What organization is the traditional enemy of the Assassins in Assassin’s Creed?

The traditional enemy of the Assassins in Assassin’s Creed is the Templars.

Across the series, the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order represent opposing philosophies. The Assassins defend free will and resist centralized control, while the Templars generally seek peace through order, authority, and control over society.

The conflict is fictional but is placed alongside real historical events and organizations. The games often portray the Templars as operating through political institutions, military groups, corporations, or other influential networks depending on the period.

The two sides are not always presented as simple heroes and villains. Individual characters can challenge the beliefs of their own faction, and several games explore whether freedom or order creates the better society. The first game establishes the conflict through Altaïr’s pursuit of Templar-linked targets during the Third Crusade.