We reach a point sometimes during the gaming adventures of our life where we find ourselves cursing at the computer screen, babbling unacceptable things while getting so close to throwing our controller or keyboard out of the window or right on the screen itself. This may happen more than once, depending on how experienced a gamer you are or not, on how difficult and demanding are the games that you like to play and, maybe mostly, on how their gameplay is structured, something that quite often does not have much to do with how hard the game in question may be overall. What I am describing is those points in video games that tortured us enough to be considered as the banes of our existence; be it a nasty jumping sequence, an evil timed run, an insane boss fight, sometimes all such things combined. 

I started playing video games in the early 2000's, and have played quite a few since then; and I recall always wanting to complete the highest difficulty levels when they were available. I am mentioning this in order to highlight that a game sequence turning into a bane does not always have to do with the difficulty level; most of the times, it is a result of design and setup, and although how much experience a gamer has is also very important, it is not a number one factor in every case. The very first games that I played were third person shooters (Blake Stone, Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem 3D), and a bit later I discovered the iconic third person adventures of Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider series. Up to now, I have played and loved games of various genres and gameplay styles, and naturally I have my fair share of banes, ranging from my first gaming years until recently. 

Von Beck's Revenge (Tank Chase Sequence), from Indiana Jones and The Emperor's Tomb

Released in 2003 by Lucas Arts, Indiana Jones and The Emperor's Tomb was sensational for its time, and it still is, for that matter. Classic third person, with fancy action, smart puzzles and wonderful sceneries, its only serious flaw (well, if you can call it such, but from a practical point of view, it kind of was) being the lack of checkpoints in the course of the levels. Each chapter was divided in several levels, at the end of which the game would make an automatic save; but there was no way to save your progress while in those levels. I do not remember experiencing any issues with this, however, until I reached a point very close to the finale, the infamous tank chase sequence in Hong Kong, in the level "Von Beck's Revenge". Von Beck was the villain of the story, an annoying and persisting German military man, who had been pursuing Indy throughout the whole adventure. So in Hong Kong he made his most grand entrance in a nasty tunnel full of abysmal gaps, driving a huge tank with a drill at its front. Not the least impressed with his artillery, Indy must run along said tunnel, jumping over the small gaps and taking care to swing over the biggest ones with the aid of his trusty whip, while Von Beck's drill is literally down his neck, creating even more gaps on the ground as it moves. It is a sequence that requires timing, speed and reflexes, and although it lasts less than 3 minutes, it is guaranteed to leave a mark. When I first played the game, it took me one whole week of retries until I finally made it, and I remember that when I gave the game another go a bit later, because I liked it so much, when I got to the accursed level I stopped and quit without even trying again. Just recently, I decided to go back to it and record it, to see how it would be after all this time; it now took me only a few reloads until I succeeded, and it was mainly because of the different control system which I was not used to. To be fair, however, I cannot blame my younger self for having such a hard time with this sequence, because back then I was playing with keyboard and mouse, and admittedly it is way easier to do with a controller, with which I played it now. 

 

Brother Obscura aka The Red Ghost Boss, from Tomb Raider: The Angel pf Darkness

Technically this is not a boss fight, as you do not literally fight the enemy in the actual sense, but as a sequence per se, it is set up in such a way as to be justly classified as such. Concluding a rather well-structured sequence in an underground archaeological site, this part of the Angel of Darkness is clearly one of its most notorious moments. Released in 2003, the last game of the now historical Core Design was a charming tangle of fascinating elements and problematic gameplay. In an attempt to evolve the well-known and lauded features of the classic Tomb Raider games, the developing team decided to implement a few new mechanics which, however, could never work as they were supposed to. And not only that; they affected the overall gameplay so badly, that even the simplest task, running from one spot to another just a few steps away, would end up being nothing less than a struggle. The main and most infuriating problem of the game was Lara's inexplicably slow movements, a number one obstruction in instances when she was called to do things quickly and with perfect timing. One such instance was the sequence in the attic of the Hall of Seasons where Brother Obscura, the infamous Red Ghost, was guarding a painting, the artifact that Lara had been looking for since the beginning of the adventure. In a small room with several identical statues, the Red Ghost keeps floating around, moving the painting from statue to statue, thus preventing Lara from taking it. The task here is to shoot the Red Ghost enough times so as to immobilize it for a few seconds, which will then give you time to run and grab the painting. Needless to say the conditions need to be perfect for the task to succeed: you need to stand close to the statue that holds the painting, but not too close because in this case the artifact will fly off to another statue; additionally, you need to stay there in the crawl position, so as to not get hit by the Red Ghost; and shoot it with a powerful gun so as to stun it quickly. Moreover, you need to holster the gun as soon as the Ghost gets stunned, and then stand up to run to the painting. With Lara's slow motion movements and her needing practically ages to change positions and holster her guns, all this becomes an instant and never-ending nightmare. Even now, I found it quite nasty, although not even half as bad as in my first runs.

Boaz Returns, from Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

Another nasty highlight from The Angel of Darkness was undoubtedly the boss fight with Cristina Boaz, the scientist who mutated into a hideous giant spider-like creature and was "tasked" to rid off Kurtis Trent, the secondary protagonist of the story. Designed almost the same way as Lara in this game, Kurtis however was at the same time better and worse as far as his movements were concerned: he was able to run a bit faster, but certain moves, like stepping backwards for instance, seemed to be a pain for him to execute. On top of that, although he was carrying his cool, sharp and shiney chirugai, it remained a precious gem hanging from his belt, as he could use it only during cutscenes. On the other hand Boaz, although being even more awkward than him, was able to attack him with a variety of ways, the worst being those that made him fall, because then, just like Lara, he needed ages to stand up on his feet. In addition, the aiming system was not on Kurtis's side either, resulting in most of us succeeding in hitting the targets (the four pods on Boaz's body) almost entirely by chance.

