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At first glance, theAssassin’s Creedfranchise may seem to be focused solely on Assassins liberating people in numerous historical eras throughout the world. In reality, however,Assassin’s Creedis a more complex story with mysteries and relics from a forgotten, ancient past impacting both the historical and modern-day Assassins and Templars. This mysterious past was initially hinted at through powerful objects called Pieces of Eden which were far too advanced to have been made by people in the past 3,000 years. Over time, more knowledge about these Pieces of Eden and their creators, the Isu, would be revealed as the Isu’s influence on humanity’s actions grew exponentially.
Over the course ofAssassin’s Creed’s nearly 18-year-long existence, more and more Isu technology and Pieces of Eden have been found and shaped events in multipleAssassin’s Creedgames. While many longtimeAssassin’s Creedfans are likely familiar with the famous Apples of Eden, which appear repeatedly throughout the series, many may not be aware of thevarious other Pieces of Eden found worldwide. With 30 games making up the entirety of theAssassin’s Creedseries and the 31st coming out soon withAssassin’s Creed Shadows, here’s a ranking of every Piece of Eden and related Isu technology seen in theAssassin’s Creedgames, tiered by how powerful each artifact is.
S-Tier Pieces of Eden in Assassin’s Creed
The mostpowerful Pieces of Eden seen inAssassin’s Creedgames are also some of the most ubiquitous. Apples of Eden appear in nearly everyAssassin’s Creedgame and are powerful spherical objects with multiple functions, including being able to control humans without Isu DNA, serving as a databank for Isu knowledge, displaying a holographic map of Isu devices across the globe, a key to opening Isu facilities and more. Al Mualim, Rodrigo Borgia, and an alternate George Washington attempted to use Apples to dominate the world, while Altair Ibn-La’Ahad used the Apple to develop new technology such as the Hidden Gun.
Other powerful Pieces of Eden have fewer functions compared to Apples but have far more destructive, transformative, and healing capabilities.Isu Seismic Temples and their star-like componentscan create destructive earthquakes if tampered with, such as temples being the source of the 1751 Port-au-Prince and 1755 Great Lisbon earthquakes which killed tens of thousands of people. Atlantis Artifacts are Apple-like spheres that could transform people into hulking mythological monsters such as the Cyclops and the Minotaur. In contrast to these more destructive devices, the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus can grant its wielder immortality and can instantly heal most ailments and wounds. The Staff can even resurrect the dead, such as when the corpse of Basim Ibn Ishaq was revived after landing on the staff in 2020.
Apples of Eden were initially used by the Isu to enslave ancient humans until the human-Isu hybrids, Adam and Eve, stole an Apple and used its powers to start a war between the two species.
A-Tier Pieces of Eden in Assassin’s Creed
Some Pieces of Eden are still highly powerful but have less functionality or require more steps to use properly compared to other devices. For example, Shrouds of Eden can heal most ailments and wounds similar to the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus, but Shrouds cannot make people immortal nor resurrect the dead. Instead, Shrouds can increase the strength of their wearer and could be used to rapidly grow an Isu body as seen atthe end ofAssassin’s Creed Syndicate. Meanwhile, the Observatory isn’t a singular Piece of Eden but rather an Isu site home to an armillary sphere that, when combined with a Crystal Skull and someone’s blood, could project a real-time view of that person’s actions. The Observatory is effectively useless without a skull.
Many other somewhat powerful Pieces of Eden are weapons designed by the Isu. These include the many Swords of Eden such as Excalibur, which could project energy blasts like most Swords of Eden, but can additionally blind people and make its wielder more inspiring to others. Other mythological weapons that turned out to be a Piece of Eden includeMjolnir, which could project lightning blasts and stun enemies, and Poseidon’s Trident, which could let its wielder breathe underwater. While these weapons are powerful, they don’t offer users much beyond their offensive capabilities. In contrast to these weapons, the Isu also made defensive tools such as the shield Morrigan’s Guard, which could generate a cloud of poison when used to parry an attack.
B-Tier Pieces of Eden in Assassin’s Creed
While the most common Pieces of Edens found so far have been weapons and manipulative tools, several other Pieces were designed as supportive clothing and other accessories. During the reign of the Isu, several crowns were designed for Isu leaders, such as Hades and Poseidon, which granted them increased strength, fire damage, and influence within the Isu city of Atlantis. In terms of accessories, many Rings of Eden have been found, such as one recovered byConnor Kenway inAssassin’s Creed 3which could generate a protective field around the wearer that can deflect most projectiles. One of the more powerful Eden accessories was the Hugr-Rip which could drain the lifeforce of opponents and allow its wearer to shape-shift into said opponents.
Several Pieces of Eden were stationary objects that couldn’t be easily moved by a person alone but were still able to grant people powerful effects. The Isu Pyramid was one such object as it could predict possible futures and allow its user to see nearby people’s memories.The Cult of Kosmos utilized the Pyramidto influence Greek events to their benefit until Deimos destroyed it. Similar to the Pyramid, the Lia Fail was a stone-like Piece of Eden that granted its user the ability to control people’s minds, teleport within the local area, generate illusions, and more. However, only people with Isu DNA could activate the Lia Fail, and it too was destroyed by Ciara ingen Medba and Eivor Varinsdottir.
C-Tier Pieces of Eden in Assassin’s Creed
The least powerful Pieces of Eden are those that were designed for only one purpose or require the involvement of one or more Pieces of Eden to be properly utilized. Many of these sorts of Pieces are keys or tools that opened or led to ancient Isu facilities, such asFreya’s Medallion, the Grand Temple Key, Odin’s Eye, and Precursor Boxes. While some of these did have secondary effects, such as Freya’s Medallion being able to cast some illusion, most of these aforementioned Pieces of Eden were just tools to send people on their way to more powerful Isu artifacts.
Numerous Pieces of Eden found in theAssassin’s Creedfranchise were essentially useless unless they worked in conjunction with one or more other Isu artifacts. This was the case for the Blood Vials, Crystal Skulls, and the Observatory, as Blood Vials were just containers to hold people’s blood that would be inserted into Crystal Skulls which then could be used to monitor people’s lives within the Observatory. Similarly, the Heart of the Brotherhood was designed to only activate Prophecy Disks, with the disks themselves only being used to record and display holographic messages. Meanwhile,Crystal Balls were used to gain access to the Isu’s Nexus, and couldn’t be used to directly harm others despite their similarity to Apples of Eden.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
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Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.• Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.• Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.• Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.• Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
