Leonardo da Vinci

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"I'm not content to merely to capture the world. I want to change it."

―Leonardo to Ezio and Maria Auditore, 1476.

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (1452 – 1519), more commonly known simply as Leonardo da Vinci, was an Italian anatomist, sculptor, cartographer, painter, botanist, engineer, architect, and mathematician of the Renaissance. He is widely regarded by scholars, engineers, and artists around the world to be one of the greatest minds in history.

Leonardo played an important role in the struggle between the Assassins and Templars which raged across his homeland throughout his lifetime, all the while remaining a close friend and ally to the Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore.

Biography

Early life

Leonardo was born in 1452 out of wedlock in Vinci, a town outside of Florence, Italy, to a Florentine notary named Piero da Vinci, and a local woman named Caterina. He spent most of his early childhood in nearby rural Tuscany, so as to spare his father the embarrassment of a scandal.

However, young Leonardo's innate artistic prowess was obvious to his elders even then, and when he turned fourteen, he was returned to Florence, apprenticed to the workshop of renowned painter Andrea del Verrocchio; while there, he was taught an array of subjects and collaborated with Verrocchio on his masterpiece, The Baptism of Christ.

Florence

At age twenty, Leonardo was titled a master by the Guild of Saint Luke and opened his first workshop in Florence, where he continued to collaborate with his old master. During his time there, he also befriended the Auditore family, to whom he sold most of his paintings.

Meeting Ezio

Leonardo: "I often feel that my work lacks... I don't know... purpose."

Maria: "You should have more faith in yourself, Leonardo."

—Leonardo speaking with Maria Auditore, 1476.

Leonardo meeting Ezio for the first time

In December 1476, Leonardo met Ezio Auditore when the latter accompanied his mother to pick up some paintings from Leonardo's workshop. The two conversed inside the workshop of the artist, talking about Leonardo's paintings, and what else he could do aside from painting.

Ezio remarked to his mother that Leonardo would not come that far, seeing that he was incapable of even keeping his workplace tidy. Ezio's mother, however, was very confident of Leonardo's future, complimenting him multiple times on his talent and telling him he should have more faith in himself.

Soon after their conversation, the three headed back to the Palazzo Auditore, Ezio and Leonardo carrying one box each, filled with paintings to hang on the walls. Again, Ezio commented on Leonardo's seeming incapability, but he soon felt he was wrong about the so-called "fledgling artist" as they arrived at the Palazzo, noting that Leonardo was one to respect. This encounter sparked the lifelong friendship between the two young men.

Building the Hidden Blade

Leonardo: "Anything which shines glints in the sun, and that's a dead giveaway."

Ezio: "I thought you were a man of peace."

Leonardo: "Ideas take precedence."

—Ezio and Leonardo after the latter repaired the Hidden Blade, 1476.

Leonardo studying the Codex page

After the execution of Giovanni, Federico, and Petruccio Auditore, Leonardo met Ezio once again, greeting him with a brotherly embrace and expressing remorse for the latter's loss. He was then requested by Ezio to repair the Hidden Blade he had inherited from his father. Leonardo was immediately fascinated by its sophisticated and advanced design, as it, despite its old age, was way ahead of even their time.

At first, Leonardo had no idea how to repair it, but soon discovered that the page of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex that Ezio had included with the weapon could be decrypted, and used as a manual. It took Leonardo some hours to decode the page, but he eventually managed to do so and used the written instructions to fix the broken Hidden Blade.

Leonardo preparing to amputate Ezio's finger

Leonardo woke up Ezio, who had fallen asleep in the meantime, and handed the weapon over to him. Leonardo claimed that Ezio's ring finger had to be removed, because "the blade is designed to ensure the commitment of whoever wields it." This was only for his own amusement, however, and after pretending to amputate Ezio's finger as a joke, he explained that the finger sacrifice was no longer necessary thanks to modifactions to the blade's design made by Altaïr.

Immediately after this, a Florentine guard showed up at Leonardo's workshop. The inventor quickly told Ezio to hide while he opened the door for the guard, keeping him outside. The guard knew that Leonardo had been in contact with Ezio, who was a wanted fugitive, and as Leonardo tried to act ignorant of the Assassin, the guard threw him to the ground and started kicking him several times in order to extract Ezio's whereabouts.

