Main Character Index

Characters page for the historical portion of Assassin's Creed: Mirage (including the Hidden Ones who first appeared in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla).

For the game-unspecific cast, see the main index.

As a prequel to Valhalla, all spoilers for the previous game will be unmarked.

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The Hidden Ones

Basim

Basim ibn Is'haq

Basim as he appears in Mirage

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/basim_acv.png

Basim as he appears in Valhalla

Click ^HERE to see Basim in the modern day.

Voiced by: Carlo Rota (Valhalla, English)^note, Lee Majdoub (Mirage, English)

A Master Assassin of the Hidden Ones branch based in Constantinople, known to the Norse as Miklagard. Basim met and befriended Sigurd and traveled back with him to Norway to spread the teachings of the Hidden Ones and combat the influence of the Order of the Ancients in Norway and England.

Actually Pretty Funny: Basim begins laughing wildly at the irony that it was a wolf bite of all things, that hid Eivor being Odin's reincarnation from him.
Ambiguous Situation: It's left unclear whether or not the family he discusses losing with Eivor at their fireside chat was his human family as Basim, his Isu family as Loki, or even both.
And I Must Scream: Subverted; despite being denied his revenge and getting stuck in an empty void (though his ability to control it mitigates this slightly), he's surprisingly cheerful upon meeting Layla. Makes sense, since by that point he's figured out how to twist his fate into his advantage.
And Now for Someone Completely Different: He becomes the modern-day player character in Valhalla's postgame, in place of Layla.
Animal Motifs: In the modern day, he wears a shirt with a wolf on it. The wolf is associated in popular culture with Loki, who Basim is a Sage of, via his son Fenrir.
Anti-Villain: By Valhalla, Basim wants to avenge the deaths of his family and to get back at Odin — even if the current incarnation of Odin doesn't fully understand why.
Back from the Dead: After Layla uses the Isu brain uploading machine, the Staff ends up touching what's left of him, bringing him back to life. Before that, he was one of the Isu in Asgard who used the same method of Resurrective Immortality Juno used on Aita.
Badass Bookworm: Spent a lot of time at the Library of Baghdad growing up, learned from al-Khwarizmi himself about mathematics and astronomy, and is a skilled warrior.
Big Bad Ensemble: One of the main antagonists of Valhalla alongside Alfred the Great.
Blade Below the Shoulder: Like most Hidden Ones, he carries a Hidden Blade and uses it to great effect during his boss fight in Valhalla, wounding Eivor badly enough that the wound still gives trouble some time after they've arrived back in Ravensthorpe from Norway.
Brain Uploading: Eivor and Sigurd do this to defeat him during his boss fight in Valhalla by knocking him into one of the devices the Isu use to upload minds to Yggdrasil.
Breakout Character: He begins Valhalla as a notable side figure in Eivor's story, as well as being a link to the overarching Hidden Ones versus Order of Ancients narrative of the franchise. However, he ends up betraying Eivor because of the two's nature as a pair of feuding Sages before replacing Layla as the modern-day protagonist. His complexity and unclear motivations earned him quite a bit of popularity as a result, and lead to him getting prominent appearances in supplemental Assassin's Creed comics before he ended up getting his own game with Mirage, making him the first protagonist to debut in a game prior to his own.
Broken Pedestal:
- In Valhalla, one of Basim's conversations with Eivor implies that Odin is this to him, as he mentions that "the one who took his son" was someone he would trust with everything, having been a mentor to him.
- In Mirage, Roshan becomes one, as Basim discovers she kept her own knowledge of his old life and precursor relations away from him, in an attempt to keep him controlled, even after the apprentice mentioned how much his visions torment him.
Call-Forward:
- His outfit clearly evokes that of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad in previous Assassin's Creed games, being a similar white robe with red sash reminiscent of Levantine Assassin robes; both of them have origins from the Middle East. His backstory from promotional media states that he comes from Constantinople, where Assassin's Creed: Revelations takes place six and a half centuries later.
- He also becomes this to Al-Mualim since he becomes the Final Boss of Valhalla.
Climax Boss: Serves as the climax fight to both the Prophecy and Asgard arcs of Valhalla, though Eivor isn't aware of the connection. After his defeat, the eradication of other members of the Order of the Ancients and pacification of England are more or less cleanup duty.
Combat Parkour: Does fancy flips while throwing knives at Eivor during his boss fight in Valhalla. His agility can also be glimpsed when he fights alongside Eivor.
Combat Pragmatist: Uses smoke bombs to mask his climbing so that he can air assassinate Eivor in Valhalla.
Conflicting Loyalty: After Qabiha reveals to Basim what she knows of his true nature, and he discovers that Roshan had similar knowledge and hid it from him, his faith in the Hidden Ones' creed is shaken, making Basim question its tenets and notice its ironies, considering his own mentor limited his freedom to understand himself and the visions which plagued him. These events eventually lead him to journey into Alamut's Isu structure against Roshan's wishes, and afterward, the creed becomes second to all of his future (and past) goals.
The Corrupter: In Valhalla Basim tells Sigurd that he is actually a god incarnate, causing Sigurd to develop an ego. It turns out that Basim/Loki believes Sigurd could be a reincarnation of Odin, and wanted to make the Isu personality take him over before killing his old enemy. When he tails Sigurd and Eivor to the Yggdrasil, he says that it was Eivor he was looking for all along.
Cynicism Catalyst: The reveal that Roshan knew that Basim himself might be related to the Order of the Ancients' goals shakes the protagonist's faith in the Hidden Ones' creed and his mentor, and leads him to disobey her advice of not letting his past mold him, bringing him down the path of discovering his origins as Loki.
Dark and Troubled Past: Basim's father was an architect who died in exiled poverty when someone else took the credit for the building of the Great Mosque of Samarra^note, his mother and brothers all died before him, his son whether Fenrir or not, or even a combination of the two was murdered, and he has basically no family in this world.
Death of Personality: By way of Split-Personality Takeover. Like most Sages, Basim's body has been taken over by Loki's mind against his will through the latter's genetic memories. By the time that Eivor, Sigurd, and Basim uncover the Yggdrasil device, Loki has full control and attacks Basim's allies. Subverted in Mirage, where it's revealed that Basim's personality did not die, he just gained the repressed memories of Loki.
Didn't See That Coming: Seems genuinely surprised that Odin reincarnated as Eivor in Valhalla. Given that Odin was male while Eivor is canonically female, you can't really blame the guy.
Don't Make Me Destroy You: In the last mission of Mirage, as Basim insists in entering Alamut's forbidden grounds, despite Roshan's warnings, both of them apply this trope to one another in their fight (Roshan at the start, Basim at the end), as the apprentice refuses to follow her warnings, and the mentor never backs down from blocking the structure.
Dual Wielding: In Mirage, he wields a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other.
Earned Stripes: His starting outfit as an initiate has blue sashes, instead of the typical red most assassins go with. By the time he's become a full Master Assassin, he's swapped up to red.
Every Scar Has a Story: The scar on the right side of his face in Valhalla was given to him at the end of Mirage by Enkidu, who no longer recognized Basim as the same person after he awoke his lost memories.
