Hidden Blade

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Altaïr stabbing a crusader with the Hidden Blade.

"The hidden blade has been a constant companion of ours over the years. Some would say it defines us - and they would not be entirely wrong. Many of our successes would not have been possible without it."

―Altaïr's Codex, Page 13

The iconic weapon of the Assassin's Creed series, the Hidden Blade is used both for stealth assassinations and for regular combat (only in Assassin's Creed II and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood.)

Assassin's Creed

Although Altaïr already has this weapon at the start of the game, he loses it when he is demoted to Novice. At his first promotion to rank 2, however, he earns it back (along with his Sword) so that he may perform his first assassination on Tamir the black marketeer in Damascus.

Basic usage

thumb|300px|right|Video tutorial on usage of the Hidden Blade This weapon is mostly used for stealthy, low profile assassinations upon soldiers. An unaware soldier may be assassinated without drawing too much attention, with stealth assassinations being possible from both behind and in front of the target. Altaïr rams the blade into the victim's abdomen (front) or through his spine (back). When stealth is not a priority, Altaïr may perform a high profile assassination. This involves jabbing the blade through the target's nose and into the brain when facing Altaïr, or pushing the target onto his knees and stabbing him in the neck when approached from behind.

The Hidden Blade is the only weapon that Altaïr may wield while sprinting. When Altaïr is close enough to the victim during a foot pursuit, the button on the weapon hand button on the HUD will change to "assassinate", which can be pressed to carry out the assassination. Altaïr will perform a running leap, landing on his victim from behind and burying the blade in the neck. This feature makes it an ideal choice for running down targets who flee such as Talal the Slave Trader in Jerusalem.

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Altaïr performing an air assassination

Both low and high profile assassinations may fail. A guard wary of your actions may catch your arm when you attempt the kill and throw you back. Attacks from behind and attacks made upon guards who are prone on the ground will never fail, no matter the circumstances. Be aware, of course, that you will lose one third of your synchronization if you assassinate innocent civilians with the Hidden Blade, just as with any other weapon.

Air Assassination

In a 2007 demo of the William V of Montferrat mission, Jade Raymond introduced a move called air to assassinate that combines some of Altaïr's acrobatic skills with his Hidden Blade. From higher ground above a target such as a nearby roof or beam, Altaïr leaps directly onto his victim and stabs him in the throat. Although the move was not covered in the manual or in-game tutorials, air to assassinate does exist within Assassin's Creed and the controls were documented by stabguy on The Hidden Blade website. All forms of air to assassinate draw attention of nearby guards, even when performed in low profile. Note that in Assassin's Creed II Air to Assassinate was renamed Air Assassination and included as a required tutorial with simplified controls.

In combat

The Hidden Blade can also be used while in combat. An enemy who has been grabbed and thrown (or counter thrown with a grab break) can easily be killed while he lies on the ground. Using the Hidden Blade in combat against large groups is challenging, as Altaïr cannot block any attack. The time frame in which Altaïr can counter-attack is extremely small compared to the sword and the short blade, but successfully countering enables one of several different - and always lethal - counter-attacks in which Altaïr stabs his opponent in the chest, head, abdomen, base of the skull, or spine. It is also possible to assassinate the enemy in combat, while he is caught in a moment of inattention or grappling with a vigilante, or if he is taunting Altaïr (this is documented on The Hidden Blade as the "taunting penalty"), but any other time it will fail because the enemy will always block the attack. It is also possible to assassinate your targets even if they are aware of you by getting behind them and assassinating them.

Mechanism

In Assassin's Creed, Altaïr has the hidden blade on his left hand. The blade is integrated into the vambrace, and when not in use, sits retracted inside of the slide mechanism. Though not fully or officially understood, as to how the blade functions, there are a number of theories. One being that when Altaïr flicks his wrist, the blade is ejected with the combined force of Altaïr's arm and gravity. Altaïr is "unhinging" or "releasing" the blade which is kept locked in place. If the player holds down the weapon hand button, the blade stays ejected and Altaïr makes a fist around the blade, which rests in the spot where his amputated ring finger once was. Another popular theory is that a ring mechanism is used and that opening the hand ejects the blade, but this raises the question that why the blade does not activate every time he opens his hand, say when leaping for a ledge, and how he can hold the blade in his fist without it retracting. Another, more sensible theory is that it uses both mechanisms to operate the blade and that the blade wont eject or retract without both systems being used. one being the flicking of the wrist, and the ring mechanism.

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The ring mechanism

This explains why he flicks his wrist and opens his hand to eject the blade and why he can close his fist without the blade retracting and why he can flick his arm without fear of an unexpected stabbing.

The true mechanics behind the retraction of the blade yet remain a mystery. When the weapon hand button is released, Altaïr loosens his fist and opens his hand. At this point, the blade returns to the vambrace seemingly of its own accord. Some other theories on the blade's mechanics exist, with some maintaining that the blade works on a spring-retraction system, and with others stating that the blade is never truly locked when it is released, and therefore the blade will return if Altaïr is not holding it in place. Many fans of the game have attempted to construct their own hidden blade, with many posting videos of their blade on YouTube.

