Editing Portuguese Rite of the Templar Order

{{Era|Organizations|Templars}}
{{Spoilerhd|25 September 2025|[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]}}
{{Pre-release|[[Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game]]}}
{{Conjecture}}
{{Faction Infobox
|name = Portuguese Rite of the Templar Order
|leader = [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]]
|headquarters = [[Lisbon]]
|locations = [[Portugal]]<br>[[Japan]] {{c|16th century}}
|related = [[Templars]]<br>Kingdom of Portugal<br>[[Portuguese Empire]]<br>[[Military Order of Aviz]]<br>[[Abstergo Industries]]
}}
The '''Portuguese Rite of the Templar Order''' is the branch of the [[Templars|Templar Order]] operating in [[Portugal]].

==History==
===Renaissance===
====Operations in Lisbon====
In the early 16th century, emboldened by Portuguese colonization efforts, the Templars started sending "missionaries" as far east as [[India]], paying for the expeditions by diverting money sent by King [[Manuel I of Portugal|Manuel I]]. The Templar sea [[captain]] [[Francisco]] was placed in charge of the Templars' proselytizing in Portugal's colonies. However, he was eliminated by the [[Assassins]] in 1511, who boarded one of his [[ship]]s in [[Lisbon]] and killed him at sea.<ref name="ACR">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Mediterranean Defense]]</ref>

That same year, the Templars payed large sums of money to explorers for information of their discoveries. However, the Assassins, although lacking the Templars' wealth, used other means of acquiring the same information.<ref name="ACR" />

====Expansion to Japan====
Circa 1560,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Iga no Monogatari]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Iga no Monogatari Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]</ref> the [[Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order|Inner Sanctum]] tasked the Portuguese Templar [[Nuno Caro]] with traveling to [[Japan]] in search of [[Piece of Eden|Pieces of Eden]]. Accompanied by [[Duarte de Melo]], Caro worked to establish a [[Japanese Rite of the Templar Order|foothold]] for the Templars in the country and learned about the [[Imperial Regalia of Japan]]. Despite the artifacts holding no advanced abilities, Caro believed that their religious and cultural significance would allow the Order to rule over the people of Japan by influencing their beliefs. He thus endeavored to retrieve them and lied to the Inner Sanctum about the regalia's true nature so that they could continue to fund his mission.<ref name="Rift 3">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Database: Rift 3 - Shadows Without Light]]</ref>

Caro formed an alliance with the [[Shinbakufu]], a secret organization founded by the deposed ''[[shōgun]]'' [[Ashikaga Yoshiaki]], promising him the Templars' support to regain his title and power in exchange for the Imperial Regalia.<ref name="The Man Behind the Mask">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Man Behind the Mask]]</ref> He also influenced [[Akechi Mitsuhide]] to [[Honnō-ji incident|betray]] his lord, [[Oda Nobunaga]], whose ambitions to unify Japan threatened to undermine the Templars' plans, and recruited the ''[[daimyō]]'' [[Kimura Kei]] and Mitsuhide's daughter [[Hosokawa Tama]] into the Order.<ref name="Fighting for the Cause">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[Fighting for the Cause]]</ref><ref name="The Silver Queen">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[The Silver Queen]]</ref> By 1582, thanks to Caro's efforts, the Templars had successfully established a fledgling rite in Japan, with Caro at its head.<ref name="ACSH">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]''</ref>

However, the rite's operations were eventually sabotaged by the [[Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins|Kakushiba ''ikki'']] members [[Fujibayashi Naoe]] and [[Yasuke]], the latter of whom sought revenge against the Templars for murdering his [[Yasuke's mother|mother]] when they suspected her of being an Assassin spy.<ref name="End of the Line">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[End of the Line (Shadows)|End of the Line]]</ref> Tracking down Caro and his subordinates, Yasuke eliminated Duarte de Melo,<ref name="My Name is Yasuke">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[My Name is Yasuke]]</ref> Kimura Kei,<ref name="Fighting for the Cause" /> and Caro himself,<ref name="End of the Line" /> and helped Hosokawa Tama escape from the Order's influence,<ref name="A Promise">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – [[A Promise]]</ref> bringing a temporary end to the Templars' activities in Japan.<ref name="End of the Line" />

