History Characters / AssassinsCreedTheTemplars

'''[[center: [- [[Characters/AssassinsCreed Main Character Index]] -]]]'''

* DemocracyIsBad: Their great belief is this. They aspire to a plutocracy of the wise directing the undisciplined and uninformed mass to a utopia founded on "order, purpose, discipline". In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' which deals with UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution, Haytham Kenway, Grand Master of the American Templars, claims that the Founding Fathers function in the same way despite their democratic pretenses [[note]]Pointing out that they are composed of wealthy, white landowners, many of whom who own slaves (including Washington and Thomas Jefferson) but talk of freedom and liberty.[[/note]] but the Templars are looked down upon by the Assassins, because [[AtLeastIAdmitIt they admit it openly.]]

** For all their high sounding talk of greater purpose and order, their number one way of dealing with Assassins is to attack their family and loved ones. Even [[spoiler:Prince Ahmet, a gentleman and a charming guy]] resolves to kidnapping Ezio's girlfriend who he was ''deliberately'' trying to keep out of the conflict, who had no idea what was going on and is a simple bookseller who's harmless [[note]]though unbeknownst to her, she ''was'' helping Ezio decode encryptions for more Masyaf Keys[[/note]].

** Alan Turing's tragic end was also masterminded by the Templars according to Subject 16 puzzles in ''Brotherhood'' while the ''Subject Zero'' audio files in ''Black Flag'' reveal that Vidic's NoOSHACompliance Animus technology was driven by the sabotage of a more radical surrogacy initiative by Dr. Aileen Bock which became the upgraded post-III Animus used in that game which doesn't require direct ancestry to access genetic memories, allowing [[spoiler:Desmond's genes to remain useful to Abstergo despite his death in the previous game]].

-->'''Ezio:''': Templars are always quick to talk of peace, but very slow to concede power.

* NeverMyFault: While Assassins tend to be self-critical and introspective and even willing to admit to their flaws, we have yet to see a Templar not ascribe his failing to society, to the Assassins or to some traitor or the other. No one is willing to consider that there might be a problem with their ideology and how they practice it. Their last words dying confession is full of self-justifications, JerkJustifications and FreudianExcuse. The closest to sympathetic a Templar figure has come is probably Bastienne Josephe from ''Freedom Cry'', who prioritizes the safety of Saint-Domingue's slaves over whatever Templar responsibilities she may have. [[spoiler:Near the end, she admits to underestimating Governor de Fayet's cruelty and regrets that she allowed him to sink a slave ship and kill hundreds of people]].

** In ''Unity'' during the Revolution, they change their tactics by co-opting the popular movement and radically drive it to violence [[spoiler:in the September Massacres and the ReignOfTerror, giving such an image of DemocracyIsBad and TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized that people will no longer think of Revolution as peaceful or that RousseauWasRight about the people. The Templar grandmaster sees this as driving people to Order by creating chaos, which is probably the best definition of Templar methods and ends]].

** A major part of their modus operandi and the PlotTwist in the first ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'' is that in any conflict, they operate on both sides. During the Crusades, where the Templars went public, Altaïr initially assumes that the Saracens and non-Templar order Knights he fights are separate only to discover that a Templar is an idea more than a single institution, one that can exist in any faction, [[spoiler:including, as Altaïr finds out, the Assassin Brotherhood, namely Al Mualim who was EvilAllAlong]].
** This theme continued to be developed in the later games, especially in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations'' where it turns out that the Byzantines are in fact led by [[spoiler:an Ottoman Prince]] and in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' where the Templars are on both the Loyalist and Patriot fronts of the Revolution seeking to manipulate the outcome so that they are both on top either way. For example, [[spoiler:John Pitcairn leads British Redcoats at Bunker Hill -- though he tells his Assassin killer that he really did want a formal parley with the rebelling colonists' leaders to stop the war -- while in the meantime Charles Lee would vie on the Continental side to usurp George Washington as commander-in-chief]].