 

The Great Pyramid Shaft, from Tomb Raider: Anniversary

Timed events are always a highlight in games; in fact the tighter, the better. Or maybe not. Sometimes the line between challenging and infuriating is so thin, it can easily become invisible. One such case is the sequence with the timed jumps in the shaft of the Great Pyramid, from Tomb Raider: Anniversary. The game was released in 2007, created by the developing team of Crystal Dynamics as an admittedly impressive remake of the original, classic first Tomb Raider game. For the most part, Anniversary was a blast; fantastic graphics, immersive, interactive environments and ambience, beautiful music, a smoothly moving Lara, an easy and comprehensive control system - and then there were the retractable poles. I can't even attempt to understand the logic of adding retractable poles in nearly every room in Egypt, but regardless it was something you eventually got used to after a point; until you reached that demonic shaft in the Great Pyramid in Atlantis. The room consists of several levels going upwards, that you need to reach after performing sets of timed jumps. Said jumps involve, guess what: retractable poles, as well as retractable rings to which you must grapple and swing from. After the first two sets which are rather easy, there comes the third set - the actual bane of my existence in this game. That third set is, no doubt, the work of demonic forces combined, moreover since there is a workaround there in plain sight which, however, is nearly impossible to acknowledge due to the deceiving complex "official" route that you are supposed to follow while running out of time in the most unforgiving fashion. When I first played the game, I literally quit at that point after I don't know how many retries. Then I downloaded a save file from right after that part, so as to be able to at least complete the game. I admit it was a most traumatic experience, because it is not like me to quit a game like this; let alone a Tomb Raider game which, moreover, I loved. And now, nearly 20 years later, the time came for me to make amends and give it a try again. Again, it was pure nastiness, but now, after having played several difficult and challenging games meanwhile, I knew how to deal with it; and I knew that when something in a game seems impossible, there is always another way around it. Of course it can also be done the official, long way, but the shortcut I am going for in the video is pure work of art - and yes, I see it this way since, thanks to it, I was finally able to complete this part after all these years. 

 

The Final Execution Chamber, from the Executioner DLC of The Evil Within

I have very fond memories of The Evil Within, which proves how a game can be as difficult as it gets, but if it is wisely designed, it can offer a most entertaining experience. Created by Shinji Mikami, the mastermind behind the first Resident Evil games, The Evil Within was released in 2014 by Bethesda and it still carries its peculiar, undeniable charm. There are no flaws in its DLC The Executioner either, just an extremely difficult extra level / room in NG+. Luckily, you have very strong weapons at your disposal at that point, but this does not make the Final Execution Chamber less challenging. In the DLC, you play as the Keeper, and you pass through a series of rooms where you have to fight all sorts of monsters and enemies from the main game. The Final Execution Chamber is naturally the toughest of all, as there are that many enemies whom you must defeat, and on top of that, in the end you are forced to fight a very badass Sebastian and a crazed, enraged Joseph at the same time. I like to call them The Murder Husbands at that point because, let's face it, they kind of look like they are that. Needless to say they are insanely tough bosses, and more so since they attack together. I remember reaching my wits end in this frustrating mess of a battle, so I decided to start recording it to give me a motive and keep trying. I was victorious eventually, but I admit that, as much as I enjoyed it, I don't think I will ever touch that DLC again.

 

Lucas Baker Boss Fight in Professional difficulty, from the Not A Hero DLC of Resident Evil 7

From Resident Evil 7 and onwards, most games in the Resident Evil franchise took a different approach as far as their levels of difficulty would differ from each other. Its DLC episode "Not A Hero" was no exception in its Professional difficulty, its main problem being the rather stingy drops of ammo that you find and the insane number of super-strong enemies you have to deal with until you reach the arena of the boss fight. Lucas Baker becomes a nasty, infuriating mold monster in the finale of the episode, and at first he may seem impossible to defeat in Professional difficulty. I remember arriving at the last room of the game with as much ammo as I could get, and still running out of all of it before he would even reach his last phase. The "secret" to beat him is in fact using several weapons in some kind of cycle, something that the game does not make clear during the fight. You can easily decipher that his weak point is his heart whenever it gets exposed, but to be able to shoot it enough times while preventing him from fatally attacking Chris requires a series of strategic moves that, once understood, can really make the battle in Professional end within minutes. Stunning him with incendiary grenades just before he lands an attack, then immediately shooting him to eventually expose his heart which, in turn, gets a dramatic amount of damage when shot with a specific kind of ammo, puts an end to his miserable existence faster than you would expect. This fight was a nightmare for me when I first got to play the DLC, and I remember not being able to finish it back then; I did so years later, and again now for the sake of this article. This time it felt way easier; I don't know if it was because I got a better computer now, thanks to which the game had better performance, or because meanwhile I had become more experienced after having played several demanding games; maybe it was a combination of both. 

 

 

Nemesis Boss Fight in Nightmare and Inferno difficulty, from Resident Evil 3 Remake 

Jill Valentine's iconic adventure in Raccoon City saw an interesting remake in 2020, which was a pretty atmospheric game with nicely developed characters, and one very nasty boss: the infamous Nemesis could only be even more evolved in his revamped version, made even more stressing due to Jill having to move in tight and limited spaces while being chased by her ferocious stalker. There are several boss battles that you have to carry out with this monster, plus one crazy chase through town; and although all of these sequences can easily become a gamer's banes, it is the last boss fight that shines as the absolute winner. The finale of the game finds Jill trapped in a room with the heavily mutated Nemesis covering half of it. The boss cannot move around, but it is able to attack Jill with a series of deadly ways, while she must shoot several blobs on its "body" and at the same time fix the super-powerful weapon which is conveniently placed in the same room and with which she will be eventually able to destroy the monster. In the first three difficulty levels this fight is a breeze; the Nemesis has very few blobs on it, its attacks are fewer and much slower, and Jill has all the time in the world to succeed in her mission. But in Nightmare and, worse, in Inferno difficulties, fighting the final form of the Nemesis is exactly that: a nightmare and Hell incarnate. This is one of the cases where the difficulty level truly makes a difference. The boss has way more blobs on it, which, moreover, are more resilient; its attacks are incessant, literally the one after the other, and capable of sending you to the You Are Dead screen far more times than you can count; and the time that you are given to fix the weapon whenever the monster is stunned, is marginally a nasty joke. The first time that I finally made it, I could not believe my own eyes, and I admit it is a sequence that I never look forward to when playing the game. 

Naturally in the gaming part of my life I still come across several sequences that have the characteristics of a bane, but those listed above have to be the most impressive ones, at least in terms of how many times I had to play them out until I would finally succeed in completing them.

Talented And Crafty Heroes

When video games started having more elaborate storylines, their lead heroes and heroines became more complex as well. It was an inevitable development, as solid characters are necessary to carry and move a plot forward, because the way it will develop depends heavily on their temperament, their mindset and their way of thinking. This complexity is depicted mainly through interactions and background stories - elements that are shown in cutscenes mostly and documents to which we have access during gameplay, and of course there is the lore of each game in which there is a lot more to discover about the leads and their character elements. Apart from that, however, one important feature is how the heroes and heroines are presented through several other activities that may or may not contribute to the development of the stories in which they are part. When it comes to this, many of them reveal their skills and talents, as well as their craftsmanship, their creativity and ingenuity. Quite a few times, their abilities are indications of a higher intelligence, often combined with adaptiveness and survival skills. Other times, they showcase their artistry which is usually highly impressive, albeit not directly obvious.

Sean Diaz, the young protagonist of Life Is Strange 2, is a very skilled and intuitive artist. Drawing helps him escape from the hard reality that he is forced to face, but it is also a means for him to document the world around him.

He is also a talented, trophy-winning runner, something that even his little brother Daniel acknowledges.

