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"Why do people need the validation? What should matter is what you—as an individual—believe. And why you believe it. What, are we so insecure that we have to find 18th century letters to validate our beliefs?"
―Shaun commenting on the state of political affairs to Desmond Miles, 2012.[src]-[m]

Shaun Hastings (born 1985) is a British member of the Assassin Brotherhood who gives tactical guidance to numerous Assassin cells across the globe. His support is often targeted towards Assassins who are out in the field, occasionally offering assistance in the form of messages relayed from higher command. He is also the husband of fellow Assassin, Rebecca Crane.

In his first cell operating from an old Assassin hideout in Rome, Shaun helped his teammates Rebecca Crane, Lucy Stillman, and Desmond Miles by acting as both historian and analyst, assisting Desmond during his time in the Animus reliving the genetic memories of his ancestor Ezio Auditore. This help mostly came in the form of creating database entries on the various people, places, and events Desmond encountered in Renaissance Italy. Shaun also encouraged Desmond to investigate any strange glyphs he found within the simulation. When Abstergo Industries raided their hideout, the team were forced to flee and find a new base of operations.

The group eventually settled on Monteriggioni, the former headquarters of the Italian Brotherhood and home of the Auditore family, from where Shaun continued his role for Desmond. Various database entries were created for this session also, and new glyphs were examined. After Desmond found the location of Ezio's Apple of Eden deep within the Colosseum Vault, an Isu temple beneath the Santa Maria in Aracoeli, the team moved to retrieve it. However, as Desmond came into contact with it, Juno suddenly held their bodies in stasis before forcing Desmond to kill Lucy because she was secretly a mole for the Templars. As soon as they were released, he collapsed into a coma, and Shaun and Rebecca put him back into the Animus according to instructions from his father, William.

They transported him back to the United States, and drove around in a van to avoid Abstergo. Eventually arriving near Turin, New York. Shaun and Rebecca oversaw his unconscious sessions and anxiously waited for him to recover from his coma. After Desmond fully synchronized, Shaun, Rebecca, and William stood by as his vitals stabilized and he finally awoke. Knowing what had to be done, they later entered the Grand Temple built below the outskirts of the city.

As the day of the Second Disaster approached, Shaun lent his expertise again to Desmond, who this time relived the memories of other ancestors, Haytham Kenway and his illegitimate son Ratonhnhaké:ton. Shaun and Desmond would chat about different political stances and opinions whenever the latter took breaks from his sessions. Shaun would also locate power sources, vital for unlocking the Grand Temple's interior door, and send Desmond on field missions to retrieve them. Shaun and the team later accompanied Desmond to the Davenport Homestead after he had fully synchronized and discovered the location of the Temple's key. The team followed Desmond as he unlocked the Temple and entered the chamber of the Eye. After Desmond decided to sacrifice his life, Shaun and the others left and got as far away as they could.

The next year later, Shaun found himself working undercover as a barista in Abstergo Entertainment's Montreal headquarters. He and Rebecca, herself undercover as a courier, acted as correspondence between John Standish and an analyst. Standish manipulated the analyst to hack their co-workers' computers on the pretense of recovering locked files, and it was through this that they learned of the Sample 17 Project, the details of which they passed on to Shaun and Rebecca. After Standish, an undercover Instrument of the First Will, attacked the analyst and was subsequently killed by Abstergo guards, the Assassins apologized to the analyst but offered them a place with them. After this, Shaun and Rebecca had to relocate to avoid suspicion while Abstergo focused their investigations on Standish's immediate contacts and log-in times.

The following year, Shaun assisted Bishop in dealing with the Initiates, an independent group of hackers whom Shaun procured an alliance with. One particular Helix Initiate was helped by Shaun directly in reliving the memories of Arno Dorian, via his usual database entries amended with snarky remarks. Together, they discovered the fate of the Templar Sage François-Thomas Germain and concluded his remains would be of no use to Abstergo. Some time later, after Abstergo had uploaded details on the Assassin-turncoat Shay Cormac, the Assassins were sent into such a panic that one Assassin sent Shaun a message warning him about the file.

Another year passed, and Shaun was yet again assisting Bishop and the same Initiate, this time in the memories of twin Assassins, Evie and Jacob Frye. This was the first time Shaun was to be on field assignments, and together with Rebecca Crane, they infiltrated numerous locations, among which was the office of Isabelle Ardant, an encounter they were lucky to survive as they were met with the Master Templar Juhani Otso Berg. Eventually, through cooperation with the Helix Initiate, the Assassins discovered a Shroud of Eden hidden in a vault beneath Buckingham Palace. Moving to retrieve it, Shaun's group came into combat with Berg's team, and in the resulting scuffle, Rebecca was wounded by gunshot and Shaun killed Ardant. With the Shroud lost to Templar hands, Shaun and his team requested immediate extraction.

