Highlights

  • The Assassin's Creed franchise is known for its iconic hidden blade, which has been a staple of the series since the first game. Ubisoft has continuously innovated and customized the design of the hidden blade with each entry.
  • Some of the most spectacular hidden blades in the franchise belong to Ezio Auditore, with his blades featuring an ornate design and multiple functionalities, including poison blades and a hidden gun. Jacob and Evie Frye's hidden blades stand out with their industrial-looking gauntlet design and additional tools like a rope and dart launcher.
  • Middle-tier hidden blades, such as Shao Jun's footblade and Eivor's forearm placement, have their own novelty, while others like Shay Cormac's and Edward Kenway's, are unremarkable in both visual design and features.

The Assassin's Creed franchise is filled with memorable iconography, from the signature symbol of the Brotherhood, to the distinct hoods that each assassin uses to hide their face. If one thing stands out the most, however, it's the franchise's signature weapon: the hidden blade. This unique assassination tool has been at the heart of the series since the very first Assassin's Creed game, dazzling fans with its clever design. AC likely wouldn't be the same without the hidden blade, and Ubisoft has spent the better part of 16 years turning it into one of the most recognizable video game weapons ever.

On its own, the hidden blade is a rather simple weapon that benefits from some eye-catching presentation. Part of Ubisoft's work in ensuring the weapon never feels repetitive, however, is how much it innovates on the original design with certain entries. Whether it's the blade's placement on the user's arm, or revolutionary new features, no two hidden blades are made equal. Many of them also stand out visually, with certain hidden blades featuring ornate designs, and others being a bit more brutish. Though they all serve the same purpose, Assassin's Creed's hidden blades each bear a personality all their own.

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S Tier Hidden Blades

  • Ezio's Hidden Blades (Assassin's Creed 2 & Brotherhood)
  • Jacob & Evie Frye's Hidden Blades

S Tier Hidden Blades Explained

Assassin's Creed has seen a lot of unique hidden blades over the years, but two share the distinction of being the most spectacular. In the case of Ezio's first set of hidden blades, these weapons combine an exquisite design with a fleet of features. Arguably AC's most iconic assassin, Ezio's hidden blades sport an ornate recreation of the Brotherhood's insignia, with all the proper styling of the Italian Renaissance. By AC Brotherhood, Ezio's hidden blades became a multitool, containing the standard blades, poison blades, and a hidden gun. When many fans think of the quintessential hidden blade, Ezio's often come to mind.

Whereas Ezio's hidden blades benefit from their elegance and relative simplicity, Jacob and Evie Frye's hidden blades excel in their crude industrialism. Appearing more like a gauntlet than the streamlined design of other assassins, the Frye twins' hidden blades feature bold gold and silver accents and beautiful leather detailing. The sheer amount of tools contained within their blades is also befitting AC Syndicate's Industrial Revolution setting, as the skilled assassins are able to access a rope launcher and dart launcher right from their wrist.

A Tier Hidden Blades

  • Ezio's Hidden Blades (Assassin's Creed Revelations)
  • Connor Kenway's Hidden Blades
  • Arno Dorian's Hidden Blades
  • Kassandra's Hidden Blade

A Tier Hidden Blades Explained

Some of the most memorable hidden blades inject a welcome amount of creativity into the simple weapon, and there's no shortage of creativity in AC's A tier hidden blades. Ezio's blades from AC Revelations introduced the hookblade, a modification to the usual design that allowed for creative kills and additional traversal opportunities. In the case of AC3's Connor Kenway, his pivot blade design allowed one hidden blade to be wielded like a dagger, giving the Native American assassin opportunities to pair it with other weapons in combat.

AC Unity's Arno Dorian added greater range to his hidden blade with the phantom blade, a feature that turned one of his blades into a sort of crossbow capable of incapacitating foes from a distance. Lastly, though it may not dazzle with its features, the Greek mercenary Kassandra wields a hidden blade that perfectly captures her Ancient Greek origins. The golden head of Medusa is the star of the show, making Kassandra's weapon one of AC's most visually striking.

B Tier Hidden Blades

  • Altair's Hidden Blade
  • Arbaaz Mir's Hidden Blades
  • Basim's Hidden Blades

B Tier Hidden Blades Explained

Altair was AC's inaugural assassin, and his hidden blade is fittingly simple and to the point. While the blade's bracer does feature some gorgeous silver accents, it's an otherwise unremarkable weapon that does exactly what it's supposed to. Much of the same is true with Basim's hidden blades, which seems appropriate given AC Mirage's back-to-basics approach. Arbaaz Mir from AC Chronicles: India has the most unique hidden blade from this group, featuring a trident-like style. This unique blade is restricted by its game, however, as its smaller scope means most players don't get as many opportunities to become attached to it.

C Tier Hidden Blades

  • Shao Jun's Hidden Blade
  • Eivor's Hidden Blade
  • Bayek's Hidden Blade

C Tier Hidden Blades Explained

These middle-of-the-road hidden blades either just manage to impress with their novelty, or have enough visual detail to dismiss how unremarkable they are otherwise. Shao Jun's hidden blade fits into the former category, as the protagonist of AC Chronicles: China sports a footblade instead of the traditional hidden blade. This makes for some creative assassinations compared to previous entries, though it can sometimes feel like an afterthought.

AC Valhalla's Eivor wears her hidden blade on the outside of her forearm as opposed to the inside, and though this may seem unique, her assassinations don't stand out much as a result. Bayek's hidden blade is one of AC's first chronologically, adding to its mystique but making it one of the series' least visually appealing.

D Tier Hidden Blades

  • Shay Cormac's Hidden Blades
  • Edward Kenway's Hidden Blades
  • Haytham Kenway's Hidden Blades

D Tier Hidden Blades Explained

The 18th century didn't exactly breed much innovation in terms of hidden blades, as some of the most notable assassins from this time period have some of the most unremarkable ones. All three of Shay, Edward, and Haytham wield some of the most simplistic hidden blades that AC has ever seen, both in visual design and baked-in features. To the swashbuckling Edward's credit, raiding ships in AC 4: Black Flag is much more effective with cutlasses than with the diminutive hidden blades.

Assassin's Creed has innovated a lot over the years, and the hidden blades are no exception. With the franchise ready to take players to feudal Japan with AC Red and Eastern Europe with AC Hexe, there's no telling how hidden blades could continue to evolve in the future.