The 10 BIGGEST Betrayals In Assassin's Creed Games
biggest betrayals in assassin's creed, assassin's creed biggest betrayals, assassin's creed betrayals, assassin's creed, ubisoft, playstation, xbox, pc, assassin's creed valhalla, assassin's creed rogue, assassin's creed odyssey, black flag, assassin's creed unity, assassin's creed origins, assassin's creed brotherhood, watchmojo, watch mojo, top 10, list, Video Games, Adventure Games, mojo, mojoplays,
Welcome to MojoPlays! Today, we’re looking at the 10 biggest betrayals in “Assassin’s Creed” games. You just can’t trust anyone in this franchise!
We’re not actually talking about Sigurd’s betrayal of the clan, which isn’t so much of a betrayal as him just being a terrible leader with no real sense of responsibility. No, we’re talking about the ways Eivor betrays their brother. The game’s ending is determined by how much you may or may not have mistreated Sigurd, which you can do in a slew of ways – the most notable of which being that you can seduce and have an affair with his wife, Randvi. While you can also NOT do this, we know that very few players were able to turn her down, and cuckolding your own adoptive brother is a pretty major betrayal.
We already knew Shay was a traitor before the game came out because that was the entire premise; he’s a rogue Assassin who decides to align himself with the Templars after witnessing the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake, which the Assassins caused. But as interesting a game as “Rogue” is, Shay’s actions are still severe. He may seem justified in his outrage against the Assassins, but he then turns on his former teachers and assassinates them all in turn. Plus, he also kills Charles Dorian, Arno’s father, right in front of the poor kid, setting into motion the events of “Assassin’s Creed Unity”.
Wife of Perikles and major political figure during the Peloponnesian War, who knew that Aspasia – who always seemed so friendly – was actually the Ghost of Kosmos all along? In truth, the twist gets a little obvious the deeper you get into hunting the cultists, since there’s very few characters left who fit the bill, but it’s still a shocking reveal that she’s been working against you all this time. On the other hand, you do discover that your goals align and that Aspasia actually wanted you to destroy the cult, but she could have told you all this way earlier in the game, and she’s still the leader of a cult that has done horrific things to the protagonist and the wider Greek world.
Considering ALL of Kenway’s friends and allies are villainous pirates of the high seas, there’s not much reason initially to distrust Bartholomew Roberts. You’re already palling around with Blackbeard and Anne Bonny, after all. But wouldn’t you know, it turns out that Black Bart can’t be trusted. He helps Kenway to find the Observatory on Jamaica until, predictably enough, turning on him, stealing the Crystal Skull for himself, and trying to kill him. It seemed obvious that Roberts wasn’t trustworthy, but we still couldn’t believe just how many times Ubisoft had him betray you. And then the IT guy in the future tries to pull almost the same stunt again!
The first game was clearly building up to something with Altaïr’s nine targets getting increasingly influential and difficult to kill, but as this was the first game in the series, we didn’t know yet to expect ludicrous plot twists. So, Al Mualim, leader of the Assassins, being in cahoots with the Templars all along was a great twist and a hard-hitting betrayal. He did it all so that he could get his hands on the legendary Apple of Eden, which we now know to be an Isu relic, though at the time its origins and power were still mysterious. Altaïr having to fight and defeat his former master made for an excellent finale.
Speaking of Assassins who need to defeat their mentors, Arno goes through a similar journey in “Unity”, albeit much sooner in the game. After he gets sent to the Bastille, he meets Pierre Bellec, who apparently knew his father. It turns out this is because Bellec is also an Assassin, and once the Bastille is stormed in 1789, he takes Arno under his wing. But then, shockingly, Bellec kills Mirabeau, leader of the Assassins, because he’s sick of the uneasy truce between the Assassins and the Templars. Arno must hunt him down and then kill him in a dramatic fight on the roof of Notre-Dame.
