Helix abilities

Helix abilities were glitches in the Helix simulation that allowed the user to perform feats normally impossible to their avatar. These abilities worked as long as the user had "helix", displayed as a meter in the simulation's HUD which depleted when the abilities were used. To regain Helix, the ancestor had to collect glowing Helix icons scattered throughout the simulation.

Helix abilities become usable after the simulation's code becomes compromised and has to be rebuilt. It is currently unknown what caused this to happen.

Only three known simulations suffered from this glitch: the genetic memories of Chinese Assassin Shao Jun, the genetic memories of Indian Assassin Arbaaz Mir and the genetic memories of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova of Russia.

Abilities
Helix blade allows the user's avatar to destroy a dead enemy's body, effectively erasing it from the simulation avoiding other enemies becoming alerted by finding the corpse.
 * Helix Blade

Helix blend allowed the user's avatar to blend into the background, becoming undetectable to any nearby enemies.
 * Helix Blend

Helix dash allowed the user's avatar to dash between hiding spots undetected.
 * Helix Dash

Helix Strike allowed the user's avatar to swiftly move from one enemy target to another instantly killing them, effectively chaining their kills.
 * Helix Strike

Trivia

 * Although ostensibly glitches in the Animus simulation, Helix abilities are acknowledged inside the simulation in Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia by Anastasia, as she reacts to them in surprise and awe when she first first acquires them; with her mentioning becoming invisible after obtaining Helix Blend and noting the disintegration of enemy corpses when first using Helix Blade.
 * Possibly related is the fact that in the same Russian simulation only Anastasia is able to use the abilities and not Nikolai Orelov, perhaps implying a relation to the ancestor's natural abilities and the "glitchy" Helix ones.