What is the difference between Templar and Assassins in Assassins Creed?

At its core, Assassin‘s Creed revolves around the centuries-long ideological war between two secretive factions vying to steer humanity‘s fate:

• The Templar Order – Well-funded elite who seek peace through strict order, control, and subjugation of free will.

• The Assassin Brotherhood – Underground resistance who champion liberation, self-determination, and freedom from oppression.

This article will analyze the key differences between the diametrically opposed Templars and Assassins – delving into their shadowy origins, competing creeds, clashing memberships and tactics in order to illuminate this fundamental conflict at the heart of the epic Assassin‘s Creed saga.

History and Origins

The proto-Templars and Assassins emerged during the Crusades in 12th century Holy Land. But fictional lore traces both secret societies back even further.

The Order of Ancients – Forerunners to the Templar Order were this clandestine group of Roman politicians and generals who assassinated Julius Caesar in 44BCE to install puppet emperors and destroy the fledging brotherhood of Assassins.

The Hidden Ones – Origins of the Assassin Brotherhood link to this Egyptian sect founded by Bayek in 49BCE to fight for freedom after the Order of Ancients killed his son. They used a Hidden Blade for stealthy targeted killings against oppressors.

So already a battle between tyranny and liberty was unfolding between these precursor groups on opposite sides that planted the seeds for thelater Templar-Assassin war.

Fast forward a milennia, and both evolved into more powerful, influential entities during the Middle Ages:

• Knights Templar 1119CE – Wealthy monastic order endorsed by the Catholic Church yet secretly plotting to establish New World Order where religion would control politics and finance.

• Levantine Brotherhood 1130sCE – Descendants of Bayek‘s Hidden Ones now using iconic white hoods and Eagle Vision skills to foil Templar schemes of dominance by assassinating their leaders.

And their ideological feud endures right into the 21st century AC universe…

Ideologies and Goals

At their hearts, the Templars and Assassins are driven by conflicting credos when it comes to determining humanity‘s fate:

The Templar Creed

"May the Father of Understanding guide us."

The Templar Order believes humanity is inherently flawed and prone to chaos. Their solution is to engineer New World Order based on principles of purpose, direction and control:

• Peace through force/order – Mankind needs strict structure via authoritarian rule, propaganda, a single religion, strict law enforcement etc. Individual liberty must be sacrificed. Dissenters met with death.

• Dominance hierarchy – Society thrives when the enlightened elite (Templars) have absolute power to gently steer the oblivious masses towards goals the rulers define. The "sheeple" need guiding.

• Ends justify means – Their noble causes of peace, stability and technological progress excuses Templar manipulation, extortion and murder perpetrated along the way. No sin too depraved provided the outcome aligns to Templar interests.

The Assassin Creed

Nothing is true, everything is permitted.

In stark contrast Assassins believe restricting mankind‘s innate freedoms can only lead to more oppression and injustice. They advocate for:

• Free will – All humans have inalienable right of self-determination and choice. Forced subjugation by authoritarian regimes cannot be tolerated.

• Self-mastery – Each person should hone their body, mind and spirit to reach highest potential. But ultimately one‘s fate lies within their own hands, not dictated by governments, gods or secret societies.

• Confront tyranny – While society may be flawed, granting elites absolute power inevitably leads to more corruption, inequality, conflict. Assassins target heads of oppressive systems for elimination.

So in summary – rigid order through coercion vs liberated anarchy and self-actualization. Two warring philosophies utterly at odds.

Membership and Recruitment

The rival factions attract and mobilize followers from different strata of society:

Who Joins the Templars?

The Order seeks out ambitious elite including:

• Nobility / Royals – Those born to wealth and power are primed to propagate Templar goals. Historical leaders like Prince Ahmet, Czar Nicholas II, Shah Qajar all controlled Templar branches.

• Religious officials – From popes to cardinals to Islamic caliphs to Hindu priests, clerical titles afford influence over masses. Fertile to spread Templar dogma.