Having kept fairly quiet for the following years, by 2019, Shaun had created a digital likeness to be used by the Assassins should memory data be accessed without an Animus. This avatar retained all of Hasting's knowledge and personality. By the following year, Shaun and Rebecca had been wed with a child on the way. They assisted their newly reassigned cellmate Layla Hassan. As part of their first mission together, they traveled to Tokyo, where they met up with Layla's former teammate Kiyoshi Takakura. Together, they infiltrated an Abstergo facility in Tokyo, investigated their experiments, and extracted Dr. Kazui, whom Abstergo was holding hostage due to his being a a modern descendant of the Venetian Assassin Bastiano da Mezzo who had once seen Ezio use and lock away a Staff of Eden. Eventually, they were able to succeed and escape the facility with Dr. Kazui. Following this, Kiyoshi left the group.

A couple of months later, the team received a strange message that promised a solution to stop the threat of another world-ending event, which led them to a 9th century Viking grave in New England in the United States. Shaun aided Layla inside the Animus while she relived the memories of the shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir. Shaun would later drive Layla to Boston airport, from where she departed for Hordaland, home to the Yggdrasil device. After Layla made the ultimate sacrifice staying in the Grey with the entity known as "The Reader", the Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq, rejuvenated by the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus, returned to their cabin in her stead. Shaun and Rebecca left together to retrieve their Mentor after Basim requested an audience.

Biography

Early life

"Most Assassins, Desmond, are like you, yeah? They're "born" into the Brotherhood. Not me, though."
―Shaun to Desmond, 2012.[src]

Originating from England, Shaun was interested in conspiracy theories and the unexplained from a very early age. Though initially unaware of the existence of the modern-day Templars and Assassins, when Shaun was around 15, he did some investigations into a company known as Abstergo Industries, and discovered that they were "up to no good".[1]

This eventually inspired him to prevent their wrongful activities in any way he could. While working as a junior professor, Shaun took the pseudonym "Guy Fawkes", after one of the co-conspirators of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, and began spreading the word. He published articles detailing Abstergo's inner workings to WikiLeaks and other news groups, searching for people with "stories to tell"; all the while remaining unaware that the Templars would try to silence him.[2] Rebecca Crane was the first to point out the danger he was putting himself in, and attempted to warn him that he was "messing with the wrong people." However, Shaun did not believe her, and was eventually discovered by Abstergo's CEO Alan Rikkin.[1]

On 10 December 2010, Abstergo abducted Shaun. Fortunately, he was able to escape from the van that was taking him to the company, with Abstergo only discovering afterwards that the van's computer had been hacked, creating a false alert for a need to stop and refuel;[3] this event was secretly brought about by Rebecca's intervention. Rebecca then contacted Shaun once more, "rescued" him, and recruited him into the Brotherhood.[1]

Hiding out

Desmond: "What's all this stuff for?"
Shaun: "This stuff, Desmond, oh this stuff is nothing special, really, this stuff is just the stuff that keeps our entire operation from falling apart, really."
—Desmond and Shaun in the hideout, 2012.[src]
Des Hideout 2

Shaun and Rebecca meeting Desmond

Two years later, after Lucy Stillman and Desmond Miles escaped the Animus Project laboratory and reached an undisclosed hideout in Rome, Shaun was the first to greet Desmond, introducing both himself and Rebecca, before promptly insisting that they all get straight to work. Desmond then entered the Animus to relive the memories of one of his ancestors, Ezio Auditore. While Desmond was inside the Animus, Shaun supplied Desmond with information in the form of database entries, as well as the occasional piece of advice on glyph puzzles.[1]

In his role as historian and analyst of the group, Shaun was constantly working on his computer, and rarely had the opportunity to speak with Desmond, often telling him bluntly to "go away" if ever Desmond tried to bother him while he was busy.[1] During the assault on the hideout by Warren Vidic and several Abstergo guards, Shaun assisted Rebecca in packing up the Assassins' equipment,[1] and later drove the group to their next hideout in Switzerland.[4]

Escape to the Sanctuary

"Did you miss me? No? Anyone? Hello, am I speaking out loud? Hello? Workaholics."
―Shaun returning to the Sanctuary, 2012.[src]
BH-ShaunRebecca 2

