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| “ | The right? We have the responsibility! | „ |
| ~ Achilles justifying his actions to Shay. |
| “ | I will not let you destroy everything we have built! | „ |
| ~ Achilles as he attacks Shay. |
| “ | Let me tell you something, Connor. Life is not a fairytale and there are no happy endings! | „ |
| ~ Achilles to Connor. |
Achilles Davenport is the deuteragonist of the Kenway Saga within the Assassin's Creed franchise.
He is deuteragonist of the 2012 video game Assassin's Creed III and the main antagonist of the 2014 prequel/midquel video-game Assassin's Creed: Rogue.
Achilles was the founder and leader/mentor of the Colonial Rite of the Assassin Brotherhood, which he led from 1746 until his death in 1781. Under his leadership, the Colonial Assassin's participated in both the Seven Years' War (1754 - 1761) and the American Revolution (1765 - 1781). In both cases, Achilles and his followers tried to protect the citizens from the influence of the Assassin Brotherhoods enemies, the Templar Order.
Despite his dedication to the order and desire to protect mankind, Achilles' determination and resolve almost resulted in the Brotherhoods extinction within the America's. By 1763, everything that he and his allies fought for had been virtually undone. It was only after he began mentoring Connor that Achilles was able to rectify this mistake and turn the tide against the Assassin's enemies.
In both games, Achilles was voiced by Roger Aaron Brown.
Biography[]
Note; The material covered in this section is based upon Achilles' appearances within both Assassins Creed III and Assassin's Creed Rogue. Information from other sources will be included where necessary, but please be aware this information is liable to change in the future.
Life as an Assassin[]
Early career[]
Virtually nothing is known about Achilles Davenport's early life, including the year or location of his birth. In the mid-1730s however, he was recruited into the Assassin Order by the acclaimed Mentor of the Caribbean Brotherhood, Ah Tabai. Although he had trained and worked alongside powerful assassins such as Edward Kenway, Adéwalé and Mary Read in the past, age was finally starting to catch up with Tabai. As such, Achilles would be the last student he would ever train.
Achilles quickly distinguished himself and rose rapidly through the Orders ranks. In 1740, with nothing left to teach his prodigy, Ah Tabai gave Achilles a new mission. As a symbol of his trust and belief, he told his student to leave the Caribbean and establish a new bureau within the thirteen colonies. This proved to be a wise move, as the colonies were now highly disputed by the British, Spanish and French Empires. This desire would surely lead to a conflict, which the Assassin's enemies, the Templar Order would surely use to their advantage.
Seeking to limit or even eliminate the Templar's influence, Achilles did as his mentor instructed and with the help of the French Assassin John de la Tour, established a base of operations in the Colonial Frontier, near Massachusetts. From this small base, later known as Davenport Homestead, rose a thriving community of men and women from all over the colonies, many of whom were trained in the ways of the Assassin Order. Achilles officially became the Mentor of the Colonial Brotherhood in 1746, following the deaths of Ah Tabai and John de la Tour. For the next 35 years, members of the Assassin Order within North America, answered solely to him.
In 1744, whilst on a mission with John, Achilles met a woman called Angélique-Denise, who later became known as Abigail. The pair freed her and for the next two years Abigail worked alongside them, learning the ways of the Brotherhood. As time passed, Abigail fell in love with Achilles and he reciprocated her feelings. The couple eventually married and had a son, whom they named Connor Davenport. Tragically, in 1754, Abigail and Connor died from typhoid fever. The residents of the Davenport Homestead did their best to comfort and help Achilles, who was completely devastated by the loss of his wife and son, whom he buried behind the Davenport Homestead, overlooking the bay. Achilles remained single for the rest of his life and never fathered any more children.
