Assassin's Creed is an acclaimed video game series by Ubisoft. The original game was launched in 2007, and followed up by many sequels and spin-offs in other media, including a feature film and a novel series.
Each game takes place in a historical setting, such as the Crusades, Renaissance Italy, the American Revolution, the age of Caribbean piracy, the French Revolution, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Victorian Britain. The game features many authentic buildings and landmarks; and while the settings are not completely realistic, and the surroundings often have changed from each game's setting date to present day, many of the in-game environments can be visited in real life.
Spoiler alert! This article reveals plot details.
Understand
[edit]| “ | Nothing is true, Everything is permitted. |
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The frame story of Assassin's Creed takes place in the early 21st century, describing the climax of a millennial conflict between the Assassins and the Templars. Through the revival of genetic memories through a device called the Animus, the player character experiences a selected ancestor's life centuries ago.
The first game, named Assassin's Creed, takes place in the Holy Land during the Crusades. The player character is Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, living through the memories of 21st-century assassin Desmond Miles. Altaïr later visits Cyprus which is the setting of Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines.
Assassin's Creed II and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood take place in Renaissance Italy. The player character is Ezio Auditore; a banker's son who sees his family executed by a Templar conspiracy represented by the Borgia family. His uncle trains him to become an Assassin to avenge his family and join the battle against the Templars. Ezio's series includes Assassin's Creed II: Discovery mostly in Spain and Assassin's Creed: Revelations mostly in Istanbul after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Assassin's Creed III takes place in Revolutionary America, mostly Boston, New York, and surrounding areas.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag mostly takes place in the Caribbean during The Golden Age of Piracy.
Assassin's Creed Rogue takes place in the colonial Gulf of St. Lawrence (named in-game as "North Atlantic"), the Hudson Valley, and New York City prior to the 1776 great fire during the Seven Years War.
Assassin's Creed Unity takes place in Revolutionary Paris.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate mainly takes place in Victorian London, which is the latest historical period in the series (except the frame story).
Assassin's Creed Origins skips back 2000 years in history, taking place in Ptolemaic Egypt and eastern Libya.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey turns back time to Ancient Greece, which is the earliest historical period in the series.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla takes place in the Viking Age, mostly in England.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is set in 9th century Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age.
Destinations
[edit]
Map of Assassin's Creed Tour
All destinations are listed in chronological order.
Assassin's Creed: Origins is set in north-eastern Africa. Location order and landmarks are speculative.
- 2 Alexandria, Egypt.
- 1 Lighthouse of Alexandria.
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- 11 Masyaf, Syria. Assassin's Creed starts and ends in Masyaf. It is also a central plot point for Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
- 4 Masyaf Castle (Arabic: قلعة مصياف). The headquarters of the Levantine Assassins until it was besieged by the Mongols.
- 14 Acre (Akko), Israel. The last city Altaïr is sent to. Also the starting point of Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines.
- 10 The Citadel.
- 11 Acre port.
- 12 Hospitalier Fortress (Knights' Halls).
- 15 Arsuf, Israel. Also known as Arsu or Apollonia, this was battleground where Altaïr finally confronted his last target; Robert de Sable.
- 13 Apollonia-Arsuf.
- 16 Istanbul (Constantinople), Turkey. Assassin's Creed: Revelations starts and is mostly set in Istanbul.
- 14 Galata Tower. Masyaf key location.
- 15 Topkapı Palace. Ezio infiltrated the Topkapı Palace multiple times to meet Suleiman.
- 16 Zeyrek Mosque.
- 17 Bodrum Mosque.
- 18 Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya), Ayasofya Meydanı (By tram T1: Sultanahmet), ☏ +90 212 522-1750. Originally built as a Byzantine cathedral, the Hagia Sophia is a mosque at the time of Assassin's Creed: Revelations and as of 2020, when it was converted from being a museum. Ezio entered the mosque to find Ishak's Armor. The player would be rewarded for climbing the outside of the monument in under 25 seconds (Spider Assassin trophy/achievement).
- As of October 2017, there is extensive renovation work occurring inside the building, with scaffolding filling much of the north side of the interior. Outside temporary barriers stopping access to the north side of the building.
- 19 Maiden's Tower. Masyaf key location.
