Assassin's Creed Shadows marks the latest addition to the storied Assassin's Creed series, set in the feudal Japan of the Sengoku period, placing it at a unique midpoint in the franchise's sprawling historical timeline. Unlike many series that follow a linear progression, Assassin's Creed jumps across centuries, from the ancient Peloponnesian War to the cusp of the First World War, each installment exploring pivotal moments in history.
With 14 mainline games and counting, the timeline of these events becomes increasingly intricate. That's why IGN has meticulously analyzed every piece of lore to construct a comprehensive timeline that lays out the Assassin's Creed universe in chronological order. This timeline not only covers the significant events but also ties together the overarching narrative of the series.
The Isu Era
75,000 BCE
To understand the Assassin's Creed timeline, we must first delve into the lore. Far back in time, a highly advanced civilization known as the Isu ruled the Earth. These god-like beings created humanity to serve as their slaves, controlling them with the powerful Apples of Eden. However, the human spirit yearned for freedom, and two individuals, Adam and Eve, stole an Apple of Eden, sparking a revolutionary war against their oppressors.
The conflict raged for a decade until a cataclysmic solar flare struck Earth, wiping out the Isu. Humanity, though devastated, rose from the ashes to inherit the Earth.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War
During the tumultuous Peloponnesian War in Greece, the mercenary Kassandra uncovers the sinister Cult of Kosmos, a shadowy group manipulating the conflict. Among its members is her estranged brother, Alexios, who was abducted by the Cult in childhood and transformed into a formidable weapon due to his Isu lineage, tracing back to the legendary Spartan King Leonidas.
Kassandra's mission to thwart the Cult's plans leads her to confront an Isu device that predicts future outcomes, which the Cult uses to control the war. She eliminates the key members of the Cult and destroys the device, ending their influence over Greece. In her journey, Kassandra reunites with her biological father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality, and charges her with guarding Atlantis.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt
In the era of Cleopatra's rule, the Order of the Ancients, another shadowy organization, kidnaps peacekeeper Bayek and his son in an attempt to unlock an Isu vault. Unable to do so, Bayek inadvertently causes his son's death in a bid to escape, vowing vengeance against the Order.
Together with his wife Aya, Bayek dismantles the Order's grip on Egypt, which manipulates power through Pharaoh Ptolemy and enlists Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Discovering the Order's global ambitions to control politics and religion using Isu artifacts, Bayek and Aya form The Hidden Ones, a secret society of spies and assassins operating from Egypt and Rome.
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 and tasked with investigating the Order of the Ancients' activities in his city. He uncovers their pursuit of an Isu temple beneath Alamut and aids in repelling their invasion.
Inside the temple, Basim discovers a prison that once held Loki, an Isu revered as a god by the Norse. Learning of his own reincarnation as Loki, Basim vows to exact revenge on those who imprisoned him in his past life.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
872 to 878 - Viking Invasion of England
In the subsequent decade, Basim joins a Viking clan in England, hunting for Order members. The clan's leader, Sigurd, and his sibling Eivor, seek to establish Ravensthorpe, aiding neighboring communities while uncovering King Alfred's tyranny, a leader within the Order aiming to establish a Christian regime.
After finding an Isu artifact, Sigurd experiences visions, leading him to believe he's a god. Basim reveals that Eivor and Sigurd are reincarnations of Odin and Týr, Isu who imprisoned Loki. Eivor survives Basim's attack and traps him in a simulation generated by the Yggdrasil tree, an Isu computer. Sigurd, traumatized, relinquishes leadership to Eivor, who returns to England to defeat King Alfred at the Battle of Chippenham and becomes a hero of Ravensthorpe.
Assassin’s Creed
1191 - Third Crusade
Over the next three centuries, The Hidden Ones evolve into the Assassin Brotherhood, facing off against the Order of the Ancients, now transformed into the Knights Templar, who seek to establish a new world order.
During the Third Crusade, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, an Assassin, works to steal an Apple of Eden from the Templars. His initial arrogance leads to the death of a fellow assassin, and he is tasked with assassinating nine Templar leaders to atone. As he completes his mission, Altaïr uncovers a Templar conspiracy involving the Apple. He discovers that his mentor, Al Mualim, had betrayed the Templars to seize the Apple for himself, intending to use it to impose peace. Altaïr confronts and kills Al Mualim, taking leadership of the Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed 2
1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance
In the era of the Italian Renaissance, Ezio Auditore da Firenze is thrust into the Assassin Brotherhood following the Templar-orchestrated execution of his father and brothers. Armed with his father's tools and innovations from Leonardo da Vinci, Ezio battles the Templar-aligned Borgia family, eventually securing an Apple of Eden that reveals a hidden Isu vault beneath the Vatican.