The players could see that trusting Cleopatra was a bad idea ahead of time, as could Bayek, but Aya remained loyal to her until she showed her true colors. Believing Cleopatra really wanted to do what was best for Egypt, Aya was for a while one of her most dedicated defenders. However, Cleopatra really didn’t want what was best for the Egyptian people, and continually sided against Egypt alongside the Romans – thanks to her relationships with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Caesar and Cleopatra betray Bayek and Aya by initially sparing Lucius Septimius’ life, and they pay the ultimate price.
This betrayal loses some weight because it all happened before the main events of the games, but its impact on the narrative of the series can’t be understated. Once, the Isu were the pseudo-divine controllers of Earth. They created humanity to be their slaves, but eventually, humans proved that they had the power to fight the Isu and control their own destinies. Minerva was one of the moderate Isu leaders, but Juno detested humanity, and went out of her way to ensure humanity was either destroyed or controlled. Her betrayal of her fellow Isu basically launched the entire franchise.
Who could forget one of the most brutal deaths of the whole series? At the end of “Brotherhood”, the modern-day Assassins reach the Isu Temple where the Apple of Eden is. But just when things seem to be looking up for them, the Apple’s power is unleashed. Juno appears and uses the Apple to force Desmond to kill Lucy. We later found out during “Revelations” that Lucy’s loyalty, often called into question, really did belong to the Templars, and that she was a triple agent this entire time. Her betrayal still hurts today, but worse is the fact that it’s still only been poorly explained by Ubisoft.
Undoubtedly, the betrayal of the hardcore fans is something Ubisoft will perhaps never be forgiven for. For years, people have been lamenting the slow deterioration of “Assassin’s Creed” as it slips further and further away from the franchise we came to know and love all those years ago. The newer games aren’t bad, but as fans always say, “they’re not ‘Assassin’s Creed’ anymore”. RPGs full of complex combat, romance options, and a distinct lack of targets to systematically assassinate in the main story, it's easy to see why people think that. Not to mention the constant lack of polish thanks to Ubisoft’s mistreatment of its staff and relentless annual release cycle. And now, the real salt in the wound is the announcement of a live service “Assassin’s Creed Infinity”.
Sigurd
“Assassin’s Creed Valhalla” (2020)We’re not actually talking about Sigurd’s betrayal of the clan, which isn’t so much of a betrayal as him just being a terrible leader with no real sense of responsibility. No, we’re talking about the ways Eivor betrays their brother. The game’s ending is determined by how much you may or may not have mistreated Sigurd, which you can do in a slew of ways – the most notable of which being that you can seduce and have an affair with his wife, Randvi. While you can also NOT do this, we know that very few players were able to turn her down, and cuckolding your own adoptive brother is a pretty major betrayal.
Shay Cormac
“Assassin’s Creed Rogue” (2014)We already knew Shay was a traitor before the game came out because that was the entire premise; he’s a rogue Assassin who decides to align himself with the Templars after witnessing the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake, which the Assassins caused. But as interesting a game as “Rogue” is, Shay’s actions are still severe. He may seem justified in his outrage against the Assassins, but he then turns on his former teachers and assassinates them all in turn. Plus, he also kills Charles Dorian, Arno’s father, right in front of the poor kid, setting into motion the events of “Assassin’s Creed Unity”.
Aspasia
“Assassin’s Creed Odyssey” (2018)Wife of Perikles and major political figure during the Peloponnesian War, who knew that Aspasia – who always seemed so friendly – was actually the Ghost of Kosmos all along? In truth, the twist gets a little obvious the deeper you get into hunting the cultists, since there’s very few characters left who fit the bill, but it’s still a shocking reveal that she’s been working against you all this time. On the other hand, you do discover that your goals align and that Aspasia actually wanted you to destroy the cult, but she could have told you all this way earlier in the game, and she’s still the leader of a cult that has done horrific things to the protagonist and the wider Greek world.
Black Bart
“Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag” (2013)Considering ALL of Kenway’s friends and allies are villainous pirates of the high seas, there’s not much reason initially to distrust Bartholomew Roberts. You’re already palling around with Blackbeard and Anne Bonny, after all. But wouldn’t you know, it turns out that Black Bart can’t be trusted. He helps Kenway to find the Observatory on Jamaica until, predictably enough, turning on him, stealing the Crystal Skull for himself, and trying to kill him. It seemed obvious that Roberts wasn’t trustworthy, but we still couldn’t believe just how many times Ubisoft had him betray you. And then the IT guy in the future tries to pull almost the same stunt again!
