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"Let me repay your kindness with action, Assassin. If you will have me, I will join your cause."

―An Apprentice to Ezio, during 1511.

The Apprentices, also referred to as Assassin recruits, were citizens who have joined the Assassins on the behest of Ezio Auditore in Rome and Constantinople, both to strengthen the Assassin Brotherhood's presence in the region and simultaneously combat the Templar threat.

History

Ezio: "To win this war, Machiavelli, we need loyal soldiers. By recruiting enemies of the state, we arm those who have been disarmed by the Borgia."

Machiavelli: "Go then. Recruit our first novices."

—Ezio and Machiavelli, regarding Ezio's plan to recruit allies.

Rome

Having witnessed the overwhelming odds that the Assassins faced in Rome, as well as the oppression of the people by those serving the Borgia, Ezio convinced Niccolò Machiavelli, that they would require loyal soldiers, with the strength and courage to face the forces of Cesare Borgia. Machiavelli reluctantly agreed, and Ezio's recruitment efforts began.

The first novices were recruited during 1501, shortly after the rescue of Caterina Sforza from Castel Sant'Angelo. Ezio traveled throughout the city, assisting the citizens wherever and whenever he could. He found many either terrorized, or fighting against the city guards. Upon doing so, he would offer each citizen the chance to join the Brotherhood and, should they accept, he would send them to Machiavelli to officially be made an Assassin recruit. The Apprentices subsequently devoted themselves to learning the ways of the Assassin Order, driven by the desire for revenge against the Borgia for oppressing the city and its people.

Ezio recruiting a citizen in Rome.

The Brotherhood steadily grew over time, operating with multiple apprentices, male and female, whom were instructed in combat, free running, pickpocketing, blending and other skills necessary for them to become fully fledged Assassins. Operating from the Tiber Island headquarters, the apprentices were often sent on contract missions across Europe and Asia, in order to improve their skills, gain first-hand combat experience and aid the Assassin cause. When not on assignments, the apprentices would support Ezio directly, coming to his aid when called upon.

One such occurence happened after Ezio's visit to the thieves' guild headquarters. He and La Volpe learned that the Borgia knew about Volpe's spies, an occurence which Volpe used to affirm his previous suspicions of Machiavelli's treachery, given several questionable acts that Machiavelli seemed to be involved with. Volpe refused to lend Ezio the help of his thieves to save Pietro Rossi from being killed by Micheletto Corella, Cesare's personal assassin. This forced Ezio to enlist the aid of his recruits instead. Micheletto's plan was to infiltrate the play that was to be held at the Colosseum. Ezio followed him, and had his Apprentices eliminate Micheletto's men, so that they could take their places. Disguised, the recruits and Ezio successfully infiltrated the Colosseum and foiled Micheletto's plan, with the Assassins protecting their leader from the Borgia guards, as Ezio moved Pietro to safety.

The Apprentices were also involved in the Assassination of the Templar Agents, an event during which several key figures, that ensured the continued oppression of Rome by the Borgia, were eliminated. At least two, Malfatto, who was responsible for murders of several courtesans in the Centro district, and Silvestro Sabbatini, a slave trader involved in kidnapping people who were interferring with the affairs of the Borgia, were killed by Ezio's recruits, rather than Ezio himself.

Constantinople

In Constantinople, Ezio was able to recruit apprentices for the Turkish Assassin Guild, in a similar manner as he had done in Rome a few years previously. Some recruits were citizens that Ezio helped out by completing certain tasks, while others were rescued from the abuses of Byzantine guards. Once recruited, Ezio could send the recruits out on contract missions in the Mediterranean, eroding Templar influence in key cities and eventually retaking these cities for the Assassins. Ezio could also assign up to five recruits to be stationed at a reclaimed city, helping the Assassins maintain control and protecting the city from the Templar forces.

In Constantinople, some citizens required that certain tasks be completed before they would join the Brotherhood. Some citizens required that Ezio demonstrate his speed and prowess in a race or pickpocketing challenge, while another sought out a group of Byzantine Templars after her shop was destroyed.