** However, as noted in ''Initiates'', UsefulNotes/MaximilienRobespierre's government abolished slavery for the first time in world history and in ''Unity'' he's revealed to be a Templar. The Assassin Mentor Mirabeau had earlier campaigned for abolitionism but his pragmatic approach meant that he could never muster enough support for the issue [[spoiler:and was killed, by his fellow Assassin, before he could progress further]]. The Haitian Assassins who led the Slave Revolt of Haiti had pushed the French government to take such a stand, but their movement gets derailed thanks to Napoleon [[spoiler:who came to power as a consequence of Assassin negligence]] and who reversed the abolitionist decree and brought slavery back to the French colonies that had not been liberated during the Revolution.

** Thanks to Connor they lose control of the American independence movement very fast which was originally supposed to install a puppet dictator in the form of Charles Lee, whereas Connor allows it to take its natural course even [[spoiler:if it comes at the cost of the security of his own tribe]].
** As a result of the above failure, the Templars create a master-plan [[spoiler:to start their own revolution which would co-opt the French revolutionary movement, the normal support base of the Assassins, while the French Assassin Council are committed to a moderate Revolution and a brief unity with the moderate Templar Grand Master Francois de la Serre. They drive the Revolution to excess to achieve their aims and support as well as permanently tarnish the romance of revolution in the eyes of the world, to prevent future results against their order]].

** Rodrigo Borgia / Pope Alexander VI, the leader of the Roman Rite of the Templar Order is not only responsible for the murder of Ezio Auditore's father and two brothers but he poisoned entire dinner parties, killed his enemy's prepubescent son for the pettiest of reasons and implied to have [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil raped]] [[ParentalIncest his own daughter]]. On top of it all, he joined the Order purely out of [[{{Greed}} greed]] which disgusts ''even the Templars themselves''.

** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIIILiberation'', Abstergo Entertainment's first (in-universe) video game product, features a story devoid of any explicit mention of the Templars, and depicts Aveline as a very conflicted Assassin who takes orders from a very distrustful Mentor and is raised by a benevolent stepmother when outside of her Assassin duties. In-game "hacks" courtesy of Erudito reveal the truth that Aveline's loyalty to the Brotherhood never wavered, and that [[spoiler:her own stepmother was the Company Man leading the Templars she's been assassinating the whole time]].

--> '''Altair''': [The Templars] recognize there is no such thing as an absolute truth – or if there is – we are hopelessly under-equipped to recognize it. And so in its place, they seek to create their own explanation. It is the guiding principle of their so-named "New World Order", (which is the OneWorldOrder trope); to reshape existence in their own image. It is not about artifacts. Not about men. These are merely tools. It's about concepts. Clever of them. For how does one wage war against a concept? It is the perfect weapon. It lacks a physical form yet can alter the world around us in numerous, often violent ways. You cannot kill a creed. Even if you kill all of its adherents, destroy all of its writings – these are a reprieve at best. Some one, some day, will rediscover it. Reinvent it.

!! General of the Cross

* TheGhost: Their existence is only known from a single memo in ''Unity.''

[[folder: Dr. Warren Vidic]]

!!!'''Voiced by:''' Phil Proctor (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Alexander Kotov (Russian)[[/note]]

* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler:By an Abstergo guard through the influence of Ezio's Apple of Eden wielded by Desmond Miles]].
* BrilliantButLazy:
** He's a high-ranking Templar and a pioneer in the whole "{{genetic memory}}" thing, but is too lazy to properly punctuate his e-mails... despite critiquing Lucy's formatting and writing of the Animus 1.0 operating manual (aka the ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'' manual).

** [[spoiler:Of course, all of these instances are revealed to be planned by Lucy as ways of gaining Desmond's trust and making him underestimate Vidic]].

* HateSink: A cruel and arrogant man with next to no redeeming qualities. It's an incredibly satisfying moment when [[spoiler: he dies in ''III''.]]

** [[spoiler:Vidic berates Desmond for killing a mentally-ill man like Cross. This coming from the person who put him into the Animus when he was only a child that to the point he occasionally suffers from said mental illness]].