Ethan Winters is revealed to be quite the artist in Resident Evil: Village, judging from the drawings in his journal.

Evie Frye in Assassin's Creed: Syndicate proves that one of her many talents is drawing, as we can see an accurate portrait of her love interest, Henry Green, on the last page of her journal.

Chris Ericssen in The Adventures Of Captain Spirit is a gifted and imaginative young boy, who also has a blooming talent in drawing, sure to develop a lot as he gets older.

One of the most multi-skilled heroines is undoubtedly Jill Valentine: apart from her intelligence and combat mastery, she is also an excellent lockpicker, as seen in several instances, including the "Lost In Nightmares" adventure from Resident Evil 5.

She is very apt in chemistry too, as she can formulate a chemical mixture in seconds in the first Resident Evil game.

And she can play the piano like a virtuoso, with Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" being her absolute highlight, usually turning out to be an important step in solving puzzles, like in the "Lost In Nightmares" adventure.

Admittedly, however, when it comes to piano playing, she has a serious antagonist, none else than Jake Muller. Not only is Jake a super-talented pianist but he can pull off Chopin's "Étude Révolutionnaire", one of the most difficult pieces ever written for piano, while in the midst of a most stressful and dangerous situation in Resident Evil 6.

Jake is gifted not only in the artistic field but in extreme racing as well, if you consider the nearly super-humanly way in which he drives - or better, flies - the motorbike over rooftops. 

Billy Coen can also play the piano very well, as seen in Resident Evil 0.

Although we never have the chance to hear him in the act, Chris Redfield obviously plays the guitar, as there is one by his desk, below his jacket, inside the S.T.A.R.S., as seen in Resident Evil 2. Quite possibly he is playing by ear only, as in Resident Evil 1 it is stated that he cannot read music.

Chris is also an expert VTOL pilot, as we can see in Resident Evil 6.

Leon Kennedy is able to pilot an airplane in Resident Evil 6 (albeit with following instructions, but it still is a commendable feat) and even perform an emergency landing. Known for his high intelligence, Leon is famously able to carry out even the most demanding and challenging tasks.

Max Caulfield in Life Is Strange can play the guitar very well. She resorts to playing music when she wants to clear her mind and relax.

Ashley Graham can handle a huge vehicle quite well, both in the original Resident Evil 4 and its Remake. Her skill proves extremely useful in a particularly tough sequence in the story. 

Edward Kenway in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is able to alter Duncan Walpole's robe with a few cuts, rips and leather patches within minutes. This transformation marks also the moment when he leaves the fake Assassin persona behind and becomes the legendary pirate captain that we know and love.

He can also craft several fancy outfits from animal skins.

By the looks of it, he is also able to cut his own hair, judging from the charming unevenness of his locks.

Shay Cormac in Assassin's Creed: Rogue can also craft a few elaborate outfits from skins of animals around the Arctic territories.

Lara Croft can read and understand ancient languages and dialects, as seen in Rise Of The Tomb Raider. Partly thanks to her education, but mostly because she loves discovering new things and is very skilled in the learning process.

One of the most charming features of the heroes and heroines in contemporary video games is their realistic depiction in both appearance and character elements, and this of course includes their talents and skills. Their 3D dimension no longer limits their personality and attitude, as all their human characteristics and attributes add to their impressive abilities in the action field, resulting in them being seen as fully fledged individual beings with their own distinctive qualities and presence in the world of fiction.

 

NOTES 

1. Some of the characters mentioned in this article also have skills and talents that are essential to the stories and even are the stories themselves. I did not include those, as they are assigned as default attributes to the characters and they are among their important traits - ie, Max in Life Is Strange is a talented photographer, but this is one of her story's driving forces and essential to the plot; her story would not have developed the way it did without it. Same goes for her power to turn back time, and the gift of telekinesis that Daniel Diaz has in Life Is Strange 2. 

2. In some of the games included in the article, there are characters that are shown to have certain skills - ie, Cassidy in Life Is Strange 2 is a talented singer, and Finn in the same game is skilled in hairdressing and wood sculpting; such cases are not featured in the article because, albeit generally important in the stories where they appear, they are mainly supporting characters and we do not get to know much else about them.

Life Is Strange 2' s "Faith" As A Major Turning Point Of No Return

Most of us old school video game lovers are quite familiar with the term "point of no return" which, in the games that we played in the past (and still play, for that matter!), was used to describe a pivotal moment in the course of the gameplay that marked the final one-way route towards the culmination of the adventure. This practically meant that, from that point and on, it would be impossible to go back to areas you had visited or explored up to then, and it could happen equally in both adventure and action games. Simply put, it is a gameplay - and sometimes plot - device which warns the player that they are moving towards the end of the game, and if there is something that needs to be done in stages visited before, it has to be done now, before passing the point of no return as after that, going back will be impossible. As a gameplay device, it is still being used quite extensively, although in open world games it is not always terminal: in the new generation of the Tomb Raider games, for example, you reach a point of no return after which you cannot go back to previously explored areas, but when you complete the game you can roam the full map as much as you want. In the remake of Resident Evil 2, you reach a point of no return when you leave for the secret NEST lab: up to that point, you can explore the sewers and go back to every single area of the Raccoon Police Department as many times as you want; but once you get on the funicular that leads to the lab, you can never go back. Resident Evil 4 and its recent remake feature several points of no return, each one corresponding to an extended area of the map, progressively locking previously visited stages. 

Life is Strange 2 has a very different logic as far as its gameplay is concerned, as it features separate chapters that get completed within their own map, and the limitations that may affect the outcome of each episode stem from the different decisions that we are called to make in order to proceed. In each chapter, there is a dramatic event that causes the initiation of the next episode, but there is a specific one, namely the fourth chapter with the title "Faith", that is, in practice, the story's actual point of no return. As an episode, "Faith" may not seem too impressive at first, especially if you consider the terrific "Wastelands" that precedes it and the emotionally wrenching "Wolves" that follows it. Excluding the agonizing finale, on first look it feels rather slow-paced, and even the appearance of Karen, the long-lost mother or the protagonists, is set up and presented as quite toned down and neutral. All this on a first level; because on a second level things are much more complicated and interesting.

After being separated from Daniel during the dramatic events at the end of "Wastelands", Sean finds himself heavily wounded but still alive in a hospital, under guard and getting regular visits from a therapist, all in an attempt to make him recall and describe what actually happened in Merrill's farm where Daniel, in a state of uncontrolled confusion, let loose the full extent of his power. Devastated for not knowing Daniel's fate, Sean refuses to co-operate, mainly because he cannot tolerate the one-sided views of the people who oversee him, but most importantly because he is unable to bring himself together - and naturally so - to reveal Daniel's power which was the cause of everything. Regardless, Sean gets his sketchbook back, and while going through it, he notices a cryptic message from Jacob, one of his companions of the previous chapter, which basically gives him a valuable clue concerning Daniel's current whereabouts. He manages to escape without being noticed and begins a long journey so as to reach the place where Daniel hopefully is and get him back.