Ezio promptly sneaked up behind the guard and tested out his newly acquired weapon on him. Afterward, Ezio brought the body inside the workshop upon Leonardo's request, hiding it among the bodies that were used for the artist's anatomical research.

Leonardo studying another Codex page

Leonardo and Ezio did not meet again until 1478, when the Assassin visited him with another Codex page attained from his uncle Mario Auditore. He deciphered the page, as Ezio practiced several new assassination techniques in Leonardo's yard with straw dummies, which had been set up by one of Leonardo's students, Vincenzo.

Afterward, Leonardo constructed a second Hidden Blade for his friend. Shortly after practicing with it, Ezio inquired about Francesco de' Pazzi, prompting Leonardo to discreetly tell him that he needed to seek out La Volpe. Leonardo assured Ezio that "the Fox" had eyes everywhere and that he saw everything, though no one ever saw him. He then advised his friend to look for La Volpe at the Mercato Vecchio and to be careful.

After Ezio put an end to the Pazzi Conspiracy, he visited Leonardo once more, who had been deeply worried about his friend after seeing the recent "madness" going on in Florence. He was soon cheered up by yet another Codex page, which Ezio had received from Lorenzo de' Medici.

Ezio giving Leonardo his Hidden Blade to be upgraded

Leonardo was astonished by the new blade design, as it had been developed to allow the wielder to inject poison into their enemies for a more subtle kill, without weakening its structure. Leonardo finished manufacturing the design rather quickly, telling Ezio that if he ran out of poison, he should visit a doctor. This confused Ezio, but Leonardo explained that the same substances that could cure could kill in higher doses.

Moving to Venice

"Ezio! I think I've figured out how to make a man fly."

―Leonardo telling Ezio about his flying machine, 1480.

In 1480, Leonardo received a commission from a Venetian noble, who graciously offered to transport the artist to Venice, as well as provide him with a workshop there.

Leonardo meeting Ezio in the Apennine Mountains

As he traveled to the ship bound for Venice, Leonardo once again met Ezio in the Apennine Mountains. The artist was faced with the problem of a broken wagon wheel and, lacking the means to fix it himself, was relieved to be able to ask Ezio to lift the carriage. Ezio noticed the contraption inside the wagon as he did and questioned him about it, prompting the first conversation in which Leonardo mentioned his Flying Machine.

Leonardo admitted that he had not yet told anyone about it, but said that he could not keep the idea to himself any longer. Ezio, amused by Leonardo's device, offered to drive the wagon for them both. As they set off for Romagna, Leonardo curiously commented that he had not even told him where he was going.

During the trip, the wagon was attacked by the soldiers of Rodrigo Borgia, threatening their lives all the way through the mountains. Ezio held them off by steering the wagon into the horses of the soldiers, and dodging the burning arrows the soldiers had started shooting at them.

Leonardo and Ezio on the boat to Venice

Throughout the ordeal, Leonardo was safely hidden inside the wagon, but as they reached the end of the trail, Ezio handed control of the carriage back to him. The Assassin then jumped off, staying behind to deal with the soldiers so Leonardo could get to Romagna safely. The two eventually met up at the docks near Forlì, where they were scheduled to set sail for Venice after Ezio went through an ordeal involving Caterina Sforza.

Venice

Ezio: "Antonio, this is Leonardo. The master inventor who built... this... this pezzo di merda."

Leonardo: "Hey! It's not the machine's fault! ...It's mine. I've checked and rechecked my blueprints. It's just impossible! [...] Ah, che idea del cazzo!"

—Leonardo and Ezio, visited by Antonio after the failed test flight, 1485.

Upon their arrival in Venice, Leonardo and Ezio were given a tour of the city by a baggage handler named Alvise da Vilandino, as they headed towards Leonardo's new workshop. During the tour, the three stopped at the market of Venice, where a few guards started harassing a stall owner under the command of Emilio Barbarigo. Alvise hurriedly advised them to follow him elsewhere.

As Leonardo walked past a store, he found a wooden puppet that resembled the human body and its proportions but had no money on him to buy it. He asked Ezio if he could lend some money, but at that moment, a female thief bumped into the Assassin and stole his money pouch.

Alvise da Vilandino touring Ezio and Leonardo through Venice

Alvise again guided them onward, near the Palazzo della Seta. The three saw the harassed stall owner walk up to the guards at the entrance of the Palazzo to demand compensation, but the guards only arrested him for "disrupting commerce." Eventually, Leonardo and Ezio reached the former's workshop and they parted ways with a brotherly embrace after Leonardo reminded Ezio that he could visit him anytime if he needed another Codex page decrypted.

