Assassin's Creed: 10 Most Shocking & Heartbreaking Moments
7. Mario's Death (Brotherhood)
This was just awful and one nobody saw coming.
Through the entirety of AC II, Ezio's uncle was the voice of reason to his young nephew, slowly transforming him over the course of a decade into the renowned Assassin we all love. They really went through thick and thin together, rebuilding the Monteriggioni villa and reuniting their family.
But of course, with Ezio's plans for retirement at the start of Brotherhood, we knew there would have to be a reason to send him back out to war. And that reason was the death of poor Mario, who falls in the game's first act at the hands of Cesare Borgia, just when they all thought they were safe.
It's a truly earth-shattering moment in the series, but sadly one which was required for Ezio to embark on the next chapter in his life. It's just unbelievable it had to come at such a cost.