The place in question turns out to be a private church, run by Lisbeth Fischer, a charismatic but intimidating Pastor with a dubious past, who exploits Daniel's powers, presenting him to her flock as some kind of modern prophet and healer. Sean painfully discovers that Daniel has been brainwashed by Lisbeth, which means that the process of freeing him from her and getting him back will be anything but easy. Karen shows up at just the right moment, but instead of stepping forward to resolve things, she only offers Sean moral support in a twist that may seem strange at first, but in reality it is just the right option: Sean needs to do everything himself, and Daniel needs to realize how harmful Lisbeth is for him and see it with his own eyes. For both brothers, it is a complicated and tough process that will, however, help them find themselves and grow up emotionally and spiritually.

Karen's role as the mother is, in this episode, mostly a typical one, highlighting the figure of the parent who might have been absent throughout the lives of her sons up to that point, but is still holding some degree of moral and emotional power that can affect them, even indirectly. Even so, I admit I initially expected her to take action and save Daniel from Lisbeth, subsequently rescuing both her sons and offering them the protection that she failed to provide all these years. Karen however chooses to stay back and give Sean all the space to act on his own. A rather unexpected development - given that Sean, in spite of being more mature than his age, is still a young boy - but in the full course of the events, it turns out to be the right one. With her stance, Karen allows Sean to follow his instinct and employ his inner strength, because she believes in personal freedom and will. Partly, though, she may feel inadequate to handle things because family life was never her forte; she literally does not know her sons, she would practically be unable to bring Daniel back the way Sean eventually does. At this point, her maternal instinct is only mildly developed, and she too follows her intuition in simply supporting Sean and his choices. On another level, script and plot-wise, it would have been quite unfair for Sean to have Karen save the day, after all the tragedies and troubles that he had to go through up to that point.

The church environment, prominent and looming throughout the whole episode, proves to be a setting of major importance, both as an actual setup and as a symbolic feature. Lisbeth herself carries a dark past, possibly hinted as early as in episode 2: in one of the documents that are scattered around in the cabin where Sean and Daniel have taken temporary shelter in the forest, there is a letter signed by a certain Dr Fischer, reminding a patient of a programmed chemotherapy session that would take place at a clinic named Hope Patient Center.

Whether it is actually Lisbeth herself who wrote the letter is not made clear at any point throughout the development of the plot, however since stuff that we find in games of this kind is rarely (if at all) random, this document is most likely connected to the Pastor's past, revealing that she may have been a doctor once, quite possibly having failed to save a patient and thus losing her faith in science and resorting to other means to try and save people, subsequently losing her mind and becoming obsessed with her newfound faith. With these facts under consideration, the subject of faith becomes a factor of high importance in this part of the story, that goes a lot deeper and further than the chapter's title, applying to nearly all the characters who appear in it.  

 

First of all it is Lisbeth's obvious faith in her calling, which however is distorted and pretentious. Contrary to it, is Jacob's innocent and sincere faith in the divine power, which in turn gets shattered as he gradually opens up to Sean, revealing shocking details about his "treatment". Then it is Daniel's controlled faith which is a result of severe brainwashing. There is also Karen's faith in Sean's will and power of mind and, most prominently, Sean's faith in himself and all that he can achieve. In an unexpected twist of the plot, the key phrase that subsequently unlocks Sean's decisiveness and gives him the ultimate urge to do whatever it takes to save Daniel comes from no one else than Lisbeth herself: when they first meet, and realizing that Sean cannot get tricked like Daniel did, the Pastor turns him away, refusing to accept him in her church. As her goon Nicholas throws him out, she yells "You need to have faith!", hinting that she may allow him in her church if he admits her divine gift and does not interfere with her handling of Daniel. At this point, all seems lost; but Sean is able to turn this phrase around and make it work to his own benefit: he regains faith in himself and moves forward instead of stepping back, determined to never stop until he brings Daniel back, achieving it with his own human power of mind and heart.

Although in every chapter Sean makes huge steps forward towards his full emotional and spiritual development, it is at the end of "Faith" that he literally leaves his old self behind and becomes a new person, similarly how Daniel snaps out of his false prophet persona and it is as if he is reborn. It is a dual transformation that begins simultaneously at the beginning of the chapter's final part and is established and completed as soon as the two brothers step out of the church together. Having this dramatic sequence take place inside the main hall of the church, turns it into a dramatic but unavoidable rite of passage. No matter of the actions that we need or decide to take - depending on our choices at the end of the third chapter - the essence of the outcome is the same: Sean and Daniel leave the church grounds as two completely different people, having achieved both emotional and spiritual growth. 

On another level, lies the conflict between the two mother figures, neither of which is actually a complete one. Karen, the biological mother of the brothers who is connected to them with blood ties, only now makes a physical appearance, gradually and discreetly gaining back all that she had lost during her absence. For Karen, it is mainly about her confirming her role in the lives of the boys, and much less about them connecting with her with family ties. Lisbeth, on the other hand may be a false mother figure for Daniel, but at the same time she had somehow filled a gap in his life, that of the protection and guidance that he needed during the time when he was separated from Sean. This was on a superficial level, of course; because Lisbeth's guidance was all wrong and the protection that she seemingly provided for Daniel was in reality a well masked exposure to many kinds of danger. At the end of the episode, the real mother figure defeats the false one, a development that even has a literal depiction in the version where either Sean or Daniel kill Lisbeth: this extreme twist, which essentially turns them into murderers, also symbolizes the death of their innocent selves and the painful beginning of their new life, reminding both them and us that everything comes with a cost.

While every chapter's conclusion marks the completion of a full circle, "Faith" is the one from which there is literally no turning back: after leaving the church with Karen, the brothers follow her to her camp in the Nevada desert, from where the next phase of their journey - no matter which one it will be - shall begin. The start of the final chapter finds Sean and Daniel somehow settled for a brief period of time, and about to confront the consequences of all their actions and decisions that led them there. Throughout the first three chapters, there are still connections with their past lives, but all bonds appear to have already broken with the start of "Faith". This is something that does not only have to do with the plot or the gameplay, but with the overall atmosphere, the environments and even the physical appearance of the two protagonists. We find Sean with his luscious black hair nearly totally shaved, and later Daniel shows up with a nasty haircut, courtesy of the Pastor herself. The cutting of hair in both cases, as simple as it may seem, in fact carries considerable weight: it acts as some sort of ritual that symbolizes the transition of both Sean and Daniel to new directions in their lives. It is as if they are stripped of all the elements that constituted their personalities up to that point, and in the aftermath they are both reborn.

