The 7 Best Antagonists In The Assassin’s Creed Series

Summary

• Juno stands out as a powerful Isu villain who looks down on humans, featuring in multiple games.
• Warren Vidic is a smart, well-protected villain working for Abstergo in the Desmond Miles series.
• Deimos, a demigod with a tragic backstory and impressive physical threat, is a sympathetic villain in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

The Assassin’s Creed series is known for having a litany of colorful protagonists from different periods of history. And on many occasions, the quality of those characters dictates the quality of the games. This is why the Ezio titles are held in such high esteem.

That being said, it isn’t just the hood-wearing, hidden blade-wielding figures that are important. The antagonists are often just as vital to the story. It’s lucky then that there have also been many great villains throughout the series’ history. Most of the time, they’re members of the Templar Order and, occasionally, historical figures. These are the best ones.

Updated March 26, 2025 by Ben Jessey: Assassin’s Creed Shadows has just been released, so now feels like a good time to look back at certain aspects of the AC series. This includes looking at the villains we all love to hate. We created this list of the best Assassin’s Creed villains a while ago, so we’ve returned to it to add more rogues and re-evaluate our original picks.

9

Juno

Various Assassin’s Creed Games

Juno is one of the series’s most powerful villains and best female characters. Her incredible prowess comes from the fact that she’s a member of the Isu race. Her people are more advanced than humans, and she knows it. The woman looks down on the human race and sees them as playthings.

None of the protagonists in the series would be able to defeat her in a fight, and none of them even try. This is partly what helps Juno stand out among the other villains in the series. She’s also different because she features in more games than most of the others.

8

Warren Vidic

Various Assassin’s Creed Games

During the Desmond Miles series of games, Warren Vidic serves as one of the main present-day villains. He’s no physical specimen, so the Assassin could easily beat him in a fight. Yet, getting to Vidic is a significant challenge. The man is very smart and works for Abstergo, so he’s typically well-protected.

In the original game, he doesn’t initially come off as a villain, as he just seems to be the guy running the Animus. You slowly start to see his evil nature, though, as you dive deeper into the game.

7

Deimos

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Assassin’s Creed isn’t known for having sympathetic villains. Yet, it’s easy to feel sorry for Deimos. A false prophecy led to the character being sentenced to death as a child. While they survived, it did lead to them falling into the evil hands of the Cult of Kosmos.

It’s a compelling backstory, and the fact that Deimos is a sibling to the protagonist makes things even more interesting. They’re also an incredible physical threat, as they’re basically a demigod. As such, they match up pretty well with the most powerful protagonist in the series, the Eagle Bearer.

6

Basim

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Betrayals are common in the Assassin’s Creed universe, and Basim follows the series tradition in Valhalla. However, the reasons for his backstabbing are a little more complex. As Loki’s human reincarnation, he attempts to gain revenge on the human versions of Odin and Tyr for their perceived mistreatment.

Despite his treacherous ways, he doesn’t seem to be pure evil. He only shows malice toward the people who’ve wronged him, and his ultimate goal is to reunite with his loved ones. Yet, he is the reincarnation of a known trickster, so the man can’t be fully trusted no matter how he acts.

5

Al Mualim

Assassin’s Creed

The original Assassin’s Creed isn’t a perfect game, and the series certainly improved in the subsequent instalments. However, it does include a strong main villain in Al Mualim. He spends the entire game guiding Altair before betraying him and the rest of the Assassins.

It’s hard to see the turn coming, particularly as the game makes it seem like Altair is the most morally questionable one in the group. As such, it’s easy to get distracted by the protagonist’s self-improvement and miss Al Mualim’s treachery. Another thing to note is that the former Assassin’s deception is due to his desire to gain the Apple. Therefore, Al Mualim’s story helps establish that the Pieces of Eden can corrupt anyone.

4

Charles Lee

Assassin’s Creed 3 And Assassin’s Creed: Rogue

When first introduced in Assassin’s Creed 3, Charles Lee seems a polite and noble gentleman. Yet, during that period of the game, he’s basically a glorified assistant to the Templar Order. When he meets Ratonhnhake:ton years later, he gives off a very different vibe.

By this point, Lee is an important member of the evil Order and certainly doesn’t come across as a nice guy anymore. Instead, he displays racism towards Native Americans and chokes poor Ratonhnhaké:ton, who is only a child. He is truly terrifying during the scene. As such, it sets the tone for the rest of the game and shows that a villain doesn’t need to be a physical threat to be scary.

3

Rodrigo Borgia

Assassin’s Creed 2 And Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

Rodrigo Borgia is among the smartest villains in gaming. After all, he doesn’t just stand out in the open waiting for an Assassin to find him. He remains hidden and operates from the shadows. Even when he goes outside, he is usually backed up by several comrades.

His high intellect is further shown through his ability to manipulate people. In fact, his manipulation skills are so good that he manages to convince the cardinals to make him the Pope. And he doesn’t do so as some power trip. He gets the position to gain access to the vault within the Vatican. The man might’ve been unsuccessful in using the said vault, but a lesser evil-doer wouldn’t have been able to make it that far.

2

Cesare Borgia

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

Even though Cesare Borgia is the son of Rodrigo, the two couldn’t be more different. The younger Borgia is a lot less subtle than his father. He is very willing to engage in all-out assaults on his enemies, as proven by his attack on Monteriggioni at the beginning of Brotherhood.

After that incident, he grows more unstable and power-hungry. He even develops a god complex and believes himself to be above his sister, father, and everyone else around him. His growing instability makes him a captivating figure throughout the game.

1

Haytham Kenway

Assassin’s Creed 3 And Assassin’s Creed Rogue

Haytham is arguably the most likable villain in the series. It helps that you get to play as him during the opening hours of Assassin’s Creed 3, but that isn’t the only reason for his likability. The man is charming, level-headed, and not as evil as a lot of the company he keeps.

That’s not to say he’s an angel, though. He is still ruthless and will kill pretty much anyone if he deems it beneficial. Still, he does show compassion and even saves people on occasion. He’d perhaps have become a good man if he had never joined the Templars. But he might not have been as fascinating a character.