Mobilization

Ezio calling upon his apprentices.

During his own missions, Ezio was able to have up to six apprentices support him. They would commonly operate in pairs or alone, and were often called upon to perform Arrow Storms (wherein they would fire arrows upon any target from above), to engage in direct combat with an enemy, or to perform assassinations. Each time, Ezio would signal the apprentices to strike by raising his arm and clenching his fist.

When operating without their Mentor, the apprentices would move in teams, led by a single Assassin appointed by Ezio. Together, they would complete missions across Italy (such as Rome, Florence, and Venice) as well as the rest of Europe and beyond (including Constantinople, Lisbon, Barcelona, Moscow, Paris, London, Cologne, Vienna and Calicut).

Though they would not always survive these missions, the apprentices would, when successful, return with greater skills and experience, as well as money and items that they had obtained during their travels.

Likewise, while in Constantinople, Ezio could send his recruits out to cities in the Mediterranean (including Alexandria, Algiers, Athens, Bursa, Damascus, Genoa, Jerusalem, Lisbon, Madrid, Marseille, Rhodes, Tripoli, and Tunis) to complete contracts. At first, the cities were controlled by Templars; only by sending Assassins into the city could the Brotherhood erode Templar influence and eventually retake the city for the Assassins. Once reclaimed, Ezio could channel some of his income into these cities to improve their infrastructure, which in turn provided him with additional money and bomb supplies. Assassins stationed at reclaimed cities would also receive extra training.

Equipment and skills

The apprentices attacking a Borgia patrol.

Apprentices were trained in a wide variety of skills and weaponry, including short blades, swords, heavy weapons, long weapons, throwing knives, crossbows, poisons, guns, explosives, and, of course, the hidden blade. They were also capable horsemen, and were able to do battle from horseback.

Their armor and weaponry could be customized however they chose, with each allowed to decide whether they would specialize in attack, defense, or both.

Apprentices were also given trainee robes to wear to show their affiliation to the Order. Although these were all identical, standard white robes, they were permitted to dye them a variety of colors. Once inducted into the Order as full Assassins, they were given white Assassin's robes, similar to that of Ezio's.

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The Assassin was rewarded by a set of robes reminiscent of those of their leader, Yusuf Tazim, and a kijil similar to his own.

Promotion

The initiation of an Apprentice.

"Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine. The wisdom of our Creed is revealed through these words."

―Ezio, during the initiation of an Apprentice.

Main article: Initiation into the Assassin Order

Apprentices started at the rank of Recruit, the lowest one in the Order. As they gained experience through completing various missions assigned to them by Ezio, and advanced in their training, they would progress through several tiers, before attaining the rank of Assassin.

Upon completion of their training, an apprentice was formally inducted into the Assassin Order as a full-fledged Assassin. A ceremony would be held within the Tiber Island headquarters, where, as per tradition, the apprentice's left ring finger would be branded, and they would perform a Leap of Faith from the top of the building, into the Tiber river.

Despite the fact that they did not gain the priveledge of wielding dual hidden blades upon reaching the title of an Assassin, a certain sword, identical to those used by the Masyaf Assassins of old, was given to them.

In Constantinople, the recruits progressed in similar manner, moving through several tiers of training and completing guild contracts. A strong enough force of Assassins sent to a city could free it from the Templar control, allowing for greater support of Ezio's efforts in Constantinople. Ezio could then provide funds and manpower to both restore the reclaimed cities, and install new Assassin Dens in them, effectively strengthening the Assassin presence throughout the region.

The Constantinople guild did not held initiation ceremonies like its Roman counterpart. Instead, once an Apprentice reached the rank of Assassin, they could be assigned to one of the seven Assassin Dens in Constantinople, where they would continue their training to eventually progress and gain the status of Master Assassin. Usually during this training period, an Apprentice discovered information concerning a Templar agent operating in the area. They would inform Ezio about this, and the assassination of the agent would mark the completion of their training, and promotion to the rank of Master Assassin. Their training and experience allowed them to subsequently defend their Dens from any further attack attempts by the Templars.

