Desmond Miles: Ooh, wonder who I get to kill today.
Dr. Warren Vidic: Don't be so cavalier! Your ancestors almost had the right idea, Mr. Miles. If the deaths of a few people – evil people, no less – could save the lives of thousands more, well... it seems a small sacrifice.
Desmond: What do you mean, "almost?"
Vidic: They didn't go far enough! To use a rather tired analogy, corruption is no different than cancer. Cut out the tumors, but fail to treat the source and... well, you're buying time at best. There's no true change to be had without comprehensive, systemic intervention.
Desmond: Chemo for the masses.
Vidic: Education. Re-education to be more precise. But it's not easy, and it doesn't always take.
Dr. Warren Vidic: Don't be so cavalier! Your ancestors almost had the right idea, Mr. Miles. If the deaths of a few people – evil people, no less – could save the lives of thousands more, well... it seems a small sacrifice.
Desmond: What do you mean, "almost?"
Vidic: They didn't go far enough! To use a rather tired analogy, corruption is no different than cancer. Cut out the tumors, but fail to treat the source and... well, you're buying time at best. There's no true change to be had without comprehensive, systemic intervention.
Desmond: Chemo for the masses.
Vidic: Education. Re-education to be more precise. But it's not easy, and it doesn't always take.
Jabal: It is the men you kill, isn't it? You feel... something for them.
Altaïr: How?
Jabal: Ah, my friend, you're not meant to enjoy these grim tasks. Regret, uncertainty, sympathy — this is to be expected.
Altaïr: I should not fear these feelings?
Jabal: You should embrace them. They are what keep you human.
Altaïr: What if I'm wrong? What if these men are not meant to die? What if they mean well? Misguided perhaps, but pure in motive.
Altaïr: How?
Jabal: Ah, my friend, you're not meant to enjoy these grim tasks. Regret, uncertainty, sympathy — this is to be expected.
Altaïr: I should not fear these feelings?
Jabal: You should embrace them. They are what keep you human.
Altaïr: What if I'm wrong? What if these men are not meant to die? What if they mean well? Misguided perhaps, but pure in motive.
King Richard the Lionheart: Why? Why travel all this way, risk your life a thousand times, all to kill a single man?
Altaïr: He threatened my Brothers and what we stand for.
King Richard: Ah. Vengeance then.
Altaïr: No, not vengeance. Justice, that there might be peace.
King Richard: This is what you fight for? Peace? Do you see the contradiction?
Altaïr: Some men cannot be reasoned with.
King Richard: Like that madman, Saladin.
Altaïr: I think he'd like to see an end to this war as much as you.
King Richard: So I've heard, but never seen.
Altaïr: Even if he doesn't say it, it's what the people want, Saracen and Crusader alike.
King Richard: The people know not what they want. It's why they turn to men like us.
Altaïr: Then it falls to men like you to do what is right.
King Richard: Nonsense. We come into the world kicking and screaming, violent and unstable. It is what we are. We cannot help ourselves.
Altaïr: He threatened my Brothers and what we stand for.
King Richard: Ah. Vengeance then.
Altaïr: No, not vengeance. Justice, that there might be peace.
King Richard: This is what you fight for? Peace? Do you see the contradiction?
Altaïr: Some men cannot be reasoned with.
King Richard: Like that madman, Saladin.
Altaïr: I think he'd like to see an end to this war as much as you.
King Richard: So I've heard, but never seen.
Altaïr: Even if he doesn't say it, it's what the people want, Saracen and Crusader alike.
King Richard: The people know not what they want. It's why they turn to men like us.
Altaïr: Then it falls to men like you to do what is right.
King Richard: Nonsense. We come into the world kicking and screaming, violent and unstable. It is what we are. We cannot help ourselves.
Altaïr: You held fire in your hand, old man. It should have been destroyed.
Al Mualim: Destroy the only thing capable of ending The Crusades and creating true peace? Never.
Altaïr: Then I will.
Al Mualim: We'll see about that.
[Altaïr approaches the Apple of Eden]
Al Mualim: I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing of the wind. For in much wisdom is much grief. And he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. ... Destroy it! Destroy it as you said you would!
Altaïr: I... I can't...
Al Mualim: Yes, you can, Altaïr. But you won't.
Al Mualim: Destroy the only thing capable of ending The Crusades and creating true peace? Never.
Altaïr: Then I will.
Al Mualim: We'll see about that.
[Altaïr approaches the Apple of Eden]
Al Mualim: I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing of the wind. For in much wisdom is much grief. And he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. ... Destroy it! Destroy it as you said you would!
Altaïr: I... I can't...
Al Mualim: Yes, you can, Altaïr. But you won't.
Mario: You have your father's blade. I figured you'd have the Codex page he was holding as well.