In 1485, Ezio again consulted Leonardo for his expertise, but this time for something other than a decryption. He inquired about Leonardo’s flying machine, hoping to use it in order to invade the Palazzo Ducale di Venezia, and rescue Doge Giovanni Mocenigo from the Templar Carlo Grimaldi.

Leonardo, however, was afraid of the consequences should something be wrong with his design, as it required the person testing it to jump off a tower. However, Ezio insisted, and after one failed test flight, Leonardo deemed the machine useless and flew into a fit of rage, throwing the plans for it into the fire.

Ezio asking Leonardo about his flying machine

At that moment, he was inspired by the piece of burnt paper, seeing it floating upwards from the heat of the fire. Leonardo concluded that, in order for Ezio to reach his destination, they had to light several fires across the city, and allow the flying machine to maintain altitude over a longer distance. Antonio de Magianis volunteered to have his men light the fires in order to allow Ezio to prevent the Dodge's assassination.

Carnevale

"I know what this is! It's a firearm, but a miniature scale – as small as a hummingbird, in fact."

―Leonardo on the Hidden Gun's design, 1486.

In 1486, after failing to stop and being accused of the Doge's murder, Ezio came to Leonardo asking for a Carnevale mask, so that he would not be noticed. He also bore another Codex page, much to Leonardo's interest, as he discovered that it contained plans for a small firearm that could be concealed upon Ezio's wrist; an arma da fuoco, but as small as a hummingbird, as he stated.

After Ezio tested the pistol, Leonardo gave him the mask he had requested, and pointed him in the direction of Antonio de Magianis and Sister Teodora Contanto, so he could plot the assassination of the new Doge: the Templar Marco Barbarigo.

Ezio and Leonardo during Carnevale

Just before the Doge's party started, Leonardo recognized Cristina Vespucci – a previous guest of one of his patrons – who was attending Carnevale with her husband Manfredo Soderini. He informed Ezio of her presence, though also said that it might not be a good time to see her because of her husband. Ezio, however, having his new mask to cloak him, thought that she would not recognize him, and went to see her against Leonardo's advice.

Studying the Apple

Leonardo: "Fascinating... Absolutely fascinating..."

Ezio: "What is it, Leonardo? What does it do?"

Leonardo: "I could no more explain this than explain to you why the Earth goes around the sun!"

—Leonardo studying the Apple of Eden, 1488.

On Ezio's twenty-ninth birthday in 1488, the Assassin and Leonardo met at the Basilica di San Marco, just after Ezio discovered that a Templar ship was returning to Venice the next day. Leonardo pointed out several key facts that he had discovered, by piecing together the markings on the back of the Codex pages; such as the arrival of a "prophet" on the day the Piece of Eden was brought to the floating city, Venice.

Later that year, Ezio, his uncle Mario and Niccolò Machiavelli visited Leonardo to see if he was able to make sense of the Apple of Eden they had retrieved from Rodrigo Borgia. However, even the master inventor could not figure out what it was, stating that it was as unexplainable as the fact that the Earth went around the Sun.

Leonardo studying images projected by the Apple

Leonardo pondered on both of the artifact's names, "the Apple" and "Piece of Eden", suggesting that it could be similar to "Eve's Apple of Forbidden Knowledge." When Ezio touched the Apple, accidentally activating it, Leonardo bore witness to the symbols and projections the Piece of Eden emitted, though Niccolò and Mario fell to the floor in pain. Ezio, slightly less affected, quickly deactivated the artifact.

Leonardo commented that the Apple should never fall into the wrong hands since it would drive weaker minds insane. They then decided that it should be taken to Forlì, which was well fortified and ruled by their ally, Caterina Sforza. As they departed, Mario suggested that Leonardo come and visit them at the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni.

Aiding the Assassins

"Da Vinci's paintings cannot stay in the Inquisition's hands! Captain Diego has given away each piece to his underlings, and they are now scattered across Spain. We must recover all the pieces so the set can finally be sold to finance our fight against the Templars."

―A Spanish Assassin on Leonardo's paintings, 1489.

