The 10 BIGGEST Mysteries In Assassin's Creed Games
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VOICE OVER: Riccardo Tucci
WRITTEN BY: Caitlin Johnson
Welcome to MojoPlays! Today, we're looking at the 10 biggest mysteries in “Assassin's Creed” games. Ubisoft hates answering our questions! Our list includes Dead Letters “Assassin's Creed Syndicate” (2015), The Ark of the Covenant “Assassin's Creed” (2007), Why Are They All British? “Assassin's Creed Unity” (2014), Pyramid Hidden Room “Assassin's Creed Origins” (2017), The Reader “Assassin's Creed Valhalla” (2020) and more!
Script written by Caitlin Johnson
Welcome to MojoPlays! Today, we’re looking at the 10 biggest mysteries in “Assassin’s Creed” games. Ubisoft hates answering our questions!
Charles Dickens needs the help of the Frye twins to solve London’s many supernatural mysteries. Invariably, they’re all proven to be hoaxes, but the second mission, Dead Letters, sees the twins rescue a woman in the midst of being kidnapped, hijacking the carriage and bringing her to safety. When the carriage is opened, it’s empty save for a mysterious letter. The mission ends with them supposedly waking up from sleep – or, was it the influence of the supernatural? The game leaves this a fun mystery to debate.
In the Bible, the ornate Ark of the Covenant contains the tablets that the original Ten Commandments are written on, as given to the Israelites by God. You’re probably most familiar with it because of its role as the MacGuffin in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, but it also had a cameo appearance at the beginning of the very first “Assassin’s Creed” game. Altaïr sees it in Solomon’s Temple during the tutorial, and then it promptly disappears forever. The series has decided to never explain what it actually is or why it was only there for the intro sequence, though we can assume that it’s probably just another Isu relic.
In one of the most baffling creative decisions in the entire franchise, “Assassin’s Creed Unity” went to France and decided that all the Parisians needed to have British accents, for some reason. It was explained by the game’s creative director, who said that the Animus was translating everything into English. He said it wouldn’t make sense for them to have French accents, despite the fact EVERY OTHER “Assassin’s Creed” has characters speak English with a native accent. Altaïr’s voice was even retconned in later games because he spoke with an American accent in the first one. Most of the voice actors themselves also aren’t British, and they also have voice lines in French from time to time that DON’T get translated by the Animus. None of it makes sense, Ubisoft!
Just what IS eagle vision, exactly? In the older games it’s simply your helpful detective vision overlay, revealing hidden clues and showing who’s an enemy, ally, and target. But it’s also some kind of superpower that Desmond is able to inherit via the Bleeding Effect and the Animus. And then, in “Assassin’s Creed Origins”, we find out that Bayek’s pet eagle Senu is his “eagle vision”, giving him a bird’s eye view of the environments. This continued with Ikaros and, stranger yet, Eivor’s bird Sýnin, who’s actually a raven and not an eagle at all. Supposedly, it’s caused by humans possessing Isu DNA, but it’s still not been explained how it transferred from actual birds to people. Do the birds have Isu ancestors as well?
The mystery of how Ubisoft predicted the future remains, even a few years on. When it comes to iconic pieces of architecture, Ubisoft is always careful to be as accurate as possible – after all, it’s the famous landmarks that truly give the worlds their authenticity. But they took that a step further by adding a secret, hidden chamber inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, a chamber that was discovered for real right after the game released. Ubisoft actually credits the in-depth research they did on the archaeology of the pyramids – or maybe they’ve got a crystal ball they can consult. Although, if that were the case, they’d probably have delayed “Assassin’s Creed Unity”.
Another bizarre plot decision, at the end of “Assassin’s Creed III” with the apocalypse averted, Desmond Miles is forced to release Juno. He saves the world – at least, in the short term – but dies in the process. By this point, Desmond is already one of the most powerful and knowledgeable members of the Brotherhood, but his allies, including his father, decide to just leave his body behind in the Vault. It’s supposedly so that they can get away from Juno, but Desmond’s body quickly falls into the hands of the Templars, which is how we keep seeing the memories of his ancestors despite his death. But this messy plot contrivance just doesn’t make sense and is never properly explained; Ubisoft just couldn’t think of another way to continue the story.
