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Shaun Hastings (born 1985) is a British member of the Assassin Brotherhood who gives tactical guidance to numerous Assassin cells across the globe. His support is often targeted towards Assassins who are out in the field, occasionally offering assistance in the form of messages relayed from higher command. He is also the husband of fellow Assassin Rebecca Crane.
In his first cell operating from an old Assassin hideout in Rome, Shaun helped his teammates Rebecca, Lucy Stillman, and Desmond Miles by acting as both historian and analyst, assisting Desmond during his time in the Animus reliving the memories of his ancestor Ezio Auditore. This help mostly came in the form of database entries on the various people, places, and events Desmond encountered in the simulation based on Ezio's memories, which Shaun would continue to create as Desmond explored the lives of more of his ancestors.
After escaping an Abstergo attack on their hideout and relocating to the Sanctuary in Monteriggioni, the team successfully found Ezio's Apple of Eden, hidden in the Colosseum Vault. However, upon retrieving the artifact, Desmond, under the influence of the Isu Juno, killed Lucy, who was secretly a mole for the Templars. After Desmond fell into a coma as a result of this incident, Shaun and Rebecca brought him to his father William Miles, the Mentor of the Assassins, in the United States.
Once Desmond awakened, the Assassins used the Apple to access the Grand Temple, seeking to find a solution to the forthcoming Second Disaster. While Desmond relived the memories of Haytham Kenway and Ratonhnhaké:ton to find the key to the complex's inner chambers, Shaun tracked down several power sources required to power the temple, which Desmond subsequently retrieved. Upon accessing the inner vault of the temple, Desmond chose to sacrifice himself to activate the global aurora borealis device and prevent the Second Disaster, saving the planet.
In 2013, Shaun and Rebecca infiltrated Abstergo Entertainment to spy on the Templars' operations and learn the fate of Desmond's body, which had been recovered by Abstergo. With the help of their inside man John Standish and a research analyst, the Assassins learned about the Sample 17 Project and acquired several files from Abstergo's servers. After John was revealed as a Sage and Instrument of the First Will and made a failed attempt on the analyst's life, Shaun and Rebecca apologized to the analyst and offered them a place with the Assassins.
In 2014, Shaun and Rebecca, on William Miles' orders, began to coordinate the activities of the Initiates, a hacking collective which had allied with the Assassins. Shaun assisted Bishop in locating and recruiting a new member to the Initiates, who was tasked to research the memories of Arno Dorian to find the remains of the Sage François-Thomas Germain, so that the Assassins could prevent Abstergo from using them in their Phoenix Project.
The following year, Shaun and Rebecca infiltrated the Abstergo headquarters in London to acquire information on the Templars' search for a Shroud of Eden. After a run-in with Sigma Team, the Assassins were able to learn the Shroud's location thanks to the same Initiate recruited by Shaun and Bishop, who had relived the memories of Jacob and Evie Frye. However, while attempting to recover the artifact, Shaun, Rebecca and Galina Voronina lost it to the Templars.
By 2019, Shaun had created a digital likeness to be used by the Assassins should memory data be accessed without an Animus. This avatar retained all of his knowledge and personality. The following year, Shaun and Rebecca welcomed a new member into their cell, Layla Hassan, who had a falling out with her previous team. On the cell's first assignment, during which they were joined by Layla's old teammate Kiyoshi Takakura, they infiltrated an Abstergo facility in Tokyo to extract an Assassin mole, Dr. Kazui, and destroy samples of his DNA collected by the Templars.
Later in 2020, Shaun and Rebecca helped Layla explore the memories of Eivor Varinsdottir to find a solution to a series of anomalies affecting the Earth. After deducing the anomalies to be caused by Desmond's activation of the global aurora borealis device in 2012, and finding the Yggdrasil Chamber in Hordaland, Norway, Layla traveled to the chamber alone, ultimately managing to save the planet. However, this came at the cost of her life, as her consciousness became trapped in the Grey, and released the 9th-century Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq from his imprisonment. After meeting Basim, Shaun and Rebecca reluctantly granted him an audience with William Miles to determine whether the Assassins would work with him in the future.
