Assassin's Creed: 10 Most Shocking & Heartbreaking Moments
6. Ezio's Father And Brothers Are Executed (AC II)
Ezio really couldn't catch a break in his life, could he? While Mario's death was awful, the death of his father and brothers was sadly the catalyst needed for Ezio to head off on his initial quest of revenge when he was just a young man in Florence.
Coming in the first act of the second AC game, the manner in which they die (hanged after being framed for treason by a treacherous Templar magistrate ) is just cruel, and the player actually feels Ezio's pain as he sprints towards the execution stage, desperate to reach his family and save them, then made worse by the horror felt when he realises he's not going to make it.
It was at this point that, after the repetitive formula of the first game, players realised the franchise's first sequel would be taking on a much more darker and personal turn than its predecessor.