Throughout the past 15 years, Assassin’s Creed has expanded its universe through new mediums like movies, comics, social games, and even an upcoming television show, all exploring every corner of the ongoing struggle between Assassins and Templars. A common thread among these off-shoot projects is the inclusion of unique and exciting Assassins that can live up to the heroism of iconic series heroes like Altair and Ezio from the mainline games. Two off-shoot Assassins, Qulan Gal and Nergui of the Mongolian Brotherhood, were some of the best heroes the Assassin’s Creed universe has to offer, and it would be a shame not to have these two characters star in their own game.
In the past, the Mongolian Brotherhood has had minor roles throughout the mainline Assassin’s Creed games but could easily be forgotten if players aren’t paying attention. For example, the Mongolian Brotherhood played a small part in Assassin’s Creed Revelations toward the end of that game’s story as Ezio discovered its ties with Altair and the downfall of Masayf. However, diving deeper into the lore of the Mongolian Brotherhood of Assassins reveals that it was more than just a footnote in the panels of Assassin’s Creed’s history and holds great significance in the future of the series.
The Mongol Empire Was Home to Assassin’s Creed’s Best Assassins
2017’s Assassin’s Creed: Reflections comic book run not only celebrated the franchise’s most iconic Assassins, but also introduced brand-new characters into the fold. One of these characters was named Qulan Gal, a renowned Assassin in the Mongol Empire who would gain legendary status following the events of Reflections. Qulan Gal was particularly skilled at archery and eventually would become one of the most acclaimed archers in the whole Order. Gal was active around the time of the first Assassin’s Creed game set in 1191, and his last known mission was in 1241. He would take up a young apprentice named Nergui after the events of Reflections.
Originally nothing more than a humble civilian on a quest for revenge against the Mongol Empire, Nergui would eventually find himself working with Qulan Gal. Nergui’s journey to the Brotherhood came from his father being drafted into the Khan’s army and dying in battle when Nergui was still young. Nergui’s thirst for vengeance would lead him to the Mongolian Brotherhood, which–as many long-time Assassin’s Creed fans would know–is an all too common origin tale for many of the best Assassins in the Brotherhood. After the events of Reflections, Nergui proves himself worthy of joining the Brotherhood and would even end up tying up some loose ends from the first Assassin’s Creed game, which will be detailed later.
Lastly, the Mongolian Brotherhood would be the temporary home of Altair Ibn-La’ahd, the main protagonist of the first Assassin’s Creed. By the time the Mongolian Brotherhood was operating at full force, Altair had already been well established in the Levantine Brotherhood, and the events of the first game had already transpired. At this point, Altair is a seasoned Assassin married to former Templar Maria and has a fully grown son named Darim, who is already climbing the ranks in the Brotherhood. Altair’s suspicions of Genghis Khan would drive him to visit the Mongolian Empire and start a relationship with the Mongolian Brotherhood of Assassins, leading to the Khan’s defeat.
Genghis Khan and the Sword of Eden
As a villain in the Assassin’s Creed universe, Genghis Khan actually stands out in a few ways long-time fans would not expect. Genghis was not a Templar or an Assassin at all, instead finding himself as one of the lucky few who discovered a Piece of Eden and used it for his own gain. Genghis Khan held one of six Swords of Eden, which were the subject of Altair’s studies shortly after the events of the first Assassin’s Creed game. By locating the Sword of Eden, Altair would arrive in the Mongol Empire and at the doorstep of the Mongolian Brotherhood; however, he wouldn’t expect the Sword of Eden to become one of his greatest banes.
For context, the Swords of Eden are a recurring plot device found in a few of the more recent Assassin’s Creed games, including Assassin’s Creed Unity and Valhalla. All six Swords of Eden were crafted by the Isu Scientist Hephaestus for use in the Isu Civil War, and each has the power to imbue the wielder with immense power and leadership capabilities. Genghis Khan owned the second known Sword of Eden, with the only known owners of this particular Piece of Eden being the Isu, Genghis Khan until his death, and his grandson Hulegu Khan. Due to the Mongol Empire’s ownership of a Sword of Eden and its rapid expansion with the weapon, the Mongolian Brotherhood of Assassins decided that Khan had to be stopped.
The Plot to Assassinate Genghis Khan
In 1227 a big Assassin Brotherhood team-up occurred, with master archer Qulan, Brotherhood hopeful Nergui, Altair, Maria, and their son Darim all coming together to defeat Genghis Khan and end his empire. The plan didn’t go as smoothly as expected, as Nergui was captured and tortured by Khan’s henchmen before being rescued by Altair and raising the camp’s alarm. While the team lured out Genghis Khan with a series of fires throughout his encampment, Qulan Gal hit the Khan’s horse with an arrow, and the team finally had Genghis in their hands. It would be Darim, Altair’s son, who would deliver the killing crossbow bolt to end Genghis Khan’s reign; however, this victory would come back to haunt the heroes involved.
Genghis Khan’s Sword of Eden, the whole reason Altair came to the Mongol Empire in the first place, was never recovered. The team was under fire and could not grab the sword in time, so instead, they fled with the Piece of Eden still in the hands of the Mongol Empire. Thirty years later, Genghis Khan’s grandson, Hulegu Khan, traveled to Masayf with the Sword of Eden to take revenge on Altair and his family. As mentioned in Assassin’s Creed Revelations, Masyaf would be sacked by the Mongols led by Hulegu Khan in 1257, scattering the Levantine Brotherhood and kicking off an overall scattering of the Assassins into the future.
However, Masyaf’s downfall would not go uncontested, as the humble Nergui would find justice for the Levantine Brotherhood. Nearly ten years after Masyaf and Altair’s death, Nergui managed to track down Hulegu in 1265 after the Khan found power in Persia. Now a weathered Assassin who trained under Qulan Gal, Nergui fought Huelgu Khan and succeeded in besting Huelgu and taking revenge for the fall of Masyaf. Nergui might go on as an unsung hero of the Levantine Brotherhood; however, Qulan Gal remains a celebrated figure, with a statue of him prominently displayed in Assassin’s Creed 2 in the Sanctuary underneath Ezio’s villa in Monterioggi.