Biography
Early life
Originating from England, Shaun was interested in conspiracy theories and the unexplained from a very early age. Though initially unaware of the existence of the modern-day Templars and Assassins, when Shaun was around 15, he did some investigations into a company known as Abstergo Industries, and discovered that they were "up to no good".[2]
This eventually inspired him to prevent their wrongful activities in any way he could. While working as a junior professor, Shaun took the pseudonym "Guy Fawkes", after one of the co-conspirators of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, and began spreading the word. He published articles detailing Abstergo's inner workings to WikiLeaks and other news groups, searching for people with "stories to tell"; all the while remaining unaware that the Templars would try to silence him.[3] Rebecca Crane was the first to point out the danger he was putting himself in, and attempted to warn him that he was "messing with the wrong people." However, Shaun did not believe her, and was eventually discovered by Abstergo's CEO Alan Rikkin.[2]
On 10 December 2010, Abstergo abducted Shaun. Fortunately, he was able to escape from the van that was taking him to the company, with Abstergo only discovering afterwards that the van's computer had been hacked, creating a false alert for a need to stop and refuel;[4] this event was secretly brought about by Rebecca's intervention. Rebecca then contacted Shaun once more, "rescued" him, and recruited him into the Brotherhood.[2]
Hiding out
Shaun and Rebecca meeting Desmond
Two years later, after Lucy Stillman and Desmond Miles escaped the Animus Project laboratory and reached an undisclosed hideout in Rome, Shaun was the first to greet Desmond, introducing both himself and Rebecca, before promptly insisting that they all get straight to work. Desmond then entered the Animus to relive the memories of one of his ancestors, Ezio Auditore. While Desmond was inside the Animus, Shaun supplied Desmond with information in the form of database entries, as well as the occasional piece of advice on glyph puzzles.[2]
In his role as the historian and analyst of the group, Shaun was constantly working on his computer, and rarely had the opportunity to speak with Desmond, often telling him bluntly to "go away" if Desmond tried to bother him while he was busy.[2] During the assault on the hideout by Warren Vidic and several Abstergo guards, Shaun assisted Rebecca in packing up the Assassins' equipment,[2] and later drove the group to their next hideout in Switzerland.[5]
Escape to the Sanctuary
Shaun and Rebecca entering the Villa Auditore
Upon leaving the hideout, Shaun and the others drove north in an attempt to reach a cabin located in the Swiss Alps, where they would continue searching through Desmond's genetic memories. However, Abstergo set up a roadblock in Grosseto, Italy to intercept them.[5] The following day, looking at a map for a different place to hide, Shaun suggested that the team take a detour that would lead them to Monteriggioni.[6]
After arriving in Monteriggioni, the team set up camp in the Sanctuary, due to its thick walls blocking outside signals. Shaun then assisted the team by hiding the van and teaching Desmond how to reroute power into the underground chamber.[7]
Once all the preparations were complete, Shaun continued with his research, operating similarly to the way he had in the previous hideout. In contrast, he was much more respectful and tolerant towards Desmond than he had been previously; however, his attitude remained rude and impatient with Rebecca, which caused Lucy to give him a greater workload than the other Assassins.[7]
During Desmond's breaks outside the Animus, Shaun told him about the history of the events he was experiencing, mentioning things such as the fate of Caterina Sforza and Cesare Borgia's explicit letter to his father the Pope about his wedding night.[7]
Journey to the Colosseum
Shaun and the Assassins in the Colosseum Vault
After Desmond located Ezio's Apple of Eden through his memories, the modern-day Assassins were still left with the mystery of how to access the Apple's Vault. Although Rebecca knew it was opened via a spoken password, the group was unsure of what it could possibly be.[7]
Desmond pointed out the numbers that he had earlier found written on the wall opposite the Sanctuary's bookshelf entrance, as well as the tetractys symbol, of which Shaun correctly deduced its relevance to God, and His 72 names. This number, Shaun also stated, was the same year that Rome's Colosseum had been built. Following this, they all concluded that was where the Apple would be found, and began their long road trip.[7]
