1. 'We Are Free To Follow Our Own Path'
In the introduction, I explained how it would be wrong to pick one moment as the most defining in the series. However, if there was to be a victor, this one would surely come close. The irony of the sequence is that it did not actually appear in the original Assassin's Creed II, but in its extra downloadable content - Bonfire of the Vanities. What Ezio says in the finale is a guideline for every game with an Assassin's Creed title. The 'Creed' stands for freedom for all men, so simply put, this moment defines the franchise. "22 years ago, I stood where I stand now, and witnessed my loved ones die. Betrayed by those I had called friends. Vengeance clouded my mind. It would have consumed me if it were not for the wisdom of a few strangers. They never preached answers, but guided me to learn from myself. We don't need anyone to tell us what to do. Not Savanarola. Not the Medici. We are free to follow our own path. There are those who would take that freedom from us - and too many of you would gladly give it. But it is our ability to choose whatever you think is true. That makes us human. There is no book, or teacher, to give you the answers. To show you the path. Choose your own way. Do not follow me, or anyone else."