Fingore: As he joined the Hidden Ones before Altaïr's reforms, Basim is missing his left-hand ring finger. In Mirage's first trailer, we get to see the actual ritual in which he cuts it off. Coming into contact with the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus in the modern day does not restore his finger, meaning he still doesn't have it today.
Flechette Storm: Is skilled at using throwing knives.
Foreshadowing: In Valhalla not only does he have the same black marks on his neck that Sigurd does, he's also wearing a brooch that has a carving of a wolf head, a snake, and a skull on it. This clearly symbolizes Loki's children, Fenrir, Jormungandr, and Hella.
Friendly Enemy: Although it doesn't stop him from trying to kill them, there are some signs Basim may have actually enjoyed Eivor's company before learning they house Odin's mind in Valhalla. He shares some intimate details of his life during a campfire chat, and in the modern-day epilogue he even imagines Eivor joining him on another campfire, with no signs of his former hatred.
"Get Back Here!" Boss: He runs away after the first phase of his Boss Battle in Valhalla, forcing Eivor to give chase.
Intro-Only Point of View: Inverted, as he's only playable in Valhalla's epilogue.
Ironic Name: "Basim" means "to smile", while "Is'haq" means "laughing". As Basim reveals to Eivor in Valhalla, his life has been a very, very difficult one, having lost his entire family both as Basim and in his previous life as Loki. Mirage also reveals that he began his journey as a Hidden One through petty street thievery just to make ends meet. All in all, despite his name, Basim has had very few reasons to smile or laugh.
Irony: The way he's defeated in Valhalla becomes this, considering his conversation with Aletheia implies he has a similar relationship with her as Aita does with Juno.
Last Disrespects: While examining Eivor's remains in Valhalla's epilogue, it sounds more like he's trying to gloat while pretending to pay his respects.
Laughing Mad: Cackles insanely a few times in his fight with Eivor in Valhalla.
The Mentor: Serves as a mentor to Hytham, and teaches Eivor how to do social stealth by using a cloak to disguise themselves.
Man in the Machine: Eivor and Sigurd end up trapping him in an Isu brain uploading device.
Manipulative Bastard: Plays to Sigurd's ego to make him act even more jerkish and also perhaps to drive a wedge between him and Eivor.
Misplaced Retribution: Some of his lines during his Boss Fight confirm that for a long time he believed Sigurd to be Odin's reincarnation, and upon seeing Eivor's scars he realizes that they were the real target of his hate.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: It turns out his plan to use the Vikings to destroy the Order in England was this since Aelfred intended to do that less violently anyway, meaning that, civilising the Vikings aside, he started a bloody war for no reason and forced Aelfred to keep the Order around to protect England's people, which may have inadvertently led to the Order later being reformed into the Templars.
Not in This for Your Revolution: Mentor Rayhan tells Hytham in a letter that the Hidden Ones had felt that Basim's loyalty to their cause was secondary to some other purpose for years between Mirage and Valhalla, and were hoping that his assignment to England would help him get back on track. As a result, his actions during the game, while disappointing, don't really surprise them.
Oh, Crap!: He panics after the Caliph's death during the Winter Palace heist. Considering that all guards in Anbar start hunting him down immediately afterwards, his reaction is very appropriate.
Outliving One's Offspring: Tells Eivor that his only son was killed long ago by someone he trusted. The game leaves it ambiguous as to whether he was speaking about Fenrir, a son fathered as Basim, or even both.
Promoted to Playable: Mirage makes him the first protagonist to debut in a title taking place prior to his own game.
Properly Paranoid: Basim's warnings in Valhalla about keeping Hidden Ones business secret ring true when Eivor opens Aelfred's study and finds out he's been aware of them, Sigurd, and Hytham ever since their deposing of King Burgred.
Puzzle Boss: His Boss Battle is broken up into multiple phases that require various approaches to beat, only a few of which can be solved with brute force. The others are more about figuring out how to proceed to the next stage while surviving his relentless attacks.
Reincarnation: Is a Sage of Loki seeking revenge on Odin for imprisoning Fenrir.
Reincarnation-Identifying Trait: Has the injection marks on his neck Loki got when his genetic material was uploaded to Yggdrasil.
Reverse Grip: Wields his sword with a reverse grip in Valhalla. This is a trait he has in common with Loki, and is foreshadowing for their connection.
Ring-Out Boss: Inverted, to defeat him in the final battle of Valhalla you have to stun him while he's in range of the Isu device in the center of the room to stop him for good.
Rummage Sale Reject: His outfit in the modern day looks very improvised, consisting of a hoodie, a t-shirt with a wolf and a moon in it and brown cargos. Given the circumstances, it most likely is improvised from whatever surplus clothes Layla, Shaun, and Rebecca had available when he showed up out of the blue.
Sequence Breaking: Possibly due to his Isu knowledge, but during "The Final Chapter" of Valhalla he demonstrates the ability to fast-forward the Animus, something no-one else in Assassin's Creed has been able to do.
Sinister Scimitar: He wields a curved sword of Persian origin, and he ends up being the final boss of the Yggdrasil storyline of Valhalla.
Sole Survivor: Tells Eivor he outlived the deaths of his parents, brothers, and his only son.
Split-Personality Takeover: Unlike Eivor and Sigurd with Odin and Tyr respectively, Loki is Basim's dominant personality in Valhalla to the point that they're pretty much one and the same. It's implied he was this way long before meeting either of them, as Basim tells Eivor that he changed after a meeting with al-Khwarizmi in Baghdad. However, Loki (who is not exactly the most reliable source) states privately that it was more of a "mutual understanding", which is somewhat corroborated by Mirage's events.
Start of Darkness: At the end of Mirage, Basim and Loki (or at least their memories) merge, with the former's mannerisms immediately beginning to look like the latter's, becoming condescending (with the very subtitles showing quotations when calling Rayhan as "mentor") and different even to his own eagle, and expressing a desire to find those responsible for his traumatic imprisonment.
Sticky Fingers: Starts off as a general thief, and a few side-missions through Mirage have him utilizing these skills.
The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: The fact that he believed Sigurd to be Odin reborn yet actively assisted in rescuing him from Fulke implies that he felt only he should have the right to kill him.
The Teetotaler: Due to being Muslim, he doesn't drink. Eivor notes him not drinking during Sigurd's homecoming feast and Basim discusses not wanting to risk his immortal soul for a drink of abbey brew with Cynebert.
Tomato in the Mirror: In Mirage, it is revealed that his old friend Nehal is actually a reflection of himself in a previous life, never having been seen by anyone other than Basim. As Valhalla shows that this old life was that of the Isu Loki, this has the implication that she was him disguised and making himself or at least his old memories more acceptable to Basim.
Took a Level in Jerkass: The restoration of Loki's memories cause a marked shift in his attitude, as seen in the difference between Basim of Mirage and Valhalla. For instance, he becomes a lot more snide when speaking with Mentor Rayhan.
Villain Protagonist: He takes Layla's role as The Protagonist in the modern-day segments after getting her killed.
Walking Spoiler: It's hard to talk about his role in the story without spoilers.
Wham Line: In Mirage's last cutscene, as Basim moves out of his old prison with his old memories as Loki, seeing the world again, his first words outside are: "How long has it been?" Implying that he remembers the Toba Catastrophe and wonders how many years have passed since.