* ImpersonationGambit: Of a sort. [[spoiler:In order to keep contact with [[TheMole Lucy]] during [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood her stay in Monteriggioni]], he used the name of [[BigGood William M.]] in his emails, as noted in ''Assassin's Creed: Initiates''. His difference from the real [[TeamDad William Miles]] can be noted in his flippant lack of concern for Desmond's SanitySlippage and the fact that he "has to go to lunch" in "the office" as reason for not keeping constant communication, something that the real William Miles would never do, considering he does not seem to even have an office, and is constantly on the move]].

* {{Jerkass}}: You can't spell Vidic without "dic(k)."

* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:Preyed on Lucy's emotional vulnerability to persuade her to defect]].
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: He is ''Dr.'' Vidic after all.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler:''The Lost Archive'' reveals that his apparent stupidity in the first game was all part of an act to help Lucy gain Desmond's trust. His jerkassness was apparently real, though]].

* PetTheDog: He may have messed up Daniel Cross big time, but he was the only person he showed any kind of respect to. He would cover for Daniel Cross's mistakes in spite of other members of the Inner Sanctum wanting to boot him and when Desmond kills Cross, he drops his usual calm FauxAffablyEvil demeanor to tear into Desmond and the Assassins.

* TooDumbToLive: Vidic is well aware of the abilities of the Apple of Eden when trying to extort Desmond to give it to him, but decides to stand in the same room as him, while Desmond holds the Apple in his hand. This mistake [[spoiler:costs him his life]].

* VillainousBreakdown: In ''III'', he has one when [[spoiler:Desmond kills Cross. While he seems to calm down when Desmond meets him personally, he is still very angry, and again breaks down when Desmond uses the Apple to finally kill him]].

[[folder: Agent Daniel Cross]]

!!!'''Voiced By:''' Danny Blanco-Hall (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Alexander Golovchansky (Russian)[[/note]]

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Ever since he killed the Mentor in 2000, Cross has been using the Animus non-stop as it has a calming effect on him. As a result, Cross's Bleeding Effect worsens, often at the wrong time [[spoiler:such as in his final confrontation with Desmond.]]

* InformedAbility: His prowess as a HeroKiller in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII''. [[spoiler:The first time that he and Desmond meet, Desmond knocks him out with the first power source, in spite of the fact that Cross is holding a gun on him. The second time they meet, Cross uses all of his bullets in his gun on non-Assassins, and ends up having to run away with the second power source, ending up chased down and again knocked unconscious by Desmond when he tries to call Vidic for help. The third and final time they meet, Desmond is forced behind the original Animus by gunfire, but Cross's own SanitySlippage finally catches up with him, and he ends up running down the halls and firing wildly at anyone, screaming for Nikolai to get out of his head until Desmond finally kills him]]. That said, he is treated as a legitimate threat in every encounter and in backstory, but what is witnessed doesn't really add up. William Miles even acknowledges this somewhat, saying that [[spoiler:in the end]] he is just a symbol to Abstergo, rather than an asset by 2012. Also, Rebecca mentions that Daniel's problems were worse than Desmond's, so it's entirely possible that while he was genuinely threatening back in the day, his insanity has nullified his skills.

* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:If one counts Nikolai's memories, an Assassin from both the present day as well as his own ancestor worked together to kill him for his betrayal of the Order, ending with him stabbed InTheBack in a literal sense]].

* LikeASonToMe: According to Vidic [[spoiler:after Cross's death]]. Though, considering what Vidic did to him, that doesn't sound very genuine. However, ''Assassin's Creed: Initiates'' does show Vidic covering for Daniel a lot and preventing other members of the Inner Sanctum from trying to punish him, in spite of his mental state being mostly Vidic's fault. [[spoiler:It is also Cross's death that triggers Vidic's breakdown]].

