Basim Ibn-Ishak backstory and lore have exploded in popularity ever since the Assassin’s Creed Mirage PS Plus Extra December 2025 release date dropped the game into millions of libraries on December 16. If you just fired up Mirage on PS Plus Extra and met this mysterious street thief turned master assassin, you’re probably wondering: who is this guy really? Why does he feel so different from Ezio or Arno? And why do his eyes sometimes flash with something… ancient? Buckle up, because Basim’s story is one of the deepest, darkest, and most mind-bending character arcs in the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise.
I’ve replayed Mirage twice already since that glorious Assassin’s Creed Mirage PS Plus Extra December 2025 release date, and every playthrough reveals another layer of Basim’s tragedy. Let’s peel back the centuries of secrets together.
Who Is Basim Ibn-Ishak? The Street Rat of Anbar
Basim Ibn-Ishak backstory and lore begin in the dusty streets of Anbar, west of Baghdad, around 844 CE—over a century before the events of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Born to a Persian father and an Arab mother, young Basim grew up poor but clever, surviving by pickpocketing merchants and dodging Abbasid guards. Think Aladdin, but with way more trauma and zero singing.
His childhood shattered the day his father disappeared. Basim was tormented by nightmares of a monstrous jinn imprisoning his dad, visions so real they drove him half-mad. Desperate for answers, he fled to Baghdad at age ten, falling in with a crew of thieves led by the charming Dervis. This is the Basim we meet at the start of Mirage—cocky, quick-fingered, and secretly haunted.
Little did he know those “nightmares” weren’t dreams at all. They were genetic memories bleeding through from a past life. A past life that would flip the entire Assassin-Templar saga on its head.
The Turning Point: Joining the Hidden Ones in Alamut
The real Basim Ibn-Ishak backstory and lore pivot happens when he meets Roshan (voiced by Shoreh Aghdashloo—pure chills) and Nehal, his enigmatic best friend who keeps popping up in visions. After pulling off a daring heist at the House of Wisdom, Basim accidentally kills a Caliphate official and earns a death sentence. Roshan rescues him and offers a choice: die as a thief or live as a Hidden One.
He chooses the Brotherhood. Training under Roshan in Alamut, Basim masters the leap of faith, hidden blade, and parkour like he was born for it—because in a way, he was. His natural talent raises eyebrows. Even veteran assassins whisper that he moves like someone who’s done this for lifetimes.
And they’re not wrong.
The Loki Twist: The Biggest Revelation in Assassin’s Creed History
Here’s where the Basim Ibn-Ishak backstory and lore go from cool to absolutely bonkers.
Spoiler wall for anyone who hasn’t finished Mirage or Valhalla—skip the next three paragraphs if you want to stay pure!
Still here? Good.
Basim isn’t just Basim. He is the human reincarnation of Loki—the Norse trickster god and Isu who survived the Great Catastrophe 75,000 years earlier. Yes, that Loki. The same one who fathered Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Hel in Norse myth. The same Loki who betrayed Odin (Aesir leader and the real identity of Eivor’s mentor in Valhalla) out of revenge for the death of his lover Aletheia.
Those “jinn nightmares” tormenting Basim? They were Loki’s memories resurfacing. Nehal, his imaginary friend? She was never real—she was Aletheia’s consciousness, guiding Loki’s rebirth toward a final confrontation with Odin.
When Mirage ends, Basim fully awakens as Loki. He murders Roshan (his own mentor!), steals the Eden artifact, and sets off to find Odin’s reincarnation… who we already know is living inside Eivor in 9th-century England. Cue the events of Valhalla’s modern-day ending where present-day Basim (still alive thanks to the Staff of Eden) meets the Reader and basically takes over the world.
Mind. Blown.
How Basim Changes the Entire Assassin’s Creed Lore Forever
Before Mirage, we thought the Assassin Brotherhood was always the good guys fighting for free will. The Basim Ibn-Ishak backstory and lore flip that script. He doesn’t care about the Creed’s tenets—he uses the Hidden Ones as a tool for personal revenge spanning millennia. He’s not an assassin; he’s a god wearing an assassin’s hood.
