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He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. |
- "I've always had this empty feeling inside me. I didn't know where in the world I belong. That's why I decided to give this a try... I saw how free you were, and I thought, if I try to be more like you... maybe I could find an answer to that question one day."
- ―Noa Kim, to a hallucination of Edward Kenway, c. 2023.[src]-[m]
Noa Kim (Korean: 김노아; born 1990s) is a Korean-American college student and a descendant of the British Assassin Edward Kenway and the Joseon scholar Yun Pyeong-Gyu.
In 2023, Noa was kidnapped by the Templar company Abstergo Industries, who were interested in his genetic memories due to his Assassin heritage and lured him to Macau, China on the pretense of a vacation prize trip. Following his abduction, Noa was forced to relive Edward's memories in the Animus under the supervision of Doctor Shimazu Sei, with whom he soon striked a deal, being given some degree of freedom to act as he pleased in exchange for his cooperation.
While Abstergo sought to use Edward's memories to locate a Piece of Eden found by the Assassin, Noa had his own motives to experience his ancestor's life. Having been abandoned by his father in his childhood, Noa wished to learn about his family roots in the hopes of finding his own place in the world. By reliving Edward's memories, Noa became familiar with the Assassin ideology, which he found appealing, and hoped to become more like his ancestor.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Noa fighting back bullies in his school years
Noa was born in South Korea to an American Assassin father and a Korean mother. Around the year 2000,[1] when Noa was still young, his father mysteriously vanished. Returning home one night, Noa found his mother crying and asked her where his father had gone, to which she simply replied that he would not be coming back. Believing his father had abandoned the family, Noa vowed to never become anything like him.[2]
In his youth, Noa was frequently teased or bullied by his schoolmates due to his mixed race, which increased his resentment towards his father, blaming him for being different from his peers and unable to fit in.[2] This feeling of not fitting in continued well into Noa's adulthood and he sought to find his place in the world.[3]
After getting into college, Noa was forced to work a number of part-time jobs to pay for his tuition. Sometimes he had to take time off school in order to work, as the money he was earning was barely enough to cover his tuition and living expenses. Despite this, he always hoped he would one day get the chance to travel overseas.[4]
Abduction by Abstergo[]
Noa kidnapped by Abstergo agents
In 2023, after using the genetic genealogy site WhyYou developed by Abstergo Genetic Research Lab, Noa was lured on a vacation prize trip to Macau, China. There, he was kidnapped by Abstergo agents and brought to their research vessel, the Exitus, where he was forced to relieve the memories of his ancestor Edward Kenway during his time in Southeast Asia.[5]
During his first session in the Animus, he caused several synchronization errors due to being unaware that the events he was witnessing were someone else's memories. The first major one occurred when Noa heard the story of Hendrik, who had abandoned his family to pursue riches, which reminded Noa of his own father's abandonment. However, the Animus managed to resynchronize by bypassing factual information and the simulation continued.[6]
During the second desynchronization error, which occurred when Noa tried to warn the villagers Edward had been hiding with about cholera, the Animus reacted more violently and electrocuted Noa, causing his heart rate and adrenaline levels to spike. Doctor Shimazu Sei attempted to warn Noa, but due to his stubbornness, she and her team were eventually forced to end the session.[2]
A deal with the Templars[]
- Sei: "The Animus isn't some VR game. All it does is recreate the memories of people who existed in the real world. So there's no point in doing anything that goes against the actual flow of history. It simply won't have any effect. If you keep causing errors like that..."
- Noa: "Shut up! Don't tell me what to do!"
