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'''Wei Yu''' (魏羽) was the leader of a group of ''[[youxia]]'' operating in early [[Qin dynasty]] [[China]]. In 210 BCE, he [[assassination|assassinated]] [[Qin Shi Huang]], the first Emperor of [[China]], with a [[spear]]. For this act in fighting tyranny and preserving the welfare of the people, he became legendary among the [[Assassins|Assassin Brotherhood]] and was posthumously honored as one of their own.<ref group="note" name="note1">Wei Yu being posthumously honoured as an Assassin is based on information from two sources, ''Assassin's Creed II'' and ''Assassin's Creed: Origins''. In ''Assassin's Creed II'', he and six others are commemorated as legendary Assassins in the [[Sanctuary]] under the [[Villa Auditore]]. However, ''Assassin's Creed: Origins'' establishes that the Assassins, originally known as the Hidden Ones, were not founded until 47 BCE in Egypt—after Wei Yu's time—rendering Wei Yu's status as an Assassin posthumous. Additionally, ''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' establishes that, to the Chinese, "Assassin" became more than just the name of an organization but also a mantle that ''[[youxia|xiake]]'' could inherit in the fight for the common people. The Chinese translation of ''Assassin'' (حشاشين) being ''Cìkè'' (刺客), the term used to refer to five noteworthy heroes in [[Sima Qian]]'s ''[[Record of the Grand Historian|Records of the Grand Historian]]'', the two identities melded together so that legendary Cike of Wei Yu's era also became remembered as Assassins.</ref> | '''Wei Yu''' (魏羽) was the leader of a group of ''[[youxia]]'' operating in early [[Qin dynasty]] [[China]]. In 210 BCE, he [[assassination|assassinated]] [[Qin Shi Huang]], the first Emperor of [[China]], with a [[spear]]. For this act in fighting tyranny and preserving the welfare of the people, he later became legendary among the [[Assassins|Assassin Brotherhood]] and was posthumously honored as one of their own.<ref group="note" name="note1">Wei Yu being posthumously honoured as an Assassin is based on information from two sources, ''Assassin's Creed II'' and ''Assassin's Creed: Origins''. In ''Assassin's Creed II'', he and six others are commemorated as legendary Assassins in the [[Sanctuary]] under the [[Villa Auditore]]. However, ''Assassin's Creed: Origins'' establishes that the Assassins, originally known as the Hidden Ones, were not founded until 47 BCE in Egypt—after Wei Yu's time—rendering Wei Yu's status as an Assassin posthumous. Additionally, ''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' establishes that, to the Chinese, "Assassin" became more than just the name of an organization but also a mantle that ''[[youxia|xiake]]'' could inherit in the fight for the common people. The Chinese translation of ''Assassin'' (حشاشين) being ''Cìkè'' (刺客), the term used to refer to five noteworthy heroes in [[Sima Qian]]'s ''[[Record of the Grand Historian|Records of the Grand Historian]]'', the two identities melded together so that legendary Cike of Wei Yu's era also became remembered as Assassins.</ref> | ||
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
===Journey to Ionia=== | ===Journey to Ionia=== | ||
In 215 BCE, Wei Yu | In 215 BCE, Wei Yu traveled to [[Ionia]] in order to retrieve an [[Isu]] [[Piece of Eden|relic]] from a [[Roman Republic|Roman]] general who was engaged in a battle with [[Hannibal Barca]]'s {{Wiki|Carthaginian military|Carthaginian soldiers}}. With the help of the ''[[Mercenary|misthios]]'' [[Kassandra]], he made his way across the battlefield and killed the general, acquring the relic: a [[Tianyan Stone|stone tablet]]. Afterwards, Kassandra handed him a set of scrolls detailing one of his [[Wei Yu's disciple|disciples]]' current unusual circumstances, along with an ornate [[Short blade|dagger]] as a gift for the disciple.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Jade]]'' – [[A Mediterranean Expedition]] </ref> | ||
===Assassination of Qin Shi Huang=== | ===Assassination of Qin Shi Huang=== | ||
The first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, was a tyrannical ruler with ties to the [[Order of the Ancients]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia]]''</ref> In order to protect | The first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, was a tyrannical ruler with ties to the [[Order of the Ancients]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia]]''</ref> In order to protect his people, Wei Yu resolved to assassinate the Emperor, hoping to liberate China from his oppression.<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Floating conversations]]: Unlocking Monteriggioni's Secrets</ref> On 10 September 210 BCE, during one of Qin Shi Huang's {{Wiki|Qin Shi Huang's imperial tours|imperial tours}},<ref name="Wikipedia Qin Shi Huang">{{WP|Qin Shi Huang}}</ref> Wei Yu struck the Emperor with his spear, killing him.<ref name="AC2" /> | ||
