Freerunning

Rosa: "Climbing a bit of scaffolding is all well and good, but let's see how you do out in the open."

Ezio: "Top of that tower, then? Torno fra un attimo. (I'll be right back.)"

—Rosa challenging Ezio Auditore.

The Codex sketch on freerunning

Freerunning is a form of acrobatics in which participants navigate through a landscape by performing fluid movements over and across urban or natural structures.

This particular form of movement was utilized primarily by members of the Assassin Order, and was a vital asset both during and after assassinations. Over time, Assassins would also use a series of tools to supplement their climbing and freerunning abilities.

Additionally, freerunning was integrated into the Animi Training Program, in order for Abstergo recruits to mimic the skills learned predominantly by Assassins in history.

Vertical movement

Ezio Auditore climbing up onto a bar

In general, vertical movements involved climbing or scaling structures that provided adequate handholds, or a texture rough enough to grip. Inversely, they also allowed one to safely drop down from a height.

• Wallpass was the act of climbing a tall wall by kicking its surface once to propel upwards.
• Climb-up was the movement of pulling oneself up onto an obstacle from a hanging position.
• Drop was the act of jumping downwards, after releasing one's grip from a hanging position or bar.
• Long jump was a leap from a high height, and was usually followed by a break fall.
• Climb leap was a vertical jump while holding onto a vertical surface, which allowed one to grab potentially out-of-reach handholds.
• Beam jump was performed from horseback, and allowed one to use the horse's momentum to leap from the saddle, grab a beam, and swing around to either land on it, or on an adjacent one.
• The Leap of Faith was performed only by trained Assassins and certain Templars and Abstergo recruits, which involved leaping from a significant height onto a cushioned material.
• Leap to swing is a variation of the Leap of Faith which is consisting in diving towards an horizontal rope from a high point and to absorb the fall by grabbing the rope at the last second.

Horizontal movement

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad performing a gap jump

Horizontal movements generally involved moving over large distances such as swimming, sprinting, running or walking, or methods that allowed one to clear obstacles, such as gaps or breaks.

• Swing was a movement in which one swung onto a bar and let go, enabling one to grab another object or drop to the ground.
• Pass involved quickly and smoothly passing over medium sized obstacles.
• Break fall was a forward roll where the hands, arms, and diagonal of the back made contact with the ground.
• Arm jump was to land on the side of an obstacle in a hanging position, hands gripping the top edge and holding the body in place.
• Back eject was to jump backwards from a hanging position onto an opposite structure.
• Gap jump was performed similarly to a long jump, except over an open expanse between two relatively level areas.
• Precision jump was a moving jump from one object to a specific spot on another object, usually with a small surface.
• Dive was only used with merchant stalls, where one jumped hands-first through an open stall and used a roll to get back up quickly.
• Spring jump could only be done using a springboard, such as those in the Oltrarno District of Florence. It allowed one to jump forward twice as far, through the external force of the device.
• Corner swing was when one would sharply turn a corner, by jumping forward and grabbing onto a lantern (or any other fixture) mounted on a building's corner, then using one's momentum to swing on it.
• Vault was to use one's own momentum to pass over or slide under obstacles.

Tools

"When he tires of running, an Assassin must take to the air."

―Yusuf Tazim describing zipline uses to Ezio Auditore, 1511.

Ezio using the Hookblade to traverse a zipline

As they used freerunning for travel and escape, Assassins (or their allies) developed tools that would improve their abilities. Among these were the Climb Leap Glove manufactured by Leonardo da Vinci, and the Hookblade, which was used by the Ottoman Assassins.

Though the climb leap technique could also be performed unaided, the Climb Leap Glove improved the strength of one's grip, and allowed older or less experienced individuals to perform the technique.

The Hookblade aided in both vertical and horizontal movement. When used with ziplines posted on Constantinople's rooftops, the Hookblade allowed one to travel great diagonal distances much quicker than running or climbing normally. The device also extended one's reach upwards during a climb leap, or forwards during an arm jump.

During the Louisiana Rebellion, Aveline de Grandpré exploited the whip to navigate across different routes and rooftops, using it to swing to out of reach beams.

In 1868, the British Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye had rope launchers fitted into their Assassin gauntlets by Alexander Graham Bell. From that point on, they would utilize the rope launcher to swiftly scale tall buildings or form temporary ziplines.

Trivia

• Though referred to as "freerunning" throughout the Assassin's Creed series, the Assassins' focus on speed and efficiency, rather than creativity, more closely resembles standard Parkour.
• There was a bug present in most installments of the series, where civilians in certain areas or circumstances were able to perform freerunning movements.
• Other than the Assassins, several factions were also known to be adept freerunners, including Agile guards, Thieves, Borgia messengers, Papal guards, Followers of Romulus, and Janissaries. A few Templars have also proven to be good freerunners, such as Francesco de' Pazzi, Haytham Kenway and ex-Assassin Shay Cormac.
• Freerunning puzzles have become a mainstay in the series since Assassin's Creed II, coming in the form of Assassin Tombs, Templar Lairs, Lairs of Romulus, Memory Seal locations, the locations for pieces of Captain Kidd's treasure map, and Tombs of the Fallen.

Gallery

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  Ezio Auditore scaling Santa Maria dei Frari
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  Ezio moving along a rafter
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  Ezio catching a ledge
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  Ezio performing a corner swing
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  Fujibayashi Naoe freerunning on a roof
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  Edward Kenway freeruning through a Maya temple
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  Shimazu Saito freerunning across Manila's rooftops
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  Haytham Kenway scaling the mast of the Providence
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  Aveline de Grandpré navigating the outskirts of a fort
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  Connor running along tree branches
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  Connor swinging from wooden beams
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  Arno Dorian performing a leap to swing move
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  Desmond Miles freerunning in the Rome hideout
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  Desmond freerunning in the Colosseum Vault
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  Desmond freerunning through a skyscraper in New York
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  Layla Hassan freerunning while completing an Animus Anomaly
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  Noa Kim freerunning at Yangon's harbor