Thomas Hickey

"The Templars. Lee. The big man, Haytham. They 'as the money. They 'as the power. That's the reason I threw in with 'em. That's the ONLY reason. [...] They paid me so I said yes. Didn't bother to ask who or how or why. Didn't care."

―Thomas Hickey, regarding his motives, 1776.

Thomas Hickey (died 1776) was a member of the Colonial Rite of the Templar Order. He served as a soldier in the British Army during the French and Indian War, and later joined the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

While a member of the Templar Order, Hickey did not believe in its cause and joined solely for profit. After partaking in a failed search for a Precursor site during the French and Indian War, Hickey left the British Army, but continued to serve the Templars as a spy and counterfeiter. In 1776, he joined the Continental Army and became a member of George Washington's personal bodyguard.

Due to his position, Hickey was tasked by the Templars to assassinate Washington, in order to allow Charles Lee to replace him as Commander-in-Chief of the Army. After being arrested alongside the Assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton, Hickey and Lee devised a plan to frame him for the assassination plot and kill the Commander-in-Chief during Ratonhnhaké:ton's execution. However, their plan failed, as the Assassin survived and killed Hickey, saving Washington's life.

Biography

Early life

Very little is known about Hickey's background other than the fact he was an Irish-born soldier in the British Army. He came over to Colonial America in 1752 and was stationed in Boston, where he was assigned as an assistant to the Templar William Johnson, joining the Order himself shortly after. In 1754, the French and Indian War began, during which Hickey served under Johnson's command.

Templar beginnings

"Don't need no expidittin' - don't need none of your fancy London-speak, neither."

―Hickey to Haytham, 1754.

That same year, Hickey and Johnson were recruited by Haytham Kenway for his mission to find a mysterious Precursor site. However, Hickey's spies were unable to find any leads, so Johnson sent Hickey to retrieve his stolen research on the Kanien'kehá:ka nation. Following Johnson's orders, Hickey tracked the research to a compound occupied by bandits.

Haytham explaining his plan to Hickey and Lee

Haytham and Charles Lee arrived not long after, and the trio attacked the bandits, entered the compound, and successfully retrieved the research, returning it to Johnson at the Green Dragon Tavern. Soon after, Johnson and Haytham concluded that they would need the Kanien'kehá:ka's help to gain more information on the land, to which Hickey suggested that they kill Silas Thatcher, who had been enslaving Kanien'kehá:ka people. Haytham and Lee gathered the remaining recruits, Benjamin Church and John Pitcairn, and with everyone assembled at the tavern, Haytham proposed a plan to infiltrate Southgate Fort.

Hickey and the others proceeded to ambush a slave cart, killing the escorts and disguising themselves in the men's uniforms to take their place in delivering the cart to the fort. Inside, Haytham stealthily freed the slaves while Hickey and the others integrated themselves amongst the British forces; however, this caused Silas to raise the alarm. In response, the Templars triggered a battle, fending off the soldiers while Haytham and Church killed Silas, allowing them to free the remaining slaves.

Hickey with his fellow Templars

In 1755, Hickey and his fellow Templars learned that Haytham had been in contact with a Kanien'kehá:ka woman, Kaniehtí:io, and the two formulated a plan to kill General Edward Braddock. Hickey assisted in the attack of Braddock's expedition, allowing Haytham to kill the general. After finding the Precursor site and discovering it to be a dead end, Haytham changed the overall plan for the Colonial Templars to focus on establishing a permanent base in America, as well as expanding power and influence throughout the British colonies.

Later activities

Lee: "Listen to that, he knows English."

Hickey: "Smart for a savage."

Lee: "Spirited, too."

—The Templars mocking Ratonhnhaké:ton, 1760.

In November 1760, Hickey joined Lee, Johnson and Church on an expedition to find the Precursor site they had failed to access five years prior, believing that Haytham had found the wrong site. While searching for Kanatahséton, seeking to speak with the village elders, the Templars encountered a young boy, Ratonhnhaké:ton, in the forest. Hickey stood and watched as Lee assaulted and forcibly demanded the village's location from the boy, to no avail, then left with the others after Johnson knocked out Ratonhnhaké:ton with the butt of his musket.

Hickey and the others questioning Ratonhnhaké:ton

The Templars ultimately found Kanatahséton and attempted to negotiate with the tribe's elders, but were unsuccessful, prompting them to abandon their search. Shortly after their departure, the village was set ablaze by a British regiment on the orders of George Washington, but because of their encounter in the forest, Ratonhnhaké:ton grew up believing it was the Templars who had orchestrated the attack.

At the end of the French and Indian War, Hickey left the British Army after being written up several times for disorderly conduct. Over the next several years, he maintained a low profile, leading an underground black market for the Templars, primarily focusing on forging counterfeit money and providing information through espionage.

In January 1774, Hickey attended a Templar meeting at the Restless Ghost tavern in Boston, where the Colonial Templars discussed the nascent American Revolution and how they could turn it into something to benefit their goals. The group also talked about the recent resurgence of the Assassins in the colonies, as both Church and Johnson had encountered an Assassin at Martha's Vineyard and during the Boston Tea Party, respectively. The Templars concluded that this Assassin was likely the same boy they had encountered near Kanatahséton over a decade prior, and planned to deal with him soon.