- 20 Arap Camii (Galata Camii, San Paolo, San Domenico), Galata Mahkemesi Sokak. The building was erected as a Roman Catholic church in 1325 by the friars of the Dominican Order, near or above an earlier chapel dedicated to Saint Paul (Italian: San Paolo) in 1233. In 1299, the Dominican Friar Guillaume Bernard de Sévérac bought a house near the church, where he established a monastery with 12 friars. A new, much larger church was built near or above the chapel of San Paolo in 1325. Thereafter the church was officially dedicated to San Domenico. After the Fall of Constantinople, according to the Capitulations of the Ottoman Empire with the Republic of Genoa, the church, which by that time was known by the Turks under the name of Mesa Domenico, remained in Genoese hands, but between 1475 and 1478 it was transformed, with minor modifications, into a mosque by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II and became known as Galata Camii ("Galata Mosque") or Cami-i Kebir ("Great Mosque"). Towards the end of the century Sultan Bayezid II assigned the building to those Muslims of Spain (Andalusia) who had fled the Spanish Inquisition and migrated to Istanbul; hence the present name Arap Camii (Arab Mosque). Today, Arap Camii is the largest mosque on the Galata side of the Golden Horn. It is one of the most interesting mosques in the city due to its early Italian Gothic architectural style and church belfry, which has practically remained unaltered even after being converted into a minaret.
- 21 Little Hagia Sophia (Küçük Ayasofya Camii).
- 17 Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey. The underground city Derinkyu was in Cappadocia. Ezio went here to find the last of the Masyaf keys. In real life the remains of the city are visit-able.
- 22 Derinkyu underground city (Cappadocian Greek: Μαλακοπή).
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- 18 Limassol (Greek: Λεμεσός, Turkish: Leymosun), Cyprus. Limassol was Altaïr's entrypoint to Cyprus in Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines.
- 23 Limassol Castle.
- 20 Florence (Firenze), Tuscany, Italy. Assassin's Creed II starts in Florence. Many of the city's landmarks were present in the game with the notable exception of The Baptistry (Battistero di San Giovanni) for technical reasons.
- 27 Santa Maria del Fiore. Also known as the Duomo di Firenze is the city's beautiful Gothic cathedral, the symbol of the city. In the game, the interior of the cathedral is a side-quest to find an assassin's tomb with the key to Altaïr's armor.
- 28 Campanile di Giotto (Giotto's Tower). Adjacent to the Duomo, you can climb the tower for a magnificent 360-degree view of the Duomo, Florence, and the surrounding area. It requires some tenacity to climb the 414 steps. Ezio climbed the outside of the tower to the top as it was a viewpoint for the entire San Marco District.
- 29 Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace). The former Medici family palace contains galleries of their art and treasures. It was notably the residence of Francisco Savonarola when he used the Apple of Eden to influence Florentines into the Bonfire of the Vanities.
- 30 Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace). Where Francisco Savonarola was burned by a Florentine mob after Ezio's interference.
- 31 Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). The oldest and most famous bridge over the Arno; the only Florentine bridge to survive World War II.
- 21 Monteriggioni, Tuscany, Italy. The home of Auditore family which Ezio goes back to, upon exile from Florence. The town is eventually besieged and abandoned by the Assassins. The Auditore Villa has no real-life counterpart inside the town, but most of the town has been modeled faithfully into the game.
- Wall walkways. For a small fee, the town allows tourists to walk around a small portion of the town's perimeter wall and gaze at the Tuscan countryside.
- 32 Chiesa di Santa Maria (Church of St Mary), Piazza Roma, 23, ☏ +39 0577 304214. Ezio renovates the town's church. It is modelled almost identically to its real-life counterpart.
- 33 Monteriggioni in Arme (Armour Museum), Via I Maggio, 1. Small museum dedicated to medieval weaponry. It resembles the armoury that Ezio assembled throughout Assassin's Creed: II The ticket can be used on both the walkway and the museum, providing good value.
- 22 San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy. In Assassin's Creed II, Ezio is sent to San Gimignano to quell the Pazzi Conspiracy to remove the Medicis from power. The most familiar site here is the 14 towers (originally 72 in real-life).
- 34 Torre Grossa (Big Tower), Piazza Duomo, 2. At 200 feet (61 metres) tall, it's the city's largest tower. Ezio explored Torre Grossa to find the Assassin's Tomb of Wei Yu. You can ascend the interior to a stunning view.
- 35 Torre Rognosa.
