Summary
TheAssassin’s Creedfranchise features a diverse lineup of protagonists, with each game set in a different location and historical period. Due to this constant change over nearly twenty years, the height of the lead assassins varies, which can sometimes influence gameplay and the way gamers view their characters.
Unfortunately, every time an assassin’s height has been confirmed, others remain a mystery to gamers as Ubisoft does not always list this character information. Thankfully, in some cases, evidence such as character models and the historical facts of people they interact with can be used to deduce their heights.
The assassin of the French Revolution,Arno Dorian, is a young man who descended from a family of assassins and became one after Shay Cormac killed his father. InAssassin’s Creed Unity, the height of Arno is never listed officially, but there is a way to figure out his height thanks to the characters he encounters on his journey.
AlmosteveryAssassin’s Creedgamefeatures at least one encounter with a real-life historical figure. InAssassin’s Creed Unity, Arno meets the infamous Napoleon Bonaparte, who was said to be 5’7”, and, based on the character models, Arno stands a couple inches taller than him, making himat least 5’9”, which is much taller than the average individual in 1790s France.
As a refreshing change,Edward KenwayofAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flagis not taller than everyone just because he’s a protagonist. He’s one of the more realistic depictions of a man who has sailed the seas for yearsduring the golden age of piracy, with sunken eyes, sun-burnt skin, and a physique that isn’t superhero-like.
When roaming through crowds of NPCs, Edward is rarely taller than anybody else, which allows him to blend in with ease; this has led to the assumption that Kenway is5’10". This happens to be an average height for the time and is also the height of Matt Ryan, who provided the performance capture and voice of Edward Kenway.
The closest thing to aWonder Womangame is getting toplay the fan-favoriteKassandrainAssassin’s Creed Odyssey, which plays more like an action RPG set in Ancient Greece than a stealth game. Kassandra stands taller than most men and women in the game, giving her an Amazonian stature as the average height around the 5th Century was 5’7”, but Spartans like Kassandra were much taller.
However, much like Arno, there is no definitive answer about the characters’ heights other than comparing in-game models. For example, Kassandra is only about an inch shorter than her brother when comparing the different cutscenes, and he, too, is taller than the average Greek, estimated to be nearly 6’0”, meaning Kassandra likely stands at about5'11".
6Alexios
Taller Than His Sister As A 6’0” Warrior
Alexios, like his sister Kassandra, was born a Spartan, and the average heaigh of their kind was said to have been 5’10. As mentioned, the difference between Alexios' and Kassandra’s character models is subtle, but he is taller than she is by what appears to be an inch.
The strongest evidence of the heights of both Alexios and Kassandra is when they interact with other characters. Sokrates is considered an average person and, taking into account the average height of that time, he appears to be about 5’8” or 5’9”, and he has to look up at Alexios during cutscenes, suggesting that Alexios is several inches taller, around6’0”.
One of the only times an assassin’s height was officially listed,Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhadis confirmed to stand at6’0”tall according to the game’s manual. This is actually quite tall for the period, as the average height of a person in the Middle East during the 12th Century was 5’5” to 5’7”, but most of the in-game NPC models were of similar height as Altaïr.
Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad was the first protagonist in the entireAssassin’s Creedfranchise, and while he wasn’t the deepest of characters, he was the one who made gamers fall in love with the series. Without him, there would be no Ezio, Kenways, or Kassandra, who have also become icons for theAssassin’s Creedgames.
Where Altaïr was the one who started it all,Ezio Auditore da Firenzehelped revolutionizeAssassin’s Creedwith a trilogy of games that improved on the formula in nearly every way. It helped thatEzio had a lot more charismaand had a more complex story in just the first game alone, and fans got to see him grow, becoming an old man in the final game of his trilogy.
Ezio’s height is also confirmed to be6’0”via the manual that came with copies ofAssassin’s Creed 2.This was likely a result ofAssassin’s Creed 2being built off the template of the first game. At the same time, Ezio and Altaïr are part of the same bloodline and match Desmond Miles' height in the modern day.
Callum Lynchwas the protagonist of theAssassin’s Creedmovie, which was nota beloved video game adaptation, but Ubisoft does consider it official canon to the franchise, as Callum is a descendant of Arno Dorian. He was played by Michael Fassbender, who is6’0”, and it is humorous that the first live-action assassin is the same height as the original assassin.
Michael Fassbender also portrayed the other assassin that Callum is descended from:Aguilar de Nerha, who fought against the Spanish Inquisition in 1492. The film was critiqued for barely spending any time inside the Animus and instead focusing on the modern-day story, which is often regarded as the least appreciated part of the games, but in this case, Callum was considered a highlight.
Assassin’s Creed Shadowsfeatures a historical figure as a playable character.Yasukeis based on a real African samurai who served under Oda Nobunaga during the 16th Century, much like he does in the game,which is set in Feudal Japan. The developers at Ubisoft have stated that they took into account many real-world details when it came to Yasuke’s design.
Fortunately for Ubisoft, Yasuke’s height has been documented at6’2”,which plays a part in his gameplay. He is not a stealthy assassin hiding in bushes waiting to pounce on an enemy like Naoe. Instead, Yasuke charges in with his sword or club to brutally wipe out anyone in sight as a samurai, using his size and stature to intimidate his foes.
There are conflicting reports when it comes to the height ofRatonhnhake:ton, better known by his adopted name,Connor Kenway, the assassin of indigenous blood inAssassin’s Creed 3,whofights in the American Revolutionary War. According to the official guidebook for the game, Connor is listed as 6’4”, which helps explain why he can lift British troops over his shoulder like they’re paperweights.
However, the in-game models tell a different story. When Connor meets George Washington in the story, they match in height. Historically, Washington was a tall man, but he stood at6’2”, which is still an impressive height for the time. It does raise the question of how Connor manages to blend in with crowds when he’s so massive, but he still gets the job done.