Shaun and Rebecca entering the Villa Auditore

Upon leaving the hideout, Shaun and the others drove north in an attempt to reach a cabin located in the Swiss Alps, where they would continue searching through Desmond's genetic memories. However, Abstergo set up a roadblock in Grosseto, Italy to intercept the group of Assassins.[4] The following day, looking at a map for a different place to hide, Shaun suggested that the team should take a detour that would lead them to Monteriggioni.[5]

After arriving in Monteriggioni, the team set up camp in the Sanctuary, due to its thick walls blocking outside signals. Shaun then assisted the team by hiding the van and teaching Desmond how to reroute power into the underground chamber.[6]

Once the preparation was complete, Shaun continued with his research, operating similarly to the way he had in the previous hideout. In contrast, though, he was much more respectful and tolerant towards Desmond than he had been previously – however, his attitude remained rude and impatient with Rebecca, which caused Lucy to give him a greater workload than the other Assassins.[6]

During Desmond's breaks outside the Animus, Shaun told him about the history of the events he was experiencing, mentioning things such as the fate of Caterina Sforza and Cesare Borgia's explicit letter to his father the Pope about his wedding night.[6]

Journey to the Colosseum

Desmond: "I wonder if it will change things. Whether it can tip the scales in our favor."
Shaun: "I'm sure it will. It has to."
—Shaun and Desmond discussing the Apple at the Colosseum, 2012.[src]
Retrieval 13

Shaun and the Assassins in the Colosseum Vault

After Desmond located the Apple of [Eden]] through Ezio's memories, the modern-day Assassins were still left with the mystery of how to access the Apple's Vault. Although Rebecca knew it was opened via a spoken password, the group was unsure of what it could possibly be.[6]

Desmond pointed out the numbers that he had earlier found written on the wall opposite the Sanctuary's bookshelf entrance, as well as the tetractys symbol, of which Shaun correctly deduced its relevance to God, and His 72 names. This number, Shaun also stated, was the same year that Rome's Colosseum was built. Following this, they all concluded that was where the Apple would be found, and began their long road trip.[6]

Upon finding the Apple, Desmond used it to ask where the Temples were located, which resulted in it projecting a series of symbols and images. Shaun, upon identifying the Phrygian cap and the Eye of Providence, said that both objects came together in only "one place." However, before Shaun could finish his explanation, Juno possessed Desmond through the Apple, causing a temporal freeze, and forced him to stab Lucy in the abdomen. Lucy and Desmond collapsed to the floor after this, but both Shaun and Rebecca were still visibly conscious, and appeared unaffected by the Apple's power.[6]

After Desmond's collapse

Rebecca: "Shaun, you feeling okay?"
Shaun: "Sure, yeah, yeah, I'm fine, yeah. We're Assassins after all, aren't we, eh? Why should we be surprised if one of us dies every now and again?"
—Shaun, regarding Lucy's death, 2012.[src]
Miles van 1

Shaun along with William and Rebecca

Following Lucy's death, Desmond fell unconscious and slipped into a comatose state. Rebecca and William Miles brought Desmond to New York City in an effort to reawaken him, with Shaun staying behind to arrange and attend Lucy's funeral in a cemetery just outside of Rome.[7] Following a phone call with Rebecca and William, during which Shaun expressed his suspicion that Desmond may be a sleeper agent similar to another former Assassin, which William vehemently denied, Shaun boarded a plane to join them in New York. Eventually, the four of them took a van to the coordinates found by Ezio in the Pythagorean Vault, taking the Apple recovered from the Colosseum Vault with them. As they arrived, Desmond awoke from the coma which had taken hold of him, and stated that he knew what they needed to do.[7]

The Grand Temple

"In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again."
―Shaun, quoting a line from Alice in Wonderland upon the team entering the Grand Temple, 2012.[src]-[m]

After exiting the van at the entrance of the Grand Temple, Shaun assisted in carrying the supplies inside, as well as setting up his computer network and the Animus. From there, he spent the majority of his time monitoring Desmond and working on the new Database. Eventually, he realized that the team would need power sources to open the door, and began work on locating them.[8] The first he found was in an office building around New York, for which he had Desmond go to collect it.[9] With Rebecca's input, Shaun provided access to communication for the operations via an earpiece. He also drove the van to the drop-off and pick-up points.[8]

AC3 Shaun Rebecca Temple

Rebecca and Shaun in the Grand Temple

The second source, located in Brazil, belonged to a business tycoon's wife who was watching a mixed martial arts match at the time. Sending Desmond, Shaun helped navigate him through the area so that he could reach the power source. He also assisted Rebecca in keeping the train open for Desmond to escape.[8]

The third source, located when the team returned to the Grand Temple, was held at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt. This time, Shaun gave support to William, who went to retrieve it in Desmond's stead. After William was captured, Shaun helped Desmond with the transport to Rome in order for Desmond to infiltrate Abstergo's headquarters and rescue his father.[8]

