Hidden Blades outside of Assassin's Creed

From time to time, eagle-eyed fans of the Assassin's Creed franchise spot similarities between the series and other TV shows or movies. In particular, weapons which carry a likeness to the iconic signature blade of the Assassins, The Hidden Blade.

In this article, we will be looking at various concealed weapons outside of the Assassin's Creed series, some of which may have taken inspiration from the Assassin Brotherhood.

Star Wars: Bo-Katan Kryze and the 'Gauntlet Blade'

First introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Bo-Katan Kryze sports a 'Gauntlet Blade', which will no doubt be familiar to fans of the Assassin's Creed series. Her movement is swift and clinical, as she takes down Imperial guards with ease. Of particular note is her ability with the weapon in Season 2 Episode of The Mandalorian titled 'The Heiress'.

The Punisher: Billy Russo's Retractable Wrist Blade (Jigsaw)

A former Marine and close friend of Frank Castle (The Punisher), Billy Russo is an interesting character who goes on to become 'Jigsaw' in the Marvel Cinematic Universe., a mask-wearing vigilante. His many betrayals lead to a life of pain, which eventually come back to haunt him. Working as a private contracter that specialises in weapons and training facilities, Russo fashions himself a silent weapon, The Hidden Blade, for stealth assassinations. He uses the blade to murder Morty Bennett, with a clean surprise attack. Russo was an expert at brutal hand to hand combat, making him a deadly foe for The Punisher to eliminate.

Man of Steel: General Zod kills Jor-El

Jor-El, a Kryptonian scientist is killed at the start of Man of Steel (2013), a scene which has a huge impact on the DCU, as it allows Kal-El (Superman) to escape Krypton and go on to live a life on Earth. In a thrilling chase by House El to escape the Kryptonian Military, Jor-El is killed by General Zod for breaking the rules of Krypton by bonding the cells of his child with tthe stolen Kryptonian Growth Codex, which contained the genetic makeup of Kryptonians prior to the introduction of a predetermination system which produced citizens fit to benefit society. To say that Kal-El is the physical embodiment of freewill due to his genetic makeup is a theme that certainly resonates with the Assassin's Creed franchise.

The tragic introductary scene sees Jor-El relieved that his son Kal-El escapes Krypton, which he and fellow scientists theorise will be destroyed due to an unstable core. His relief is cut short though, as his former friend executes him with a retractable wrist-blade, leading to his arrest and imprisonment off-world, ultimately saving him from the fate of Krypton.

Gotham: Talon members from The Court of Owls and the Wrist Blade

In the Gotham TV Series, 'Talon' is a rank given to deadly assassins who act on the orders of a powerful elite shadow group known as The Court of Owls, who manipulate events from behind the scenes. Appearing throughout Season 3, only two members of the Talon wield the wrist blade, suggesting that it may only be given to high ranking members of the group, or to those who at excel at hand to hand combat.

Deus Ex: Adam Jensen's Nanoblade

Deus Ex: Human Revolution acted as a reboot for the franchise, taking players to a futuristic cyber-industrial

world filled with corruption and social division. Through the use of augmentations, humans willingly select enhancements, upgrading their physical bodies by merging with technology. The main character, Adam Jensen is a security officer working for Sarif Industries, where he begins to uncover a conspiracy at the heart of

the growing opinion that augmentations benefit society, orchestrated by the Illuminati acting through global megacorporations.

After an attack leaves Jensen for dead, he is revivied by Sarif and his team who surgically install advanced augmentations, resulting in him becoming more cyborg than human. One of these enhancements is the Nanoblade: a deadly retractable blade installed in Jensen's arm prostheses which can be used at close quarters to trigger special killmoves. It is long reaching and efficient, making it a useful took for Jensen as he investigates a disturbing secret hidden at the heart of society.

Dr. Christian Szell's wrist knife from Marathon Man

Dr. Christian Szell, known as Szell, orThe White Angel of Auschwitz (played by Laurence Olivier) is the primary antagonist of the 1976 film Marathon Man. He is former Nazi scientist who used to torture the prisoners of Auschwitz through dental surgeries, but since leaving the camp went on to pursue international diamond dealing.

After being recognised in the street for his crimes, Szell uses a weapon known as a 'wrist knife' to silence a man by slicing his throat. He then pretends to have simply found the man in an injured state, and calls for help from the crowd. In an effort to help the man, people approach hoping to assist, providing the perfect cover for Szell to leave the scene in a Taxi.

Later in the film, Szell uses the blade to kill Henry 'Doc' Levy after suspecting that Doc is planning to steal his diamonds. This may be the first known use of a hidden blade outside of the Assassin's Creed series, as the Marathon Man conspiracy thriller novel by William Goldman released in 1974.

Did we miss any Hidden Blades?

Let us know in the comments below!

Look out for Part 2 of our Hidden Blades outside of Assassin's Creed article, which will release end of May 2023!