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- "You can be a great Assassin without being a great killer, Jayadeep."
- ―Pyara Kaur to her son, 1865.[src]
Jayadeep Mir (born 1843), also known as "The Ghost" and more commonly as Sir Henry Green, was an Indian-born member of the British Brotherhood of Assassins, based in London during the mid-19th century.
The son of Arbaaz Mir, a Kashmiri Master Assassin of the Indian Brotherhood, and Princess Pyara Kaur of the Sikh Empire, Jayadeep was the grandson of the Maharaja Kharak Singh and the great-grandson of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He was also the great-nephew, and an associate, of Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire also exiled to London during the Victorian era.
Jayadeep was trained in the Assassins' ways from a young age by both his father and the British Assassin Ethan Frye, with whom he developed a close bond. While a skilled and intelligent Assassin, Jayadeep possessed a weakness for violence. It was during his first mission that he hesitated to kill his Templar target Tjinder Dani, forcing his father to rescue him. This act was seen as a breach of the Creed's tenets, for which the Indian Brotherhood sentenced Jayadeep to death.
Saved by the timely intervention of Ethan, who offered a banishment alternative, Jayadeep's life was spared and he was exiled to England. Given the new name Bharat Singh by Ethan, he worked undercover at a railway site used by the British Templars to search for an Apple of Eden in order to spy on them. Although Jayadeep ultimately failed to prevent the Templars from obtaining the Apple and decided to retire from his life as an Assassin, he would resume work for the Brotherhood a few years later, following a visit from his parents.
In time, Jayadeep became the leader of the Assassins in London and sought to liberate the city from the Templars' control, while also adopting a new name, Henry Green. In 1868, following Ethan's death, Henry became an ally and mentor figure to his children, Jacob and Evie Frye, who had traveled to London to eliminate the British Templars' Grand Master Crawford Starrick and retrieve another Piece of Eden, the Shroud.
Following an unsuccessful assassination attempt by Starrick on Queen Victoria, Henry and the Fryes killed the Grand Master before being knighted by the Queen and becoming members of the Order of the Sacred Garter. Henry later married Evie, with whom he had become close during their quest for the Shroud, and the two migrated to India.
Biography[]
Early life[]
- "He lacks the killer instinct. The boy can kill and no doubt will, but he lacks something we have, you and I, or perhaps he has something we lack."
- ―Ethan Frye, explaining Jayadeep's weakness to his father Arbaaz, 1853.[src]
Jayadeep Mir was born within the borders of the Sikh Empire on 7 December 1843, to the Indian Assassin Arbaaz Mir and Princess Pyara Kaur, the daughter of Maharaja Kharak Singh.[1] The young boy spent his childhood idolizing his father and his stories and was told that greatness lay ahead of him. Due to his charisma, he was able to twist his family and household to his will.[2]
In 1847, Jayadeep began training under his father to join the Assassins, and was discovered to have extraordinary, almost supernatural potential. In order not to hinder the training of such a talented Assassin with a parental bond, Arbaaz called upon his friend, the British Assassin Ethan Frye, to tutor his son. Ethan taught him swordsmanship and theories, putting the teachings into practice in the streets of Amritsar. Though confused at first over his tutor's harsh manner and rough tone, the two eventually developed a mentor-pupil bond.[2]
One day, Ethan ordered Jayadeep to return with information using covert means as an exercise in stealth. The boy returned to Ethan with gossip about his mentor, and learned that Ethan's wife Cecily had died during childbirth. His mentor confirmed this and, in his own way, admitted that his friendship with the boy had awakened a parental instinct inside him.[2]
However, as he transitioned Jayadeep's training from wooden swords to steel ones, Ethan discovered a serious problem with his student. Prior to leaving for Britain in 1853, he informed the boy's parents that although Jayadeep possessed tremendous Assassin skills, he would never be a true warrior due to his lack of a killer instinct, much to Arbaaz's anger and Pyara's sadness.[2]
Exile to England[]
- Arbaaz: "If this assignation is as undercover as you suggest, then wouldn't it be advantageous if the agent did not exist? Who can link him to Jayadeep Mir if Jayadeep Mir is dead?"
