User blog comment:Master Sima Yi/Assassinews 02-03-'12 — Leaked AC3 info!/@comment-4636255-20120303085727/@comment-1153722-20120303154323

Yes he was, his family was Assassins and he was thus forced to become one too. It was not his choice. This is the same with Altaïr; if his parents weren't Assassins, he wouldn't have had to be one. Also the same with Nikolai.