- —Noa refusing to be told what to do by Shimazu Sei, c. 2023.[src]-[m]
Noa was taken to another room where Abstergo doctors managed to stabilize his condition. Awakening some time later, he recalled Edward's memories and assumed he had been playing a VR game until Sei entered the room and informed him of the truth. After telling Noa about the Animus and Edward, including the latter's role as a member of the Assassin Brotherhood, Sei revealed what she sought: information on a Piece of Eden that Edward had found in Southeast Asia.[2]
Noa making a deal with Sei
While Noa was processing all this information, Sei told him that Abstergo had made sure no one would search for him and that it was in his best interest to be cooperative. Enraged at being told what to do, Noa pulled Sei by her lab coat collar but was quickly subdued by Abstergo security. As he was being dragged away, Noa decided to offer Sei a deal.[2]
Admitting that he was also interested in viewing Edward's memories due to the similarities between him and his father, Noa asked that he be given free rein to do what he wanted while in the Animus, as well as his freedom once he helped Sei acquire the information she sought.[7]
Though reluctant, Sei agreed to the terms, but reminded Noa of interfering with his ancestor's history. She pointed out that constant interference could make the subject experience the Bleeding Effect and may even have Noa forget his own memories. Choosing to ignore her advice, Noa returned to the Animus to continue reliving Edward's memories.[7]
Conversations with Shimazu Sei[]
Noa talking with Sei from inside the Animus
Noa continued to converse with Sei during his time in the Animus, mainly on the topic of the Assassins and their actions. While Sei viewed them as self-righteous criminals that brought chaos wherever they went, Noa remained doubtful and wished to learn the truth by viewing Edward's memories.[8] When a later memory required Noa to remain synchronized by staying undetected and avoiding casualties, he pointed out that this did not match Sei's description of the Assassins, teasing her and jokingly saying that Edward seemed "awfully nice for a criminal."[9]
After completing a sequence of Edward's memories, Sei decided to deliver on her promise to teach Noa about the Assassins forebearers mentioned by Edward, and used the Animus to send him information about the most notorious of them: Ezio Auditore. Noa then became determined to discover everything he could about his ancestors through the Animus and, thus, learn more about his roots.[10]
Upon the completion of the next set of Edward's memories, Noa found himself stuck in the Animus' loading screen, unable to progress. He asked Sei for help, to which the doctor proceeded to tease him over his previous stubbornness and refusal to be told what to do. She then brought up a journal that had belonged to a ceramic merchant in Macau who had encountered Edward, allowing Noa to use the information to synchronize with his ancestor's memories and progress to the next sequence. As he did so, he said that Sei could occasionally be helpful and addressed her by her first name, irritating the doctor.[11]
A half-asleep Noa fighting off Abstergo guards
Later, Noa began showing signs of the Bleeding Effect, leading Sei to demand that he be removed from the Animus and taken to rest. As two guards grabbed him, Noa experienced a Bleeding Effect-induced hallucination and mistook the guards for ninja, attacking them. However, he fell asleep shortly afterwards and woke up back in his room, with Sei at his bedside.[12]
After the doctor explained the Bleeding Effect to him, Noa was excited by the prospect of becoming as strong as his ancestor. However, an enraged Sei responded that she had seen people lose their minds due the Bleeding Effect and that she would not let that happen to Noa until she obtained the information she sought. Noa teased Sei for caring about him more than she let on, and deduced that her family was in trouble if she needed to rely so much on him. He then asked that he be taken to Macau, claiming to know where Edward had gone next, and Sei reluctantly accepted.[12]
Trip to the A-Ma Cultural Village[]
- Noa: "Like it or not, if you people hadn't sent me here... I might have never set foot outside Korea in my life. Not that someone high and mighty like you could ever understand. I'll bet you've never had to bust your ass at a part-time job to pay your tuition, have you?"
- Sei: "I guess not..."
