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Evie: "You're relentless!"
Jacob: "That relentlessness will see me become Master when we finish this."
Evie: "George would allow nothing of the sort. Whatever's left of the Creed would perish under your control."
—Jacob talking to his sister, 1868.[src]-[m]

Sir Jacob Frye (born 1847) was a Master Assassin of the British Brotherhood during the Victorian era, and the younger twin brother of Evie Frye. He later became a member of Queen Victoria's's Order of the Sacred Garter, and the grandfather of Lydia Frye, an Assassin active during World War I.

Originating from Crawley, Jacob and his sister were raised and trained by their widowed father Ethan in the Assassins' ways. Unlike the studious Evie, Jacob was dismissive of his father's teachings and relied more on his own thoughts and beliefs. This put a strain in his relationship with his father, whom Jacob eventually came to resent. Due to his preference for combat over stealth, he also tended to approach situations head-on and without much forethought, which often put him at odds with Evie due to their conflicting methods.

Following his father's death from natural causes in 1868, Jacob, wishing to prove himself to the Brotherhood, accompanied Evie to London, against their superiors' wishes. There, they sought to liberate the city from the Templars' control and help the poverty-stricken masses. To accomplish this, they founded the Rooks, a criminal syndicate that opposed the Templar-backed Blighters.

While Evie focused on pursuing a Shroud of Eden, Jacob assassinated various prominent Templars to destroy Grand Master Crawford Starrick's influence within the city. However, his actions often had unintended consequences that negatively affected London and its people, forcing his sister to fix them. Eventually, Jacob became aware of the chaos his reckless actions generated and the flaws in his idea of absolute personal freedom, and began adhering to the Creed's tenents more closely as a result.

After he and Evie assassinated Starrick, Jacob stayed in London to rebuild the Brotherhood while his sister married fellow Assassin Henry Green and migrated with him to India. However, in 1888, Jacob sent a summons for his sister after one of his Assassin apprentices went rogue and seized control of the Rooks, using them to terrorize London as Jack the Ripper. Jacob was captured and tortured by Jack, who sought to usurp him as leader of the Brotherhood, but was eventually rescued by Evie after she had killed the Ripper, ending his reign of terror over the city.

Biography

Early life

"Oh, right, my mistake. Ladies and gentlemen, the unstoppable Frye twins; see them nightly at Covent Garden!"
―George Westhouse sarcastically scolding the twins, 1868.[src]-[m]

Born four minutes after his twin Evie,[1] Jacob and his sister were initially raised by their grandmother as their mother, Cecily, died during childbirth and their father, Ethan, left for India to mourn and recover from the loss. Once the twins had turned six, Ethan returned to Crawley to personally raise and train them as Assassins.[2]

Unlike Evie, who relished in their father's teachings, Jacob paid far less attention to them and gradually came to resent his father's lessons. While his sister trained with Ethan late at night, Jacob took to exploring factories and gambling dens in Crawley and beyond. Despite this, he grew up to become a competent Assassin, specializing in combat as opposed to Evie's preference for stealth and thoughtful planning, and was eager to unleash his potential.[2]

When his father died of pleurisy in early 1868, Jacob felt liberated of his obligation as a small-town Assassin and believed his chance to prove himself to the Brotherhood had finally come.[2] Coordinating with George Westhouse, a fellow Assassin and friend of Ethan's, in Croydon, Jacob was tasked to assassinate the Templar Rupert Ferris, owner of Ferris Ironworks, while Evie went after David Brewster.[3]

ACS A Spanner in the Works 22

Jacob kneeling beside a dying Ferris

After infiltrating Ferris' factory, Jacob made his way to the Templar's office and killed his target, who with his dying words mocked the Assassin for accomplishing very little, claiming his death would not hinder the Templars in London. Jacob then escaped from the enraged Blighters pursuing him by boarding a departing train, and narrowly survived the train's subsequent derailing and crash.[3]

The twins later returned to Westhouse to report their successes in their respective tasks. Impatient to journey to London and liberate the city from Templar control, Jacob and Evie were scolded by the older Assassin, who warned them it was not Ethan's wish for them. After Westhouse left, however, the twins decided to disobey his orders and secretly hitched a train to London.[4]

Arrival in London

"I've always thought of myself as a gang leader. Firm, but fair. We'll have uniforms. And I'll unite a mix of disenfranchised outsiders under one name. That's it, Evie! We can rally them to our side... I can see it now! We'll call ourselves the Rooks."
―Jacob voicing his plans to his sister, 1868.[src]-[m]
ACS Somewhere That's Green 7

