The REAL History Behind Assassins Creed

The Assassins Creed Series takes place in real periods of history, but what part of those periods are actually real, and what is just made up? Some deeper historical context might help. For example the organizations in the game, did the Order of Assassins, and the Knights Templar actually exist? Well the Assassins were an order founded by the shia Muslims founded by Hassan-i Sabbāh during the first crusades. Instead of direct attacks Hassan-e Sabbāh would send out particular members to kill high ranking leaders. In fact it is thought that the word assassin is derived from the word assassiyun which means those faithful to the foundation. In the game the assassin stronghold of Masyaf is the headquarters of the order. And while this was the case during the games timeframe (1191) the layout of the castle is mostly fictionalized.

The assassins power began to wan as the Mongol Empire began to destroy many of their strongholds during the 13th century. And by the 14th century the last remnants of the brotherhood were swept away. So while assassination techniques could have been passed down from Italy to Colonial America, the actual order of the assassins was long gone.

Now the games antagonist, The Knights Templar was another real organization, that has been the source of many conspiracy theories. The Templar's were founded to protect Christian pilgrims in the holy land. Initially impoverished the knights grew in power due to the Popes favor. Between military victories against muslims and using their own assets to set up a banking system for pilgrims The Knights Templar became one of the most powerful organizations in the world. However the Crusades dragged on and the Muslims regained much of the holy land and The Knights Templar became less and less popular. By 1312 the church officially disbanded the organization. While several groups claim to be philosophical heirs to the Templars, such as the Free Masons, there is no direct link of any kind.

In what ways are the games weapons and tactics realistic? The original Assassins carried out their task with a knife or other form of blade but unfortunately the retractable hidden blades of the games didn't really exist. In addition Assassins typically didn't use poison or bows and arrows as these were thought to be sloppy and increased the targets chance for survival. Along side the blade Assassins also used intimidation to achieve their objective. For example the aversion of collateral damage to innocent bystanders, a feature present in the game.

An upcoming side mission (downloadable content) for Assassins Creed 3 has a plot where George Washington becomes a tyrant, and also becomes King of the U.S after successfully defeating the British. Its an interesting alternative history, so that leads to the question could George Washington become King if had so desired? Well there were two points in history where such a result could have taken place. First was at the end of the war where several officers in the continental army were angry at not being paid by congress, and were looking for a strong figure to completely take over the new country. Washington easily fit the criteria for this role. Another chance was when Washington was elected first president, he was so popular that it is not out of line to say that he could have taken full control, bypassed congress, and became king with the support of the public. He also refused to run for a third term a custom kept by many presidents.

So the Assassins Creed definitely has some fact to it.