Leap of Faith

The Leap of Faith is an acrobatic freerunning maneuver in which the person performing it dives off of a high structure and lands, unharmed, into a cushioning material such as hay. The move is integral for the members of the Assassin Brotherhood and served as a requirement for their initiation for many years, though the custom has fallen out of practice in modern times.
==Technique==
The acrobatic move itself traditionally consisted of a vertical leap with a completely straight stature, followed by a head-over-heels roll in mid-air to allow the one performing it to land on their back.Assassin's Creed The move could also be performed by simply walking off of a high ledge or beam, and leaning the entire body forward. This method was used by Assassin recruits in Rome after their initiation ceremony.Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood 
An alternative Leap of Faith could be performed while hanging from a ledge, and dropping down backwards onto a safe landing spot that was directly below.Assassin's Creed II Areas from which a Leap could be performed were often marked by bird droppings with small hay patches, or with pigeons perched upon the respective ledge.
==History==
===Classical Antiquity===
The earliest individuals known to be able to perform the Leap of Faith were the Spartan misthios KassandraAssassin's Creed: Odyssey and the Persian rebel Darius,Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Legacy of the First Blade: Shadow Heritage – Stranger Tides though it is unknown how either of them came to learn the technique. The Chinese youxia Wei Yu and at least one of his disciples could also perform the Leap.Assassin's Creed: Jade
The Leap of Faith as an Assassin tradition originated from an ancient practice performed by the Medjay of Egypt. As protectors of the Pharaoh, the identity of the Medjay was highly important, and so if a Medjay was ever required to prove their identity, they could do so by performing the Leap.Assassin's Creed: Origins
In 49 BCE, the Medjay Bayek of Siwa attempted to teach the Leap to his son, Khemu, but unfortunately Khemu was killed before he could learn it.Assassin's Creed: Origins – The False Oracle Bayek and his wife Aya would later go on to establish the Hidden Ones, a precursor organization to the Assassin Brotherhood.Assassin's Creed: Origins – The Aftermath Bayek incorporated his Medjay teachings to the creed of his new organization, which included using the Leap as part of the initiation of a novice to the Hidden Ones.Assassin's Creed: Origins – The Hidden Ones – Rise of Shaqilat
===Middle Ages===
During the 860s, the Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq taught a young boy named Hytham how to perform the Leap of Faith in order to save him from the top of a minaret in Baghdad, where Hytham had stranded himself while seeking to gain the Hidden Ones' attention.Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Leap of the Faithful After Hytham became a Hidden One himself years later, he taught the Leap to the Raven Clan shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir, having her jump from atop a cliff in Mercia.Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – To Serve the Light...
In 1191, during the defense of Masyaf, Al Mualim ordered several Assassins to perform the Leap of Faith before the Knights Templar gathered before the fortress, both to proclaim that the Assassins did not fear death, and to trigger an ambush that would rout the attackers.Assassin's Creed – Glory
In the field, the Leap of Faith was mostly used to descend from viewpoints, each of which always provided a suitable safe target for it. However, it could be used to descend from anywhere, provided a safe spot was situated underneath. The Leap could also be used to escape pursuing guards on rooftops, since they were unable to perform the maneuver.
===Renaissance===
Though Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad only performed Leaps of Faith into piles of hay, Ezio Auditore da Firenze could make use of water and other sorts of soft material, such as spice carts or flower petals.
Upon traveling to Rome, Ezio made use of the Leap of Faith to quickly escape from the Borgia towers he had climbed and set aflame. As per tradition, whenever Assassin recruits were initiated, they performed a Leap of Faith, signifying their new rank. Ezio himself performed a Leap of Faith from atop a bell tower in Venice,Assassin's Creed II – Play Along and his Roman recruits performed the act from atop the Tiber Island headquarters, into the Tiber below.
===Enlightenment Age===
During the early 18th century, Edward Kenway was able to perform Leaps of Faith from high points even prior to joining the Assassins.Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag However, many of Edward's jumps were often directed into pools of water below - provided the water was deep enough - such as those he executed while defending TulumAssassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Nothing Is True... or while chasing Charles Vane during their marooning on Isla Providencia.Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Marooned It was also possible for Edward to perform diving leaps from the crossmasts of ships, landing safely in the sea.