Upon finding the Apple, Desmond used it to ask where other Isu Temples were located, which resulted in it projecting a series of symbols and images. Shaun, upon identifying the Phrygian cap and the Eye of Providence, said that both objects came together in only "one place." However, before Shaun could finish his explanation, Juno possessed Desmond through the Apple, causing a temporal freeze, and forced him to stab Lucy in the abdomen. Lucy and Desmond collapsed to the floor after this, but both Shaun and Rebecca were still visibly conscious, and appeared unaffected by the Apple's power.[7]
After Desmond's collapse
Shaun, William and Rebecca watching over Desmond
Following Lucy's death, Desmond fell unconscious and slipped into a comatose state. Rebecca and William Miles brought Desmond to New York City in an effort to reawaken him, with Shaun staying behind to arrange and attend Lucy's funeral in a cemetery just outside of Rome.[8]
Following a phone call with Rebecca and William, during which Shaun expressed his suspicion that Desmond may be a sleeper agent similar to another former Assassin, which William vehemently denied, Shaun boarded a plane to join them in New York. Eventually, the four of them took a van to the coordinates found by Ezio in the Pythagorean Vault, taking the Apple recovered from the Colosseum Vault with them. As they arrived, Desmond awoke from the coma which had taken hold of him, and stated that he knew what they needed to do.[8]
The Grand Temple
After exiting the van at the entrance of the Grand Temple, Shaun assisted in carrying the supplies inside, as well as setting up his computer network and the Animus. From there, he spent the majority of his time monitoring Desmond and working on the new database. Eventually, he realized that the team would need power sources to open the door, and began work on locating them.[9]
The first he found was in an office building in Manhattan, New York, and Desmond was sent to collect it.[10] With Rebecca's input, Shaun provided access to communication for the operations via an earpiece. He also drove the van to the drop-off and pick-up points.[9]
Rebecca and Shaun in the Grand Temple
The second source, located in São Paulo, Brazil, belonged to a business tycoon's wife who was watching a mixed martial arts match at the time. Sending Desmond, Shaun helped navigate him through the area so that he could reach the power source. He also assisted Rebecca in keeping the train open for Desmond to escape.[9]
The third source, located when the team returned to the Grand Temple, was held at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. This time, Shaun gave support to William, who went to retrieve it in Desmond's stead. After William was captured by the Templars, Shaun helped Desmond with the transport to Rome in order for him to infiltrate Abstergo's headquarters and rescue his father.[9]
When the team returned to the Temple, and after the Grand Temple Key was found and recovered by Desmond, the Assassins accessed the complex's inner chambers. After watching Minerva and Juno speak with Desmond, Shaun, William and Rebecca left upon Desmond's order as he activated the global aurora borealis device, sacrificing himself to prevent the Second Disaster and releasing Juno from her imprisonment inside the Temple.[9]
Undercover at Abstergo
A drunk Shaun in Texas
Six months later in May 2013,[11] Shaun and Rebecca met with William's second-in-command Gavin Banks in Peru,[12] informing him that William had left the Order, leaving behind a letter and a codex for Gavin.[13] Shaun was bitter that William had left without saying goodbye, but Gavin reminded him that William was mourning for his son.[14]
On 29 May, after sailing north on the Altaïr II—a trip that often left Shaun nauseous—Gavin dropped him and Rebecca in California to spy for the Assassins in America.[15] On 10 June, Shaun and Rebecca stopped in Texas where Shaun got drunk while Rebecca took photos of him, and later sent them to Gavin commenting that Shaun would rather be on his ship.[16] Eventually, while in Oklahoma City in August, they decided to honor William by finding out what had happened to Desmond's body, which was being used for Abstergo's Sample 17 Project to create entertainment products from his ancestors' memories.[17]
Shaun and Rebecca at "The Farm"
As they traveled through South Dakota, Shaun and Rebecca visited the ruins of the Farm where Desmond grew up on 6 September. Rebecca remarked that they barely knew Desmond, to which Shaun responded that despite that, they had experienced a lot together, like him killing Lucy whom they found out was a traitor, nursed him through his coma, sailed across the ocean and helped him and his father reconcile. After all that, he died to save the planet and made a difference. These words were of some comfort to Rebecca.[18]
By 24 October, as part of their mission to learn the fate of Desmond's body, Shaun and Rebecca infiltrated the Abstergo Entertainment facility in Montreal.[19] Shaun took a job as the lobby's barista in order to facilitate communication with Rebecca, who was acting as a courier, collecting a number of data files that had been obtained by an Abstergo researcher at the behest of John Standish from the IT department.[20]