When the team returned and the Grand Temple Key was found, Shaun and the group accompanied Desmond through the door. After watching Minerva and Juno speak with Desmond, Shaun, William and Rebecca left upon Desmond's order as he activated the Eye, sacrificing himself to trigger global aurora borealis device the and save the world.[8]

Undercover at Abstergo

"All I'm saying is, I think we made the most of what little time we had, and we made a difference. The world lives to turn another day. Isn't that what we should hold on to?"
―Shaun to Rebecca, reflecting on the brief time they spent with Desmond, 2013.[src]

Six months later in May 2013,[10] Shaun and Rebecca met with William's second-in-command Gavin Banks in Peru,[11] informing him that William had left the Order, leaving behind a letter and a codex for Gavin.[12] Shaun was bitter that William left without saying goodbye, but Gavin reminded him that William was mourning for his son.[13]

ACi-ShaunTexas

Shaun drunk in Texas

On 29 May, after sailing north on the Altaïr II—a trip that often left Shaun nauseous—Gavin dropped Shaun and Rebecca in California to spy for the Assassins in America.[14] On 10 June, Shaun and Rebecca stopped in Texas where Shaun got very drunk while Rebecca took photos of him, and later sent them to Gavin commenting that Shaun would rather be on his ship.[15] Eventually, while in Oklahoma City in August, they decided to honor William by finding what happened to Desmond's body, which was being used for Abstergo's Sample 17 Project to create entertainment products from his ancestors' memories.[16]

ACi-TheOldFarm

Shaun and Rebecca at "The Farm"

As they traveled through South Dakota, Shaun and Rebecca visited the ruins of the Farm where Desmond grew up on 6 September. Rebecca remarked that they barely knew Desmond, to which Shaun responded that despite that, they had experienced a lot together, like him killing Lucy whom they found out was a traitor, nursed him through his coma, sailed across the Ocean and helped him and his father reconcile. After all that, he died to save the plaent and made a difference. These words were of some comfort her to Rebecca.[17]

AC4 Shaun Hastings undercover

Shaun in the Abstergo Entertainment offices

By 24 October, Rebecca and Shaun infiltrated the Abstergo Entertainment facility in Montreal.[18] Shaun took a job as the lobby's barista in order to facilitate communication with Rebecca, who was acting as a courier, collecting a number of data files that had been obtained by an Abstergo researcher at the behest of John Standish from the IT department.[19]

When John was killed by Abstergo, Shaun and Rebecca contacted the researcher, apologizing for getting them into trouble and promising to make up for it.[19] Using the information recovered by the analyst, Shaun and Rebecca helped William move on from Desmond's death and rejoin the Order.[20]

Discovering the Initiates

"With you on our side, we can hope to rebuild the Brotherhood. Otherwise, the Assassins will die, along with our ideals. The Templars will win, and the world will lose."
―Shaun appealing for the Initiates to join the Assassins.[src]

On 1 May 2014, Shaun and Rebecca had reunited with William in a bunker in Norway, and then with the crew of the Altaïr II.[21] Gavin was angry William had not contacted him since his return,[22] but they soon had more important matters to attend to when Rebecca discovered that the ship was bugged. From 7-13 May, William interrogated each of Gavin's crewmates to determine who the spy was, Shaun and Rebecca worked to ascertain where the spy's reports were being sent to.[23][24][25][26][27][28][29]

Eventually by 23 May, William decided who the spy was and declared that, in accordance with the Creed, he was going to have them executed. Shaun objected, preparing to cite moments of leniency from the Order's history, but William responded for him to be silent, and ordered Galina Voronina to kill Dr. Stephanie Chiu, prompting protests from Eric Cooper, who claimed to be the spy.[30]

Shaun expressed surprise that a Scot could be the spy, prompting Chiu to explain she uploaded Cooper's reports to the Initiates. Satisfied with the truth, William and Gavin explained it had been a ruse to flush them out, to which Shaun had William confirm that none of them would be dying that day.[30]

ACi-AMessageFromShaun

Shaun's recruitment message to the Initiates

Days later, while Cooper and Chiu were explaining to the Assassins their goals and organization, Shaun protested against the Initiates' neutral stance, arguing they could have helped if they were observing what the Assassins had endured.[31] Subsequently, William appointed Shaun and Rebecca with the task of recruiting the Initiates. On 16 June, Shaun sent out a recruitment message to the Initiates.[32]