- —Noa criticizing Sei's wealthy upbringing, c. 2023.[src]-[m]
While waiting alone in his room, Noa was surprised by a Bleeding Effect-induced apparition of Edward, who attacked him. Noa briefly fought the apparition until it vanished, at which point Sei walked into the room. The doctor gave him a blindfold and a pair of headphones to put on, as he was not allowed to see the other areas of the Exitus.[4]
Noa and Sei on their way to the A-Ma Cultural Village
After they left the vessel, Noa began to complain that he would not get to enjoy his first vacation abroad and Sei allowed him to take his blindfold and headphones off. The doctor then questioned why Noa had never travelled overseas before, to which he explained how he had never been able to afford it; something he was sure Sei could not understand given her wealthy upbringing. However, he was surprised to learn that Sei had dedicated her entire life to serving the Templars and her family, meaning she had no time for vacations.[4]
Once they arrived at the A-Ma Cultural Village in Macau, Noa told Sei that the information they sought was located inside the old Zhang residence. However, when Sei went to speak with the security guards, they denied her entrance, claiming that Abstergo's request to perform fieldwork in the area had been rejected. While a furious Sei called on her guards to try and force their way in, Noa noticed that he had developed Edward's Eagle Vision, which directed him to an alternative way into the building.[4]
Running away from the Abstergo guards, Noa circled the building and climbed a wall to lose his pursuers. He then used his Eagle Vision to find a secret entrance, which led to an office where Zhang had kept a ledger containing information on Edward's activities. Noa retrieved the ledger, but then heard the sound of gunshots outside and went to investigate.[4]
Noa and Sei surrounded by the dead Abstergo guards and the subdued thugs
Finding Sei and her Abstergo guards surrounded by armed thugs, Noa wanted to help, but was stopped by two men who claimed to have come to his rescue. Assuming the men to be Assassins, Noa refused to leave with them, stating he had unfinished business. In response, one of the men shot Noa with a tranquillizer, but he was unaffected. After a brief scuffle, Noa was eventually let go and rushed to Sei's aid, using all of Edward's skills he had developed as a result of the Bleeding Effect to dispatch the thugs.[13]
Upon returning to the Exitus, Noa pondered the impact the Bleeding Effect was having on his mind and whether, in time, he could succumb to it. At that moment, Sei arrived to retrieve him, as the information from the ledger recovered by Noa could be used to continue tracking Edward's memories. Before Noa went into the Animus, Sei thanked him for saving her and warned him not to lose himself until their transaction was complete, to which Noa smiled and vowed to help the doctor obtain what she was after.[13]
Later Animus sessions[]
After witnessing Edward's foundation of the Zhang Wei Union and hearing the organization's motto – "We do not abandon our family" – Noa became surprised as he recalled that one of his would-be rescuers had told him the same statement.[13] Later, when he witnessed Edward recruit the Korean engineer Yun Pyeong-Gyu into his organization, Noa became excited as he realized that Yun was another one of his ancestors. Believing Noa wished to learn more about the man, Sei added an Animus database entry for Yun, containing details about his life.[14]
Noa playing a prank on Sei
Sometime afterwards, Noa witnessed Edward recruit Shimazu Saito, a Japanese samurai and Sei's ancestor, into the Zhang Wei Union. When Saito revealed her perfect photographic memory, which helped the Union members in their quest to find Angkor, Noa quipped that he now understood where Sei had inherited her "Harvard-educated" brain from.[15]
Shortly after completing this memory, Noa was removed from the Animus as the machine was unable to track Edward's memories any futher. As Sei told Noa that he needed to find a clue about his ancestor's later activities, Noa seemingly succumbed to the Bleeding Effect, believing himself to be Edward and mistaking Sei for Saito.[16] A terrified Sei immediately told her team to initiate the breakdown protocol and tried to help Noa return to his senses, only for him to pin her against the wall.[3]
Suddenly however, Noa began to chuckle and revealed that he had played a prank. Sei was not amused and slapped Noa before returning him to his room, where she angrily reprimanded him for treating everything like a joke. Noa retorted that Abstergo had kidnapped him to use him as a guinea pig, so Sei had no right to get angry at him as she was just a criminal.[3]
Noa "talking" with Edward in his room
After Sei left, Noa was approached by a hallucination of Edward and began to "converse" with him. Edward explained that he could not reveal the location of the Piece of Eden sought by Abstergo as he was just a fragment of Noa's genetic memories, but that he could take over Noa's body if he ever lost his willpower. The Assassin then asked Noa what he hoped to achieve by helping Abstergo, to which the latter claimed he had no other choice if he wished to live.[3]
After Edward pointed out that Noa did not seem to care much about life and that he had been offered a chance at freedom but refused to take it, Noa admitted that he admired Edward's freedom and hoped that his memories could help discover himself. Satisfied with the answer, Edward vanished as Noa promised to follow him until the very end. Not long after, Noa heard a voice over the loudspeaker ordering the Exitus personnel to prepare for the voyage to the Philippines, and realized that he had been held aboard a ship the entire time.[3]
Investigation in Cebu[]
- Nathan: "Did you know that your father was one of us? A bona fide Assassin, I mean."
