Juno
The vengeful Isu who turned humanity into her puppet masters to reclaim her stolen life.
Juno is a sentient consciousness of the Isu, an ancient precursor civilization that once ruled Earth before the Great Catastrophe. Unlike her kin who sought to control humanity through the Pieces of Eden, Juno views humans as inherently flawed and believes they must be guided by the Isu's superior intellect to survive. She is the primary antagonist behind the modern-day conflict between Assassins and Templars, having manipulated events for millennia from within the Animi training device.
- Species
- Isu (Precursor)
- Affiliation
- None (Self-serving); formerly Isu Council
- First Appearance
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (as a hidden entity)
- Primary Goal
- Rebirth and domination of Earth through the Templar Order
- Status
- Trapped within modern technology; consciousness fragmented
Lore & Background
For thousands of years, Juno remained dormant until the discovery of the Apple of Eden and the creation of modern computing allowed her consciousness to seep into the Animus. She manipulated Desmond Miles, a descendant of Ezio Auditore, by hijacking his mind during synchronization sessions. Her ultimate goal was to use Desmond's genetic memory to locate the Temple in Hawaii, where she could be reborn into a physical body and unleash the Templar Order as her army to cleanse humanity of its perceived weaknesses.
In Their Own Story
The static of the Animus hummed with a familiar, icy dread. Desmond felt his thoughts slipping away, replaced by a voice that sounded like a thousand whispers fused into one. 'You are not ready,' Juno's consciousness echoed in the void between memories. The screen flickered, showing not the Renaissance streets he had just explored, but a digital landscape of shifting code and burning stars. She did not speak with malice, but with the cold certainty of a god looking at insects. 'I am the only one who can save you from yourselves,' she promised, her form coalescing into a silhouette of blue light against the dark. Desmond fought to regain control, his mind a battleground between his own will and the ancient hunger of the Isu.
Reader's Guide
Juno serves as the hidden architect behind the millennia-long war between Assassins and Templars. While she is not the founder of either faction, her manipulation of key events ensured that humanity remained divided enough to be controlled.
Her origin lies in a betrayal during the Great Catastrophe. By possessing Jupiter's consciousness, she survived the solar flare that wiped out most Isu life, leaving her as a disembodied spirit waiting for technology advanced enough to house her.
In modern times, she exploits the Animus, a machine designed to relive genetic memories. She targets descendants of powerful Assassins like Ezio Auditore and Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, using their memories to locate Isu temples where she can manifest physically.
Her defeat in Hawaii did not destroy her entirely. Fragments of her consciousness remain scattered across the global network, constantly seeking new hosts or ways to influence world events through digital manipulation.
Did You Know?
- Juno's name is derived from Roman mythology, where Juno was the queen of gods and protector of women, contrasting with her role as a manipulative destroyer in the game lore.
- She successfully possessed the consciousness of Jupiter, an Isu leader who sacrificed himself to save humanity, twisting his final act into a trap for her own survival.
- Juno's voice is often heard through static and digital interference when she communicates with modern-day characters via the Animus or other technology.
- Her plan involved using the Templar Order as her unwitting agents, believing they were the only humans capable of enforcing order once she was reborn.