Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the latest installment in the iconic series, transports players to the heart of feudal Japan, placing it squarely in the middle of the franchise's historical timeline. Unlike a typical linear progression, Assassin’s Creed games jump through time, exploring pivotal moments from the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece to the dawn of the First World War. With a staggering 14 mainline games and counting, the series' timeline grows ever more intricate. That's why IGN has meticulously pieced together every bit of lore to construct a comprehensive timeline that chronicles the key events of the Assassin’s Creed universe in chronological order.

The Isu Era

75,000 BCE

Before we dive into the timeline, let's set the stage with a bit of lore. In the distant past, a highly advanced civilization known as the Isu ruled Earth. These god-like beings created humanity to serve as their slaves, controlling them with powerful artifacts called the Apples of Eden. However, the human spirit yearned for freedom, leading to a revolution sparked by Adam and Eve, who stole an Apple of Eden and escaped Isu control. This rebellion escalated into a decade-long war, which was abruptly ended by a catastrophic solar flare that wiped out the Isu. Humanity, though severely diminished, rose from the ashes to claim the Earth.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War

Amid the chaos of the Peloponnesian War in Greece, mercenary Kassandra uncovers The Cult of Kosmos, a secretive group manipulating the conflict. Her journey reveals that her brother Alexios, kidnapped and turned into a formidable weapon by the Cult, is a descendant of the legendary Spartan King Leonidas, who himself was a direct descendant of the Isu. Kassandra's mission to thwart the Cult's domination of Greece leads her to destroy an Isu device used for predicting future outcomes. During her quest, she reconnects with her father, Pythagoras, another Isu descendant, who entrusts her with the Staff of Hermes, granting immortality, and tasks her with guarding Atlantis.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt

In the era of Cleopatra's rule, The Order of the Ancients, linked to the Cult of Kosmos, kidnaps peacekeeper Bayek and his son, believing Bayek's bloodline could unlock an Isu vault. Tragically, Bayek accidentally kills his son during their escape, fueling his quest for vengeance. Together with his wife Aya, they dismantle The Order's control over Egypt, which extends through puppet leaders like Ptolemy, Cleopatra, and Julius Caesar. Discovering The Order's global ambitions to manipulate politics and religion using the Apples of Eden, Bayek and Aya form The Hidden Ones, a secret society of spies and assassins, to counter this threat.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

861 - Islamic Golden Age

A century later, The Hidden Ones have established strongholds worldwide, including Alamut in Iran. Basim, a Baghdad street thief, is trained as an assassin and tasked with investigating The Order of the Ancients' activities. He discovers their plan to access an Isu temple beneath Alamut, which houses a technologically advanced prison once containing Loki, an Isu revered as a Norse god. Basim learns he is Loki's reincarnation and vows to avenge his past imprisonment.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

872 to 878 - Viking Invasion of England

In the following decade, Basim joins a Viking clan in England to hunt down members of The Order of the Ancients. Clan leaders Sigurd and Eivor seek allies to establish their settlement, Ravensthorpe, while uncovering King Alfred's tyrannical rule, influenced by The Order. After discovering an Isu artifact, Sigurd experiences visions, leading Basim to reveal that Eivor and Sigurd are reincarnations of Odin and Týr, Isu who imprisoned Loki. Eivor traps Basim in a simulated world created by the Yggdrasil tree, and after defeating King Alfred at the Battle of Chippenham, returns to Ravensthorpe as a hero.

Assassin’s Creed

1191 - Third Crusade

By the end of the 11th century, The Hidden Ones evolve into the Assassin Brotherhood, while their adversaries, The Order of the Ancients, transform into the Knights Templar. During the Third Crusade, assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad is tasked with stealing an Apple of Eden from the Templars. After successfully retrieving it but causing the death of a fellow assassin, Altaïr must assassinate nine Templar leaders to atone for his mistake. His mission uncovers a conspiracy to use the Apple's powers, revealing that his mentor, Al Mualim, had betrayed the Templars to secure the Apple for himself. Altaïr kills Al Mualim and assumes leadership of the Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed 2

1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

During the Italian Renaissance, Ezio Auditore Da Firenze joins the Assassin Brotherhood to avenge his family's execution, orchestrated by the Templars. Armed with his father's equipment and Leonardo Da Vinci's innovations, Ezio battles the Templar-aligned Borgia family. He secures an Apple of Eden, which leads him to a secret Isu vault beneath the Vatican. There, he confronts the Isu Minerva, who warns of an impending apocalypse in 2012 and reveals a global network of Isu vaults as humanity's potential salvation.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

After defeating the Pope in combat, Ezio finds the Apple of Eden stolen by the Borgia's Papal Army. He rallies the weakened Assassin Brotherhood, leading them to dismantle the Borgia regime and reclaim the Apple. Ezio hides it in an Isu vault beneath the Roman Colosseum to keep it safe from the Templars.

Assassin’s Creed Revelations

1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War

In search of Isu knowledge, Ezio travels to Masyaf to investigate Altaïr's library. The Templars are also after the library's secrets, requiring five keys to unlock it. Ezio allies with the Ottoman Assassins in Constantinople to thwart the Templars' plans and secure the keys. Inside the library, he finds Altaïr's remains and a message from the Isu Jupiter about data vital for humanity's survival stored in the Grand Temple. Ezio leaves the Apple locked inside as intended and retires, later succumbing to injuries sustained over his long career.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

1579 - Sengoku Period

Set during Japan's Sengoku period, Assassin’s Creed Shadows follows an African mercenary, Yasuke, and a Catholic Jesuit missionary as they arrive in Japan. Yasuke becomes a samurai under the powerful lord Oda Nobunaga, participating in the invasion of Iga province. There, he meets Naoe, the daughter of a shinobi master, and despite their initial opposition, they unite to pursue a common goal.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy

