Page for the 12th century Assassins of the first Assassin's Creed game. Also serves for 12th/13th century Assassins who appeared for the first time in Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines.
May contain unmarked and/or Late Arrival Spoilers.
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Altaïr
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
"I learned many things from the Apple. Of life and death, of the past and the future."
Main Game Appearances: Assassin's Creed | Assassin's Creed II | Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Other Appearances: Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles | Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines | Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
Voiced By: Philip Shahbaz (AC), Cas Anvar (Revelations) (English)note
"When I was very young, I was foolish enough to believe that our Creed would bring an end to all these conflicts. If only I had possessed the humility to say to myself, I have seen enough for one life, I've done my part. Then again, there is no greater glory than fighting to find the truth."
The player character of the first game. After a horrible mistake that cost the Assassin Order many lives, he has to redeem himself by assassinating nine key figures of the Holy Lands at the time of the Third Crusade. Eventually became the Mentor and leader of the Assassins Order in his time, revolutionizing the way the Order operated.
He is an ancestor of William and Desmond Miles, as well as Clay Kaczmarek (Subject 16).
- Amazon Chaser: He meets his future wife in a trap she sprung to personally kill him. They fight again at the start of Bloodlines and she is a Defiant Captive the whole time as well as escaping him more than once. By the end they are fighting together. Yes, Maria made quite the impression on him, considering he married her after all that.
- Animal Motifs: Has the strongest Eagle Motif of all the playable Assassins.
- Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: At first, he is the most arrogant Assassin in the Order because he is the best Assassin in the Order. Eventually he learns that there is more to being an Assassin than just taking lives.
- Arc Words: Al Mualim's last words come to define Altaïr's entire life and quest:Al Mualim: I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceive that this also was a chasing at the wind. For in much wisdom, is much grief. And he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.
- Armor Is Useless: Only barely more protected than the monks he imitates, and yet he can take as many hits as Ezio wearing the strongest armor in the game.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: He became a Master Assassin by being the best in Masyaf. By the end of the first game, he becomes the Mentor of the Levantine Assassin Brotherhood.
- The Atoner: His primary role through the first game. After he screwed up big time, he has to seek redemption by assassinating nine head figures of the Holy Lands.
- Aura Vision: The Eagle Vision can see hostiles, allies, information carriers and Assassination targets.
- Bad Habits: His cover story when he is on assignment is that he is a traveling monk who carries weapons for self-defense. This is why he is exposed by doing un-monkly things like Le Parkour and overt fighting in the streets.
- Berserk Button: Within codex pages found throughout Assassin's Creed II, Altaïr writes that he hopes to bring tolerance and equality to the world through education and compassion. But witnessing the oppression and abuse of humans at the mercy of their social superiors, his "heart grows cold" and his "fists clench".
- Codex Page 14: On these days, I do not think dialogue will make a difference. On these days, I can think only of how the perpetrators need to die.
- Big Good: At the end of the first game, he becomes the Mentor of the Levantine Assassin Brotherhood and keeps this position well into his old age. Thanks to his deeds and reformation of the ways the Assassins operated, he's recognized as one of the model assassins of the Brotherhood that later members seek to emulate even all the way through the modern period.
- Break the Cutie: Basically what his life did to him when he was an 11 year old kid. He watched his dad being executed by beheading, his best friend's father committed suicide in his room and said best friend eventually antagonized him because he told him the truth of what happened to his father. Yeah, he's had it rough.
- Break the Haughty: He's gotten real full of himself after becoming a Master class Assassin so Al Mualim demotes him for his mistake at the beginning of the first game.
- Bully Hunter: After his demotion, Altaïr gradually re-learns the sacred duty of his order to protect the innocent, and grows to despise abusers of power, slaying multiple corrupt Christians and Muslims who would dare to use their authority to oppress, murder and exploit the weak. Though Altaïr would continue to refine the goals of the Brotherhood into one of avenging wrongs wrought upon innocents, it would be Ezio Auditore who would further refine and modernize The Creed to be motivated by compassionate kindness rather than vengeful wrath.
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Al Mualim refrains from killing him in order to use him to kill his Templar brothers around the Holy Land. Robert de Sable even outright states that with his death, Al Mualim will be disposing of Altaïr soon enough.
- Character Development: Altaïr eventually comes to understand the true meaning of the Assassin's Creed, though it takes a great deal of punishment to get him there.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Canonically speaking, Altaïr rescued every citizen he came across in Damascus, Acre, Jerusalem and other cities that he happened to be in on assignment. Even when he was 82 years old he still came to the defense of a random merchant.
- Combat Pragmatist:
- Remember, "everything is permitted" includes everything in combat.
- Contrary to part of their Creed, everything wasn't permitted (for example, poison). Several Codex pages in AC II show that Altaïr fixed that.
- Conspicuously Public Assassination: Altaïr tries one of these at the start and ends up looking the fool for being brazen and unsubtle. It's what prompts the Bag of Spilling (Al Mualim, frustrated that Altaïr acted so irrationally, strips him of his rank and weapons and forces him to prove himself worthy to earn them back). You can also do this to assassination targets if you want, foregoing the whole stealth thing and just running them down in plain view of everyone. Later in life he laments this style of assassination and says the Order needs to practice subtlety and discretion in how their jobs are carried out.
- Cradling Your Kill: He's quite fond of holding his Assassination targets during their last speech.
- Crusading Widower: Altaïr spent twenty years working to avenge his wife's death and restore the Brotherhood they made strong together.
- Dating Catwoman: His attraction to Maria is certainly this given that she is a Templar. Especially in Bloodlines when he shows patience and tolerance to her that is quite unexpected of an Implacable Man.
- Desecrating the Dead: A justified example when Altaïr burns Al Mualim's body on a pyre. Some of the Assassins of Masyaf aren't pleased, but Altaïr wanted to ensure that the body wasn't one of the phantoms conjured by the Apple.
- Determinator: Throughout the course of his life, Altaïr never gives up.