Roshan

Roshan bint La-'Ahad

Roshan's appearance in Mirage

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/roshan_5.png

Roshan's appearance in Valhalla

Voiced by: Shohreh Aghdashloo

A Master Assassin who recruited Basim into the ranks of the Hidden Ones. She later rose to become a Mentor in the order.

Black-and-White Morality: Roshan has some very fixed views about the world and the way the Hidden Ones operate, which she refused to compromise on.
Chekhov's Gunman: She makes an appearance in the final set of content updates for Valhalla, setting up her role in Mirage.
Combat Pragmatist: Introduces herself to Eivor by dropping a smoke bomb on some soldiers, then gutting them while they're busy coughing.
Dark and Troubled Past: She has some unspecified history she absolutely refuses to disclose, but which involved a man she killed. As a result of the trauma, she dedicated herself entirely to the Hidden Ones.
Death Glare: She shoots a nasty glare at Ali when she sees him walking through the door at the watermill.
Don't Make Me Destroy You: In the last mission of Mirage, as Basim insists in entering Alamut's forbidden grounds, despite Roshan's warnings, both of them apply this trope to one another in their fight (Roshan at the start, Basim at the end), as the apprentice refuses to follow her warnings, and the mentor never backs down from blocking the structure.
Final Boss: Of Mirage. After Basim refuses to heed Roshan's threat and decides to access the precursor building beneath Alamut, she becomes the last obstacle on his way inside.
Hero of Another Story: When she crosses paths with Eivor, Roshan's on her own hunt for members of the Order which she's been on for a while. She doesn't give out a lot of details, but it includes losing her Hidden Blade and a long quest to get it back.
Last Episode, New Character: Only appears in the very last set of missions added to Valhalla.
Never Mess with Granny: She's elderly by the standards of the setting by the time of Valhalla, but is no less a tremendously dangerous and skilled Hidden One regardless.
One Degree of Separation: She once worked with and mentored Basim, the man who gave Eivor her own Hidden Blade, but she never mentions this fact to Eivor, despite being suspicious about where the Viking got it from.
Saved by Canon: She appears in Valhalla, taking place several years after the Final Battle, meaning she will survive her confrontation with Basim.
Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: After she recovers from her defeat by Basim, Roshan leaves the Hidden Ones, throwing her Hidden Blade away right in front of their Mentor, saying that he's made his choice and now she makes hers. This is possibly due to them supporting her former apprentice's decision to uncover his mysterious past by journeying into the forbidden Isu temple, then keeping him as a Hidden One despite his attack on her. This is later subverted though, as by the time of Valhalla, she seems to have returned to the Brotherhood, or is at least working with them.
Spared, but Not Forgiven: Justified. Basim never wanted to kill her, so he spares Roshan after fully incapacitating her, but he also never forgives her for trying to control him, just like the Order of the Ancients would.
The Unfettered: Her approach to the Creed, advising Basim to be equally ruthless and without hesitation in his approach.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: By not discussing her suppositions (or fears) of Basim's possible precursor relations, Roshan slowly loses his trust once he discovers them, and prevents herself from being able to fully guide him. As a consequence of this, Basim begins a path that leads to him fully embracing his Loki persona.
Working the Same Case: Roshan meets Eivor when the later is investigating a False Flag Operation being funded by the Order member Rayhan is hunting. Roshan figures since they're both after the same person, they should team up.

Rayhan

Mentor of the Alamut Brotherhood.

Authority Sounds Deep: He has a very deep voice and happens to be Mentor of the Alamut Brotherhood.
Badass in Distress: Captured by the Order when they lay siege to Alamut.
Dark Is Not Evil: He is a Hidden One mentor wearing black robes.
The Ghost: In Valhalla he's the author of a letter written to Hytham regarding Basim's betrayal. but never makes a physical appearance.

Fuladh

Eagle-Master of the Hidden Ones, he became Rafiq of the Sharqiyah Bureau when the Hidden Ones began to dismantle the Order in Baghdad.

Chekhov's Gunman: First mentioned in Valhalla in Mentor Rayhan's letter to Hytham regarding Basim's betrayal.
Rank Up: By the time of Valhalla around a decade later, he's become Mentor for the Hidden Ones based in Justanid territory.
Son of a Whore: His mother was his father's concubine and was thrown out alongside her by his favored wife when she feared Fuladh could claim inheritance.

Rebekah

The Alamut Brotherhood's blacksmith. When the Hidden Ones move on the Order of Ancients in Baghdad, Rebekah becomes the Rafiq of the Karkh Bureau.

The Blacksmith: She forges the Alamut chapter's weapons, and strives to make each one unique.
Hates Their Parent: Her parents are wealthy and Rebekah views them as part of a corrupt and broken system of exploitation.
Sheltered Aristocrat: Describes her childhood as very sheltered and that it wasn't until she left home that she understood how the world actually was and the social inequality that existed.
Snark-to-Snark Combat: With Basim. The two frequently exchange light verbal jabs at one another each time they meet, though they aren't openly hostile.

Nur

A young Hidden One who befriended Basim in the early days of his training at Alamut.

Sacrificial Lion: A non-lethal variation. Nur is introduced in the Alamut section of the game, and is a friend to Basim. After leaving for Baghdad, he comes back badly wounded with news that the situation in Baghdad is worse than it seems. While he survives his injury, he's out of commission for the rest of the game until the assault on Alamut.

The Banū Mūsā

A trio of Persian scholars and renowned inventors, the Banū Mūsā are three brothers who assist the Hidden Ones in creating tools and inventions that help them in their fight. Their role is to supply Basim with the tools he needs as he climbs the ranks of the Hidden Ones.

Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: The brothers are identical in their appearance and voice (which causes Basim to often confuse them), leaving their differently coloured clothes the only thing to distinguish them by. Al-Hasan wears brown robes, Ahmad wears green robes and Abū Ja'far wears purple robes.
Defector from Decadence: They used to be close to Al-Mutawakkil, but they eventually grew disgusted with the Abbasid Caliphate and so they left his court and joined the Hidden Ones instead.
Historical Domain Character: The Banū Mūsā were real historical figures that were renowned for a variety of advancements that they made and wide variety of contributions they provided for astronomy, mathematics, and technology.
Horrible Judge of Character: One of the brothers is suckered by the Order and unwittingly assists them in their schemes, not noticing anything suspicious because he was too caught up in the science.
Noodle Incident: Per Tabid, they refuse to tell anyone what exactly caused their disgust with the Abbasids.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Of Assassin's Creed II's Leonardo da Vinci. Both characters are people who really existed in history and were geniuses that pushed the limits of science and engineering in their respective times. Both characters are also allies of the Hidden Ones/Assassins and help to build the gear that their respective games' protagonists use. In the gameplay walkthrough, Abū Ja'far is the one to build Basim's blowpipe and traps in a similar manner to da Vinci building Ezio's Hidden Blade and gun.

Allies

Ali ibn Muhammad

The leader of the Zanj rebellion against the Caliphate, he works with the Hidden Ones but disagrees with their methods, he believes that the persuit of freedom shouldn't be restrained by any code of conduct.

Badass in Distress: At the start of the game, he's imprisoned by the Caliphate and has to be rescued by Basim.
Heroic Lineage: Claims to be descended from the family of the Prophet to help justify his claim to rule.
Historical Domain Character: The Zanj Rebellion was a real historical event which had significant impact on the Abbasid Caliphate, and it indeed was lead by a man named Ali ibn Muhammad.
Let No Crisis Go to Waste: While he does legitimately mourn Beshi's death, he's not above using it as a rallying cry for more revolution.
Rebel Leader: The leader of the Zanj Rebellion.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The wild and passionate Red to Beshi's calm Blue.
Rousing Speech: He delivers a few speeches throughout the game to raise the morale of his rebels.
Slave Liberation: One of the Zanj Rebellion's goals is liberation of slaves throughout the Abbasid Caliphate.
Stealing the Credit: He claims Basim's actions in Sharqiyah to be his own successes, including the killing of Wasif, whose corpse he stabs with his own sword moments before the rebels breach the warlord's office. In an interesting example of this trope, rather than a selfish move, this is actually an arrangement proposed to him by Fuladh at the beginning of the Sharqiyah arc.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Of Gamilat from Assassin's Creed Origins. He's a rebel leader who cooperates with the Hidden Ones but disagrees with how they operate.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Several Hidden Ones express their dislike of Ali, viewing him as a pompous, self-aggrandizing fool, with Roshan giving him quite the Death Glare when meeting him at the watermill and Dervis openly proclaiming that he despises the man. Basim is not happy with Ali's methods either. The distaste seems to be mutual, as Ali dislikes the Hidden Ones' following of a creed, as he considers it a form of servitude. Despite that, the Hidden Ones and Ali still work together as allies in their fight for the good of the common people.
The Unfettered: He believes himself to be above following strict rules of conduct, and he sneers at Basim for following a code, claiming it makes him a servant.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: He believes a war must be waged in order to topple the Abbasid Caliphate and cleanse the land of the oppresion the people suffer from. He also has no qualms torturing and killing a captive if it means it can advance his cause.

Beshi

A leader in the Zanj rebellion, rescued from slavery by Ali. He's the calm to Ali's brash, and is far more inclined to act with careful consideration than with anger and outright brutality.

Defiant to the End: Tells Wasif in his last moments that he has no right to judge him.
He Who Fights Monsters: Defied. Not only does he never go down the path of becoming as brutal as the Caliphate, he consistently tries to prevent Ali from falling into this trope, despite the inherent struggle that comes with being a leader of the rebels. He even outright states that he does not want to be like the Caliphate early in the Sharqiyah questline.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: He's slowly, painfully impaled through the chest by Wasif with a sword in front of Basim and Ali, and the two are unable to do anything to help until it's too late and Beshi has bled out.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The calm, collected Blue to Ali's brash, brutal Red.

Dervis

A well-respected merchant who employed thieves and urchins to feed and care for the poor through theft. He allied himself with the Hidden Ones, tasking Basim with their jobs.

And Your Reward Is Clothes: He sends Basim on a task to steal for him a collection of rare and expensive artifacts scattered around Baghdad. Once Basim collects them all and brings them to him, he awards him with an outfit.
Dramatic Sit-Down: When meeting Basim again in Baghdad, he is so overwhelmed by emotion from finding out that he survived the that he eventually sits down to process the moment.
The Team Benefactor: Through his thief network, he provides funding for the Zanj Rebellion.

Nehal (SPOILERS UNMARKED)

Nehal

One of Basim's friends who encourages him not to trust anyone but himself.

The Corrupter: Justified. She always encourages Basim to do what is in his own best interests regardless of the consequences while seemingly uncaring of her own. Since Nehal is a manifestation of Loki's ego from the depths of Basim's subconsciousness, she does whatever she can to preserve Basim's life (and, in turn, her own) and to bring Loki's ego closer to the surface, such as encouraging Basim's curiosity about Isu civilization and, in the end, making him use a device that allows Loki to take over Basim's consciousness.
Imaginary Friend: She is eventually revealed to be another hallucination like the Jinni. Nehal is also arguably a Not-So-Imaginary Friend since she is a manifestation of Loki, who eventually takes over Basim's identity under everyone's noses.
Meaningful Name: Nehal means "seedling" in Persian, alluding to the Yggdrasil "tree" that causes Loki to reincarnate.
Once More, with Clarity: After The Reveal we see a montage of previous scenes with her as they actually happened, not how Basim saw them.
Street Urchin: She was raised on the streets.
Walking Spoiler: It's hard to discuss her in full without describing the reveal that she's actually another manifestation of Basim's memories as Loki.

Order of the Ancients (SPOILERS UNMARKED)

In General

Ancient Conspiracy: The Baghdad sect is but a small part of a shadowy organization that has existed for centuries, and whose goal is the political and economic domination of the world.
Arch-Enemy: As always, they are the mortal enemies of the Hidden Ones.
Aristocrats Are Evil: Just like before, most of the members of the Order are from the social elite, including government officials, merchants, military officers, scholars, and even a concubine.
Dark Is Evil: Aside from their bronze masks, they wear completely black robes as part of their disguise.
Evil Counterpart: To the Hidden Ones. Like their age-old enemies, the Order prefers to work from the shadows but do so to control humanity.
Greater-Scope Villain: They manipulate the Abbasid Caliphate behind the scenes and even the Caliph himself is one of their many pawns.
Malevolent Masked Men: Each member of the Order has a bronze mask as proof of their membership and as a means to hide their identity. The design of each mask is unique to its owner. For example, Al-Ghul's mask has a distinctive crescent-shaped moustache and Al-Mardikhwar's mask appears to wear a helmet. Whenever a member gives their Final Speech in Basim's shadowy void, their mask lies next to them even if they weren't wearing it when Basim kills them.
Red Baron: They use codenames to refer to each other, especially in correspondence.
Religious and Mythological Theme Naming: Their codenames are based on various Middle Eastern mythological creatures.
They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: They look no different from any other respectable citizen when out of disguise, forcing the Hidden Ones to find conclusive proof of their identities before going in for the kill.
We Are Everywhere: Roshan is unsettled when Basim discovers the Witch is Chinese, and the implications for how far the Order has spread.

