The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline

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

With 14 mainline games and counting, the series' timeline is undeniably complex. IGN has meticulously pieced together the centuries-spanning narrative, clarifying the overarching story and the interconnectedness of each game. This chronological timeline details the key events in the Assassin's Creed universe.

The Isu Era

75,000 BCE

Before delving into the timeline, understanding the Isu is crucial. Eons ago, a highly advanced civilization of god-like beings, the Isu, ruled Earth. They created humanity to serve as their slaves, maintaining control through powerful artifacts known as the Apples of Eden. Humanity, naturally, rebelled. Eve and Adam stole an Apple of Eden, sparking a decade-long war that ended abruptly with a devastating solar flare, wiping out the Isu and leaving humanity to inherit the Earth.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War

Amidst the Peloponnesian War, mercenary Kassandra uncovers the Cult of Kosmos, a clandestine organization secretly manipulating the conflict. She discovers her long-lost brother, Alexios, a demigod-like weapon created by the Cult. Kassandra learns the Cult targeted Alexios due to his Isu ancestry, tracing back to the legendary Spartan King Leonidas. Kassandra's quest to thwart the Cult's plan involves an Isu device capable of calculating possible futures. She eliminates key Cult members, destroying the device and bringing an end to the war. Her journey also reunites her with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting her immortality and appointing her guardian of Atlantis.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt

During Cleopatra's reign, Bayek, a peacekeeper, and his wife Aya confront the Order of the Ancients, another shadowy organization collaborating with the Cult of Kosmos. The Order seeks Bayek's bloodline to unlock an Isu vault, but their attempt results in the tragic death of their son. Driven by revenge, Bayek and Aya dismantle the Order, uncovering its global conspiracy to control politics and religion through Isu artifacts. Their fight leads to the establishment of 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 strongholds worldwide, including Alamut in Iran. Basim Ibn Ishaq, a Baghdad street thief, undergoes assassin training and investigates the Order of the Ancients in Baghdad. He discovers their pursuit of an Isu temple beneath Alamut, aiding the assassins in repelling an invasion. Inside the temple, Basim uncovers a technologically advanced prison holding Loki, an Isu considered a god by the Norse. Basim, a reincarnation of Loki, vows revenge on those who imprisoned him.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

872 to 878 - Viking Invasion of England

Basim accompanies a Viking clan to England, continuing his hunt for the Order of the Ancients. Sigurd and Eivor, the clan's leaders, establish Ravensthorpe while battling King Alfred, a Templar seeking to impose Christianity. Sigurd's discovery of an Isu artifact triggers visions, revealing his and Eivor's identities as reincarnations of Odin and Týr, Loki's jailers. Basim's attack leaves Eivor to defeat King Alfred and lead the clan. Basim is trapped in a simulated world within the Yggdrasil-shaped Isu computer.

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 steals an Apple of Eden, leading to a mission to assassinate nine Templar leaders. He uncovers Al Mualim's betrayal, forcing Altaïr to kill his mentor and take control of the Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed 2

1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

Ezio Auditore da Firenze joins the Assassins seeking revenge against the Templars. Using his father's equipment and Leonardo da Vinci's inventions, Ezio battles the Borgia family, acquiring 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 receiving a vision from Minerva warning of an impending apocalypse in 2012 and revealing a network of Isu vaults as potential salvation.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

Following the loss of the Apple of Eden, Ezio rebuilds the Assassin Brotherhood in Rome, reclaiming the Apple and hiding 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, thwarting the Templars' efforts to unlock it. Inside, he finds Altaïr's remains and an Apple of Eden containing a message from Jupiter revealing the Grand Temple and its crucial data. Ezio leaves the Apple untouched, retiring and eventually passing away.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

1579 - Sengoku Period

In 16th-century Japan, an African mercenary, Yasuke, allies with Oda Nobunaga, unifying warring clans. Yasuke and Naoe, daughter of a shinobi master, unite despite their opposing sides.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy

Edward Kenway becomes entangled in a Templar conspiracy involving The Observatory, an Isu device used for blackmail. He allies with pirates, establishing a republic before confronting Bartholomew Roberts, the Sage, and ultimately securing The Observatory.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue

1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War

Shay Patrick Cormac, after causing an earthquake in Lisbon, defects to the Templars, hunting Assassins and ultimately confronting Achilles in the Arctic.

Assassin’s Creed 3

1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

Connor Kenway, son of Haytham Kenway, fights against the Templars during the American Revolution, ultimately killing his father and securing the key to the Grand Temple.

Assassin’s Creed Liberation

1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana

Aveline de Grandpré confronts a Templar plot in Louisiana, uncovering a conspiracy involving slaves and an Isu temple. She discovers her stepmother is the Company Man and activates the Prophecy Disk, revealing Eve's story.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Arno Dorian, orphaned by Shay Cormac, uncovers a Templar plot during the French Revolution, ultimately confronting François-Thomas Germain, the Sage, and sealing his remains in the catacombs.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

1868 - Victorian England

Jacob and Evie Frye battle the Templars in Victorian London, recovering The Shroud and ultimately defeating Crawford Starrick. Evie later assassinates Jack the Ripper, and her daughter, Lydia, eliminates a Templar spy network during World War I.

Transition Period

1914 to 2012

The Templars establish Abstergo Industries, using the Animus to explore ancestral memories.

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 explores Edward Kenway's memories, leading to the discovery of John Standish, the modern-day Sage.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

2014

An initiate relives Arno Dorian's life, locating François-Thomas Germain's remains.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

2015

The initiate explores Jacob and Evie Frye's memories, uncovering Abstergo's plan to create a living Isu.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

2017

Layla Hassan uses Bayek and Aya's DNA to relive their memories, joining the Assassin Brotherhood.

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.