At some point in the late 1480s, Leonardo was asked by Ezio to draw a map to a hidden vault in Venice for his fellow Assassin Giulia. When Giulia met him at his workshop, Leonardo gave her the map but was too preoccupied with his other commissions to answer any of her questions. The Assassin nevertheless thanked the inventor for the map, which she believed was enough to help her locate the vault, and left.

In 1489, Leonardo gave a set of paintings, The Celestial Mysteries, to the Spanish Thieves' Guild, who were allies of the Assassins. The guild leader Lupo Gallego in turn gave the paintings to Jaime del Rada, a nobleman and a business associate, hoping he could find a buyer so that the sales proceeds could help finance the war against the Templars.

However, the art was unintentionally gambled away when Jaime lost a game of cards to the Inquisition captain Diego de Burgos, who then split the paintings between his own underlings. Ashamed of Jaime's error, Lupo called on the help of the Spanish Brotherhood, who infiltrated each of the residences and hideouts of de Burgos' followers and recovered the paintings.

Researching Pythagoras

Leonardo ultimately decided to accept Mario's invite to stay at the Villa Auditore, and lived there until 1499. During this time, he took an interest in the findings of Pythagoras, a Greek mathematician from the 6th century BCE, and the location of the Temple of Pythagoras. He managed to create a map pointing out the temple's location in Rome and used invisible ink to draw pieces of it onto seven of his paintings which hung on the villa walls.

Rome

Working for the Borgia

Leonardo: "There is graver news, I am afraid. They have the Apple."

Ezio: "Yes, I know. I gave the Apple to Mario."

Leonardo: "I am sorry, Ezio. Cesare left it in my hands to study, to make it work. Then Rodrigo took it from me, I know not where."

—Leonardo and Ezio meeting in Rome, 1502.

In late 1499, Leonardo was forcibly pressed to work for the Borgia as Rodrigo became pope. Cesare Borgia. He created pistole for Rodrigo's son Cesare, General of the Papal Army. These firearms were used by the Papal Guard and Cesare used one of it to kill Mario Auditore during the Siege of Monteriggioni.

Leonardo meeting Ezio in Rome

As Cesare recovered the Apple of Eden during the battle, he gave it to Leonardo to make it work. While he studied it, the pope reclaimed it. Leonardo also created plans of war machines for Cesare's campaign during the Italian Wars. Despite this, Leonardo remained an ally of the Assassins, secretly meeting with Ezio to inform him of Cesare's plans.

The inventor turned over the locations of the Templars overseeing his war machines and requested that he destroy them. After the war machines were finally destroyed, Leonardo also designed a parachute that could be built by sympathetic Roman tailors, though his design (or at least the materials used) would not survive the landings, and would need to be replaced after every use.

To avoid Templar scrutiny, Leonardo and Ezio would meet at different locations chosen by Leonardo and denoted with a drawing of a hand on a bench, as a signal for Ezio to wait for him there. During their meetings, Leonardo agreed to reconstruct a second, smaller Hidden Blade that could fit against a standard glove, in order to replace the one Ezio had lost during the fall of Monteriggioni. He also provided him with a reinforced glove to allow Ezio to use the Climb Leap technique, and a forearm-mounted poison dart launcher. However, due to being paid "very little" by the Templars, Leonardo needed to ask Ezio for the money for the raw materials upfront.

Leonardo also aided Ezio's apprentices by providing them with the same inventions and weapons he had built for Ezio himself. Francesco Vecellio in particular was impressed with Leonardo, and saw him as a "strange man, interested in art and invention more than politics". As Ezio forbade Vecellio to use a Hidden Gun, Leonardo created the two Hidden Bolt, which could throw a bolt in silence.

During one such secret meeting, Ezio asked Leonardo more about Cesare and his plans to conquer Italy; his friend told him the story of Cesare's rise to power, including the murder of his own younger brohter Juan Borgia and his betrayal of his three mercenary generals. The two then parted ways, as Leonardo was due to meet Cesare that night at Castel Sant'Angelo.

In 1502, Leonardo was invited to Constantinople by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II to submit a design for a bridge that would span a 250-meter wide section of the Golden Horn. Upon seeing Leonardo's design, however, the Sultan felt the project was too ambitious and scrapped the idea.

Parting

Leonardo: "If this is goodbye, then keep your money. I do not want it."

Ezio: "We will see each other again, you have my word. Buona fortuna, (good luck) my oldest friend. And take the money. On your meager salary you will need it."

