Assassin's Creed Shadows might be the newest addition to the franchise, but its feudal Japan setting places it chronologically near the middle of the series' sprawling history. That's because the Assassin's Creed games don't follow a strict timeline; they jump back and forth through history, exploring pivotal events from the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece to the eve of World War I.

With 14 mainline games and counting, keeping track of this complex, centuries-spanning narrative can be tricky. That's why IGN has meticulously researched the series' rich lore to present a clear, chronological timeline of key events and how each game fits into the overarching story.

The Isu Era

75,000 BCE

Before we delve into the Assassin's Creed timeline, a bit of backstory is needed. Long ago, a highly advanced civilization of god-like beings, known as the Isu, ruled the Earth. They created humanity to serve as their slaves, maintaining control through powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, humanity rebelled, with Eve and Adam stealing an Apple and 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 in Greece, mercenary Kassandra uncovers the Cult of Kosmos, a shadowy organization secretly manipulating the conflict. She discovers her long-lost brother, Alexios, was kidnapped as a child and transformed into a demigod-like weapon by the Cult. Kassandra learns the Cult targeted Alexios due to his Isu lineage, tracing back to the legendary Spartan King Leonidas. Kassandra’s quest to thwart the Cult’s plans involves confronting them, destroying an Isu device capable of predicting futures, and ultimately reuniting with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt

During Cleopatra's reign in Egypt, Bayek and his wife Aya confront the Order of the Ancients, another shadowy organization working with the Cult of Kosmos. The Order kidnaps Bayek and his son, believing his bloodline holds the key to an Isu vault. Tragedy strikes, leading Bayek to dedicate himself to dismantling the Order. Bayek and Aya's efforts to expose the Order's global conspiracy to control politics and religion lead them to establish the Hidden Ones, a precursor to the Assassin Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

861 - Islamic Golden Age

Centuries later, the Hidden Ones, now firmly established, train Basim Ibn Ishaq, a street thief from Baghdad, as an assassin. Basim's mission involves investigating the Order of the Ancients in Baghdad, leading him to discover an Isu temple beneath Alamut and a technologically advanced prison holding Loki, an Isu considered a god by the Norse. Basim learns of his own connection to Loki and embarks on a path of 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 of the Ancients. Eivor and Sigurd, the clan's leaders, navigate the political landscape of England, encountering King Alfred, a Templar seeking to establish a Christian order. The discovery of an Isu artifact triggers visions for Sigurd, revealing his and Eivor's Isu heritage and Basim's vengeful intentions. Eivor ultimately confronts Basim, trapping him in a simulated world, and establishes herself as the leader of the clan.

Assassin’s Creed

1191 - Third Crusade

Over the next centuries, the Hidden Ones evolve into the Assassin Brotherhood, facing the Knights Templar, the evolved Order of the Ancients. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, an Assassin during the Third Crusade, steals an Apple of Eden, leading him on a quest to assassinate Templar leaders and ultimately confront his mentor, Al Mualim, who secretly sought to control the Apple's power.

Assassin’s Creed 2

1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

Ezio Auditore da Firenze joins the Assassin Brotherhood seeking revenge against the Templars. His journey involves confronting the Borgia family, acquiring an Apple of Eden, and discovering a hidden Isu vault beneath the Vatican. A vision of Minerva reveals a looming catastrophe in 2012, hinting at the importance of a network of Isu vaults.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

Following the loss of the Apple of Eden, Ezio rebuilds the Roman Brotherhood, reclaiming the Apple and hiding it in an Isu vault beneath the Colosseum.

Assassin’s Creed Revelations

1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War

Ezio travels to Masyaf to investigate Altaïr's library, uncovering a message from Jupiter about the Grand Temple and its importance in humanity's survival.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

1579 - Sengoku Period

[ttpp] Details about the storyline of Assassin's Creed Shadows are still limited, but it involves an African mercenary, Yasuke, in 16th-century Japan during the Sengoku period, intertwining with the political landscape and the daughter of a shinobi master.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy

Edward Kenway becomes entangled in a Templar conspiracy involving the Observatory, an Isu device, and the Sage, leading him on a quest that involves piracy, alliances, betrayals, and ultimately, the safeguarding of the Observatory.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue

1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War

Shay Patrick Cormac, disillusioned by the Assassins' actions, defects to the Templars, leading him on a path of conflict against his former allies and a quest to prevent the discovery of Isu artifacts.

Assassin’s Creed 3

1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

Connor Kenway, son of a Templar and a Mohawk woman, becomes an Assassin, fighting against the Templars during the American Revolution and ultimately preventing them from obtaining the key to the Grand Temple.

Assassin’s Creed Liberation

1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana

Aveline de Grandpré, an Assassin in New Orleans, uncovers a Templar plot involving slavery and an Isu artifact, leading her to confront her own stepmother and activate a Prophecy Disk.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Arno Dorian, orphaned and adopted by a Templar, becomes an Assassin, navigating the French Revolution and confronting the extremist Templar, François-Thomas Germain.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

1868 - Victorian England

Twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye fight the Templars in Victorian London, competing to find the Shroud and ultimately thwarting Crawford Starrick's plans.

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Transition Period

1914 to 2012

The Templars establish Abstergo Industries, using the Animus to explore the memories of ancestors to control the future.

Assassin’s Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3

2012

Desmond Miles, an Assassin descendant, uses the Animus to locate Isu artifacts, ultimately sacrificing himself to prevent an apocalypse.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

2013

Abstergo continues its search for Isu technology, using Edward Kenway's memories, leading to the discovery of the modern-day Sage.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

2014

Abstergo's Helix project allows players to explore Arno Dorian's memories, leading to the discovery of Germain's remains.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

2015

The initiate explores the Frye twins' memories, uncovering Abstergo's plans for the Shroud and Juno's interference.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

2017

Layla Hassan uses Bayek and Aya's DNA to explore the origins of the Hidden Ones and is recruited by the Assassins.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

2018

Layla explores Kassandra's memories, discovering Atlantis and receiving the Staff of Hermes.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

2020

Layla explores Eivor's memories, discovering Yggdrasil and working with Basim and Desmond's consciousness to prevent future apocalypses.

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