- Deuteragonist: Of Assassin's Creed: Revelations, with Ezio being the main playable ancestor of the game.
- Doting Parent: It's shown that he's very close to his sons Darim and Sef, and was deeply embittered by the fact that Sef was executed by the Assassins under Abbas Sofian's orders.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Justified, since his very foolish actions in the beginning were the reason why he lost his rank and respect. He eventually earns it back.
- Dying Alone: Altaïr seals himself inside his Library, waiting for the right person to unlock it and find his Apple of Eden.
- Founder of the Kingdom: While he didn't found the Assassins themselves, Ezio notes that Masyaf was where the Assassin Order was reborn, which he attributes to Altaïr. Given Altaïr's significant influence on the Assassins he can be considered the founder of the modern Assassins.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: At the start of AC1, the only Assassin in the entire Levantine Cell of the Brotherhood that thinks highly of him is Kadar, who is killed at the start of the game because of Altaïr, thus making the rest dislike him even more. He eventually re-earns his brother assassins' respect.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Though Leonardo would be the one to help repair and later upgrade Ezio's Hidden Blade in Assassin's Creed II, Altaïr was responsible for most of the innovations such as the Hidden Gun. Though he had help thanks to the Apple of Eden.
- God Is Evil: Seems to have held this belief according to his Codex:"Why do our instincts insist on violence? I have studied the interactions between different species. The innate desire to survive seems to demand the death of the other. Why can they not stand hand in hand? So many believe the world was created by the hand of a divine power - but I see only the designs of a madman, bent on celebrating destruction and desperation. Our origins seem chaotic. Unintended. Purpose and being instilled solely by the passage of time. Imposed first by nature - and later men...""They say it is a light that brings truth and love. I say it is a light that blinds us – and forces us to stumble about in ignorance."
- Godzilla Threshold: In Bloodlines, he carries the Apple of Eden with him the entire time but he only uses it once, when a Templar mole rallied an angry mob of civilians against him within a fortress. If he has to choose between killing a bunch innocents, and thus breaking the Creed, or using the Apple then he's going to use the Apple.
- Greater-Scope Paragon: He becomes this for the Brotherhood after Assassin's Creed I. It's thanks to his reforms and innovations that the Assassins become stronger than they ever were before. Even centuries after his death, he's looked to as a role model for later Assassins and is considered a hero to the Brotherhood.
- Happily Married: Definitely to Maria given their affectionate and supportive dialogue when they are old and grey. The database entry in Revelations says they were inseparable.
- Heartbroken Badass: He had a relationship with Adha during the events of Altaïr's Chronicles and Maria from Bloodlines onward. Both of them eventually die, with Maria's death especially haunting him until the day of his own death as seen in Revelations.
- Heroic Willpower: Of a Charles Atlas Superpower variety. Thanks to his training and the time he's spent with Al Mualim and his descent from Those Who Came Before, he's immune to the hypnotic effects of the Apple, or at least less susceptible than the other Assassins.
- Hero Protagonist: Of the first game where he is charged by the Big Good with ridding the Holy Land of abusive merchants, tyrannical rulers, etc. It is telling that Desmond gains synch by rescuing civilians but not killing Templars, implying that the former brings him closer to Altaïr than the latter. Of course, he's also an antihero given that he's a Professional Killer.
- Hidden Depths:
- Despite all his stabby-stab tendencies, he was quite the capable artist, as seen in his codex entries. He even drew a portrait of Maria, framed by flowers, in one of his Codex pages. Awww.
- He shows interest in things that have nothing to do with assassinating like the work of the Greek Philosopher Empedocles.
- Identical Grandson: Out of Desmond's various ancestors, Altaïr is the one he most closely resembles, most notably his facial features. When Desmond is given a vision of a hypothetical future, his elderly appearance closely resembles the 82-year-old Levantine Assassin.
- Implacable Man: Because Determinator is a severe understatement. Even an attacking army will not stop this man from finding and killing you.
- In the Hood: It helps him blend in with scholars and conceal his identity when he is exposed. He is implied to have originated the trend among Assassins.
- Invincible Hero: By way of
Fridge Logic. Every time Altaïr takes damage, Desmond loses synch. Which means in the game's universe, the historical Altaïr never took so much as a scratch of damage from an enemy combatant. That is really saying something when you consider that he canonically killed, at minimum, hundreds of people, sometimes singlehandedly fighting dozens of combatants. Justified by way of Frigde Brilliance, in that any severe enough wound would (eventually) be fatal at the time period. - It's Personal: He came to hate Abbas for killing his son Sef, his best friend Malik, being indirectly responsible for Maria's death, and undoing all the hard work Altaïr had done. However, when he finally kills him, he no longer feels hate, but only pity that Abbas wasted his life denying his father's death and doing so much harm.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: His preferred way to get information is to beat someone black and blue, and often killing the opponent afterwards.
- Jerkass:
- In the first game, he acted high and mighty and believed himself superior to others. He wised up during his journey when he witnessed what happens to those who let themselves be consumed by arrogance. It's also possible to play him as a Jerk with a Heart of Gold in that you can save every single citizen in a district before ever even going to the Assassin Bureau.
- Revelations would reveal in the first Altaïr memory (set two years before the events of Assassin's Creed) that he originally was more humble and stoic but that his success as a Master Assassin and high esteem in the eyes of Al Mualim got to his head, leading him to this.
- Knight in Sour Armor: The Codex entries revealed that he's a strong believer in that Humans Are Flawed (in the "bastards" way) and that God Is Evil (specifically a "madman"), and that he maybe should have let the Templars use the Piece of Eden to put an end to all evil, yet he fights on to make the world a better place for the common man.
- Le Parkour: How else is going to evade guards and get the drop on targets but by climbing anything climbable and running across makeshift platforms.
- Legendary in the Sequel: The entire Italian Brotherhood considers him the greatest Assassin of all times, even after Ezio takes over as Mentor. Ezio himself thinks so while he, at the same time, sees him as a tragic hero.
- Light Is Not Good: His opinion at least, considering the light of God merely the light of ignorance.