Ezio: "Codex?"
Mario: Sì. A guide to the inner workings of our order - its origin, purpose and techniques. Our creed, if you will. Your father believed the Codex contained a powerful secret. Something that would change the world. Perhaps it's why they came for him...
Ezio: Assassins, Templars, Codex pages... This is a lot to take in.
Mario: You need to open your mind, Ezio. Always remember:Nothing is true, Everything is permitted.
Ezio: "Codex?"
Mario: Sì. A guide to the inner workings of our order - its origin, purpose and techniques. Our creed, if you will. Your father believed the Codex contained a powerful secret. Something that would change the world. Perhaps it's why they came for him...
Ezio: Assassins, Templars, Codex pages... This is a lot to take in.
Mario: You need to open your mind, Ezio. Always remember:Nothing is true, Everything is permitted.
What follows are the three great ironies of the Assassin Order: (1) Here we seek to promote peace, but murder is our means. (2) Here we seek to open the minds of men, but require obedience to a master and set of rules. (3) Here we seek to reveal the danger of blind faith, yet we are practitioners ourselves.
I have no satisfactory answer to these charges, only possibilities... Do we bend the rules in service to a greater good? And if we do, what does it say of us? That we are liars? That we are frauds? That we are weak? Every moment is spent wrestling with these contradictions and in spite of all the years I've had to reflect, still I can find no suitable answer... And I fear that one may not exist.
Nothing is true. Everything is permitted. Does our creed provide the answer, then? That one may be two things – opposite in every way – simultaneously? And why not? Am I not proof? We of noble intentions, possessed of barbaric means? We who celebrate the sanctity of life and then promptly take it from those we deem our enemies?
I have no satisfactory answer to these charges, only possibilities... Do we bend the rules in service to a greater good? And if we do, what does it say of us? That we are liars? That we are frauds? That we are weak? Every moment is spent wrestling with these contradictions and in spite of all the years I've had to reflect, still I can find no suitable answer... And I fear that one may not exist.
Nothing is true. Everything is permitted. Does our creed provide the answer, then? That one may be two things – opposite in every way – simultaneously? And why not? Am I not proof? We of noble intentions, possessed of barbaric means? We who celebrate the sanctity of life and then promptly take it from those we deem our enemies?
— Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Codex - 4,
"Silenzio. Silenzio. Twenty-two years ago, I stood where I stand now – and watched my loved ones die, betrayed by those I had called friends. Vengeance clouded my mind. It would have consumed me, were it not for the wisdom of a few strangers, who taught me to look past my instincts. They never preached answers, but guided me to learn from myself. We don't need anyone to tell us what to do; not Savonarola, not the Medici. We are free to follow our own path. There are those who will take that freedom from us, and too many of you gladly give it. But it is our ability to choose – whatever you think is true – that makes us human... There is no book or teacher to give you the answers, to show you the path. Choose your own way! Do not follow me, or anyone else."
— Ezio Auditore da Firenze
"Ezio! I think I've figured out how to make a man fly."
Niccolo Machiavelli: Where other men blindly follow truth, remember:
Assassins: Nothing is true.
Niccolo Machiavelli: Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember:
Assassins: Everything is permitted.
Niccolo Machiavelli: We work in the dark, to serve the light. We are Assassins.
Assassins: Nothing is true.
Niccolo Machiavelli: Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember:
Assassins: Everything is permitted.
Niccolo Machiavelli: We work in the dark, to serve the light. We are Assassins.
"There will come a day in which men no longer cheat each other. And on that day we will see what mankind is truly capable of."
— Bartolomeo d'Alviano quoting Giovanni Auditore
"Did you know that the sun is most likely the midpoint of the universe, not the Earth? I see the movements of the moon and stars, and yet I can only observe. So much is unknown to me. This age of reason is but the beginning of an end I will never see. Someday we will be able to influence this world, to exploit the power of the human will to harness light and perhaps even travel into the heavens. But I am getting ahead of myself, first we must see the sun spinning at the center."
— Nicolaus Copernicus, The Copernicus Conspiracy
"When I was very young, I was foolish enough to believe that our Creed would bring an end to all these conflicts. If only I had possessed the humility to say to myself, I have seen enough for one life. I have done my part. Then again, there is no greater glory than fighting to find the truth."
— Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
"What is a man but the sum of his memories? We are the stories we live! The tales we tell ourselves!"
— Clay Kaczmarek
Prince Ahmet: If you think you are in a position to negotiate, kill me and be done with it! I am sorry it had to come to this. Two men who should be friends, quarreling over the keys to a library. We both strive for the same end, Ezio. Only our methods differ. Do you not see that? Peace. Stability. A world where men live without fear. People desire the truth, yes, but even when they have it, they refuse to look. How do we fight this kind of ignorance?