As far as the visual aspect and the ambience are concerned, with the exception of the tumultuous finale of the chapter, everything before that point is moving at a slower pace; even the darker sequences feel more like bad dreams and less like reality. Then at the church grounds there is this suspicious serenity that cunningly conceals all the evil that lies beneath it. The finale is an explosion, not unexpected but still shocking; and the fact that Sean leads Daniel to realize what is going on by himself instead of forcing him out of the sick situation where Lisbeth had placed him, makes that sequence even more powerful, and highlights its importance for the events that will follow.

One element that foreshadows the fourth chapter's unique place in the story is the transition to it. Each episode ends with the brothers being on a means of transportation, something that indicates the urge to be constantly on the move and run away: at the finale of the first chapter, they are on a bus (notably, the chapter even begins with Sean stepping off a bus); the end of the second chapter finds them jumping on a freight train, again escaping. As episode four reaches its conclusion, they are inside Karen's car, heading to the Nevada desert; and in the game's dramatic finale they are attempting to cross the border to Mexico in a car that Sean is driving. Between chapter three and chapter four however, there is no such transition: the final scene of "Wastelands" is the aftermath of Daniel's rage in Merrill's house - a static situation from where there seems to be no way out. This change marks the start of the painful but necessary switch towards a new approach to things, especially for Sean: it is now time to stop looking for ways to escape, but instead stand on his feet and face things directly. Falling down - and literally doing so, as it happens at the end of "Wastelands" - is part of the process, as then, with the opening of "Faith", he is already on the route to take his life in his own hands, even if he does not know it yet.

The Good Evil And The Evil Good

The fight between good and evil is one of the most prominent themes in fiction, video-games included; and in the Assassin's Creed series it is a subject that several times is explored within a multi-faceted prism. Quite a few of its characters, both heroes and villains, sometimes reach a point where they may cross the line between the two sides, even if it is not completely and consciously intentional from their part. While it is more usual for a villain to momentarily express a more mild attitude, it is the good guys who eventually either turn evil or act in ways that could be characterized as such, that are more fascinating to examine. But how much evil a good character has to do so as to be considered a villain - and, similarly - when does a villain reach that point which will make him look less evil? In this article, I will elaborate on this theme, going through the evolution of Shay Cormac, Achilles Davenport, Charles Lee and Haytham Kenway, who all play a most important part in Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed: Rogue, either as protagonists and antagonists or as supporting characters.

Although initially we did not know yet about Shay Cormac in Assassin's Creed III, as Rogue was released at a later date, we could still see all the consequences of his actions in the course of the game, which means that Shay's story was already part of the Assassin's Creed lore, even before the appearance of him as a character and his game as a complete story; similarly to how, when III was released, we were introduced to Haytham Kenway without knowing about Edward, yet there were several features that our hero had, hinting to all the facts that were revealed in Black Flag: in spite of being a Templar, Haytham had two hidden blades, one of which also proudly featured the Assassin symbol on its cuff; he also had the eagle vision and the ability to swan dive from extreme heights into haystacks or heaps of snow. So clearly Edward's story had already been set as a background to that of Haytham, long before we had the chance to know about it with Black Flag. 

Similarly, Shay's story had apparently been planned out already as a later release, and quite possibly as a much longer and richer game, but it got sped up to co-incide with Unity for all the technical and practical reasons that we know. This could also explain why the open world in Rogue is so vast with so many areas to explore and with so much extra stuff to discover, when the plot itself is limited to only six sequences and does not take long to complete; while covering the full map (to be more precise, the three full maps) of the game takes considerably longer, and it involves way too many areas that we do not have the opportunity to visit during the progression of the story. Assassin's Creed: Rogue is very unique in the series, not only because its protagonist is a Templar, but also because it gives us the chance to witness the other side of things through the eyes of someone who joined the Templar Order consciously, following his own free will, without having been brainwashed beforehand.  

Shay starts off as an extremely gifted Assassin who, however, seems to be looked down upon by his fellow Assassins, even by his good childhood friend Liam. Being Irish, he is considered an outsider by default, although noone blatantly tells him in the face; but Le Chevalier, for example, never loses the chance to belittle him. Incidentally, Liam is Irish too, but it looks like he is respected in the Brotherhood a lot more than Shay is, probably because he does not express his objections as often as his younger friend. It becomes clear from very early in the game that Shay has his own perception of things, and it is hinted that many times he would disagree with the tactics of the Assassins. However he truly and sincerely believed in their cause, which is why he kept on serving the Brotherhood the best way he could. Shay was an excellent Assassin, showing great skill, insight and intelligence; he could successfully carry out any mission he was tasked with in spite of his young age, and he would always be willing to do even more. However, he was not only an efficient killer; Shay was also interested in the procedural works of the Brotherhood, a subtle detail which hints that, if things had not turned out for him the way they did, he would undoubtedly had made a fine potential leader in the future. When the other Assassins leave to train or pass the time, he stays back to listen to the crucial information that Adewale has brought for Achilles; not out of curiosity, but because he is deeply interested in the mechanics of the Assassin cause and its deeper motives and complex strategies.

Being a thinker, he had a trait that would always distinguish him from the other Assassins in his circle. Not that the others were not thinkers as well; but Shay had a tendency to keep things to himself and contemplate quite often, being rather solitary as a person, although it is clear than he had a strong bond with Liam and was in good friendly terms with Hope as well. But as it becomes clear later, neither Le Chevalier nor Kesegowaase liked him; something that had already been hinted early on in the story. Shay respected Achilles, but felt that the leader of the Colonial Brotherhood did not trust him enough, making him feel even more an outsider. This condition, however, had an unexpected positive side-effect: thanks to it, Shay was able to make his observations objectively and discern both the good and the bad side of things. Because for the Assassins under Achilles's leadership, all the decisions and actions of their leader were correct and could never be questioned; but Shay, as an outsider, could instantly see something that was wrong.

 

 

The tragic incident in Lisbon, which marked Shay's decision to go against the Assassins and subsequently betray them by joining the Templar Order, was a most crucial example of this. Causing the ravaging earthquake that destroyed the city and killed so many people was a tragedy that would scar him for the rest of his life, even when, years later, he felt that he had somehow made amends. Shay was convinced that Achilles was somehow aware of the destruction that would follow by removing the artifact from the foundation of the temple and that regardless he did not care, because his superior aim was to keep the artifacts away from the Templars, no matter the cost. Although he was not exactly right, because Achilles, at that point in his life at least, would never deliberately cause the loss of innocent lives, he did have a point, in that the Colonial Assassins and their leaders would most of the times choose to act with regard to how they would weaken the Templars, ignoring other factors and consequences that could prove devastating. When he confronted Achilles about the Lisbon incident, the leader's reaction did not help ease the young man's mind, neither did the aggression with which both he and the other Assassins chased Shay when they found out he had stolen the manuscript and was going to destroy it. 