It is probable that it works on the same system as modern full automatic switchblade knives. There are two springs of equal strength present. The inertia from the pull/push of one spring is enough to overcome the resistance of the other spring for the blade to lock into place.

Role in investigations and missions

Informant missions

The Hidden Blade is also used for some of the investigations given to you by informants. You are asked to stealthily assassinate a number of targets. If any guard even once confronts you, the mission is failed. If you attack the targets or the guards with fists, the short blade, the sword, or any other high profile weapon, you will fail the mission. Because of this, you may only use throwing knives or the Hidden Blade to assassinate your targets.

Interrogation missions

During Interrogation missions, after successfully interrogating the target, Altaïr is forced to kill them, so they cannot reveal his plans to the enemy. He will bury the blade in their stomach to kill them, then gently lower their body onto the ground so as not to draw further attention to himself.

Save Citizen missions

In the optional Save Citizen missions to save citizens from soldiers threatening to kill them, this weapon will come in handy. Successfully and stealthily used, you might take out three of the soldiers before they notice you, draw their weapons, and engage you in a swordfight. Also, the Save Citizen missions are commonly located in alleyways or dark corners, so it is possible to begin the mission by starting from an elevated position and performing an air-to-assassinate.

Assassinations

The hidden blade is used in every storyline assassination you perform. Even if you begin by attacking the enemy with a sword, you will always finish them off with the hidden blade before it cuts to the death cutscene.

Assassin's Creed II

"The blade is designed to ensure the commitment of whomever wields it."

―Leonardo da Vinci

Giovanni's (later Ezio's) Hidden Blade in Lineage.

In Assassin's Creed II, Ezio possesses two hidden blades, whereas Altaïr has only one. In addition, unlike Altaïr who had to sacrifice his ring finger, both of Ezio's ring fingers are intact due to a design that raised the base of the weapon itself, as outlined in the Codex.

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The blade given by Lucy to Desmond

This revised hidden blade had been designed by Altaïr (presumably through using the Apple of Eden) so that the Assassins, who he intended to go undercover, could not be identified by the lack of a ring finger. Furthermore, the mechanism did not require a wrist "flick" to extend the blade, could retract the blade without any wrist or hand movement, and as pictured the weapon could be used with a clenched fist. (Giovanni has only been depicted as using a clenched fist, while Ezio would use the "traditional" open hand as did Altaïr.) While there is a forward/downward-rotating wheel atop the rear portion of the mechanism's housing, its function has not been identified, and there are no known schematics or explanations for the mechanism. In Assassin's Creed: Lineage, there were no shots of it operating while explicitly being worn on the actor's arm without gimmicks (such as an open-ended rear housing where the blade could be pushed or pulled through), so it is probable that no actual working prop exists that operates as depicted.

Ezio's first blade would be inherited from his father, which along with the corresponding Codex page, the Assassin's Robes and a common sword had been in Giovanni's secret room after his arrest. The weapon had become inoperative ever since Giovanni had fought Borgia's men (in Assassin's Creed: Lineage), when a single sword strike against the blade had dislodged it from the bracer and mechanism, but Ezio brought it to his friend Leonardo da Vinci to repair it.

Later on, Ezio would acquire another Codex page which upon decryption by Leonardo detailed the construction of a hidden blade with a metal plate on the top side of the vambrace, allowing the wielder to safely deflect enemy attacks and thus to properly engage in armed conflict with the blades.

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A Double Assassination from directly in between two guards.

At the end of the game, Desmond receives one from Lucy, a similar (if not the same) model of the Hidden Blade used by Ezio to face Warren Vidic's henchmen, but the Poison Blade and

Gun are seemingly absent and/or inoperable, possibly due to the fact that the hidden blade that is given still needs improvements from a skilled engineer such as da Vinci, or the fact that lead bullets or the certain alloy used to make the hollowed out blade isn't available anymore.

In combat

In Assassin's Creed II, the use of the hidden blade in combat is more classical. It can be used like a regular weapon, and is capable of

thumb|left|300px|Video Guide to the Hidden Blade

breaking an enemy's defense. It attacks fairly fast, becoming faster after the acquirement of the second blade, allowing Ezio to unleash a constant barrage of strikes, suppressing a foe's ability to attack or killing them before they can attack. While attacking with the hidden blade, enemies cannot counter-attack, unlike

when you attack with swords, maces and smaller weapons. Unlike the first game, it is also possible to block attacks while using the Hidden Blade once he has the upgraded vambrace. The hidden blade also allows you to attack very quickly and gives you more freedom in movement rather than the other weapons. For example, Ezio can easily strafe a 180 degree arch in the time it takes for the enemy to attack. This is barely possible except from very close range range with the sword or dagger. It also allows Ezio to quickly flee from a battle without having to take the time to sheath his weapon.

