The Real History of Pirates In Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced

The real historical inspiration Ubisoft used in both 2013’s original Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, and the more recent Black Flag Resynced, is a faithful and otherwise accurate portrayal of one of history's most influential time periods. The scale of real historical elements that Ubisoft used is full of real life references and even smaller, lesser-known facts about the Golden Age of Piracy. Ubisoft used that historical inspiration for both the characters, locations, and common sights in that era. The real history the game draws from is by far one of the best and most realistic adaptations of the history of pirates.

Ubisoft did a lot of research and put a ton of effort into their characters, with famous historical figures such as Anne Bonny, Blackbeard, Stede Bonnet, Mary Read, Ben Hornigold, and a load of other real life people that became characters used in the game. What is interesting about this, is that these characters were not just side roles or cameos, they each played an integral part in the story. The legion of pirates in Nassau was real, and the game shows the leisure and carelessness of the town, until the British invade the town due to a loss of patience with the Pirates. It is easy to forget, these Pirates were proud people, they didn't cave in or give up, they would rather die fighting for their gold and their life over surrendering to anyone. Ubisoft portrayed this well, as King George of England offered all the Pirates in Nassau a pardon for all their crimes in the West Indies, but they were required to leave all their wealth behind and return to their country of origin. This pardon was actually a real historical moment, not something just thought of by the developers. Ubisoft really nailed the whole concept. As in real life, King George did offer a pardon to all Pirates that was named the Proclamation for Suppressing of Pirates.

One Pirate that infamously took the pardon, where countless others refused to bend the knee to the King, was Benjamin Hornigold, who, in the game, was a close friend of protagonist Edward Kenway. Hornigold was portrayed as a Pirate who flocked to the Templar Order after differences with Nassau. While this betrayal is shown in the fictional factions in Assassin’s Creed, Hornigold actually did betray his friends in real life, just not in the same way, of course. Hornigold left the Pirates of Nassau and joined Governor Woodes Rogers, who is another main antagonist and faithful servant of the Templars in the game. In real history, Hornigold joined the governor to hunt down Pirates across the West Indies. This may not be the exact betrayal as seen in the game, but it serves as the same purpose. Eventually, Ben Hornigold died after his ship crashed and struck a hidden reef during a hurricane, effectively ending his infamous life. In the game, it is Edward who kills Ben. This obviously fits better for narrative purposes. So, this is understandably made up for the game's story.

Another famous figure that was a major supporting character in the game was Anne Bonny, Ubisoft actually nailed this history as good as any. Bonny was famous for being one of the few popular female Pirates. Most Pirates in that era were men, as that time period was much more favorable towards males, but Bonny defied the odds and became one of the biggest Pirates in history as a woman. The game portrays Bonny as Edward Kenway’s friend and close ally. The entirety of her life, and particularly the end, is where Ubisoft did their research. Bonny was sentenced to death in Jamaica back in the year 1720, however, she eluded execution by claiming she was pregnant, therefore they simply imprisoned her instead. Her death was not in the game, as she survived the events of the imprisonment. The ending to Anne Bonny’s career remains a mystery in real history, there is no verified information as to whether she survived the Jamaican prison or lived years after. The end of her life is unconfirmed. Ubisoft clearly used this to their advantage by not trying to kill her off or explicitly display her fate. Since history is unable to verify her death, it made sense for Ubisoft to work with that mystery.

Another character that gets a lot of attention, who was also real, is Stede Bonnet. He is shown in the game as a timid wealthy Englishman who befriends Edward Kenway and turns away from a life of luxury in England to sail the Seven Seas as a Pirate in Nassau. History often labels him the "Gentleman's Pirate” based on his rich background. The game does a fine job portraying Bonnet, as he was clearly someone not born into a life of piracy, so showing him as inexperienced was great work from the developers. Ubisoft did not share the scene of Bonnet’s death, as unlike Anne Bonny, we know quite a bit about Bonnet’s demise. Bonnet was convicted and hanged in Charlestowne. Which, in modern times, is now Charleston, South Carolina. The game does not show his capture or death, only the confirmation of his passing at the end scene where Edward turns and sees all his fallen friends sitting at the table together. This was great storytelling from Ubisoft.

The rich history of Pirates is so deep and so full of life. It's really no wonder this game is as popular as it is, as Ubisoft’s execution to tell an authentic story in the Golden Age of Piracy was perfect, and a major reason why the game is beloved by so many. The real life history Ubisoft researched for the game is easily their finest job of historical accuracy to date. They took advantage of certain mysteries and unsolved stories, and capitalized on what they had at their disposal, and therefore creating one of the best games of all time, and by many, the best game in the Assassin’s Creed series.