Assassin's Creed: Rogue[]
Manuscript and Box[]
Following the death of his wife and son, under his leadership, the Assassins spanned across the colonies and most of the Frontier, while Achilles also strengthened relations with the Iroquois tribes. At some point the assassins acquired a manuscript that allowed them to locate Precursor sites. Achilles sent the assassin Shay Cormac to recover an artifact from one of these sites in Lisbon, Portugal. Unknown to either of them, the artifact was not a traditional Piece of Eden and when disturbed it caused a devastating earthquake resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent people.
Shay returned to Achilles traumatized and angrily confronted him about what happened. Achilles (and the rest of the Assassins) refused to believe or listen to Shay despite being aware of a similar incident occurring at Haiti. So Shay, in a desperate act to prevent yet another earthquake or more deaths from occurring, betrayed the brotherhood and tried to steal the manuscript. Achilles caught Shay in the act and after refusing to hear him out, tried to stop him. When Shay escaped, Achilles sent the rest of the Assassins to kill him.
Achilles actions on that day proved disastrous as it inspired Shay to join the Templars, and began eliminating his former allies. By the time Achilles learned that Shay had indeed been telling the truth, Shay was fully committed to the Templar cause and had already helped to kick off the 1763 Colonial Purge.
Temple in the Arctic & Fall of the Assassins[]
Between 1756 - 1763, the Templar Order gradually exerted its influence over the American Colonies, and with the help of Shay, eliminated high ranking members within In Assassin Brotherhood. Achilles himself appeared to stay out of the conflict so that by 1761, he and his ally Liam were the only high profile Assassins left in that region.
That same year, Achilles and Liam journeyed to the Arctic looking for a Precursor temple. Shay and Haytham fought through the ice and guards before finally confronting the two Assassins. Achilles and Liam reached the artefact before the Templars, however, when confronted with the object, Achilles realised it was not the same type of apple used by Ezio and other high profile Assassins. The artifacts in these temples were there to stabilize the world, not a weapon to save it or control it. Arriving at that moment, Shay (who still held some regret about killing his former comrades, despite being fully committed to the Templars by this point) angrily confronted Achilles, pointing out that this whole disaster could have been avoided if the Assassin mentor had only listened to him. Achilles was convinced by Shay's words, but Liam didn't care and attempted to kill Shay. Achilles (perhaps in a bid to make amends and prevent more deaths) tried to stop him and they accidentally disturbed the artifact, triggering another earthquake.
The four fled and while Shay would fight against Liam, Haytham Kenway pursued the fleeing Achilles. Shay ultimately killed Liam and arrived just in time to witness the end of the duel, with the Templar Grand Master emerging victorious over the Assassin Mentor. Haytham wanted to kill Achilles, but Shay pointed out that with a lack of opposition, the Templar Order grew more powerful. Confident that Achilles was no longer a threat (and realizing that someone had to tell the Assassins about the pillars), the Templars decided to show mercy and allowed Achilles to live provided he resigned from his role as an Assassin and other members of the order about what had happened. To be on the safe side though, Haytham shot Achilles non-fatally in the leg, permanently crippling him.
Assassin's Creed 3[]
By 1763, the Assassins were hunted down and eliminated by the Templars, during the aftermath of the French and Indian War, with Achilles being the sole survivor. Following this, Achilles went into exile in the wilderness of the Frontier, residing alone at the Davenport Manor in regret of his past actions for the next 6 years. The decision to let him live, however, would ultimately prove to be a fatal decision for the Colonial Templars. In 1769, Achilles abiding by the terms of his defeat began mentoring a new student, Haytham's own son, a young boy Ratonhnhaké:ton, whom he later dubbed Connor. Although still a reasonably capable fighter, Achilles mostly stayed away from the front lines due to his old age, and deteriorating health. Having learnt from his mistakes, Achilles watched from the sidelines, offering advice, training and guidance, ensuring Connor would gradually undo all of Shay's work and avenge Achilles fallen comrades without driving Connor to make the same choices Shay did (as his naivety and father being a Templar had tempted him with this choice several times).