Ezio confronts the Templar Grand Master, Rodrigo Borgia, now Pope, and defeats him in combat. Inside the vault, he encounters a vision of the Isu Minerva, who warns of an impending global catastrophe in 2012 and hints at a network of Isu vaults as humanity's potential salvation.
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance
Despite defeating Rodrigo Borgia, Ezio spares his life, a decision that backfires when Borgia's forces attack Ezio's villa and steal the Apple of Eden. In retaliation, Ezio strengthens the weakened Assassin Brotherhood, leading them to dismantle the Borgia regime in Rome and reclaim the Apple, which he hides in an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum, thwarting Templar access.
Assassin’s Creed Revelations
1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War
Seeking further knowledge of the Isu, Ezio journeys to Masyaf to explore Altaïr's library, only to find the Templars already in pursuit of the keys to unlock it. Ezio allies with the Ottoman Assassins in Constantinople to thwart the Byzantine Templars' plans to re-establish their empire and secure the library keys.
Inside the library, Ezio finds Altaïr's remains, who had sealed himself inside with an Apple of Eden to keep it from the Templars. A message from the Isu Jupiter reveals that vital data for humanity's survival is stored in the Grand Temple. Recognizing this knowledge is meant for another, Ezio leaves the Apple secured and retires, later succumbing to the injuries sustained over his long career.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1579 - Sengoku Period
Assassin's Creed Shadows is set during Japan's Sengoku period, where an African mercenary and a Catholic Jesuit missionary arrive. The mercenary, known as Yasuke, becomes a samurai under the command of the powerful lord Oda Nobunaga, who is unifying Japan's warring clans. Yasuke participates in the invasion of Iga province, home to Naoe, daughter of the shinobi master Fujibayashi Nagato. Despite their initial opposition, 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, Edward Kenway finds himself entangled in a Templar plot after killing an Assassin and assuming their identity. The Templars seek The Observatory, an Isu device capable of spying on anyone, which can only be unlocked by the 'Sage,' a reincarnation of the Isu Aita, currently embodied in the pirate Bartholomew Roberts.
Edward allies with other pirates to thwart the Templars, eventually locating Roberts and accessing The Observatory. After a disagreement over its use, Roberts betrays Edward, but Edward escapes, tracks down Roberts, and takes his revenge. He then assassinates Templar leader Laureano de Torres y Ayala and secures the Observatory's power source, choosing the world's safety over personal gain. Edward returns to England to live out his days with his children, Jennifer and Haytham.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue
1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War
Shay Patrick Cormac, sent by the Assassin Brotherhood to retrieve an Isu artifact, triggers a devastating earthquake in Lisbon, leading to his defection and theft of the Brotherhood's map of Isu temples. Rescued by the Templars, Shay rises through their ranks, killing key Assassins and eventually confronts his former mentor, Achilles, in the Arctic, thwarting further Isu temple excavations.
In 1776, Shay suggests the Templars ignite a revolution in France in response to the Assassins' actions in America, setting the stage for future conflicts.
Assassin’s Creed 3
1754 to 1783 - American Revolution
Haytham Kenway, seeking to unlock the Isu Grand Temple, kills for the key in London and travels to the American Colonies. He falls in love with Kaniehti:io, a Mohawk woman, and they have a son, Ratonhnhaké:ton. After Haytham abandons them, the Mohawk settlement is destroyed, and Kaniehti:io is killed, prompting Ratonhnhaké:ton to become Connor Kenway and train as an Assassin.