Jacob coming up with the name of his gang

After arriving in Whitechapel, the twins sought out the leader, and sole remaining Assassin in London, Henry Green. Informed of the Templars' vast control over the city, Jacob proposed to form a gang called the Rooks to challenge the Blighters' power in the area, disagreeing with Evie's plan to search for a Piece of Eden hidden in the city. While discussing this, the three Assassins bumped into Charles Dickens who invited them for a talk sometime. After losing the Blighters tailing them, the twins joined Henry in his shop, where he explained his array of contacts within the city.[5]

The twins later encountered a disguised Sergeant Frederick Abberline, one of Henry's contacts, who gave them a list of Blighters for them to kidnap and bring back to him in order to arrest them.[6] Jacob and Evie also liberated abused children from the local factories, in order to satisfy their young contact Clara O'Dea, in exchange for access to her network of child informants.[7] Together with the new recruits, the twins eventually eliminated the remaining Blighters in Whitechapel and their leader Rexford Kaylock, and took control of the borough, establishing the Rooks.[8]

ACS Freedom of the Press 17

Henry showing Jacob the assassination board

Following a street battle with Kaylock's Blighters, from which they emerged victorious, the Assassins won the gang leader's personal train, and decided to utilize it as their hideout, gaining Agnes MacBean's services as a financier in the process.[8] They subsequently traveled to Southwark to meet Henry's ally, the inventor Alexander Graham Bell, to fix the broken rope launcher they had acquired from Kaylock and attach it to their Hidden Blade bracers.[9]

After Bell returned from installing fuses with Evie, the inventor showed Jacob the first messages of his telegraph and gave him a second rope launcher he had built. The twins then headed to their hideout where they met Ned Wynert, an American transgender entrepreneur, who gave them his business card. The Assassins planned their next move, with Jacob determined to strengthen the Rooks and eliminate Grand Master Crawford Starrick's allies within London's infrastructure, whilst Evie searched for the Shroud of Eden.[9]

Rise of the Rooks

Jacob: "And what exactly will you be doing, might I ask?"
Evie: "You know very well, tracking down the Piece of Eden."
Jacob: "Enjoy your studies. I'll be out killing Templars."
—Jacob and Evie planning to reclaim London, 1868.[src]-[m]

Although in disagreement with Evie's hunt for the Shroud, Jacob aided his sister in recovering an artifact from the Templar occultist Lucy Thorne's shipments. He eliminated the guards as Evie searched the chests. However, he was caught and chased by Blighters as he returned to Evie, forcing the twins to flee on a carriage; Jacob took the reins while Evie acted on the defense. Ultimately, their pursuers were closing in, forcing the twins to abandon the carriage and its cargo, though Evie managed to keep hold of a journal belonging to the late Assassin Edward Kenway.[10]

Unnatural Selection 19

Jacob meeting Charles Darwin

Jacob began his investigation into the source of Starrick's Soothing Syrup, which was stupefying London's poor districts. After chasing a merchant and locating the distributor to the factory, stealing his files in the process, Jacob managed to track down and kidnap the distribution boss in the Southwark Foundry, learning from him that Starrick's Soothing Syrup was produced in the distillation building.[11]

Arriving there, Jacob witnessed an elderly man attempting to break inside, and hiding when the guards appeared. After eliminating the Blighters guarding the place, Jacob broke the lock to the factory and entered with the man. The duo investigated the tank and its ingredients, learning that the Syrup contained opium, turning it into an addictive and deadly substance. While the man hid near the entrance, Jacob turned the pressure valves, destroying the distillation tanks and setting fire to the building, which Jacob narrowly escaped by jumping through a window. The man who had helped him then introduced himself as Charles Darwin and gave Jacob a document that indicated batches of the Syrup were being sent to the Lambeth Asylum.[12]

Arriving at the asylum, Jacob found Darwin arguing with the owner, Richard Owen, whose carriage the Assassin subsequently chased and hijacked, damaging it to scare Owen into revealing the identity of the Syrup's creator - the doctor John Elliotson.[13]

Overdose 06

Jacob observing Elliotson's experiments

Jacob and Evie later visited Bell, who upgraded their bracers with a dart mechanism capable of firing hallucinogenic darts. The twins then provided assistance to the inventor by recovering cable lines taken by the Blighters in the shipments in the College Wharf. They also discovered poison in the shipments from Starrick.[14]