—Leonardo and Ezio parting ways, 1503.

Leonardo and Ezio with the Apple of Eden

When the Assassins finally secured the Apple of Eden from the Borgia in late 1503, Ezio and Leonardo met at the headquarters on Tiber Island. There, Leonardo mourned the need to lock away the Apple, likening it to a masterpiece being hidden away from the world, though he did not oppose Ezio's decision.

Additionally, as Leonardo's patron had been arrested and his income was still meager, Ezio turned over a sum of money to his friend. They parted on good terms, although Leonardo refused to accept the money if it was meant to be a "goodbye."

Saved by Lo Sparviero

"Using one of the signs Ezio had taught him, Leonardo summoned an Assassin who was on watch duty around that part of the city. Leonardo asked the Assassin to escort him to safety; as he feared for his life."

―Niccolò Machiavelli in his journal.

At one point, while in Florence, Leonardo visited the Basilica di Santa Croce to meet with one of his friends. However, he soon sensed something was amiss and noticed several suspicious civilians following his every step. Using a signal taught to him by Ezio, he summoned an Assassin, Lo Sparviero, who was on watch duty nearby and began walking a few steps behind him.

As he was following Leonardo, the Assassin used his gift to detect a suspicious man who was wearing black-feathered armor and stalking the inventor. After killing the would-be assailant, La Sparviero hurriedly escorted Leonardo to safety. Several corrupt Medici guards accosted them along the way and tried to "arrest" Leonardo, but Lo Sparviero dealt with them and kept Leonardo out of harm's way.

The Mona Lisa

Ezio: "Perhaps it would do you good to focus on painting. You seem to be doing decent work on this one."

Leonardo: "Ha! You are kind, however even I can see that she is badly drawn. And that smile? Overdone. Meaningless."

—Leonardo and Ezio discussing the Mona Lisa, 1506.

In 1505, Leonardo was unknowingly targeted by assassins under the employ of Pope Julius II, who had learned of Leonardo's past work as a miltary engineer for the Borgia and wanted to deprive them of his genius. Fortunately, Ezio learned about the hit on his friend's life and dispached the assassins before they could reach Leonardo.

Leonardo and Ezio looking at the unfinished Mona Lisa

When Ezio later went to Leonardo's workshop to inform him of the failed attempt on his life, he found him working on what would become his most famous painting: the Mona Lisa, a portrait of the noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo. While Leonardo was so preoccupied that he did not notice Ezio enter, Lisa, who had secretly met Ezio the year prior, recognized and gratified him with a smile, which Leonardo asked her to keep for the painting. Deciding not to disturb Leonardo, Ezio signaled Lisa to remain quiet and left without saying a word.

Not long after this incident, Julius II decided to make use of Leonardo's talents instead and employed him as his personal military engineer. Around this time, Leonardo started to openly speak with his apprentice Salaì about his ties to the Asasssins and the Pieces of Eden, unaware that Salaì would later inform Julius. However, Leonardo's carelessness ultimately proved beneficial in this regard, as the Pope ended up becoming an ally of the Assassins after meeting with Ezio.

The Pythagorean Temple

"Ever since my exploration of that strange Apple, [those symbols] have been stamped on my mind. I found symbols like them in the writings of the Pythagorean disciples."

―Leonardo on his obsession with the Apple's projections, 1506.

Leonardo greeting Ezio upon the latter's return to Rome

When Leonardo returned to Rome in 1506, he made contact with the Cult of Hermes, and he frequently visited the personal library of their leader, Ercole Massimo. There, he continued to research Pythagoras and learned about his connections to the Pieces of Eden and the First Civilization that had created them. Eventually, Leonardo was kidnapped by the Hermeticists, who wanted him to give them the location of the Temple of Pythagoras.

After learning about Leonardo's kidnapping, Ezio, with the aid of Salaì, hunted down Leonardo's paintings that had been seized by the Borgia during the fall of Monteriggioni, as Leonardo had left them a hint in his workshop that a map was hidden within them. Using his Eagle Vision, Ezio pieced together the map after recovering all the paintings and uncovered the Temple of Pythagoras' location.

By that time, Leonardo had been taken away by the Hermeticists to be interrogated in the catacombs that led to the Temple of Pythagoras, where Ezio eventually caught up with them. Ezio killed all the Hermeticists, including Ercole, and rescued Leonardo. Despite his injuries from the ordeal, Leonardo insisted that he and Ezio venture deeper into the catacombs to explore the Temple of Pythagoras together.