* TheWorfEffect: The comics build Cross as a powerful Templar agent that many Assassins fear. However, Desmond easily gains the upper hand against him in all their encounters. Granted that in their final encounter, [[spoiler:Cross suffers from a [[WorfHadTheFlu breakdown from the Bleeding Effect]]]].

[[folder: Alan Rikkin]]

* {{Jerkass}}: He's a bigger asshole than Vidic judging by his e-mails, at least to those outside of the Inner Sanctum.

* YouHaveFailedMe: An e-mail chain with Caroline Grey about the failure to capture Shaun Hastings heavily implies that Rikkin had her executed for Shaun's escape.

[[folder: Laetitia England]]

-->'''Voiced by:''' Amy Landecker (English)[[note]]'''Other Languages''':Natalia Kaznacheeva (Revelations), Olga Kuznetsova (AC IV, Rogue) (Russian)[[/note]]

* AscendedExtra: From a background character who didn't appear in single-player mode for 4 years after his debut, to the closest thing to a (human) BigBad on the modern day after [[spoiler:Warren Vidic bit the dust]].
* ArchaicWeaponForAnAdvancedAge: Wields a sword while clad in modern full-body military armor when he fights [[spoiler:Layla in ''Odyssey'']].

* IHaveYourWife: [[spoiler:Implies in ''Odyssey'' that Abstergo hasn't actually killed Deanna Geary, by sending a voice mail to Layla using SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay.]]

* PrecisionFStrike: Is quite fond of "perkele" [[note]]An old Finnish name for {{Satan}} that has fallen out of usage on that context and nowadays it's essentially the country's version of the F-word without the sexual connotations[[/note]].

!! Isabelle Ardant ''nee'' Chu

* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler:She tells Alvaro that she's not going to let him mutilate the "10 year old" boy sage. Instead she's going to do something more humane, [[AndIMustScream like incubate him into the Animus for the rest of his life]] ]].

!! Àlvaro Gramática

* BaitTheDog: [[spoiler: Early in ''Rogue'', Violet rather bemusedly encourages Numbskull to keep snooping around the Abstergo files despite snarking that they are finding files they clearly shouldn't be seeing. Considering one of the audio logs Numbskull discovers has Violet flippantly stating [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness they should kill them after getting all the information they need about Shay]], it's pretty apparent that Violet is intentionally setting them up.]]

* GoodThingYouCanHeal: The Shroud is capable of healing any wounds and Violet finds the healing process rather soothing, which is why she is totally okay with getting her head blown off whenever Gramatica needs her to test it.

* {{Jerkass}}: She treats "Numbskull" like crap and drives her to research Shay's life and [[spoiler:eagerly discusses icing her after she has finished her job]].
* TheMole: TheStinger to ''Syndicate'' reveals that [[spoiler:she's a member of Juno's Instruments of the First Will]].

[[folder: Dr. Sung]]

[[folder: Agent Theodore Rizzo]]

[[folder: Antonin Scalia]]

[[folder: [=McGowen=]]]

** Might have founded the Templar Order. Maybe. Later games suggest that the group was actually founded by an Egyptian Pharaoh named Smenkhkare during the Old Kingdom to study an Isu technology cache and later spread to try to take over the Earth. Cain may be metaphorical rather than historical, or Smenkhare may have simply refounded something that had already existed.

* HistoricalGenderFlip: Possibly. The AC version of Smenkhare is explicitly identified as a male but since so little is known about this Pharoah it may or may not be a change in sex for the character.

!!!'''Mentioned in''': ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedSyndicate'' | ''Assassin's Creed: Heresy'' | ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedValhalla''

* TokenGoodTeammate: One of the noblest members of the otherwise shady, Illimunati-esque Order of the Ancients.

* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: In real life, Lushan was killed by Li Zhu'er in 757. In ''Dynasty'', [[spoiler:it's Li E who does it instead]].

-->'''Jacques de Molay''': Pope Clement, hear me! Before this year is out, you will answer for your crimes before God almighty. And you, King Philip, no punishment is too heinous for the great evil you have inflicted upon the Temple. I curse you! Curse you to the thirteenth generation of your blood! You shall be cursed!