Personal Animus session

On 5 October, Shaun used the Animus to see if he had Assassin or Templar ancestors. He found none but he discovered that his ancestor Alrekr Thorvaldson, a Jute from the 9th century, had a map of Norway showing the location of Mjölnir, Thor's mythical hammer. However, Alrekr was captured and lost the map, preventing Shaun to confirm the veracity of the artifact. During the following weeks, Hastings continued to explore his bloodlines, focusing on the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries.[33]

Infiltrating Paris Abstergo facility

On 13 October, Shaun, alongside Galina, infiltrated an Abstergo laboratory operating in Paris by orders of Gavin Banks. Once inside, Shaun found Álvaro Gramática experimenting with a Shroud of Eden, failing to recognize the importance of the artifact as he did not believe in the existence of such an object. Shaun instead made fun of Álvaro before Galina threw a grenade at him, fatally wounding him. Unfortunately for the pair, Álvaro was wearing the Shroud, healing him after the Assassins were gone, though the Shroud was ultimately destroyed after this. Shaun and Galina fled from the facility to La Rochelle, where Gavin and Eric Cooper were waiting for them, but not before facing Sigma Team agent Sorkin, who was severely injured by Galina. Both Assassins ultimately made it to the ships and escaped Paris.[34][35]

Aiding the Initiates

In November, Shaun was present and aided Bishop when guiding an Initiate through the memories of Arno Dorian in the hopes of learning the location of the corpse of a Sage by the name of François-Thomas Germain. During this time, he went by the handle of "Deacon".[36] However, in his revised Database entries he referred to himself by his real name.[37] When a file was uploaded from Abstergo Entertainment, with the Assassins in disarray, at least one member called for Shaun to take a look at the footage of Shay Cormac's life being sent to them.[38]

Hunting the Shroud

"I had this colleague. He was our boss's son. I didn't much care for him at the start. Everyone treated him like he was so bloody special. To me, he wasn't invested in anything that didn't affect him personally. But, I was wrong about him. He became my friend. Put himself through hell. And he saved us all in the end. So I reckon... Well, I can't apologize to him, but I can, I don't know. I can try and live up to his example."
―Shaun talking about Desmond Miles to Bishop, 2015.[src]-[m]
ACS Templar Meeting 3

Shaun and Rebecca confronting Ardant

In October 2015, Shaun and Rebecca were dispatched by Bishop to infiltrate Isabelle Ardant's office in London to gain access to information regarding Pieces of Eden. However, the duo went off-book and decided to wait for Ardant to return to her office. They were intercepted by Juhani Otso Berg and Violet da Costa but managed to flee after Rebecca detonated their pre-planted explosives. Shaun's name also appeared in Abstergo's list of known British Assassins.[39]

Later on, having survived the ambush, Shaun and Rebecca recuperated at a hideout, where they and Bishop agreed that another Shroud of Eden was in London and that Abstergo was looking for it. The two were reassured by Bishop that the Initiate was already looking for the Shroud through synchronizing the memories of Jacob and Evie Frye, twin Assassins who operated in Victorian London. However, Shaun stated that they could not take on Sigma Team alone, so Bishop promised to send backup.[39]

ACS Checking In 1

Shaun being tended to by Rebecca after their escape from Berg and da Costa

After the Initiate managed to synchronize the memories of Jacob and Evie, the Assassins learned that the Shroud was located in a vault underneath Buckingham Palace. Aided by Galina Voronina, Shaun and Rebecca infiltrated the vault, only to find out that Otso Berg, Violet da Costa and Isabelle Ardant had beaten them to the Shroud. Just as the Templars were leaving, the Assassins launched an assault. A fight ensued, with Galina knocking out Otso Berg and Shaun killing Isabelle Ardant with his Shock Blade.[39]

Rebecca was wounded after taking a bullet for Shaun from Violet, who managed to escape with the Shroud in hand. Sigma Team soon arrived and turned the tide of the fight. Holding a wounded Rebecca in his arms, Shaun ordered Galina to fall back. Galina single handedly took out all the members of Sigma Team, and offered an escape window for Shaun and Rebecca.[39]

Infiltrating Madrid Abstergo facility

One year later, Shaun infiltrated the Abstergo facility in Madrid where he stole the processor and the blueprints of the Animus 4.3, which Rebecca later used to build a new upgraded Animus, though she had to disable its Parietal Suppressor. This new Animus design later assisted the Assassin Griffin help Owen Meyers and Javier Mondragón relive their ancestor's memories. When Owen and Javier heard the name Shaun, they thought of their friend with the same name. Rebecca asked if their Shaun was a "cynical egotist who thinks he's smarter than everyone else" eventually concluding that they weren't the same person.[40]

