The Animus is the memory machine in Assassin's Creed.
In the series, the Animus allows a user to experience genetic memories inherited from ancestors. Modern-day characters enter or connect to the device while the player experiences historical events through an ancestral assassin or another related figure.
The machine provides the franchise's main narrative structure: historical action takes place inside an Animus session, while a separate modern storyline explains why the memories are being examined. Abstergo Industries initially presents the technology as a research and entertainment tool, although it has deeper political and military importance.
The Animus is not the same as Eagle Vision, which is a perception ability used by several protagonists. It is also distinct from the Apple of Eden, a powerful Isu artifact that appears within the broader mythology.