Edward's grandson Connor was able to perform Leaps of Faith into moving carts of hay below.Assassin's Creed III Notably, Connor also leapt from the seaside cliffs of a burning Fort Wolcott, and later into a giant cavern below Oak Island while searching for the treasure of William Kidd.Assassin's Creed III – Fort Wolcott The French-African Assassin Aveline de Grandpré at one point used the Leap of Faith to enter the Sacred Cenote in Chichen Itza while looking for the pieces of a Prophecy Disk.Assassin's Creed III: Liberation – The Secret of the Cenote
===Industrial Revolution ===
In 1868, Jacob and Evie Frye, as part of their activities with the Ghost Club, chased down Spring-heeled Jack, who ultimately managed to escape by performing a Leap of Faith.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – The Terror of London
===Modern times===
In 2000, Daniel Cross performed a Leap of Faith into the Persian Gulf to escape the Assassins' Dubai headquarters, shortly after instinctively murdering the Mentor with his newly acquired Hidden Blade.Assassin's Creed: The Fall – Issue 3
In 2012, Desmond Miles performed his first Leap of Faith in Monteriggioni, after witnessing a vision of Ezio climbing to a viewpoint due to the Bleeding Effect. A few months later, Desmond executed another, much higher Leap of Faith in New York City, jumping from the One World Trade Center, before deploying a parachute to glide to another rooftop. Several Abstergo recruits also performed Leaps of Faith during the simulations in the Animus, as a part of the Animi Training Program. 
In 2015, Rebecca Crane and Shaun Hastings both performed Leaps of Faith to escape from Isabelle Ardant and Sigma Team in London.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
In 2023, during an altercation with Nathan Zhang's criminal organization, Doom Eagle, inside a mall in Cebu, Noa Kim decided to get Shimazu Sei to safety by pushing her off a balcony and onto an below. As he did so, Noa told Sei to consider it a "Leap of Faith".Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 45
==Trivia==
;Assassin's Creed
*When Masyaf was attacked by Templars, three Assassins displayed their devotion by performing Leaps of Faith from a cliff. This was based on a historical incident involving the in which their leader proclaimed that his followers were more devout than any and would follow all commands he gave. During that same event, one of the three jumped badly and broke his leg. It is a rare moment in the game series because the Assassins are always shown to perform their leaps perfectly, no matter the height.
*There was nothing coincidental about the placement of the piles of hay in the Animus. It was explained that the bales of hay and the birds indicating them were programmed into the simulation by Lucy Stillman, as a way to help in navigation.
;Assassin's Creed II
*Ezio was somehow able to perform the Leap of Faith prior to starting his Assassin training.
*To earn the "High Dive" achievement, Ezio had to perform a Leap of Faith from Giotto's Campanile in Florence, as it was the highest View Point in the city.
*Ezio was forced to perform an alternative Leap of Faith at least once, after speaking with his father Giovanni at the Palazzo della Signoria in the memory "Jailbird."
*When being pursued by Ezio, Francesco de' Pazzi leapt from the Palazzo della Signoria into a haystack for a quick escape. This was the first instance in the series of a Templar performing the Leap of Faith.
;Assassin's Creed: Revelations
*Vali cel Tradat performed a Leap of Faith, becoming the second known Templar to use the move, although he would have undergone the necessary training for it due to being a former Assassin.
;Assassin's Creed III
*Like Ezio, Connor was able to perform the Leap of Faith prior to starting his Assassin training.
*Haytham Kenway could also perform the Leap of Faith, becoming the third known Templar to use the move. Like Vali, he was raised as an Assassin during his childhood, but his father Edward had not progressed to that stage in his lessons, as it is notably absent in Haytham's journal.
*During the memory "Unconvinced", Kaniehtí:io performed a Leap of Faith, becoming the first person to perform the move without being a member of either the Assassins or Templars.