Creating a digital likeness

By October 2019, Shaun's personality and appearance had been adapted for the avatar of an artificial intelligence utilized by the Assassins. Gavin Banks and My'shell Lemair used the tech to aid Londoner Aliyah Khan in reliving her genetic memories of her ancestor Omar Khaled to counteract a Templar plot that threatened the world's economy. Shaun's expertise in British history uploaded into the AI was helpful.[41]

Mission to Tokyo

By May 2020, Shaun and Rebecca were married, and both were assigned to a new Assassin cell with Layla Hassan, after she fell out with her previous team following the incident in Atlantis.[42] For their first mission together, they traveled to Tokyo, where Layla had intercepted a message from the Tokyo Abstergo facility involving extensive analysis of Isu artifacts upon non-voluntary subjects. They also met up with Layla's former cellmate, Kiyoshi Takakura. while the main entrance was poorly guarded, the team entered through the roof bypassing their security.[43] An informant within the facility left the group a note encrypted within an Animus, after obtaining and decrypting the note they discovered that the Templars were performing experiments on a Staff of Eden.[44] After Layla, the only one with detailed Animus experience and training, entered the simulation of the Venetian Assassin Bastiano da Mezzo, they discovered that their informant was his modern-day descendant, Dr. Kazui, and they moved to extract him.[45] Intent on hindering the Templars' plans, the group moved to the secure DNA analysis room and destroyed Dr. Kazui's DNA.[46]

The group safely found Dr. Kazui before Abstergo could use him. On the way they also analysed any data and documents they could about their experiments regarding the Staff.[47] Disguising the doctor in an Abstergo guard's uniform, the four Assassins were successfully able to exfiltrate him before Abstergo knew about it. Along the way however, the doctor got cut and trailed blood leaving clues.[48] Returning to the premises, any trace of Dr. Kazui had to be wiped clean. They also stopped to erase his DNA data from the Abstergo database. Before they could leave they were cornered by Layla's nemesis Otso Berg, no longer a paraplegic. They faced off as the building began to be engulfed in flames.[49] After a four-on-one fight, Otso Berg was subdued and the four Assassins escaped. Afterwards, the team parted ways with Kiyoshi.[50]

Finding the Wolf-Kissed

ACV Shaun Arrival

Shaun arriving at the cell's New England hideout

In the subsequent eight years since the 2012 coronal mass ejection, the Earth's magnetic field continued to increase in potency, resulting in massive electromagnetic disruptions all over the globe, and the creation of global aurora borealis. The team received a strange message with a promising solution to the problem that faced the Earth, which led them to a Viking grave in North America, just outside of Concord, dating back to the ninth century. As Layla relived the memories of the warrior, Eivor Varinsdottir, Shaun was given orders by William Miles to place a mood stabilizer on Layla's neck, ensuring that she wouldn't succumb to the power of the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus.[42] Shaun also left Layla audio recordings of conversations he had with Desmond a few days before the 2012 coronal mass ejection on her laptop.[51]

During Layla's playthrough of Eivor's memories, she came across certain anomalies in her Animus session, not unlike the glyphs Shaun had seen during Desmond's own sessions years ago. After Layla completed these anomalies, revealing a complete and unfettered Isu memory straight from the source, something which amazed both Shaun and Rebecca. They had only seen such a complete memory once before. They also discovered that Eivor was indeed the late reincarnation of Odin, through visionic interpretations of her memories.[52] After Layla's session ended at Eivor's discovery of the Yggdrasil device in Hordaland, Norway,[53] Shaun drove Layla to Boston airport, to leave immediately.[42]

ACV Basim Meeting Shaun And Rebecca

Shaun and Rebecca meeting Basim

After Layla entered what was Goinnhellir, Shaun made contact with Layla and commented on their already unstable audio connection. He also reminded her to watch her meters and keep the Staff close. As the connection slowly broke down further, Shaun told Layla to not shut off the Yggdrasil device, only to slow it down as the field it generated still had to protect the Earth. Shaun continued to communicate, but as Layla descended into the Yggdrasil Chamber, their connection broke up. Back in New England, Shaun and Rebecca listened to the message sent by Layla from inside the Yggdrasil device. She told them not to come looking for her, noting the peril of such a task. Letting them know she was okay was good enough, and that she would help from the beyond if she could with calculations of the future. They met with Basim Ibn Ishaq instead, who had returned in Layla's place. After choice words were exchanged, Shaun and Rebecca left to summon their Mentor William Miles after Basim requested an audience.[42]

