Power is a funny thing in video games. Usually, it’s just a bigger sword or a faster car. But in Assassin’s Creed II, it was something else entirely. It was psychological. It was ancient. Honestly, the power they wielded in AC2—referring to the Templars and specifically Rodrigo Borgia—felt genuinely dangerous because it wasn't just about magic; it was about the total erasure of free will.
You remember that ending, right? Ezio Auditore stands in the Vault, the Vatican blurring around him, and he’s facing down a Pope who isn't interested in God. He’s interested in a golden orb. That Piece of Eden wasn't just a shiny trinket for the inventory. It was a tool of mass subjugation.
What the Apple of Eden Actually Does
When we talk about the power they wielded in AC2, we are talking about the Apple of Eden. It’s an Isu artifact. Basically, it’s a leftover piece of hardware from a "First Civilization" that lived on Earth long before humans. These guys didn't just build fancy buildings; they literally engineered the human brain to be receptive to their technology.
It’s scary.
The Apple works by tapping into neurotransmitters. It projects illusions, forces people to freeze in their tracks, and can even rewrite a person's thoughts in real-time. In the game’s lore, this is why the Templars are so obsessed with it. They don't want to kill everyone; they want to "save" humanity by removing the ability to choose. To the Borgia family, peace was only possible through absolute control.
Ezio spends the entire game watching his family die and his city crumble because of this influence. The Templars used the Apple (and the Staff) to buy loyalty, manipulate elections, and keep the populace in a state of perpetual, obedient fog. It wasn't just "the power they wielded in AC2"—it was the terrifying realization that your own mind could be hacked like a piece of software.
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The Historical Nightmare of Rodrigo Borgia
Rodrigo Borgia, who eventually becomes Pope Alexander VI, is the face of this corruption. In the game, he’s a monster. In real history? He wasn't exactly a saint, either. Ubisoft took the real-world rumors of Borgia’s greed and turned them into a narrative about a man who discovered the ultimate cheat code for reality.
Think about the scale of this. He didn't just have an army. He had the Papacy. During the Renaissance, the Pope was essentially the most powerful man in the Western world. Combine that religious authority with a device that can literally force people to kneel? That’s an unbeatable combo. The game does a brilliant job of showing how Ezio is constantly outmatched. Not because he isn't a better fighter—Ezio is a beast—but because you can’t fight an enemy who can turn your friends against you with a flicker of golden light.
Why It Felt Different From Other Games
Most games at the time had "boss fights" with health bars. Assassin’s Creed II had a boss fight that was essentially a philosophical debate backed by a god-complex.
The Apple of Eden changed the stakes. Suddenly, the fight wasn't about land or money. It was about the "Truth." The phrase "Nothing is true, everything is permitted" takes on a much darker meaning when you realize the villains have the power to decide what is true for everyone else.
If you look at the "Truth" puzzles scattered throughout the game—the ones left by Subject 16—you see the fingerprints of this power throughout human history. The game suggests that every major shift in power, from the discovery of fire to the industrial revolution, was influenced by these artifacts. The Templars weren't just some random cult; they were the continuation of a lineage that had been using Isu tech to steer humanity for millennia.
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The Vault and the Message
The climax of the game is where things get truly weird. Ezio defeats Rodrigo, but he doesn't kill him. Instead, he enters the Vault.
This is where the true nature of the power they wielded in AC2 is revealed. It’s not just a weapon. It’s a communication device. When Minerva appears and starts talking directly to Desmond Miles through Ezio’s memories, it breaks the fourth wall in a way that still feels fresh. Ezio is just a conduit. He’s a mailman.
The power of the Apple wasn't just in what it could do to the people of 1499. It was in its ability to bridge time itself. The First Civilization knew their world was ending, and they used the Apples to ensure their warnings would reach the one person who could stop the next catastrophe: Desmond.
The Psychological Impact on the Player
Playing AC2 for the first time is a trip. You start out in a standard revenge story. You want to kill the guys who hung your brothers. Simple. But as the game progresses, the scope expands until you're dealing with ancient aliens and the fundamental nature of human consciousness.
The power they wielded in AC2 made the player feel small.
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Usually, as a protagonist, you feel like the center of the universe. In AC2, Ezio realizes he’s just a tiny part of a much larger, much older machine. That realization is what makes the ending so haunting. You win the fight, but you realize the war has been going on for tens of thousands of years.
Making Sense of the Isu Lore
If you're trying to wrap your head around how this all fits together, here are the core pieces of the puzzle:
- The Apple of Eden: A tool for mental manipulation and information storage. It can create physical illusions that can actually hurt you.
- The Papal Staff: Another Piece of Eden. When combined with the Apple, it opens the Vault under the Vatican.
- The Neurotransmitter: Humans were literally built with a "backdoor" in their brains that responds to these devices. This is why most people can't resist the Apple's glow.
- The Eagle Vision: A diluted version of the "Sixth Sense" the Isu had. Ezio has it because he has a higher concentration of Isu DNA than the average person. This is also why he can resist the Apple better than others.
How to Use These Insights in Your Next Playthrough
If you’re hopping back into the Ezio Collection or the original game, keep an eye on how the Apple is framed. It’s never treated like a "good" thing, even when the Assassins have it. They view it as a burden—something that shouldn't exist because no one should have that much control.
Pay attention to the background NPCs when the Apple is active. Their reactions are distinct. Some flee in terror, while others drop to their knees in worship. It’s a subtle nod to how the device manipulates different parts of the psyche.
To truly master the lore of AC2, you need to:
- Complete every Subject 16 puzzle. They provide the historical context for how the Templars used Pieces of Eden to manipulate the 20th century.
- Read the database entries. Shaun Hastings’ snarky comments actually contain a lot of real-world history about the Borgias and the Medici family that highlights how desperate the power struggle really was.
- Watch the "Lineage" short films. They show Ezio’s father, Giovanni, uncovering the initial conspiracy and provide a better look at the political maneuvering before the game starts.
- Analyze the ending dialogue. Don't just skip the cutscene. Listen to what Minerva says about "The Ones Who Came Before." It sets the stage for every game that follows.
The power they wielded in AC2 wasn't just a plot device. It was a warning about the dangers of centralized authority and the fragility of the human mind. It transformed a simple stealth game into a sprawling epic about the fight for the soul of humanity.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
- Deepen your lore knowledge: If you want the full picture, read Assassin's Creed: Renaissance by Oliver Bowden. It fills in some of the gaps in Ezio's thoughts during his encounters with the Apple.
- Visit the real locations: If you’re ever in Rome, go to the Castel Sant'Angelo. Standing in the spots where the game takes place gives you a massive perspective on how Ubisoft blended reality with their sci-fi conspiracy.
- Compare the artifacts: Look into the "Staff of Hermes" from Assassin's Creed Odyssey. It explains more about how the Isu technology evolved and why the Templars in AC2 were so desperate to find the specific combination of the Staff and the Apple.
The legacy of Assassin’s Creed II isn't just the parkour or the hidden blade. It’s the way it made us question who is really pulling the strings. In a world of digital surveillance and algorithmic manipulation, the "power they wielded" feels a little less like science fiction and a little more like a reflection of our own reality.