When the American Revolutionary War broke out, Hickey joined the Continental Army, where he was stationed in the Connecticut militia as an officer. Eventually, he secured a position as a member of the Life Guard, the personal bodyguard of George Washington, likely through the Templars' influence, and was stationed in New York City, where he continued running his counterfeiting operation in secret.

Assassination plot

"Ain't s'pposed to be none of your kind left. Suppose I'd best be rectifyin' that, then."

―Hickey to Connor, 1776.

Hickey being arrested along with Connor

In 1776, Hickey was tasked by Haytham to assassinate Washington, in order to allow Lee to replace him as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Ratonhnhaké:ton – by now an Assassin known as Connor – discovered this plot after killing John Pitcairn, and learned from Benjamin Tallmadge of Hickey's counterfeiting ring in New York. In the city, Connor tailed one of Hickey's men to his hideout and confronted the Templar, who recognized him as an Assassin and was taken aback, as he believed the Colonial Brotherhood to have been wiped out years prior.

Hickey tried to flee, and though Connor eventually caught up with him and tackled him to the ground, both men were soon arrested and sent to Bridewell Prison for counterfeiting. During his imprisonment, Hickey was placed in a cell right next to Connor's and was approached by Haytham and Lee, who reprimanded him for his recklessness. They then informed him that they could not pardon his release due to the investigation against him by Tallmadge. Instead, Hickey was moved to a more comfortable and private cell.

Hickey being moved to another cell by Haytham and Lee

Connor was later able to steal the prison warden's key with the assistance of Mason Weems and went to kill Hickey in his cell, only to find the murdered body of the warden. Suddenly, the Assassin was ambushed by both Hickey and Lee, who revealed to Connor that he would be trialed and executed for the murder of the warden and also for attempting to kill Washington. Lee's plan not only framed Connor but also allowed Hickey an opportunity to assassinate Washington, who would personally attend the execution.

Death

"Ya just had to be an hero, didn't ya? You and Georgie both. Now you'll see what it gets ya: a pine box and li'l else."

―Hickey to Connor prior to the latter's execution, 1776.

Hickey escorted Connor to the gallows after Haytham and Lee omitted the supposed trial. While being hanged, Connor was saved in part by Achilles Davenport and his Assassin recruits, and also through the intervention of Haytham, who had recently discovered his familial link to the Assassin. Having witnessed this, Hickey rushed towards Washington to assassinate him, but Connor was able to catch up to the Templar and deliver a fatal strike with his tomahawk.

Connor assassinating Hickey

As Hickey lay dying, Connor demanded answers regarding the Templars' plans; however, Hickey revealed nothing and instead mocked the Assassin for his belief in fighting for something other than personal gain. With Hickey's demise and his intent to kill Washington exposed, Connor was able to prove his innocence, through the assistance of Israel Putnam. Due to the chaos surrounding Hickey's death, he would later be recorded as having been executed for sedition.

Personality and traits

"You're just some blind fool who's always chasin' butterflies. Whereas I'm the type of guy who likes to have a beer in one hand and a titty in the other. Thing is, boy, I can have what I seek. Had it, even. You? Your hands will always be empty."

―Hickey criticizing Connor's motives, 1776.

Hickey was a slack, self indulgent and lecherous man, who often lazed about in taverns, excessively drank alcohol and enjoyed the company of women. He took his orders and duties lightly, hence he was often reprimanded for his reckless and unprofessional behavior. He was blatant, shameless and arrogant, which was evident by his lazy, improper and disrespectful behavior towards even his superiors and his enjoyment in mocking and belittling Connor.

Hickey talking to Connor prior to his execution

Hickey had very little care and commitment to the Templars' vision of a New World Order, and instead served only for a means of personal profit as he believed there was nothing else to live for. As a result, similar to Juan Borgia, Hickey died with little to no regret, content that he had already fulfilled his desires and earthly pleasures, even to the point of being almost nonchalant about the fact that he was about to die.

Nevertheless, while he did not show any particular devotion to the Templar ideals, he also never betrayed their cause as Benjamin Church did, and even proved willing to make a risky and public attempt on Washington's life with minimal support, in the middle of a hostile crowd. This led directly to his death, and made it unlikely he would have survived even if he had succeeded.

Behind the scenes

Thomas Hickey is a historical character introduced in Assassin's Creed III, where he was voiced by Irish actor Allen Leech. Historically, Hickey was executed for mutiny and sedition, and he was the first person to be executed for treason against the would-be United States of America.

Although Hickey was Irish, he spoke with a strong Cockney accent in the game.

In the memory "Public Execution", it was possible to kill Hickey by using him as a human shield. Additionally, out of all targets assassinated by Connor, Hickey is the only one not to be given any last rites.

A technical glitch in Assassin's Creed III Remastered removes the color of Hickey's sash, making it black rather than white.

Gallery

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  Early concept art of Hickey
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  Assassin's Creed: Memories art of Hickey
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  Memories art of Hickey facing Connor
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  A portrait of Hickey
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  Hickey running his counterfeiting operation
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  Hickey and Lee in Bridewell Prison
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  Hickey escorting Connor to the gallows
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  Hickey's final moments

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed III (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Forsaken
• Assassin's Creed: Memories