Personality and traits

Shaun: "I keep trying to understand how men like Washington and Jefferson could dedicate their lives to the pursuit of liberty and equality, yet have no problem owning slaves. It's hypocritical in the extreme. And your history books make only passing mention of the subject. As if... as if it were of little consequence."
Desmond: "They had a war to win. A country's future to secure. How could they deal with all these issues at the same time?"
Shaun: "Spoken like a true apologist. We hear it today too. That matters of civil rights and equality must wait. There are conflicts to settle. Economies to salvage. What do any of these things matter if the people are not free and equal? All of them."
—Shaun and Desmond discussing the political stance on slavery and equal rights throughout history, 2012.[src]
BH-ShaunRebecca 1

Shaun talking with Rebecca in the Sanctuary

When Shaun and Desmond first met, Shaun would often have too little patience to talk with him, though their conversations grew longer over time. He also insulted Rebecca often, once insinuating that she was immature with the phrase, "the grown-ups are talking", neglectful of the fact that she had saved his life multiple times.[1]

Shaun was desperate to enter the Animus, and even resorted to begging Lucy through her e-mail, which she declined by not replying. However, when confronted about it, he said that "the job behind the desk" was much better.[54]

His cynical attitude is evident in many instances, such as when he pointed out that the Assassins were still killers whatever their motives, making them no more the "good guys" than the Templars. Shaun is also skeptical of most institutions, such as the church and government. He noted in one description of Venice that the city's past "followed the historical norm: the people got screwed."[1] Rebecca herself described Shaun as a "cynical egotist who thinks he's smarter than everyone else."[40]

Despite his attitude towards Rebecca, Shaun still holds her in higher regard than he cares to admit, most likely because of the numerous occasions on which she has saved his life. He also showed visible concern for her when she was injured by a bullet meant for him, that he prioritized her well-being over retrieving the Shroud of Eden.[39] Only Lucy seemed to tolerate his snide remarks,[1][6] even trusting him to a great extent, as he was the only one to whom she had revealed her feelings for Desmond.[7]

Shaun's interest in history is shown through his extensive database entries, and also in an e-mail from William, who claimed that Shaun would enjoy the area in which the Assassin leadership was based, as it had "lots of history".[55]

Relationships

Desmond Miles

At first Shaun demonstrated little patience for Desmond, feeling that he didn't truly empathize with the Assassins' plight.[1] However, by the time, they had discovered the Grand Temple, Shaun had come to respect Desmond and appreciate his contributions to the cause.[8] After Desmond's death, Shaun commented on how he wished he had been nicer to Desmond in the end.[7]

Rebecca Crane

Shaun often teases Rebecca about everything, from her driving to her calculations on Desmond's jump commenting "I'm pretty sure she was high when she made the calculations".[8] By 2020 Shaun and Rebecca were married.[56]

Layla Hassan

Shaun and Rebecca both seem to understand Layla's recent behavior, as their association with Desmond allowed them both to sympathize with her. Shaun provided Layla with electrolytes from time to time, and he even left an audio recording on her laptop of a conversation he had with Desmond while he was reliving Ratonhnhaké:ton's memories in the Grand Temple.

Equipment and skills

Shaun is quite confident in his own abilities, once calling himself a "master at decryption". He also claims to have a gift for "seeing things and making connections", an ability he claimed was even more useful than Desmond's Eagle Vision.[1] Despite his attitude, these claims are shown to have merit, such as when he was able to determine the password to Juno's temple by analyzing the symbol and numbers in the Monteriggioni sanctuary.[6]

As a historian, Shaun possess valuable historical knowledge which at times has proved useful to the Brotherhood. After being trained personally by William Miles, Shaun has shown himself to be an able field agent versed in combat and capable of performing the Leap of faith. Though initially he did not wield weapons, by late 2015 Shaun had equipped himself with a Shock Blade attached to his right wrist, capable of electrocuting those it came in contact with.[39]

Romantic life

Shaun dated a woman named Kate for a time, claiming to Desmond that he "charmed the pants right off her". However, his Assassin colleague Rebecca Crane stated that the two of them "didn't even get to second-base", revealing that Kate had told her while they had lunch together, much to Shaun's embarrassment.[6] Having grown close to Rebecca over the years, by 2020, Shaun was married to her and hoping that they would have a child.[56]

Behind the scenes

Shaun was named after Sean Hastings, a cult hero in the computer industry. Danny Wallace, the voice and model of Shaun, was contacted by Ubisoft when he attended the BAFTA video game awards with a friend. After the event, he was e-mailed and asked if he would like to be a character in an unknown video game, which he accepted. This game turned out to be Assassin's Creed II.[57] In Wallace's autobiographical book Awkward Situations for Men, he reveals that the audition script notes described Shaun as "awkward, nerdy, lonely, intense, and contrary". Shaun also shares his birthday with Wallace.