Leonardo and Ezio walking out of the Pythagorean Vault

They eventually reached the final chamber, and Ezio recognized the room's architecture – a surviving Temple designed by the First Civilization. Though Ezio's DNA communed with a pedestal and revealed what would be coordinates, he decided that it was best to leave it, despite Leonardo being eager to learn and explore more. Ezio quickly distracted his friend by asking him about his future plans, which Leonardo gladly revealed as they walked out of the temple.

Invitation into the Order

After his rescue from the Hermeticists, Leonardo traveled with Niccolò and Ezio to Spain to chase down Micheletto Corella and stop him from freeing Cesare. After surviving wild seas, a skirmish in a tavern, long horse rides and constructing bombs, Leonardo decided that he had enough of traveling and fighting. He thus returned to Rome, leaving Ezio and Niccolò to destroy Cesare's warships with handheld bombs he had crafted for them, and find Cesare.

After Ezio killed Cesare in the Kingdom of Navarre during the Siege of Viana in 1507, Leonardo met again with Ezio and Niccolò at Ezio's forty-eighth birthday party. Ezio offered Leonardo a place in the Assassin Order, though Leonardo refused, saying that although he respected and supported the Assassins' goals, he wanted to tread a different path: "a solitary one."

Leonardo left for Milan afterwards, from which he would leave for Amboise in France.

Later life and death

"All my life—while I thought I was learning to live, I have simply been learning how to die."

―Leonardo to Ezio and Niccolò, a week before his death, 1519.

Leonardo spent his last years in France, at his home awarded to him by King Francis I, who became his generous employer and close friend. Leonardo took his most famous painting, the Mona Lisa, with him when he retired to France in 1513.

An elderly Leonardo and Ezio reunited

By 1519, Leonardo's health was deteriorating and he had become bedridden, requiring a servant to bring him food. Knowing his end to be near, he wrote a letter to Niccolò in which he talked about his worsening health and invited him and Ezio to come to his home in Amboise.

In late April of that year, Leonardo was surprised by Ezio, who had come to visit him and snuck into his room. As the two old friends embraced, Ezio let Leonardo know that Niccolò would be joining them the following day. To entertain Leonardo, Ezio then recounted his meeting and short fling with Lisa del Giocondo, the inspiration for his Mona Lisa, years prior.

After finishing his story, Ezio found that Leonardo had fallen asleep and kissed his head, promising to see him again before his end. He then left as quietly as he had come, moments before Leonardo's manservant Etienne walked into the room to check on his master.

Ezio and Niccolò stayed in France for an entire week, and visited Leonardo often. During these visits, he eagerly told his friends of his desire to travel outside of his manor to places like England, where he hoped to sell his submarine idea to King Henry VIII.

Leonardo would ultimately pass away on 2 May, with Ezio and Niccolò by his side. Shortly after their departure from Amboise, rumors began to circulate that Leonardo had died in King Francis' arms. Ezio was disgusted by this rumor and remarked that "Some people—even Kings—will do anything for publicity".

Legacy

"The plans I bought. They weren't JUST a folding chair, oh no. They had something else with them, something quite astonishing. A flying machine designed by Leonardo Da Vinci himself! And I built it!"

―Lance O'Donnell to Connor, on the plans for Leonardo's flying machine, 1770s.

Leonardo is renowned primarily as a painter. Two of his works, the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, are the most famous, most reproduced, and most parodied portrait and religious paintings of all time, their fame approached only by Michelangelo's Creation of Adam. Leonardo's drawing of the Vitruvian Man is also regarded as a cultural icon. Only around fifteen of his paintings survived, due to frequently disastrous, experimentation with new techniques, and his chronic procrastination.

Nevertheless, these few works and his notebooks are an invaluable contribution to later generations of artists. Indeed, Leonardo could arguably be considered the most iconic artist of the Italian Renaissance, with only a handful of his contemporaries—most notably Leonardo's chief artistic rival and fellow Florentine, Michelangelo—posing a real challenge. Leonardo was also revered for his technological ingenuity. He conceptualized a helicopter, a tank, concentrated solar power, a calculator, the double-hull, and outlined a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics. As a scientist, he greatly advanced the state of knowledge in the fields of anatomy, civil engineering, optics, and hydrodynamics.