This makes him the first major protagonist who is arguably a villain. Or at least an anti-hero with zero allegiance to humanity. It forces us to ask uncomfortable questions:
- Were the Hidden Ones always being manipulated by Isu ghosts?
- Is the modern Brotherhood just Loki’s long con?
- When Basim smiles at us in Valhalla’s ending… are we next?
That’s why the Assassin’s Creed Mirage PS Plus Extra December 2025 release date feels so perfectly timed. New and returning players are discovering Basim’s truth at the exact moment Ubisoft is pushing the saga into uncharted moral territory.
Connections to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla You Can’t Unsee
Once you know the Basim Ibn-Ishak backstory and lore, Valhalla hits different:
- Every time Sigurd calls Eivor “Tyr,” Basim smirks because he knows the truth.
- His calm demeanor during the England arc? He’s been waiting 1,200 years for payback.
- That final scene where he walks out of the Yggdrasil chamber in 2020? He’s been conscious the entire time, playing 4D chess while the rest of us were grinding settlements.
Mirage isn’t just a prequel—it’s the missing puzzle piece that makes Valhalla’s ending terrifying instead of confusing.
Why Basim Resonates So Hard With Fans Right Now
Since the Assassin’s Creed Mirage PS Plus Extra December 2025 release date, social media has been flooded with “I finished Mirage and need therapy” posts. Why does Basim hit us in the feels?
- Identity crisis – He spends the whole game trying to figure out who he is, only to discover he’s someone else entirely.
- Trauma – Childhood nightmares, losing his family, betrayal by his own mind.
- Moral grayness – In a franchise that used to be black-and-white, Basim lives in the shadows.
He’s the perfect modern protagonist: broken, conflicted, and dangerously charismatic.
Easter Eggs and Foreshadowing Hidden in Plain Sight
Replay Mirage knowing the Loki twist and you’ll scream at details you missed:
- Nehal’s name literally means “drink of the gods” in Arabic—because she’s an Isu!
- Basim’s fear of jinn? In Norse myth, Loki is part jötunn (giant).
- The final boss fight happens in a memory corridor that looks exactly like the Gray in Valhalla.
Ubisoft hid the truth in plain sight for five years. Masterful.
Where Do We Go From Here? Basim’s Future in the Franchise
With Assassin’s Creed Shadows delayed and Hexe looming, Basim’s role is only growing. Rumors swirl that Assassin’s Creed Infinity (the upcoming hub) will feature present-day segments starring—you guessed it—immortal Loki-Basim pulling strings behind the scenes.
Will we ever get redemption for him? Probably not. And honestly? That’s what makes him fascinating.
Final Thoughts: Why You Need to Experience Basim’s Story Today
The Basim Ibn-Ishak backstory and lore aren’t just another Assassin tale—they’re the moment the franchise grew up. He’s tragic, terrifying, and tragically misunderstood all at once. Thanks to the Assassin’s Creed Mirage PS Plus Extra December 2025 release date, you have zero excuses left. Fire up your PS5, claim the game before it leaves the catalog, and prepare to have your view of the entire series shattered.
Because once you see through Basim’s eyes, you can never unsee the truth hiding behind the Creed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Basim Ibn-Ishak Backstory and Lore
Is Basim really Loki in the Assassin’s Creed universe?
Yes—100%. The Basim Ibn-Ishak backstory and lore confirm he is the reincarnation of the Isu Loki, making him one of the most powerful beings in the franchise.
Do I need to play Valhalla before Mirage to understand Basim?
Not at all! Mirage stands alone beautifully, but Valhalla’s ending hits like a truck once you know the full Basim Ibn-Ishak backstory and lore.
Why did Basim kill his mentor Roshan?
After fully awakening as Loki, he saw the Hidden Ones as tools rather than family. It’s the moment the Basim Ibn-Ishak backstory and lore turn unambiguously dark.
How is Basim still alive in modern day?
He used the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus (seen in Valhalla) to achieve immortality—classic Loki move.
Will we see more of Basim after the Assassin’s Creed Mirage PS Plus Extra December 2025 release date?
Absolutely. Ubisoft has confirmed present-day Basim will play a major role in Assassin’s Creed Infinity and beyond.