Layla, Shaun and Rebecca spend “AC Valhalla” in a secluded corner of Vinland, in modern day North America - upstate New York to be specific. Some people thought the “Dawn of Ragnarök” DLC would explain how and why Eivor decided to go to Vinland, but this isn’t the case. Of course, Vikings DID land in Vinland, but the game never explains WHY Eivor decides to go so far away from home or how they died over there. Then again, the game also couldn’t be bothered to decide what gender Eivor is; while this provided more player choice, it does bring into question how powerful the Animus is. It can recreate memories from thousands of years ago, but it can’t determine gender.
Technically, this is a mystery that’s already been solved, but for a few years it was still the biggest topic of debate among “Assassin’s Creed” fans. Desmond assassinates Lucy at the end of “Brotherhood” under the control of Minerva, and it took multiple games for them to address whether she was a double agent. Apparently, yes, but this was a footnote in “Revelations” and not something Ubisoft thought should be properly explained. But still, fans of Lucy and Kristen Bell might wonder, was she REALLY a traitor? The game says yes, but could this all be the Assassins trying to retroactively justify a tragedy? What’s also a mystery is why, precisely, Kristen Bell left the franchise; was she fired? Did she leave on bad terms? It’s not clear.
We’re sure Ubisoft will get to answering this mystery in a future game, unlike many others, but at the moment, it’s still confounding. After Desmond’s death, he was brought into a digital afterlife called “the Grey”, created by the Isu. After not appearing in a game for eight years, Desmond was back, now an entity made of golden light called “The Reader”. Layla Hassan also abandoned her mortal shell at the end of the game to stay in the Grey forever. We really hope Ubisoft explains exactly how Desmond has become this strange, god-like creature in just eight years, as he spends his time hunting for a way to apparently avert the extinction of humanity.
The Templars very rapidly became a vague, shadowy enemy with cryptic motivations, motivations that get even more obscure as the games go on. Though during Desmond’s story arc, we know that the Templars are trying to launch a satellite to mind control the entire world, after this point, it’s really not clear. They want the Pieces of Eden for their own nefarious purposes, presumably more mind control, but they’re given less and less motivation as time goes on. Even in the historical setting as opposed to the modern day, the Templars are now just evil and power hungry for the sake of it. They don’t really have an ideology beyond greed and murder anymore.
10 Biggest Mysteries in Assassin’s Creed Games
Welcome to MojoPlays! Today, we’re looking at the 10 biggest mysteries in “Assassin’s Creed” games. Ubisoft hates answering our questions!
Dead Letters
“Assassin’s Creed Syndicate” (2015)Charles Dickens needs the help of the Frye twins to solve London’s many supernatural mysteries. Invariably, they’re all proven to be hoaxes, but the second mission, Dead Letters, sees the twins rescue a woman in the midst of being kidnapped, hijacking the carriage and bringing her to safety. When the carriage is opened, it’s empty save for a mysterious letter. The mission ends with them supposedly waking up from sleep – or, was it the influence of the supernatural? The game leaves this a fun mystery to debate.
The Ark of the Covenant
“Assassin’s Creed” (2007)In the Bible, the ornate Ark of the Covenant contains the tablets that the original Ten Commandments are written on, as given to the Israelites by God. You’re probably most familiar with it because of its role as the MacGuffin in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, but it also had a cameo appearance at the beginning of the very first “Assassin’s Creed” game. Altaïr sees it in Solomon’s Temple during the tutorial, and then it promptly disappears forever. The series has decided to never explain what it actually is or why it was only there for the intro sequence, though we can assume that it’s probably just another Isu relic.
Why Are They All British?
“Assassin’s Creed Unity” (2014)In one of the most baffling creative decisions in the entire franchise, “Assassin’s Creed Unity” went to France and decided that all the Parisians needed to have British accents, for some reason. It was explained by the game’s creative director, who said that the Animus was translating everything into English. He said it wouldn’t make sense for them to have French accents, despite the fact EVERY OTHER “Assassin’s Creed” has characters speak English with a native accent. Altaïr’s voice was even retconned in later games because he spoke with an American accent in the first one. Most of the voice actors themselves also aren’t British, and they also have voice lines in French from time to time that DON’T get translated by the Animus. None of it makes sense, Ubisoft!