Al-Mutawakkil

Al-Mutawakkil Ala Allah

The tenth Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate and a puppet of the Order of the Ancients.

Adipose Rex: The Caliph is a rather portly man, to the degree that the one thing that stood out about him to one of Basim's child friends was his size.
Historical Domain Character: Al-Mutawakkil was the real-world tenth Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate, and he really was assassinated at the same time as his in-game counterpart. In the real world, however, this was done by a Turkish soldier, not a thief like Basim.
Impromptu Tracheotomy: He gets killed this way, getting stabbed in the neck with his own dagger when he attempts to strangle Basim.
Oh, Crap!: He panics when he realises he accidentally saw the memory seal he was forbidden from seeing by the Order.
Plot-Triggering Death: His killing in the Winter Palace leads to the execution of Basim's friends by the Caliphal soldiers and to his escape from Anbar with Roshan.
Puppet King: Al-Mutawakkil is the head of the Abbasid Caliphate at the height of its power, yet he's also a powerless pawn of the Order, easily intimidated into doing their bidding.
We Hardly Knew Ye: The Caliph dies at the very beginning of the game, moments after getting introduced.

Al-Ghul (The Ghoul)

Mas'ood Al-Ya'qoob

A soap merchant and the owner of Baghdad's soap mills. Using his connections, Mas'ood has conscripted countless prisoners and hired migrant workers to constantly work at dig sites in the desert surrounding Baghdad, hoping to unearth Isu artifacts.

Bad Boss: Many of his prisoners and workers have died due to the unforgiving desert and unrelenting overseers, but Mas'ood simply sends more people to replace the dead.
Dark Is Evil: Even when not wearing his Order robes, Mas'ood dresses in mostly dark clothes.
Fat Bastard: He looks like a typical fat merchant and is a member of the Order of the Ancients.
Hanging Around: He is killed when Basim wraps a rope around his neck and tackles him off a balcony, snapping his neck in front of everyone.
Man of Wealth and Taste: Ali notes that apart from his size, he could be distinguished by him liking to wear jewels and silk clothes.
Utopia Justifies the Means: As he dies, he tells Basim that his victims are a small price to pay for the enlightened future that the Isu artifacts will bring.

Abbasiyah District (Scholar District)

Al-Rabisu (The Lurker)

Fazil Fahim al-Kemsa

The first scholar of the House of Wisdom, Baghdad's greatest library. He is the overseer of the Order's "Great Work", an Isu device, named Alruh, discovered beneath the House of Wisdom.

Bad Boss: A writing can be found in his office stating that he ordered flogging of any House of Wisdom staff member that comes and disturbs him.
Beard of Evil: He has a long grey beard and he also happens to be a leading Order member.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He appears to be a polite elderly scholar when Basim first meets him. While Fazil can be polite when he has to be, he cannot stand to hold his pride back for too long.
Bookworm: His database entry notes that in his youth as a bookseller's apprentice, he read every text he could get his hands on.
Evil Old Folks: He is the oldest of the leading members of the Order in Baghdad, but is no less ruthless.
For Science!: He considers knowledge, especially science, to be the greatest power in the world. Fazil used countless prisoners to experiment with the Alruh, hoping to eventually unlock its secrets and uncaring of his victims' fates. Victims of the Alruh are often driven insane by intense visions of Isu civilization, leaving them unable to distinguish reality from the visions.
Humans Are Morons: He admires the Isu for their knowledge and technology, considering their mysterious replacement by humans to be truly a shame.
Insufferable Genius: He is proud of his own intelligence and knowledge while having a low opinion of those less intelligent than he is, which he considers to be almost everyone else.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When the Kahraman informs him of his subordinates' deaths, he immediately cancels his public lecture and flees to House of Wisdom's hidden basement. It only delays his death by a few minutes.
This Isn't Heaven: As he dies, he anticipates ascending to a place of higher knowledge. Glancing at his surroundings, Fazil comments on remembering such a place to be... brighter.

Al-Azhdaha (The Dragon)

Doctor Hassan

The chief physician of a bimaristan (medieval Islamic hospital).

Co-Dragons: With Al-Zarik, serving under Al-Rabisu.
The Dreaded: He's earned this reputation among the excavation site workers. When investigating the site, they can be heard discussing that one should never seek medical help from him, as all those who did went missing.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: One of the clues leading to Al-Zarik, an orderly love poem written by him, indicates he had romantic feelings for her.
For Science!: He is more concerned with understanding the human body than with the welfare of his patients.
Talking to Themself: Basim can find him talking to himself in private, assuming Basim hasn't been spotted. If left to it, he'll even chide himself for doing so.

Al-Zarik (The Daeva)

Zahra the Scholar

A scholar at the House of Wisdom.

Bad Boss: She had another scholar conscripted to translate a book of Isu writing, and was utterly unable to take his explanation that it couldn't be translated (at least, not in any way available at the time). He soon started lying to her just to buy himself some more time.
Book Burning: She burned books contradicting the Order's views at the House of Wisdom and even murdered the House's book caretaker when he tried to stop her.
Co-Dragons: With Al-Azhdaha, serving under Al-Rabisu.
Dark Action Girl: During a search of her estate, Basim discovers that apart from being a scholar, she also actively practices swordsmanship. If not assassinated immediately after she returns home, it is even possible to witness her going to a straw dummy to practice her swordsmanship skills and should she spot Basim, she won't hesitate to fight him with her sword.
Hypocrite: Exalts the wisdom found in books, but has no problem burning them en masse for her superior.
Number Two: Possibly due to Al-Rabisu's age, Zahra has the job of directly enforcing Al-Rabisu's commands, such as arranging a book burning and intimidating a scholar into translating an Isu book.
Rich Bitch: Has an opulent mansion in the city, with servants attending to her desires and a score of goons too intimated to speak back to her. Basim catches her as she's heading off for a relaxing bath.

Sharqiyah District (Military District)

Al-Mardikhwar (The Manticore)

Wasif al Turki

The Warlord of the Caliphate military. He is the most direct threat to Ali's rebellion, hunting down rebels and keeping Baghdad's citizens in line through fear.