- Ethan: "A ghost? That's a stroke of genius, Arbaaz, worthy of the great Assassin I know."
- —Ethan Frye and Arbaaz discussing Jayadeep's banishment, 1860.[src]
In order to let him prove his worth, the Indian Brotherhood sent Jayadeep out on his first mission in 1859 to kill the Templar Tjinder Dani with the weapon garrotte. Using his extraordinary skills in freerunning and discretion, the young Assassin eventually found himself in his sleeping target's room. However, Jayadeep hesitated, causing the coin in the garrotte to fall and awaken Dani. The two wrestled down to the streets and Arbaaz, who had accompanied his son to assist with their getaway, was forced to eliminate Dani and the guards himself.[2]
Shamed for breaking the tenets of the Creed, Jayadeep was imprisoned at an Assassin base called The Darkness to await execution. Fortunately, Ethan caught news of his student's plight and returned to India in order to save his former pupil. Through Arbaaz's permission, Jayadeep was instead banished to England to live a humble life in the aid of the Assassins there under the pseudonym "The Ghost". Ethan gave him some money and told him to blend in with the poor and find a home by himself.[2]
Arriving in London, Jayadeep worked on the world's first underground railway, taking the name "Bharat Singh". He was required to check the gravestone at Marylebone Church every evening for Ethan's messages and warnings. Without a proper home, Jayadeep took up residence in the Thames Tunnel along with other homeless beggars. There, he befriended the street urchin Charlie, the beggar Jake and saved an elderly woman called Maggie from her attackers in the Marylebone Church. In addition to eliminating the criminals in the Thames Tunnel, he also served as the tunnel's guardian and personally aided his new acquaintances.[2]
In 1861, Jayadeep, approaching as "The Ghost," communicated with the Assassin Simeon Price and his apprentice Pierrette Arnaud about any knowledge on Price's former mentor, Oscar Kane. However, he was unable to find any clues on Kane's whereabouts.[3]
Search for the Apple[]
- "I trust the Ghost. I trust him to look after himself. Most of all, I trust him to recover the artifact."
- ―Ethan talking about Jayadeep, 1862.[src]
The following year, Jayadeep disposed of the body of the Templar Robert Waugh, whom Ethan had assassinated, in the same railway dig site where he worked undercover to observe the Templar Cavanagh, who was using the site to search for a Piece of Eden buried there. When Police Constable Frederick Abberline came to investigate the body, Jayadeep began ingratiating himself with Cavanagh to gain more intel on the Templars' plans.[2]
Based on Jayadeep's intelligence, Cavanagh and his men later went to Waugh's home to investigate. Jayadeep accompanied them and saved Abberline, who was also present, from being killed by Cavanagh's thugs, incapacitating the constable instead. Despite this incident, Cavanagh was still satisfied with Jayadeep and took him under his wing.[2]
During this time, Jayadeep was unknowingly investigated by Leonard Hazlewood, a private detective hired by one of Maggie's attackers that the Assassin had beaten up. Through Hazlewood, both Abberline and Cavanagh learned about Jayadeep's deeds. While the former grew to respect the Assassin for his heroism, Cavanagh became suspicious of Jayadeep's true identity and affiliations. To confirm these suspicions, he kidnapped the Indian Assassin Ajay, who reluctantly betrayed the Creed and informed him of Jayadeep's identity.[2]
Deciding to test Jayadeep's loyalty, Cavanagh later ordered him to kill solicitor Charles Pearson, who had found the Apple of Eden sought by the Templars. Unsure how to proceed, as he did not wish to murder an innocent man, Jayadeep secretly met with Ethan to ask for his advice. His mentor decided that he would kill Pearson himself to acquire the Apple, and told Jayadeep to lie to Cavanagh that he agreed to perform the assassination and would use a blowpipe to do so.[2]
Confronting Cavanagh[]
- Ethan: "Was I the only one to make an error of judgement? How were they able to identify you, Jayadeep?"
