Ubisoft’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is set during the Viking raids on Britain and takes place in the British Isles and Scandinavia. The game begins in 873 AD, 80 years after the first Viking attack on Britain at Lindisfarne in 793. One of the game’s most important characters, however, is neither British nor a Norseman in the upcoming game.
Basim is a character that another new face in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Sigurd Styrbjonson, meets in Constantinople. Basim’s Arabic name suggests that the character will help explain how Eivor became a member of the order which would later develop into the Levantine Assassins as seen in the first game, set in Jerusalem. However, Basim may also be more important than most fans of the franchise realize for some key reasons.
Basim and the Raven Clan
Since Valhalla takes place before the development of the real-world historical Assassins and Templars that exist during the Third Crusade, the game will feature two organizations which later become those central forced in the Assassin’s Creed lore. The Hidden Ones take the place of the Assassins, while it is likely the Order of the Ancients will take the place of the Templars, with both factions first introduced in Assassin's Creed Origins.
Basim is a member of the Hidden Ones, and the fact that Sigurd Styrbjonson meets the character in Constantinople has significant historical precedent which will likely be referenced in the game. Viking guards were prized warriors in Constantinople, known as the Varangian Guard, and Norse runes were even found graffitied into the Hagia Sophia, the city’s central place of worship.
Basim, who bears a striking resemblance to Ezio as he appeared in Assassin’s Creed Revelations, presumably then becomes a mentor to the protagonist of Valhalla, Eivor. It has also been established that Basim is a key figure in convincing the Raven Clan to move from Norway to Britain, as well as introducing them to the threat posed by the Order of the Ancients. Yet, there is one other major plot-point which Basim’s introduction will also likely set up in the Assassin’s Creed timeline.
The Corruption of the Assassins
By the time of the original Assassin’s Creed, the order has become corrupt. Altair finds out over the course of the first game that his mentor and the leader of the order, the historical Al Mualim, has betrayed the Assassins to the Knights Templar in search of an Apple of Eden. It is possible that Basim will establish the possibility of corruption within the Assassins from the get-go.
Basim is an Arabic name derived from the word “basama,” meaning to smile, which could hint at his two-faced nature. Not only that, but despite Basim introducing the Raven Clan to the idea that the progenitors to Assassin's Creed's Templars are trying to take over Britain, the character also appears to be the main force behind convincing the clan to begin its raids on the English as well. This may possibly make the conflict more morally complicated than it has been in some other points in the series.
It is also possible that Basim’s resemblance to Ezio is one way that Ubisoft is hoping to get players to trust the character, making a reveal of his corruption more shocking. Even if Basim himself isn’t personally corrupt, it is possible that the character will also reference the potential within the Hidden Ones for corruption in the future, which may be his motivation for leaving Constantinople to begin with. Ultimately, the truth will be revealed when the game releases, and many fans will be keeping a keen eye on Basim and his influence over the Raven Clan in the upcoming game.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla will launch November 10 on PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, and release November 12 on PlayStation 5.
