The Assassin’s Creed series features the titular order that promotes free will against the Templar ideals of enforcing new world order. The Assassins largely believe in equality, resulting in many female characters who have become legendary figures for the creed. There are other characters in the series who weren’t assassins, but played memorable and influential roles, which also include certain villains.
The multi-faceted personalities of select female heroes and antagonists add to their quality and deserve special mention. With the series having last more than a decade and a half since it first started in 2007, it’s worth rounding out the female characters who are head and shoulders above the rest.
Élise De La Serre
While there are plenty of open-world video game cliches in Assassin's Creed Unity, the love story between Arno and Élise was a standout. Élise was a Templar who wanted to be at peace with the Assassins, making for a compelling dynamic that was a creative turn for the series.
Élise could have contributed more than she ultimately did, but there was definite potential for her to be a leading protagonist in her own right. Headstrong, bold, and compassionate, Élise’s death remains tragic for all she could have offered as she had the potential to unite the Assassins with the Templars.
Kaniehtí:io
Kaniehtí:io, or Ziio as she preferred to be called, was Connor Kenway’s mother whom Haytham became attracted to because of her fierce nature. Ziio wasn’t gullible or fearful, which Haytham admired as she didn’t fall for his tricks as every other person did.
Moreover, Ziio raised Connor with care and affection despite having no presence of Haytham, with Ziio’s memory becoming the driving force to what made Connor a hero. Ziio could have had a larger role to play, but she had a looming presence in Assassin’s Creed III since all of the ideals Connor carried himself with were from his mother.
Aveline De Grandpré
The first playable female protagonist, Aveline headlined Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, with her story overlapping Connor’s.
Aveline is essentially responsible for the series shifting toward female protagonists as fans connected with her portrayal as a capable assassin. Her creative techniques, such as using stealth and charm for infiltration, were never-before gameplay aspects and paved the way for more innovations going forward.
Lucy Stillman
Despite being a villainous character, Lucy was highly interesting to follow because of the ambiguity behind her loyalties. She successfully managed to win Desmond’s trust and fans also warmed up to her, which made the bombshell reveal of her Templar status all the more shocking.
There aren’t too many layered villains in the Assassin’s Creed series, which allows Lucy to remain firm in memory even a decade after she was killed off. She also had a sympathetic quality, in that her conversion into a Templar was understandable given how the Assassins threw her into Abstergo while constantly keeping her in the dark.
Maria Thorpe
Maria stands as proof that the Assassin’s Creed is supposed to represent free will, as she joined of her own accord after abandoning the Templars. Her character development was one of the best, having gone from a scared pawn used by Robert de Sable into a wise woman as part of the creed.
Altair was primarily driven by anger, but Maria’s influence in his life allowed him to curb his impulsiveness. Her humility was such that even before her death in Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, she went out advising Altair to have the strength to continue living without her.
Rebecca Crane
Rebecca has never been the person in action or the main protagonist, yet her longevity speaks for itself. She’s been incorruptible in the decade or so she’s shown up, having loyally been by the side of Shaun, Desmond, and Layla without question.
Her spunky attitude generally serves as a good break for players from the otherwise heavy-handed material of the games’ stories. Rebecca has become more serious over the years, which signifies how she’s matured after suffering so many losses but remaining steadfast over the Assassins’ goal of stopping the Templars.
Amunet
Part of one of the best-received Assassin’s Creed games to be released, Amunet had more of a story arc than Bayek in Origins even though the latter was the primary character. Her journey was of overcoming the rage of losing her son, going from the motherly Aya to her new identity as Amunet, the leader of the Hidden Ones.
Amunet didn’t achieve peace as Bayek did, as she couldn’t find it in herself to get over her son’s demise. However, this made her more interesting since Amunet channeled that rage toward the Hidden Ones’ enemies, eventually turning her into a legendary assassin with whom fans can continue to sympathize.
Sofia Sartor
Not every character has to be a fighter, as there is definite value in those who offer a dose of empathy.
Sofia’s infectious charm, cheerfulness, and affinity for raising everyone’s spirits easily make her among the most likable characters in the series overall. Her love interest Ezio’s life was largely filled with pain and regret, so Sofia’s presence as an endlessly optimistic person was very much welcome and ushered in his happiest times.
Kassandra
Kassandra’s hero’s journey contributes to making Assassin’s Creed Odyssey so critically acclaimed, with players following her all the way from her childhood to her final moments. She was outspoken, fierce, and a natural warrior, yet her goal to reunite with her mother and brother had a unique tenderness to it.
Her gradual understanding of the world’s evils and people she could genuinely trust molded her into the hero she became, while also allowing fans to understand how her characterization worked. It definitely made following her in the game’s massive storyline worth following all the way through.
Evie Frye
Most of the Assassins have anger that they harness toward their activities, but Evie was quite the opposite. She was much more sedate in personality that allowed her to rationalize things before her, which was an approach the Assassins have seldom taken. Still, Evie had great success with her approach, as she prevented her brother, Jacob, from ruining things through his brash ways.
Evie was highly competent in stealth, so much so that she basically became invisible. Her fighting skills combined with her agility made her a deadly combatant, and Evie’s naturally mature personality turned her into a highly perceptive and capable leader few have matched.