The Assassin’s Creed Collection 7 – 10: Shay, Evie, Aveline, & Edward Kenway

It’s been a while since we last checked in with Hachette’s “Assassin’s Creed The Official Collection”. The months have flown by and in that time the number of figures has steadily grown to feature a diverse raft of characters – some of them largely unknown to all but hardcore fans of the franchise.

With Assassin’s Creed Origins having brought the series back into the spotlight, here’s another overview spanning issues 7 – 10. Be sure to follow us in the coming weeks and months as we continue to unearth more of these famous faces from the series.

For more information about Assassin’s Creed The Official Collection, you can visit the official website. In the meantime, let’s talk through the latest batch of issues, discussing four new characters and the games they come from.

Shay Cormac

With issue seven comes Shay Cormac, one of the series’ lesser known protagonists. He was the posterboy for Assassin’s Creed Rogue which launched on the very same day as Assassin’s Creed Unity back in 2014, albeit only for the last generation of console. It was a bizarre move on Ubisoft’s part, casting a shadow over one of the franchise’s better outings.

What really set Shay apart was his defection from the Assassin Brotherhood to the Colonial Rite of the Templar Order. Setting sail aboard The Morrigan, players follow Shay as his shaky moral compass across the Caribbean (and further) in search of Precursor sites.

Evie Frye

There’s an interesting contrast between Evie Frye and her twin brother, Jacob. Although they both work towards restoring the British Brotherhood and expel Starrick’s Templars from London, their methods are different to say the very least.

Where Jacob is dogged as fearless, Evie is cunning and compassionate. Although she isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty (the figure shows off her handy cane sword) she’s constantly aware of the human cost that comes with Templar occupation. Where Jacob is content to smash heads and lead his Rooks into one brawl after the next, his sister strives to make London a better place for its people.

Aveline de Grandpré

Like Shay, Aveline proves that the series’ spin-off protagonists can often be more compelling than some of its posterboys. Not only that, Aveline was our first playable female assassin and one that had a surprising amount of depth. Her story offered an alternative look at AC’s American Saga, set primarily in New Orleans and the surrounding Bayou area.

Daughter to a slave but then raised by one of the city’s most affluent families, Aveline is privileged yet imbued with a strong sense of justice. There’s a complex duality to her character that was often overshadowed by Liberation’s drawn out narrative and constant leaning on historic events.

Most will also have forgotten her unique arsenal of weapons which includes a blow pipe, sugar cane machete, vodou dagger, and whip.

Edward Kenway

A fan favourite of many, second only to Ezio, Edward Kenway is one of the key figures in the Assassin’s Creed collection. Not only did he helm 2014’s Black Flag, the fearsome pirate sailed his Jackdaw across the Caribbean in search of fame and plunder.

That’s something we tend to forget about Kenway. He was greedy, ruthless, and utterly self-centred, caring little for those who stood between him and glory. Hell, he even stole his signature look after looting the body of a dead assassin.

It’s that loose sense of morality that made him stand out, far more than Connor before him or Unity’s Arno Dorian. Instead of being raised by the Brotherhood, he simply happens upon them and has little patience for their teachings.

Written by
Senior Editor bursting with lukewarm takes and useless gaming trivia. May as well surgically attach my DualSense at this point.