- 36 Santa Maria Assunta.
- 37 Torre del Diavolo (Tower of the Devil).
- 38 Torre dei Salvucci (Two Towers).
- 39 Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore (Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore). Ezio goes to the 12th-century Benedictine abbey to assassinate the Pazzi conspirator Stefano de Bagnone. The Animus put the Abbey within walking distance of Sam Gimignano when in reality it's just over 76 km (47 mi) away and closer to Siena.
- 23 Forlì, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Ezio arrives at Forlì to seek passage to Venice. He later helps Countess Sforza deal with the Orsi brothers in The Battle of Forlì.
- 40 Abbazia di San Mercuriale (Abbey of San Mercuriale). Ezio travels to the abbey to inquire about a monk who was later revealed to be Francisco Savonarola.
- 41 Palazzo Comunale (Municipal Palace), Piazza Saffi Aurelio, 8.
- 42 Rocca di Ravaldino (Castle of Ravadino).
- 24 Venice (Venezia), Veneto, Italy. Assassin's Creed II has much of its story in Venice. Much of it is Ezio winning various Carnivale games, and then infiltrating the Palazzo Ducale to prevent the assassination of the Doge of Venice.
- 43 Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace), Piazetta San Marco 1 (San Marco Square) (sestiere: San Marco; vaporetto line 1 or 2 to San Marco), ☏ +39 041 2715911. The Doge's Palace plays an important role in the game as Ezio tries to prevent the assassination of the Doge by the Templars.
- 44 Basilica di San Marco (St Mark's Basilica).
- 45 Campanile di San Marco (St. Mark's Campanile). The bell tower of St. Mark's Basicila and the tallest structure in Venice. The original tower was finished in 1514, though it collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt. Unsurprisingly, it is a viewpoint for Ezio.
- 46 Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge). Bridge connecting the San Marco and San Polo districts. Ezio and the Templars cross the bridge while discussing arrangements to assassinate the Doge using an arsenic-based poison.
- 47 Arsenale di Venezia (Venetian Arsenal).
- 28 Rome and Vatican City (Roma e Città del Vaticano), Lazio, Italy. The finale of Assassin's Creed II, as well as most of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, takes place in Rome and Vatican City.
- 48 Castel Sant'Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel). The main stronghold of the Borgia family. Ezio infiltrates the papal castle initially to get to the Sistine Chapel in Assassin's Creed II and then multiple times in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood to rescue Caterina Sforza and assassinate Rodrigo and Cesare Borgia.
- 49 Basilica Sancti Petri (St. Peter's Basilica).
- 50 Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel). Ezio finally confronts Rodrigo Borgia here at the end of Assassin's Creed: II. Serves as the first location in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.
- 51 Pantheon. Ezio purchases the landmark as part of rebuilding Rome. He also climbs into the Pantheon via the roof then descends into it to kill a guard captain to find his target The Banker.
- 52 Mausoleo di Augusto (Mausoleum of Augustus).
- 53 Colonna Traiana (Trajan's Column). A landmark that Ezio can climb up to and perch on top of due to the replacement statue not being added until 1587. Aside from that he has no other interaction with the monument. Interestingly the Assassin's Creed logo is written in Trajan, a typeface based on and named after the inscriptions written on Trajan's Column.
- 54 Arco di Constantino (Arch of Constantine).
- 55 Arco di Settimio Severo (Arch of Septimius Severus).
- 56 Arco di Tito (Arch of Titus).
- 57 [dead link] Colosseum, Piazzale del Colosseo / Via dei Fori Imperiali, ☏ +39 06 700 4261. Known properly as the Flavian Amphitheatre, this most famous of Roman landmarks takes its name from the giant statue of the emperor Nero that once stood near this location. The location serves as a purchasable property in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and later shown to house an important vault beneath it. You can purchase tickets in advance online from the official ticket office,. The tickets include access to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, and are valid for 2 days. Free entry on the first Sunday of the month (no reservation possible).
- 58 Basilica Giulia (Basilica Julia).
- 59 Piramide di Caio Cestio (Pyramid of Cestius). A small narrow pyramid built in 12 BC that contained the tomb of Gaius Cestius, a member of the Epulones religious corporation. It was then incorporated into the city wall. Ezio purchased the monument but had no further interaction with it because the pyramid is too steep to be climbed.
