Because of how early in development it is, there’s a lot not yet confirmed about Assassin’s Creed Infinity—an upcoming entry in the franchise that is a fully-paid live-service game. What that even means, when most live-service games are free to play, is yet another question, and a lot of rumors have filled in.
One of the most commonly accepted by the Assassin’s Creed community is that it’ll serve as a hub for future stories and past ones as well. This will, according to rumors, result in Assassin’s Creed Infinity featuring “remakes” of past games—perhaps better described as upgraded and adapted to Infinity’s live-service model—and that these will adjust, fix, and/or retcon storylines that have disappointed fans.
That in and of itself poses a lot more questions than answers, but if Assassin's Creed Infinity will “fix” problematic storylines, then there’s one that needs a full redemption arc: Sages. Many may recall how Assassin’s Creed 4’s story revolves around the pursuit of a Sage in Kenway’s time, as well as the appearance of a modern-day Sage, but ultimately that storyline falls flat and skips over Aita sages altogether for Asgardian Sages.
Assassin’s Creed Sages – Aita and Asgardian
For those who may have forgotten, Sages were humans who were essentially reincarnated Isu. Sometimes, it seems these Sages are able to gain their original Isu memories back, while others can resist or ignore their past. Throughout the franchise, there have been two main Sage-type characters to appear: Aita Sages, continued reincarnations of Aita who was Juno’s lover (major antagonist back in Desmond’s day, if reminding is needed), and the Asgardian Sages.
In AC4, Edward Kenway met a Sage in Bartholomew Roberts, while John Standish was a Sage encountered in its modern-day storyline. Standish was attempting to find a host for Juno. AC Unity also features Aita Sages in Jacques de Molay and Francois-Thomas Germain, and there’s a lot of setup for what the Sages could do and represent in the franchise.
But then Juno and Aita’s entire storyline was relegated to the comics, where Desmond’s son Elijah—able to resist Aita’s personality and desires as a Sage with Desmond’s genes—puts an end to Juno’s reincarnation. Indeed, there are many who are unaware even that Juno was “resolved” in this manner, and it’s problematic for the storytelling of the franchise as a whole.
Of course, Sages are not done and gone. Players learn in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla that the Asgardian Isu stole a way to escape The Great Catastrophe from other Isu and had themselves reincarnated. Whereas Aita reincarnated several times, though, there’s no clear indication if that’s possible for Odin, Thor, Loki, and the like, but these Sages may have some impact on the franchise’s future with AC Valhalla’s upcoming DLC. Right now, it remains unclear.
The Problem with Assassin’s Creed’s Sages
Hopefully, the importance of the Asgardian Sages will become more clear as the franchise moves forward. As it stands, Loki is alive in the modern-day, and Eivor has suppressed Odin, yet there’s clearly more here to tell. That story is still developing, but the Aita Sages should have a better end. If AC Infinity is fixing storylines, the Sages are perfect to fix.
Sure, learning more about Aita Sages, Asgardian Sages, and potentially other Sages will likely happen eventually, yet it’s the sudden drop of Aita Sages that deserves new attention. Aita Sages had a purpose and goal in finding, freeing, reincarnating, and protecting/loving Juno, but that potentially means several more reincarnations than fans currently know. Beyond the few mentioned above, what else did these Aita Sages do with the Templars and Assassins, is Aita the only one reincarnating this often, and why?
Sages, sometimes, were driven crazy, but that doesn’t mean they all were. Sages sometimes embraced their role as Aita, and others didn’t. How did this random process, then, impact Assassin’s Creed’s historical timeline? The story and idea got a good running start but then, at least for Aita and non-Asgardians, went nowhere important and definite for the franchise.
Aita and Juno appeared in AC Odyssey's DLC, but it still didn't explain much. With Aita reincarnating, with this happening to other Isu, and Loki now existing in the modern-day storyline, AC Infinity may be able to bring together and present a stronger story for the Sages as a whole, beginning with Aita.
These are just some questions that could be better explored by further defining Sages and bringing the whole concept of modern Isu back into the main Assassin’s Creed fold. The story never deserved to be dropped out of the mainline games, obviously as this was the result of Desmond giving his life and freeing her to save the world, but bringing it back, elaborating on the Sages, and giving them more storytelling—while also showing what’s next for Asgardians or other Sages—would be a good way for Infinity to bring this storyline all together.
Assassin’s Creed Infinity is in development.