Rosa

"So, what brings you to me?"

―Rosa, to Ezio

Rosa is a member of the thieves faction led by Antonio in Assassin's Creed II. Ezio first encounters Rosa upon arriving in Venice, where she pickpockets him out of the money he was about to use to purchase a wooden model for Leonardo. Later, Ezio saves her after she is shot with an arrow in the leg and is unable to run away from the guards. She will eventually teach Ezio the new "jump to a higher ledge" ability which becomes extremely important in the later stages of the game.

Early life

Rosa was born in 1460. Nine months before, a Venetian nobleman paid a prostitute for her services, and Rosa was the result of this event. The prostitute probably couldn't raise the child, so Rosa survived in the streets of Venice alone. At the age of 15, Rosa tried to steal from Antonio, a stranger to her at this point, but was caught. Antonio, being the chief of the Venetian Thieves Guild decided to keep Rosa as his pupil rather than sending her to the guards. Throughout her apprenticeship, Antonio noted many of her talents, especially her high level of agility. Antonio seems to maintain a very paternal relationship with Rosa as he will often call her sweetheart or little darling. After Ezio saves her, Antonio thanks and tells him she is what he has most precious.

Characteristics and personality

File:Ezio carrying rosa.png

Ezio carrying a wounded Rosa to safety.

Rosa, being the only female of the Venetian Thieves Guild has a very aggressive, tough personality to match the male dominated group. For example, a note from Antonio states that the thieves who tried to kiss Rosa were badly beaten up by her afterwards. She is not afraid to give orders or speak her mind to her fellow thieves as she will yell and insult them to their face.

Rosa also appears to have one of the dirtiest mouths in the game; this is shown after she gets shot in the leg, when she shouts "Bastardi!" left and right. Upon her initial run in with Ezio she claims she does not need assistance with her wound and Ezio is forced to follow and protect her until she eventually falls, at which point he carries her to safety. After being rescued, Rosa’s personality and attitude toward Ezio changes drastically, becoming extremely flirtatious and more intimate. She seems to revert to her true self when around him instead of the tough thief image she maintains most of the time.

Relationship with Ezio

File:Ezio flirting with rosa.jpg

Rosa and Ezio flirting.

Like a lot of women in Assassin’s Creed II, Rosa becomes attracted to Ezio after their initial meeting, although she did pickpocket him by pretending to bump into him, causing Ezio to call her a jerk. However, unlike the majority of Ezio’s other love interests presented throughout the game, Ezio maintains a close, intimate friendship with Rosa and the two are often seen flirting whenever in each other's company, with an implied relationship during that period of their lives. She may be an ancestor of Desmond, though it is yet to be confirmed. Although, in the novel Assassin's Creed: Renaissance, Ezio and Rosa do have an intimate relationship together, constantly flirting and many cases of kissing.