For a game that came out more than 18 years ago, Assassin’s Creed aged quite well. And the 2007 action-adventure game works because it nails one of the elements of game design: storytelling. Players on Reddit praise Assassin’s Creed for its strong script and philosophical dialogue. Immersive conversations that pull in gamers. There’s something strangely fitting about a game built around assassins having so much to say about freedom. Together, they capture what made Ubisoft’s first outing feel different from other historical action games.
There’s no denying that Assassin’s Creed remains an important chapter in the series. That said, here are some of the most popular quotes from the game that started it all.
The Story of Assassin’s Creed
Assassin’s Creed is a story about a modern-day bartender (Desmond Miles). Abstergo Industries abducts him to tap into the genetic memories of his assassin ancestor (Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad) to find a Piece of Eden. Reliving the life of Altaïr, he goes through the same journey of earning back his rank by going after nine targets across the Holy Land.
The game arrives with hidden blades, rooftop chases, and crowded cities. All while a medieval war is happening in the background. You can master the skills. You can stalk your prey. You can engage in swordfight duels. Basically, do whatever it takes to complete the mission. But beneath all that is something much more complicated. You’ll see that it isn’t as simple as good versus evil. Every character has their justified motivations. The game pushes you to ask questions rather than feed you answers. As the game famously puts it, “Nothing is true, and everything is permitted.”
That’s what makes the original Assassin’s Creed dialogue worth revisiting. Free will. Manipulation. Power. Truth. Those themes aren’t just buried in the plot. They show up constantly in game quotes.
Quotes from Assassin’s Creed
With a script that’s widely praised, Assassin’s Creed sure has several characters that say many of the game’s iconic lines, such as:
Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad
Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad is a master assassin in Assassin’s Creed. As a very objective man, he’s naturally proud, demanding, and impatient. His own ego often hinders his success. But after his failed mission, he slowly becomes less arrogant. Altaïr’s transition to someone more willing to question what he’s been taught shows when he does open his mouth. Gamers control him for most of the game after the initial part of playing as Desmond Miles
- “Nothing is true and everything is permitted.”
- “It is done then. Your schemes, like you, are put to rest.”
- “Speak sense, Templar, or not at all!”
- “Good, I look forward to ending their life’s as well”
- “I do not seek revenge, but knowledge.”
- “They won’t find me. I’m but a blade in the crowd.”
- “I have seen what comes of those who raise themselves above others.”
- “My blade sees for me, Al Mualim. And it cuts through the darkness.”
- “Men must be free to do what they believe. It is not our right to punish them for thinking what they do, no matter how much we disagree.”
- “Teach them right from wrong. It must be knowledge that frees them, not force.”
- “A small sacrifice to save many. It is necessary.”
- “How could I regret the only life I’ve ever known?”
Al Mualim
Al Mualim is both a leader and a mentor. He seems like a wise teacher, helping Altaïr in his journey. All until he reveals that he has ambitions of his own. For much of the game, he appears as wise, mysterious, and soft-spoken.
- “Find them, kill them… In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace, both for the region, and for yourself.”
- “Information learned is more valuable than information given.”
- “Impossible… the student does not defeat the teacher!”
- “For in much wisdom, is much grief. And he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.”
- “What could I possibly fear? Look at the power I command!”
- “Destroy the only thing capable of ending the Crusades and creating true peace? Never.”
- “I have stood before a thousand men! All of them superior to you! And all of them dead, by my hand! I am not afraid!”
- “Our creed does not command us to be free. It commands us to be wise.”
Robert de Sable
Robert de Sable serves as the Grand Master of the Templars in Assassin’s Creed. He’s manipulative and an ingenious strategist.
- “You know nothing of schemes, you are but a puppet. He betrayed you boy, just as he betrayed me.”
- “And I doubt very much you’d take his life as willingly as you’ve taken mine.”
- “The only difference between your master and I is that he did not want to share.”
- “Ironic isn’t it? That I your greatest enemy kept you safe from harm. But now you’ve taken my life, and in the process, ended your own.”
- “Master of lies. You and I are just two more pawns in his grand game, and now, with my death, only you remain.”
The Rest of the Characters in Assassin’s Creed
- “You are naive to think otherwise. It’s an illness, for which there is but one cure.” – Jubair Al-Hakim
- “Nothing. Nothing waits. And that is what I fear.” – Sibrand
- “It’s not what I believe. It’s what I know.” – Garnier de Naplouse
- “Such pride… it will destroy you child…” – Tamir
- “This is what you fight for? Peace? Do you see the contradiction?” – King Richard
Lighter moments in Assassin’s Creed
- “Best-seller too!”
- “Wonderful to see you return to us!”
- “Have you forgotten the meaning of subtlety?!”
- “You speak too readily.”
- “The sooner the better.”
- “Fortune favor your blade, Brother.”
- “Altaïr, can you lend a hand? Perhaps a blade?”
Assassin’s Creed may be known for free-running, the hidden blade, and its historical settings. But it’s these powerful quotes that helped establish what the series was really about.