After informing Darwin of his latest exploits regarding his hunt for the Syrup's creator, Jacob infiltrated the Lambeth Asylum, where he discovered the doctors brutally experimenting on patients for medical purposes. Taking the place of a corpse Elliotson was planning to use in one of his operations, Jacob got close to his target and assassinated him. With dying breath, Elliotson mocked the Assassin, calling him childish for not thinking of the consequences of his actions. Jacob subsequently escaped from the asylum.[15]

Continuing their fight against Starrick and his control of the press, Jacob and Evie returned to Bell's laboratory where the latter told them of Starrick's efforts of bribery to coax the inventor to his side. Aware of the Blighters aiming to attack him, he invented voltaic bombs which would stun assailants and offered them to the twins with insulators to protect the Assassins from harm. Suddenly, the infuriated Blighters arrived; they took this as an opportunity to test the bombs as Bell distracted them in coversation.[16]

The Assassins further aided the inventor in the telegraph station to keep Starrick from spreading false information throughout London and show people the truth about his operations by distracting the guards and defending Bell with their newly acquired weapon.[16]

ACS Survival of the Fittest 1

Jacob and Attaway creating a business deal

Jacob next set his sights on undermining Starrick's control over the transport industry. As such, he introduced himself to Starrick's fierce business competitor, Pearl Attaway, to discuss a business proposition. After striking a an alliance with Attaway, Jacob killed an employee of her rival company, Millner Company. The pair then traveled to Millner's storage yard where Jacob destroyed their enemy's omnibuses, making Malcolm Millner's profit plummet quickly.[17]

Shortly after, Jacob entered Attaway's carriage, obviously disregarding her request for an appointment. The businesswoman gave him a job to secure internal combustion engines being delivered to Millner. Knowing who could help him with the trains, Jacob freed the arrested Ned Wynert from his police convoy and asked for his aid to transfer the package cargo. Climbing aboard the moving Blighters train, Jacob searched the cargo for the engines and detached its car for Ned's train to take.[18]

Attaway next delegated Jacob with the task of killing Millner, who was in the River Thames with his ferry, the only business he had left. Jacob sabotaged the contraband on the boat to lure Millner outside where he assassinated him. Believing Jacob had been sent by Starrick, the dying Millner unknowingly revealed to the Assassin that the Grand Master and Attaway were family before passing away. Deciding to investigate, Jacob followed Attaway to a meeting with Starrick, where he discovered that the two were cousins and allies and that Attaway had only used him to eliminate her competition.[19]

Dismayed, Jacob resolved to eliminate Attaway now that he was aware of her Templar affiliations, and tracked her to Waterloo station. Locating his target aboard the train, Jacob assassinated Attaway, officially dissolving their partnership, before recovering the engines and escaping with the train.[20]

Reclaiming control of London

"Have you ever pondered the consequences of your actions, Jacob Frye? Or did your father teach you nothing?"
―John Elliotson's final words to Jacob, 1868[src]-[m]
ACS S6 A Bad Penny 3

Jacob hiding behind a painting while waiting to assassinate Twopenny

Jacob next targeted the financial field of Starrick, kidnapping a man to gather intel; the man, however, was Frederick Abberline who was once again in disguise. The sergeant informed the Assassin of a planned robbery of the Bank of England. As the information was confidential, Jacob talked him into revealing the supplier, the Cockham Merchants.[21] He later met again with Abberline to continue their investigation. Jacob located the smuggled weapons and tailed their delivery to the Templar Philip Twopenny, under the alias of "Plutus."[22] Left with no choice but to stop the heist, Jacob infiltrated the Bank of England and assassinated Twopenny, giving the dead man a coin in mockery to the man's beliefs. As Jacob escaped, Abberline arrested Twopenny's accomplices.[23]

Desperate to regain control, Starrick entered England's politics, plotting against Queen Victoria. As Jacob's latest exploits was to now meddle with the Parliament, Evie warned her brother of the consequences of his latest actions: the increase of fraud medicine, transportation and production problems, and the near collapse of the British economy, problems she mostly fixed.[24]

Jacob proceeded to spy on Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli within the Sinopean Club, before following the spy Herbert who walked away from the meeting. He tackled the man, assuming he was the Templar associate "B", but the spy told him he had been paid to merely follow the Prime Minister. Before he could reveal his employer's identity, the spy was shot and killed by a sniper. Jacob then chased the sniper, threatening to throw her off the roof to reveal information. The scared woman admitted that she did not know her employer's name, only giving a description of his appearance, but revealed that her associates were planning to attack the Prime Minister's carriage.[24]

