Content Warning: This article contains discussions of violence.
The Assassins Creed franchise has become one of the most popular video game franchises ever. With installments spanning across numerous generations of consoles and over a dozen installments, the game has taken players from the Middle East to New England, and a ton of places in between over the course of centuries. Each game and each playable character brings in new gameplay and story elements, all while keeping the spirit of the first game alive.
Although the formula has deviated in the last several installments, the playable characters are just as rich and interesting as ever, as well as the story being told in each game. In a franchise built on moments that shape the course of history, there have been some truly epic moments over the years.
Altair - Leap Of Faith
Despite the success of the franchise, most people consider the first game to be the worst in the franchise. Although it introduced a lot of amazing elements, the game felt a little repetitive and lacked the variety of later installments. However, this game did introduce the single most iconic game mechanic that would come to define the franchise: The Leap of Faith.
In the game's opening sequence, Altair must jump from the top of a castle into a pile of hay below him, allowing players to live the thrill of a death-defying free fall that game still incorporates in the latest installment.
Ezio - Opening Sequence
Unlike the first game, Assassins Creed II starts with a relatively normal character in the opening sequence. Rather than playing as someone that is already a trained and ruthless killer, Ezio is just a boy causing mischief.
This allows for one of the coolest moments in the franchise as you climb to the top of a cathedral and look out over the city at the end of the opening mission. This scene sets the stage for one of the best installments in the franchise by inspiring the missing sense of adventure, immediately setting it apart from the first game.
Connor Kenway - Escaping Execution
Even though it's a far cry from the best game in the franchise, Assassins Creeds' impact is still very important, even in the more recent games. Not only improving the free-run mechanic that the game is most known for but also adding naval combat, which would become a fan favorite and a staple for many of the games that would follow it.
Anyone that's played enough of the game will remember the adrenaline-pumping mission that sees the protagonist about to be executed before he is able to escape and track down his captor in the ensuing chaos. Everyone loves a good slo-mo sequence.
Edward James Kenway - Prison Escape
A favorite amongst many fans of the franchise saw the game move far away from its original setting in ancient times. Assassins Creed: Black Flag instead sees players commanding a pirate on board Black Beards ship. At one point while sailing the high seas, Kenway is captured and his crew must help break him out.
Although the game normally focuses on the weapons and gadgets at your disposal, the missions see a much more stripped-down approach. Forcing players to slow down and rely on stealth elements to escape.
Shay Patrick Cormac - Leaving The Assassins
Another stand-out game in the series Assassins Creed: Rogue saw players controlling a templar for the first time, rather than an assassin. The departure from the series tradition and allowing players to play as what was normally thought of as the villains was a welcome change and Cormac remains a fan favorite.
The moment that Shay leaves the assassins guild completely came as a shock to many players and seeing him turn his back on "the good guys," is still one the most iconic moments in the franchise.
Arno Victor Dorian - Arno Kills Germain
Assassins Creed: Unity received mostly mixed reviews amongst fans but that didn't stop them from admitting that the game had one of the most enjoyable settings and possibly the most satisfying death out of any game in the series.
After witnessing the death of his lover at the hands of Germain, Arno stares Germain in the eyes as he slowly inserts the iconic hidden blade right into his neck. This scene is truly chilling and not something that players will soon forget.
The Frye Twins - An Unscheduled Stop
With many of the games in the franchise taking place in ancient times, fans were understandably hesitant with another game taking place in a more technologically advanced time period. However, most fans likely forgot all about their earlier trepidations during the train sequence in Assassins Creed: Syndicate.
The mission sees the protagonist fighting numerous enemies on top of a moving train before the train is sent over a cliff, forcing Jacob Frye to make a daring leap to avoid the deadly plunge. It was here that he also delivered one of his classic one-liners: "Well, we seem to have made an unscheduled stop."
Bayek of Siwa - The Beach Scene
Assassins Creed: Origins was a first in many ways for the franchise. Most notably it was the first game that truly committed to being an RPG rather than just a game that had some RPG elements. One of the biggest places that players saw that change was in the size of the map, which was massive compared to other games in the series. Either way, the game deviated significantly, for better or for worse.
However despite the game not "feeling," like Assassins Creed to many people, it had arguably the single, most iconic moment in the entire franchise. In the final moments of the game, Bayek leaves his old life behind, dropping an Eagle pendant in the sand. When the skull is lifted, the Assassins Creed logo is left behind in the sand, finishing a near-perfect origin story for the creed.
Alexios/ Kassandra - The Final Cliff Scene
Now firmly an RPG, Assassins Creed: Odyssey, improved on much of the game mechanics that were added in the previous installment. One of the biggest changes was allowing the choice to play as a female or male character when players fire up the game for the first time.
No matter which character the players picked, the final scene is largely the same but with a twist that makes it unique, compared to the rest of the franchise. There is actually a choice to be made at the end; players can either kill their brother/sister or let them live, resulting in a moment that is extremely powerful as the choice is in the hands of the player.
Eivor - Eivor Fights Odin
Over the years, players have been asked to take down some truly powerful foes. Although Odyssey saw several boss battles in which Bayek was fighting ancient Egyptian gods, this is the first one to create a more intimate feel to the battle.
Fighting Odin is truly a heart-pounding moment, as Odin's power is on full display and is unlike any other foe that players face in the game. It's not every day that you have to fight a God.