-->'''Templar''': King Philip's moving faster than we expected.
-->'''Jacques''': Mm. Another hand is at work here.
-->'''Templar''': The Pope?
-->'''Jacques''': The Assassins.
-->'''Templar''': [[ThisCannotBe Assassins? I thought the Mongol Khans broke their power decades ago]].
-->'''Jacques''': The Assassins are far older than Masyaf, my friend. Their anarchic delusions are virulent as the plague, and less easily eradicated.

* ArchEnemy: Over time, he becomes the personal archnemesis to the Shiba family over their affiliation with the Japanese Brotherhood as well as their desire to preserve the samurai tradition and to protect the Musashi Masamune.

* NearVillainVictory: [[spoiler:Zigzagged. Lloyd almost comes close to killing Shiba Atsuko and securing the Musashi Masamune for the Japanese Templars during the Battle of Aizu, only to be slain by her brother Ibuka. Nevertheless, his mission of undermining the Tokugawa shogunate [[TheBadGuyWins was a success]] with the Imperial forces emerging as the victors of the Boshin War]].

* TheDreaded: Even Grandmasters are afraid of the Black Cross's coming.

* OneManArmy: While the Black Cross's primary job is to take on other Templars, he has fought Assassins before, having wiped out entire cells more than once single-handedly.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: The Templars insert a ManchurianAgent, Daniel Cross, into the ranks of the Millennial Assassins, his strategic placement enables him to instigate a near genocidal Purge. William Miles, one of the Purge's few survivors, acknowledges that while the Assassins flirted with using a similar strategy against the Templars, they gave up after candidates ended up either BecomingTheMask or proved too strong willed to maintain an effective cover. The Templars got lucky with Cross, and even then, his sanity was completely destroyed in the process.

* ZeroEffortBoss: [[spoiler:All the player has to do is [[PressXToNotDie press X]] then BoomHeadshot. Given that Desmond, at this point, has learned decades of ways to kill people across three different eras within the span of a few months, while Vidic is just a scientist and nothing more, it also stretches into SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome.]]

* RedOniBlueOni: The corrupt yet orderly Blues, to the rebellious, law-breaking Assassins' Red.

* LawfulEvil: Many of the Templars (including famous historical leaders) had great influence over the law and politics of their homelands. To them, twisting the rules to suit their needs, was a surefire way to achieve their goals. Of course this led many of them [[TyrantTakesTheHelm becoming tyrants and warmongers]], who sought to oppress the population as a way to achieve "peace".

* AncientConspiracy: UpToEleven, as they are not only related to a prior cult that worshipped {{Cain}} and borrowed its symbol as their official insignia but the organization's original incarnation was created by an Ancient Egyptian pharoah to secure LostTechnology from an Isu vault but quickly evolved over millennia to have members from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and further afield in the rest of the world.

* OverarchingVillain: They been on this Earth ever since Cain founded the earliest known Templar predecessor, and will always continue to plague the Assassins, no matter how many members they kill.

* DarkIsEvil: Dresses in dark robes for the ceremony of the Eden Apple.

* GreaterScopeVillain: As chairwoman of the Board, Ellen holds an even higher rank than CEO Alan Rikkin, however she has only a few minutes of screen time. Subsequent WordOfGod postings from the game editors and writing staff make it clear that she is not the General of the Cross, but answers directly to them, but she's still the highest-ranking member of the Order that has made a physical appearance so far.
* KarmaHoudini: The Assassins kill Rikkin and retrieve the Eden Apple but spare Ellen and the rest of the Council of Elders.

* EqualOpportunityEvil: The Templars as a whole recruit people from a variety of races and backgrounds, though individual Templars can be prejudiced. Though this is something of an InformedAbility since the leadership in most instances and even in modern times seems to be predominantly white, wealthy, and male. The middle management and
field agents are significantly more diverse, and in more racist times it might have been a PR move to have the big bosses appear palatable to the general public by making them stereotypically powerful people and make sure the real agenda is not figured out. By the modern day, it seems to simply be coincidental as there are multiple non white Inner Circle members.