Dark Is Evil: Even when not wearing his Order robes, Wasif wears a dark set of armour and clothes, and he's a villain.
Death from Above: Basim kills him via air assassination.
The Dreaded: Much of Baghdad fears the attention of this man and his lieutenants, if unknowingly. Wasif is also feared by his lieutenant Al-Rukh for lying about achievements in battle.
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Wasif cared deeply for his mother, as evidenced by a memoir in his room that details how he's grown strong enough to fend for himself as she taught him. He ends the note by saying she would have been proud.
Evil Counterpart: To Ali ibn Muhammad. Like Ali, Wasif is a Blood Knight who believes in using charisma and violence to solve problems, but he does so in the service of the Order of the Ancients.
Evil Sounds Deep: He has a deep, imposing voice befitting a tough, aggressive man with years of experience in commanding soldiers.
Four-Star Badass: He is the commander of the entire Caliphate military and a highly skilled warrior unafraid of leading his men into battle. Wasif's presence was also imposing enough that Al-Bahamut allowed him to take the lead at the meeting between Caliph Al-Mutawakkil and the five leading members of the Order.
From Nobody to Nightmare: He went from a blacksmith's slave to a leading Order member and a warlord powerful enough to depose Caliphs.
Hero Killer: He kills a defiant Beshi by impaling him with his sword.
Historical Domain Character: He was the real-life commander of the Caliphate military, though Wasif's death was actually at the hands of his own mutinous soldiers, instead of Basim.
Large and in Charge: He is a tall, physically imposing man and he's also the head of the Abbasid military.
Villain Has a Point: As he dies, he criticizes the goal of the Brotherhood by pointing out that while they claim to fight for freedom, they take the lives of those who disagree with them or dare oppose their radical beliefs. A pretty good point that Basim can find no rebuttal to.
Villainous Valour: Basim notes that he displays no fear while Ali and his rebels are slaughtering his soldiers right in front of his office.
The Warlord: He is a military commander with such influence that it is within his power to depose Caliphs at his will.

Al-A'eshma (The Demon)

Nadir ibn Havid

An admiral of the Caliphate navy.

Bad Boss: It is mentioned several times that he does not in the slightest care about the lives of the soldiers he commands.
Berserk Button: He greatly prizes his ships, so when he sees his model ship at the Southern Camp in flames, he immediately rushes out of his hideout, utterly furious.
Co-Dragons: With Al-Rukh, serving under Al-Mardikhwar.
The Engineer: He is better known for his skill in designing warships than his abilities as a military officer.
Pet the Dog: When Al-Rukh confesses to lying about his past accomplishments, Nadir tries to assure him that his ruthlessness has secured his place in the Order. Nadir even claims that Al-Mardikhwar himself should be afraid.
Smug Snake: He is self-assured to the point of arrogance.
Stealing from the Till: When assassinating him, Basim discovers a letter in which Al-Mardikhwar accuses him of embezzling resources meant for the Turkic Army.
Villainous Friendship: He seems to have a genuine friendship with Al-Rukh, calming the latter when he panics over the possibility of Al-Mardikhwar finding out the truth about his military accomplishments.

Al-Rukh (The Roc)

Jasoor ibn Basil

A general of the Caliphate army.

Carry a Big Stick: He wields a two-handed mace in battle.
Co-Dragons: With Al-A'eshma, serving under Al-Mardikhwar.
Dirty Coward: Downplayed. While he never retreats from fighting Basim, he screams for his men to help him, even offering to raise their salaries if they do so!
Fake Ultimate Hero: He faked much of his past accomplishments in battle and is known to steal credit from other military commanders. Because of this, he lives in constant fear of Al-Mardikhwar uncovering his lies.
Nervous Wreck: At the time Basim meets him, Jasoor seems to be constantly on edge due to his fear.
Stealing the Credit: He built up his reputation as a military commander by claiming victories of other commanders as his own.
Stolen Credit Backfire: By the time of his assassination, Al-Mardikhwar finds out about his lies and sends him a letter ordering him to come explain himself at the garrison.
Villainous Friendship: He seems to have a genuine friendship with Al-A'eshma.

Karkh District (Merchant District)

Al-Pairika (The Witch)

Ning

The royal treasurer of the Caliphate and a merchant from China with ties to the Ivory Coin, an exclusive merchant guild. Through Caliphate officials and her own lieutenants in the Order, she extorted foreign merchants and confiscated trade goods, threatening and even killing those who opposed her. At the annual auction, Da'irat Al-mal, Ning hopes to acquire a certain hairpin.

Alas, Poor Villain: Because of her highly independent nature, she believes that even in death she'll be alone. It gets poignant when you realize that literally no one and nothing can comfort Ning in death.
Assassin Outclassin': Realizing Basim is there to kill her, she tries to stab him. She fails.
Berserk Button: She bristles at the notion her success has anything to do with luck.
The Collector: Her apartment is full of vases, dog statues and other valuable antiques from her home country.
Death by Materialism: In the end, it is her obsession with acquiring the exotic Chinese hairpin that leads to her downfall and assassination. It indirectly causes Al-Kullulu's death (the order to secure the hairpin through confiscation of goods he fulfills affects one of Basim's friends, giving Basim a starting point to investigate him), gives Basim several clues to her identity, has her reveal her face to Basim when making a public appearance at the auction to view the hairpin and drives her to lowering her guard to such a degree that when Basim shows up with the hairpin as a gift for her, she grants him a private audience and allows him to approach her at a blade's reach. When she properly realises why he came to her, her fate is already sealed.
From Nobody to Nightmare: Originally, she was but an ordinary girl from a poor Chinese family. During her stay in Baghdad, she rose up to become a royal treasurer and a leading Order figure with tight grip over Baghad's trade.
Human Resources: One of the ingredients of her favorite perfume, Qina', is human blood.
In the End, You Are on Your Own: She believes that, in the end, everyone is on their own. Ning believes that the concepts of family and friendship are non-existent, with oneself as the true source of desire and satisfaction in life.
It Must Be Mine!: She goes to extreme lengths to obtain a rare Tang Dynasty hairpin, ordering Al-Kullulu to confiscate foreign goods flowing into Baghdad solely to ensure the hairpin ending in her hands. She even makes a rare public appearance to view it at the auction and grants Basim a private audience when he comes with it as a gift.
Meaningful Name: Speculated meanings of her Order nickname, Pairika, include "foreigner", "woman" and "bewitchment". This would make sense considering that Ning is only non-native member of the Baghdad sect.
Merchant Prince: She has risen to power through a combination of her skills, resources, and connections. As a result, Ning is not only a government treasurer but also Baghdad's most influential merchant, with connections spanning all the way to China. It's even possible that she maintains contact with Order members in lands far beyond the Middle East, allowing her to rival Al-Bahamut in influence and power.
Rags to Riches: She came from a relatively poor family but was still quite happy during her childhood. Also, Ning was a struggling Intrepid Merchant when she first came to Baghdad.
Wicked Cultured: She is highly cultured and knowledgeable as a result of her travels and is not shy about using her wealth to enjoy the finer things in life.
Woman Of Wealth And Taste: One of her defining traits that allows Basim to recognise her is her exquisite taste when it comes to art and clothing. She owns a massive collection of Far Eastern artwork, dresses in expensive silk robes and wears finely crafted jewellery. After making her public appearance at the auction, wealthy Baghdadi merchants can be heard admiring her attire.