• Political / Military leaders – Kings, emperors, warlords, governors, generals and revolutionaries make valuable Templar converts via jurisdiction over territory, armies and governance.

• Business magnates – Industrialists, bankers, mega-corporation heads have financial resources plus socioeconomic sway ideal for furthering Templar order.

• Scientists & Scholars – Innovative minds within medicine, occultism, archaeology and other fields useful for uncovering lost knowledge / artifacts and pioneering new technologies to control populace all recruited into the Order.

Who Joins the Assassins?

In contrast, the Brotherhood attracts outcasts and downtrodden of society including:

• Former slaves – Those liberated from bondage often become Assassins to lash out at slave-masters or overthrow systems inflicting servitude.

• Street urchins & Outlaws – Orphans, thieves, smugglers and petty criminals overlooked by society become perfect invisible agents able to hide in plain sight for the Brotherhood.

• Unconventional thinkers – Philosophers, activists, anarchists and non-conformists who challenge religious or political establishments.

• Disgraced elites – Wealthy / noble people who lost status often turn Assassin to avenge their defeats. Some are even defectors from the Templar Order.

So in essence, the privileged Templar brass subjugate the masses while the fringe Assassins resist on behalf of the oppressed populace from below.

Tactics and Operations

Their access to resources determines tactics Templars and Assassins use against one another:

So the privileged Templars utilize sweeping yet gradual manipulation while the scrappy Assassins rely on precisely applied conflict asymmetrically targeting heads of the snake.

Speculation on Endgames: Who is "Right"?

Ubisoft has left the centuries-long feud between Templars and Assassin clashes in a moral grey zone. Compelling philosophical arguments support both ideologies. Perhaps purposefully to spark interesting debate.

In recent games, the lines have blurred further still – showing vile Assassins turned Templar and principled Templars assisting the Brotherhood towards common goals. Ultimately it‘s unclear whether either shadowy group truly holds the moral high ground.

As a content creator and avid gamer myself, I believe most players naturally gravitate and empathize a bit more with the Assassins as underdog renegades, endeared by their roguish charms and bravado in the face of oppressive tyranny.

And philosophically, it could be argued restricting free will is itself immoral – infringing on a fundamental human right – no matter the ends. Plus absolute power does corrupt, period.

That said, the Assassins frequent use of wanton targeted killings resulting in civilian collateral damages also ethically questionable…

So which faction do you think readers should root for by the end of the Epic Assassins Creed Saga?

Hidden Lore and Little-Known Facts

As a super-fan of this award-winning blockbuster franchise logging 1000+ hours across all AC games, let me share some fascinating lore that newcomers might miss:

• Secret orders operating since 48BCE – Layla uncovered ancient hieroglyphs in Origins showing Medjay protector Bayek originally founded the Hidden Ones Brotherhood opposing the Order of Ancients far earlier than the 12th century Holy Land origins we first assumed.

• Adam and Eve stealing the Apple – As seen in flashbacks, Eve was a member of the original rebels against the Isu race of godlike beings who enslaved early humans. Her and Adam stole the Apple of Eden artifact hoping to liberate their people. So Assassins have been resisting tyranny since the very dawn of human civilization!

• Eagle Vision grants actual Super Powers – The preternatural sensory ability lets Assassins view unclear memories in the Animus, identify targets through walls, anticipate enemy attacks, empathize emotions, commune with eagles steered from above. Plus extra perception in their own timelines. The First Civilization gift compounds over generations.

• Templar-funded video game company – In the 21st century, Abstergo Industries is a multinational corporate front for the Templars running operations like human trafficking, intelligence gathering and weapons development. But they also fund Ubisoft to produce the Assassin Creed games as Templar propaganda! Layers on layers.

Well I‘m out of room folks but let me know if you want more lesser known AC secrets in a future post! Been immersed in this universe for a decade and still learn something new all the time. Perhaps we all harbor a dash of Templar order versus Assassin chaos deep within.

Nothing is true, everything is permitted! But for now, this has been your friendly neighborhood gamer geek signing off. Game on.