Infiltrating Disraeli's carriage, Jacob pretended to be the Prime Minister's bodyguard. Disraeli was suspicious of the Assassin however, unlike his wife Mary Anne who let Jacob speak. There was a sudden gunshot from outside, coming from the police and the Blighters. Jacob defended the Disraelis and chased their hijacked carriage, securing the couple's safety. Jacob then asked Mary Anne for the Templar affiliate he was searching for and the woman agreed in exchange for a tour of the Devil's Acre.[25]

ACS S7 Driving Mrs

Jacob retrieving Mrs. Disraeli from the Devil's Acre

The following night, Jacob arrived at their meeting place, but Mary Anne canceled the tour due to scandal-seeking journalists. The Assassin, unable to hurt the journalists, distracted them instead and returned to Mary Anne's carriage. Escaping more journalists, the pair eventually arrived in Devil's Acre and avoided the Blighter thugs on patrol.[26]

They later settled to a tavern where Mary Ann's purse, containing her dog Desmond, was stolen. After recovering the dog, Jacob returned only to find Mary Anne advising a group of thugs. Their misfortune was succeeded by the Blighters chasing their carriage. With the tour coming to an end, Mary Anne revealed the man Jacob was seeking for—the Earl of Cardigan, who was currently working within the Palace of Westminster.[26]

Stealthily infiltrating the Palace of Westminster, Jacob eventually made his way to the Earl and assassinated him. The Earl called him a coward and dramatically announced his death, much to Jacob's irritation. Having accomplished his task, Jacob escaped the palace's guards and Blighter patrols. Unbeknownst to him, the Earl's assassination caused major turmoil among the citizens of London; another problem Evie had to fix for her brother.[27]

A dangerous alliance

Jacob: "Why did you do it? All of it?"
Roth: "What? Snap a baby crow's neck between my thumb and forefinger? Slice to bits the ones you deem "innocent"? Keep the world in its divine manic state? For the same reason I do anything – why not?"
—Jacob and Roth's exchange following the latter's assassination, 1868.[src]-[m]
ACS Strange Bedfellows 7

Jacob sharing a drink with Roth

Moving to his next target, Jacob accepted an invitation to dinner from Maxwell Roth, London's biggest criminal mastermind and leader of the Blighters. Once the Assassin had arrived, Roth expressed his admiration for his accomplishments and offered him a partnership, which Jacob readily accepted. The duo then rode into the night to St. Pancras station, where Jacob blew up shipments of explosives belonging to Starrick before delivering the train and its driver to Roth.[28]

The pair continued their goal to overthrow Starrick's control over London with theft in mind. Roth explained his plan to kidnap three of the Grand Master's henchmen: Hattie Cadwallader, Benjamin Raffles and Chester Swinebourne; a task which Jacob accomplished, delivering the trio to Roth's carriage.[29]

However, while Jacob enjoyed Roth's company, he was unwilling to go the same lengths as him to achieve their goal. When Roth intended to destroy one of Starrick's workshops, Jacob initially helped him set up the explosives around the building, but stopped when he discovered there were child workers inside. Refusing to harm innocent children, Jacob dissolved his partnership with Roth, but the enraged crime boss detonated the explosives in response, forcing Jacob to go into the burning building and save the children. He was then given a package from Roth, which contained an invitation to a show and the corpse of Roth's pet crow.[30]

Kissu M4

Jacob being kissed by Roth

Arriving at the Alhambra Music Hall that night, Jacob found that Roth had organized a masquerade party in his honor. Infiltrating the party, the Assassin tried to locate his target, but Roth was one step ahead of him and had placed several decoys. After Jacob killed all of them, Roth revealed himself and promptly set the theatre ablaze, intending to murder everyone inside. While Roth was relishing in the chaos he had created, Jacob climbed to the rafter above the stage and cut the rope holding a counterweight, entangling Roth in one end of the rope and dragging him up near the rafter.[31]

With his target immobilized, Jacob pulled Roth close and stabbed him with his Hidden Blade. As the crime boss lay dying, Jacob questioned his motives for killing innocents, to which Roth simply replied that he did it because he wanted to. He then surprised Jacob with an abrupt kiss, leaving the Assassin shocked and confused as Roth finally passed away. Following this, Jacob narrowly escaped from the flaming theater.[31]