- Living Legend: Even before his death, Altaïr was seen as the best of the Assassins in both skill and philosophy after his Character Development.
- Long-Lived: This could partially be attributed to being a descendant of the Isu, but living to 92 was a remarkably long life during Altaïr's era.
- Make Sure He's Dead: Altaïr's reason for burning the body of Al Mualim.
- Master Swordsman: Altaïr is incredibly skilled with a sword.
- Meaningful Name: His full name means "The Bird, Son of None" in Arabic.
- Missing Mom: His mother, Maud, died giving birth to him.
- Necessarily Evil: He views his methods (i.e. assassination) as unfortunately needed to preserve free will.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- In the first minutes of the game, which his act of overconfident jerkassery costs Malik his arm and Kadar his life, and then led the Templars to Masyaf. Then later, near the end of the game, his successes gave Robert de Sable the means to unite the Crusaders and the Saracens against the Assassins. Also, by killing his Templar targets, he gave Al Mualim the chance to take power. Altaïr quickly put a stop to this, however.
- He's also responsible for Maria's death when he accidentally Mind Raped the man who executed his son Sef with the Apple. Maria tries to stop him and the man stabs her in the back when Altaïr is distracted.
- Not Even Bothering with the Accent: In the first game, he speaks with a distinct American accent. In Revelations he speaks with a more period-accurate Middle-Eastern accent. This is lampshaded in the game as an effect of the Animus software, with the 2.0 version used in Revelations being more true to what actually happened.
- Old Master: When he comes back to Masyaf, he's 82, still respected and admired by many in the Brotherhood (they call him "Mentor" and make a fist-on-the-chest salute as he passes by them), and still capable of killing the unsuspecting lieutenants of Abbas with his Hidden Blades.
- One-Man Army: For someone who is supposed to use stealth, he's one hell of a fighting machine.
- Pride: The flaw that led to his initial disgrace in the first game. He never fully got over it, believing that he was capable of ending all of the world's strife in his lifetime. One of his greatest regrets in his waning years was that he could not find the humility to give up the fight and do something else with his life.
- Rage Against the Mentor: Does this to Al Mualim, twice.
- First when he demands to know how his victims are connected.Al Mualim: I have offered you a chance to restore your lost honor.
Altaïr: Not 'lost,' taken by you, and you set me to fetch it again like some damn dog! You said the answer to my question will arise when I no longer need to ask it, so I will not ask. I demand to know what binds these men! - Second, when he turned out to be a manipulative and power hungry Templar.
- First when he demands to know how his victims are connected.
- Redemption Quest: Most of the first game's story is him redeeming himself for his failure at Solomon's temple; not only was it a big important mission but he also got his two brother assassins killed and maimed, respectively; even worse, he broke all three of the Creed's Tenants in the process. So he has to complete nine missions with minimal assistance to regain his rank.
- Rightful King Returns: Rather the "Assassin Leader" variant. By the time he's 82, he comes back to Masyaf to put an end to the ruthless, corrupt, and inept rule of Abbas, reclaim leadership of the Brotherhood and avenge Maria and his first son.
- Seeker Archetype: Altaïr's character transforms from an Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy into this, a humble seeker of knowledge though Altaïr realizes that in the end, seeking knowledge in the hope of solving every problem in the world is merely another aspect of arrogance.Altaïr: If only I had the humility to say, I've seen enough for one life.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: His response to those targets who try to justify their evil or if they pull a "Not So Different" Remark on him is a Hidden Blade to the throat or some witty reply.
- Surpassed the Teacher: Battles and kills his Mentor and implicitly his direct tutor to some degree, Al Mualim.
- Sympathy for the Devil:
- When he hears the motive of his targets from their mouths, he begins to question if they're as evil as Al Mualim claims they are. The only one with whom Altaïr doesn't sympathize was Majd Addin... who instead reminded Altaïr too much of who Altaïr used to be.
Altaïr: I've seen what happens to men who elevate themselves above others.
Majd Addin: What?
Altaïr: Here. Let me show you. (stabs Majd Addin in the neck)- He also tells Assassins not to feel anger towards Abbas but pity because of how the events of Abbas' childhood warped his mind. Mind you, this is after Abbas killed one of his two sons, his wife, his closest friend, and drove him from his home.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Despite his life being a chain of traumatic events, leaving him saddled with enormous responsibility, undermined by so-called allies, with few friends and too many lost loved ones, Altaïr went out on a pretty high note. He got to live the latter half of his long life with his only remaining family and eldest son, and watch said son grow into an old man with a loving family of his own. Moments before he breathes his last, he has a touching farewell with his son, who thanks Altaïr for everything.
- Time-Passage Beard: Grows out as he gets older, wiser and more badass (than he already was at least). It's kind of like a Wizard Beard given his work with the Apple.
- Took a Level in Kindness: He slowly becomes more levelheaded, intelligent, and humble as the entire game progresses.
- Trauma Conga Line: Revelations shows how difficult his life remained after the events of the first game. Shown more in depth in The Secret Crusade.
- Uneven Hybrid: Heavily implied that everyone who has the Eagle Vision ability has the genetic material from one of "Those Who Came Before" in their DNA.
- Warrior Poet: Most noticeably in his Assassin's Creed II Codex entries and in Bloodlines. Altaïr turned out to be an incredibly progressive philosopher for his time, and could even draw and design weapons, as well. He apparently did a lot of traveling to visit distant libraries and learn from different scholars (not just using them to hide from guards).
- We Used to Be Friends: He and Abbas Sofian were friends in their childhood, but after Altaïr tried telling Abbas how his father committed suicide out of guilt for getting Altaïr's dad killed, Abbas came to believe he was a liar and tried to kill him in training, and forever mistrusted him afterwards.
- What the Hell, Hero?: His murder of an innocent at the beginning of the first game, for which both Malik and Al Mualim call him out on breaking the first tenet of the Creed.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Aside from a number of years after he becomes Mentor and the assassination of Genghis Khan where not much goes wrong, he never gets very much by way of happiness or happiness, particularly later in life.