Al-Kullulu (The Fish-Man)

Javed

A harbormaster. Under Al-Pairika's orders, he is confiscating goods from foreign merchant ships.

Co-Dragons: With Al-Anqa, serving under Al-Pairika.
Giant Mook: He is a large man armed with a mace.
I Have Your Wife: One clue - an instruction letter in the confiscation warehouse - includes a threat to his subordinates that he knows not only where they live, but their families as well.
Malevolent Masked Men: He wears a face-concealing helmet.
The Villain Knows Where You Live: He explicitely writes in the threatening instruction letter to his subordinates that he knows where they all live.

Al-Anqa (The Phoenix)

Suhail

A tax collector. Under Al-Pairika's orders, he is extorting foreign merchants and non-believers of Islam for increasing amounts of money.

Co-Dragons: With Al-Kullulu, serving under Al-Pairika.
Dead Animal Warning: Wanting to keep an approaching group of merchants away from Baghdad, he has one merchant's horse's head cut off and carried to the middle of their camp to intimidate the group.
He Knows Too Much: He sends a squad of soldiers to murder a group of merchants travelling into Baghdad because one of the merchants knows his identity as Al-Anqa. This move backfires on him spectacularly, as not only is Basim around to thwart the soldiers' attack, but the attack provides him with the last remaining clues he needs to uncover and kill him.
Intimidating Revenue Service: Essentially the role he plays as Baghdad's taxman in service of the Order.
Nervous Wreck: When Basim finds him, he is nervously talking to himself about how to satisfy the growing extortion quotas issued by Al-Pairika.

Round City (Political Court)

Al-Bahamut (The Whale)

Qabiha

The former concubine of the late Caliph, Al-Mutawakkil, and mother of Abu'Abdallah. She is the leader of the Baghdad sect of the Order of the Ancients, directing its members from the safety of the Caliphate court.

Animal Motifs: She is called "The Snake" by the Hidden Ones as the Order's leader and the symbol of the Order itself is also a snake.
Behind Every Great Man: Through the Order and the Caliph, Qabiha is arguably the true ruler of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Born into Slavery: Per her the database entry, she was born a slave.
The Cassandra: A letter found in Ning's office has her noticing the presence of the Hidden Ones and the sudden amount of Order members dying, suggesting Ning lay low for a while. Ning evidently didn't listen.
- A similar letter can be found in the Great Garrison in which she advises Wasif to use less brutality against the Zanj rebels as his methods gather unwanted attention. Wasif doesn't comply either.
The Chessmaster: She used her political connections and those of the Order to manipulate events in the Middle East as she wished, which included removing governmental protection for Alamut, thus leaving it vulnerable to the Caliphate army. Qabiha also made sure that Al-Mutawakkil's successor would be a pliable pawn to the Order, sacrificing her own son's right to succession in the process.
Disc-One Final Boss: Despite her position as the Order's true leader, she is not Basim's final opponent. Roshan is when she makes one last effort to stop Basim from entering the Alamut Isu ruins.
The Dog Was the Mastermind: A seemingly vapid woman who appeared to be concerned only with luxuries and the petty politics of the Caliph's concubines, Qabiha turns out to be far sharper and more ambitious than anyone else realized.
Historical Domain Character: Historically, Qabiha was a Greek concubine of the Caliph Al-Mutawakkil, and she indeed was the mother of his son Abu 'Abdallah who went on to become the Caliph Al-Mu'tazz.
In the Back: Roshan kills her by stabbing her from behind when she is distracted talking to Basim.
Manipulative Bastard: Having witnessed Basim's reaction to the Isu memory seal, she realized that Basim could be the one who could unlock the secret Isu ruins at Alamut. Playing on Basim's doubts and his inner desire to understand himself, Qabiha manages to persuade him to pursue his selfish desires, indirectly severing the trust between Basim and Roshan and setting up the eventual takeover of Basim's mind by Loki.
Meaningful Name: Her nickname, Bahamut, is that of an enormous whale upon which the world itself rests according to Middle Eastern myth. This reflects the belief that the Baghdad sect will continue to exist as long as Al-Bahamut does.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: When visiting the Da'irat Al-mal, in a conversation about the Qina' perfume, she provides Basim with Al-Pairika's true name, giving him one of the necessary clues to uncover and assassinate her.
Talking Your Way Out: When Basim has her cornered, she starts pressing into his doubts about himself and his past in attempt to have him spare her and search for the answers to his questions in Alamut instead. It works on him. Not on Roshan standing behind her though.
Top Wife: She is noted to be Al-Mutawakkil's favourite concubine, and as the mother of the Caliph's son, she has a leading position in the Caliphal harem.
Villainous Legacy: Despite her death, the Order's discovery of the Isu ruins at Alamut and her own persuasiveness convinced Basim to pursue his inner desire to fully understand himself, leading to his very identity being subsumed by Loki. The consequences of Qabiha's actions continue to resonate thanks to Basim/Loki's existence in the modern world.
Wicked Cultured: She is a fan of Arib's work, collecting her poetry and even using one of her poems as inspiration for a key to a secret room.
Zero-Effort Boss: The story seems to build up to an epic confrontation with the true leader of the Order, only for her to be slain by Roshan from behind without ceremony.

Al Si'la (The Hag)

Makira

Al-Bahamut's personal servant. In Assassin's Creed Valhalla, she is in England, mobilizing troops to attack Raventhorpe.