Eventually, Jacob, alongside his sister, led the Rooks to victory in their gang war against the Blighters, taking control of all of London's boroughs after eliminating the Blighters' Templar leaders: Bloody Nora,[32] Lilla Graves,[33] Victor Lynch,[34] Octavia Plumb,[35] Cletus Strain,[36] and Edith Swinebourne.[37]

Assassinating Crawford Starrick

Following his assassination of Roth, Jacob returned to Evie, who scolded him with his disinterest in the Shroud and reckless planning. Evie mentioned their father, a sore topic for Jacob, and the siblings argued. Henry calmed them down and told them about a ball to be held in Buckingham Palace where Starrick was planning to steal the Shroud and eliminate the heads of church and government.[38]

Finding this a good opportunity to assassinate Starrick, Jacob and Evie joined forces in spite of their grievances with one another, and invited the Disraelis to their hideout. There, they expressed their need to enter the ball and revealed their plan to steal the invitations of Catherine and William Gladstone, much to the Disraelis' glad approval. Jacob then headed to the Gladstones' house to recover the invitations and eventually tracked Mrs. Gladstone and hijacked her carriage.[38]

ACS Dress to Impress 7

Jacob giving Abberline a Royal Guard uniform

Learning that weaponry was not allowed at the ball, Jacob asked Frederick Abberline for ideas and the latter told him to acquire a Royal Guard uniform. The Assassin proceeded to St. Martin's Church, where he incapacitated a guard and stole his uniform before delivering it to Abberline, allowing the sergeant to smuggle the twins' weapons into the ball.[39]

The twins successfully managed to infiltrate the ball using the Gladstones' carriage and invitations, whereupon they split up. Jacob went to meet with Abberline for their smuggled weapons, but was informed that Starrick had disguised his own men with Royal Guard uniforms and placed them on the Buckingham Palace's rooftop. The Assassin came to the rescue, killing all of the impostors before sending his sister a signal.[40]

However, Evie had lost her Precursor necklace to Starrick and ordered her brother to locate the crypt. Jacob made his way to the vault, finding Starrick with the Shroud. However, he failed to attack the Templar; instead, Starrick choked him. Evie came to his rescue moments later, but the vault's activated defense mechanism sent Jacob sprawling to the floor. Upon recovering, Jacob rushed to his sister's aid, who was now the one within Starrick's grasp. After exchanging more blows with Starrick, the two of them were trapped.[40]

Feeling pain M4

Jacob and Evie assassinating Starrick

Fortunately, Henry Green arrived, throwing a knife at the Templar. Joining the fight, Henry too was knocked off his feet by the Templar. Jacob and Evie continued the fight and eventually managed to remove the Shroud and assassinate Starrick. With the Templar threat gone, the rift between the siblings vanished and they were able to reconcile after admitting their respective mistakes. Jacob then returned the Shroud to its proper place while Evie tended to Henry. Shortly thereafter, the three Assassins met with Queen Victoria, who was grateful to her saviors. She knighted them to her Order of the Sacred Garter and promised to call upon them for more work in the future. The twins then raced off to their hideout, leaving Henry behind.[40]

Rebuilding the London Brotherhood

With the Templar Grand Master eliminated, the twins continued their struggle to help London's underclass. The Fryes soon distanced themselves from Queen Victoria to avoid furthering Britain's imperial interests but the British capital itself enjoyed twenty years of relative peace and stability.[41]

During that time, Jacob and Evie would eventually go their separate ways, as Evie married Henry and moved with him to India while Jacob remained in London to continue leading the Rooks and reinforce the Brotherhood with new apprentices. He also had at least one child, who was also initiated into the Assassin Order.[41]

One of Jacob's initiates was a young boy from the Lambeth Asylum nicknamed "Jack the Lad" and together with new initiates, Jacob joined his sister and Henry in India in order to learn the fear tactics of the Indian Assassins.[41]

Autumn of Terror

Jack: "Don't you see the irony, brother...?"
Jacob: "Jack..."
Jack: "Only you know who the 'Ripper' is... But you can't tell a living soul...because it would destroy you, and the Assassins."
—Jack mocking Jacob during their fight, 1888.[src]-[m]

