Summary
TheAssassin’s Creedfranchise is a fascinating one. Long-lasting and keeping the interest of players with many changes to the modern style of their games, Ubisoft has managed to create a fascinating set of various stories. With so many characters featured that are steeped in blood and history, which means it is easy to believe that not every tale ends happily.
But the level of darkness achieved throughout the various endings ofAssassin’s Creedgames has gone to darker levels than many fans would have expected or wished for. At times bizarre, at times angering, and frequently sad on some level, the final moments ofAssassin’s Creedgames are dark.
The modern-day story and endings are not as much a part of the most recentAssassin’s Creedgames as some of the older ones. However, the loss of Layla still felt a little heart-breaking, despite it being her choice to help The Reader avoid future disasters by allowing her mortal body to die.
But still, this mixed with the fact that historically, Eivor’s success would be short-lived. Norse culture would eventually die back, and the modern-day Basim having free rein and possession of the Staff of Hermes makes the entirety of the game feel like any victory had been fleeting.Valhallahad a lot of darkness throughout, as well as being one of thehardest games in the franchise, and this ending felt mixed at best for most players.
The story of Bayek and Aya was one of revenge, and though they achieved satisfaction in this regard, there are many other points about the ending ofOriginsthat left it on a somewhat melancholy note. It made some players question the very nature of revenge itself, and the lack of purpose or true satisfaction received by it.
Additionally, Bayek and Aya separating and moving off on their own paths alone to begin the new assassin order known as the Hidden Ones made for a sad, if sensible, ending for both characters. It was an end for one ofthe best romances in the franchise. Despite this,Originsand its story have been revered by many fans of the franchise as a great prequel to many of the other Assassin stories.
Brotherhoodwas a fascinating game as it was never supposed to happen, but during development forAssassin’s Creed 2, Ubisoft decided to add this game and continue the story of Ezio throughout another entry. Despite this entry ending with Ezio’s final victory over the Borgia family, there was a lot of sadness involved.
This mostly came from theshocking and bizarre modern-day twistwhere Desmond’s body was controlled by Juno and forced to stab Lucy, killing her. This was the first huge loss of one of the modern-day assassin groups that had been working against the Templars, and it sent shock waves through players.
An unusual entry in the franchise,Assassin’s Creed Unityhas a lot going for it,such as the beautiful Parisian setting, and some fascinating characters, but the story has been criticized somewhat for such an abrupt finale.
This comes in the form of Arno and Elise confronting Germain after realizing that he is the Sage they are searching for. Despite them being victorious, de Molay’s sword fatally wounds and kills Elise during the battle. Arno’s final monologue, which follows her death very quickly, proclaims that his belief in the creed had changed, and he would work to keep her memory alive. Still though, this abrupt ending and terrible loss made for a dark and confusing final few moments.
There is a difference between endings being truly dark in nature and just sad in a melancholy style.Revelationswas a culmination of the journeys of both Ezio Auditore and Altair, the two stars of theAssassin’s Creedfranchise up to that point and thebeautiful 16th-century adventuresthey’d been through, and it was an emotional ending for them both.
Seeing the story of Altair’s life unfolding over the course of the game, and the great sadness involved in it, in some ways mirroring the many losses that Ezio has been through, was emotional for players. When it concluded, with Ezio choosing life over the pursuit of more conflict, it was a bittersweet moment for fans, and a beautiful one, looking back over all the darkness of the two lives that were infused with the franchise.
The pirate-focusedAssassin’s Creedgame was a beloved one that stands out in the history of the franchise for a number of reasons. However, there were some particularly bleak moments during it, such as the death of Blackbeard and the falling apart of the pirate utopia on Nassau,among several strange mechanics choicesthis story stood out.
But the ending, when Edward decides to return to England following the death of his wife with his children, and one of them is revealed to be future villain Haytham Kenway, is dark. The known future of both this character and Edward is distressing for players, not to mention the modern-day reveals are almost as dark, surrounding the attempts by the modern Sage to resurrect Juno.
Rogueis an unusual game in the series because it takes place entirely from the perspective of a Templarworking under Haytham Kenway. What’s more is that this is the only game in the franchise that ends with an actual Templar victory, when Shay kills Charles Dorian and recovers the precursor box.
Not only do the actions of the assassins throughout the game force players to question who is actually the good or evil side in this war but the ending and a huge victory for known villain Kenway makes for a particularly dark finale. Especially given the unnamed modern-day player character is offered to join the Templars or die as a final moment.
By far the darkest ending in the whole series was the end of the Desmond Miles story. A man who had given and sacrificed so much already, Desmond’s story ended with him sacrificing himself to stop an apocalyptic event from destroying the Earth.
This is surrounded by the life of Connor, who manages to assassinate Charles Lee and attain victory, only to find that his tribe has been destroyed despite his actions. His people are still oppressed, and Connor vows to continue fighting for a better future as an assassin, but this dark historical ending added to the death of Desmond makes for the darkest overall ending in the franchise.