Ain't Too Proud to Beg: If Eivor doesn't bother being stealthy, she tries buying her life by offering Eivor wealth and power.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: At first glance, she is a demure servant girl who can barely survive in the cutthroat Caliphate court. After she tricks Basim into being complicit in destroying two innocent lives, Makira is shown to be far more deceptive and ruthless than most of her peers.
Bullying a Dragon: After she reveals her true colors to Basim, Makira taunts him in a tone full of contempt despite the fact that he could easily end her life in a second or two. She usually does this when she and Basim are surrounded by people so that he can't kill her without comprising himself. Makira even has the gall to tell Basim (to his face, no less) to simply give up and never return despite having no real means of backing up her own words. It's almost as if she believed that Al-Bahamut's protection alone made her all but invincible.
Dirty Coward: When Basim finally catches her alone in a palace library, she continuously keeps her distance from him while remaining as defiant and scornful as ever.
Expy: Possibly of Micheletto Corella from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Makira acts as her master's loyal assassin and spy in the Caliphate court, much like how Micheletto did for Cesare.
False Innocence Trick: If Eivor assassinates her patsy, she tries pretending she was his captive and asks Eivor to come close, as she hides a knife behind her back. Given Eivor's already been briefed on her by Roshan, it probably wasn't going to work even if Roshan hadn't landed on her.
Hate Sink: Despite knowing who and what Al-Bahamut really is, she gladly serves them despite not being a member of the Order, making her far from innocent. The fact that she makes her contempt of Basim as plain as daylight is more than a little annoying too.
Karma Houdini Warranty: Basim lets her live, figuring she wouldn't last without her backer. He's wrong, and she survives for another couple of decades before being killed in England by Roshan.
Manipulative Bastard: During Basim's investigation into Al-Bahamut's identity, she tricks him into helping her poison a concubine and frame another for said poisoning.
Not Worth Killing: When Basim finally catches her alone, he decides to spare her life, having realized that Makira won't last long when Al-Bahamut dies.
Obfuscating Stupidity: When Basim first meets her, she appears to be a rather simple-minded and vain girl, and to give him the key to Qabiha's office, she tasks him with seemingly innocent tasks - first with the thefts of a potion one concubine drinks and of eye paint the concubine uses to make her eyes bigger, then with bringing an allegedly erotic book all of the concubines read but she has not, and ultimately with returning the potion bottle once she tasted its contents. Basim finds nothing suspicious about the requests and fulfils them without question. Once it's revealed that those tasks were all parts of her plan to kill the concubine and frame another for it, she drops the pretense and shows her true nature to Basim.
The Man Behind the Man: For the Earl of Westerna, supplying him with gold so he can attack Raventhorpe.
Undying Loyalty: She is loyal only to Al-Bahamut and won't hesitate to trick or murder their enemies. Even when she thinks she might get killed, Makira refuses to submit.
Villain of Another Story: By her appearance in Valhalla, she's stolen a scroll of some importance to Roshan, who's been after her for a while, though whatever's going on, she's not the main villain of that story, as after killing her Roshan dismisses her as "an obstacle".

Others

The Jinni (SPOILERS UNMARKED)

The Jinni

The Jinni is a hallucination that has appeared to Basim in his sleep his entire life. He does not know what the Jinni wants, what it represents, or how to get rid of it, despite the help that Nehal offers in providing support for him.

Nightmare Face: Much like the rest of its body, the Jinni's face is completely rotted and decayed with pitch-black, soulless eyes.
Not Afraid of You Anymore: As Basim pieces together what the Jinni is, it ends up on the receiving end of this. It fades to dust when Basim gains the courage to confront it.
Red Herring: The story sets the Jinni up to be the source and manifestation of Basim's internal struggles. In reality, the Jinni is only a source, and not even the most prominent one in Basim's life; that honor goes to Nehal.

Abu 'Abdallah

Abu 'Abdallah Muhammad ibn Ja'far

The son of Caliph Al-Mutawakkil and his concubine Qabiha and one of the claimants of the Caliphal throne.

Butt-Monkey: He spends pretty much all of the game taking losses. At the beginning, he's dismissed by his father from his meeting with the Order, despite his wish to attend it. Moments later, his father gets killed, and he witnesses the immediate aftermath of it. Later on, he's forced to renounce his right to the throne as part of a deal between the Order and Muhammad ibn Tahir, and ultimately, his mother gets assassinated by the Hidden Ones and he is around to see the immediate aftermath again.
Historical Domain Character: Abu 'Abdallah was the historical son of Al-Mutawakkil and Qabiha and he briefly ruled over the Abbasid Caliphate as its thirteenth Caliph.
"Well Done, Son" Guy: His database entry mentions that he yearns for his father's approval, and he's seen asking him to be allowed to attend his meeting with the Order members.
Young Future Famous People: Historically, he eventually gained the Caliphal throne and became known as Al-Mu'tazz.

Muhammad ibn Tahir

Muhammad ibn Abdallah ibn Tahir

The Governor of Baghdad and a member of the powerful Tahirid dynasty with influential connections in Abbasid Persia.

Authority in Name Only: While he is the Governor of Baghdad, he has little power in the city as the Order holds much greater influence than he does. Wasif outright rebuffs him when he tries to give him an order.
Bullying a Dragon: He tries to give Wasif, one of the leading Order members and a very powerful warlord, an order. Wasif considers it an insult and warns him that he will not suffer it for a second time.
The Chessmaster: He is noted to be a man of great political abilities. He later utilises them when he trades the Tahirid protection over Alamut for Abu 'Abdallah's renunciation of his right to the Caliphal throne to prevent a civil war.
Historical Domain Character: He was the real-life Governor of Baghdad between 851-867.
I Did What I Had to Do: He feels no qualms over betraying the Hidden Ones by convincing his Tahirid relatives to rescind their protection from Alamut, as he believes he saved the Caliphate from a civil war that way.
Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: He tells Basim after the latter calls him a coward once he discovers his betrayal of the Hidden Ones that he used to be filled with a sense of righteousness around his age but grew up from that.
Small Role, Big Impact: He only appears in two cutscenes. Despite that, he manages to deal a huge blow to the Hidden Ones by having the Tahirids rescind their protection from Alamut, giving the Order a chance to attack.

Arib Al-Ma'muniyya

A poetess, singer, composer and courtesan of great renown.

Born into Slavery: She is noted to have been born a slave. Through her legendary skills in poetry, she eventually managed to earn her freedom.
Cool Old Lady: She is a masterful artist of great renown who, through her art of poetry, managed to attain wealth, fame, high social status and freedom from slavery. Given her historical birth in either 797 or 798, she also happens to be in her sixties by the game's events.
Historical Domain Character: Arib Al-Ma'muniyya indeed existed and was just as famed for her poetry in real life as she happens to be in the game.
Red Herring: Twice over. Her poetry mentions order a lot, the sort of thing that would naturally draw the Order's attention, and she shows up when Basim is investigating the House of Wisdom for an Order agent. It's not her. Later on, when he's looking for Al-Bahamut, she's one of three suspects, with her manager blocking off all access to her thanks to repeated secret letters he's been intercepting. They are actually from her lover.

Al-Jahiz

Abu 'Uthman Al-Jahiz

A famous writer of the Abbasid era. He can be found at the House of Wisdom.

And Your Reward Is Clothes: He gives Basim the task to collect rare books around Baghdad and bring them to him. If Basim manages to bring them all, he will reward him with an outfit. If he brings him the secret book, he will reward him with a talisman.
The Collector: He collects rare books and tasks Basim with expanding his collection by searching for lost books around Baghdad and bringing them to him.
Historical Domain Character: Al-Jahiz was a real-life writer of the Abbasid era known for his exceptionally widespread literary activity.

Characters / Assassin's Creed: Mirage

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