 

Shay was a good man, and he remained good even after joining the Templar Order, when he typically switched to the side of evil, given the circumstances, proving that, at the end of the day, good and evil are very fluid notions. As a Templar, he was a ruthless killer; but he was so as an Assassin too. As an Assassin, he would kill people who were harming humanity, but this did not make the act of murder less of an act of extreme violence. We can see how he starts having moral doubts when, during his time as an Assassin, he is sent to murder a man who is dying due to an illness, and then another one who is too powerless and weak to be able to defend himself. Then it was a Templar who saved his life, when the Assassins left him for dead in the freezing cold ocean; Colonel Monro took him under his wing and helped him get back on his feet, offering him a second chance in life. 

 

The limits of good and evil almost cease to exist in Shay's case, because, as contradicting as this may sound, he never loses his humanity, even when his actions look evil. For what it's worth, his decision to abandon the Assassins was the result of him feeling responsible for the loss of innocent people. One could argue that he cannot be good when he kills good people like Adewale and Charles Dorian; but he does what he does consciously, following the guidelines of the Templar Order which he serves. As an Assassin, he would have done the same, acting against his Templar enemies. And he did maintain a certain amount of respect and love towards Achilles, considering how he convinced Haytham to spare his former mentor's life, a development that, in the long run, affected the lives of many people.

 

When the main plot of Assassin's Creed III starts, after the introductory memories with Haytham are completed, we find Achilles crippled but alive, as a result of Shay intervening at just the last moment, and saving him from Haytham's fatal blow, while the Brotherhood of the Colonies is almost non-existent. All this, we had the chance to know later, watching the finale of Rogue, but now, having at our disposal the linear timeline of the events, we can put the pieces of the puzzle together easily and without confusion. After his dramatic confrontation with Shay and Haytham in North America, which resulted in him becoming crippled after Haytham shot him, Achilles returned to his homestead while the Assassin Brotherhood had been dismantled, since Shay had killed all of its leaders. He locked himself in the manor, refusing to communicate with the locals, while from time to time he was being targeted by poachers, some of whom may have been even sent by the Templars to rid of him. 

 

 

Achilles is, by default, on the side of good; but he abruptly switches to the side of evil when he allows his personal bitterness to overcome him. After Connor finds him, and Achilles agrees to take on his training, we are presented to the secret Assassination wall in the homestead's basement, which features the portraits of all the important Templars that have to be eliminated for the Colonial Rite to be defeated for good. Normally, Shay's portrait would have also been among them, but we do not see it anywhere, probably because, deep down, Achilles felt that he owed Shay his life. Haytham, from his part, being so smart and perceptive, takes care to never mention Shay to Connor, not only because Shay is an extremely valuable member of the Order who needs to stay alive, but also because Haytham knows that, no matter how determined or strong Connor may be, chances are he would never get alive out of a fight with a killer so skilled and experienced as Shay. He was essentially protecting both from each other. In a similar manner, he took care to keep Charles Lee away from Connor, not only because Charles was the one whom the Templars wanted to plant as the US President - which was the main, typical reason - but also because he wanted to avoid a confrontation between the two, which could possibly end in Connor's demise. Knowing Connor's obsession with killing Charles and the latter's spite against the boy, Haytham wanted to keep both of them away from each other, again to ensure, for as long as he could control it, that they would be safe. Although he went to Fort George presumably determined to kill Connor and save Charles for good, he was all the while divided between his duty as the Grand Master of the Colonial Rite and his instinct which would constantly withhold him from killing Connor.

 

Achilles holds a grudge against Haytham for crippling him by shooting his knee as well as for taking Shay in the Templar Order, and his feelings are justifiable up to a point; but they cease being justifiable when he starts poisoning Connor's heart, brainwashing the boy into killing Haytham while cruelly dismissing the blood bond between the two and acting as if it does not matter at all, going as far as to literally arm Connor's hand, essentially turning him into a mercenary and sending him to kill Haytham because he is unable to do it himself due to his condition. Mind you, when Connor confessed that he wants to kill the Templars so as to avenge the destruction of his village, Achilles scolded him for being motivated by his personal vendetta instead of merely wanting to fight for justice; and then we see how Achilles himself is guided almost entirely by his own personal vendetta against Haytham. It is interesting, however, that Connor, in spite of looking rather determined to take his own revenge, is quite reserved and reluctant when it comes to actually doing it, considering how he did not want to kill William Johnson after destroying his merchandise, pretty much to Achilles's disappointment; and when later he did it because he felt he had no choice, he still had regrets about it. His only weak point was his hatred for Charles Lee, whom he was hunting relentlessly due to the false belief that Charles was responsible for the burning of his village, a belief that gradually turned into an obsession for Connor.

So it looks like history is repeating itself for the Kenway boys, as Connor is being brainwashed by Achilles almost like Haytham had been brainwashed by Reginald Birch. After losing his wife and son, Achilles never let anyone in his life again; and he finally accepted to help Connor because he realized that the boy was in fact the only one capable of eliminating the Colonial Templar Rite. Not because he was stronger than the local Templars, but due to the blood bond that connected him with Haytham: Achilles was experienced and insightful enough to realize that the only person who had any luck in killing Haytham would be his own son, because there was a 50/50 chance that Haytham would literally allow Connor to kill him, refusing to end his son's life. And in the end this is exactly what happened: Haytham removed his hidden blade so as to not kill Connor, sacrificing himself instead. He had long before realized that the path he had taken in life was essentially a constant point of no return, and even if he wanted to change route, it would have been impossible after all that has happened.

 

Connor is at a very innocent state when he sees Haytham for the first time in Boston, and you can clearly see in his eyes that he would love to go talk to him; for a few fractions of seconds their opposite alliances do not matter for Connor, neither does the fact that Haytham is a ruthless killer, responsible for the chaos in Boston. Yet Achilles keeps on the same cold, blunt attitude, not empathizing at all with the boy's confusion. Connor is too young at that point to think with logic; he has just left his village, finding himself in a big city that he had never seen before nor imagined that could exist, and on top of that, he sees his father for the first time in his life, just a few steps away from him. As the story progresses, there are a few scenes where we literally see how Connor instinctively longs to get closer to Haytham - at some point, he grabs Haytham in an attempt to push him away from an imminent attack, in a manner that simulates an awkward hugging; and Haytham is the only person whom Connor allows to touch him without the slightest sign of displeasure. 

