[Thinking While Gaming] The Three Ironies of The Assassins' Creed
Peace by Murder... Can someone be two contradicting things simultaneously? This post contains soft spoilers for all Assassin Creed games up to Rouge.
Salam (Peace)
Freedom vs Order, Assassin's Creed features one of the most interesting conflicts in the history of humanity. The Assassins Side preaches freedom. Their enemy, the Templars want to keep order by ruling the world.
Two conflicting sides who want to keep the humanity safe...
Two sides, each have a set rules they follow...
Two sides who use murder as means.
The Creed
"Nothing is True, Everything is permitted."
The Assassin fight the freedom of the people, they think that if the people too weak to rule themselves, then that means having a human ruler will make it worse. The Assassins believe in the search for the truth, as Altair said "Our Creed does not command us to be free. It commands us to be wise."
The Assassins Creed includes three tenets/beliefs that must be followed by Assassins:
- Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent.
- Hide in plain sight.
- Never compromise the Brotherhood.
These are the set rules that prevent them from turning into mindless killers... And there are severe punishment to those who violate them. Many Assassins (Including Altair and Ezio) disobeyed these rules at least once in their life. sometimes mistakenly... Ezio didn't punish the Assassins under him for violating these rules if he knew they had a good intention.
The Ironies
(Altair's Codex in Assassin Creed II)
But to fight for freedom and live according to these rules... Altair noticed some contradictions:
- The Assassins seek to promote peace, but commit murder.
- The Assassins seek to open the minds of men, but require obedience to rules.
- The Assassins seek to reveal the danger of blind faith, yet practice it themselves.
Altair noted in his codex that while their belief is seemingly hypocritical, it doesn't stop their cause, he proved (and Ezio after him) "one may be two things – opposite in every way – simultaneously."... The Assassins especially the older ones where in a life-long search for the truth.
The Conflict
(Shay is arguing the assassins about the innocents they made him kill)
But not anyone can live with these contradictions.... Edward Kenway (ACIV: Black Flag) took a long time to understand these rules and work with them. Saying at the start "For if nothing is true, then why believe anything? And if everything is permitted... why not chase every desire?" which is a very interesting argument.
But the best example for this I think is Shay Cormac (AC: Rouge) who didn't believe preaching the freedom and following orders whatever one want or not... He also noticed that they talk against murdering innocents but do so if that means compromising the brotherhood (though the assassins of his time didn't help).
I always felt that Shay is the obvious reaction for these ironies and contradictions I mentioned above... He didn't see the bad side of Templars before joining but at least they put their faith in the order and let "The father of understanding guide them".
I think Assassins and Templars seek the same thing "Peace"... Which is sad because both can never compromise their methods.
Desmond Miles: Have... Have we ever tried to make peace with the Templars?
William Miles: Throughout our history, there have been moments... Several, in fact. But... It's impossible. There are... existential differences. Insurmountable. If there were to be unity, it wouldn't be a truce so much as a submission.
- Assassin's Creed III
All the religions of the world, while they may differ in other respects, unitedly proclaim that nothing lives in this world but Truth.
- Mahatma Gandhi
Thanks for the comment... I think this is very true. I wish we find the truth one day.... A Kind of truth anyone who claims he can't see is a liar.
Hmmm. I haven't played much of the AC series (except AC III, which I found horrendously buggy, and the setting isn't really my cup of tea.) After reading this though, I might have to reconsider. I've heard nothing but good about them, but if they have a deeper philosophical presentation, it might just be worth playing.
The games don't focus that much on the philosocal side of them... it's just that when you look at the series as whole not single game by game you'll find these things.
Most of the philosophical side of Assassin Creed is written in in-game documents, and in Altair codex case, a side quest of Assassin Creed II... Ezio's story in Assassin Creed Revelation is about him learning the past and finding the truth. it's the best game in the series for me. (Haven't played anything after Rouge yet)
Anyway, I didn't like Assassin Creed III that much... It has some good points but I felt like the protagonist is only motivated by revenge... (Ezio in ACII was like that but he learned by the end of the game to be respectful and don't kill just for revenge.)