Sometime after returning to London, Jacob came to blows with his apprentice Jack, who had developed an extremist view of the Assassins' mission and his own warped variant of the Creed. He eventually lost control of the Rooks to Jack, who intended to use the gang to further his goals. In retaliation, Jacob sent a few of his female initiates after Jack, disguised as prostitutes. His efforts proved to be in vain, however, with Jack brutally eliminating all opposition sent his way. This marked the beginning of the Whitechapel murders, otherwise known as the Autumn of Terror.[41]

ACS Prologue 10

Jacob defeated by Jack

On the night of 30 September 1888, Jacob approached the journalist Arthur Weaversbrook, who had been publishing Jack's letters for the public to read. He demanded that Weaversbrook discontinue the publishing of the letters and berated him for turning Jack into a legend.[41]

After his conversation with Weaversbrook, Jacob caught wind of a peering Jack nearby and rushed to his Whitechapel lodgings. Midway, a fight broke out in a cemetery, where Jack injured Jacob and gained the upper hand. Jacob continued to flee and escaped to his lodgings via horse-drawn carriage. There, an injured Jacob was ambushed and overpowered in combat, resulting in him being kidnapped by Jack and locked away in a cell beneath the Lambeth Asylum.[41]

Prior to his abduction, Jacob had requested the return of his sister. Honoring the request, Evie began searching for him and investigated the murder scenes of Jack's many victims. Jacob was eventually located by his sister, barely alive and in a semi-conscious state. After killing Jack and his accomplices, Evie went to help her brother and, with the aid of Inspector Frederick Abberline, obscured the Ripper's identity to prevent the Brotherhood potentially being compromised.[41]

Later life

In 1893, Jacob's granddaughter Lydia was born. With Lydia's parents often away on the continent performing missions for the Brotherhood, responsibility for Lydia's training fell to her grandfather and grand-aunt. At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Jacob and Evie were removed to the safety of the countryside, while Lydia remained in London to protect the city from German spies and Templar agents.[42]

Legacy

Jacob's actions, alongside Evie's, led to the reconstruction of the British Assassins' presence in London after over a century of Templar control, as well as the severe weakening of the British Templars with the death of their Grand Master, Crawford Starrick.[43]

Some time prior to October 2015, some of Jacob's DNA was later retrieved by Abstergo Industries. The company had it analyzed to ascertain the location of a hidden Shroud of Eden that Jacob had come in contact with, as they intended to use it in the Phoenix Project to sequence Isu DNA. Around the same time, the Templar Isabelle Ardant included her and her brother's names on a list of known British Assassins. This list was later unveiled by the Assassins Rebecca Crane and Shaun Hastings when they infiltrated Ardant's office to plant a bug.[44]

By 2016, Jacob's cane-sword was retrieved by Abstergo and displayed in their Madrid facility.[45]

Jacob and Evie were both mentioned by the Assassin Layla Hassan, while she was in London in 2018.[46]

Personality and traits

"I'm no criminal. I just do as I please."
―Jacob Frye[47]

Jacob was an impulsive, reckless and rebellious individual with a quick wit and an aggressive demeanor. While he was brought up as an Assassin, Jacob grew up under a strict lifestyle that restricted his active behavior. As a result, he resented his father as well as his teachings, and usually lost his composure when Evie brought their deceased father into their arguments. Furthermore, he did not appear to be a fervent believer in the Creed's tenets like his sister, preferring action over philosophical thoughts and a good fight over discretion. As such, he was easily dismissive of Pieces of Eden, preferring to focus on his targets.[43]

Coupled with his reckless behavior, Jacob remained oblivious to the chaos created by his actions. Assassinating Starrick's Templar associates created as much harm as good, and when brought up by Evie, Jacob simply dismissed them. Instead, he justified his actions by claiming he was doing something proactive in toppling Starrick's power, unlike Evie, who was obsessed with tracking down the Shroud of Eden.[43]

However, complementing his impulsive and reckless behavior, Jacob was very good at thinking on his feet, part of the reason he survived his own recklessness. Also, as a gang leader, he proved himself as a criminal strategist and organizer. He could also be persuasive with some people, such as appealing to Inspector Abberline's professional pride in exchange for information.[43]

While "having fun" was very important to Jacob, he was not above altruistic acts and fighting for the disenfranchised. Furthermore, he had no desire to harm any innocent civilians, cutting off all ties with Maxwell Roth for doing so. Upon seeing how dangerous Roth's anarchism was, Jacob finally realized the flaws in his own idea of freedom. As such, he came to understand the tenets of the Creed, and acknowledged that his father and sister had been right about his recklessness all along.[43]