If it was not for Achilles's spite, and maybe if Zhiio was alive, Connor might have been able to outsmart his destiny and eventually reach a point of compromise with Haytham. But every time that he mentioned this possibility to Achilles, the latter would dismiss it with absolution, leaving no space for an alternative solution other than killing Haytham. Of course all this does not mean that Achilles was not a good man; on the contrary, while he was the leader of the Colonial Brotherhood and his mind was still clear and just, he acted with mildness, caution and care. This is evident in how he treats Shay at the start of Rogue, even gifting him his favorite pistols. Still, he made a mistake in not trusting Shay with vital information concerning the Brotherhood and its missions, making the young man believe, and quite possibly rightly so, that he was not being considered an equal among his brothers. This was a constant thorn that bugged Shay, since he felt that while he was offering his services unconditionally to the Brotherhood, he was being treated with mistrust and skepticism in return. 

Although Shay is not present in Assassin's Creed III and he is not mentioned at any point throughout the game, the story is in fact incomplete without factoring him in. If he had not intervened and instead had let Haytham kill Achilles in North America, Connor's story would have taken a different route. Similarly to how if he hadn't killed Charles Dorian, things would have unfolded much differently for Arno in Unity. This means that Shay's role had been crucial and determinant in both stories, functioning like a train track switch, and setting the paths of Connor and Arno off route, subsequently forcing both boys to remain subjugated to a forced destiny during their childhood and their early youth; but while Arno used his wits to carve his own path even though he was following the commands of a rather headstrong branch of the Brotherhood, Connor was unable to find his way until it was too late to change his fate, because he lacked the proper guidance in his early years. Arno might have lost his dear father at a very tender age, but he was lucky to grow up under the care of François de la Serre, who was an honest and just Templar and never attempted to brainwash Arno into joining the Order, even protecting him by keeping him away from Templar gatherings so as to avoid exposing the boy's gifts and thus putting him in danger. And then Bellec, until he chose to violently purge the French Brotherhood, had been a fine and just mentor for Arno and provided him with all that was necessary so as to always depend on himself and on his own instinct. But Connor switched abruptly from the calm, untainted state of his native village to the environment of an embittered man who partly used the Assassin cause as a means to fulfill his revenge.

Arno learned to think on his feet from a very early stage, and while he maintained the innocence in his heart, he was able to discern evil in its root. Which is why he was quick to confront Pierre Bellec as soon as he realized that the latter was not operating on the side of good; and although it was painful for him, since Bellec was his mentor, he eventually killed him, because what Bellec was doing was harmful not only for the Brotherhood but for Arno himself as well. Contrary to Connor, who let himself get wholly affected by Achilles's obsessions and from a point and on, he would marginally sway to and fro, almost not acting out of his own will. Even after killing Haytham, he refused to let himself express how he truly felt; although we see him shaving his head as a sign of mourning for his deceased father, and back at the homestead, he has written "Sakataterihwáhten" under Haytham's portrait which means "I made a mistake", having also added three question marks beside it, clearly unable to find a reason why Haytham had to die except for the never-ending feud between the Assassins and the Templars, still then while facing a devastated Charles Lee at Haytham's funeral, he again put on a cold facade, as he was still under the influence of his mentor's poison. Even his own obsession with hunting down and killing Charles Lee, which proved to be unjust and pointless after a certain point, had also been reinforced by Achilles's brainwashing. 

Charles, on the other hand, worshiping Haytham for years, feels that he has nothing left to hope and live for after his death; and although he seems to want to save himself from Connor's rage, in the end he literally begs the boy to end his life, not with words but with his bitter smile in one of the most powerful and heart-breaking scenes of the series. Charles was never an evil man by default; he had a trait that made him tend to bow to, flatter and serve authority, but we can't be sure if this was an inherent feature of his character, or it was born when he saw Haytham for the first time at Boston's harbour. It is more than clear that he was instantly mesmerized by Haytham's charm as soon as he met him, and from that moment and on, he spent the rest of his days following him around and blindly serving him, eventually turning himself into the ideal future puppet politician that the Templars wanted for the US Presidency.

Notably, until he is officially accepted in the Templar Order and when he is not running after Haytham, Charles can be seen discreetly standing at the side whenever he is present during a meeting, most of the times with his back to the Templars, as they discuss crucial details about their missions. On a few occasions, Haytham himself nods to him to move to the side, and Charles obeys without protesting, essentially accepting his limited role in all this and waiting patiently for his loyalty to be properly recognized. Something that happens much sooner than even he would expect, and it is also worth mentioning that, although he was a smart and efficient man in his own merit, he was happy to just exist by Haytham's side, acting the part of his henchman if necessary, keeping an enigmatic silence and a rather reserved nobleness up to a certain point before transforming into a ruthless man, led by his frustration and despair. 

Charles Lee goes through a very complex transformation as a character, which, interestingly enough, is reflected in his physical appearance as well. While for the rest of his partners the years pass in a most normal way, leaving natural marks on some of them (Benjamin Church, John Pitcairn and William Johnson just age without losing their physiognomy), not affecting others much (Thomas Hickey maintains the same drunk face of a rascal, only older) or even favoring them (Haytham gets even more charming and attractive as years pass), time seems to gradually take its toll on Charles - a change that is much more symbolic than it is physically meaningful. The clarity and light of his eyes are replaced by a foggy, blurred gaze; his rich, shiny black hair gets thinner; transformations that go hand-in-hand with the change in his once mild and mellow demeanor that gradually tears off, letting out a cruel, sadistic and marginally paranoid side. His harsh and relentless manner is first shown during his very first meeting with little Connor at the Mohawk village, then we see an even more cruel version of it when he visits the boy in prison, and it is fully exposed, together with his overwhelming desperation, while confronting Connor at Haytham's funeral. 

 

What is the real cause of this change, never becomes too clear; the most obvious explanation could be that deep down he always wanted to do something grand, but lacked the self-confidence and maybe the means to achieve it; therefore when Haytham and the Templars of the Colonies picked him as the best choice for the position of the future US President, he felt that luck finally smiled at him and from that point and on, he did not care anymore about showing a good face to the world; he just waited patiently until the time came for him to rise to glory. But maybe things were not that simple for Charles, as apparently he had more personal issues to deal with. The real Charles Lee was quite temperamental, and this feature is aptly depicted in the game with the obviously unstable and insecure character of his fictionalized version. His constantly growing and unhealthy emotional attachment to Haytham could explain a good deal (if not all) of this gradual change and his physical transformation, considering that he probably saw no reciprocation whatsoever - or at least not to the degree or of the kind that he desired. His resentment for Zhiio and, later, for Connor as well, together with his glaringly obsessive devotion to Haytham, are more signs that this could very well be the case. 

Haytham's good looks and his charismatic personality are vital elements in the way that he affects the people around him, just like Edward did with his brilliance and physical gifts. But while Edward was too innocent and too focused on other things to use his attractiveness to achieve his goals, and he charmed others without even realizing it, Haytham did so very consciously, to the extent that after a certain point, this "strategy" became for him as natural as breathing. Charles Lee was his most obvious "victim", but at least Haytham was planning to reward him with a grand office, so all the emotional turmoil that Charles had been going through for so many years would have found some kind of compensation. But this never happened, due to Haytham's death and the elimination of the Colonial Rite. And this development again goes back to Shay Cormac who, by stopping Haytham from killing Achilles, inadvertently caused Haytham's death years later, affecting Charles Lee's fate as well in a crazy domino effect.