Al Mualim
“Assassin’s Creed” (2007)The first game was clearly building up to something with Altaïr’s nine targets getting increasingly influential and difficult to kill, but as this was the first game in the series, we didn’t know yet to expect ludicrous plot twists. So, Al Mualim, leader of the Assassins, being in cahoots with the Templars all along was a great twist and a hard-hitting betrayal. He did it all so that he could get his hands on the legendary Apple of Eden, which we now know to be an Isu relic, though at the time its origins and power were still mysterious. Altaïr having to fight and defeat his former master made for an excellent finale.
Pierre Bellec
“Assassin’s Creed Unity” (2014)Speaking of Assassins who need to defeat their mentors, Arno goes through a similar journey in “Unity”, albeit much sooner in the game. After he gets sent to the Bastille, he meets Pierre Bellec, who apparently knew his father. It turns out this is because Bellec is also an Assassin, and once the Bastille is stormed in 1789, he takes Arno under his wing. But then, shockingly, Bellec kills Mirabeau, leader of the Assassins, because he’s sick of the uneasy truce between the Assassins and the Templars. Arno must hunt him down and then kill him in a dramatic fight on the roof of Notre-Dame.
Cleopatra
“Assassin’s Creed Origins” (2017)The players could see that trusting Cleopatra was a bad idea ahead of time, as could Bayek, but Aya remained loyal to her until she showed her true colors. Believing Cleopatra really wanted to do what was best for Egypt, Aya was for a while one of her most dedicated defenders. However, Cleopatra really didn’t want what was best for the Egyptian people, and continually sided against Egypt alongside the Romans – thanks to her relationships with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Caesar and Cleopatra betray Bayek and Aya by initially sparing Lucius Septimius’ life, and they pay the ultimate price.
Juno
“Assassin’s Creed” series (2007-)This betrayal loses some weight because it all happened before the main events of the games, but its impact on the narrative of the series can’t be understated. Once, the Isu were the pseudo-divine controllers of Earth. They created humanity to be their slaves, but eventually, humans proved that they had the power to fight the Isu and control their own destinies. Minerva was one of the moderate Isu leaders, but Juno detested humanity, and went out of her way to ensure humanity was either destroyed or controlled. Her betrayal of her fellow Isu basically launched the entire franchise.
Lucy Stillman
“Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood” (2010)Who could forget one of the most brutal deaths of the whole series? At the end of “Brotherhood”, the modern-day Assassins reach the Isu Temple where the Apple of Eden is. But just when things seem to be looking up for them, the Apple’s power is unleashed. Juno appears and uses the Apple to force Desmond to kill Lucy. We later found out during “Revelations” that Lucy’s loyalty, often called into question, really did belong to the Templars, and that she was a triple agent this entire time. Her betrayal still hurts today, but worse is the fact that it’s still only been poorly explained by Ubisoft.
The Fans
“Assassin’s Creed” series (2007-)Undoubtedly, the betrayal of the hardcore fans is something Ubisoft will perhaps never be forgiven for. For years, people have been lamenting the slow deterioration of “Assassin’s Creed” as it slips further and further away from the franchise we came to know and love all those years ago. The newer games aren’t bad, but as fans always say, “they’re not ‘Assassin’s Creed’ anymore”. RPGs full of complex combat, romance options, and a distinct lack of targets to systematically assassinate in the main story, it's easy to see why people think that. Not to mention the constant lack of polish thanks to Ubisoft’s mistreatment of its staff and relentless annual release cycle. And now, the real salt in the wound is the announcement of a live service “Assassin’s Creed Infinity”.
Have an idea you want to see made into a WatchMojo video? Check out our suggest page and submit your idea.
Step up your quiz game by answering fun trivia questions! Love games with friends? Challenge friends and family in our leaderboard! Play Now!