With Assassin's Creed Mirage bringing the fan base to 800s Baghdad, there are a handful of historical figures that players will absolutely want to see in this title. Assassin's Creed games are typically set in notable historical locations and give players the chance to meet the figures that made these places and times famous. Thus far, players have gone to Renaissance Italy and met Leonardo da Vinci, the American Revolution and met George Washington, and most recently gone to medieval England and met King Alfred in Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
Assassin's Creed Mirage's setting has been officially confirmed, giving players the chance to make reasonable assumptions as to which historical figures they will meet while taking on this new game. With Ubisoft confirming the game will begin around 852 AD (20 years before Assassin's Creed Valhalla), there are a handful of interesting people players will likely meet before Basim leaves the region in 867 AD.
Al-Mutawakkil
The figure that should absolutely be included for a game in this time period is the tenth caliph, Al-Mutawakkil. As caliph, this figure ruled the Abbasid Caliphate as it reached its territorial peak, ended the persecution of Islamic scholars, and laid out strict rules against members of religions outside his own. With this figure ruling over Baghdad as Basim joins with the Assassin's Creed's Hidden Ones, it seems clear that these two will likely to interact at some point or another.
To further cement Al-Mitawakkil's importance in this setting, it is his assassination in 861 AD that triggers the chaotic time known as the Anarchy at Samarra. This is a time of great upheaval and infighting that will likely prove an important point in Assassin's Creed Mirage's setting and story. While it isn't clear where this character will land on the Templar-Assassin battle, it seems like a good choice to include this character in the game as well as his famous death.
Al-Fath ibn Khaqan
If Assassin's Creed Mirage boasts Al-Mutawakkil in its historical character roster then Ubisoft will absolutely include one of the more prominent figures in his court, Al-Fath ibn Khaqan. At different times in history this figure was the chief of intelligence in Samarra (the captial city of the Abbasid Caliphate at this time), governor of Egypt, and governor of Syria. While those positions are impressive and make this figure an interesting one to meet, what makes him a lock for this game is his position as Al-Mutawakkil's closest advisor. Al-Fath was a bibliophile as well as a writer and patron of writers that assembled an impressive library in the captial city of Samarra. As with Al-Mutawakkil, Al-Fath was assassinated in a moment that will likely be included in the story of Assassin's Creed Mirage.
Al-Muntasir
Another potential villain or hero for Assassin's Creed Mirage, Al-Muntasir came to power just after the death of his father, Al-Mutawakkil. It has even been suggested that Al-Muntasir was responsible for his father's assassination. Which would make for one of the most interesting moments to watch in the Assassin's Creed franchise. Though his reign historically lasted less than half a year, his involvement in the beginning of the Anarchy at Samarra makes him a significant character for any game looking to convey this moment.
To further cement the interest around this figure, Assassin's Creed Mirage should include the campaign that Al-Muntasir launched against the Byzantine Empire. With Assassin's Creed lore already mentioning that Basim travels to Constantinople around this time, the game could include this in the title despite it being a smaller project than previous games.
Al-Tabari
Much like other Assassin's Creed games, it is likely that Assassin's Creed Mirage will have players come across memorable scientists, artists, and philosophers not just officials from this time period. This brings up Al-Tabari, the historian and scholar who rose to be one of the most prominent figures of the Islamic Golden Age. While he historically visited several cities throughout his life, there is a chance that Basim will run into him on the streets of Baghdad. Al-Tabari is probably best known for his historical chronicle, but wrote works on poetry, lexicography, grammar, and ethics. This could lead to interactions similar to those with Sokrates in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Abu Ma'shar
Abu Ma'shar is widely considered as the greatest astrologer of the Abbasid court in Baghdad and would be a great figure to meet while playing Assassin's Creed Mirage. A prime example of some of the brilliant minds that made the Islamic Golden Age so successful, his practical manuals for training astrologers are said to have profoundly influenced Muslim intellectual history and that of Byzantium and Western Europe. While his reputation saved him from some persecution, there are records of him facing some lashing from local authority figures. It would be interesting to see if events such as that find their way into the campaign of Assassin's Creed Mirage.
Al-Kindi
A philosopher, polymath, mathematician, physician, and music theorist, Al-Kindi was born in Kufa but educated in Baghdad. Hailed as the father of Arab philosophy, Al-Kindi had a strong connection with the Abbasid caliphs until al-Mutawakkil's ascension. Regardless of his position with the government, Al-Kindi remained one of the most important philosophers of his time. While Assassin's Creed Mirage's Roshan will be Basim's mentor, Al-Kindi could be a resource players use to learn about the world around them.
He became a prominent figure in the memorable House of Wisdom, and he was often appointed to oversee the translation of Greek scientific and philosophical texts into the Arabic language. Just like Assassin's Creed Origins brought players to the accurately recreated Library of Alexander, this figure would be a great way to introduce that House of Wisdom, one of the other great stores of knowledge in history.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