Shaun in the Abstergo Entertainment offices
When John's true motives were revealed and he was subsequently killed by Abstergo security, Shaun and Rebecca contacted the researcher, apologizing for getting them into trouble and promising to make up for it.[20] Using the information recovered by the analyst, Shaun and Rebecca helped William move on from Desmond's death and rejoin the Order.[21]
Discovering the Initiates
On 1 May 2014, Shaun and Rebecca reunited with William in his bunker in Norway, and then with the crew of the Altaïr II.[22] Gavin was angry William had not contacted him since his return,[23] but they soon had more important matters to attend to when Rebecca discovered that the ship was bugged. From 7 to 13 May, William interrogated each of Gavin's crewmates to determine who the spy was, and Shaun and Rebecca worked to ascertain where the spy's reports were being sent to.[24][25][26][27][28][29][30]
Eventually, on 23 May, William determined who the spy was and declared that, in accordance with the Creed, he was going to have them executed. Shaun objected, preparing to cite moments of leniency from the Order's history, but William asked to remain silent and ordered Galina Voronina to kill Dr. Stephanie Chiu, prompting protests from Eric Cooper, who claimed to be the spy.[31]
Shaun expressed surprise that a Scot could be the spy, prompting Chiu to explain she had uploaded Cooper's reports to the Initiates. Satisfied with the truth, William and Gavin explained it had been a ruse to flush them out, to which Shaun had William confirm that none of them would be dying that day.[31]
Shaun's recruitment message to the Initiates
Days later, while Cooper and Chiu were explaining to the Assassins the goals of their organization, Shaun protested against the Initiates' neutral stance, arguing they could have helped if they were observing what the Assassins had endured.[32] Subsequently, William appointed Shaun and Rebecca with the task of recruiting the Initiates to the Assassins' cause. On 16 June, Shaun sent out a recruitment message to the Initiates.[33]
Personal Animus session
- "Shaun Hastings began in the fist of his seven sessions on October 5th, 2014. Over the course of the next three weeks, he followed various matrilineal and patrilineal lines into the past, focusing on the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries, in search of Assassins and/or Templars in his bloodline. He found none."
- ―Report of Shaun's Animus session, 2014.[src]-[m]
On 5 October 2014, Shaun used the Animus to see if he had Assassin or Templar ancestors. He found none but he discovered that his ancestor Alrekr Thorvaldson, a Jute from the 9th century, had a map of Norway showing the location of Mjölnir, Thor's mythical hammer. However, Alrekr was captured and lost the map, preventing Shaun to confirm the veracity of the artifact. During the following weeks, Shaun continued to explore his bloodlines, focusing on the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries.[34]
Infiltrating Paris Abstergo facility
On 13 October, Shaun, alongside Galina, infiltrated an Abstergo laboratory in Paris on the orders of Gavin Banks. Once inside, Shaun found Dr. Álvaro Gramática experimenting with a Shroud of Eden, failing to recognize the importance of the artifact as he did not believe in the existence of such an object. Shaun instead made fun of Gramática before Galina threw a grenade at the doctor, fatally wounding him. Unfortunately for the pair, Gramática was wearing the Shroud, healing him after the Assassins were gone, though the Shroud was ultimately destroyed after this.[35][36]
Shaun and Galina fled from the facility to La Rochelle, where Gavin and Eric Cooper were waiting for them, but not before facing Sigma Team agent Sorkin, who was severely injured by Galina. Both Assassins ultimately made it to the ships and escaped Paris.[35][36]
Aiding the Initiates
In November 2014, Shaun aided Bishop when guiding a new Initiate recruit through the memories of Arno Dorian in the hopes of learning the location of the corpse of an 18th-century Sage named François-Thomas Germain. During this time, he went by the handle of "Deacon".[37] However, in his revised database entries, he referred to himself by his real name.[38]
That same month, when a file was uploaded to the Assassins' servers from Abstergo Entertainment and sent the Brotherhood into disarray, at least one member called for Shaun to take a look at the footage of Shay Cormac's life being sent to them.[39]
Search for the Shroud
- "I had this colleague. He was our boss's son. I didn't much care for him at the start. Everyone treated him like he was so bloody special. To me, he wasn't invested in anything that didn't affect him personally. But, I was wrong about him. He became my friend. Put himself through hell. And he saved us all in the end. So I reckon... Well, I can't apologize to him, but I can, I don't know. I can try and live up to his example."