Maria
Maria Thorpe
Main Game Apperances: Assassin's Creed | Assassin's Creed II | Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Other Appearances: Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines | Assassin's Creed: Initiates | Assassin's Creed: Reflections | Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
Voiced By: Eleanor Noble (English)note
"Everything I worked for in the Holy Land, I no longer want. And everything I gave up to join the Templars... I wonder where all that went, and if I should try to find it again."
Robert de Sablé's personal steward, Maria flouted the gender norms of her time and ran away to fight in the Crusades, seeking honor and glory. Notably, she has acted as Robert's body double on at least one occasion. She later defected to the Assassin Brotherhood, fell in love with Altaïr and married him.
- Action Girl: She's pretty handy with a sword.
- Arranged Marriage:
Word of God says her parents forced her into one, which is what eventually led her to leave England. - Ascended Extra: While she only appears briefly toward the end of the first game, she is featured in the PSP game Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines and then goes on to appear in a major scene in Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
- Battle Butler: In Bloodlines she says that she was "a heartbeat away from knighthood" which meant she wasn't a knight templar. Thus, she was more of a servant to Robert de Sable than a subordinate.
- Body Double: Robert has her impersonate him after he (correctly) guesses that he's an assassination target.
- Defecting for Love: She had other reasons for leaving the Templars but falling for the star of the Levantine Assassin Brotherhood was certainly a big one.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Swami stabs her after Altaïr uses the Apple of Eden on him, and she passes away in Altaïr's arms.
- Evil Brit: In the first game, she is from England and the right-hand woman for Robert De Sable (one of the main antagonists). It's quickly subverted after Bloodlines where she falls in love with Altaïr and gives birth to his son.
- Hair Color Dissonance: While in-game she still has brown hair at 67, Maria's render model has a full head of white hair.
- Happily Married: Some time after the first game she marries Altaïr and she is still in love with him decades later. Her dialogue in the 3rd Altaïr memory of Revelations is both supportive and affectionate. Her database entry says they were inseparable.
- Heel–Face Turn: By the end of Bloodlines, she's well on her way to allying with the Assassins. She marries Altaïr not long after.
- Honor Before Reason: Said to not agree with Robert's beliefs, but she follows him anyway out of respect.
- How the Mighty Have Fallen: In Assassin's Creed she was a high-ranking member of the Templar Order. By Bloodlines, she has been demoted and humiliated. She tells Altaïr that he ruined her life by killing her boss.
- Humiliation Conga: The Templars put her through one in Bloodlines: telling her to stay behind in Acre, accusing her of being a spy, throwing her in prison immediately after she escaped from Altaïr, putting a bounty on her head, etc. It eventually leads to her Heel–Face Turn.
- Knight Templar: At first, anyway. She was of the impression that Templars were a "protect the people's freedom and safety" sort of organization instead of a "order at any cost" organization. She later comes to see the truth about the Templar Order in Bloodlines.
- Lady of War: A lady who enlisted (as a man) in the Crusades and is pretty swift and skilled with a sword.
- A Match Made in Stockholm: She falls in love with Altaïr during the events of Bloodlines where he captures her in an early mission. After repeated escape attempts, she ultimately sides with him against Armand Bouchart.
- Morality Chain: When Altaïr learns of what Abbas did in his decade long absence, he is ready for a Roaring Rampage of Revenge against him, yet a few sentences from his wife reigns him in.
- Morality Chain Beyond the Grave: Twenty years after her death, Altaïr sees hallucinations of her reminding him of the need to restrain his need for revenge and retake the Brotherhood by honorable means only.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: She does at least have a helmet on, but really, Altaïr? The breasts and distinctly female voice weren't a giveaway?
- Second Love: For Altaïr, who thought he would never love again after losing Adha.
- Silver Vixen: Downplayed, she looks fairly attractive even into her late 60s.
- Smug Snake: She has shades of this when she was a Templar such as when she reveals the ruse that Altaïr fell hook, line and sinker for, despite the fact that she was moments away from death.Maria: I sense you expected someone else!
- The Smurfette Principle: The only female in the Templar Order during the Third Crusade.
- The Snark Knight: Known to snark. For instance, while on a mission with Altaïr in Bloodlines, he asks her about the Templar Archive. She says it's where they keep their undergarments.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: She ran away, disguised herself as a man, and enlisted in the Crusades. When she does show up in the game, she's disguised as Robert himself.
Al Mualim (Unmarked Spoilers)
Rashid ad-Din Sinan "Al Mualim"
Main Game Appearances: Assassin's Creed | Assassin's Creed II | Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood | Assassin's Creed: Revelations | Assassin's Creed Rogue
Other Apperances: Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade | Assassin's Creed: Memories | Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
Voiced By: Peter Renaday (English)note
"I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceive that this also was a chasing at the wind. For in much wisdom, is much grief. And he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow."
The Mentor of the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins. He gives Altaïr the mission to assassinate nine corrupt head figures of the Holy Land as a way for him to earn redemption.
In reality, he turns out to be working with the Templars, seeking to use the Apple of Eden for his own purposes and ends up being Altaïr's last assassination target.
- All There in the Manual: His real name - Rashid ad-Din Sinan, the same as his historical counterpart - is revealed in Gameloft's mobile version of the game.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: He was a capable Assassin in his youth, and his years as Mentor haven't lessened those skills, as Altaïr finds out during his boss fight.
- Badass Boast: Just before the final battle against him:Al Mualim: I have stood before a thousand men! All of them superior to you! And all of them dead... by my hand!
- Badass in Distress: As seen in Revelations, in a flashback two years before the events of Assassin's Creed, he is briefly held hostage by Haras during the latter's assault on Masyaf.
- Big Bad Ensemble: With Robert de Sable in the first game. Although they both share the same vision and the same means for carrying it out, however to each other they are enemies vying for the same trophy (the Piece of Eden).
- Big Good: As Mentor of the Levantine Brotherhood, he leads the fight against the Templars and others who threaten peace in the region. This is subverted when it turns out he was working with the Templars.
