BASIM IBN ISHAQ
Basim Ibn Ishaq is a central protagonist and Master Assassin in Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed franchise, operating during the 9th-century Abbasid Caliphate. Unbeknownst to him in his youth, he is also the human reincarnation (Sage) of the Isu deity Loki. After spending over eleven centuries trapped within an Isu supercomputer, Basim escapes into the modern world in 2020, becoming a key narrative bridge between ancient history and the present day.
Cronologia
Biografia
Basim Ibn Ishaq is a Master Assassin of the Hidden Ones and one of the most pivotal figures in the Assassin's Creed narrative. Born in the 9th century during the Abbasid Caliphate, Basim grew up on the streets of Baghdad and Anbar before being recruited into the Brotherhood by Master Assassin Roshan bint-La'Ahad. Trained at the fortress of Alamut in combat, stealth, and freerunning, he dedicated his youth to fighting oppression and dismantling the Order of the Ancients across Abbasid territories, Constantinople, and Anglo-Saxon England.
Beneath his devotion to the Creed lies a far older reality: Basim is a Sage, the genetic reincarnation of the Isu deity Loki. In the ancient past, Loki used the Yggdrasil supercomputer to preserve his consciousness within humanity's gene pool to survive the Great Catastrophe. Plagued throughout his youth by nightmares of a dark Jinni and accompanied by a companion named Nehal, Basim eventually discovers that these visions are manifestations of his suppressed Isu memories.
Upon fully awakening as Loki, his desire for justice is eclipsed by a millennium-old quest for vengeance against Odin (reincarnated as Eivor Wolf-Kissed) and a drive to reunite with his lover Aletheia. In the late 9th century, Basim's feud with Eivor results in him being trapped within the Yggdrasil device beneath Norway. He remains suspended in digital consciousness for over 1,100 years until 2020, when modern-day Assassin Layla Hassan enters the machine. Exchanging places with Layla, Basim returns to the physical world, reunites with Aletheia inside the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus, and joins the modern Assassin Brotherhood to explore genetic memories through the Animus.
Storia
Born around 835–844 CE in Samarra to the architect Ishaq ibn Khalid and his Norse wife, Basim experienced tragedy early in life. His mother died of an illness during his youth, and his father was disgraced after Caliph al-Mutawakkil took credit for Ishaq's masterwork, the Great Mosque of Samarra.
Ishaq was exiled and captured by desert robbers in al-Ula, leaving seven-year-old Basim to grow up as an orphan on the streets of Baghdad. As a young thief operating in Anbar alongside his close friend Nehal, Basim carried out contracts for the peddler Dervis, who worked with the Hidden Ones.
Driven by a desire to fight systemic injustice, Basim attempted to prove his worth to Master Assassin Roshan in 861 CE by breaking into Caliph al-Mutawakkil's Winter Palace to steal a mysterious Isu disk artifact. The heist went disastrously wrong: the Caliph confronted Basim and was killed in the struggle, prompting Caliphate guards to execute Basim's fellow street thieves in retaliation. Saved from execution by Roshan, Basim fled to the Hidden Ones' base at Alamut, where he abandoned his old life to train as an Assassin.
I PEZZI DI BASIM IBN ISHAQ
Poteri & Abilità
• Isu Reincarnation & Consciousness: As the Sage of Loki, Basim possesses heightened cognitive abilities, ancient Isu genetic memories, and direct knowledge of precursor technology. • Master Assassin Skillset: Formally trained at Alamut by Roshan in advanced stealth, freerunning, pickpocketing, and lethal open combat. • Dual-Wield Weaponry: Expert swordsman who wields a custom scimitar forged by the blacksmith Rebekah alongside a parrying dagger.
• Hidden Blade: Equipped with the signature Hidden Blade on his left arm, worn after voluntarily severing his left ring finger during his induction into the Brotherhood. • Reconnaissance via Enkidu: Partnered with an eagle named Enkidu, introduced by Eagle Master Fuladh Al Haami, allowing him to scout enemy positions from above. • Animus & Modern Technology Mastery: Proficient in operating modern Animus interface hardware following his emergence into the 21st century.