- Noa: "What...?"
- Nathan: "It's a tale as old as time. We leave behind those we love because it's the only way to keep them safe. After all, the Templars are still hunting us down to this day."
- —Noa learning the truth about his father from Nathan Zhang, c. 2023.[src]-[m]
After the Exitus sailed to Cebu, Noa and Sei went to explore the city in search of leads to help them track Edward's memories. The two were accompanied by an Abstergo entourage for protection, including Sei's personal bodyguard Yuki, whom Noa recognized as the "tour guide" who had welcomed him in Macau. Travelling to the Basilica del Santo Niño, Noa used his Eagle Vision inside the Magellan's Cross Pavilion but was unable to find anything useful, which Sei suspected was because the cross was a replica.[17]
Yuki giving Noa her bracer
As the Abstergo convoy headed to their next destination, they were suddenly ambushed by members of the Doom Eagle criminal organization, who sought to rescue Noa.[17] The car transporting Noa, Sei and Yuki was able to escape and head to a shopping mall, where Abstergo was gathering the local police. However, the car was then hit by a truck, sending it flying into a fountain. Noa woke up Sei, who had been knocked unconscious in the crash, and helped her out of the wrecked car while Yuki provided them with cover fire.[18]
With Yuki having been injured in the crash, she trusted Noa to protect Sei in her stead and gave him her bracer, which contained a retractable electric shock baton. Noa and Sei then ran into the mall, where they tried to hide from Nathan Zhang and his thugs until the Abstergo backup arrived.[18] After heading into a shop and buying new clothes to disguise themselves, the two began to make their way towards the top floor. However, Noa then decided to use Sei as bait to lure out the thugs pursuing them, and vanished into the crowd.[19]
With the help of a hallucination of Edward guiding him, Noa used the bracer given to him by Yuki to silently incapacitate several thugs who were following Sei. After Nathan fired his pistol into the air to create a commotion, more Doom Eagle thugs attacked Noa and Sei, but the former used his Eagle Vision to identify them and proceeded to dispatch them.[19]
Noa facing off against Nathan
Upon reaching the top floor, Noa and Sei were confronted by Nathan and his remaining men, who proposed a deal to spare Sei if Noa came with them willingly. After Noa refused, Nathan laughed and asked him how he planned to protect both himself and Sei from his gang. Agreeing with Nathan that Sei was just "dead weight" and would slow him down, Noa pushed her off the balcony and onto an inflatable castle below. He then prepared to battle the thugs, but Nathan ordered his men to stand down, as he wished to fight Noa himself.[19]
During their fight, Noa realized that Nathan was an Assassin upon seeing him use one of the Brotherhood's signature moves. Nathan then offered to tell Noa the truth about his father, which angered him. However, upon being pinned to a wall, Noa was forced to listen to Nathan, who revealed that his father was an Assassin who had abandoned his family to protect them from the Templars. After Nathan implied that Sei had helped the Templars in their hunt of the Assassins, a furious Noa headbutted him and began viciously attacking him.[1]
Recovering from Noa's surprise attack, Nathan pinned him to the ground and threatened to break his arm if he did not surrender. After Noa claimed that he would not give up without a fight, an impressed Nathan let him go and told him that the time was up, as Abstergo's Sigma Team had arrived at the mall. He then gave Noa the sea log of Edward's companion Rupiya, which contained information to aid him in his quest, and told him to stay true to the Creed and see where it led him.[1]
Noa surrounded by Sigma Team
When Noa questioned Nathan's sudden change of heart, the Assassin told him that it was not his place to prevent him from following his own path. However, he warned Noa that, if he continued following in Edward's footsteps for much longer, he might end up consumed by the "spirits of the past". Finally, after reminding Noa that the Zhang Wei Union was always at the service of their "family" and would come rescue him if he ever required help, Nathan took his leave. Moments later, operatives of Sigma Team rappelled down from their helicopter and surrounded Noa.[1]
The operatives escorted Noa to Sei, who angrily confronted him over throwing her from the balcony. Upon hearing this, Yuki, who was also present, became furious and requested permission to use "lethal force", but Sei told her it was not necessary as they needed Noa alive for the Animus. Sigma Team then prepared to escort Noa back to the Exitus, but Sei claimed that she would do so herself and ordered the operatives to let Noa go. She also thanked Noa for saving her once again before the group left the mall and returned to the ship.[20]
