Assassin's Creed is a series built around real history, showing how the Assassins and Templars have struggled against each other through time. The franchise has consistently put interesting twists on different time periods like the American Revolution and Ancient Greece.
The first Assassin's Creed set the precedent, but it wasn't until Assassin's Creed 2 that the series really started playing around with history. From befriending Leonardo da Vinci to getting in a fist-fight with the Pope, Assassin's Creed 2 was one heck of an experience.
Some of the historical figures in the game are obvious, but Assassin's Creed 2 goes a lot deeper than the surface level. Here's every historical figure in Assassin's Creed 2.
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci is the most obvious historical figure in Assassin's Creed 2, and easily the most famous. The genius inventor is one of the most brilliant individuals to ever live, and he becomes one of Ezio's closest friends in Assassin's Creed 2. Da Vinci consistently assists Ezio in his quest, and even gives him inventions to use, like the flying machine.
Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI)
The main villain of Assassin's Creed 2 is Rodrigo Borgia, who ends up becoming Pope Alexander VI. Borgia is a fairly notorious historical figure, known for disregarding many aspects of his office, including celibacy. As Pope, he used political machinations to gain power and take back the Papal States, but Rodrigo is generally known for his ruthlessness, which made him the perfect fit as the game's villain.
Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo de' Medici was one of the most influential figures of the Italian Renaissance and the leader of the Florentine Republic. Historically, Medici was one of the key reasons for peace between the various Italian states, and in Assassin's Creed 2 he's a key ally of the assassins and the Auditore family.
Caterina Sforza
Caterina Sforza was yet another key figure of the Renaissance, who amassed great political power through the use of diplomacy, warfare, and sex. Her character in Assassin's Creed 2 is a direct representation of the historical records of her, and she even becomes something of a romantic interest for Ezio.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Niccolo Machiavelli is someone a lot of people have probably heard of, considering he was a famous diplomat, philosopher, and writer. By many, he's considered the father of modern political science. Because of that, Machiavelli was a perfect fit for a key member of the assassins, working as the mentor of the Italian Brotherhood.
Giuliano de'Medici
Giuliano is the brother of Lorenzo de'Medici, although not as famous as his sibling, and as such he worked as the co-ruler of Florence. Unfortunately, Giuliano doesn't play much of a role in Assassin's Creed 2 as he's murdered by the conspirators during an attempt on Lorenzo's life.
Angelo Ambrogini
Angelo Ambrogini was an Italian scholar and poet, known more commonly by his nickname Poliziano. He was a key ally for the Medici family, and in Assassin's Creed 2 he helps stop the Pazzi conspiracy that attempts to murder Lorenzo.
Agostino Barbarigo
Agostino Barbarigo served as the Doge of Venice from 1486-1501, and he starts as an ally to the Assassins, unlike his brother Marco who joined the Templars. Eventually, however, Agostino fell victim to the sway of the Templars and turned on the Assassins, which then killed him in turn.
Marco Barbarigo
Unlike his brother Agostino, Marco is a cruel and ruthless person in Assassin's Creed 2. Historically Marco was Doge of Venice from 1485-1486, with his reign ending after he mysteriously died. Of course, this made him a perfect target for Ezio.
Bartolomeo d'Alviano
Bartolomeo was a distinguished captain that gained notoriety in defending Venice from the Holy Roman Empire. His role in Assassin's Creed 2 is, of course, embellished a bit. He's a key character in the game as both a leader of a band of mercenaries and a member of the Italian Brotherhood.
Jacopo de'Pazzi
Jacopo de'Pazzi is one of the main villains of Assassin's Creed 2, and the main architect of the Pazzi Conspiracy, which is actually a historical event and not just a narrative piece in-game. The Pazzi family planned to kill the Medici brothers and take over the government of Florence, but they failed both in real history and Assassin's Creed 2. The Pazzi became reviled in Florence, and Jacopo was eventually hunted down and hanged, although in-game it's Rodrigo Borgia that kills him for his failure.
Francesco de'Pazzi
Francesco de'Pazzi is the nephew of Jacopo, and he's one of the key members that executed the assassination attempt on the Medicis. While the attempt did successfully kill Giuliano, Francesco was killed in the process. In Assassin's Creed 2 it's Ezio that does the deed. It's interesting to note that Francesco has a son named Vieri in-game, although he's not actually a real historical person.
Bernard de Baroncelli
Bernard de Baroncelli was another member of the Pazzi Conspiracy and assisted in the assassination of Giuliano de'Medici. Unlike Francesco, he escaped the scene but was later hunted down. In real history, he was found in Constantinople and escorted back to Florence to be hanged, while in Assassin's Creed 2 Ezio hunts him down in San Gimignano.
Stefano Da Bagnone
Stefano Bagnone was the chaplain of Jacopo de'Pazzi, and as expected yet another member of the Pazzi Conspiracy. Bagnone was tasked with assassinating Lorzeno de'Medici on April 26, 1478, as he attended Holy Mass in Santa Maria del Fiore. Historically Bagnone fails and is disgraced and hung, but Ezio puts a stop to the attempt by blending with the other monks.
Archbishop Francesco Salviati
Francesco Salviata was the archbishop of Pisa in 1474, and he used his station and influence to help organize the Pazzi Conspiracy. He was yet another conspirator that failed to assassinate Medici, with Ezio hunting him down in Assassin's Creed 2.
Giovanni Mocenigo
Giovanni Mocenigo served as the Doge of Venice from 1478-1485. The Templars of the Pazzi Conspiracy desperately seek his allegiance in Assassin's Creed 2, but once Ezio Auditore arrives in Venice the group decides they're out of time and opt to assassinate Mocenigo.
Checco and Ludovico Orsi
The Orsi family doesn't have a lot of history about them, but they played a part in the overall Pazzi Conspiracy. In 1488 Checdco and Ludovico Orsi forwarded a conspiracy against Girolamo Riario, the husband of Caterina Sforza. In Assassin's Creed 2 Caterina hires the Orsis to kill Riario, and the brothers are then later hired by the Borgia to kill Caterina.
Antonio Maffei
Antonio Maffei was a Florentine monk that assisted in the assassination attempt on Lorenzo at Santa Maria del Fiore. Historically Maffei was slashed in the throat during the attempt, but in Assassin's Creed 2 Maffei manages to flee and take refuge in San Gimignano. Of course, it isn't long before his time comes at the hands of Ezio Auditore.
Girolamo Savonarola
Girolamo Savonarola was an Italian friar and preacher well known during the Italian Renaissance. He was known for speaking out on the exploration of the poor and pushed for repentance and reform. Savanarola was protected by Lorzeno de'Medici, and he even came to be seen as a sort of prophet. Eventually, Savanarola's work caught up with him as his prophecies didn't come true. The friar was publicly hung, but this is played up much more in Assassin's Creed 2, as Savanarola is made out to be a bit of a tyrannical ruler.