Assassin’s Creed: Ascendance (2010) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Cesare kills Oliverotto and Vitellozzo because they conspired against him by orchestrating a rebellion in 1502 that seized portions of his lands. After inviting them to dinner under the pretense of reconciliation, Cesare orders his executioner Micheletto Corella to murder both men. This brutal act serves as a calculated demonstration of power, he eliminates former allies who threaten his rule while sending a clear message to anyone else considering betrayal. The move cements his reputation as a merciless leader who will do whatever it takes to maintain control.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes establish that Cesare uses fear and strategic brutality as tools for consolidating power, making this outcome predictable though shocking.

• cesare borgia
• oliverotto
• vitellozzo
• execution
• betrayal
• romagna

Cesare manipulates his way into the position while still a cardinal. When his brother Juan is appointed Captain General, Cesare uses a courtesan to orchestrate a murder that removes Juan from the position. He then takes his brother's place, transforming from a cardinal into the military leader of the Papal Army. This scheme marks the beginning of his ruthless campaign to conquer Romagna and consolidate Templar power across Italy.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early that Cesare will use any means necessary, including murder and manipulation, to achieve his ambitions.

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• captain general
• papal army
• cardinal
• juan borgia
• power grab

The hooded figure is Leonardo da Vinci. He approaches Ezio in Rome to gather intelligence about Cesare Borgia and narrates the entire story of Cesare's rise to power. After completing his narrative, Leonardo hands Ezio a scroll and heads to Castel Sant'Angelo, where he is revealed to be working under duress for Cesare, building war machines for his army.

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• hooded figure
• ezio
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• revelation

Leonardo is forced to work for Cesare because he has been captured and compelled to build war machines for the Borgia army. At Castel Sant'Angelo, Cesare tells Leonardo to return to work on his war machines, highlighting the engineer's crucial role in Cesare's military ambitions. This coercion explains why Leonardo is secretly helping Ezio, he sees the assassin as a potential escape from his predicament and a way to undermine Cesare's power from within.

Foreshadowing: Leonardo's secret assistance to Ezio and his hidden agenda become clearer when his true situation is revealed.

• leonardo da vinci
• cesare borgia
• war machines
• captivity
• coercion

Oliverotto da Fermo and Vitellozzo Vitelli rebel against Cesare because they fear he no longer needs their services. As Cesare's grip on power tightens and his armies grow stronger, these former allies worry they will become disposable. Their conspiracy represents the growing dissent among Cesare's subjects and marks the first major crack in his carefully constructed plans, showing that even his closest supporters turn against him when they sense their own vulnerability.

• oliverotto
• vitellozzo
• rebellion
• conspiracy
• cesare borgia
• dissent

Ezio decides to target Cesare after hearing the full account of his ruthless rise to power. The narrative of Cesare's manipulation, murders, and brutal consolidation of power, including the execution of Oliverotto and Vitellozzo, convinces Ezio that Cesare poses an existential threat to Rome and must be stopped. His personal vendetta transforms into a larger mission to liberate Rome from Borgia corruption, as he recognizes that defeating Cesare will require more than individual assassination, it will need a broader alliance of skilled minds.

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• cesare borgia
• mission
• killing
• rome
• tyranny
• vow

The scroll that Ezio receives contains crucial intelligence about Cesare Borgia and his operations. Given to him by Leonardo da Vinci in his hooded disguise, the scroll provides Ezio with the information needed to plan his assassination campaign against the Borgia leadership. The scroll represents Leonardo's strategic move to aid the Assassins while maintaining his cover within Cesare's court.

• ezio
• scroll
• leonardo
• intel
• cesare borgia
• intelligence

Cesare uses the dinner as an elaborate trap to eliminate his rebellious generals. He extends an olive branch under the pretense of reconciliation, inviting Oliverotto and Vitellozzo to believe they will be forgiven and restored to favor. This calculated deception allows Cesare to draw his enemies close before ordering their execution, a classic demonstration of his willingness to use treachery against those who plotting against him.

• cesare borgia
• dinner
• trap
• execution
• oliverotto
• vitellozzo
• deception

Assassin's Creed: Ascendance serves as a bridge between Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood, setting up the events of the latter game. The film establishes Cesare Borgia as the primary antagonist, introduces Leonardo da Vinci's complicated situation, and shows Ezio's evolving mission to liberate Rome. The ending explicitly frames Ezio's upcoming campaign as a city-wide struggle against Borgia rule, directly leading into the events where Ezio takes Rome and confronts Cesare in Brotherhood.

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• brotherhood
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• bridge
• ezio
• cesare

Ezio assassinates Octavien de Valois in Florence to rescue Pantasilea Baglioni, a woman being held captive by the Templar. This opening action demonstrates Ezio's willingness to directly strike against Templar leadership and establishes his commitment to rescuing those harmed by the Templar order. The assassination sets the stage for his larger campaign against Cesare Borgia and marks his transition from individual rescues to confronting the broader conspiracy.

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• octavien de valois
• pantasilea baglioni
• assassination
• rescue
• florence