Further investigations[]
Noa preparing to go back into the Animus
Once aboard the Exitus, Noa was ready to go right back into the Animus, surprising Sei, who warned him that it was dangerous to continue so soon given his recent experiences with the Bleeding Effect. After Noa stated that he understood the risks better than anyone, Sei complied and loaded up the next sequence of Edward's memories based on the information from Rupiya's sea log.[20]
Before entering the Animus, however, Noa decided to inform Sei of what Nathan had said about his father and asked the doctor if it was true. Sei confirmed that, years prior, the Templars had carried out a large-scale purge against the Assassins, but claimed that it was impossible to determine if Noa's father had been among the casualties or was even a member of the Brotherhood, as Abstergo had no prior knowledge of Noa's Assassin heritage when they decided to kidnap him.[20]
Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Noa nonchalantly claimed that he did not care what had happened to his father, as he had still abandoned him regardless of the reason. Sei then asked Noa to let her know if anything else was troubling him in the future, as part of her job was to ensure his mental well-being, before the two resumed tracking Edward's memories.[20]
When Edward was subjected to the powers of the crescent amulet, a Piece of Eden capable of conjuring realistic illusions, and seemingly lost his right arm, the intense pain Noa felt at that moment caused a synchronization error. Although Sei wanted to end the Animus session, Noa insisted that they continue and returned to the machine.[21]
Noa surrounded by several apparitions of Edward
However, Edward's contact with the Piece of Eden proved to have negative consequences for Noa, causing his health and synchronization rate to deteriorate.[22] While Sei called for immediate medical attention, Noa experienced a memory of Edward's earlier life, learning how his greed and desire for greatness had ruined his marriage to Caroline Scott.[23]
As Noa remarked that Edward was no different from his father, he found himself in a void, surrounded by several versions of his ancestor, who urged him to keep his wits or else he may lose himself during his search for answers. He then suddenly regained consciousness, finding Sei and a team of doctors looking over him, and told them that he was fine, only suffering from a headache.[23]
Sei explained that Noa had experienced a data reflux due to the vast amount of information stored within the crescent amulet, which was too much for the human brain to handle. Although Sei warned Noa that another encounter with the Piece of Eden could leave him in a vegetative state or worse, the young man did not care about the consequences and wished to return to the Animus.[23]
Worried for Noa's safety, Sei revealed that he was an extremely valuable asset for Abstergo due to his high synchronization rates. However, she ultimately relented and allowed Noa to go back into the Animus after warning him that she would pull him out herself if she felt his life was in danger.[23] Sure enough, when Edward again came into contact with the crescent amulet in Cebu, Noa's mind and body reacted violently to the Piece of Eden's powers, causing Sei to end the session. However, Noa did not wake up and instead found himself in the Memory Corridor.[24]
Ancestry[]
Noa's genetic heritage as shown by the WhyYou website
Noa Kim's genetic heritage reflects a diverse mix of East Asian and Southeast Asian origins, with a notable combination of Korean and Japanese ancestry, constituting 25% Korean and 24% Japanese heritage. Additionally, there is a West Asian influence, with 4% Syrian ancestry. The Western European component includes 16% British and 10% Italian heritage. Further contributing to the rich tapestry of Noa's ancestry is Native American lineage, specifically 19% Iroquois.[5]
Noa's earliest known ancestors were Bernard Kenway and his wife Linette, who were English sheep farmers during the late 17th century.[25] Their son, Edward Kenway, became an infamous privateer and pirate in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy, and later a prominent member and one of the co-leaders of the British Brotherhood of Assassins.[5] Another notable ancestor of Noa was Yun Pyeong-Gyu, a Korean scholar and engineer and later member of Edward's Zhang Wei Union.[14]
Personality and traits[]
A young Noa finding his mother crying due to his father's disappearance