Ezio: Liberty can be messy, Ahmet. But it is priceless.
Prince Ahmet: Of course. And when things fall apart, and the lights of civilization dim, Ezio Auditore can stand above the darkness and say proudly, "I stayed true to my Creed." I will open that library, and I will find the Grand Temple. And with the power that is hidden there, I will destroy the superstitions that keep men divided.
Ezio: Liberty can be messy, Ahmet. But it is priceless.
Prince Ahmet: Of course. And when things fall apart, and the lights of civilization dim, Ezio Auditore can stand above the darkness and say proudly, "I stayed true to my Creed." I will open that library, and I will find the Grand Temple. And with the power that is hidden there, I will destroy the superstitions that keep men divided.
"The world is a tapestry of many colors and patterns. A just leader would celebrate this, not seek to unravel it."
— Suleiman the Magnificent
"I have lived my life as best I could, not knowing its purpose, but drawn forward like a moth to a distant moon. And here, at last, I discover a strange truth. That I am only a conduit for a message that eludes my understanding. Who are we, who have been so blessed to share our stories like this? To speak across centuries?"
— Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Ezio: Love binds our Order together; love of people, of cultures, of the world. Fight to preserve that which inspires hope, and you will win back your people.
Shao Jun: Then it will take a long time. A long time.
Ezio: If you do it right, Sì!
Shao Jun: Then it will take a long time. A long time.
Ezio: If you do it right, Sì!
Colonel James Barrett: Chin up, friend. Many who should've died today now live because of you.
Connor: And what of them? [indicating battlefield strewn with dead bodies]
Colonel James Barrett: We did the best we can with what we've got.
Connor: It is not enough.
Colonel James Barrett: Hm. It never is.
Connor: And what of them? [indicating battlefield strewn with dead bodies]
Colonel James Barrett: We did the best we can with what we've got.
Connor: It is not enough.
Colonel James Barrett: Hm. It never is.
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.
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.
Achilles: If I sought to dissuade you, it was because you knew nothing! If I was reluctant to contribute, it was because you were naive. A thousand times you would have died and take God knows how many with you. Let me tell you something, Connor: Life is not a fairy tale and there are no happy endings.
Connor: No. Not when men like you are left in charge.
Achilles: In your haste to save the world, boy - take care you don't destroy it!
Connor: No. Not when men like you are left in charge.
Achilles: In your haste to save the world, boy - take care you don't destroy it!
Connor: What is it the Templars truly seek?
Haytham: Order. Purpose. Direction. No more than that. It's your lot that means to confound with this nonsense talk of freedom. Time was, the Assassins professed a far more sensible goal, that of peace.
Connor: Freedom IS peace.
Haytham: Oh, no. It's an invitation to chaos.
Haytham: Order. Purpose. Direction. No more than that. It's your lot that means to confound with this nonsense talk of freedom. Time was, the Assassins professed a far more sensible goal, that of peace.
Connor: Freedom IS peace.
Haytham: Oh, no. It's an invitation to chaos.
"Even when your kind appears to triumph...Still we rise again. And do you know why? It is because the Order is born of a Realization. We require no creed. No indoctrination by desperate old men. All we need is that the world be as it is. And THIS is why the Templars will never be destroyed!"
— Haytham Kenway
Ratonhnhaké:ton: You have been corrupted by the Apple's power.
King Washington: Corrupted? Well, that raises an interesting question: Do you wish me to give up the Apple in order to ... save my soul? ... Or do you wish the Apple for yourself, so you can control the nation?
Ratonhnhaké:ton: ... The true rulers are the people.
King Washington: Let's not deceive ourselves. It's an absurd thought, but let's suppose I were beholden to this Apple, how would you behave differently?
Ratonhnhaké:ton: I would use it for the good of everyone.
King Washington: Possession of the Apple is both a burden and a blessing. Tell me, when you shake the earth, do you feel that you are a slave to the people? ... Or do you wish to be their master?
King Washington: Corrupted? Well, that raises an interesting question: Do you wish me to give up the Apple in order to ... save my soul? ... Or do you wish the Apple for yourself, so you can control the nation?
Ratonhnhaké:ton: ... The true rulers are the people.
King Washington: Let's not deceive ourselves. It's an absurd thought, but let's suppose I were beholden to this Apple, how would you behave differently?
Ratonhnhaké:ton: I would use it for the good of everyone.
King Washington: Possession of the Apple is both a burden and a blessing. Tell me, when you shake the earth, do you feel that you are a slave to the people? ... Or do you wish to be their master?
— The Tyranny of King Washington
"To know and see things differently, we must first think differently."
