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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. |
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They call me many things: Murderer. Cutthroat. Thief. But you may call me Rajah. This article is about a subject that lacks an official name and is known only by its nickname, title, or alias. |
Rajah (died 1725) was the leader of a Visayan resistance against the Spanish colonists in the Philippines during the early 18th century. Inspired by Lapu-Lapu's actions in fighting against Ferdinand Magellan's expedition two centuries prior, his main goal was to retrieve a set of three Pieces of Eden hidden in Southeast Asia and use them to end the foreign occupation of his people's lands.
After successfully acquiring one of the Pieces of Eden—a crescent amulet—in Manila, Rajah used it to strengthen his resistance by mind-controlling countless natives and recruiting them to his cause. He subsequently traveled to Cebu in search of a clue to the locations of the remaining two Pieces of Eden, but faced opposition from the British Assassin Edward Kenway, who sought to stop Rajah from abusing the artifacts' power.
Eventually, Edward was able to defeat Rajah and secure the amulet in his possession, moments before the arrival of the Chinese Assassin Xiao Han, who sought the artifact for his own ends. With Rajah standing in the way of his prize, Xiao Han promptly killed him, putting an end to the Visayan chief's plans to secure his people's independence.
Biography[]
Early life[]
A young Rajah during the attack on his village
Most of Rajah's background, including his real name, is unknown. He was born in an unidentified village in the Philippines and lost both his family and home during a raid by the Spanish Army, who captured Rajah and countless other natives. Subsequently spending years as a slave, Rajah developed a deep hatred for the Spanish and all foreigners and sought to see his people live in a land where they could be free and have no fear of invasions.[1]
Eventually, Rajah was able to escape slavery and, inspired by his foreabearers, most notably Lapu-Lapu, who had successfully fought against the Spanish colonists centuries prior, formed his own resistance group.[2] At some point, he also learned about the existence of the "Hidden Ones" and the Pieces of Eden and sought to claim the latter for himself, believing they rightfully belonged to his people.[3]
Retrieving the amulet[]
In 1725, amidst a riot in Manila led by a monk who had acquired a crescent amulet – a Piece of Eden – Rajah led his men to infiltrate the city and recover the artifact. After boarding a Spanish ship, they killed all the soldiers aboard and Rajah asked one of his men for the monk's whereabouts. Learning that the monk had last been spotted inciting rioters in the town square, Rajah readied his kampilan and ordered his followers to find the "bastard" and recover their stolen treasure.[2]
Rajah throwing a spear at the monk
Sure enough, Rajah and his men eventually found the monk, just as the latter was attempting to kill the British Assassin Edward Kenway, who also sought the amulet. Rajah threw a spear at the monk, mortally wounding him, and mocked him over his religious beliefs. He then accused him of stealing the amulet from his people and declared his intention to use the artifact to end the foreign occupation of their lands. With that, he finished off the monk and took the amulet from his body.[3]
At that moment, Edward, who had been subjected to the amulet's powers, recovered from his trance and tried to convince Rajah to renounce the artifact, warning him that if he were to use it, he would become a slave to its power. The Visayan chief, noticing that Edward was in no condition to fight, offered him a chance to escape with his life and warned him that, if he insisted on interfering with his plans, he would not hesitate to kill him.[3]
Edward refused to back down and attacked Rajah, who easily bested him and claimed that he expected more from a "Hidden One". He then prepared to execute Edward, but was interrupted when the Assassin's ally Shimazu Saito threw several smoke bombs, grabbed Edward in the confusion, and escaped with him to safety.[3]
Sometime later, Rajah gathered his warriors and showed them the amulet, claiming that the "legacy of [their] ancestors" was with them once more. He then donned the artifact and prepared to lead his men towards Cebu to begin their campaign to reclaim their lands.[4]
Occupation of Monkey Island[]
Rajah using the amulet on his warriors
En route to Cebu, Rajah and his men made a stop on Monkey Island, taking over the local fort.[5] From there, the Visayan chief used the crescent amulet to forcefully recruit many of the island's inhabitants to his cause, placing them under mind control, though this left most of them in a berserk-like state. Rajah then dispatched these warriors, some of whom were disguised as Manananggals, to roam the island's jungles and eliminate any "foreign trespassers",[6] resulting in rumors of the island being haunted.[7]
When the Fenghuang, the flagship of Edward's Zhang Wei Union, passed by Monkey Island, Rajah ordered his men to open fire on the ship using their fort's mortars. After the Fenghuang took cover behind some rocks, Rajah knew that it was only a matter of time before the ship was vulnerable again and, using the amulet to empower his warriors, sent them to board the vessel and slaughter its crew.[5]
When the Fenghuang emerged from its hiding place and approached the fort not long after, a surprised Rajah questioned why Edward's crew was so willing to "return to the slaughter". Nevertheless, the Visayan chief ordered his men to open fire on the ship again, though unbeknownst to him, this attack was just a distraction to allow Edward and several crew members to reach Monkey Island undetected.[8]