- Broken Pedestal: Turns out that he was an ally of the Templars, who just played Altaïr and the Brotherhood to kill his former allies so that he wouldn't have to share his power once he conquered the Holy Lands.
- The Cameo: Al-Mualim briefly appears in Assassin's Creed Rogue in the personal files of Juhani Otso Berg.
- The Chessmaster: Plays all of his followers and most of the Holy Land like a fiddle until Altaïr learns the truth.
- Contemplative Boss: He usually assumes this pose when he finishes his conversations with Altaïr and sends him on his missions in the first game.
- Cool Old Guy: A badass Chessmaster despite his age.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: Al Mualim's historical counterpart Rashid ad-Din Sinan died in 1193 through unknown causes. In the game, he dies at the hands of his former student Altaïr.
- Dying Curse: His final words have shades of this. His quotation from the Ecclesiastes haunts Altaïr to his final hours and when Altaïr approaches the Apple, Al Mualim asks Altaïr to destroy it, only for him to say, "I can't". Which the old man replies with a cruelly accurate and prophetic "The Reason You Suck" Speech:Al Mualim: You can, Altaïr, but you won't.
- The Dog Was the Mastermind: You wouldn't expect Altaïr's mentor to be the true villain of the game, let alone a former ally of the Templars with a Piece of Eden.
- Evil Old Folks: He's a grey haired Assassin turncoat allied with the Templars.
- A Father to His Men: To his fellow Assassins. According to Altaïr, he even had personally raised some of them. Subverted at the end, when he brainwashes most and tries to kill Altaïr out of greed,.
- Final Boss: Altaïr's final assassination target in the first game.
- A God Am I: Due to the Apple, he develops a god complex. He has the people he brainwashed calling him "the way and the truth", which is how Jesus Christ refers to Himself.
- Greed: The one difference between Robert De Sable and him is that he doesn't want to share the power with his fellow Templar friends. Also, he's a Templar in all but in name.
- Historical Domain Character: It's not specified in the game, but supplementary material states that Al Mualim is the real life leader of the Assassins of Masyaf - Rashid ad-Din Sinan, known as "The Old Man of the Mountain".
- Historical Villain Upgrade: In real life, Al Mualim certainly didn't use an Apple of Eden to hypnotize the people of Jerusalem nor was he a secret Templar.
- In the Hood: Like most Assassins, he wears a hooded robe. It must be a uniform thing because he doesn't need to do any hiding.
- Knight Templar: He's very direct in his application of retribution. Also, he believes that peace will never come unless it is forced upon the masses, making him literally this trope, being like the Templars in all but name.
- Manipulative Bastard: He has Altaïr kill off all his fellow Templar allies so that he alone can use the Apple of Eden to create a One World Order.
- Me's a Crowd: Creates illusions of himself with the Apple of Eden.
- The Mentor: Both his title and his role in the Assassin Brotherhood, teaching and guiding Assassins throughout the Levant.
- Meaningful Name: "Al Mualim" means "The Teacher" in Arabic.
- Mentor Occupational Hazard: He is Altaïr's mentor and he dies before Altaïr's mission is over, but, in a twist, Altaïr kills him for being a Treacherous Advisor.
- Milky White Eyes: If you look closely, you'll notice his right one is blinded. It could be due to age, an old wound, or it could be due to the Apple of Eden's influence.
- Mole in Charge: It is unknown when exactly it happened, but he ended up allying himself with the Templars, which put one of the most powerful branches of the Assassin Order under the direct control of their sworn enemy. He felt no loyalty towards them, being willing to use the Assassins to kill them for his own ambitions.
- No True Scotsman: He's considered this by Abstergo Industries as of Assassin's Creed Rogue. Abstergo deliberately says he is not a Templar, but rather an Assassin with similar motives and a case of him being representative of combined motives rather than betrayal of one for another.
- Old Master: The Old Assassin Master.
- Scars Are Forever: Has a nasty scar running through his right eye.
- The Strategist: The leading planner of the Assassin order.
- There Are Two Kinds of People in the World: When Altaïr asks what will become of the turncoat Jamal, Al Mualim says they shall see which one of the two following categories Jamal belongs to.Al Mualim: Some do ill out of ignorance or fear. These men can be saved. Others suffer from corrupted wills, their minds poisoned and twisted. These men must be destroyed.
- Token Evil Teammate: For both factions, no less: he's both an Assassin who seeks to rule the world, and a Templar collaborator who, unlike his former colleagues (save perhaps Maj Addin) who seek a world of fairness and peace for all, just wants to rule on his own, with the prior-mentioned peace as a nice little bonus to his regime.
- Treacherous Advisor: To the Levantine Brotherhood as a whole by telling them they are bringing peace to the Holy Land when truly they are delivering it to his control.
- Utopia Justifies the Means: He explains to Altaïr that all he does is for the peace of the Holy Land.
- Walking Spoiler: Talking about him inevitably involves his being a collaborator with the Templars.
- You Cannot Kill An Idea: Altaïr realizes, upon learning of Al Mualim's treachery, that Templars can be anyone: Crusaders, Saracens, even Assassins. As long as there are people who believe peace must be obtained through control and order, the Knights Templar will never die.
- You Don't Look Like You: Al Mualim appears in Altaïr's Chronicles, but you'd be forgiven for not recognizing him. With a completely different outfit, face, and even a short, black beard to contrast his regular elderly appearance, you'd only ever know that's actually Al Mualim because the game and characters directly refer to him as such.
Malik
Malik Al-Sayf
What I would have done is follow the Creed.
Appears in: Assassin's Creed
Voiced By: Haaz Sleiman (English)note
"We are one. As we share the glory of our victories, so too should we share the pain of our defeat. In this way we grow closer. We grow stronger."
A member of the Assassin Order. He holds a grudge against Altaïr because his foolishness cost Malik his arm and his brother's life. Since he can't use both arms to fight any more, he's promoted to Rafiq and placed in Jerusalem, leading the Assassins operating there. In the years following Assassin's Creed, he helped Altaïr devise new assassination techniques.
