Seeker

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A Seeker

Seekers were guards who wielded long weapons and were so named because it was their practice to conduct thorough searches of potential hiding spots, such as wells and haystacks, for intruders, relying on their polearms to probe these spots from a safer distance.

Aside from their standard equipment of spears and halberds, Seekers were more heavily armored than regular guards, though less so than Brutes. They often served in defensive capacities, posted at strategic checkpoints or doors and gates to secure entrances. However, they were also regularly deployed in patrols, traveling with other lower ranked soldiers, usually as a pair, or in groups of four.

Characteristics and skills

Italian Seekers

A Seeker's regular attacks could be deflected using any weapon; however, they could not be countered with a sword or a short blade. Instead, they could only be countered lethally with a heavy weapon, another long weapon such as those carried by themselves, or a Hidden Blade. The timing for the latter was rather difficult, however, due to the much smaller window of opportunity for the counter.

Their attacks could also be evaded, or the Seeker could be disarmed, which would in turn allow for a lethal counter-attack using their own weapon.

Ezio Auditore fighting a Seeker in Venice

Seekers could also perform a special attack in the form of a sweep that would knock a target to the ground by tripping their feet out from underneath them. While this did no damage, it opened up the target to subsequent attacks as they lay on the ground. The sweep could not be countered, requiring it to be either interrupted or dodged. When Seekers prepared to perform a sweep, they would raise their weapon above their heads at approximately a 45-degree angle.

The Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze could also perform a sweep attack, after he learned it from the fighting instructor at Monteriggioni. Using the maneuver, he was capable of tripping up multiple guards in one swing. In Rome, Ezio could use the sweep technique to slit the throats of nearby guards instead of sweeping them off their feet.

Accompanying this, Seekers could also throw sand at their enemies, blinding them momentarily and opening them up for an attack. Similarly to the sweep technique, the sand could be evaded but not countered.

Similarly to other guard archetypes, Seekers employed by the Borgia in Rome tended to be superior to those found in other Italian cities during the Renaissance, being much deadlier with their attacks and possessing higher-quality armor and weapons.

Chinese Seekers

A Ming dynasty Seeker

In contrast to their Italian counterparts, Seekers of the Ming dynasty were armed with swords instead of polearms, and also carried shurikens, which they would throw at their targets with perfect accuracy.

Seekers tended to be more aware of their surroundings than any other guard, and they would detect the Assassin Shao Jun if she walked closely behind them, requiring her to keep her distance at all times whenever she encountered them.

Behind the scenes

Seekers are an enemy archetype featured in the 2009 video game Assassin's Creed II and its 2010 sequel, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. A different iteration appears in the 2015 spin-off game, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China. Outside of these three instalments, other games feature similar guard archetypes, including the Varangians in Assassin's Creed: Revelations, the Defenders in Assassin's Creed: Unity, and the Spearmen in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla and Assassin's Creed: Mirage.

General

In Assassin's Creed II, certain enemies behave similarly to Seekers in combat, including the Farmer in the memory "Hitting the Hay", and Rodrigo Borgia while wielding the Papal Staff of Eden in "In Bocca al Lupo". Certain Papal Guards in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood who wield long weapons also share the Seekers' move-set.

In the memory "Infrequent Flier", during the cutscene where Ezio abandons the burning Flying Machine, a Seeker and a Brute can be seen on the roof of the Palazzo Ducale. Strangely, these are the only two guards archetypes that cannot freerun or climb.

In the E3 cinematic trailer for Brotherhood, two Seekers can be seen wielding swords. Also, their appearance is virtually identical to that of the Seekers featured in Assassin's Creed II instead of using the Seekers' updated model created for the sequel.

The Borgia Seekers in Brotherhood wear Burgonet helmets, which is slightly anachronistic as this type of helmet did not arise until the mid-16th century.

Gameplay

In Assassin's Creed II, if engaged in a fight with several other guards and a disarmed Seeker, the Seeker will rarely attempt to grab Ezio from behind and hold him for the others to attack. In Brotherhood, this can be performed by any guard.

When disarmed, a Seeker has roughly the same mobility as an Agile guard. Additionally, if a Seeker's spear is broken during combat by dodging his sweep attack, the Seeker will be forced to use an improvised weapon.

When attempting to escape from a battle, Seekers will not be the only guards to search nearby hiding spots; all guards will search for Ezio until he has returned to anonymity.

In Assassin's Creed II, the only weapon that can counter a Seeker's attack outside kill streaks is the Hidden Blade, and only if Ezio has obtained his second blade from Leonardo da Vinci. In Brotherhood, Seekers cannot be counter-killed at all outside kill streaks.

Seekers are one of the few guard archetypes that can kill a member of the Cento Occhi by themselves. They can also kill the lowest-ranked Assassin apprentices.

Other

In Assassin's Creed: Identity, an achievement named "Outlaw" is unlocked by making a Seeker look for Lo Sparviero for 30 minutes.

Gallery

• 
  A Borgia Seeker
• 
  A Venetian Seeker and three other guards

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
• Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China
• Assassin's Creed: Identity
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice – Creed vs Crows (non-canon)