AC Mirage ending explained: Unpacking the final moments
We'll un-mirage the mirage of Assassin's Creed Mirage's ending.
The Assassin’s Creed saga is complex and intertwining at the best of times, so to help make sense of it all and unpack the dramatic final moments, we have the AC Mirage ending explained.
Taking place in ninth-century Baghdad, AC Mirage explores the origin story of Basim Ibn Ishaq, who we are first introduced to in Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
During that, there is a big showdown between protagonists Eivor and Basim, for reasons we will reveal later on.
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It is perhaps rather obvious, but there are major spoilers for both AC Mirage and Valhalla below - so if you don’t want any plot points to be revealed then close this tab this instant.
For those left scratching their heads trying to make sense of it all, read on and we shall reveal everything you need to know! If you’re not sure where in the game you are, be sure to check out the full AC Mirage missions list.
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AC Mirage ending explained: Unpacking the final moments
After hunting down the Snake, an important member of the Order of Ancients, the secretive group that precedes the Templars, Basim discovers that the Snake is Qabiha, a past concubine of the Caliph that Basim assassinated during the prologue.
When confronting Qabiha, an Isu artefact reacts to Basim when he touches it. On seeing this, Qubiha tells Basim to find answers about his past under the Alamut, the assassins' headquarters.
Roshan kills her to prevent them from divulging more information, and cautions Basim against seeking the truth about his past.
Disregarding Roshan’s warning, Basim travels to the Alamut, only to discover an Isu prison underneath it.
When Basim opens it, he finds Nehal imprisoned within, the implication being that it reveals Nehal is part of Basim’s consciousness, meaning that every action performed by Nehal was in fact done by Basim, including killing the Caliph.
Nehal is the manifestation of Loki’s memories that have been locked away from Basim, suggesting that Basim is in fact the reincarnated Loki.
The Isu Civilisation acts as the blueprint for all of human mythology, with the Aesir Isu specifically influencing Norse mythology in particular.
The Isu faced the existential threat of a cataclysmic event, and so uploaded their consciousness and memories to a supercomputer known as Yggdrasill. These consciousnesses would then later be imprinted onto humans many centuries later.
The name Nehal itself hints at this, as translated from Persian it means "newly planted tree".
Basim watches a hologram playing out, depicting Loki in prison being tortured by a jinni, the supernatural being that has followed Basim throughout the story.
Basim ascertains that the jinni is the manifestation of the torture he suffered as Loki in his previous life and comes to terms with it, removing the jinni’s command over Basim.
The question remains over who the jailor was, however. One only has to look to Norse mythology to find out the truth. After poisoning Baldr, son of Odin, Odin imprisons Loki in a cave, chained to a stone, to punish him.
During the events of Assassin's Creed Valhalla and the Dawn of Ragnarok DLC, Loki, the Isu, is revealed to be behind the poisoning of Baldr in his own time.
Realising all this, Basim connects with Nehal, making the consciousness and reincarnation of Loki complete.
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In revenge for his torture and past imprisonment, Basim makes it his mission to punish those responsible if they have been reincarnated themselves, eventually leading him to Norway as part of his vendetta.
We are shown that the reincarnation is complete when his Eagile Enkidu attacks him, as they don’t recognise them as Basim anymore - only as the slippery and malevolent Loki.
As we discover during Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Eivor finds she is the reincarnation of Odin, and Basim confronts her during the events of the game - but is defeated and becomes trapped in the Yggdrasil once more.
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