What's the Connection between Assassin's Creed and the Olympics?
The Opening Ceremony in Paris featured a mysterious hooded figure gliding along its rooftops.
Throughout the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, a mysterious hooded figure has been scaling buildings along the River Seine, carrying the Olympics torch from rooftop to rooftop. And viewers immediately started making a connection to Arno Dorian, the main character of one of the popular Assassin's Creed video games.
Why the masked torchbearer has been compared to Arno
Two social media posts further fueled speculation about the character's inclusion in the event. On July 19, the official Olympics Twitter page posted a video teasing a hooded figure wearing the Olympic flag as a cape. At first, it seemed that this might be a teaser for a musical performance, but now that the hooded torchbearer has arrived, he or she looks much more similar to the person in this clip.
The figure was seen running along the Paris rooftops and down on street-level.
The Assassin's Creed Twitter account was quick to pounce as the distinctive look invited comparisons. Along with gameplay footage, the account wrote, "Keep an eye on Paris' rooftops—Arno might just be watching from above."
Assassin's Creed: Unity is set in Paris
Assassin's Creed: Unity, released by Ubisoft in 2007, takes place in the early days of the French Revolution, with Arno a member of a clandestine group of assassins that have done battle for centuries against the remnants of the Knights Templar. The game allows players to explore the world of revolutionary Paris, including its iconic architecture.
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The Paris opening ceremonies rocked on despite the rain
Though the weather turned from fog to drizzle to downpour over the course of the parade of athletes, the ceremonies trucked right along, including a performance by rock band Gojira.
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In addition to being chart-topping rock gods in their home country, the members of Gojira are known for their global activism, championing causes like HIV/AIDS research and environmentalism.
“Rock is the music of rebellion; it has all the components,” singer and guitarist Joe Duplantier told Guitar.com in 2021. “It’s got to have something that will make you think, something that will activate you. If it doesn’t, the words that come out, the music that comes out, it’s just a noise.”
As France aims to make 2024 the "greenest Games" in modern Olympic history, Gojira is a perfect choice.