— Edward Kenway
"Compromise. That is what everyone has insisted upon. And so I have learned it. But differently than most, I think…I realize now that it will take time; that the road ahead is long, and shrouded in darkness. It is a road that will not always take me where I wish to go, and I doubt I will live to see its end. But I will travel down it nonetheless. For at my side walks hope. In the face of all that insists I turn back, I carry on. This…This is my compromise."
Edward: By God, you bravos are a cheery bunch, eh. All frowns and furrowed brows.
Ah Tabai: Captain Kenway. You have remarkable skills.
Edward: Ah, thanks, mate. It comes natural.
Ah Tabai: But you are churlish and arrogant, prancing around in a uniform that you have not earned.
Edward: Everything is permitted. Isn't that your motto?
Ah Tabai: Captain Kenway. You have remarkable skills.
Edward: Ah, thanks, mate. It comes natural.
Ah Tabai: But you are churlish and arrogant, prancing around in a uniform that you have not earned.
Edward: Everything is permitted. Isn't that your motto?
"Cultures and religions and languages keep folks divided. But there's something in the Assassin's Creed that crosses all boundaries. A fondness for life and liberty."
— Mary Read
"Wakey, wakey! I don't believe we've been formally introduced... not in this era, anyway. I wish I could explain all this strangeness, but there isn't much time. The short of it is, you saw my beloved Juno. And for a brief moment I thought she might occupy this tender body of yours. But something went wrong. And now she's back out there. Adrift. Oh... she was magnificent once. One of a race of beautiful, wonderful creatures. They created your kind. Did you know that? Your people were tools to them. That's all you have ever been. That's all you should ever be! One day soon, I hope. For the world is nearly ready for her return! Wired. Prepared for a second coming! Uh... Oh oh... Here they come! Those Templars. Or maybe Assassins this time. Idiots, all of them."
— Aita speaking in the voice of John from IT
Stay my blade from the flesh of the innocent. Hide in plain sight. Never compromise the Assassin Brotherhood. These are the tenets of the the Creed. The principles I used to live by. I was a young man then. The Seven Years' War was about to begin. I could not have imagined what the future had in store for me... Nor the cost I would choose to bear... My name is Shay Patrick Cormac. This is my story...
... Uphold the principles of our Order, and all for that for which we stand. Never share our secrets nor divulge the true nature of our work. Do so until death — whatever the cost. This is my new creed. I am Shay Patrick Cormac. Templar of the Colonial… of the American Rite. I am an older man now, and perhaps wiser. A war and a revolution have ended, and another is about to begin. May the Father of Understanding guide us all.
... Uphold the principles of our Order, and all for that for which we stand. Never share our secrets nor divulge the true nature of our work. Do so until death — whatever the cost. This is my new creed. I am Shay Patrick Cormac. Templar of the Colonial… of the American Rite. I am an older man now, and perhaps wiser. A war and a revolution have ended, and another is about to begin. May the Father of Understanding guide us all.
— Shay Cormac
"Do you think it's the first time this has happened? The first time the Assassins have been forced to purge their leadership? The first time the Order has built itself back up from nothing to power? No. Masyaf, Monteriggioni, the American Colonies...it's all happened before, and we've risen anew, stronger than ever. But now...we've lost our purpose Arno. We mired ourselves in politics and revolutions. But we're not a nation. We're an army. And in an army, "making peace with the enemy" is called 'treason'."
— Pierre Bellec
"The Creed of the Assassin Brotherhood teaches us that nothing is forbidden to us. Once, I thought that meant we were free to do as we would. To pursue our ideals, no matter the cost. I understand now. Not a grant of permission. The Creed is a warning. Ideals too easily give way to dogma. Dogma becomes fanaticism. No higher power sits in judgement of us. No supreme being watches to punish us for our sins. In the end, only we ourselves can guard against our obsessions. Only we can decide whether the road we walk carries too high a toll. We believe ourselves redeemers, avengers, saviours. We make war on those who oppose us, and they in turn make war on us. We dream of leaving our stamp upon the world... even as we give our lives in a conflict that will be recorded in no history book. All that we do, all that we are, begins and ends with ourselves."
— Arno Dorian
"That's the thing with Assassins. Point them at a Templar conspiracy and they ask no questions. They go right for the killing. Predictable that way."
— Aloys La Touche
"I once loathed the very sight of your kind. In the same way you recoil in the presence of an arachnid. Humans were created by we who came before, the Isu. We crafted you in our image, but deprived you of our true gifts. You were bred for hard labor, and in extreme cases, war. We built great observatories to monitor you, devices to control you. We blessed you with resilience, but cursed you with ambition. And so you rebelled against us. I suppose we are to blame for the state of your species. Is it any wonder so many of these simulations revolve around violence?"
— Juno