Death & Legacy[]
As the months passed, Achilles' health continued to deteriorate, leaving him housebound. At some point in early September 1781, whist Connor was away fighting in the Battle of Chesapeake, Achilles awaited the return of his student. Tired and weary, Achilles eventually seated himself in one of the living room chairs and closed his eyes. When Connor returned in triumph, he found the elderly mentor still sitting in his chair, apparently asleep. He called out, but go no response. Puzzled and concerned, Connor approached the old man and shook him gently. Achilles however, did not stir, his head just rolled to one side and his hat fell to the floor. It took the younger only a second to realize what had happened. Achilles Davenport, the last mentor of the Colonial Assassins and First Mentor of the American Assassin Brotherhood died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 71.
Noticing a letter in his mentors hands, Connor took it and discovered it to be Achilles' parting message to him, as well as his last will and testament. Ever cautious, Achilles had penned it just in case he could not exchange a proper goodbye with his ward. Achilles left everything he owned to Connor and the Brotherhood. The role of mentor, was in turn also passed to his student. In his letter, Achilles expressed how proud he was of Connor and that he was glad to have met him. He expressed his confidence that Connor would lead the Assassins and America into a better future, noting that his only regret was that he had not been able to say farewell in person, Achilles made one last request of his student. He asked that Connor lay him to rest alongside his wife and son, overlooking the water behind the Davenport Homestead.
Connor complied with his late Mentors last request. As Father Timothy gathered the rest of the Homestead residents, Connor personally dug the grave. Achilles' funeral took place later that day, during a heavy storm, with the entire community in attendance. As a mark of respect, the coffin was wrapped in the Homestead flag. Father Timothy led the service. Respecting Connors request and Achilles' religious beliefs, the Catholic priest delivered an appropriate farewell, thanking "the Old Man of the Hill" for everything and prayed that he enjoyed his well earned rest. At the end of the service, the mourners as a final gesture of gratitude and respect dropped roses into the grave before leaving Achilles to his rest.
Last to leave was Connor. Before burying his mentor, he promised to do him proud. As a final sign of his respect Connor dropped, not a rose but an eagles feather into the grave of his former master; the mark of the Assassins and the symbol of their brotherhood. At some point, as Father Timothy suggested, Connor visited Achilles grave. There he told his mentor about the Assassins success in the colonies and expressed how he missed him. As a final homage to his late master, Connor finally opened the package that Achilles had him retrieve from New York. It turned out to be a painting of Achilles with his wife and son, Connor's namesake.
Connor hung the painting above the mantelpiece in the Davenport Homestead, where it would remain for many years. Under Connor's leadership, the Assassin Brotherhood managed to defeat the American Templars and liberated the colonies. Connor himself become the mentor to a number of assassin recruits over the years including his own children. In doing so, he not only honored Achilles' legacy, but restored the Homestead to it's former glory.
Personality[]
In his earlier years Achilles was shown to be a strict and authoritarian leader of the Assassins who'd use whatever methods he could to repel the Templars from the American Colonies but often overlooked the collateral damage associated with such risks. This included recruiting members from rough backgrounds who treated the Creed like a gang where they found a place of belonging rather than the Order dedicated to protecting mankind as intended. He also supported the French attempts to conquer the colonies and repel the British (as they were primarily Templar supported) despite the consequences of war to civilian populations. He also used weapons considered extreme even for Assassins standards and used gangs to keep tabs on the Templars but overlooked their extortion of civilians for personal interests. He was also very strict with his own subordinates who he selectively shared information with and only when deemed suitable even when they'd been members for years despite the Assassins being upholders of truth. Achilles also prioritized the recovery of Pieces of Eden knowing the greater dangers they posed but often ignored the political and social issues that plagued the colonies, which the Templars exploited. In many ways Achilles embodied the traits found in earlier Assassins/Hidden Ones such as Al Mualim and Roshan and disregarded the teachings of Altaïr and the values of Ezio Auditore leading to a radicalized group of Assassins who were nearly as corrupt as the Templars themselves.