* DysfunctionJunction: The Renaissance Templars; for all their talk of "order, purpose, discipline" their members show a remarkable lack of either of the three traits, having glaring personality flaws which hinder any effective implementation of their vague plans. The Assassins by contrast are bound by loyalty and goodwill and are more cohesive, though ultimately less successful.

* BadassBeard: He had a large white beard, and was brave enough to sacrifice his own life for his cause. It also doubles as a BeardOfEvil.

* BadassMustache: Had a huge one.

* EqualOpportunityEvil: The Templars as a whole recruit people from a variety of races and backgrounds, though individual Templars can be prejudiced. Though this is something of an InformedAbility since the leadership in most instances and even in modern times seems to be predominantly white, wealthy, and male.

The true leader of the Templar Order, the General of the Cross approves or refuses decisions made by the Guardians.

[[folder: Joseph Stalin]]

* AssholeVictim: The Templars that players must assassinate are typically given a good reason why they must die.

* AntagonisticOffspring: He's the son of Adam and Eve, who the Assassins regard as ''their'' founder.

* UnevenHybrid: Half-Human, half-Isu.

* PetTheDog: He may have messed up Daniel Cross big time, but he was the only person he showed any kind of respect to. He would cover for Daniel Cross' mistakes in spite of other members of the Inner Sanctum wanting to boot him and when Desmond kills Cross, he drops his usual calm FauxAffablyEvil demeanor to tear into Desmond and the Assassins.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Ever since he killed the Mentor in 2000, Cross has been using the Animus non-stop as it has a calming effect on him. As a result, Cross' Bleeding Effect worsens, often at the wrong time [[spoiler:such as in his final confrontation with Desmond.]]

* LikeASonToMe: According to Vidic [[spoiler:after Cross' death]]. Though, considering what Vidic did to him, that doesn't sound very genuine. However, ''Assassin's Creed: Initiates'' does show Vidic covering for Daniel a lot and preventing other members of the Inner Sanctum from trying to punish him, in spite of his mental state being mostly Vidic's fault. [[spoiler:It is also Cross' death that triggers Vidic's breakdown]].

* OneManArmy: While the Black Cross' primary job is to take on other Templars, he has fought Assassins before, having wiped out entire cells more than once single-handedly.

* MotiveDecay: By ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'', the Renaissance Templars had become vicious, power-grabbing sadists whose only motivation was Greed, and are later denounced by Abstergo as "The Dark Age of the Templars". In general, the Templars often get sidetracked from their goal of maintaining order and peace because they're so obsessed with killing the Assassins, almost as much as the Assassins are with them. They also take to extreme, often genocidal ways to obtain what they want or make their plans come to fruition; the mark of {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s is that their actions, no matter how cruel, are done only to get them to their [[OneWorldOrder objective]]. The problem is that they never feel they have enough power and control over the population to achieve said goal, which leads to their seeking a [[ArtifactOfDoom Piece of Eden]].

* MotiveDecay: By ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'', the Renaissance Templars had become vicious, power-grabbing sadists whose only motivation was Greed, and are later denounced by Abstergo as "The Dark Age of the Templars". In general, the Templars often get sidetracked from their goal of maintaining order and peace because they're so obsessed with killing the Assassins, [[NotSoDifferent almost as much as the Assassins are with them]]. They also take to extreme, often genocidal ways to obtain what they want or make their plans come to fruition; the mark of {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s is that their actions, no matter how cruel, are done only to get them to their [[OneWorldOrder objective]]. The problem is that they never feel they have enough power and control over the population to achieve said goal, which leads to their seeking a [[ArtifactOfDoom Piece of Eden]].

* NotSoDifferent: Despite being a Templar, her ideas about freedom are surprisingly Assassin-ish. She insists that Cal should only enter the Animus of his own free will and only tries to persuade, not manipulate, him into doing so. She also sees the Apple of Eden as the means to "cure aggression" instead of a means to permanently secure Templar control.