- ―Shaun reminiscing about Desmond, 2015.[src]-[m]
Shaun and Rebecca confronting Ardant
In October 2015, Shaun and Rebecca were dispatched by Bishop to infiltrate Isabelle Ardant's office in London to gain access to information regarding Pieces of Eden. However, the duo went off-book and decided to wait for Ardant to return to her office. They were intercepted by Juhani Otso Berg and Violet da Costa but managed to flee after Rebecca detonated their pre-planted explosives. Shaun's name also appeared in Abstergo's list of known British Assassins.[40]
Later on, having survived the ambush, Shaun and Rebecca recuperated at a hideout, where they and Bishop agreed that another Shroud of Eden was in London and that Abstergo was looking for it. The two were reassured by Bishop that an Initiate was already looking for the Shroud in the memories of the Victorian era-twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye, whose genetic data they had recovered from Abstergo.[40]
After Shaun stated that they could not take on Sigma Team alone, Bishop promised to send backup. Later, as Shaun reminisced about Desmond and told Bishop how he was trying to honor his late friend's sacrifice, he was startled by Galina, who was the backup Bishop had summoned. Galina assured Shaun that she would deal with Berg and told him to go and rest as they had a big fight ahead of them.[40]
Shaun being tended to by Rebecca after their escape from Berg and da Costa
Once the Initiate had confirmed that the Shroud was located in a vault underneath Buckingham Palace, Shaun, Rebecca and Galina infiltrated the chamber, only to find that Ardant, Berg and Violet had beaten them to the Shroud. Just as the Templars were leaving, the Assassins launched an assault. A fight ensued, with Galina knocking out Berg and Shaun killing Ardant with his Shock Blade.[40]
Rebecca was wounded after taking a bullet for Shaun from Violet, who managed to escape with the Shroud. Sigma Team soon arrived and turned the tide of the fight. Holding a wounded Rebecca in his arms, Shaun ordered Galina to fall back. Galina single-handedly took out all the members of Sigma Team, and offered an escape window for Shaun and Rebecca.[40] Some time after this event, Eric Cooper managed to extract Shaun and Rebecca from London.[41]
Infiltrating the Abstergo Madrid facility
The following year, Shaun infiltrated the Abstergo facility in Madrid, Spain, where he stole the processor and the blueprints of the Animus 4.3, which Rebecca later used to build a new, upgraded Animus, though she had to disable its Parietal Suppressor. This new Animus design later allowed the Assassins Owen Meyers and Javier Mondragón to relive their ancestors' memories in their search for the prongs of the Trident of Eden.[42]
When Owen and Javier heard the name Shaun, they thought of their friend with the same name. Rebecca asked if their Shaun was a "cynical egotist who thinks he's smarter than everyone else", eventually concluding that they were not the same person.[42]
Creating a digital likeness
By October 2019, Shaun's personality and appearance had been adapted for the avatar of an artificial intelligence utilized by the Assassins. Gavin Banks and My'shell Lemair used the tech to aid Aliyah Khan in reliving the genetic memories of her ancestor Omar Khaled to counteract a Templar plot that threatened the world's economy. Shaun's expertise in British history uploaded into the AI proved helpful in this regard.[43]
Mission to Tokyo
By 2020, Shaun and Rebecca were married, and both were assigned to a new Assassin cell with Layla Hassan, after she fell out with her previous team following an incident in Atlantis.[44] For their first mission together, the team traveled to Tokyo, where Layla had intercepted a message from an Abstergo facility involving extensive analysis of Isu artifacts upon non-voluntary subjects. They were also joined by Layla's former teammate, the Japanese Assassin Kiyoshi Takakura.[45]
While the facility's main entrance was poorly guarded, the team elected to enter through the roof, bypassing the security.[45] An informant within the facility left the group a note encrypted within an Animus. Upon obtaining and decrypting the note, the Assassins discovered that the Templars were performing experiments with a Staff of Eden.[46] After Layla, the only one with detailed Animus experience and training, entered the simulation of the Venetian Assassin Bastiano da Mezzo, they discovered that their informant was his modern-day descendant, Dr. Kazui, and they moved to extract him.[47] Intent on hindering the Templars' plans, the group infiltrated the DNA analysis room and destroyed Dr. Kazui's DNA to prevent Abstergo from exploring his genetic memories.[48]