Following Caro's death, another Portuguese Templar, [[Gaspar (Templar)|Gaspar]], was ordered by the Inner Sanctum to secure the area around the {{Wiki|Yodo River|Seta River}} in anticipation of the arrival of the [[Black Cross]], who would continue the Order's work in Japan. To accomplish this, Gaspar and his fellow Templar [[Ermigo]] commissioned a band of hired killers known as the [[Seta River Killers]] to assassinate various influential people, which would allow the Templars to take over their respective communities. They also employed Ermigo's friend [[Rufino]] as a translator to help them issue out their contracts, and kept him in the dark about their true agenda.<ref name="Man Behind the Curtain">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – ''[[Story Drops]]'' – [[Man Behind the Curtain]]</ref>

Once Rufino discovered the truth, he enlisted Naoe and Yasuke's help to eliminate the Seta River Killers and save their targets.<ref name="A Critical Encounter">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – ''[[Story Drops]]'' – [[A Critical Encounter]]</ref> After they were successful,<ref name="Hunting the Hunters">''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' – ''[[Story Drops]]'' – [[Hunting the Hunters]]</ref> Rufino went to confront Ermigo while the latter met with Gaspar, and tried to convince his friend to abandon the Templars. As Naoe and Yasuke also arrived, all four were surrounded by Gaspar's men, who were ordered to kill Rufino for his betrayal. Ermigo tried to save his friend but was shot, whereupon Naoe and Yasuke eliminated Gaspar and his guards and invited Rufino to join their league.<ref name="Man Behind the Curtain" />

===Seven Years' War===
Sometime before 1746, the Templar [[Duarte Jorge Correia Pinto]] started looking for an [[Isu]] site around Lisbon, under [[John Harrison]]'s specific suggestion. By 1746, his research had been a failure, and he decided to go back to his commercial activities.<ref name="ACRG">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[War Letters]]</ref>

==Members==
;Renaissance
*[[Nuno Caro]]<ref name="ACSH" /> {{c|[[Japanese Rite of the Templar Order|Japanese Rite]]}}
*[[Ermigo]]<ref name="ACSH" /> {{c|Japanese Rite}}
*[[Francisco]]<ref name="ACR" />
*[[Gaspar (Templar)|Gaspar]]<ref name="ACSH" /> {{c|Japanese Rite}}
*[[João Machado]]<ref name="Lost Box">''[[Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game]] – [[Legacy of the Brotherhood]]'' – [[The Lost Box]]</ref> {{c|Japanese Rite}}
*[[Duarte de Melo]]<ref name="ACSH" /> {{c|Japanese Rite}}
*[[Gaspar Vilela]]<ref name="Lost Box"/> {{c|Japanese Rite}}
;Seven Years' War
*[[Manuel Pinto da Fonseca]]<ref name="ACRG" />
*[[Lourenço de Noronha]]<ref name="ACRG" />
*[[Duarte Jorge Correia Pinto]]<ref name="ACRG" />

===Allies and puppets===
;Renaissance
<div style="float:left; width: 48%;">
*[[Akechi Mitsuhide]]<ref name="ACSH" />
*[[Ashikaga Yoshiaki]]<ref name="ACSH" />
*[[Baltazar]]<ref name="ACSH" />
*[[Rodrigo Borgia]] {{c|[[Roman Rite of the Templar Order|Roman Rite]]}}
*[[Cesare Borgia]] {{c|Roman Rite}}
*[[Pedro Álvares Cabral]]<ref name="ACPL">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]''</ref>
*[[Vasco da Gama]]<ref name="ACR" />
*[[Hosokawa Tama]]<ref name="ACSH" /> {{c|Japanese Rite; betrayed}}
*[[Kimura Kei]]<ref name="ACSH" /> {{c|Japanese Rite}}
*[[Manuel I of Portugal]]<ref name="ACR" />
</div>
<div style="float:right; width: 48%;">
*[[Rufino]]<ref name="ACSH" /> {{c|betrayed}}
*[[Samemaru]]<ref name="ACSH" />
*[[Seta River Killers]]
**[[Trader|The Trader]]
**[[Exterminator|The Exterminator]]<ref name="ACSH"/>
**[[Builder|The Builder]]<ref name="ACSH"/>
**[[Collector (Japanese)|The Collector]]<ref name="ACSH"/>
**[[Contractor|The Contractor]]<ref name="ACSH"/>
**[[Tormentor|The Tormentor]]<ref name="ACSH"/>
*[[Yasuke]]<ref name="ACSH" /> {{c|unwillingly}}
</div>
{{-}}
;Seven Years' War
*[[Reginald Birch]]<ref name="ACRG" /> {{c|[[British Rite of the Templar Order|British Rite]]}}
*[[John Harrison]]<ref name="ACRG" /> {{c|British Rite}}

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Iga no Monogatari]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game]]'' {{Mo}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Templars nav}}
{{ACSH}}
[[Category:Templar Rites]]