Trivia

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

• Each Apprentice's appearance and name is randomized. However, their gender is dependent on the location of the map from which they are recruited.
• When sending Apprentices on a mission, even when the odds of success are 100%, sometimes it can fail regardless, and the Assassins used for that contract may be lost.
• Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy includes several memories that correspond to the guild contracts in Brotherhood.
• An apprentice, Vitellozzo Vitelli, shares the name with an Italian condottiero, who was also a friend of Bartolomeo d'Alviano.
• When managing contracts in the Tiber Island hideout or via Pigeon Coops, the map of Europe features modern political boundaries.
• Though a Recruit receives white robes when they reach the rank of Assassino, any changes made to their outfit color before attaining the maximum rank, will still be visible on the underside of their capes.
• Unlike Ezio, apprentices can use their pistol in conjunction with a heavy weapon.
• If both an Assassin and Ezio try to assassinate the same target, they will both appear to leap on him in high profile, but Ezio will then promptly teleport onto the next closest guard, killing him as well.
• It is possible to kill apprentices with the Apple of Eden, if they are caught within the affected area.
• Apprentices can sometimes be heard saying "Requiescat in pace," among other such phrases to dead enemies when a skirmish is won.
• Apprentices receive no damage from falling, even from the top of the Castel Sant'Angelo. Also, if a guard pushes an apprentice into water, they will not die, but simply return to the Tiber Island hideout.
• Even if all the recruited apprentices are normally female, the recruits in the mission "Exit Stage Right" always appear as male.
• The apprentices will never travel alongside Ezio. Once all the targets in the area are dead, they will run out of sight and vanish.
• Even if all other Apprentices have achieved the rank of Assassino, during in the Initiation Ceremony, all of them will use their Recruit attire.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations

• The appearance of the Apprentices in Assassin's Creed: Revelations can be customized further, by allowing them to wear hoods and masks. The mask can't be worn without the hood however. The hair color of females can change if their uniform color is changed too.
• When a Recruit reaches the rank of Master Assassin, they will use robes similar to those of Yusuf Tazim.
• If a recruit is raised to the rank of Assassin, they will not die in battle. Instead, they will be "injured" and unavailable for combat or missions for 20 minutes.
• When an Apprentice reaches the rank of Assassin, they can be assigned to protect Assassin Dens. Eventual promotion to the rank of Master Assassin will permanently protect the Den from being attacked by the Templars.
• Seven out of thirteen available apprentices can attain the rank of Master Assassin. This involves completing a two-parter mission for each Apprentice, in which they eventually eliminate a Templar Agent.
• Unlike in Brotherhood, only one assassination of a Templar Agent, Vali cel Tradat, is essential to completing the story in Revelations.
• The Initiation Ceremony is no longer present, even when an Apprentice attains the Master Assassin rank.

Gallery

• Male Roman apprentice artwork.
  Male Roman apprentice artwork.
• Female Roman apprentice artwork.
  Female Roman apprentice artwork.
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  Female Roman apprentice render.
• A Female Apprentice from Constantinople.
  A Female Apprentice from Constantinople.
• Ezio and a group of apprentices.
  Ezio and a group of apprentices.
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  Ezio and his apprentices on horseback.
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  Ezio calling on his recruits to aid him.
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  The Apprentices performing the Arrow Storm.
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  Ezio and his guild of Assassins.
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  An Apprentice's initiation ceremony.
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  An Apprentice receiving the Assassin brand on their ring finger.
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  An Apprentice about to perform a Leap of Faith.
• Ezio and Yusuf with a couple of Ottoman Assassins in the background
  Ezio and Yusuf with a couple of Ottoman Assassins in the background
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  Ezio ordering the Ottoman Apprentices to attack.
• Ezio commands his Apprentices during a Den Defense.
  Ezio commands his Apprentices during a Den Defense.