The group safely found Dr. Kazui before Abstergo could use him. Along the way, they also analyzed any data and documents they could about their experiments regarding the Staff.[49] Disguising the doctor in an Abstergo guard's uniform, the four Assassins were able to exfiltrate him before Abstergo even realized what was happening. Along the way, however, the doctor got cut, leaving behind trails of blood.[50] Returning to the premises, any trace of Dr. Kazui had to be wiped clean. They also stopped to erase his DNA data from the Abstergo database.[51]
Before they could leave the facility, the Assassins were cornered by Layla's nemesis Juhani Otso Berg and faced him as the building was engulfed in flames.[51] After a four-on-one fight, Berg was subdued and the Assassins escaped. Afterwards, the team parted ways with Kiyoshi.[52]
Finding the Wolf-Kissed
Shaun arriving at the cell's New England hideout
By May 2020, the Earth's magnetic field, which had continued to increase in potency since the 2012 coronal mass ejection, had become strong enough to create several major electromagnetic disturbances around the world, resulting in a permanent aurora borealis over the globe. While looking for a solution, Shaun, Rebecca and Layla received a strange message from an unknown location, which led them to a Viking grave in New England dating to the 9th century.[44]
Discovering the remains of the Raven Clan shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir, Layla relived the Viking's memories in the hopes it would provide the Assassins with some answers. During Layla's Animus sessions, Shaun returned to his old role as the team's historian and analyst, creating database entries based on his knowledge of Norse history and culture, as well as the limited information on the Hidden Ones and the Order of the Ancients from that period.[44]
On William Miles' orders, Shaun placed a mood stabilizer on Layla's neck, ensuring she would not succumb to the Bleeding Effect or the influence of the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus.[44] He also left Layla some audio recordings of conversations he had with Desmond a few days before the 2012 coronal mass ejection on her laptop.[53]
Shaun and Rebecca telling Layla about Desmond
During her Animus sessions, Layla came across certain anomalies in the simulation, not too different from the glyphs encountered by Desmond during his own sessions years ago. When Layla completed these anomalies, they revealed a complete and unfettered Isu memory straight from the source, something which amazed both Shaun and Rebecca. They had only seen such a complete memory once before.[44] The team also concluded that Eivor was a human incarnation of Odin, as the visions experienced by the Viking matched this memory.[54]
After Layla's session ended with Eivor's discovery of the Yggdrasil chamber in Hordaland, Norway,[55] Shaun and Rebecca concluded that the strengthening of the Earth's magnetic field had been caused by Desmond's activation of the global aurora borealis device, and that Yggdrasil could be used to reverse the process and return the magnetic field the normal proportions. Shaun then proceeded to drive Layla to the Boston airport so that she could travel to Norway and access the Yggdrasil chamber. Unbeknownst to both him and Rebecca, this was the last time either of them would see their teammate.[44]
Shaun and Rebecca meeting Basim
After Layla sacrificed herself to save the planet like Desmond had done eight years prior and chose to remain in the Grey, she sent Shaun and Rebecca a final message informing them of her fate and discouraging them from coming to rescue her. Shortly after, the two Assassins met the 9th-century Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq, the reincarnation of Loki, who had been inadvertently released from his imprisonment inside the Grey by Layla.[44]
Once Shaun and Rebecca brought him up to speed with the differences between the Assassins and Hidden Ones and their conflict with the Templars, Basim asked to meet their Mentor, William Miles, face-to-face. Despite their anger towards Basim for abandoning Layla in the Grey and his dubious motives, Shaun and Rebecca complied and left to summon William while Basim remained at the New England cabin to explore Eivor's memories for himself.[44]