Connor attempting to pilot the Flying Machine

Thanks to Ezio's intervention, the secrets of Leonardo's designs were unknown to many and were considered unfeasible by mainstream historians. During the American Revolutionary War, woodworker Lance O'Donnell attempted to build a flying machine for the Assassin Connor, based on copies of Leonardo's plans from France, but their attempt failed.

While Leonardo's ties to the Assassins were known to few, by the 21st century, the Templar front company Abstergo Industries had become aware of his friendship with Ezio by exploring the latter's genetic memories. In 2023, the Abstergo doctor and Templar Shimazu Sei listed Leonardo as one of several notable individuals who had helped Ezio rebuild the Italian Assassins.

Personality and traits

Ezio: "Leo—does this machine of yours actually work?"

Leonardo: "Well, it's in the early stages. I mean, it's nowhere near ready yet—but I think, in all modesty, that—yes! Of course, it will work. God knows I've spent enough time on it! It's an idea that just won't let go of me!"

—Leonardo's attitude on his flying machine design, 1485.

Leonardo receiving a Codex page from Ezio

Leonardo was a cheerful and optimistic man. Ezio was his closest friend, and as such, he treated him like a brother, and took great risks to protect him; even though he later said that courage was not his strong suit.

Despite being an accomplished and respected artist, as well as being deeply curious about the world's wonders, Leonardo was also a chronic procrastinator. Most of his commissioned works took years longer than anticipated, and many were never even finished. It is possible that this was because he did not feel his work to be important enough to devote his life to, as when he met Ezio, he complained that it lacked purpose, and he wished to do something that had more impact on the world.

Leonardo was also very critical of his work, as shown when he and Ezio talked about the Mona Lisa. However, this was in contrast to his earlier defense of his designs and his willingness to shoulder the blame for their faults; an example of this was when Ezio openly declared the Flying Machine to be a "pezzo di merda", Leonardo was quick to defend the device, firmly stating that it was his fault, and the machine was not to blame.

Leonardo examining a Codex page

Regardless, when Leonardo was intrigued by something, he became insatiably curious and often impossible to communicate with, as demonstrated when Ezio first brought him Altaïr's Codex pages for decryption. Leonardo was often forgetful and easily distracted. Ezio exploited this in the Pythagorean Vault by asking Leonardo about his projects, and taking his mind off the mysterious images and numbers they were gazing at.

Romantic life

"You do not need to lie to me. Salaì fits you. I approve."

―Ezio to Leonardo, 1506.

Leonardo appeared to be homosexual, as it was hinted at several times. When speaking to Ezio in Rome, he mentioned his work on the Mona Lisa, and Ezio warned him not to allow pretty girls to distract him from making the designs he needed. With his arm around him, Leonardo lightly assured Ezio that women would "provide little distraction" to his work.

Additionally, he seemed to be in a relationship with his assistant, Salaì. While exploring the Pythagorean Temple, Ezio and Leonardo conversed briefly about Salaì. Leonardo asked where he was but quickly clarified that he was only concerned about Salaì's careless spending. Ezio assured him that Salaì was safe at home, much to Leonardo's relief. Ezio then commented that Salaì fit Leonardo and that he approved, leaving the latter nervously speechless.

Behind the scenes

Leonardo da Vinci is a historical figure introduced in the 2009 video game Assassin's Creed II. He was voiced by the American actor Carlos Ferro, who reprised his role in the 2010 sequel, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

Trivia

History

• The name Leonardo has its origin in the Germanic name Leonhard¸ which is the junction of two words, Levon meaning lion and hardu meaning brave, bold or brave. Therefore, we can say that the name Leonardo means: "valiant as a lion" or "strong as a lion".
• Leonardo had no surname; "da Vinci" simply means "of/from Vinci," identifying the town of his birth, much in the same manner that "Ezio Auditore da Firenze" shows that Ezio was born in Florence. Surnames, as modern society knows them, were still fairly uncommon during his time.
• His name translated was "Leonardo, (son) of (Mes)ser Piero from Vinci".
• Historically, Leonardo became a close friend and military engineer for Cesare Borgia, whereas Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood portrays their relationship as more antagonistic, with Leonardo effectively becoming Cesare's prisoner and being forced to work for him against his will.
• Ezio used a wheellock firearm based on a design found in the Codex pages, which was not actually developed until just after the time-frame of Assassin's Creed II. Historically, Leonardo designed some of the first wheel-lock firearms.