Veterans of Assassin's Creed combat may want to challenge themselves by using the Hidden Blade(s) in combat. While the counter-kill timing window is very short (a fraction of a second), skillful timing will be rewarded nicely; except for against the Brutes' smashes which knock Ezio's weapon away (does not work against Hidden Blades) and Seekers' (sweep Ezio's feet) special attacks, a successfully timed counter will always kill the guard against which it is performed, even if the guard has high health and/or is a high-ranking soldier. In addition, Brutes are very vulnerable and easy to combo kill with the hidden blades. Even a 3 hit combo can be used to kill a brute: see 1:44 in the video to the left.

Upgrades

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An Air Assassination Being Preformed by Ezio

The second Hidden Blade is acquired later and the main blade gets upgraded with the Poison Blade and the Pistol installed. Also, both blades get greaves allowing Ezio to block heavier attacks with the hidden blades.Ezio can buy poison for the blade from Doctors and ammunition for the pistol at Blacksmiths.

Techniques

Later on, Ezio can assassinate enemies below with an Air Assassination, a Double Air Assassination if the target is adjacent to another, by

leaping from a platform onto the victim. This, however, is easily noticeable by Guards and they will attack once they see you doing it. It is

possible to assassinate two guards at the same time (at ground level) by standing between them and

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Ezio performing a 'Hiding Spot' assassination

piercing both their throats.

At the same time Ezio learns the aforementioned techniques, he also learns how to assassinate enemies that are standing on ledges above him, as well as how to assassinate targets from a hiding spot (e.g. Hay, Wells and Benches).

There are also other techniques that aren't actually part of what Ezio learns, but rather what players use to kill guards. One example would be side-stepping around a guard right after he attacks and then doing a instant kill to their backs with the hidden blade. Also, one can may grab an enemy and strike or throw him so that he falls, and then run to his body to perform a instant kill using the hidden blade before he can get back to his feet. A flashier and possibly quicker alternative is to perform an Air Assassination while running up a nearby wall or other vertical surface (i.e. a pillar). This sort of Air Assassination may also be attempted against standing enemies, though the chance of success is low if the enemy is aware of Ezio's presence during Open Conflict.

Ezio can also perform special combo kill animations and counter kill animations with the dual hidden blades.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

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Ezio's new hidden blades in Brotherhood.

In Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, 1499, at the beginning of the game, Ezio's hidden blade (or at least its bracer) can be seen on a table while he is sleeping with Caterina Sforza.

However in 1503, Ezio has two new hidden blades with similar bracers on each forearm. These new bracers match the other new parts of Ezio's robes, however in some screenshots or pictures Ezio has only one hidden blade instead of two, the reason of for this is currently unknown.

Ezio's Apprentices are equipped with hidden blades, though they only have one, two hidden blades only goes to the most trusted of assassins.

The smuggler from the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood multiplayer also appears to sport a hidden blade, although it is inverted (upside down. The blade comes out from on top of her arm, rather than the bottom).

Trivia

Darius, the first to wield a Hidden Blade

• On one of the Codex Pages it states that the blade has to be connected or linked with the user, thus explaining part of why Altaïr had his ring finger removed. Altaïr opens his hand and spreads his fingers whenever the blade is extended. Similarly, he never uses the blade with his hand clenched in a fist; all stabbing moves and assassinations are performed with an open hand. The only time the blade sits in the space left by the amputated finger is when the player extends the blade and holds it out (by holding the weapon hand button while out of combat). Holding the button will keep the blade extended, and will act as any unsheathed weapon, scaring away civilians.
• In both games the trigger mechanism is not visible on Altaïr's or Ezio's hands, even when they aren't wearing gloves.
• Masyaf Guards in Assassin's Creed do sport a hidden blade, though they never use it, nor is their ring finger missing.
• Malik, from the first game, had the hidden blade before he lost his arm but did not have an amputated finger.
• The first recorded usage of the Hidden Blade by an Assassin was Darius, when he assassinated Xerxes of Persia. Moreover, his seal's symbol is the Hidden Blade. However, his ring finger is still intact and he weilds it on his right hand.
• Patrice Desilets, the creative director of the game, stated that the addition of a second blade in Assassin's Creed II also had a lucid reason: it's Assassin's Creed II, so there are 2 blades.
• In the film Smokin' Aces, one of the assassins sport a weapon similar to the hidden blade. Also, in the movie G.I.Joe: Rise of Cobra, Storm Shadow uses a weapon similar to the Hidden Blade, though it is limited by the fact it must be operated with both hands. In the new Mortal Kombat: Rebirth trailer Dr. Alan Zane, a.k.a. Baraka has similar forearm hidden blades. In Soul Calibur : Broken Destiny, the character Dampierre fights with two similar hidden blades, although much bigger in size.
• The Hidden Blade is the only weapon that has a counter attack that cannot be blocked by enemies, though the timing has to be more precise than with a counter with a sword or shortblade.
• Ezio's second Hidden Blade on his right arm in Assassin's Creed II is black, compared to the original white one.
• In Brotherhood, it seems that Ezio has a new set of Hidden Blades, each of them sporting the gun attachment.
• According to the Codex, there are only a limited number of Hidden Blades due to how hard it is to retrieve metal they are made of.
• Also, the newly-revealed multiplayer character for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, the Smuggler has a Hidden Blade which is on the outside of her hand and not on the inside.