Personality and traits
- Shaun: "I keep trying to understand how men like Washington and Jefferson could dedicate their lives to the pursuit of liberty and equality, yet have no problem owning slaves. It's hypocritical in the extreme. And your history books make only passing mention of the subject. As if... as if it were of little consequence."
- Desmond: "They had a war to win. A country's future to secure. How could they deal with all these issues at the same time?"
- Shaun: "Spoken like a true apologist. We hear it today too. That matters of civil rights and equality must wait. There are conflicts to settle. Economies to salvage. What do any of these things matter if the people are not free and equal? All of them."
- —Shaun and Desmond discussing the political stance on slavery and equal rights throughout history, 2012.[src]-[m]
Shaun talking with Rebecca in the Sanctuary
When Shaun and Desmond first met, Shaun would often have too little patience to talk with him, though their conversations grew longer over time. He also insulted Rebecca often, once insinuating that she was immature with the phrase, "the grown-ups are talking", neglectful of the fact that she had saved his life multiple times.[2]
Shaun was desperate to enter the Animus, and even resorted to begging Lucy through her e-mail, which she declined by not replying. However, when confronted about it, he said that "the job behind the desk" was much better.[56]
His cynical attitude is evident in many instances, such as when he pointed out that the Assassins were still killers whatever their motives, making them no more the "good guys" than the Templars. Shaun is also skeptical of most institutions, such as the church and government. He noted in one description of Venice that the city's past "followed the historical norm: the people got screwed."[2] Rebecca herself described Shaun as a "cynical egotist who thinks he's smarter than everyone else."[42]
Despite his attitude towards Rebecca, Shaun still holds her in higher regard than he cares to admit, most likely because of the numerous occasions on which she has saved his life. He also showed visible concern for her when she was injured by a bullet meant for him, that he prioritized her well-being over retrieving the Shroud of Eden.[40] Only Lucy seemed to tolerate his snide remarks,[2][7] even trusting him to a great extent, as he was the only one to whom she had revealed her feelings for Desmond.[8]
Shaun's interest in history is shown through his extensive database entries, and also in an e-mail from William, who claimed that Shaun would enjoy the area in which the Assassin leadership was based, as it had "lots of history".[57]
Skills and equipment
Shaun assassinating Isabelle Ardant with his Shock Blade
Shaun is quite confident in his own abilities, once calling himself a "master at decryption". He also claims to have a gift for "seeing things and making connections", an ability he claimed was even more useful than Desmond's Eagle Vision.[2] Despite his attitude, these claims are shown to have merit, such as when he was able to determine the password to Juno's temple by analyzing the symbol and numbers in the Monteriggioni sanctuary.[7]
As a historian, Shaun possess valuable historical knowledge which at times has proved useful to the Brotherhood. After being trained personally by William Miles, Shaun has shown himself to be an able field agent versed in combat and capable of performing the Leap of faith. Though initially he did not wield weapons, by late 2015 Shaun had equipped himself with a Shock Blade attached to his right wrist, capable of electrocuting those it came in contact with.[40]
Relationships
Desmond Miles
At first Shaun demonstrated little patience for Desmond, feeling that he didn't truly empathize with the Assassins' plight.[2] However, by the time, they had discovered the Grand Temple, Shaun had come to respect Desmond and appreciate his contributions to the cause.[9] After Desmond's death, Shaun commented on how he wished he had been nicer to him in the end, and how he is trying to live up to the example set by Desmond, who gave his life to save the world.[40]
Rebecca Crane
Shaun holding a wounded Rebecca
Shaun often teases Rebecca about everything, from her driving to her calculations on Desmond's jump from a skyscraper in Manhattan, commenting "I'm pretty sure she was high when she made the calculations".[9]
