Assassin’s Creed: Rewriting History Through Euchronia

Assassin Creed is a series I have loved since childhood. For those unaware it is set in an internal conflict between the Templars and the assassins, both trying to acquire mythical Ise artefacts. The artefacts allow the wielder to control an aspect of human nature, the Templars wan’t to use it to subjigate and the Assassin’s want to keep the artefacts out of all hands.

There is a lot of talk online about the shift from traditional AC, mainly thinking of the stealth and narrative driven stories of the Ezio Triology (AC 2-4) to the MMO RPG games of AC Origins. Euchronia derives from the same etymology as Eutopia, eu meaining no and chronia meaning place. Euchronia’s are historical periods that don’t exists but are depecited in such an idealised/asthetic way that their false reailty becomes what is ecepted in popular reality. A good example is the Cowboy’s of or midevil knights which don’t really reflect any historical truth beyond the asthetic.

1. Assassin’s Creed (2007) - Third Crusade, Holy Land (1191-1193)
   • Historical accuracy: Impressively faithful to major events and figures of the Crusades
   • Euchronic elements: Minimal; history largely respected with only the Assassin/Templar conflict subtly woven in
2. Assassin’s Creed II (2009) - Italian Renaissance (1476-1499)
   • Historical accuracy: Still commendably authentic with Renaissance figures faithfully portrayed
   • Euchronic elements: First signs of historical divergence with Leonardo’s “inventions” functioning centuries ahead of their time
3. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (2010) - Renaissance Rome (1499-1507)
   • Historical accuracy: Rome’s architecture meticulously recreated, but historical narrative begins to bend
   • Euchronic elements: Increasingly advanced Assassin gadgetry straining historical believability
4. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (2011) - Ottoman Constantinople (1511-1512)
   • Historical accuracy: Ottoman setting still respectably researched, but cracks appearing
   • Euchronic elements: Ziplines and bomb-crafting technology conspicuously anachronistic
5. Assassin’s Creed III (2012) - American Revolution (1754-1783)
   • Historical accuracy: Revolutionary events present but increasingly warped to fit narrative
   • Euchronic elements: Connor impossibly present at virtually every significant historical moment, suggesting one man shaped America
6. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (2013) - Golden Age of Piracy (1715-1722)
   • Historical accuracy: Pirate republic romanticized beyond recognition
   • Euchronic elements: Naval technology jarringly advanced; pirates transformed from brutal raiders to romantic freedom fighters
7. Assassin’s Creed Rogue (2014) - Seven Years’ War (1752-1760)
   • Historical accuracy: Historical events increasingly serving as mere backdrop
   • Euchronic elements: History steadily giving way to Ubisoft’s parallel timeline
8. Assassin’s Creed Unity (2014) - French Revolution (1789-1794)
   • Historical accuracy: Revolutionary Paris visually stunning but politically sanitized
   • Euchronic elements: Complex political reality of Revolution disturbingly simplified for gameplay convenience
9. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (2015) - Victorian London (1868)
   • Historical accuracy: Industrial London recognizable but increasingly fantastical
   • Euchronic elements: Grappling hooks and gadgetry more steampunk than historical; Batman-esque traversal betraying period limitations
10. Assassin’s Creed Origins (2017) - Ptolemaic Egypt (49-43 BCE)
    • Historical accuracy: Ptolemaic aesthetics preserved but history increasingly subordinate to gameplay
    • Euchronic elements: Combat and weaponry shockingly anachronistic; RPG mechanics prioritized over historical authenticity
11. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018) - Peloponnesian War (431-422 BCE)
    • Historical accuracy: Basic Greek framework remains but history now thoroughly reimagined
    • Euchronic elements: Alarming integration of Greek mythology as “reality”; minotaurs and medusas walking alongside historical figures; alternate histories created through player choice
12. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (2020) - Viking invasions of England (873-878 CE)
    • Historical accuracy: Viking aesthetics retained but historical reality dramatically rewritten
    • Euchronic elements: Norse mythology brazenly integrated as historical truth; Asgard presented as reality; historical Vikings unrecognizable beneath mythological overlay
13. Assassin’s Creed Mirage (2023) - Abbasid Caliphate, Baghdad (861-863 CE)
    • Historical accuracy: Superficial return to historical grounding masks continued liberties
    • Euchronic elements: Scaled back but still present; historical authenticity secondary to franchise consistency
14. Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024) - Feudal Japan, Edo Period (16th-17th century)
    • Historical accuracy: Samurai-ninja dichotomy pulled from cinema rather than history
    • Euchronic elements: Ninja abilities wildly enhanced beyond historical reality; feudal Japan reimagined through Hollywood lens rather than historical record

The most pronounced euchronic elements appear in Odyssey and Valhalla, where mythological elements are integrated as “real” within the game world but explained through the sci-fi Isu framework, creating an alternate historical timeline where myths had basis in advanced technology.

The evolution of Assassin’s Creed illustrates a growing embrace of euchronia—historical periods depicted in such aestheticized ways that their fictional representation supplants historical reality in popular consciousness. While early entries maintained relatively high historical fidelity with a fictional conspiracy overlay, later titles increasingly blur historical accuracy with mythological elements and technological anachronisms.

This shift accelerated dramatically with Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, where entire mythological pantheons were integrated into the narrative framework. By explaining Greek gods as misunderstood advanced beings and Norse realms as technological constructs, the series creates a seductive alternate history that feels authentic despite its fabrications.

The euchronic effect of Assassin’s Creed extends beyond the games themselves into public historical understanding. Just as Hollywood westerns created the enduring but largely fictional image of the lone gunslinger, Assassin’s Creed has shaped popular conceptions of historical periods. Many players now envision Renaissance Italy through Ezio’s parkour-filled adventures or imagine Viking raiders with Eivor’s romanticized nobility rather than through historical documentation.

This phenomenon represents the broader issue of mediated history—when entertainment products become primary vehicles for historical knowledge. The visually immersive worlds of Assassin’s Creed, with their meticulous architectural recreations alongside fictional elements, create a compelling historical pastiche that can override academic understanding. The series’ “Database” entries, which mix factual information with fictional Assassin lore, further blur these boundaries.

The danger lies not in the fictional elements themselves, but in how seamlessly they integrate with historical reality. When players climb the Parthenon or navigate revolutionary Paris, the authentic settings lend credibility to the fictional elements. Over time, this mediated history becomes the default understanding—a process accelerated by the emotional connections formed through interactive play.

The series’ shift toward RPG mechanics and mythological integration in later titles reflects this embrace of euchronia, prioritizing engaging gameplay over historical accuracy. While Mirage represents a partial return to more grounded historical representation, the euchronic impact of Assassin’s Creed remains profound—a digital reimagining of history that has become, for many, more real than reality itself.