After the Assassin and his crew infiltrated the island, the Fenghuang retreated and went back into hiding.[8] Several of Rajah's men managed to follow the ship and boarded it,[9] quickly gaining the upper hand thanks to their Manananggal disguises and enhanced strength granted by the amulet. However, they were ultimately defeated when the Fenghuang's crew used multi-barreled muskets against them.[6]
Rajah standing over a group of Japanese warriors he killed
At the same time, Rajah learned that a faction of Japanese settlers sought to acquire the amulet in his possession. After encountering one such group of Japanese warriors, Rajah killed them and declared to his men that they would show no mercy to the foreigners seeking to take their ancestors' artifact or their lands. With that, he ordered his men to seize the Japanese's ships and use them to sail to Cebu in order to resume their mission.[10]
Before his departure, Rajah left several warriors behind to guard Monkey Island's fort. However, this was all for naught, as the Zhang Wei Union destroyed the fort and rescued all the prisoners held there.[10]
Confrontation in Cebu[]
In Cebu, Rajah and his men infiltrated the Basilica del Santo Niño, leaving several warriors outside to guard the perimeter around the church, along with a number of civilians brainwashed by the amulet. After killing all the priests inside the basilica, Rajah found Ferdinand Magellan's cross, which contained an encrypted sea log detailing the locations of two other Pieces of Eden. Rajah used the amulet to decipher the log's contents, then ordered his men to burn the cross as a sign of defiance against the Spanish colonizers and their God.[11]
Rajah confronted by Edward and Saito
As the resistance was about to leave the basilica, they were confronted by Edward Kenway and Shimazu Saito, who had come after the sea log in Rajah's possession. The Assassin angrily confronted the Visayan chief about his actions, which had only brought more harm upon his people, but Rajah dismissed Edward, telling him that he had no right to judge his people's struggle as he was just an outsider. He then ordered his men to deal with Edward and Saito and took his leave.[11]
As he exited the basilica, Rajah was suddenly surrounded by a group of Spanish soldiers, who held him at gunpoint. Annoyed by the constant interference with his plans, the Visayan chief used the amulet to mind-control the soldiers and force them to kill each other.[11] He and his men then proceeded to make their way towards the harbor, leaving several warriors behind to deal with any Spanish soldier that might attempt to follow them.[12]
At the port, Rajah reunited with his remaining men and prepared to board their ship when he was again confronted by Edward and Saito, who this time had been followed by the Spanish Army. As the native warriors and the Spanish soldiers prepared to open fire on one another, the Fenghuang, captained by John Young and Rupiya, suddenly arrived and sunk Rajah's fleet, much to the Visayan chief's horror and anger.[12]
Rajah ordering his men to head to Fort San Pedro
With the Spanish soldiers closing in on them, Rajah and his men were at an impasse until they spotted a firework flying overhead, signaling that the warriors sent to infiltrate Fort San Pedro had been successful in their task. Rajah subsequently ordered his men to head to the fort in order to rejoin their brethren, claiming that they would await the arrival of a getaway ship there, and they proceeded to make their escape from the harbor.[13]
Once inside Fort San Pedro, Rajah ordered his men to execute all the civilians who had helped them by opening the gates to the fort, claiming they were traitors to their cause for siding with the Spanish. When his warriors protested, Rajah proceeded to kill them, along with all the civilians present, in a blind rage.[14]
Shortly after, Rajah was again confronted by Edward and Saito, who had infiltrated the fort. Seeing the Visayan chief surrounded by the corpses of his own men, Edward deduced that he had been corrupted by the crescent amulet, which had robbed him of all traces of humanity. To this, Rajah claimed that he would gladly sacrifice his humanity to prevent the terrible future he had foreseen, before preparing to fight the pair.[14]
Last stand[]
Rajah facing off against Edward
Feeling that it was his responsibility to stop Rajah, Edward decided to face him alone and sent Saito to retrieve the sea log, which the rebels had hidden nearby. Rajah believed this to be one of the Assassin's tricks but nonetheless engaged him in a duel, during which he made use of the amulet's powers. Despite the artifact enhancing his strength, however, Edward was able to fight Rajah to a stalemate.[15]
Infuriated, the chief claimed that Edward would never defeat his brethren and revealed that the amulet had shown him visions of the Philippines being ravaged during various future conflicts. He then expressed his desire to prevent this future from coming to fruition by eliminating all "foreign invaders" until his people were free.[15]
Edward disagreed with Rajah's methods and told him to look around at the bodies of the men slain by his own blade while explaining that, because of his bloodlust, the chief was now all alone. He then claimed that Rajah's methods would never truly free his people and that real liberty could only be achieved by treating everyone equally. However, Rajah dismissed Edward's words and used the amulet to summon illusions of Filipino warriors, who quickly surrounded the Assassin.[15]
