History YMMV / Alamut

*** It might be that the author considered him more sympathetic than he actually comes across - an AntiHero rather than VillainProtagonist. This is supported by the fact that throughout the whole book, no one ever questions the tenets of his philosophy, despite them being rather easily disputed.

** Though the 9/11 comparison is not exactly accurate considering assassins targeted singular political figures rather than masses of civilians, and in the book they de facto aren't even religious fanatics (well, their higher-ups aren't, anyway). Still, the whole conceit of an essentially terrorist organization motivated by religious beliefs (and islamic ones at that) does bring to mind some uncomfortable associations.

*** It might be that the author considered him more sympathetic than he actually comes across - an AntiHero rather than VillainProtagonist. This is supported by the fact that throughout the whole book, no one ever questions the tenants of his philosophy, despite them being rather easily disputed.

* MagnificentBastard - ''Hassan ibn Sabbah.'' He successfully puts himself up as a prophet, creates the Hashashin, ''[[CrazyAwesome creates the word “assassin”]]'', and [[spoiler:dissolves the Seljuk Empire]]! When they were kids, [[WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}} Xanatos]] and [[Manga/DeathNote Light Yagami]] probably dressed up as him for Halloween.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Hassan himself. We are supposed to feel sorry when he does something terrible and realizes it, despite the fact that, brief attacks of guilty conscience aside, he never even considers, you know, not doing the terrible things he does. In a way, he would be more sympathetic as a religious fanatic his RealLife counterparts was, since then the narrative wouldn't even try to excuse his actions.

** Though the 9/11 comparison is completely exactly accurate considering assassins targeted singular political figures rather than masses of civilians, and in the book they de facto aren't even religious fanatics (well, their higher-ups aren't, anyway). Still, the whole conceit of an essentially terrorist organization motivated by religious beliefs (and islamic ones at that) does bring to mind some uncomfortable associations.

* HarsherInHindsight - Obviously, 9/11. But also, the word Alamut translates to “Eagle’s Nest”, which is what Hitler would call his retreat.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Hassan's son is not a good person by any stretch of the imagination, but it's hard not to feel sorry for him in the long run. His father left him in the care of his abusive grandparents, and when he calls him back to his side, instead of showing him some love or care, his father makes him an ordinary soldier, apparently frustrated by the fact that he... Embraced his philosophy too easily, without the angst his father felt upon realizing its "truths". Granted, the boy does act like a entitled prick, and later [[spoiler: kills a man whose only crime was obeying Hassan's orders]], but that hardly makes him worse than his father, while the narrative treats him as completely irredeemable. Worst of all, Hassan then supposedly feels sorry for having to execute the boy, when he showed nothing but contempt towards his only child.

* MagnificentBastard - ''Hassan ibn Sabbah.'' He successfully puts himself up as a prophet, creates the Hashashin, ''[[CrazyAwesome creates the word “assassin”]]'', and [[spoiler:dissolves the Seljuk Empire]]! When they were kids, [[WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}} Xanatos]] and [[Manga/DeathNote Light Yagami]] probably dressed up as him for Halloween.

* HoYay: Aside from the overt lesbianism between Sara and Halima and Miriam and Halima, this happens between some of the male characters as well. When ibn Tahir meets Suleiman for instance, he dwells extensively on Suleiman's physical beauty and compares him to a character from ''''The Book of Kings'''.

* MagnificentBastard - ''Hassan ibn Sabbah.'' He successfully puts himself up as a prophet, creates the Hashashin, [[CrazyAwesome ''creates the word “assassin”'']], and [[spoiler:dissolves the Seljuk Empire]]! When they were kids, [[WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}} Xanatos]] and [[Manga/DeathNote Light Yagami]] probably dressed up as him for Halloween.