== Legacy == | |||
By the time of the [[Renaissance]], a [[Assassin Tombs|tomb]] dedicated to Wei Yu | Wei Yu's feats earned him legendary status among the Assassins who, centuries after his death, honored him as one of his own. By the time of the [[Renaissance]], a [[Assassin Tombs|tomb]] dedicated to Wei Yu had been built on the top floor of the [[Torre Grossa]] in [[San Gimignano]], [[Italy]]. The [[Italian Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian Assassin]] [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] explored the tomb and took the hidden [[Assassin Seals|seal]] from its sarcophagus, which later allowed him to obtain the [[Armor of Altaïr|Armor]] of [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] sealed in the [[Sanctuary]] beneath [[Villa Auditore]] in [[Monteriggioni]], where a statue of Wei Yu, alongside other celebrated Assassins, had been erected.<ref name="Torre Grossa's Secret">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Torre Grossa's Secret]]</ref> | ||
==Behind the scenes== | ==Behind the scenes== | ||
Wei Yu | Wei Yu is a character introduced in the 2009 video game ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'', as the legendary Assassin who killed Emperor Qin Shi Huang with a spear. While the Emperor's actual cause of death is unknown in real life, one theory proposes that he died from {{Wiki|Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning}}. With ''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]''<nowiki/>' retcon of the Brotherhood's origins, Wei Yu is no longer considered a proper Assassin, but rather one of their early predecessors. | ||
In [[The Hidden Ones (Part 2)|Chapter 34]] of ''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'', the protagonist [[Li E]] is shown the Assassins' secret [[Northern Treasury Under Heaven]] beneath the [[Mohist village]] in [[Qinghe Commandery|Qinghe]] by the community's leader, [[Pei Min]]. The vault is a repository of Assassin arms and equipment collected for safeguarding through the ages. After Pei Min tells Li E that is welcome to take any weapon he likes, a powerful spear catches the [[Hidden Ones|Hidden One]]'s eyes. The elder explains that the spear dates to the [[Qin dynasty|Qin period]] and that it is named "[[Jing Ke (spear)|Jing Ke]]" after the [[Jing Ke|fabled Assassin]] who, according to [[Sima Qian]]'s ''[[Record of the Grand Historian]]'', is said to have lost his life in a failed assassination attempt against Qin Shi Huang. The context behind the spear strongly implies that it belonged to Wei Yu and is the same spear used to kill the | In [[The Hidden Ones (Part 2)|Chapter 34]] of ''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'', the protagonist [[Li E]] is shown the Assassins' secret [[Northern Treasury Under Heaven]] beneath the [[Mohist village]] in [[Qinghe Commandery|Qinghe]] by the community's leader, [[Pei Min]]. The vault is a repository of Assassin arms and equipment collected for safeguarding through the ages. After Pei Min tells Li E that is welcome to take any weapon he likes, a powerful spear catches the [[Hidden Ones|Hidden One]]'s eyes. The elder explains that the spear dates to the [[Qin dynasty|Qin period]] and that it is named "[[Jing Ke (spear)|Jing Ke]]" after the [[Jing Ke|fabled Assassin]] who, according to [[Sima Qian]]'s ''[[Record of the Grand Historian]]'', is said to have lost his life in a failed assassination attempt against Qin Shi Huang. The context behind the spear strongly implies that it belonged to Wei Yu and is the same spear used to kill the Chinese Emperor, but to date, this can only be inferred and has not been explicitly confirmed.<ref name="Dynasty 34">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[The Hidden Ones (Part 2)]]</ref> | ||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
Revision as of 20:55, 11 November 2023
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You cannot know anything. Only suspect. This article contains content from pre-release sources that may or may not be reflective of canon upon release. This article therefore likely contains spoilers. |
Wei Yu (魏羽) was the leader of a group of youxia operating in early Qin dynasty China. In 210 BCE, he assassinated Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, with a spear. For this act in fighting tyranny and preserving the welfare of the people, he later became legendary among the Assassin Brotherhood and was posthumously honored as one of their own.[note 1]
Biography
Journey to Ionia