- An Arm and a Leg: Losing his arm plus his brother gives him good reason to be bitter toward Altaïr.
- Big Damn Heroes: At the last level. His timely approach saved Altaïr's life from being taken by the brainwashed Assassins.
- Blade Below the Shoulder: He wore a hidden blade on his left arm, which he lost after being badly wounded.
- Deadpan Snarker: Big parts of the fandom call him the "Sass Master".Altaïr: Safety and peace, Malik.
Malik: Your presence deprives me of both! - The Dreaded: Implied to be a heroic example to his own men! One informant in Jerusalem is more scared of Malik finding out he messed up rather than the band of Templars that saw his face catching up to him.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: Despite being one of the major characters of the first game as well as popular with the fandom, he does not appear in Revelations, and is executed by Abbas, off-screen, between the second and third seal memories, though details on the latter can be found in The Secret Crusade.
- Genius Bruiser: He's a cartographer by trade, and you walk in on him at least once while he's drawing a complicated map of Jerusalem. It's a profession that requires a lot of intelligence and a superb memory, and when combined with his obvious martial skills, it shows that he is a seriously smart and dangerous individual.
- Green-Eyed Monster: He admits that part of the reason he hated Altaïr is how much better Altaïr was as an assassin than him.
- Handicapped Badass: He might be one-armed, but he can still put up a fight and somehow get in and out of the Assassin Bureau in Jerusalem, which requires climbing.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: He eventually becomes this with Altaïr, serving as his closest advisor.
- In the Hood: He wears the normal hooded Assassin robes during the mission to Solomon's Temple, but after losing his left arm he begins wearing the attire of a Rafiq without the hood up.
- The Lancer: After Altaïr becomes the new Mentor, Malik becomes his closest advisor and friend, and he has a contrasting opinion of what Altaïr should do with the Apple of Eden.
- Legacy Character: Not him, but his son Tazim, who takes up the name Malik and becomes Altaïr's new right-hand man, helping the elderly Assassin overthrow Abbas.
- Meaningful Echo: As Altaïr's Character Development throughout the first game progresses, so does Malik's attitude towards him.(From their first meeting at the Jerusalem Assassins' Bureau)
Altaïr: Safety and peace, Malik.
Malik: Your presence deprives me of both!
(Later, before Altaïr confronts Al Mualim)
Altaïr: Safety and peace, Malik.
Malik: Your presence here will deliver us both. - Morality Chain: In Assassin's Creed II, Altaïr's codex speaks of how Malik helped him to resist the influence of the Apple of Eden he took from Al-Mualim, and eventually to attempt destroying it.
- No One Could Survive That!: What the others thought about Malik's fate after the mission to Solomon's Temple. He did survive, but at a great cost.
- Off with His Head!: His fate in The Secret Crusade is beheading on Abbas' orders.
- Perpetual Frowner: Malik is always frowning even when he and Altaïr are finally reconciled at the end.
- Rejected Apology: A rare, positive example in that he explains that he believes Altaïr is no longer the same man he was before, so the "new" Altaïr owes him no apology.
- Sarcastic Devotee: He puts the sass in asSASSin and is Altaïr's right hand man and closest friend.
- Undying Loyalty: After the first game, he has complete faith in Altaïr, which is precisely the reason he was a thorn in Abbas' side for so long.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: He and Altaïr slowly develop this bond as the game progresses. The sass never goes away no matter how close they become.
- What the Hell, Hero?: He gives a rightly-deserved one to Altaïr in the first ten minutes of the game about killing an innocent. Altaïr doesn't listen and it costs them both dearly.
Kadar
Kadar Al-Sayf
Appears in: Assassin's Creed
Voiced By: Jake Eberle (English)note
"What is our mission? My brother said nothing to me, other than I should be honored to have been invited."
Malik's younger brother, Kadar is a young but skilled Assassin who idolizes Altaïr. He is killed by the Templars during a botched mission to Solomon's Temple alongside Malik and Altaïr.
- Hero-Worshipper: Kadar considers Altaïr to be the best Assassin in the Order and looks up to even over his own brother.
- In the Hood: Wears the normal Assassin robes, which includes a grey hood.
- Sacrificial Lamb: His death serves as the biggest point of tension between Malik and Altaïr.
- Professional Killer: He's an Assassin, but we never see him kill anyone because he dies too quickly.
- Red Shirt: His presence in the opening mission is so that his death can underscore how badly Altaïr screwed up.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: This guy gets two minutes of screen time, give or take. It's not even enough to garner a "huh, that's sad" from the player.
Abbas
Abbas Sofian
Appears in: Assassin's Creed | Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Voiced By: Nolan North (AC); Yerman Gur (Revelations) (English)note
"I will have the Apple, Altaïr! And I will have your head for all the dishonor you brought upon my family! You cannot run forever! Not from us, and not from your lies!"
A member of the Assassin Order. He holds a grudge against Altaïr for believing that he lied about the truth behind his father's death. He appears briefly in the first game, but plays a much larger role in Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- 0% Approval Rating: Most Assassins do not like Abbas during his reign as Mentor but are forced to follow his orders due to his position. Upon Altaïr's return to Masyaf, not only do many of them immediately side with him to dethrone Abbas, a few don't even bother following his orders to stop Altaïr.
- Ascended Extra: Emphasis on "extra", since his appearance is barely noticeable in the first game. Later, he becomes the Arc Villain of Altaïr's flashbacks in Revelations.
- Ambition Is Evil: He is able to usurp the control of Masyaf by killing Sef and Malik and spreading lies about Altaïr. During his reign as Mentor, the Assassins decayed so much that they might as well be considered Templars.
- Bad Boss: He purged the Assassin Order of as many of Altaïr's supporters as he could find, and later sent no backup to the Templar Archive on Cypress that the Assassins had seized, resulting in a massacre of the Assassins stationed there when the Templars took it back.Altaïr: You corrupted everything we stand for, and lost everything we gained. All of it, sacrificed on the altar of your own spite.