After losing his family and the Assassins, Achilles lost his will to fight and became stoic and disillusioned in the Assassins' cause. When first meeting and training Ratonhnhaké:ton, Achilles was a strict, insensitive and somewhat short-tempered man. He was quick to reprimand, discourage, and correct his naive and brash apprentice.
Connor possessed a highly romanticized and idealized view of the Assassins and his mission, believing that destroying the Templars would grant freedom to all of mankind. This was a strong contrast to Achilles' cynical but rational view of the world. As a result, Achilles often lectured Connor to warn him that his views and actions (while noble) were misguided and potentially dangerous. Connor would argue in disagreement and the two criticized each other on occasions.
Despite this, Achilles was not without heart, as he genuinely cared for Connor and took pride in his accomplishments; so much so that Achilles became an important father figure and mentor. Over the years, Achilles watched as the Homestead flourished into a thriving and loving community, giving Achilles a sense of hope for America's future. Even in his earlier authoritarian years Achilles saved Shay's life his former student killing most of his followers after realizing his own arrogance and unwillingness to listen to him drove Shay into desperation, prompting Shay to return the favor by saving Achilles from Haytham.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- A deleted dialogue from Assassins Creed 3 has Achilles telling Connor about his family and their deaths and how he contemplated suicide after losing them.
- Achilles' nickname "the Old Man on the Hill" is reminiscent of the moniker given to another Mentor in the Order, Rashid ad-Din Sinan: "the Old Man of the Mountain". Achilles is also the second main antagonist to be an Assassin Mentor the first being Rashid ad-Din Sinan himself.
- Achilles is the only villain in Assassin's Creed Rogue who the player will never actually battle or injure.
- Achilles is the only Assassin Mentor whose funeral was shown in any form of media.
- Achilles' death shares a number of similarities to those of Altair and Ezio from the previous installments.
- All three men died in the place that they had called home, Altair died at Masyaf Castle, where he was born raised and trained. Ezio passed away in Florence, the city of his birth and where his was changed forever. Achilles life ended at Homestead Manor, the place he had built and lead the Assassin Order from.
- Similarly, all three Assassin Mentors died whilst sitting down.
- Like Ezio, Achilles wrote a letter before his death just in case he could not say a proper goodbye to those it was intended for. Ezio's letter was written for his family, whereas Achilles' was for his student/foster son Connor.
- Like Altair, Achilles died alone at his residency, with his body being discovered some time afterwards.
- Although all three men died due to complications from old age, Ezio died from a heart attack, whereas Altair and Achilles both passed away peacefully.
- Achilles shares several traits with Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi, one of the main protagonists of the Star Wars franchise.
- Both men had a student who betrayed and dismantled the organizations they once served.
- They also later trained another student who restored these tattered orders to their former glory.
- The pair trained a student who's father was their greatest enemy and worked for the opposition.
- The two men both retreated into isolation following their organization's downfall and lost nearly everyone they cared about.
- Both men were consumed with regret over the part they played in their first student's betrayal. Holding themselves accountable for their past mistakes, they considered their second students training to be part of their own redemption and an attempt to make amends.
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 Villains
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Isu Proto-Templar Organizations Cult of Kosmos (Peloponnesian War) Order of the Ancients
Knight Templars Mongolian Templars Egyptian Templars Italian Templars Spanish Templars Byzantine Templars Chinese Templars Japanese Templars Caribbean Templars
Portuguese Templars Louisiana Templars Colonial Templars/American Templars British Templars Parisian Templars Austrian Templars Russian Templars German Templars 21st Century Templars (Abstergo Industries, mainly)
Assassin Brotherhood & Their Allies Bellatores Dei Girolamo Savonarola's forces The Tyranny of King Washington Xiongnu Jack the Ripper Mythological Creatures Miscellaneous | ||