MAJOR SPOILERS AHEADAssassin's Creed Mirage will take players to Baghdad and put them into the shoes of a younger Basim. They'll get to see how he became a Master Assassin prior to the events of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and many fans are looking to gain insight into how Basim and Loki become one. To be fair, it's never clear throughout the game if Loki has entirely dominated Basim prior to the attack on Eivor, if Basim shines through sometimes, if it's Loki the entire time, or any other number of possibilities. Players know, in some way, just as Eivor is an Isu Reincarnation of Odin, Basim is an Isu reincarnation of Loki. By modern times, it definitely appears to be Loki in the driver seat, but that still leaves a lot of questions.
When Basim performs an assassination in Assassin's Creed Mirage's reveal trailer, he is seen in a dark realm filled with smoke and dust and a human-like figure climbing up out of the ground. Many theories suggested that this djinn, or jinni, is Basim's way of understanding Loki's consciousness creeping into his own. In fact, Basim has a history of visions like this, and he joins the Hidden Ones to learn the truth behind them. This theory about jinni being Loki makes perfect sense and is an interesting scenario to see unfold, but according to Assassin's Creed Mirage's narrative director Sarah Beaulieu, this theory is incorrect.
Beaulieu recently shared that she's seen a lot of theories regarding the jinni, but says none of them is true. This would imply then that the leading and most popular theory about the jinni being Loki is not true, with Beaulieu adding a tease that she and the "jinni became good friends along the way." This may very well be a reference to Assassin's Creed Mirage's story or perhaps a simple reference to the time spent crafting the narrative. Either way, on the assumption that it is not Loki, that changes everything.
Basim, Loki, and the Jinni
What it means exactly probably won't be revealed until Assassin's Creed Mirage's launch, but separating the jinni from Loki opens up a few doors. For example, while jinni can represent pagan beliefs meshing with Islam (and thus being a good way to bring Loki into the story), that's not all. One possible theory is that jinn are sometimes called upon for protection or magical aid, and it could be that this specific vision/manifestation is trying to protect Basim from Loki.
It's also worth breaking down that this jinni is not necessarily evil. While it basically screams evil, villain, and Loki during the trailer, it could simply be a red herring meant to lead players to the conclusion it is Loki. Jinn are not said to be innately good or evil, once again tying back to Basim's need for protection.
On the other hand, this could represent something of Basim that makes him more susceptible to Loki's persuasions, given that Eivor and Sigurd never become one with Odin or Tyr (though Eivor and Odin's relationship could change come Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Last Chapter DLC). It's hard to say, specifically because how Isu reincarnation is done hasn't been fully explored. Aita is able to be reborn several times, so that could be true of these Isu as well, even though fans only know of the one iteration. Perhaps this jinn, this invisible being and spirit, is someone who had been taken over by Loki before seeking to warn Basim.
Jinn are hidden, invisible beings, said to be able to procreate, raise families, practice religion, have emotions, and eat and drink. They are also said to be afraid of wolves, an interesting facet given Basim/Loki's relationship with Fenrir, and are said to be most dangerous at night, even though again, most are benign.
There are so many possibilities that it's hard to guess now, especially with the most popular theories thrown out the window. What's clear, however, is that Basim, Loki, and this jinni appear to be distinct entities, and perhaps assuming that the jinni is evil because of how it appears in the trailer is the wrong way to go about it. Either way, it's enticing as to what this means for Assassin's Creed Mirage.
Assassin's Creed Mirage releases in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.