Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is unique in the Assassin’s Creed series for multiple reasons. It’s the first game to not actually feature the hidden blade in the mainline story, as well as the first to not offer instant assassinations for more powerful enemies. In fact, it doesn’t really have any traditional assassinations in it.
This makes it strange, mainly because it seems like this is barely an Assassin’s Creed game. But that isn’t really the case, as even if an “assassination” in this game often leads to a lengthy fight until the enemy is dead, there are still powerful story moments tied to these kills. There are also many that are choice-based, a first for the series, giving the player much more agency in the events that unfold. Fair warning: there will, of course, be spoilers for the game.
10 The Monger
One of the most memorable Cult of Kosmos assassinations in the early game, The Monger is a nasty piece of work, taking control of Korinth through very unpleasant means. The hetaerae (courtesans) of Korinth are being targeted by the time the player turns up, facing torture at the hands of The Monger.
This leads the hetaerae leader to ask the player for help in taking down The Monger and ending his reign of terror. This man being so awful helps make this assassination all the more satisfying and is made even better when his remains are displayed for all to see by Kassandra and the hetaerae. He also some great loot, which is a bonus.
9 Lagos
This man, whose name comes from λαγῶς in Ancient Greek meaning “hare”, i.e. a timid and fearful type, grew up in Arkadia and eventually took control of the region. This label of cowardice was apt, too, as once he heard that the Eagle-Bearer was hunting down the Cult of Kosmos, he fled and locked himself up in a fort.
This is no simple challenge for the player though, as a bounty was put on both their head and their mother’s, Myrrine. Lagos seems to be of good character at first, but it is clear the Cult has influenced him, even if he was still a member reluctantly. This makes taking him down feel fair, even though it still throws up a moral conundrum.
8 Pausanias
One of the two Kings of Sparta, Pausanias is part of a very long quest. In order to gain Spartan citizenship again, the player is given challenges by each king. The other King, Archidamos, asks her to help Sparta beat the Athenians in Boetia, while Pausanias asks her to ensure Sparta wins the Olympics. Easy for the eagle-bearer, of course.
Having completed both those tasks, the player will have picked up a lot of evidence to suggest that one of the kings is a Cultist. But knowing which king is difficult, and the player must return to Sparta and accuse one of them. If the player gets it right, Pausanias will be exiled, and the player can kill him afterward. Very dramatic indeed.
7 Elpenor
Always a shifty character, Elpenor starts out as the player’s employer, asking that they retrieve Penelope’s legendary shroud. In Homer’s Odyssey, Penelope wove a burial shroud to delay the pursuit of suitors as she waited for Odysseus to return. Every night she would wake up and undo some of the shroud, ensuring she never finishes.
A pretty important item to retrieve, then, and the stakes don’t get much lower with Elpenor. By the end of the player’s time with him, they realize he has been a Cultist all along, obsessed with the Eagle-bearer’s family. The player kills him, having discovered that he had planned to kill the player, in a satisfying conclusion to one of the lengthier stories in the game, even if the boss battle is a bit underwhelming.
6 Stentor
Adopted son and prodigy of the Eagle-bearer’s father, Stentor rose through the ranks and became Nikolaos’ right-hand man, accompanying him for many battles. The player comes across Stentor first in Megaris. If the player chooses to, they can kill Nikolaos, and Stentor becomes the leader of his men.
Stentor appears later in the game, face scarred, and again the player can fight him. His story is one woven through the whole game, and one that can have a surprising number of permutations, making the storyline where he dies an interesting proposition when considering what could have been.
5 Kleon
Perikles’ primary political opponent, Kelon is a shrewd yet nasty politician, influencing the citizens of Athens, one that is woven wonderfully into one of the best stories in the game. He begins his career appearing as a man of the people, but as he gains power and Perikles’ wanes, he shows himself as a brutal tyrant.
This brutally culminates in the murder of multiple citizens of Mytilene, after the corrupting nature of power and the influence of the Cult of Kosmos. The Eagle-bearer gets brutal revenge however, drowning him after the attack on Amphipolis.
4 Nikolaos
The father of the Eagle-bearer, the father of Deimos, and the father of Stentor, Nikolaos has powerful blood flowing through his veins. This strength was passed onto his two biological children and led to a bloody rivalry that afflicted all of Greece.
Nikolaos’ death isn’t set in stone, but rather up to the player, in one of the most important choices in the game. There is a vague moral choice, but this is the man that threw the player of a cliff when they were a child. So, if the player does choose to take him down, there is fair reason to, and it packs an emotional punch quite early in the game.
3 Chrysis
A priestess influenced by the Cult, Chrysis is a seemingly innocent mystic with a dark secret. It turns out that she actually committed an horrific atrocity, stealing the baby Deimos from their mother by tricking her. That is how Deimos became part of the cult.
The Eagle-bearer was on her trail though, seeking revenge for what she did. In a dramatic conclusion, Chrysis threatens to kill a baby by burning down a temple. The player can choose to either save the baby or kill Chrysis. She will still die either way, even if not by the player’s hand, so make sure to save that baby.
2 Deimos
Sibling to the player’s character, Deimos was stolen by the Cult having been seriously injured at the beginning of the game. The Cult shaped him into a megalomaniacal monster, believing that they were a demigod with the blood of the Isu running through their veins.
So, while they may be the Eagle-bearer’s sibling, they are also a bit of a monster, corrupted by evil people for evil means. The player can choose whether they die or not, but if so it is one of the most impactful moments in the game. It’s all about deciding whether someone is beyond redemption or not.
1 Aspasia
A true classical betrayal, Aspasia is one of the many historical figures the player meets, and her storyline is brutal. Revealed to be the leader of the Cult of Kosmos at the end of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, having spent the rest of the game behaving like a friend, it feels like a death that is warranted.
Don’t forget, this Cult that Aspasia led was the cause of an unbelievable amount of death, poverty, torture, and unfathomable cruelty. The leader of something like that deserves it right? Well, if the player doesn’t think that way they can actually choose to let her go. Just like with so many other death’s in Odyssey, they are in the palm of the player’s hand. While there are no traditional assassinations, these choices make them a lot more impactful.
NEXT: The 10 Best Side Quests In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