*Crows indicated where a Leap of Faith could be performed, instead of pigeons like in the previous games.
;Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
*Edward could perform the Leap of Faith long before joining the Brotherhood, becoming the third playable character in the series to perform the move without any prior Assassin training.
;Assassin's Creed: Rogue
*Shay Cormac's defection from the Assassins to the Templars makes him the fourth known Templar able to perform the Leap of Faith.
*During the memory "The Color of Right", a gang member can be seen performing a Leap of Faith.
;Assassin's Creed: Unity
*Arno Dorian can perform the Leap of Faith from the very start of the game, which does not block players from this action, despite his first in-universe leap being an unwilling one that happens in the memory "Imprisoned" when escaping the Bastille when revolutionaries storm it.
*In addition to the Leap of Faith, Arno could employ a similar maneuver known as the "Base Jump", leaping from a high point and swinging on an object as he fell to the ground.
;Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
*A cult known as the Mysteries of Hedone required a Leap of Faith as part of their initiation ritual.
*Both Kassandra and Darius somehow learned how to perform the Leap of Faith independently from each other, predating the move's implementation as a tradition by the Medjay.
;Other
*In Assassin's Creed II: Discovery, Ezio could also perform the alternative Leap of Faith by hanging above a haystack and letting go of the ledge. Doing so correctly would let Ezio flip three times.
*In Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade, it was mentioned that the haystacks used in the Leaps of Faith at the Templar siege of Masyaf were placed there on the orders of Rauf.
*In Assassin's Creed – The Hawk Trilogy, Leila performs a Leap of Faith, becoming one of the few Templars known to use the move.
*In Assassin's Creed: Pirates, Alonzo Batilla performs a Leap of Faith after escaping a Mayan Temple. It is unknown how he learned the move given that he is not affiliated with either the Assassins or Templars.
*In Assassin's Creed: Heresy, the British Master Templar Simon Hathaway performed a Leap of Faith while escaping Abstergo building, becoming one of the few Templars known to use this move.
==Gallery==
ACOD Stranger Tides 4.png|Darius performing a Leap of Faith
The False Oracle 08.jpg|Bayek attempting to teach Khemu the Leap of Faith
AquilusLoF.jpg|Aquilus performing a Leap of Faith in Lugdunum
ACV To Serve the Light 10.png|Eivor Varinsdottir performing her first Leap of Faith
Concept art for Leap of Faith.jpg|Concept art of three Assassins performing Leaps of Faith
LeilaLeapOfFaith.png|Leila performing a Leap of Faith in Cairo
Aguilar performing the leap of faith.png|Aguilar de Nerha performing a Leap of Faith
TiberIslandHQ LeapOfFaith Concept.JPG|Concept of Assassin recruits performing Leaps from the Tiber headquarters
Leap of Faith ACR Concept art.jpg|Concept art of Ezio Auditore performing a Leap of Faith in Constantinople
Vali-leapoffaith.png|Vali cel Tradat performing a Leap of Faith
ACC China Shao Jun Leap of Faith Concept.jpg|Shao Jun performing a Leap of Faith
ACFT - Macau leap of faith.png|Edward Kenway performing a Leap of Faith in Macau
FC Leap of Faith.png|Adéwalé performing a Leap of Faith in Saint-Domingue
ACRG Leap of Faith - Concept Art.jpg|Concept art of Shay Cormac performing a Leap of Faith in New York
AC3 Haytham Leap.png|Haytham Kenway performing a Leap of Faith in Boston
ACIII-HostileNegotiations 10.png|Ratonhnhaké:ton performing a Leap of Faith in the Frontier
The Secret of the Cenote 1.png|Aveline de Grandpré performing a Leap of Faith in Chichen Itza
ACS-Leap of Faith.jpg|Jacob Frye performing a Leap of Faith in London to escape the Blighters
The Fall.jpg|Daniel Cross's Leap of Faith
==Appearances==
==References==
fr:Saut de la foi
de:Todessprung
pt-br:Salto de Confiança
uk:Стрибок Віри
zh:信仰之跃
tr:Topluluk_Merkezi
Category:Assassin skills