As the illusions overwhelmed and pinned down Edward, Rajah gloated about his inevitable victory while preparing to deliver the final blow. However, he was caught off-guard when Edward extended his Hidden Blade and launched it in his direction, severing the amulet's string and causing the artifact to fall to the ground. With Rajah separated from the amulet, the illusions promptly vanished as the chief fell to his knees, defeated.[1]
Edward standing over a defeated Rajah
After picking up the amulet and experiencing visions of Rajah's early life, Edward expressed sympathy for the chief but claimed that his tragic past did not excuse his actions. To this, Rajah called the Assassin "self-righteous to the very last" and claimed that he had no other choice if he wanted to save his people from the misery and death that awaited them.[1]
At that moment, the Chinese Assassin Xiao Han arrived and confronted Edward, demanding that he hand over the amulet. Despite Rajah being unarmed and having no involvement in the conflict between the two Assassins, Xiao Han perceived him as an obstacle and promptly killed him with a rope dart. Taken by surprise, all Rajah could do was express remorse that all his sacrifices for his people to be free and safe had been in vain, before the rope dart snapped his neck, ending his life.[1]
Personality and traits[]
Rajah was a deeply patriotic man who yearned for the Filipino people to be independent after centuries of oppression under foreign powers. He displayed great respect for his forebearers, especially Lapu-Lapu, whose fight against Spanish colonization inspired him to form his own resistance group.[2] He also believed the crescent amulet to rightfully belong to his people and was willing to go to great lengths to keep it out of the hands of any outsiders who might desire its power.[10]
Rajah's vision of the ideal Philippines
However, in taking the amulet for himself, Rajah became corrupted by it and failed to realize he had turned into the same type of oppressor he fought against. He employed questionable tactics to strengthen his resistance, such as forcefully conscripting villagers and placing them under the amulet's control, essentially enslaving them.[6] Even when called out for his hypocrisy by Edward Kenway, Rajah refused to listen to him, dismissing him as another outsider who could never understand his people's struggle.[11]
Rajah appeared to be extremely xenophobic, being opposed to the very idea of living among foreigners and having to deal with their traditions and beliefs. While in Cebu, he ruthlessly executed every priest inside the Basilica del Santo Niño, despite them posing virtually no threat, and ordered his men to burn Ferdinand Magellan's cross as a sign of defiance against the colonizers and their God.[11]
That being said, Rajah was not completely unreasonable and could occasionally show mercy, as he gave Edward a chance to escape with his life when he encountered him in Manila. He was also aware of Edward's supposed ties to the "Hidden Ones", implying that he had heard ancient stories about the Assassins' forebearers and respected their cause to a degree.[3]
By the time of his death, any shred of humanity Rajah once had was gone and he essentially became a slave to the amulet's power. Terrified by the visions of the future the artifact showed him, Rajah was determined to prevent them from coming to fruition at all costs. He was willing to eliminate anyone who stood in his path, be they enemy, civilian or even his own men.[14]
Skills and equipment[]
Rajah corrupted by the crescent amulet
Rajah was a well-built man who displayed impressive combat abilities, easily defeating Edward Kenway, a Master Assassin, albeit only when the latter was extremely exhausted.[3] He also single-handedly killed a group of Japanese warriors,[10] and massacred numerous of his own men who disagreed with his tactics.[14]
While in possession of the crescent amulet, Rajah's strength and endurance were augmented to superhuman levels, and he could use the artifact to control those around him,[11] as well as summon illusions of countless Filipino warriors.[15] However, all of these powers were lost the moment Rajah was physically separated from the amulet.[1]
In terms of equipment, Rajah's preferred weapon was his kampilan,[2] though he was also shown to occasionally wield a spear[3] and a katana.[10] He also carried a pair of twin flintlock pistols on his person at all times.[16]
Behind the scenes[]
Rajah, also spelled Raja, is a title originating from the Sanskrit language which was given to rulers in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is synonymous with king or princely ruler.[17]
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 71
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 53
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 56
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 57
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 59
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 63
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 58
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 61
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 62
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 64
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 66
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 67
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 68
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 69
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 70
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
- ↑
Raja on Wikipedia