Jacob possessed a sense of humor that ranged from lighthearted to morbid. He once teased Evie over her feelings for Henry Green. After killing the stingy Philip Twopenny, he placed a coin in his target's hand "for the path of the dead."[43]

By his early 40s, Jacob appeared to have matured greatly compared to his younger self, taking up responsibilities as the Mentor of several Assassin apprentices. When one of his pupils, Jack, went rogue, Jacob felt partially responsible and tried to stop him, but all his attempts ended with the brutal deaths of the Assassins sent after Jack, likely causing Jacob to feel even more guilty. When confronted by Jack, Jacob could not bring himself to kill his former apprentice and held back during their fight, leading to his defeat and capture. He also tried to reason with Jack, telling him that he was sick and that the Assassins could help him, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.[41]

Equipment and skills

"Leave the sneaking and spying to my sister. Toss me my brass knuckles and point me to a good brawl."
―Jacob Frye[47]

Having been trained by the Brotherhood from birth by his father Ethan Frye, Jacob was a Master Assassin adept at both stealth and combat, despite his preference for the latter, he proved efficient in the use of the Hidden Blade as he could eliminate his targets with great skill. He also proved capable in eavesdropping, pickpocketing, and lockpicking. [43]

He was a skilled freerunner, able to scale the tall buildings of London as well as climb natural elements - including trees - with relative ease. Quick and athletic, he was able to instantly transverse over and under several obstacles as well as moving terrains. Additionally he proved to be a capable swimmer.[43]

An experienced brawler, Jacob was proficient in hand-to-hand combat, able to engage multiple opponents simultaneously with minimal effort[43] and often using his favored weapon[47] of brass knuckles paired with firearms to employ more brutal take-downs. Due to the era's restriction on open weaponry, Jacob carried an arsenal of hidden tools including his dual Hidden Blades, one of which was equipped with a rope launcher—a versatile tool that he could utilize to access and scale areas quickly, as well as create ziplines.[43] He was also proficient in stealth, pickpocketing, and lockpicking, though not to the same extent as Evie.

Accompanying this, the Hidden Blade was equipped with a mechanism that fired hallucinogenic darts; firing a dart into an open flame would result in a poisonous gas cloud, allowing Jacob to eliminate multiple enemies from a distance. Other weapons in his possession included a kukri blade, a cane-sword, a six-shot revolver and throwing knives.[43]

Additionally, Jacob possessed the rare ability of Eagle Vision. Like his sister, it allowed him to see through walls and tag enemies.[43]

Trivia

Name

Jacob's name is of Biblical origin, with the meaning being either 'he who grasps the heel' or 'supplanter'. Frye is a derivative of the English word 'free'.

Sexuality

Jeffrey Yohalem, the Lead Writer on Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, indicated that the team explicitly avoided giving Jacob a female love interest during the main storyline. He also hinted at the idea that Jacob needed to "figure himself out to some degree" after his partnership with Maxwell Roth.[48] This led to speculation regarding Jacob's sexuality, with the official Assassin's Creed Tumblr later confirming that the character was canonically bisexual.[49]

Appearance

Jacob's height is somewhere in between 1.68m (5'6") and 1.70m (5'7") according to the Charing Cross Edition, which has a wanted poster of Jacob on it that lists several of his characteristics, though the information on it may be inaccurate. Another defining feature are his facial scars, including one over his right eyebrow and another on the left side of his jaw cutting through his beard. Jacob is also known to have a tattoo of a stylized Peregrine falcon over his left pectoral and another featuring a simple cross surrounded by diamonds on his left upper arm.

In his youth in 1868, Jacob wears a shilling around his neck and possesses additional headwear other than the traditional beaked Assassin hood, being able to wear a cap or top hat. Assassin's Creed: Underworld reveals that Jacob's top hat is collapsible, so he tucks it inside his robes when not in use. Twenty years later, in Jack the Ripper, Jacob lacks the hat as well as the shilling around his neck, and his robes seem to be a combination of his Master Assassin Outfit and the Maximum Dracula Outfit. At the beginning of the DLC, he is also seen wearing the Legendary Assassin Gauntlet.

Other

Given that Jacob's granddaughter Lydia Frye shares his and Evie's last name, this could imply that Jacob had a son as patrilineality is a common practice in the United Kingdom.

Like their predecessors, the Levantine Brotherhood, Jacob and Evie dipped an object in their targets' blood following their death, though the twins used a handkerchief rather than a feather. This is suggested to be a common habit among the British Brotherhood of the time.