- Jayadeep: "Anything I did was born of a desire to help my fellow man. Isn't that the right way? Isn't that the Assassin way?"
- Ethan: "It is. But if you excuse yourself on those terms then you must excuse me, because I did what I did for the good of all men."
- —Jayadeep and Ethan arguing following their escape from Cavanagh, 1862.[src]
During the inauguration of the railway, Jayadeep was in a dilemma and decided that he would prevent Ethan's assassination of Pearson. However, he was restrained by Cavanagh's men and forced to watch as the Templar stabbed Pearson to death, claiming the Apple for himself. Cavanagh then revealed that, because of the blowpipe suggestion, he knew of Ethan's involvement and had sent his men to deal with the Assassin, who was hiding in the crowd.[2]
Jayadeep soon managed to escape and chased after Cavanagh, who had fled into the railway tunnel with the Apple. There, he was joined by Ethan, who had been saved from the Templars' trap by Abberline, and the two Assassins fought Cavanagh for possession of the Apple. When the artifact's powers caused the tunnel to collapse, Jayadeep and Ethan chose to escape while Cavanagh was killed by fellow Templar Marchant for plotting against Grand Master Crawford Starrick. Marchant subsequently claimed the Apple for his Order, foiling the Assassins' plan to retrieve it.[2]
After Ethan revealed that Ajay had informed him of his betrayal, Jayadeep was saddened by his mentor's inaction. Although Ethan tried to justify his decision, knowing that Jayadeep would have aborted the mission if he learned his identity had been compromised, the younger Assassin saw that his mentor was just as obsessed with the Apple as the Templars. He then decided to end their partnership, feeling that their philosophies were too incompatible.[2]
Following this, Jayadeep returned to the Thames Tunnel, only to find that the Templars had killed Maggie. Distraught over his failure to protect his friend and blaming himself for her death, Jayadeep sank into a deep depression and refused to be involved in Assassin affairs ever again, living in seclusion in the Thames Tunnel for several years. Though both Ethan and George Westhouse visited him during this time, they failed to convince him to return to the Brotherhood.[2]
Building a network[]
In 1865, warned by Ethan and George of their son's whereabouts, Arbaaz and Pyara traveled to London to help him recover. They convinced him to accompany them to their temporary apartments in Berkeley Square, but there were still tensions between Jayadeep and Arbaaz, as the young Assassin was uncertain of the role his father had played in his death sentence that had led to his banishment.[2]
After several days with his family, Jayadeep joined his mother for a walk, during which she tried to push him to return to the Brotherhood and help Ethan. Bringing him to a curiosity-shop that Pyara and Arbaaz had bought for Jayadeep, she convinced her son to build and oversee a network of informants for the British Assassins. She also gave him an Assassin outfit and his old confiscated Hidden Blade, and encouraged him to take on a new name.[2] Jayadeep ultimately settled on "Henry Green", after a name he had heard repeatedly since his arrival in the country and the color of the hat he was wearing at the time.[1]
By 1868, the British Brotherhood had nearly fallen, and as one of its last remaining members in London, Henry became the leader of the Assassins in the city. Due to Crawford Starrick's Blighters firmly controlling the city's streets, Henry was forced to remain hidden, rarely leaving his curiosity-shop, which doubled as the bureau of the London Assassins.[4] During this time, he wrote to George Westhouse to petition the Assassin Council of Crawley for aid, but his pleas were largely ignored.[5]
Meeting the Frye twins[]
In January 1868, Ethan passed away after contracting pleurisy,[2] and news of his mentor's death soon reached Henry. The following month, while patroling Whitechapel's rooftops, Henry encountered Ethan's children, Jacob and Evie, and offered his condolences. Assuming the twins had been sent by the Council, he brought them up to speed on Starrick's dominion over the city. The Fryes then began to disagree on a course of action; Jacob wanted to form a gang called the Rooks to cripple Starrick's control, while Evie wanted to find the Piece of Eden that the Templars were looking for.[4]
Subsequently, the three Assassins bumped into Charles Dickens. While Jacob was easily dismissive of the author, Henry advised the young Assassin to consider keeping a network of contacts, as Dickens knew every influential figure in the city. Unfortunately, a pair of Blighters attempted to follow them, forcing Henry to split off from the Fryes. He handed them a pair of pistols and told them to meet him at his curiosity-shop once they had driven the Blighters away.[4]