In 215 BCE, Wei Yu traveled to Ionia in order to retrieve an Isu relic from a Roman general who was engaged in a battle with Hannibal Barca's Carthaginian soldiers. With the help of the misthios Kassandra, he made his way across the battlefield and killed the general, acquring the relic: a stone tablet. Afterwards, Kassandra handed him a set of scrolls detailing one of his disciples' current unusual circumstances, along with an ornate dagger as a gift for the disciple.[1]
Assassination of Qin Shi Huang
The first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, was a tyrannical ruler with ties to the Order of the Ancients.[2] In order to protect his people, Wei Yu resolved to assassinate the Emperor, hoping to liberate China from his oppression.[3] On 10 September 210 BCE, during one of Qin Shi Huang's imperial tours,[4] Wei Yu struck the Emperor with his spear, killing him.[3]
Legacy
Wei Yu's feats earned him legendary status among the Assassins who, centuries after his death, honored him as one of his own. By the time of the Renaissance, a tomb dedicated to Wei Yu had been built on the top floor of the Torre Grossa in San Gimignano, Italy. The Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore explored the tomb and took the hidden seal from its sarcophagus, which later allowed him to obtain the Armor of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad sealed in the Sanctuary beneath Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni, where a statue of Wei Yu, alongside other celebrated Assassins, had been erected.[5]
Behind the scenes
Wei Yu is a character introduced in the 2009 video game Assassin's Creed II, as the legendary Assassin who killed Emperor Qin Shi Huang with a spear. While the Emperor's actual cause of death is unknown in real life, one theory proposes that he died from Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning. With Assassin's Creed: Origins' retcon of the Brotherhood's origins, Wei Yu is no longer considered a proper Assassin, but rather one of their early predecessors.
In Chapter 34 of Assassin's Creed: Dynasty, the protagonist Li E is shown the Assassins' secret Northern Treasury Under Heaven beneath the Mohist village in Qinghe by the community's leader, Pei Min. The vault is a repository of Assassin arms and equipment collected for safeguarding through the ages. After Pei Min tells Li E that is welcome to take any weapon he likes, a powerful spear catches the Hidden One's eyes. The elder explains that the spear dates to the Qin period and that it is named "Jing Ke" after the fabled Assassin who, according to Sima Qian's Record of the Grand Historian, is said to have lost his life in a failed assassination attempt against Qin Shi Huang. The context behind the spear strongly implies that it belonged to Wei Yu and is the same spear used to kill the Chinese Emperor, but to date, this can only be inferred and has not been explicitly confirmed.[6]
Gallery
-
Wei Yu's statue and sarcophagus -
The Seal of Wei Yu -
Wei Yu's Insignia -
Statue in the Sanctuary -
Drawing depicting the Wei Yu statue in the Sanctuary of Monteriggioni.
Appearances
- Assassin's Creed II (sculpture only)
- Assassin's Creed: Initiates (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm (non-canon, mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Jade (first appearance)
Notes
- ↑ Wei Yu being posthumously honoured as an Assassin is based on information from two sources, Assassin's Creed II and Assassin's Creed: Origins. In Assassin's Creed II, he and six others are commemorated as legendary Assassins in the Sanctuary under the Villa Auditore. However, Assassin's Creed: Origins establishes that the Assassins, originally known as the Hidden Ones, were not founded until 47 BCE in Egypt—after Wei Yu's time—rendering Wei Yu's status as an Assassin posthumous. Additionally, Assassin's Creed: Dynasty establishes that, to the Chinese, "Assassin" became more than just the name of an organization but also a mantle that xiake could inherit in the fight for the common people. The Chinese translation of Assassin (حشاشين) being Cìkè (刺客), the term used to refer to five noteworthy heroes in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, the two identities melded together so that legendary Cike of Wei Yu's era also became remembered as Assassins.
References
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Jade – A Mediterranean Expedition
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Assassin's Creed II – Floating conversations: Unlocking Monteriggioni's Secrets
- ↑
Qin Shi Huang on Wikipedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed II – Torre Grossa's Secret
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Hidden Ones (Part 2)
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