The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline

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

With 14 mainline games and counting, the timeline is undeniably complex. IGN has meticulously pieced together the centuries-spanning narrative, outlining the overarching story and how each game fits within the larger tapestry. The result is this chronologically ordered timeline, highlighting key events in the Assassin's Creed universe.

The Isu Era: 75,000 BCE

Before we delve into the historical timeline, a bit of lore is necessary. Eons ago, a highly advanced civilization of god-like beings, known as the Isu, ruled Earth. They created humanity to serve as their slaves, maintaining control through powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. Humanity, naturally resistant to enslavement, 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 chaos of the Peloponnesian War, mercenary Kassandra uncovers the Cult of Kosmos, a clandestine organization 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 lineage, tracing back to legendary Spartan King Leonidas. Kassandra thwarts the Cult's plan, destroying an Isu device that predicted the future, and bringing an end to the war. She reunites with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who bestows upon her the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality, and tasks her with protecting Atlantis.

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

During Cleopatra's reign, Bayek and his wife Aya confront the Order of the Ancients, another shadowy organization collaborating with the Cult of Kosmos. After a tragic loss, Bayek dedicates himself to dismantling the Order, which secretly controls Egypt. Their struggle reveals the Order's global reach and ambition to control politics and religion using Isu artifacts. Bayek and Aya establish the Hidden Ones, a precursor to the Assassin Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage: 861 - Islamic Golden Age

Centuries later, Basim Ibn Ishaq, a street thief in Baghdad, is trained as an assassin within the Hidden Ones' Alamut fortress. He investigates the Order of the Ancients' activities, uncovering their pursuit of an Isu temple beneath Alamut. Basim discovers his connection to Loki, an Isu, 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. Eivor and Sigurd, leaders of the clan, face King Alfred's tyranny. Basim reveals their Isu lineage as reincarnations of Odin and Týr, triggering a confrontation that leaves Eivor victorious and Basim trapped within a simulated world generated by the Yggdrasil tree.

Assassin’s Creed: 1191 - Third Crusade

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, ultimately confronting and defeating his mentor, Al Mualim, who sought to control the world with its power.

Assassin’s Creed 2: 1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

Ezio Auditore da Firenze seeks revenge against the Templars, acquiring an Apple of Eden that reveals the location of an Isu vault beneath the Vatican. He confronts Rodrigo Borgia, the Templar Grand Master and Pope, gaining access to the vault and receiving a warning from Minerva about an impending apocalypse.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood: 1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

Following the loss of the Apple of Eden, Ezio rebuilds the Assassin Brotherhood, reclaiming the artifact and securing it within an Isu vault.

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

Ezio travels to Masyaf, uncovering Altaïr's library and a message from Jupiter about the Grand Temple. He discovers the Apple of Eden and the location of crucial information for humanity's survival.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: 1579 - Sengoku Period

In 16th-century Japan, Yasuke, an African mercenary, aids Oda Nobunaga, uniting with Naoe, daughter of a shinobi master, in a shared quest. Further details of the storyline are yet to be fully revealed.

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. He eventually secures the device, preventing its misuse by the Templars.

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

Shay Patrick Cormac, after a catastrophic event, defects from the Assassin Brotherhood to the Templars, thwarting the Assassins' search for Isu artifacts and influencing the French Revolution.

Assassin’s Creed 3: 1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

Connor Kenway, son of Haytham Kenway, fights against the Templars during the American Revolution, ultimately preventing them from accessing the Grand Temple.

Assassin’s Creed Liberation: 1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana

Aveline de Grandpré confronts the Templars in New Orleans, uncovering a conspiracy involving slaves and an Isu artifact, the Prophecy Disk.

Assassin’s Creed Unity: 1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Arno Dorian seeks revenge and uncovers a Templar plot during the French Revolution, ultimately confronting and defeating François-Thomas Germain, a Sage.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate: 1868 - Victorian England

Jacob and Evie Frye combat the Templars in Victorian London, recovering The Shroud and preventing a Templar plot to control Britain.

The following sections detailing the modern-day storyline (Transition Period, Assassin's Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3; Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag; Assassin's Creed Unity; Assassin's Creed Syndicate; Assassin's Creed Origins; Assassin's Creed Odyssey; Assassin's Creed Valhalla) and the complete Assassin's Creed playlist are maintained in their original format due to length and complexity.