- 29 Alban Hills (Colli Albani), Lazio, Italy. Ezio goes to the Alban Hills to sabotage Cesare Borgia's machine gun carriages.
- 30 Valnerina, Lazio, Marche, Umbria. Ezio goes to Valnerina to sabotage Cesare Borgia's bomber gliders.
- 32 Naples (Napoli), Campania, Italy. Ezio travels to Naples to destroy the Leonardo da Vinci's naval cannon and the Borgia fleet. He works his way to the Gulf of Naples (Golfo di Napoli) via a river.
- 34 Delizia di Belriguardo (Delight of Belriguardo), Emilia-Romagna. Ezio goes to Delizia di Belriguardo to find Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation painting. The palace is home to Lucrezia Borgia and her husband Alfonso d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara. According to Assassin's Creed lore, the palace is a ruin by 2012. However in real life, the building is intact and apparently houses the Civic Museum of Belriguardo.
- 35 London, England. London makes a cameo appearance in Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, a small appearance in Assassin's Creed III and then is the main location for Assassin's Creed: Syndicate. In Assassin's Creed: Syndicate the boroughs of Westminster, The Strand, City of London (which is not a borough in real life), Southwark, Lambeth, Whitechapel and the River Thames are represented.
- 60 Theatre Royal (Royal Opera House), Catherine St, WC2B 5JF, ☏ +44 844 412 4660. The Theatre Royal is the last location in Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, then the first location in Assassin's Creed III. Haythem Kenway used the performance of The Beggar's Opera to assassinate a member of the Assassin Brotherhood and obtain a key to a vault in the New World. Strangely, it is absent from Assassin's Creed: Syndicate.
- 61 Lambeth Palace.
- 62 Lambeth Hospital (Lambeth Asylum).
- 63 Buckingham Palace, Westminster, SW1A 1AA, ☏ +44 303 123 7300. Residence of King George III at the time of Assassin's Creed III, Queen Victoria at the time of Assassin's Creed: Syndicate and now King Charles III. In Assassin's Creed: Syndicate the palace is revealed to be the location of The Shroud. In the final memory, Evie climbs the Grand Staircase and then infiltrates The White Drawing Room to find a key.
- 64 Wellington Barracks.
- 65 London Bridge.
- 66 Monument to the Great Fire of London. Evie travels to the Monument to find the piece of Eden known as The Shroud.
- 67 St. Paul's Cathedral.
- 68 Royal Exchange.
- 69 Bank of England.
- 70 [dead link] Mansion House.
- 71 Temple Church.
- 72 Tower of London.
- 73 Trafalgar Square.
- 74 National Gallery.
- 75 London Charing Cross.
- 76 London St. Pancras (QQS IATA).
- 77 London Waterloo. Jacob assassinates Pearl Attaway and retrieves the combustion engines.
- 78 London Victoria.
- 79 Westminster Abbey.
- 80 Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament).
- 81 Tower Bridge.
- 36 Paris, France. Paris is the main location in Assassin's Creed: Unity, though it makes a small appearance in Assassin's Creed: Rogue. Many of the famous Parisien landmarks (such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Sacré-Cœur) were built well after the French Revolution.
- 82 Notre Dame.
- 83 Panthéon.
- 84 Louvre.
- 85 Bastille.
- 86 Catacombs of Paris.
- 87 Luxembourg Palace.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
[edit]- 37 Havana (La Habana), Cuba. Havana is the first city Edward Kenway visits in Assassin's Creed: Black Flag.
- 38 Abacos, Bahamas. Edward sails here to look for supplies after betraying the Templars and forming his own pirate crew.
- 39 Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas. Edward sails here after resupplying at the Abacos.
- 93 Fort Nassau. A large starfort on the north-east side of the island. It was torn down in 1867 though the ruins remain.
- 94 Queen's Staircase. A 66 step staircase named after Queen Victoria.
- 40 Great Inagua, Bahamas. Edward follows a Spanish galleon to Great Inagua, he works his way north while trying not to get detected by Spanish soldiers and kills Du Casse. He and has crew then setup a hideout in the area.
- 41 Tulum (Tulu'um), Quintana Roo, Mexico. Edward sails to Tulum's ruins at the behest of James Kidd claiming it has something of importance to show.
- 95 Tulum Archaeological Site (Zona Arqueologíca de Tulum). Edward finds the Mayan armour after acquiring all the Mayan stelae.
