William Lloyd

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning recent or upcoming releases from the Assassin's Creed series. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. This template should be removed from the article 11 July 2021.

William Lloyd was an agent for the British Rite of the Templar Order who served as the right-hand man to Harry Parkes, the British Consul to the Tokugawa shogunate during the Bakumatsu era. He was also the leader of a band of ronin that were loyal to the Imperial Court led by Emperor Meiji.

In 1868, Lloyd was tasked with restoring the power of the Japanese Rite of the Templar Order, which had fallen into obscurity since the end of the Sengoku period and the Assassin-backed reunification of Japan by their most important ally, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lloyd's mission was successful as the political landscape was so deteriorated that Emperor Meiji and his allies would instigate an uprising against current shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu and clans loyal to the shogunate.

Aside from working to destroy the Tokugawa shogunate, Lloyd wanted to obtain the Musashi Masamune, a powerful sword that once belonged to the legendary Japanese ronin Miyamoto Musashi. However, he was opposed by a young noblewoman named Shiba Atsuko who disguised herself as a male ashigaru soldier to watch over her nervous and cowardly brother Ibuka. Lloyd was unable to seize the Masamune from the Japanese Brotherhood of Assasins as Ibuka distracted "Masajiro" (secretly the Assassin spy Matsuo) and bought Atsuko and her mentor Nakano Takeko enough time to escort the blade away from his camp.

During the Battle of Aizu, Lloyd defeated Atsuko in a duel and almost killed her. However, he met his end when he was slain by Shiba Ibuka, who carried his sister away from the battlefield before succumbing to his wounds.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Blade of Aizu