Assassin's Creed Wiki
Advertisement
Assassin's Creed Wiki
"The Hookblade helps you get around fast, surprise guards, and is not too bad in a fight."
―Yusuf Tazim to Ezio Auditore, 1511[src]-[m]
Hookblade 3

Yusuf introducing Ezio to the Hookblade

The Hookblade was a modification to the Hidden Blade first adopted by the Ottoman Assassins in Constantinople from at least the time of the Ottoman Empire. It consisted of both a curved hook and a regular blade, allowing it to be used for freerunning and during combat. When the Italian Assassins' Mentor Ezio Auditore arrived in the city, the local Master Assassin Yusuf Tazim introduced him to this advancement and instructed him in its application towards both battle and travel.[1]

Usage

Navigation

"Let the Hookblade do the work. Iste boyle! (There you go!) Throw yourself into it."
―Yusuf describing the method of using the Hookblade.[src]-[m]
ACR Ezio zipline

Ezio using the Hookblade on a zipline

Used from as early as the 1480s, the Hookblade was designed to make travel quick and easy, specifically through the use of ziplines that were installed throughout Constantinople. From a zipline, an Assassin could also drop and use the Hookblade to assassinate guards below, a move that they called a "zipline assassination". The mechanism could also be used in several acrobatic movements, such as for quickly climbing up walls in a similar manner to the climb-leap maneuver, and for extending one's reach during a jump.[1]

Hookblade 6

Yusuf performing a hook and run

It could also be used for flipping over enemies to avoid a fight, a method the Assassins referred to as the "hook and run." However, on using the technique against a Janissary, it led to the Hookblade becoming caught on their armor, slowing the Assassin down slightly. When climbing, the Hookblade allowed an Assassin to spring quickly onto a rooftop after grabbing the ledge, rather than spending extra time gaining a foothold and pulling themselves up. Similarly, one did not need a foothold when assassinating a targeted guard by pulling them from a rooftop ledge. Additionally, it could be used with corner chase breakers, where the swinging support could be used as a trapeze to jump towards an adjacent rooftop instead of turning around the corner.[1]

Combat

ACR Hookblade kill

Ezio using the Hookblade in combat

When engaged in battle, an Assassin could use the Hookblade to pull targets in for a close-range attack, or throw an enemy onto the ground with the "hook and throw," a method similar to the hook and run. In combat itself, the Hookblade could be used in attacks as well as to counter a weapon. During such instances, one could hook onto an enemy's armor and throw them to the ground, or hook onto an enemy's helmet to snap their neck. As defined by Yusuf, the Hookblade not only worked as a hook, but also as a substitute of the dual Hidden Blade, as the Hookblade was comprised of these two parts. The blade could be used to perform dual assassinations.[1]

Other uses

Maiden tower 4

Ezio using the Hookblade to unlock a hidden entrance

An Assassin could also perform a counter-steal to tear off an enemy's purse with the Hookblade, provoking them further and leaving them open to an easy counterattack. Following this, the Hookblade could also be used to pull down scaffolds, subsequently slowing down or eliminating pursuers; this was particularly useful when done in conjunction with caltrop bombs. The hook's unique design and its exclusive use by Assassins resulted in them also using it as a special key, since it could not be easily copied by forgers, and so its shape unlocked hidden areas in the city or permit access to the Assassins' secured bomb-crafting stations.[1]

Trivia

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Assassin's Creed: Revelations
  2. Miller, Greg (9 May 2011). Assassin's Creed Revelations Stars Ezio and Altair. IGN. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved on 19 March 2024.
  3. Valdes, Giancarlo (21 August 2013). False rumors, ugly cities, and sharks: How meticulous research shaped Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Venture Beat. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved on 15 August 2023.

Advertisement