Despite this, as revealed in the database entry he created for her in 2015, Shaun holds Rebecca in very high regard, empthazing with her feelings of loss towards all of their deceased friends like Lucy, Desmond and Clay Kaczmarek, and calling her his "very best friend in the world".[1] By 2020, Shaun and Rebecca were married and expecting a child.[58]
Layla Hassan
Shaun and Rebecca both seem to understand Layla's recent behavior, as their association with Desmond allowed them both to sympathize with her. Shaun provided Layla with electrolytes from time to time, and he even left an audio recording on her laptop of a conversation he had with Desmond while he was reliving Ratonhnhaké:ton's memories in the Grand Temple.[44]
Romantic life
Shaun dated a woman named Kate for a time, claiming to Desmond that he "charmed the pants right off her". However, Rebecca stated that the two of them "didn't even get to second-base", revealing that Kate had told her while they had lunch together, much to Shaun's embarrassment.[7] Having grown close to Rebecca over the years, by 2020, Shaun was married to her and hoping that they would have a child.[58]
Behind the scenes
Early concept art of Shaun
Shaun was named after Sean Hastings, a cult hero in the computer industry. Danny Wallace, the voice actor and facial model of Shaun, was contacted by Ubisoft when he attended the BAFTA video game awards with a friend. After the event, he was e-mailed and asked if he would like to be a character in an unknown video game, which he accepted. This game turned out to be Assassin's Creed II.[59] In Wallace's autobiographical book Awkward Situations for Men, he reveals that the audition script notes described Shaun as "awkward, nerdy, lonely, intense, and contrary". Shaun also shares his birthday with Wallace.
In Assassin's Creed II, Shaun has what looks like a Wikipedia page of past Popes on his board.
In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Shaun had several images of note near his desk, including a portrait of Cesare Borgia; pictures of famous landmarks in Rome, such as the Pantheon; and some of Leonardo da Vinci's designs, such as the crossbow. The password for Shaun's e-mail account was GuyFawkes23. It was hinted that Shaun was an altar boy at some stage in his childhood, due to his mention of his priest once saying "You know too much for your own good."
In Assassin's Creed III, Shaun wrote a database entry on himself, though he refused to provide his date of birth, merely commenting "nice try". His entry is largely self-praising and satirical, and he refers to himself as "the most intelligent person in the order". In Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, Shaun once again refused to reveal his date of birth in his own database entry, but Rebecca added it in hers after Shaun jokingly described her as annoying.
In Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, shortly after eliminating John, Abstergo Entertainment posted images of Shaun and Rebecca on electric displays, naming them as hacker suspects. However, Shaun can still be seen at the coffee counter in the lobby.
Shaun was mentioned in Ezio Auditore da Firenze's backstory in Soulcalibur V as the one who noticed the irregularities in the Animus readings that resulted from Ezio's jump to the latter half of the 16th century, the time period of Soulcalibur V. When looking at the readings of the Animus, Shaun commented that it appeared like a readout from the Richter scale, which is used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake.
Gallery
Appearances
- Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- Assassin's Creed III
- Assassin's Creed: Initiates
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
- Assassin's Creed: Rogue (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Unity
- Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
- Jack the Ripper (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Tomb of the Khan (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: The Official Collection
- Assassin's Creed: Gold (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- Discovery Tour: Viking Age
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR
- Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game (mentioned only)
See also
References
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