Jacob's Eagle vision functions similarly to the Eagle vision of the Assassin Edward Kenway and the Templar Shay Cormac possessed, enabling him to tag targets.

Like Evie, his name will be randomly generated in Far Cry 5 as a "gun for hire".

Appearances

References

  1. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateDatabase: Evie Frye
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Assassin's Creed: SyndicateDatabase: Jacob Frye
  3. 3.0 3.1 Assassin's Creed: SyndicateA Spanner in the Works
  4. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateA Simple Plan
  5. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateSomewhere That's Green
  6. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateAbberline, We Presume
  7. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateTo Catch an Urchin
  8. 8.0 8.1 Assassin's Creed: SyndicateGang War (Whitechapel)
  9. 9.0 9.1 Assassin's Creed: SyndicateFreedom of the Press
  10. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateThe Crate Escape
  11. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateA Spoonful of Syrup
  12. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateUnnatural Selection
  13. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateOn the Origin of Syrup
  14. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateCable News
  15. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateOverdose
  16. 16.0 16.1 Assassin's Creed: SyndicateBreaking News
  17. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateFriendly Competition
  18. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateResearch and Development
  19. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateSurvival of the Fittest
  20. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateEnd of the Line
  21. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateA Case of Identity
  22. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateA Spot of Tea
  23. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateA Bad Penny
  24. 24.0 24.1 Assassin's Creed: SyndicatePlaying Politics
  25. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateThe Bodyguard
  26. 26.0 26.1 Assassin's Creed: SyndicateDriving Mrs. Disraeli
  27. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateMotion to Impeach
  28. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateStrange Bedfellows
  29. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateTriple Theft
  30. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateFun and Games
  31. 31.0 31.1 Assassin's Creed: SyndicateFinal Act
  32. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateGang War (City of London)
  33. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateGang War (Westminster)
  34. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateGang War (The Strand)
  35. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateGang War (Southwark)
  36. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateGang War (Lambeth)
  37. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateGang War (The Thames)
  38. 38.0 38.1 Assassin's Creed: SyndicateDouble Trouble
  39. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateDress to Impress
  40. 40.0 40.1 40.2 Assassin's Creed: SyndicateA Night to Remember
  41. 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 41.5 41.6 41.7 Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Jack the Ripper [citation needed]
  42. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateDatabase: Lydia Frye
  43. 43.00 43.01 43.02 43.03 43.04 43.05 43.06 43.07 43.08 43.09 43.10 43.11 Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
  44. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateModern day
  45. Assassin's Creed film
  46. Assassin's Creed: OdysseyModern day
  47. 47.0 47.1 47.2 Ubisoft white swirl only Assassin's Creed Syndicate – Jacob Frye on Ubisoft's official website (backup link)
  48. YouTube The Assassin's Den - ft. Jeffrey Yohalem (Assassin's Creed Syndicate Lead Writer) on the Loomer YouTube channel. "Jeffrey: The kiss between Maxwell and Jacob is not for laughs: Maxwell is in love with Jacob and Jacob may have reciprocated. Um, the goal was to make that moment ambiguous [...] 'Cause I was gonna say, through that entire mission chain, and the way that Maxwell writes the invitation to Jacob to come to the play, uh, I mean, for me, Maxwell is very clearly in love with Jacob. And, and that the whole thing is done to—you know, in his misguided, crazy way, he's trying to seduce him.
    Loomer: Oh, wow. See, I got more of a father-son type vibe, because, you know, Jacob's always clashing with his father's, kind of, ideals and stuff?
    Jeffrey: No, I mean, it's very—it's very intentional that Jacob has no love interest in this game and that the sequence with Roth is the love interest sequence.
    Loomer: Wow. OK. I think some other people might have picked up on that, but I did not.
    Jeffrey: But I'm not saying—I mean, again, I'm not saying reciprocates, but I think that Jacob very much is drawn to Roth and that the kiss is not entirely one-sided. [...] And I think you're right about maybe, y'know, maybe there's something going on, like, maybe Jacob has to figure himself out to some degree, and this is the first step."
    from 1:15:30–1:15:42, 1:16:20–1:17:20, and 1:18:10–1:18:18
  49. Tumblr @assassinscreed — solasthewolf: Jacob Frye is not Bisexual! on Tumblr (backup link) "Jacob Frye is bisexual. This is canon. The end."

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