The disappearance of his father very early on in his life had a profound effect on Noa who, assuming his father had simply abandoned him and his mother, vowed to never become anything like him. As a result, he believed that family should always come first and that no amount of money could make up for a parent's absence.[6] He also held extreme contempt for his father, blaming him for many of the problems he faced in his youth, such as the teasing and bullying he had to endure at school.[2]
Noa also struggled with feelings of not fitting in, as wherever he was, be it the United States or Korea, people treated him like an outsider. This determined Noa to find his place in the world by learning more about his family's history.[3] Another consequence of his father's abandonment was the financial struggles Noa and his mother faced. After getting into college, Noa was forced to work multiple part-time jobs, often during school hours, to afford his tuition, which led him to resent wealthy people who never had to work a day in their life.[4]
Despite the struggles of his upbringing, Noa managed to maintain an upbeat attitude as an adult, though he would still have an intense emotional reaction whenever something reminded him of his trauma.[6] Even in situations that would be stressful for most people, Noa retained his confidence and sense of humor. Following his abduction by Abstergo, he took every opportunity to make jokes and tease Shimazu Sei, much to the doctor's frustration,[7] as she believed Noa did not take anything seriously.[3]
Noa contemplating the Bleeding Effect's toll on his psyche
Noa also possessed a sharp intellect and critical thinking. He questioned Sei's comments about the Assassins being criminals,[8] and after learning the truth about his father's Assassin affiliations from Nathan Zhang, he refused to believe him, thinking that Nathan was just trying to mess with his mind.[1] Even after Sei informed him that his father may have been an Assassin who had been killed in the Great Purge, Noa claimed that he did not care what had happened to him, as regardless of the reason, his father had still chosen to abandon his family like they meant nothing to him.[20]
As a result of the Bleeding Effect, Noa assimilated several of Edward Kenway's personality traits, such as his confidence, but also his aggressiveness. After spending an extended period of time in the Animus, he began to suffer from Bleeding Effect-induced hallucinations, which Sei believed could eventually make him lose his sanity.[4]
With each session in the Animus, Noa believed that he was getting closer to uncovering his family's roots and finding the answers to the questions that had been troubling him his entire life. As such, he was determined to reach the end of Edward's story as quickly as possible, disregarding his own safety in the process and ignoring Sei's warnings about the consequences of prolonged Animus sessions.[23]
Skills and equipment[]
Noa incapacitating a Doom Eagle thug
After reliving Edward Kenway's memories, Noa gained his ancestor's fighting skills. He was able to easily overpower a group of trained Abstergo guards and was only stopped due to falling asleep as a result of exhaustion.[12] Through these abilities, he was also able to fight a number of armed Doom Eagle thugs, both at the A-Ma Cultural Village[13] and in Cebu,[19] and hold his own against Nathan Zhang, a trained Assassin.[1]
In addition to combat, Noa also became extremely proficient in freerunning and stealth. He easily scaled a wall at the A-Ma Cultural Village to escape from an Abstergo guard,[12] and silently dispatched several Doom Eagle thugs to protect Shimazu Sei while hiding in a crowd.[19] Like Edward, Noa also developed the extra-sensory ability dubbed Eagle Vision, which helped him to see objects and markings invisible to the naked eye,[4] and to discern friend from foe.[19]
While in Cebu, Noa received a special bracer from Yuki which contained a retractable electric shock baton, akin to a Hidden Blade. However, unlike the Assassins' signature weapon, it was non-lethal, merely knocking enemies unconscious.[18]
Behind the scenes[]
Noa Kim is the main protagonist of the comic Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple, which debuted in 2023.
Although Noa's only confirmed ancestors in the comic are Edward Kenway and Yun Pyeong-Gyu, his genetic heritage strongly implies a relation to other Assassin's Creed characters such as Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore and Ratonhnhaké:ton. In Episode 74 of the webtoon, this idea is further reinforced by Noa interacting with holograms of Edward wearing each of these characters' signature outfits, and even briefly donning Ratonhnhaké:ton's outfit himself in the Animus.
Etymology[]
"Noa" is derived from the Hebrew name "Noah" (נֹחַ), meaning 'rest', 'peace', 'comfort', or 'the one who gives comfort'.[26] "Kim" is a common Korean surname and means 'gold'.[27]
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
References[]
