquake in Lisbon, defects from the Assassin Brotherhood to the Templars, aiding them in their efforts to prevent the Assassins from finding Isu temples. He eventually confronts Achilles, his former mentor, in the Arctic.

Assassin’s Creed 3

1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

Haytham Kenway, seeking the Grand Temple key, has a son, Connor (Ratonhnhaké:ton), who becomes an Assassin during the American Revolution. Connor eventually confronts and kills his father, Haytham, and secures the key.

Assassin’s Creed Liberation

1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana

Aveline de Grandpré, an Assassin in New Orleans, uncovers a Templar plot involving slaves and an Isu temple, ultimately confronting and killing her stepmother, the Company Man.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Arno Dorian, orphaned and raised by Templars, becomes an Assassin, uncovering a Templar plot during the French Revolution and ultimately confronting François-Thomas Germain, the Sage.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

1868 - Victorian England

Jacob and Evie Frye, twin Assassins, battle the Templars in Victorian London, seeking the Shroud, another Isu artifact. They defeat Crawford Starrick and secure the Shroud.

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Transition Period

1914 to 2012

The Templars establish Abstergo Industries, using the Animus to explore the memories of their ancestors.

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

2012

Desmond Miles, an Assassin descendant, uses the Animus to locate Isu artifacts, ultimately sacrificing himself to prevent the apocalypse.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

2013

Abstergo continues its search for Isu technology using Desmond's DNA, leading to the discovery of the modern-day Sage.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

2014

An initiate relives Arno Dorian's memories to locate the remains of François-Thomas Germain.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

2015

The initiate explores Jacob and Evie Frye's memories to locate the Shroud, uncovering Abstergo's and Juno's plans.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

2017

Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, uses Bayek and Aya's DNA to relive their memories and is later recruited by the Assassins.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

2018

Layla explores Kassandra's memories, discovering Atlantis and receiving the Staff of Hermes.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

2020

Layla explores Eivor's memories, discovering the Yggdrasil computer and working with Basim and Desmond's consciousness to prevent future apocalypses.

[Assassin's Creed: The Complete Playlist] [From 2007's debut title to the upcoming console, PC, mobile, and VR projects, here is the entire Assassin's Creed series in one list. Log in to track which ones you've played.][See All]