Within some of the newer Assassin’s Creed titles, a precursor organization known as the Hidden Ones have played a fairly large role in some of the narratives. Although the story that has been told for the Hidden Ones has been an important and fascinating one, it is high time that Ubisoft moves away from the older faction when moving forward.
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The Background Of the Hidden Ones
The Hidden Ones were first properly introduced to the franchise with the 2017 release of the Egypt-set Assassin’s Creed Origins. As the name of the title suggests, the game told the story of the humble beginnings of the Assassin Brotherhood, in which the Hidden Ones were absolutely imperative.
After facing the strife caused by corrupt ruling elites firsthand, the Hidden Ones were formed in 47 BC by Origins protagonist Bayek of Siwa and his partner Aya. The core tenants of this organization were simply to watch and act from the shadows, protecting the innocent from violations to their free will by any means necessary. As many will know, this ethos is essentially identical to that of the iconic Assassin Brotherhood, which directly sprouted from the Hidden Ones in the year 1090 AD.
While Origins showed fans the events that led to the conception of the Hidden Ones, the organization is additionally represented in the latest mainline franchise release of the Viking-led Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. With Valhalla being set between the years 872 to 878 AD, the appearing characters of Basim Ibn Ishaq and Hytham were foreign delegates of the Hidden Ones, who had traveled to England from the Middle East.
Remaining Portrayals Of the Hidden Ones in Assassin’s Creed
The Hidden Ones are supposedly set to feature on their largest scale yet in the heavily rumored upcoming title Assassin’s Creed Rift. The reportedly smaller-scale title is rumored to have Basim as its protagonist, set prior to the events of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla in the Middle East, primarily within Baghdad, Iraq.
Rift will not be entirely focused on expanding Hidden Ones lore, however, with the main element of Basim’s character being the split occupation of his body between himself and the Isu Loki, who is the driving force behind Basim leaving for England in pursuit of Valhalla protagonist Eivor. Despite this, it remains that Assassin’s Creed Rift will have massive ties to the Hidden Ones, hopefully providing fans with the most comprehensive view of how the Hidden One’s operated that has been seen to date.
That being said, Rift should mark the end of a focus on the Hidden Ones and their era of reign before the Assassin Brotherhood was created. Discounting the more standalone factions of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s Ancient Greece, the Hidden Ones have essentially been the leading faction portrayed in Assassin’s Creed titles for the past five years. As a series, Assassin’s Creed has had to grapple with franchise fatigue fairly consistently, and it risks doing so once more if a Hidden Ones focus extends beyond Rift.
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What Future Assassin’s Creed Titles Should Focus On Instead
If AC games beyond Rift are to abandon the Hidden Ones to re-invigorate the fanbase, then the question remains of what faction should replace them. The most overt and perhaps most sensible answer is a return to the namesake faction of the franchise, the Assassin Brotherhood. Although the Brotherhood has been the focus of many Assassin’s Creed titles, it has always been one that fans thoroughly enjoyed and embraced. The Assassin Brotherhood spans from 1090 AD to the present day, giving a huge variety of practically endless settings and timeframes that can be explored, as many of the earlier AC titles conveyed to great success.
Additionally, it is no secret that more recent titles have created a palpable divide amongst the Assassin’s Creed fan base. Starting with Origins and continuing with Valhalla, Assassin’s Creed has wildly shifted its identity and core gameplay, turning from more intimate and continuous narratives to much more large-scale open-world RPG elements. Due to their association with these newer titles, the Hidden Ones have almost become tainted by the controversy, and thus a return to the Brotherhood could be healthy for AC.
Fans have also been vocal in their desire for a return to the Assassin versus Templar narrative of older games, and this is an aspect that cannot be revisited in a Hidden Ones setting. The Hidden Ones were a part of Assassin’s Creed history that needed to be explored, but if Rift focuses on the organization in the way it is rumored to, then the faction should not take up any more narrative real estate within the franchise for now.
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