Inventions and art

• Leonardo and Giovanni Auditore were the only known ones to be able to decipher and translate Altaïr's Codex.
• When Ezio accidentally activated the Apple of Eden in Venice, images similar to Leonardo's later designs for the tank could be briefly glimpsed. This experience may have provided him with the ideas for his later inventions.
• Eight of the thirty collectible paintings that were placed in the Villa Auditore were painted by Leonardo.
• A map of the city of Imola that Leonardo drew for Cesare Borgia appears frequently in-game; on a wall in the hideout, in Leonardo's workshop, as the Codex map that Caterina gives to Ezio, and in a Lair of Romulus, on the ground. It also appears on a wall in his workshop in Florence in Assassin's Creed II, even though he would not have completed it until 1502.
• In the short film Assassin's Creed: Embers, it is possible to see that Ezio kept Leonardo's painting Salvator Mundi inside his private room. The painting is historically known for being lost between 1513 and 1649.

Appearance and behavior

• In Assassin's Creed II, like other main characters, Leonardo's appearance did not change throughout the 23 years he is shown in the game, from his first encounter in 1476 to the decoding of the Codex in the Villa Auditore in 1499. This was rectified in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, where Leonardo was depicted older with a longer beard and slightly graying hair.
  • Leonardo's appearance was again modified in Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR, which depicts him as significantly older, having white hair and a longer beard, despite the events of the game taking place in 1509, only two years after the conclusion of Brotherhood.
• In Assassin's Creed II, the cutscene when Ezio visited Leonardo is the same each time (even after Leonardo moved to Venice), except when the Codex pages provided new modifications to Ezio's equipment. This is also evident in Ezio's voice, which is the higher-pitched voice he had during the first sequences.

Mobile game

• In the non-canonical mobile adaptation of Assassin's Creed II, Leonardo serves as Ezio's guide in early missions. He is responsible for tasking his friend to kill Uberto Alberti, rescue Lorenzo de' Medici, and assassinate Francesco de' Pazzi. Unlike the main game, all these missions are set in 1486, and Uberto's assassination occurs in Venice.

Others

• Leonardo's voice actor, Carlos Ferro, also voiced the Rafiq in Damascus in the original Assassins Creed.
• The strategic map of Rome that came with the Codex edition of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood contained some mirrored writing. Historically, Leonardo was skilled in mirrored writing.
• In Game Informer's March 2012 video interview with Assassin's Creed's then-Brand Content Manager Jean Guesdon and both writer Corey May and Creative Director Alex Hutchinson from the Assassin's Creed III team, Corey stated that one thing he greatly regretted not showing in-game was Ezio being with Leonardo when he died.
• In Assassin's Creed: Renaissance, Leonardo was depicted as having assistants as early as 1476, with Agniolo and Innocento as the only ones named.
• At the Abstergo Entertainment offices in Montreal, some of Leonardo's design sketches can be found in the research analyst's cubicle.

Gallery

• 
  Concept art of Leonardo
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  Concept art of Leonardo at an older age
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  A self-portrait by Leonardo
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  Database image of Leonardo in Assassin's Creed II
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  A young Leonardo
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  Leonardo with Ezio's Hidden Blade
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  Leonardo observing the Apple of Eden
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  Ezio and Leonardo in Rome
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  Leonardo recognizing the symbols in the Pythagorean temple
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  Ezio bidding Leonardo farewell
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  Leonardo as he appears in Rebellion
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  Leonardo's avatar in Rebellion's character menu
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  An elderly Leonardo in Nexus VR
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  An Animus projection of Leonardo
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  Leonardo painting the Mona Lisa, artwork for Universes Beyond: Assassin's Creed

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed II mobile game (non-canon)
• Assassin's Creed: Renaissance
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
  • The Da Vinci Disappearance
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel
• Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy
• Assassin's Creed: Ascendance
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations novel
• Assassin's Creed: Identity
• Assassin's Creed: Reflections
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice
  • Roma
• Assassin's Creed: The Last Quest of Leonardo da Vinci
• Echoes of History (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Escape Room Puzzle Book
• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple (Animus projection only)
• Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR
• Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game
• Universes Beyond: Assassin's Creed