Assassin’s Creed: Why Assassins Started (& Stopped) Cutting Off Fingers

The Assassins of Assassin’s Creed have many identifying characteristics, from their white, hooded robes to their preferred weapon, the hidden blade. But why did Assassins amputate their left ring finger (as they did in the original Assassin’s Creed game) and why did they stop later on?

The removal of an Assassin’s left ringer finger is tied with their use of the hidden blade in Assassin’s Creed. Designed as a stealth weapon, the hidden blade is strapped to the underside of an Assassin’s arm, extending and retracting as the Assassin flexes certain muscles. The hidden blade keeps an Assassin’s hands empty, making them appear as a normal pedestrian, allowing them to get close to a target and quietly assassinate them without raising an alarm. But the positioning of the blade runs the risk of severing a finger, establishing reason for early Assassins to remove the ring finger completely to give the blade a clear path.

Although the amputation of the ring finger has some roots in functionality, it was also an important symbolic gesture for the Assassins as well. Bayek, one of the first Assassins, used the hidden blade with a complete hand until he was forced to trigger the blade during a fight while his hand was in a fist. Bayek killed his target, but lost his ring finger in the process. Check out that (fairly graphic, be warned) scene in the video below from KyKiske7 on YouTube:

When Bayek and his wife Aya formed the Hidden Ones (the group that would eventually become the Assassins) new members voluntarily amputated their own ring fingers as a sign of commitment to fighting corruption. That tradition remained present for centuries, as shown in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which takes place in the 800s. When Eivor first meets the Assassins Hytham and Basim, the Viking scoffs at the supposed accidents they had with the blade that caused their missing fingers. Hytham retorts “This is no mistake. This is a voluntary sacrifice to prove our devotion.”

When Assassins Stopped Cutting Off Their Finger

But the removal of the ring finger clearly wasn’t all about tradition, as Assassin’s Creed II makes clear reference to Altair, the original game’s protagonist, redesigning the hidden blade. In Assassin’s Creed II, Leonardo Da Vinci, when giving Ezio a hidden blade, at first jokes he needs to cuts off one of Ezio’s fingers, then says “Though the blade once required a sacrifice, it’s been modified. You can keep your finger.” Check out that scene below thanks to FoggyFogzmeister on YouTube:

It appears that after Altair’s changes in the twelfth century, Assassins no longer felt the need to cut their finger off due to safety. Indeed, modern day Assassin protagonist Desmond Miles has all of his fingers, indicating that the Assassins no longer amputate their fingers as part of initiation.

Assassins continue to pay tribute to Bayek’s first sacrifice in Assassin’s Creed Origins, however, even if they don’t cut off their finger. Assassin’s Creed II shows a branding ceremony some Assassins take part in where they brand a ring around their ring finger to symbolize the sacrifice their predecessors made. But modern day Assassins of Assassin’s Creed no longer regularly cut off one of their fingers, which is probably the best idea for a group that is supposed to remain inconspicuous.