Editing Grand Master of the Templar Order

{{Era|AC|ACBL|AC2|ACB|ACR|AC3|TSC|Renaissance|Bbook|Rbook|Forsaken|Templars}}
{{WP-REAL|Grand Masters of the Knights Templar}}
{{Youmay|the highest rank of the Templar Order|the Assassin Order equivalent, the [[Mentor]]}}
[[File:Knights.png|right|200px|thumb|The emblem of the Templar Order]]
The title of '''Grand Master''' was the highest rank attainable within the [[Templars|Templar Order]] and granted the bearer full control over its members and their operations.

Having previously borne a more public face, more Grand Masters of the Templar Order were better known than their [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Mentor|counterparts]]. However, as the Templars slipped back into the shadows, the identities of their leaders eventually fell from the public consciousness.

While it was commonly assumed that all Templar leaders were drawn from the stock of Western nobility, due to the prominence of the front-organization that was the Knights Templar during the Middle Ages, the truth was that as the Order developed, diversified and relocated, many different people of various racial backgrounds and cultural heritages had assumed the mantle of Grand Master throughout the Templars' longevity.

==History==
===Middle Ages===
After two years without a Grand Master, [[Robert de Sable]] entered the order of the Knights Templar and reigned as their Grand Master during 1191. During his reign, he sought the [[Pieces of Eden]], particularly the [[Apple of Eden 2|Apple of Eden]]. After having lost the Apple, he launched an attack to [[Masyaf]], the stronghold of the Assassins. Later on, during the [[Battle of Arsuf]], he was killed by his rival, [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]].<ref name="AC">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>

After the death of Robert, [[Armand Bouchart]] took on the mantle of Grand Master as he and the Templars retreated to [[Cyprus]]. However, Altaïr pursued him and the two fought in the [[Templar Archive]], after the Assassin foiled the Grand Master's plans, resulting in Altaïr's victory and the Templars losing another leader.<ref name="ACBL">''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''</ref>

During the early 14th century, the [[France|French]] King [[Philip le Bel]] was unknowingly influenced by the [[Assassins]], and conspired against the Templars. As a result, they were branded heretics and hundreds of them were arrested, with the last official Grand Master, [[Jacques de Molay]], understanding that the Order would not survive as a public organization. With this, he allowed himself to be burned at the stake, saving the lives of his brethren and making his enemies believe that the Templars were finished, though in reality, the Order continued to exist – underground. This aside, before his death, Molay sent nine of his most trusted men out into the world to continue his work.<ref name="Encyclopedia">''[[Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia]]''</ref>

===Renaissance===
By 1476, the Templars in Europe were eventually led by [[Rodrigo Borgia]], a cardinal under [[Pope Sixtus IV]]. Operating from [[Rome]], Rodrigo's primary objective was to unite Italy under the Templar banner,<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref> however, the Italian Templars strayed far from the main Templar ideology and used the Order as a way to achieve and sustain power for themselves.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> Despite facing complications from the Assassins, mainly [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], Rodrigo managed to bribe the other cardinals, and was named Pope in 1492, taking on the name Alexander VI.<ref name="AC2"/>

Rodrigo then secured the power of the Church for the Templars, and from [[Vaticano District|the Vatican]], he oversaw the progress of the other Templars in Europe, including [[England]] and [[Spain]]. However, by 1500, Rodrigo's resolve had weakened, and control over the order fell to his son [[Cesare Borgia]], who acted as the ''de facto'' Grand Master.<ref name="ACB">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

After he killed his own father in August 1503, Cesare became the official Grand Master of the Order,<ref name="ACB novel">[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' novel]]</ref> though without his father's power in the Church, he could not maintain the same influence in Europe that his father had. Cesare was soon imprisoned with the ascension of the next Pope, [[Julius II]], and upon escaping, he fled to his brother-in-law [[John III of Navarre]] in Navarre, Spain. The Grand Master was ultimately killed during the [[Siege of Viana]] in 1507 by Ezio Auditore,<ref name="ACB"/> destabilizing the Templars in Europe and causing them to temporarily withdraw.<ref name="ACR">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref>

===Colonial America===
By the 18th century, the title of Grand Master had been slightly altered, becoming a rank that the leaders of the orders had depending on their region. In Europe, the Grand Master of the order was [[Reginald Birch]], an Englishman that worked as a businessman as a cover. He was responsible for the growth of Templar influence in the British colonies, sending over [[Haytham Kenway]] to lead them. Haytham, upon his arrival in the Colonies, gathered his co-conspirators, which had been recruited and located by Birch, and became the Grand Master of Colonial America.

Near the end of the 18th century, the title of Grand Master had been bestowed upon [[Charles Lee]], following the death of Haytham during the siege of [[Fort George]] by his son, the Assassin [[Ratonhnhaké:ton|Connor]]. Charles, being the only conspirator left from Haytham's rule, attempted to flee by ship back to England after his initial plan failed to kill Connor. He was unsuccessful though, and Connor assassinated him inside a tavern.

===Modern times===
By the 20th century, the "Founders" created [[Abstergo Industries]] in 1937, which from that point on served as the front for the Templar Order. Though its [[Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order|highest-ranking employees]] all held some form of leadership in the Templar Order,<ref name="Abstergo Files">''Assassin's Creed: Revelations'' - [[Abstergo Files]]</ref> there was still a Grand Master serving as the head of the company.<ref name="Rifts">''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' - [[Rifts]]</ref>

==Known Grand Masters==
<gallery widths="180" position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="left">
Hugh de Payns.jpg|[[Hugues de Payens]]<ref name="Encyclopedia"/><br>Entire Order<br>1118 - 1136
Rober_de_Sable_v.png|[[Robert de Sable]]<ref name="AC"/><br>Entire Order<br>1191
Armand Bouchart.jpg|[[Armand Bouchart]]<ref name="ACBL"/><br>Entire Order<br>1191 - 1193
Molay.jpg|[[Jacques de Molay]]<ref name="Encyclopedia"/><br>Entire Order<br>1292 - 1312
ACB Rodrigo render.png|[[Rodrigo Borgia]]<ref name="AC2"/><ref name="ACB"/><br>{{Wiki|Europe}}<br>1476 - 1503
ACB Cesare render.png|[[Cesare Borgia]]<ref name="ACB novel"/><br>Europe<br>1500 - 1503 {{C|de facto}}<br>1503 - 1507 {{C|de jure}}
ACIII-BirchKey.png|[[Reginald Birch]]<ref name="ACIII">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''</ref><br>[[England|Great Britain]]<br>? - 1757
ACIII-HaythamKenway.png|[[Haytham Kenway]]<ref name="ACIII" /><br>[[Thirteen Colonies]]<br>1754 - 1781
Charles Lee box.png|[[Charles Lee]]<ref name="ACIII" /><br>Thirteen Colonies<br>1781 - 1782
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Templar ranks]]