Eagle Vision
VariousJust what IS eagle vision, exactly? In the older games it’s simply your helpful detective vision overlay, revealing hidden clues and showing who’s an enemy, ally, and target. But it’s also some kind of superpower that Desmond is able to inherit via the Bleeding Effect and the Animus. And then, in “Assassin’s Creed Origins”, we find out that Bayek’s pet eagle Senu is his “eagle vision”, giving him a bird’s eye view of the environments. This continued with Ikaros and, stranger yet, Eivor’s bird Sýnin, who’s actually a raven and not an eagle at all. Supposedly, it’s caused by humans possessing Isu DNA, but it’s still not been explained how it transferred from actual birds to people. Do the birds have Isu ancestors as well?
Pyramid Hidden Room
“Assassin’s Creed Origins” (2017)The mystery of how Ubisoft predicted the future remains, even a few years on. When it comes to iconic pieces of architecture, Ubisoft is always careful to be as accurate as possible – after all, it’s the famous landmarks that truly give the worlds their authenticity. But they took that a step further by adding a secret, hidden chamber inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, a chamber that was discovered for real right after the game released. Ubisoft actually credits the in-depth research they did on the archaeology of the pyramids – or maybe they’ve got a crystal ball they can consult. Although, if that were the case, they’d probably have delayed “Assassin’s Creed Unity”.
Leaving Desmond’s Body
“Assassin’s Creed III” (2012)Another bizarre plot decision, at the end of “Assassin’s Creed III” with the apocalypse averted, Desmond Miles is forced to release Juno. He saves the world – at least, in the short term – but dies in the process. By this point, Desmond is already one of the most powerful and knowledgeable members of the Brotherhood, but his allies, including his father, decide to just leave his body behind in the Vault. It’s supposedly so that they can get away from Juno, but Desmond’s body quickly falls into the hands of the Templars, which is how we keep seeing the memories of his ancestors despite his death. But this messy plot contrivance just doesn’t make sense and is never properly explained; Ubisoft just couldn’t think of another way to continue the story.
Eivor’s Death
“Assassin’s Creed Valhalla” (2020)Layla, Shaun and Rebecca spend “AC Valhalla” in a secluded corner of Vinland, in modern day North America - upstate New York to be specific. Some people thought the “Dawn of Ragnarök” DLC would explain how and why Eivor decided to go to Vinland, but this isn’t the case. Of course, Vikings DID land in Vinland, but the game never explains WHY Eivor decides to go so far away from home or how they died over there. Then again, the game also couldn’t be bothered to decide what gender Eivor is; while this provided more player choice, it does bring into question how powerful the Animus is. It can recreate memories from thousands of years ago, but it can’t determine gender.
Was Lucy a Traitor?
VariousTechnically, this is a mystery that’s already been solved, but for a few years it was still the biggest topic of debate among “Assassin’s Creed” fans. Desmond assassinates Lucy at the end of “Brotherhood” under the control of Minerva, and it took multiple games for them to address whether she was a double agent. Apparently, yes, but this was a footnote in “Revelations” and not something Ubisoft thought should be properly explained. But still, fans of Lucy and Kristen Bell might wonder, was she REALLY a traitor? The game says yes, but could this all be the Assassins trying to retroactively justify a tragedy? What’s also a mystery is why, precisely, Kristen Bell left the franchise; was she fired? Did she leave on bad terms? It’s not clear.
The Reader
“Assassin’s Creed Valhalla” (2020)We’re sure Ubisoft will get to answering this mystery in a future game, unlike many others, but at the moment, it’s still confounding. After Desmond’s death, he was brought into a digital afterlife called “the Grey”, created by the Isu. After not appearing in a game for eight years, Desmond was back, now an entity made of golden light called “The Reader”. Layla Hassan also abandoned her mortal shell at the end of the game to stay in the Grey forever. We really hope Ubisoft explains exactly how Desmond has become this strange, god-like creature in just eight years, as he spends his time hunting for a way to apparently avert the extinction of humanity.
What the Templars Want
VariousThe Templars very rapidly became a vague, shadowy enemy with cryptic motivations, motivations that get even more obscure as the games go on. Though during Desmond’s story arc, we know that the Templars are trying to launch a satellite to mind control the entire world, after this point, it’s really not clear. They want the Pieces of Eden for their own nefarious purposes, presumably more mind control, but they’re given less and less motivation as time goes on. Even in the historical setting as opposed to the modern day, the Templars are now just evil and power hungry for the sake of it. They don’t really have an ideology beyond greed and murder anymore.
