AC

Assassin's creed mirage Ever wondered what separates the Hidden Ones from the Assassins we know and love? Welcome to Baghdad, 861 CE—where the shadows hold more secrets than the light.

Introduction: More Than Just Proto-Assassins

When you slip through the bustling streets of 9th-century Baghdad in Assassin's Creed Mirage, you're not just playing as an early Assassin—you're experiencing something fundamentally different. The Hidden Ones weren't simply "Assassins before they were cool." They were their own distinct organization with unique philosophies, tactics, and goals that would evolve over centuries into the Brotherhood we recognize.

But here's what most players miss: Basim's Hidden Ones operate at the peak of their power, nearly 900 years after Bayek and Aya founded the order in ancient Egypt. By the time we reach Baghdad, they've become something remarkable—and understanding their true nature reveals why the Assassin's Creed universe is so much richer than surface-level stealth gameplay.

Historical Context: Baghdad's Golden Reality

The Abbasid Powerhouse

The Baghdad of AC Mirage isn't just atmospheric set dressing—it's a meticulously researched recreation of one of history's most remarkable cities. According to historians who consulted on the game, 9th-century Baghdad was the largest city in the world, serving as the crown jewel of the Islamic Golden Age under the Abbasid Caliphate.

The real Baghdad of 861 CE was a city where:

The House of Wisdom served as a global center of learning, translating Greek, Persian, and Indian texts into Arabic

Multiple trade routes converged, making it incredibly wealthy and cosmopolitan  

Political intrigue ran deep, with Turkish military forces clashing with Abbasid elites

The Zanj Rebellions were creating social upheaval across the region

What makes Mirage special is that much of this history was lost when the Mongols destroyed Baghdad in 1258, burning libraries and scholarly works. As the game's art director noted, "This is uncharted territory—nobody knows that time period really well." Ubisoft essentially had to reconstruct a lost world from fragments.

A City Built for Shadows

The original Baghdad was designed as a perfectly round city by Caliph Al-Mansur in 762 CE, but by Basim's time, it had grown far beyond those geometric walls. The game captures this organic expansion beautifully—sprawling neighborhoods, bustling markets, and most importantly for the Hidden Ones, countless rooftops and hidden passages perfect for their operations.

Game vs. Reality: The Hidden Ones' Evolution

What the Hidden Ones Actually Were

Here's where it gets fascinating: the Hidden Ones in Mirage represent something historians call the "institutional phase" of the pre-Assassin Brotherhood. Unlike Bayek's desperate resistance movement in Origins, Basim's Hidden Ones are:

Highly organized with established bureaus and hierarchies

Politically connected to government officials and rebel leaders

Tactically sophisticated using poison, explosives, and information networks

Ideologically mature with fully developed tenets and training systems

But they're also fundamentally different from later Assassins in crucial ways:

The Hidden Ones prioritized:

Subtlety over spectacle — assassinations were means to an end, not messages

Flexibility over dogma — they'd let others take credit if it served their goals

Information over intimidation — knowledge was their primary weapon

Later Assassins (pre-Altaïr) emphasized:

Public executions as statements of defiance

Martyrdom as an acceptable outcome

Open confrontation with established powers

The Alamut Connection

One detail Mirage gets historically right: Alamut fortress appears in the game as a Hidden Ones stronghold. In reality, this would become the legendary base of Hassan-i Sabbāh's Assassins centuries later. The game subtly suggests this continuity—the Hidden Ones are already building the infrastructure that would later become the Assassin Brotherhood's power base.

Player Strategies: Using Lore for Better Gameplay

Understanding the Hidden Ones' true nature actually makes you a better player:

Embrace the Ghost Approach

Unlike later Assassins who sometimes favored dramatic confrontations, Hidden Ones were masters of invisibility. The game rewards players who:

Complete missions without raising alarms

Use environmental kills over direct combat

Leverage NPC factions against each other

Think Like a Spy Network

The Hidden Ones operated as information brokers first, killers second. Pay attention to:

Conversations that reveal faction weaknesses

Documents that expose corrupt officials

NPCs who can be turned into assets

Poison Is Your Friend

One key difference from later Assassin doctrine: Hidden Ones had no prohibition against poison. The game's blow darts and poisoned weapons aren't just gameplay mechanics—they're historically accurate tools that later Assassins (briefly) rejected as "coward's weapons."

The Symbolism Behind the Creed

The Eagle's Vision

Every Hidden One symbol in Mirage connects to Bayek's eagle companion, Senu. The iconic Assassin crest itself originated from an eagle skull impression in sand—a detail the creative team discovered years before they knew its significance. When you activate Eagle Vision in Baghdad, you're channeling a 900-year-old tradition.

The Hidden Blade's Sacrifice

By Basim's time, the ritual finger removal has become symbolic rather than necessary. The Hidden Ones have perfected their blade design, but they maintain the tradition as a sign of commitment. This represents the organization's evolution from desperate improvisation to refined doctrine.

The White Hood's Purpose

That distinctive white hood wasn't just style—in the blazing heat of Baghdad and earlier Egypt, it served the practical purpose of sun protection. The game captures this perfectly in its cloth physics and how NPCs react to hooded figures in different districts.

Community Questions: What Do You Think?

After diving deep into Hidden Ones lore, I'm curious about your experiences:

Which Hidden One ability surprised you most and why? The smoke bombs? The noise-makers? Or something more subtle like the information-gathering mechanics?

Do you prefer the Hidden Ones' subtle approach or the later Assassins' more dramatic methods? There's something appealing about being a ghost vs. being a symbol of rebellion.

What details did you notice in Baghdad that made the historical setting feel authentic? The call to prayer? The market conversations? The political intrigue in the background?

How do you think Hassan-i Sabbāh will transform this organization in the next century? We know from history that major changes are coming—what's your theory on why?

The Legacy That Shapes Everything

The Hidden Ones of Baghdad represent the evolutionary bridge between Bayek's desperate resistance and Altaïr's legendary Brotherhood. They're not just proto-Assassins—they're the institutional memory that preserves the Creed through its most crucial centuries.

When you play as Basim, you're not just experiencing a prequel. You're witnessing the moment when a secret society became a shadow empire that would influence world history for the next millennium.