The Assassin’s Creed series has grown exponentially since it first debuted in 2007. With countless main games, spin-offs, and comics, the franchise’s lore is incredibly expansive. Throughout its history, the Assassins and Templars have fought with one another in search of the Isu artifacts, each edging closer towards their version of ‘peace.’

The Assassins believe in the concept of free will, while the Templars suggest freedom leads to unbridled chaos. Based on this, the Templars assert society can only progress when led by enlightened people, or to put it more simply, themselves. All of the Orders members can be pretty dangerous individuals, but some are far worse than others.

10 Charles Lee

Charles Lee was a boss that Connor took forever to finally kill in the third mainline game. Lee may never have risen to the rank of Grand Master, but he was certainly one of the most dangerous Templars to have existed. In its own twisted way, the Order sought to bring about peace. At times, it took morally questionable action, but Charles Lee’s behavior was truly despicable.

His dangerous nature derived from his lack of remorse, as he took pleasure in beating up children. A Templar who sees no wrong in assaulting kids is a dangerous person because they will stop at nothing to see their personal aspirations realized.

9 Warren Vidic

Throughout the Templar’s history, there were some more restrained than others. Warren Vidic is a great modern-day example of the Order’s insatiable lust for power and control. He was in charge of using the Animus (and by default, the Assassins’ descendants) to locate the Pieces of Eden.

Vidic was utterly repulsed by the notion of free will, which emphasized his ever-growing desire for control. He even took great joy at the prospect of killing Desmond Miles. All this makes Vidic one of the most dangerous Templars to have existed.

8 Shahkulu

Shahkulu was dangerous as he didn’t necessarily kill to advance the Templar’s goals, but because he was a sadist. He took genuine pleasure from torturing and mutilating people. He was also a formidable opponent for Ezio.

Shahkulu was one of a select few individuals who could resist the Assassin’s ‘Last Rites.’ After being stabbed with the Hidden Blade, he was able to strangle Ezio, get stabbed in the shoulder, and throw the protagonist off him before raising himself to fight again.

7 Cesare Borgia

Cesare Borgia was as corrupt and evil as his father Rodrigo. His motivations to rise to power were solely driven by selfish desires. Cesare sought to obtain the Apple of Eden to further his ambitions. He also had no aversions to killing his own family. While all Templars seeking the Apple of Eden were dangerous, at least most of them were united by a common goal.

Conversely, Cesare wasn’t interested in achieving this aim. Resultantly, he was a dangerous member of the Templars because no one nor thing mattered to him, other than rising to power. Like Shahkulu, Cesare was also able to resist Ezio’s Last Rites, which alone makes him a dangerous Templar.

6 Haytham Kenway

Haytham Kenway is a peculiar character in the sense there was some reason within him. As a Templar, he perhaps came the closest to actually agreeing with the Assassins on certain topics. He even left his journal for his son Connor in the hope he might one day understand Haytham’s choices in life, despite their differing ideologies.

However, Haytham was a dangerous Templar because he oversaw the eradication of the Colonial Assassins. Further, his unyielding commitment to the Order resulted in him trying to kill Connor to protect it.

5 Taharqa - ‘The Scarab’

Tarharqa used ‘The Scarab’ as a name to hide his true identity. He was a member of the Order of the Ancients, an antecedent group for the Templars. While all members of this organization were pretty dangerous people that ruled by fear, none matched The Scarab.

Tarharqa tortured, mutilated, and buried anyone who questioned him. This made him far more dangerous than his contemporaries, as they largely ruled by deceit and bribery. He was also able to fool Bayek into thinking he was innocent, which is a dangerous skill in itself.

4 Al Mualim

Al Mualim featured in the very first game, and to this day he remains one of the most dangerous Templars in the franchise. After being demoted, Altair is ordered by Al Mualim to assassinate nine targets. At the time, the protagonist doesn’t realize these enemies all belong to the Templars, or rather their secret order.

Eventually, it is revealed that Al Mualim is playing for both sides, and he ordered Altair to kill the nine Templars to further advance his own standing within the Order. This made him incredibly dangerous, as his deception enabled him to utilize the resources of both the Assassins and Templars to obtain the Apple of Eden.

3 Lucy Stillman

Lucy Stillman’s character arc took a very surprising twist in that she was a double agent. She clearly possessed a strong charm and great deceptive abilities. Born as an Assassin, she ultimately wound up joining the Templars. However, at times, even the Order wasn’t sure if it could trust her.

Lucy played Desmond and ensured he fell in love with her, making her job of using him that much easier. Had it not been for Juno’s intervention, who knows what may have happened.

2 Daniel Cross

Daniel Cross’s ranking is a difficult one. There is no denying that his actions were incredibly dangerous to the world, but the issue is that he was brain-washed into doing them. Cross was initially made a sleeper agent by Abstergo and he eventually joined the Inner Sanctum of the Templars.

Cross was able to kill the modern-day Mentor of the Assassins, thereby leading him on a path to become a Master Templar. Had he not suffered from the Bleeding Effect - which ultimately allowed Desmond to kill him - the world may have ended. Thus, Daniel Cross is one of the most dangerous Templars to have lived.

1 Rodrigo Borgia

Rodrigo Borgia was a truly repulsive individual and a sworn enemy to both Ezio and his family. Both a Grand Master and the Pope, Rodrigo was able to exert his influence across all of Europe. What makes him particularly dangerous is that not only did he have the resources of the Templars, but he was able to use religious pretenses as a justification for his actions.

Controlling both the Templars and the Papacy enabled Rodrigo Borgia to sink his teeth of corruption into every crevice of society that he could. Further, along with his son and Shahkulu, Rodrigo was but one of three individuals to resist Ezio’s Last Rites.

NEXT: Assassin’s Creed: 10 Hilarious Templar Memes