Assassination (2015) Ending Explained – Final Scene & Meaning

Cal killed Alan Rikkin to prevent the Templars from using the Apple of Eden to control humanity's free will. Rikkin was about to make a public speech declaring the discovery of the Apple, which would have allowed the Abstergo Foundation to seize control of the artifact and implement their plan for global domination. By killing Rikkin, Cal chose to preserve the Apple and protect free will for the greater good.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, the Assassins establish that the Apple contains the power to influence human will, making it a weapon too dangerous for either side to control.

• cal lynch
• alan rikkin
• apple of eden
• templars
• assassins
• killing

Sofia Rikkin, despite being Alan Rikkin's daughter, ultimately chose not to interfere because she believed in her father's vision of peace but disagreed with his methods. Throughout the film, she was shown as a believer in creating peace through controlling humanity's free will. However, when faced with the reality of her father's imminent death, she could not actively support the Templar agenda by stopping Cal, leading her to stand aside and let the assassination occur.

Foreshadowing: Sofia's internal conflict between her loyalty to her father and her own beliefs was established earlier when she questioned the Templar methods.

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• alan rikkin
• father
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• choice

The original ending of Assassin's Creed was significantly darker, Shao Jun and Moussa were both killed during the escape attempt, leaving Cal as the sole survivor. Test audiences disliked this bleak outcome, so the filmmakers re-edited the final version to show all three characters, Cal, Shao Jun, and Moussa, successfully escaping together with the Apple. This change provides a more hopeful conclusion and sets up potential future sequels.

Foreshadowing: The darker original ending was foreshadowed by the consistently brutal tone established throughout the film.

• original ending
• theatrical ending
• shao jun
• moussa
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• test audience

The Apple of Eden is retrieved by Cal Lynch from Columbus's vault, where Aguilar had entrusted it centuries ago. After defeating the Templars and killing Alan Rikkin, Cal and his fellow assassins escape with the Apple, ensuring it remains in the hands of the Assassins rather than falling under Templar control. The Apple thus becomes a symbol of preserved free will and a powerful asset for the resistance against the Templar threat.

Foreshadowing: The Apple was hidden in Columbus's vault, where Aguilar had protected it from Templar hands for generations.

• apple of eden
• artifact
• columbus vault
• assassins
• templars

The ending depicts a victory for the Assassins, as they successfully prevent the Templars from using the Apple of Eden for sinister purposes. Cal, Shao Jun, and Moussa escape together, united in their mission to protect the artifact and resist the Templar threat. The conclusion emphasizes that hope and resistance continue despite dark forces, and leaves the story open for future adventures, with the Assassins now holding a powerful tool in their ongoing fight.

Foreshadowing: The film's narrative arc builds toward this triumphant moment of Assassin unity against their common enemy.

• assassins
• future
• resistance
• templars
• sequel
• hope

Alan Rikkin was about to make a speech declaring the discovery of the Apple of Eden. As the Templar scientist and antagonist, he intended to use this moment to announce the Templars' possession of the powerful artifact, which would have allowed them to execute their plan to control humanity's free will on a global scale. Cal's intervention prevented this announcement and the subsequent Templar takeover.

Foreshadowing: The Templars had been searching for the Apple throughout the film, knowing its immense power.

• alan rikkin
• speech
• announcement
• templars
• apple
• control

Cal Lynch joined the rebellion because, after reliving his ancestor Aguilar's memories through the Animus, he became aligned with the Assassin's Creed values of preserving free will. He understood that the Abstergo Foundation, led by the Templars, planned to use the Apple of Eden for sinister purposes, to control humanity's free will. This realization transformed Cal from a descendant observing history to an active participant in the ongoing Assassin-Templar conflict.

Foreshadowing: Cal's journey through the Animus and his connection to Aguilar's memories fundamentally changed his perspective on the Assassin-Templar war.

• cal lynch
• abstergo
• rebellion
• animus
• aguilar
• free will

The Apple of Eden was hidden in Christopher Columbus's vault, where Aguilar had entrusted it centuries earlier. This location was chosen to protect the powerful artifact from falling into Templar hands. Columbus, during his historical era, was either an Ally of the Assassins or someone who could be trusted to safeguard such a precious artifact. The vault served as a secure location that remained hidden from the Templars until Cal and the Assassins rediscovered it.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes that Aguilar protected the Apple during his lifetime, passing down this responsibility through his bloodline.

• columbus
• vault
• apple
• hidden
• aguilar
• ancestor