Throwing knife

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Throwing knives were small blades that could kill unarmored enemies and rooftop sentries. Assassins used them to either injure enemies, or take them out from a distance.

High Middle Ages

Altaïr using a throwing knife.

Assassins of the High Middle Ages were permitted to use throwing knives upon reaching the fourth rank. The knives also seemed to be one of the most powerful weapons after the Hidden Blade; with a single, accurate hit resulting in a kill on all targets but major Templars.

If ever an Assassin ran out of knives, he could get more by either pickpocketing them from thugs (earning five knives), by defeating thugs in a fistfight, or by returning to either an Assassins' Bureau or Masyaf.

The amount of knives Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad could hold increased at certain ranks, wherein he obtained a knife belt. Each knife belt could hold up to five knives, and were kept at his waist, left boot, and right shoulder. These belts were obtained at the fourth, seventh, and tenth ranks respectively.

Renaissance

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Throwing knives were also used by Assassins of the Renaissance era, though they were not quite as effective, and could not normally cause a kill in a single hit; particularly with the improved armor possessed by high-ranked guards. To compensate, Ezio Auditore da Firenze could hold up to twenty-five knives at a time, all of which he sheathed at his waist.

Throwing knives could be bought from any of the city blacksmiths for 50 florins each. Extra sheaths for knives could be purchased at tailor shops.

Advanced use

Ezio uses a throwing knife against Girolamo Savonarola.

Though initially only throwing one knife at a time, Ezio learned to throw several at once from the combat instructor at Monteriggioni.

This special attack allowed Ezio to throw three knives mid-combat, effectively dispatching up to three enemies. Despite taking a longer time to aim and use, the ability allowed an instant kill on any targeted enemy.

Later, upon traveling to Rome and becoming a Master Assassin, Ezio was able to throw multiple knives at enemies, even when not engaged in battle. He was able to adjust the number of knives thrown at a time, one for each enemy in range.

Furthermore, Ezio was also able to dual-wield throwing knives alongside his short blade, much as Altaïr did. This allowed him to more quickly switch between long and short-ranged attacks.

Modern times

In Abstergo Industries, throwing knives served as an ability that its recruits could use while training in their respective Animi. However, the knives used were always non-lethal, and could only temporarily slow down or unbalance an opponent.

Trivia

Assassin's Creed

• During the Animus loading sequence in Assassin's Creed, the player could select the throwing knives and throw an infinite number of them.

• On the Xbox 360 version of Assassin's Creed, the achievement "Eagle's Eye" could be unlocked by killing 75 guards with throwing knives.
• There was a glitch after unlocking the short blade for the first time. In the Animus loading sequence, the player could use throwing knives even if they had not yet been unlocked.

Assassin's Creed II

• When not locked onto a target, Ezio would throw a knife in the last direction he walked toward. Certain targets would not run unless Ezio entered a particular zone around them. If Ezio remained out of this zone and threw knives using the described method, he could easily kill the target.
• Even after using all throwing knives, they were still visible on Ezio's knife belt.
• An additional five throwing knives could be purchased through Uplay for 20 Units.
• It took two throwing knives to kill a guard who was alert, but only one to kill a guard to whom Ezio was invisible.
  • Venice and Forlì were exceptions, where it took two knives regardless.

Other

• In Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, the design for throwing knives was altered. In the first game, it was simply a flat knife, whereas in Bloodlines, it possessed a cylindrical hilt and a four-sided blade.
• A throwing knife from Rodrigo Borgia nearly killed Giovanni Auditore in Rome.
• Giovanni Auditore only carried two throwing knives, on his chest, and it is unexplained if this was due to his preference, or to his skill (or lack thereof) with the weapon.
• In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, regardless of the throwing knife capacity of the knife belt, there was no visible knife belt present.
• In Brotherhood, the knife belt only appeared when the character was in a state of loading (such as when Ezio glowed white during an armor switch or clothes dyeing), or within the Animus Virtual Training Program.