Although Haytham is not a villain / antagonist by nature, he obtains that role in Connor's story, since he belongs to the Templar Order; because in Rogue's story, where we see everything through Shay's point of view, Haytham is on the side of good. In spite of his extreme cruelty, however, he is character whom you can easily love, because of his captivating and compelling personality; also because his more positive elements are also shown, and especially after you get to know the tragic story of his family and his own dramatic path in life. Having inherited both the noble grace of his mother and the stunning looks of his father, he trained to become a ruthless killer under Birch's never-resting eye; the fact that he is as handsome as he is cruel, is a murderous combination, which makes him even more intimidating and fearsome.

Haytham was born in a loving environment, growing up under the guidance of a father who adored him and offered him everything, but whom he lost too soon, while his own character was still unshaped. He confesses in his journal that he loved Edward fiercely, something that indicates that if his father hadn't met his tragic premature end, Haytham would have moved on in his youth following Edward's guidance with devotion, before setting out to the world to carve his own path as a just and honorable Assassin. But even for this, we cannot be completely sure. He was too young when he was left alone, and Birch's influence had been so defining then, that even Haytham himself could not tell with certainty what his true nature was. Haytham's case is very interesting, because although it is clear that he was not born evil, for most part of his childhood, adolescence and early youth he grew in conditions that he could not control and which were irreversibly leading him to a path that he probably wouldn't have chosen himself, but this is something that neither he nor we will ever know. His character was shaped in an environment that was forced on him, so whether he would have chosen the side of good or the side of evil following his own free will, is something that noone can tell for sure. 

What is certain, however, is that for a big part of his life the two opposed elements, the good and the evil, were always in conflict in his heart and mind, and we can see these contradicting sides as soon as his story begins: he rushes to save the sailor who is about to fall in the stormy sea, while moments before he intimidated the ship's captain by coldly exposing his hidden blade towards him, and earlier he looked more than convincing when he assured Mr Smythe that he would cut his head off the next time that the captain would dare to threaten him. During his part of the plot, there is a constant switch from one side to the other, as we watch him treating Zhiio with gentleness or being very kind to Charles, while at the same time he kills his enemies or suspected adversaries in cold blood and without the slightest remorse. 

When we come across him again in Connor's part of the story, his good side seems to have shrunk so much that it is practically non-existent, showing only extremely feeble sparks of kindness the few times that he calls Connor "son" and during his final moments when he admits that, in a way, he is proud of what Connor has become. And again, we can never be sure if he is being sincere in these moments or he is once more attempting to manipulate Connor. Haytham is extremely intelligent, and throughout his life he made use of his brilliant mind to achieve malicious ends. But this was not a development that happened overnight and with a light heart: earlier, he had learned that Birch was responsible for Edward's death and the gloomy fate of his sister, and he had taken his revenge on him after having freed Jenny as well; he had also gone through the painful incident involving his friend Jim Holden, which triggered another extremely vindictive but justified action from his part. It is crucial to consider such events when examining Haytham's character, as they further intensified his conditioned cruelty and gradually diminished his good elements, eventually turning him into the cold-blooded murderer that Birch always wanted to make him, his most characteristic habit being to ruthlessly kill his victims just as soon as they stopped being useful to him.

 

The incident with the three officers at Fort George depicts Haytham's cruelty and relentlessness more accurately than any other, even before we see him in plain action in that sequence. Haytham and Connor have just attacked a group of soldiers who had been keeping guard, securing the meeting of three British officers in the grounds of a burned church. After eliminating the guards, Haytham captures the three officers, but as he is tying the hands of the last one, the first manages to escape. Haytham orders Connor to run after him, which the boy does, not with much willingness, somehow sensing, albeit very vaguely, what will follow. He then chases the officer and catches him, leading him to Fort George, as Haytham commanded earlier. As they are approaching the entrance of the Fort, the officer starts panicking; although moments before he cursed at Connor, he now begs him to set him free, adding with a trembling voice that if he steps inside the Fort, he will be a dead man. Unaware of the extent of his father's murderous nature, Connor tells the officer that they will just ask him a few questions, so there is nothing to worry about. Right then, Haytham shows up, and the panic in the officer's eyes and the way he steps back terrified although he knows there is no way out of this situation, all this shockingly contrasting with Haytham's stunning figure and his noble beauty as he grabs the officer's arm with an enigmatic grin while the officer instinctively leans towards Connor, literally make time freeze at that point. It is obvious that the guard knows very well who Haytham is, and he also knows how merciless and remorseless he is, which is why he attempted to escape in the first place.

Once inside the Fort, the terrified officer is put to sit between his two colleagues who look suspiciously quiet and not moving at all, and soon we realize why, it's because while Connor was out in the streets chasing the last officer, Haytham did not waste any time; he inquired the other two, got the information that he wanted from them and immediately after, he summarily cut their throats. Still fostering the vain hope that he might survive the same nightmarish ordeal, the officer gives Haytham all the details that he wants to know, which are the same things that his dead colleagues have already told him. Promising that he will then set him free, Haytham instantly cuts the man's throat as well with his hidden blade, much to Connor's shock.

Occurring at a crucial point in the story, this chilling incident confirmed - because we had been given hints up to that point anyway - that Haytham had already been notorious for his ruthlessness and cruelty. There was nothing that could stop him, and he was afraid of nothing; noone could mess with him and make it out alive, and once he blacklisted a person, that person was sure to meet their death. The only times when he actually showed mercy were the moments when he killed his victims, as he made sure their deaths were instant and quick. And the only person who could actually defeat him was Connor, but not because he was stronger than Haytham. Connor was very strong, but Haytham had incredible physical strength in spite of his delicate build and light movement; and there was no way Connor could have matched him; but by removing his hidden blade during their final, fatal confrontation, Haytham ensured that he would give Connor a fighting chance. And proud as he was until the end, he would have never allowed himself to succumb to any other blade, than that of his own son; in any other case, he would surely have succeeded in cheating death.

 

In the long course of the Assassin's Creed Saga, these four characters are probably the most fascinating in terms of how they balance between good and evil, either due to the circumstances or because of their own perception of the world. Their evolution is extremely interesting, as is the way in which the actions of each one of them affect, directly or indirectly, the development of the others - especially how Shay Cormac's choices practically defined the fate of the other three, as well as the future of Connor and Arno, either directly or indirectly; and they all prove that nothing is ever absolute or clear-cut and, most of all, that good and evil are relative notions and much closer to one another than one would imagine.