After the Frye twins had eliminated the Blighters, they arrived at Henry's shop, whereupon he directed them to meet his allies, Sergeant Frederick Abberline and Clara O'Dea, who would be able to aid them in their quest to liberate London. He also provided information on Rexford Kaylock, the Templar leading the Blighters in Whitechapel who sought to acquire Henry's research on the Isu.[4]
As the newly formed Rooks began to stir up resistance against Kaylock's power base in the borough, Henry informed the twins that the Blighters wanted a street fight to settle the dispute, and provided them with kukris. Following the Rooks' victory against the Blighters and Kaylock's death, the Assassins commandeered the Templar's train as a mobile headquarters.[6]
Noticing that Jacob was obsessed with Kaylock's grappling gun, which had been damaged in the fight, Henry introduced the twins to his friend Alexander Graham Bell, who repaired and installed it on their gauntlets. Upon meeting back at the train, Henry showed the twins the hierarchy of Starrick's inner circle, most whose identities were unknown. While Jacob focused on hunting the Templars, Henry assisted Evie in her search for the Piece of Eden.[7]
Search for the Shroud[]
After Evie and Jacob recovered an Assassin journal from the Templars and Evie used her Eagle Vision to find a hidden image of a ship, she and Henry followed the trail to Edward Kenway's former mansion, which had been seized by the Templars. Infiltrating the mansion and avoiding the Blighters tearing the place apart, Henry and Evie made their way to the piano room, where they found a secret room underneath, from which they retrieved a golden disk and a document. As the Templars also discovered the secret passageway, Henry sealed it before escaping with Evie via another passage.[8]
After Evie later lost to the key to the Shroud's vault to the Templar Lucy Thorne, she and Henry looked through their research and determined that the probable location of the Shroud was the Tower of London. Henry advised Evie to seek out his ally in the fortress guard for assistance. Though Evie ultimately managed to assassinate Thorne and recover the key, she learned that the Shroud was not in the Tower.[9]
Determining that the vault may be under Buckingham Palace, Henry and Evie went to meet his great-uncle, Maharaja Duleep Singh, who informed them that the blueprints for the palace had been confiscated by the Templars. During the Assassins' attempt to retrieve the plans, Henry was captured by the Blighters and taken to the sewers beneath a church in the Strand. He was eventually rescued by Evie, who had chosen to forgo recovering the plans in order to save him.[10]
Upon escaping to safety, Evie advised Henry to see Florence Nightingale to attend to his head injury and return to the train while she would go see Singh again. Henry apologized for his capture undoing Evie's plans, but she ultimately chose to end their partnership. As Henry reminded her that she would not be able to enter Buckingham Palace alone, Evie promised she would not be alone before leaving.[10]
Defeating Crawford Starrick[]
Henry later returned to the train and intervened in an argument between the Frye twins, informing them that his spies had learned that Starrick was planning on infiltrating the palace to obtain the Shroud and kill Britain's heads of church and state. This prompted the Fryes to agree to work together one last time to stop Starrick.[11]
While the twins prepared to enter the Shroud's vault to confront Starrick,[12] Henry decided to return to his curiosity-shop so as to not get in their way. However, he soon received an unexpected visit from George Westhouse, who came to learn about the recent developments in London. After Henry informed him of Jacob and Evie's actions in undermining the Templars' control and locating the Shroud, George sensed that Henry was doubting his own abilities as an Assassin.[2]
George reassured him that the Brotherhood needed their analytical minds as much as they needed their warriors, and that both his parents and Ethan would be proud of what Henry had achieved so far. He then took his leave after handing Henry a book Evie had requested he find, which contained information about the Shroud. Quickly reading through the book, Henry learned that the Shroud granted its wielder the ability to absorb the vitality of whoever they came into contact with and, realizing the Frye twins' lives may be in danger, decided to go help them.[2]
Arriving at the vault in the midst of Jacob and Evie's confrontation with Starrick, who was wearing the Shroud, Henry threw a knife at the Grand Master's back to get him to release the Fryes. He then charged at Starrick head-on, but was quickly knocked unconscious. Despite this, his intervention allowed the Fryes to relieve Starrick of the Shroud and kill him. When Henry regained consciousness, Evie assured him that he had saved the mission and expressed her acceptance of their working in the field together, prompting the pair to share a kiss. The Assassins then returned the Shroud to its casing.[12]