Against the backdrop of the American Revolution, Connor eliminates Templar influences within the British forces and confronts Haytham. Despite their initial hope for peace, their conflicting ideologies lead to Connor killing his father. 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 journey, Aveline de Grandpré, an Assassin in New Orleans, uncovers a Templar plot to control Louisiana. Her investigation leads to the discovery of a larger conspiracy involving the 'Company Man,' who uses slaves to unearth an Isu temple. Aveline collects components of an Isu device, the 'Prophecy Disk,' and learns that her stepmother is the Company Man, aiming to induct her into the Templars. Aveline kills her stepmother and activates the Prophecy Disk, revealing the story of Eve, the leader of the human rebellion against the Isu.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
1789 to 1794 - French Revolution
Arno Dorian, orphaned by Shay Cormac, is raised by the Templar Grand Master François de la Serre and grows up with his adoptive sister, Élise. Framed for de la Serre's murder, Arno joins the Assassin Brotherhood to uncover the truth, revealing a Templar rift led by François-Thomas Germain. As Paris descends into chaos, Arno and Élise track Germain to a Templar crypt, where he attempts to kill Arno with the Sword of Eden. The sword explodes, killing Élise and wounding Germain, who reveals himself as the current Sage. Arno seals Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs, keeping them from the Templars.
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. They uncover the Templars' control over the city and split their efforts: Jacob targets the Templar leadership, while Evie searches for The Shroud. Despite losing many lieutenants, Templar leader Crawford Starrick learns of The Shroud's location beneath Buckingham Palace. Jacob and Evie assassinate Starrick, recover The Shroud, and secure it back in its vault, scoring a victory for the Assassins.
Later, Jacob leads the London Assassins, and Evie tracks down and eliminates Jack the Ripper. They eventually move to the countryside, where Evie raises her daughter, Lydia, as an Assassin. During World War I, Lydia is tasked with investigating a German spy facility in London, which is run by Templars. She successfully eliminates the facility's Templar leader, another Isu Sage.
Transition Period
1914 to 2012
While each Assassin's Creed game is set in a historical period, the series uses a modern-day framing story. During the transition between Assassin's Creed Syndicate and the modern storyline, the Templars establish Abstergo Industries, a pharmaceutical company aiming to control the world through capitalism. In the late 1970s, Abstergo develops the Animus, a virtual reality machine that explores ancestral memories to influence the future.
Assassin’s Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3
2012
In 2012, Desmond Miles is abducted by Abstergo to locate Isu artifacts through his ancestors' memories, starting with Altaïr. An Assassin mole, Lucy Stillman, helps Desmond escape to a safehouse where he explores Ezio's memories, learning of an impending apocalypse and the existence of Isu vaults.
Desmond finds an Apple of Eden hidden by Ezio, but it projects a vision of the Isu Juno, who possesses him and forces him to kill Lucy. In a coma, Desmond continues to explore Ezio's memories, discovering the Grand Temple's location. Upon awakening, he and his team access the Temple, where Desmond sacrifices himself to activate Isu technology that prevents the apocalypse, releasing Juno in the process.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
2013
Using Desmond's DNA, Abstergo continues its search for Isu technology through Edward Kenway's memories, assigning "The Noob" to explore them. The Noob is manipulated by John Standish, the modern-day Sage, who plans to use him as a host for Juno. However, Juno is not yet ready, and Standish's attempt to kill The Noob to keep her secret fails, resulting in his death by Abstergo security.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
2014
Abstergo releases "Helix" to the public, allowing access to genetic memories. An Assassin, Bishop, guides an initiate to explore Arno Dorian's life, learning the location of François-Thomas Germain's remains, which Arno had sealed away in the Paris Catacombs, keeping them safe from Abstergo.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
2015
The following year, the initiate explores Jacob and Evie Frye's memories to find The Shroud, discovering its location beneath Buckingham Palace. Abstergo retrieves it first, intending to use it to create a living Isu. Juno, however, manipulates Abstergo employees to sabotage these plans.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
2017
Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus that can explore memories from DNA samples. In Egypt, she discovers Bayek and Aya's remains and relives the origins of The Hidden Ones. William Miles, leader of the modern Assassin Brotherhood, recruits Layla.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
2018
Using DNA from the Spear of Leonidas, Layla relives Kassandra's memories, locating Atlantis. There, Kassandra, kept alive by the Staff of Hermes, reveals that balance between the Assassins and Templars is crucial to prevent disaster. She gives Layla the Staff before dying, fulfilling her duty.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2020
Detecting magnetic field disturbances, Layla and the Assassins explore Eivor's memories, discovering the Yggdrasil computer in Norway. Inside its simulation, Layla meets Basim, trapped there by Eivor, and Desmond's manifestation, "The Reader." Layla sacrifices her mortal form to prevent future apocalypses, while Basim escapes, claiming the Staff of Hermes, which contains Aletheia's consciousness. He joins the Assassins to continue his quest for Loki's children.