- Beard of Evil: One that grows longer the older and eviler he gets.
- Chekhov's Gunman: In Assassin's Creed, he only appears when Altaïr returns from Solomon Temple to criticize him. He is never seen again until Revelations where he plays a much larger role.
- Denying the Dead Parent's Sins: Refuses to believe his father Ahmad broke under torture and gave up Altaïr's father Umar, resulting in Umar's death and Ahmad committing suicide as repentance.
- Didn't See That Coming: Altaïr kills him with the Hidden Gun, a Hidden Blade attachment that Abbas had no idea was even possible, since Altaïr had gained the insight on how to make it by studying the Apple.
- Disappeared Dad: When his father disappeared when he was ten, Abbas believed that he had been abandoned and became depressed, with only his friendship with Altaïr and the guidance of Al Mualim to help him cope. However, when Altaïr admitted that Abbas' father had actually committed suicide out of shame for breaking under torture and getting Altaïr's father killed, Abbas believed he was lying, and since Al Mualim refused to clear the situation up, Abbas assumed Altaïr was simply a liar and untrustworthy, and thus a threat to the Assassin Order.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Believed Altaïr lied about his father committing suicide, which was actually true. His response? Take away Altaïr's position as Mentor by having his son Sef killed and then imprisoning Malik. Then years later, ordering Malik's execution.
- Dramatic Irony: In his pursuit for power, Abbas eventually abandons the ways of the Assassins and become more like a Templar. Centuries later, Abstergo even acknowledges his actions as such and attempts to find his descendants if he has any.
- Evil Former Friend: Of Altaïr. They trained together in their childhood and became friends until Altaïr told him the truth about his father's death.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: His hunger for power masks a massive inferiority complex on his part. As Altaïr puts it:Altaïr: He's hungry for power, because he's powerless.
- I Reject Your Reality: While it's understandable that a child would refuse to accept his father committed treason and then suicide over said treason, carrying it into adulthood is nothing short of plain, insane denial.
- It's Personal: He despises Altaïr because he believes he lied about the nature of his father's death. The feeling becomes mutual due to Abbas ordering the execution of Sef and Malik.
- Manipulative Bastard: He knows how to manipulate, having set most of the Levantine Assassins against Altaïr while he was busy fighting against the Mongols.
- Meaningful Name: One possible meaning of the name "Abbas" is "father." Abbas is a man with considerable Daddy Issues.
- Milking the Giant Cow: Subtler than most examples, but after he overthrows Altaïr and takes over the Order, he can't seem to speak without weaving his fingers through each other, and always when accusing or making lies about Altaïr. It doubles as Rule of Symbolism: Abbas is a spider, weaving webs of lies and twisting the truth to try manipulating others and destroy Altaïr. It also symbolizes how he keeps denying the truth about his father, brushing and waving away the truth.
- No Sense of Humor: His database entry notes that he lacked a sense of humor, which rubbed many of his comrades the wrong way.
- Older Than They Look: Abbas is at least 80 at the time of his death. But the game uses the same model as his middle-aged self, only with the beard (and only the beard) greyed out.
- Psychopathic Manchild: The fourth Memory Shard shows that Abbas clearly isn't suited to be Mentor of the Assassins. Under his rule, the Order becomes a shadow of its former self, and the countryside is constantly hounded by bandits. Due to his power hungry nature, Abbas simply wanted the title of Mentor, but not the responsibilities that follow it. In addition, he hates Altaïr for the rest of his life over not believing that his father committed suicide for treason.
- See You in Hell: Even when at death's door, he still refuses to believe Altaïr about his father's fate. Abbas then vows to find his father in the afterlife and wait for Altaïr there, implying that he still wishes for pain and suffering for his former friend, even beyond the grave.Abbas: I hope there is another life after this one. Then I will see him, and know the truth of his final days...And when it is your time, we will find you, and then there will be no doubts.
- Shadow Archetype: Abbas in many ways is what Altaïr could have been had the latter not been punished by Al-Mualim. Like Altaïr before his demotion, Abbas sees little worth in the Creed and breaks all three tenets to ensure he gets what he wants. Altaïr's journey in the first game mellows him out, allowing him to be a better man and an Assassin and ensuring the Order's power for the centuries to come. Abbas has no such Character Development and remains the same arrogant, power hungry, and selfish Manchild even into his twilight years, and has turned the Assassins into nothing more than bandits and tyrants during his reign as Mentor.
- The Starscream: While Altaïr, Maria, and Darim are off assassinating Genghis Khan, Abbas overthrows Altaïr's supporters and takes over the Assassin Order.
- Ungrateful Bastard: So, after Abbas attempted to steal the Apple of Eden for himself and nearly got himself killed by the artifact's power, Altaïr not only saved his life but also allowed him to remain in the Order. How does Abbas repay Altaïr? By usurping Altaïr's position as Order's leader, murdering Altaïr's best friend and youngest son, throwing a sack with Malik's head at him, and then trying to kill him, which resulted in Maria's death. Ungrateful bastard, indeed.
- We Used to Be Friends: With Altaïr, up until Abbas' father commits suicide in front of Altaïr and Abbas accuses Altaïr of lying about it. Abbas then tried to kill Altaïr. It... didn't get any better from there.
Rauf
Rauf
Appears in: Assassin's Creed
Voiced By: Jake Eberle (English)note
A combat instructor for the Assassin Order and a friend of Altaïr.
- Character Death: In the novel The Secret Crusade, Swammi claims that Rauf died of a fever while Altaïr was in Mongolia, but Altaïr suspects that Abbas had him murdered when he carried out his coup.
- Master Swordsman: He is one top swordsmen in the Order, being responsible for training the younger Assassins in swordplay.
- Meaningful Name: Rauf is an Arabic name meaning "compassionate, sympathetic, kind, lenient", which fits his personality very well. Even when Altaïr was at his lowest and fresh off demotion, he still respected his brother assassin's skill.
