Did people forget that Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series was never meant to be historically accurate? This debate just goes on and on. The fine print stating that the game is fictional appears within the first few seconds of booting it up. Yet, some players still convince themselves it ever had any semblance of historical accuracy.
These conversations are tired and redundant, fueled by engagement farming and ragebait. Yasuke’s inclusion in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is historically accurate—many experts have confirmed his status as a samurai. But even if it weren’t, would it even matter?
Here are three cases where the series didn’t bother trying with historical accuracy:
Fistfights with the Pope
Remember fighting the Pope in Assassin’s Creed II? That should be the first clue that historical accuracy was never the priority. Ezio Auditore’s final showdown with Rodrigo Borgia is one of the most memorable moments in the franchise, as he finally exacts his long-awaited vengeance for his family’s death.
For historians? That never happened. There’s no secret Isu vault beneath the Vatican. And while Rodrigo Borgia or Pope Alexander VI was certainly a controversial figure, no, he did not wield the Apple and Staff of Eden.
Norse Gods and Reincarnation
The modern Assassin’s Creed games have strayed far from their grounded roots of Assassins versus Templars, embracing a more fantastical approach with reincarnated gods in the storyline.
Spoiler alert: Valhalla’s ending revealed that the Isu were never truly gone—they have become reincarnated versions of the game’s main characters. Odin and Loki weren’t just myths; in the game’s lore, they exist in the forms of Eivor and Basim.
Sure, they’re technically just Isu (the game’s ancient, advanced civilization), but it’s still a significant tonal shift from the simplicity of the first three games.
Magical Artifacts
If you need more proof that Assassin’s Creed doesn’t prioritize historical accuracy, look no further than the Pieces of Eden—powerful artifacts left behind by the Isu that defy the laws of nature. These artifacts are the core reason for the eternal conflict between the Assassins and the Templars.
Throughout the series, historical figures like Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill have possessed the Apple of Eden. Even Leonardo da Vinci caught a glimpse of it with Ezio.
While there are countless examples of the series deviating from history, let’s not forget that Assassin’s Creed has always been a work of fiction. This isn’t for those who already understand that—it’s for those who insist the series was meant to be historically accurate.
Yasuke was a samurai—history supports that. And if people want to argue otherwise, they might as well try disproving the Pieces of Eden or Ezio’s fistfight with Pope Alexander VI beneath the Vatican.
Assassin’s Creed is a video game about Assassins, not a history lesson on how society was built.