Apparizioni
• Assassin’s Creed: Rebellion (2018 / Added c. 2021) — Mobile video game featuring Basim as a playable Legendary-tier Assassin. • Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (2020) — Console/PC video game in which Basim appears as a major supporting character, secondary antagonist, and playable modern protagonist. • Assassin’s Creed: The Silk Road (2021) — Interactive novel by Mathieu Rivero featuring Basim as leader of the Constantinople Hidden Ones' Bureau. • Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Forgotten Myths (2022) — Dark Horse comic miniseries exploring the Isu mythological background of Loki. • Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: The Last Chapter (2022) — DLC story update concluding Eivor's journey and establishing Basim's modern-day Animus research.
• Assassin’s Creed Mirage (2023 / iOS 2024) — Lead playable video game protagonist detailing his youth in Baghdad, training at Alamut, and awakening as Loki. • Assassin’s Creed: The Golden City (2023) — Novel by J.S. Lewis starring Basim and his apprentice Hytham on a mission in 9th-century Constantinople. • Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Daughter of No One (2023) — Novel by Maria Lewis featuring Basim as a supporting character alongside his mentor Roshan. • Assassin’s Creed: Forgotten Temple (2023–2024) — Webtoon series incorporating modern-day framing elements following the events of Valhalla. • Magic: The Gathering – Assassin’s Creed (2024) — Trading card set by Wizards of the Coast featuring Basim as a Legendary Creature card (#0049, #0141, and Showcase variants).
Relazioni
• Roshan bint-La'Ahad — Master Assassin who rescued Basim in Anbar and served as his strict mentor at Alamut. • Nehal — Childhood friend in Anbar who was eventually revealed to be a psychological projection of Basim's suppressed Isu memories. • Hytham — Basim's loyal Hidden One apprentice who trained under him in Constantinople and traveled with him to England. • Eivor Wolf-Kissed — Viking warrior and reincarnation of Odin/Havi; initially Basim's ally before becoming his bitter rival.
• Sigurd Styrbjornsson — Adoptive brother of Eivor and reincarnation of Tyr, whom Basim manipulated to unlock Isu technology. • Aletheia — Ancient Isu entity residing inside the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus, who is Loki/Basim's lover. • Layla Hassan — Modern-day Assassin who enters the Yggdrasil supercomputer in 2020, allowing Basim to take her place in the real world. • Ishaq ibn Khalid — Basim's father, a disgraced architect whose exile inspired Basim's early desire for justice. • Dervis — Peddler and thief leader in Anbar who employed young Basim for smuggling jobs.
Evoluzione
Basim's narrative progression is marked by a dramatic shift in identity. In his early years during Assassin's Creed Mirage, Basim begins as an idealistic street thief driven by a desire to fight oppression after his father's tragic disgrace. Upon joining the Hidden Ones, he rigorously follows the Creed's tenets, seeking to protect the innocent and eliminate the Order of the Ancients in 9th-century Baghdad. However, his character undergoes a profound transformation as his dormant Isu memories break through his human mind.
Realizing that his companion Nehal was a manifestation of Loki's trauma from imprisonment at Alamut, Basim fully merges with his past identity. By the time of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, his primary loyalty shifts from the altruistic principles of the Hidden Ones to Loki's personal goal: seeking revenge against Odin and reuniting with Aletheia. Emerging into 2020 after eleven centuries in the Yggdrasil supercomputer, Basim evolves into a unique, modern-day protagonist who combines ancient Isu knowledge with the resources of the contemporary Assassin Brotherhood.
Da Collezione
For physical media and collectibles enthusiasts, Basim Ibn Ishaq features officially in major gaming and print releases. His primary physical collectible presence is in the Magic: The Gathering – Assassin's Creed crossover set released on July 5, 2024, produced by Wizards of the Coast.
In this set, Basim is featured as an official Legendary Creature card (card numbers #0049 and #0141, along with specialized Showcase variants) designed around the 'Historic' spell casting mechanic. Physical collectors also seek out print editions of his storyline novels, including the hardcover release of Assassin's Creed: The Golden City by Aconyte Books and the Dark Horse comic series Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Forgotten Myths.
Curiosità
• Basim willingly severed his left ring finger during his formal induction into the Hidden Ones at Alamut in order to wield the Hidden Blade. • His father, Ishaq ibn Khalid, designed the Great Mosque of Samarra, but Caliph al-Mutawakkil stole credit for the architecture and exiled him.
• During his childhood in Baghdad, Basim visited the House of Wisdom and met the famous astronomer Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. • Nehal was never an actual living person during Basim's youth; she was a visual manifestation of Loki's repressed Isu memories. • Basim remained inside the Isu Yggdrasil supercomputer for more than 1,100 years from the late 9th century until Layla Hassan freed him in 2020.
