Original artwork, not a still
The Assassins' creed
We work in the dark to serve the light.
— Assassin’s Creed II · 2009
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the Brotherhood's mission statement in a breath: strike from the shadows, but for a freer world. The paradox sits at the heart of the franchise, and the phrase is how Assassins define themselves against the Templars. Fans recite it with the Creed's other half as a catchphrase and sign-off.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Assassin’s Creed IIShow the scene
The words close the Assassin Order's creed as recited at an initiation. In Assassin's Creed II (2009), Niccolo Machiavelli leads the ceremony in which the master Assassin states that where other men follow the truth or the law, the initiate must remember that nothing is true and everything is permitted. The closing words are: we work in the dark to serve the light, we are Assassins. The same ritual is later used for Claudia Auditore in Brotherhood, and Assassin's Creed Mirage shows an older, differently worded initiation for Basim in the ninth century.
Sources (2)
- Assassin's Creed Wiki: Assassinsopening quoteReference checked
- Assassin's Creed Wiki: Initiation into the Assassin OrderRenaissance and Abbasid sectionsReference checked
Context reviewed