The Assassins later met with Queen Victoria, who had been informed by Abberline of their deeds and promptly knighted them into the Order of the Sacred Garter. After the Queen departed their presence, Henry watched Jacob and Evie make amends before they excitedly raced each other back to the train hideout, leaving Henry behind.[12]
Assisting Duleep Singh[]
During a visit to Buckingham Palace, Henry met with his great-uncle Duleep Singh and chastised him for his lack of commitment to the people of India, trying to convince him to reclaim his birthright as Maharaja. However, as Singh was reluctant to take drastic actions against the British Parliament, Henry turned to Evie and Jacob for help, asking them to talk to his great-uncle and see if they could change his mind. While trying to gain Singh's attention, the Frye twins witnessed a failed attempt on his life and, after an investigation, concluded that the British Indies Company (B.I.C.) and the Templars were working together to try and eliminate the Maharaja.[13]
Reporting their findings to Henry, the Assassins decided that, in order to convince Singh to take action, they would intercept a Templar convoy carrying all of the Maharaja's correspondence to his mother, which the B.I.C. had intercepted. Henry accompanied Evie and Jacob to the ambush location, where they successfully defeated the Templars with the Rooks' help and recovered the stolen letters. The Frye twins then left to repeat the same process with a train carrying more of Singh's correspondence while Henry returned to his curiosity-shop to meet with his great-uncle.[14]
Once Evie and Jacob arrived with all the letters, Singh read them and, now aware of the B.I.C.'s actions, decided to fight back against the company with the Assassins' help.[14] After the Frye twins assisted the Maharaja in delivering stolen Punjabi gold back to India,[15] Henry came up with a plan to sabotage the B.I.C. and asked Evie, Jacob and Singh to meet him at the Southwark train station. However, just prior to their arrival, the Assassins' train hideout came under attack by the Templars, forcing the group to defend it. During the fight, the Templars managed to steal the train, but Evie and Jacob eventually reclaimed control of it.[16]
Later, after Evie and Jacob had helped Singh steal the Koh-i-Noor diamond from the Tower of London, Henry examined the jewel and shattered it with a hammer, revealing that it was a replica. He then explained that the real Koh-i-Noor had never left India,[17] his father Arbaaz having made sure of it,[18] and reconciled with Singh as the two decided to work together to secure India's future.[17]
Shortly after, Henry went to investigate an abandoned foundry that had been taken over by the B.I.C. and reported his findings to Evie and Jacob, who decided to infiltrate the building. While exploring the foundry, the twins discovered a shipment of sleeping gas headed to India and destroyed it. They also learned that Singh's childhood friend, Brinley Ellsworth, was behind all the recent attacks against the Maharaja.[19] After they informed Henry and Singh, the latter arranged a meeting with Ellsworth to settle matters between them, where the Templar was ultimately defeated by Evie.[20]
Return to India[]
Over their months of working together, Henry and Evie had developed romantic feelings for each other and they officially became a couple following the death of Crawford Starrick.[21] Henry eventually proposed to Evie and the pair later relocated to India where the former was accepted back into the Indian Brotherhood.[22]
Assisting Tommy Greyling[]
In 1872, while Evie and Henry were in London, they were contacted by Frederick Abberline, who requested their assistance in foiling the plans of Alice, an American Templar who had traveled to the city to steal pages of the Voynich manuscript from the British Museum. Though assisted by Tommy Greyling, a Pinkerton agent, and Mark Twain, the Assassins failed to stop the Templar and her Blighter henchmen from recovering the artifact and fleeing England.[23]
Around 1873, Henry and Evie welcomed Jacob and several of his British initiates, including a young boy named Jack, when they arrived in India to learn the fear tactics of the Indian Brotherhood.[24]
Legacy[]
In 2015, the Templar Isabelle Ardant included Henry's name 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.[25]
Personality and traits[]
- "You're a man now. A man ready to shed the childish conceits of self-admonishment, guilt, shame, whatever other poisonous emotions crowding that head of yours, and take up the next phase of your destiny."