- 42 Kingston, Jamaica.
- 96 Rose Hall, Montego Bay. Inspiration for Laurens Prins' manor.
- 43 Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Edward sails through the bayous of Charles-Towne to obtain the medicines for Blackbeard.
- 44 Isla de Providencia (Old Providence), Colombian Islands. Edward and fellow pirate captain Charles Vane get marooned here after Jack Rackham betrays them.
- 45 Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Adéwalé gets shipwrecked here in Assassin's Creed IV: Freedom Cry and builds his slave rebellion.
- 46 Tortuga, Haiti. Adéwalé frees slaves from a plantation on Tortuga in Assassin's Creed IV: Freedom Cry.
- Long Bay, Jamaica. Edward sails to Long Bay to find The Observatory.
- 47 Swan Islands (Santanillas).
- 48 Serranilla (Isla Serranilla). Edward assaults the fort there and claims it for the pirates.
Assassin's Creed: Rogue
[edit]- 57 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. One of the first settlements that Shay visits in Assassin's Creed: Rogue while still a member of the Assassin Order.
- 59 Anticosti Island (French: Île d'Anticosti), Quebec, Canada. Shay sails to Anticosti Island to meet the spy to get information on two missing artifacts.
- 60 Mount Vernon, Virginia, United States. Shay infiltrates Lawrence Washington's garden party to assassinate him.
- 61 Percé, Quebec, Canada. Shay sails to Percé. He later takes the settlement from the French on behalf of the British while working for the Templars.
- 63 Sleepy Hollow, New York, United States.
- New York City, New York, United States.
- 64 Greenwich, New York City, United States. Shay wakes up in Greenwich after betraying the Assassin brotherhood.
- 65 Manhattan, New York City, United States.
- 66 Port-Aux-Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Assassin's Creed: III
[edit]- 67 Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Most of Assassin's Creed III is set in Boston. Haytham Kenway first arrives in the city with his Templar contacts to find the vault, later the city plays a huge role in the 1776 American Revolution. Many of the sites are on Boston's Freedom Trail which consists of 16 city landmarks that were significant to the American Revolution.
- 97 Green Dragon Tavern, 11 Marshall St, ☏ +1 617-367-0055. The original Green Dragon Tavern was used as meeting place for both the Templars and then the Assassins. It was also the location where Paul Revere overheard the British plans and proceeded to warn of their arrival.
- 98 Old State House.
- 99 Old North Church.
- 99 Old South Meeting House.
- 99 King's Chapel.
- 99 Faneuil Hall.
- 99 Fort Independence. Connor assaulted the fort and took it from the Redcoats.
- 99 Liberty Tree. Site of a former elm tree. Now there's a plaque.
- 99 Beacon Hill.
- 68 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Connor witnesses the signing of the Declaration of Independence (note that Philadelphia isn't a playable city in Assassin's Creed III).
- 99 Independence Hall, 143 S. 3rd Street, ☏ +1 215 965-2305.
- 69 Concord, Massachusetts, USA. Concord was a town in the frontier area of Assassin's Creed III.
- 70 Little Brewster Island, Massachusetts, USA.
- 99 Boston Light, ☏ +1 617 223-8666. Boston Light was a lighthouse in the frontier area of Assassin's Creed III. The tower is open for group tours during spring, summer, and fall by arrangement only.
- 71 Monmouth, New Jersey, USA. Monmouth was an area of the frontier in Assassin's Creed III.
- 72 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
- 99 Fort Duquesne. Fort Duquesne was a fort in the frontier area in Assassin's Creed III.
- 73 Johnstown, New York, USA. Johnstown was a town in the frontier area of Assassin's Creed III.
- 99 Johnston Hall, 139 Hall Ave. Manor house that belonged to Sir William Johnston. Connor goes here to negotiate his tribe's land deal.
- 74 Lexington, Massachusetts, USA. Concord was a town in the frontier area of Assassin's Creed III. Connor assists Paul Revere in warning of the British's arrival.
- 75 Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA. Connor travels to Martha's Vineyard on the Assassin ship The Aquila to find his nemesis Charles Lee.
- 99 Fort Phoenix, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, USA. Connor and his crew on-board The Aquila neutralise the nearby Fort Phoenix by destroying its towers.
- 76 Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. Connor travels to Oak Island to uncover Captain Kidd's treasure.