During the Golden Age of Piracy, Edward Kenway becomes entangled in a Templar conspiracy after killing an Assassin. He learns of their quest for The Observatory, an Isu device capable of spying on anyone. Only the Sage, a reincarnation of the Isu Aita, can unlock it. Edward allies with pirates to disrupt the Templars' plans, eventually confronting Bartholomew Roberts, the current Sage. After a betrayal, Edward retrieves the device's power source, assassinates Templar leader Laureano de Torres y Ayala, and seals it away, choosing the world's safety over personal gain.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue

1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War

Assassin Shay Patrick Cormac is sent to retrieve an Isu artifact from Lisbon, inadvertently causing a devastating earthquake. Guilt-ridden, Shay defects from the Brotherhood, stealing their map of Isu temples. Rescued by the Templars, he rises through their ranks, killing key Assassins and thwarting their efforts to uncover more Isu sites. Shay and Haytham Kenway, Edward's son, injure Achilles but spare his life to prevent further temple excavations. Shay later suggests sparking a revolution in France to counter the Assassins' influence in America.

Assassin’s Creed 3

1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

The Templars aim to unlock the Isu's Grand Temple, with Haytham Kenway obtaining the key in London. In the American Colonies, he falls in love with Mohawk woman Kaniehti:io, fathering Ratonhnhaké:ton (Connor Kenway). Years later, after Kaniehti:io's death, Connor seeks revenge and joins the Assassins. During the American Revolution, he eliminates Templars within the British forces, eventually confronting Haytham. Their ideological clash leads to Connor killing his father and burying the Grand Temple key, thwarting the Templars' plans.

Assassin’s Creed Liberation

1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana

Aveline de Grandpré, an assassin in New Orleans, uncovers a Templar plot to control Louisiana, part of a larger conspiracy led by the 'Company Man' using slaves to unearth an Isu temple. Aveline gathers three components forming the 'Prophecy Disk', learning that her stepmother is the Company Man, grooming her for the Templars. Aveline kills her stepmother and activates the disk, revealing the story of Eve, the human rebellion's leader against the Isu.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Orphaned Arno Dorian, taken in by the French Templar Grand Master, is framed for murder and imprisoned. An Assassin helps him escape, leading to the discovery of a Templar rift led by François-Thomas Germain, who aims to ignite the French Revolution. Arno and his sister Élise pursue Germain, who attempts to use a Sword of Eden against Arno. The sword explodes, killing Élise and revealing Germain as the current Sage. Arno seals Germain's remains in the Paris Catacombs, keeping them from the Templars.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

1868 - Victorian England

In Victorian London, twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye seek The Shroud, an Isu device. They uncover the Templars' control over the city through industry, politics, and crime. Jacob targets the Templars' leadership, while Evie races to find The Shroud. Templar leader Crawford Starrick steals it from Buckingham Palace, but the twins assassinate him and return it to its vault. Jacob later leads the London Assassins, with Evie tracking down Jack the Ripper. During WWI, their daughter Lydia investigates a Templar-run German spy facility, killing the latest Sage.

Transition Period

1914 to 2012

The Assassin’s Creed series uses a modern-day framing story. During this period, the Templars establish Abstergo Industries in 1937, a pharmaceutical company aimed at controlling the world through capitalism. In the late 1970s, Abstergo develops the Animus, a virtual reality machine that explores ancestral memories, hoping to control the future by understanding the past.

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

2012

In 2012, Desmond Miles is abducted by Abstergo and forced into the Animus to locate Isu artifacts. An Assassin mole, Lucy Stillman, helps him escape to a Brotherhood safehouse, where he explores Ezio's memories, learning of an impending apocalypse. Desmond finds an Apple of Eden beneath the Roman Colosseum, but Juno, a villainous Isu, possesses him, leading to Lucy's death. Despite a coma, Desmond relives Ezio's final memories, discovering the Grand Temple. Awakened, he sacrifices himself at the Temple to prevent the apocalypse, unleashing Juno.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

2013

Using Desmond's samples, Abstergo explores Edward Kenway's memories to find The Observatory. Researcher "The Noob" is assigned this task and asked by IT head John Standish to hack Abstergo's systems. Standish, revealed as the modern-day Sage, plans to use The Noob as a host for Juno, but her emergence is delayed. Standish tries to kill The Noob, but is killed by Abstergo security.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

2014

Abstergo releases "Helix," allowing the public to experience genetic memories. An initiate, guided by Assassin Bishop, relives Arno Dorian's life to locate Sage François-Thomas Germain's remains, believed safe in the Paris Catacombs.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

2015

The initiate searches for The Shroud, learning it's hidden beneath Buckingham Palace. Abstergo beats the Assassins to it, planning to create a living Isu. Juno manipulates Abstergo employees to sabotage this plan.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

2017

Layla Hassan, an Abstergo researcher, develops a new Animus version using DNA samples, reliving Bayek and Aya's memories to uncover The Hidden Ones' origins. William Miles recruits her into the Assassin Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

2018

Using DNA from the Spear of Leonidas, Layla explores Kassandra's memories, locating Atlantis. Kassandra, alive due to the Staff of Hermes, tells Layla of the need for balance between Assassins and Templars and gives her the Staff. Kassandra dies, relieved of her duty.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

2020

Layla and the Assassins explore Eivor's memories, discovering the Yggdrasil computer in Norway. Magnetic field disturbances, caused by Desmond's 2012 actions, are investigated. Inside Yggdrasil's simulation, Layla works with Desmond's manifestation to prevent future apocalypses. Basim escapes, claiming the Staff of Hermes, which contains Aletheia's consciousness, and joins the Assassins to find Loki's children.