* NotSoDifferent: It's not commented upon, but the Black Cross's methodology is ''extremely'' similar to that of the Assassins.

* AdaptationPersonalityChange: Being played by Jeremy Irons also seems to have altered his personality as he's AffablyEvil and a little more patient, a far cry from the impatient bully of much of the franchise. It helps that he's interacting with his daughter and superiors instead of underlings.

* GreaterScopeVillain: He fits this trope in the first games as he's the one giving orders to Vidic. He is also one of the three Guardians of the Templar Order, ranking higher than the Grandmasters and the other members of the Inner Sanctum, and answerable only to the General of the Cross themselves. He drops this trope in the 2016 film.

* WickedCultured: Her office decorations, which include numerous paintings and statues, certainly gives off this impression, as does her manner of speaking.

* BadassNormal: Unlike Cross, Berg does not have superior First Civilization genes, Assassin training, or Animus[=/=]Bleeding Effect abilities. Yet he is still able to fight evenly one-on-one against Assassins who possess such advantages. He's just that badass.

* DrJerk: He's a bigger psycho than Vidic, a fact not gone unnoticed among other members of the Inner Sanctum who are already missing his predecessor.

* RealityEnsues: The Templars insert a ManchurianAgent, Daniel Cross, into the ranks of the Millennial Assassins, his strategic placement enables him to instigate a near genocidal Purge. William Miles, one of the Purge's few survivors, acknowledges that while the Assassins flirted with using a similar strategy against the Templars, they gave up after candidates ended up either BecomingTheMask or proved too strong willed to maintain an effective cover. The Templars got lucky with Cross, and even then, his sanity was completely destroyed in the process.

* ZeroEffortBoss: [[spoiler:All the player has to do is [[PressXToNotDie press X]] then BoomHeadshot. Given that Desmond, at this point, has learned decades of ways to kill people across three different eras within the span of a few months, while Vidic is just a scientist and nothing more, it also stretches into RealityEnsues.]]

!!!'''Voiced by:''' Phil Proctor (English), Alexander Kotov (Russian)

!!!'''Voiced By:''' Danny Blanco-Hall (English), Alexander Golovchansky (Russian)

!!!'''Played by:''' Creator/JeremyIrons (2016 film)
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Valery Storozhik (Russian)

-->'''Voiced by:''' Amy Landecker (English), Natalia Kaznacheeva (Revelations), Olga Kuznetsova (AC IV, Rogue) (Russian)

!!!'''Played by:''' Creator/CharlotteRampling
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Olga Kuznetsova (Russian)

!!!'''Played by:''' Creator/MarionCotillard
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Elena Shulman (Russian)

-->'''Voiced by:''' Amy Landecker (English), Natalia Kaznacheev (Revelations), Olga Kuznetsov (AC IV, Rogue) (Russian)

!!!'''Voiced by:''' Olga Kuznetsov (Russian)

!!!'''Voiced by:''' Phil Proctor

!!!'''Voiced By:''' Danny Blanco-Hall

-->'''Voiced by:''' Amy Landecker

* {{Expy}}: Essentially the Lucy Stillman to Daniel Cross' Desmond Miles.

* NeverMyFault: While Assassins tend to be self-critical and introspective and even willing to admit to their flaws, we have yet to see a Templar not ascribe his failing to society, to the Assassins or to some traitor or the other. No one is willing to consider that there might be a problem with their ideology and how they practice it. Their FamousLastWords dying confession is full of self-justifications, JerkJustifications and FreudianExcuse. The closest to sympathetic a Templar figure has come is probably Bastienne Josephe from ''Freedom Cry'', who prioritizes the safety of Saint-Domingue's slaves over whatever Templar responsibilities she may have. [[spoiler:Near the end, she admits to underestimating Governor de Fayet's cruelty and regrets that she allowed him to sink a slave ship and kill hundreds of people]].