Believe it or not, 2022 marks the 15th anniversary of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series. And, oh boy, have we ever done a lot of murdering in that time. But it’s not just the series’ trademark hidden blades that serve as the ultimate weapon in the battle against the Templars, but also the avatar who wields them - which is to say, the character that we control, as the player of these games. And there’s been a few of those, too, from the original game of 2007’s Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad, stabbing up folk in the late 12th century, to 2020’s Valhalla and its Viking protagonist Eivor.
But, which assassin of the Assassin’s Creed series is the best assassin? Well, thankfully, we have something of an all-things-Ass-Creed expert on the GAMINGbible team, who’s played these games extensively and knows their way around the lesser-known Animus-powered historical hitpersons. And so it’s to them we asked: hey, who is the best? And this is what we’ve been told… in reverse order, of course.
Advert
4: Evie Frye
As seen - and played - in 2015’s Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Evie is one of a pair of twins who find themselves thrown into a Victorian underworld of organised crime controlled, predictably enough, by those rotten Templars. Supremely driven in her cause, Evie is exceptionally skilled and the teachings of the Assassin brotherhood flow through her veins like so much of the claret stuff gushes out of her victims. Oh,and did we mention her cane sword? Evie’s cane sword is simply one of the coolest weapons-slash-fashion accessories of the entire AC series. Adding further substance to Evie’s placement here is the Syndicate DLC, Jack the Ripper, in which she returns as the playable protag but is now in her 40s - not that age has slowed her down or made the punishment she deals out any less lethal.
3: Edward Kenway
Advert
The star of 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Welsh pirate Edward was an immediate hit with series fans for his dubious morals, barely veiled sarcasm and general cavalier nature. As we sailed him across the Caribbean of the early 18th century we met all manner of famous faces from the real history of piracy, from Anne Bonny and Calico Jack through to the most notorious of them all, Blackbeard. And yet, it’s Edward who leaves the deepest impression from Black Flag. A skilled swordsman and assured captain of the Jackdaw, it’s he who locates the Templars’ observatory - a key moment in Creed series lore - and a gradual cooling of his roguish recklessness to a considerate friend and caring member of the Assassins.
2. Bayek of Siwa
The main protagonist of 2017’s Assassin’s Creed Origins, Bayek is perhaps the most dangerous and outright terrifying assassin in the series. He does not think twice about killing those who step in his path - a bodies-littered one that he’s walked since the loss of his son, Khemu. But at the same time he shows occasional vulnerability, in select circumstances - such as when regrets the completion of one mission that sees a son left without a father. Lore wise, Bayek is the first assassin to have a finger removed by the series’ trademark hidden blade, an act that would become essential for pledging loyalty to the Assassin order, which is kind of a big deal (although Bayek might argue he never meant to chop off his ring finger, the way he did). Also: Pyramids. He can get up those like a cat up a tree. Which TBF, is enough alone to make him one of the series’ greatest playable characters.
Advert
1. Ezio Auditore da Firenze
It had to be. No other playable assassin in the Assassin’s Creed series has had so much story, so much character development - and, arguably, so much darn style. A constant thorn in the Templars’ side, a terror capable of striking from anywhere, Eizo is a master of hhis craft - namely, the stabby-stabby murder of many a baddie. He freed Renaissance-era Rome, Venice and Florence from the grip of the Templars; always found time for his wife and family (after other outlets, that is); and had the best theme music in AC history. The games Eizo was a star of - Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood and Revelations - are long-standing fan favourites, and it’s this man, this icon, who still represents the face of the AC series to many players. The greatest of all time, then? No shadow of a doubt.
Assassin’s Creed, eh? That sure has been a big series, with millions of copies sold. Which no doubt means some of you disagree with the above. That’s cool - you can tell us how wrong we are on Facebook or Twitter, Instagram or Tiktok.
Topics: Assassins Creed, List, Opinion, no article matching