- Nice Guy: He is one of the more cheerful and friendly Assassins, and never once mocks or insults Altaïr for his failures.
- Undying Loyalty:
- To Altaïr, becoming one of his most trusted Assassins and friends. He is among those who were able to resist Al Mualim's brainwashing.
- It's implied that this is what caused his death; because he was loyal to Altaïr and his reign, Abbas has him killed during the coup. His death is later covered up, but Altaïr is able to see through it.
Jabal
Jabal
Appears in: Assassin's Creed
Voiced By: Alain Benatar (English)note
"Remove this stain from Acre, Altaïr. Perhaps it will help cleanse your own."
The Rafiq of Acre, Jabal is a elderly scholar and scribe of the Assassin Order.
- Bookworm: He's often reading when Altaïr walks in.
- Cool Old Guy: He doesn't taunt or insult Altaïr like Malik and the Rafiq of Damascus, instead simply expressing a quiet disappointment in the actions that led to his demotion. He also offers much advice to Altaïr, and compliments him on finding his way back onto the proper Assassin path.
- In the Hood: Wears his hood up all the time. He's a scholar in addition to being an assassin.
- It Never Gets Any Easier: He encourages Altaïr to embrace this feeling, since the Assassins kill out of necessity, not for fun, and that they must acknowledge the toll taking a life takes on a person.Jabal: It is the men you kill, isn't it? You feel... something for them.Altaïr: How?Jabal: Ah, my friend, you are not meant to enjoy these grim tasks. Regret, uncertainty, sympathy - this is to be expected.Altaïr: I should not fear these feelings?Jabal: You should embrace them! They are what keep you human.
- Only One Name: It's just "Jabal".
- The Philosopher: His conversations with Altaïr discuss the ramifications of what an Assassin does, and he advises Altaïr to be more thoughtful about the impact of what he does.Altaïr: I've never been one for politics.Jabal: But surely you realize your every action shapes the course of this land's future. You are a politician too, in your own way.
- The Spymaster: As Rafiq of Acre, it is his job to gather information for the Assassin Order on important figures and events in the city and approve of any assassination carried out by the Order there.
Damascus Rafiq
Damascus Rafiq
Appears in: Assassin's Creed
Voiced By: Carlos Ferro (English)note
"I envy you, Altaïr. Well, not where you were beaten and stripped of your rank, but I envy everything else! Oh, except for the terrible things the other Assassins say about you! But yes, aside from the failure and the hatred, yes, aside from those things I envy you very much!"
The unnamed Rafiq of Damascus, notable for his witty comments and, compared to the other Bureau Leaders, open and friendly.
- Deadpan Snarker: Every conversation with him involves him making dry remarks and wisecracks at Altaïr's expense.
- The Gadfly: He likes the sound of his voice, this one, and much to Altaïr's displeasure.
- No Name Given: "Damascus Rafiq" is his title, not his name. It never comes up.
Darim
Darim Ibn-La'Ahad
Appears in: Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Voiced By: Michael Benyaer (English)note
"All that is good in me, began with you, father."
Altaïr and Maria's eldest son. He was trained by them alongside his younger brother Sef. He accompanied his parents on the mission to assassinate Genghis Khan, killing the warlord with the help of Qulan Gal. After returning to the Holy Land, Darim went into exile with his father and his brothers family after Abbas took over the Assassin Order, murdered Sef, and Maria was killed. After Altaïr resumed his status as Mentor, Darim became his father's right hand man in rebuilding the Order.
- Identical Grandson: Although Word of God implies they're not actually related, many fans have pointed out that he is a dead ringer for Subject 16. Whether this is merely coincidence or hinting at yet another revelation in a future game remains to be seen.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When his father entered a deep depression after Maria and Sef were killed and they were driven from Masyaf by Abbas while also becoming obsessed with the Apple of Eden, Darim left Altaïr in Alamut and traveled to France and England to spread warnings about the Mongols. He eventually returns to his father's side after Abbas is killed.
Swami
Swami
Appears in: Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Voiced by: ???
A weak-minded and unskilled Assassin apprentice who became Abbas Sofian's right-hand man.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: In the novel The Secret Crusade, Altaïr uses the Apple to make Swami mutilate himself before dying, while in the game, he merely starts to slit his own throat before Altaïr stabs him.
- Jerkass: Taunting an old man about his son's murder is certainly cruel.
- Kick the Dog: Before executing Sef Ibn-La'Ahad, Swami taunted and lied to him by claiming his own father had ordered Swami to kill him. He later mocks Altaïr by telling him this, which ends exactly how you would expect it to.
- Number Two: Abbas' right hand man.
- Only One Name: It's just "Swami". No family name.
- Too Dumb to Live: When Altaïr goes to hand over the Apple of Eden to him, Swami taunts him by telling him that he killed Altaïr's son (and made him believe Altaïr had ordered it). As Altaïr is still holding the Apple at this point, this ends exactly as you'd expect.
Niccolò Polo
Niccolò Polo
Appears in: Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Voiced By: ??? (English)note
A Venetian merchant and explorer, and the father of the famed explorer Marco Polo. He met Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad in 1257 and joined the Assassins shortly thereafter.
- Determinator: Determined to retrieve the lost codex.
- My Greatest Failure: Losing Altaïr's codex hits him hard, and he undergoes two lengthy trips to the Mongol Empire to retrieve it, with the second one succeeding.
- Passing the Torch: Altaïr tells him and Maffeo his story and inducts them into the Assassin Order to carry his legacy on. It is Lampshaded by Niccolò:"Altaïr means us to spread the word of the Assassin, that is his plan. And not just spread the word but set up an Order in the west. Shame on me for taking so long to work it out, but now that I have, all seems clear: to us (specifically to me, it seems), he is entrusting the spirit of the Brotherhood. He is passing the torch to us."
Maffeo Polo
Maffeo Polo
Appears in: Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Voiced By: ???
Niccolò's younger brother who joins the Assassins alongside him.
- Passing the Torch: The Revelations mission featuring him and his brother is even named as such.