In Assassin's Creed II, Shaun has what looks like a Wikipedia page of past Popes on his board.

In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Shaun had several images of note near his desk, including a portrait of Cesare Borgia; pictures of famous landmarks in Rome, such as the Pantheon; and some of Leonardo da Vinci's designs, such as the crossbow. The password for Shaun's e-mail account was GuyFawkes23. It was hinted that Shaun was an altar boy at some stage in his childhood, due to his mention of his priest once saying "You know too much for your own good."

In Assassin's Creed III, Shaun wrote a database entry on himself, though he refused to provide his date of birth, merely commenting "nice try". His entry is largely self-praising and satirical, and he refers to himself as "the most intelligent person in the order". In Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, Shaun once again refused to reveal his date of birth in his own database entry, but Rebecca added it in hers after Shaun jokingly described her as annoying.

In Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, shortly after eliminating John, Abstergo Entertainment posted images of Shaun and Rebecca on electric displays, naming them as hacker suspects. However, Shaun can still be seen at the coffee counter in the lobby.

Shaun was mentioned in Ezio Auditore da Firenze's backstory in Soulcalibur V as the one who noticed the irregularities in the Animus readings that resulted from Ezio's jump to the latter half of the 16th century, the time period of Soulcalibur V. When looking at the readings of the Animus, Shaun commented that it appeared like a readout from the Richter scale, which is used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake.

Gallery

Appearances

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Assassin's Creed IIModern day
  2. Abstergo.comJames Morse's email: Subject header: "RE: Guy Fawkes"
  3. Abstergo.comJames Morse's email: Subject header: "Shaun Hastings"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Assassin's Creed: InitiatesThe Desmond Files: "Roadblock"
  5. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesThe Desmond Files: "The Sanctuary
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 Assassin's Creed: BrotherhoodModern day
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Assassin's Creed: RevelationsModern day
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Assassin's Creed IIIModern day
  9. Assassin's Creed IIIModern Tower
  10. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Reconnecting"
  11. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Closing In"
  12. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Transfer of Power"
  13. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "To Work"
  14. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Drop Off Point"
  15. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Shaun <3 Texas!"
  16. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Body of Evidence"
  17. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "The Old Farm"
  18. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Bienvenue À Montréal"
  19. 19.0 19.1 Assassin's Creed IV: Black FlagModern day
  20. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "À la Prochaine"
  21. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Here We Are"
  22. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Venting Anger"
  23. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Tree-Hugger"
  24. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Double Major"
  25. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Dishonorable Discharge"
  26. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "First Mate"
  27. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "The Make-Believe Mentor"
  28. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Abstergo's Lost Genius"
  29. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Komusubi"
  30. 30.0 30.1 Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "Your Humbled Spy"
  31. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "The Outernet"
  32. Assassin's Creed: InitiatesSurveillance: "A Message from Shaun"
  33. Assassin's Creed: ValhallaLayla Hassan's personal files – Session Report: SHastings
  34. Assassin's Creed: RogueNumbskull's personal files: "The Phoenix Project: "Paris"
  35. Assassin's Creed: SyndicateDatabase: Reconstructed Data 007
  36. Assassin's Creed: UnityModern day
  37. Assassin's Creed: UnityDatabase: Welcome to the Database
  38. Assassin's Creed: RogueModern day
  39. 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 39.5 Assassin's Creed: SyndicateModern day
  40. 40.0 40.1 Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Tomb of the Khan – Chapter 2
  41. Assassin's Creed: Gold – Chapter 3
  42. 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 Assassin's Creed: ValhallaModern day
  43. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of VeniceTokyo XXIMission: Infiltration
  44. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of VeniceTokyo XXIAbstergo Mystery
  45. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of VeniceTokyo XXIVenice Trip
  46. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of VeniceTokyo XXIThe Human Planet
  47. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of VeniceTokyo XXIClose Protection
  48. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of VeniceTokyo XXIExtraction
  49. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of VeniceTokyo XXIThe Cleaners
  50. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of VeniceTokyo XXIOld Scoundrel
  51. Assassin's Creed: ValhallaLayla Hassan's personal files
  52. Assassin's Creed: Valhalla - Cheating Fate
  53. Assassin's Creed: ValhallaA Brother's Keeper
  54. Assassin's Creed: BrotherhoodSubject header: "Animus"
  55. Assassin's Creed: BrotherhoodSubject header: "Status"
  56. 56.0 56.1 Assassin's Creed: ValhallaDatabase: Hidden Ones Bureau
  57. Arnott, Jack (30 October 2009). Interview: Danny Wallace – Assassin's Creed II. The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved on 5 September 2014.

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