- ―Pyara to Jayadeep, 1865.[src]
A scholar, Henry had developed an extensive knowledge about London's society and inner workings. He was also good at making connections and gaining the trust of peoples, his network throughout London becoming very useful when he helped the Frye twins in their quest to bring down the Templar control over the city in 1868.[22]
While both sincere and hard-working, Henry had a human side to him that many other Assassins lacked. Despite his exile, Henry never lost hope of returning to India someday, after having proved to be a capable field agent.[22]
Skills and equipment[]
- George: "The Assassins need their analytical minds as much as they need their warriors."
- Henry: "A true Assassin would be both."
- George: "No, no. What you're describing isn't a person, it's an automaton. Our organization – any organization – needs a conscience, Henry. It's an important function."
- —George Westhouse encouraging Henry to focus on his area of expertise, 1868.[src]
Although he was raised as an Assassin since birth and displayed incredible and almost supernatural skill as an Assassin, Henry was more inclined towards books than he was to violence and proved to be a mediocre fighter as he was not allowed to wield a Hidden Blade until his mother gave him a confiscated blade.[2]
In 1868, he was easily captured by a group of thugs working for the Templars and it was Evie who had to save him.[10] In his battle with Starrick, Henry managed to hit the Grand Master in the shoulder with a throwing knife and cut him in the stomach with his Hidden Blade, but was quickly overpowered and knocked unconscious afterwards.[12]
Behind the scenes[]
Jayadeep Mir, better known by his alias Henry Green, is a character introduced in the 2015 video game Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, where he is voiced by British actor Jaz Deol. His in-game database entry reveals that he is the son of the Assassin Arbaaz Mir and Princess Pyara Kaur, both characters introduced in the 2013 graphic novel Assassin's Creed: Brahman. Henry later appeared as the central character of Syndicate's tie-in novel, Assassin's Creed: Underworld, which further expands on his backstory.
Jeffrey Yohalem, the lead writer for Syndicate, has revealed that Evie Frye is not an ancestor of Monima Das, a modern-day descendant of Arbaaz and Pyara.[26] This implies that either Henry conceived a child with someone other than Evie, or that Arbaaz and Pyara had at least one other child, though there are currently no mentions of Henry having any siblings in the franchise.
Etymology[]
Jayadeep is a Sikh name meaning Light of Victory, while Mir is a Kashmiri clan or tribe between present day India and Pakistan. Mir is also a loanword from the Arabic emir, amir, and thus has the meaning of "leader, commander, prince" in aforementioned places.
Henry is a common English name derived from the Old French Henri / Henry, itself derived from the Old Frankish name Heimeric, from Common Germanic *Haimarīks (from *haima- "home" and *rīk- "ruler"). In Old High German, the name was conflated with the name Haginrich (from hagin "enclosure" and rich "ruler") to form Heinrich. Coincidentally, Henry Green was also the pen name of English writer Henry Vincent Yorke.
The name Bharat Singh, used by Jayadeep while posing as an immigrant railway worker, also has Indian origins. Bharat is a Hindi word meaning India, while Singh is a common surname in India that is derived from Sinha, meaning "lion".
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (first appearance)
- Jack the Ripper (appears in photo)
- The Last Maharaja
- Assassin's Creed: Underworld
- Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Locus
- Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy
- Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot (mentioned only)
References[]
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