Maxwell Roth

Oberon "Maxwell Roth" (died 1868) was a crime boss and an associate of Crawford Starrick, the Grand Master of the British Templars during the mid-19th century. He was the leader of the Blighters, through which he effectively controlled London's criminal underworld, and was responsible for training several of Starrick's gang leaders to rule the city's boroughs.
==Biography==
===Early life===
According to Roth himself, he was born to a loving couple that named their son Oberon. They acted in a traveling theater troupe, where the boy learned to perform for the masses. However, they began to struggle financially and were forced to turn a life of crime so they could make ends meet, thieving and defrauding during their performances. Their illegal lifestyle robbed the group of their passion to perform, causing them to eventually disband and part ways, much to Oberon's dismay.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Database: Maxwell Roth
The family subsequently moved to London, but failed to find steady work there due to their criminal past. While his parents lived on the streets, Oberon moved in and out of various workhouses, all the while envying the rich upper classes.
One day, Oberon, having had enough, took on the name Maxwell Roth and ran away to join the circus, in an attempt to recapture the happiness he recalled from his days in the troupe. He learned acrobatics, boxing, and sleight of hand, but was again faced with a lack of money. Roth then decided to return to London and use his newly acquired skills in the criminal underworld.
===Working for the Templars===
Over the years, Roth was frequently imprisoned, though he always got out, and worked various jobs, from street-cleaner to gun-for-hire. His deadly combination of brain and brawn saw his network expand and his infamy grow; some men worked for him, others simply owed him money, but all feared him. 
Roth's reputation in the criminal underworld eventually caught the attention of the Templar Grand Master Crawford Starrick, who reached out to him and offered him a large sum of money to train a number of underlings—namely Octavia Plumb, Edith Swinebourne, Rexford Kaylock, Bloody Nora, Cletus Strain, Lilla Graves, and Victor Lynch—to be gang leaders.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Gang Wars With the money he had received, Roth bought and refurbished a burnt-out theater in the Strand which would later be called the Alhambra Music Hall. He used it as the base of his operations, all the while keeping up a legitimate facade by funding shows for the public to enjoy.
===Betraying Starrick===
By 1868, Roth, who maintained control over the Blighters' various dealings, had begun to grow restless under Starrick's employ, expressing his disdain for the Grand Master's meticulous control over the city. Favouring more of an eclectic lifestyle, Roth sought out Starrick's nemesis and opposing gangster, Jacob Frye, an Assassin and leader of the burgeoning Rooks. Sending him an invitation to the Alhambra, Roth expressed his admiration for Jacob's accomplishments upon his arrival and offered him a partnership.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Strange Bedfellows
After Jacob accepted, the pair began to undermine Starrick's criminal and economic power throughout the city, sabotaging his shipments of explosives, and kidnapping his henchmen Hattie Cadwallader, Benjamin Raffles, and Chester Swinebourne. Pleased with Jacob's performance, Roth invited him again to the Alhambra for more of his personal amusement.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Triple Theft
However, as they continued to work together, Jacob became increasingly perturbed by Roth's tactics. He eventually dissolved their partnership when Roth's anarchistic behavior saw him attempt to destroy one of Starrick's workhouses with children inside; while Jacob opposed Starrick and despised child labor, he would not sacrifice innocent lives to strike against the Templar Grand Master. To this, Roth shot at the dynamite crates that Jacob had previously placed, sending the workhouse ablaze, and angrily left, forcing Jacob to rescue the children from the burning building.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Fun and Games
===Death===
Following this, Roth sent Jacob an invitation to a grand performance at the Alhambra—the corpse of Rook,Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Jacob and Evie Frye's souvenirs the baby crow he had been raising as a pet—signifying his malevolent intentions. Once Jacob arrived at the theatre, Roth announced to the crowd that the show, Corvus the Trickster, was dedicated to the Assassin, themed around near-death stunts, before he promptly set the building ablaze with the guests still inside.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Final Act
thumb|250px|Roth's final moments|left
Prior to the inferno, Jacob had managed to free the theatre's machinist, who lowered the stage's rack. This allowed the Assassin to climb the rigging and cut away one of the sandbags above the stage, snaring Roth by the foot and elevating him up to his demise at the end of Jacob's Hidden Blade. 
In his final moments, Roth explained his motivations, which essentially boiled down to just two words: "Why not?", before planting a goodbye kiss upon the unsuspecting Jacob. The Assassin was subsequently able to escape the burning Alhambra, leaving Roth's corpse behind. 
===Legacy===
Following Roth's death, the city's residents created a for him titled "Jokes, Jokes, Jokes", which they occasionally sang alongside similar tunes made up for John Elliotson, Pearl Attaway, and Philip Twopenny. Meanwhile, the loss of their leader was a crippling blow for the Blighters which, combined with their other defeats at the hands of the Rooks, led to the gang's demise by the end of the year.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate 
For Jacob personally, Roth's actions had a profound effect and, seeing a dark mirror image of himself in the late crime boss, the Assassin decided to change his ways, becoming less reckless and impulsive.Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – A Night to Remember
==Behind the scenes==
Maxwell Roth is a character created for the 2015 video game Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, where he is voiced by the English actor John Hopkins. He is the only major assassination target in the game not to be an actual Templar, but rather just an associate of the Order.
Following his assassination, Roth kisses Jacob, leaving the latter shocked and confused. Syndicates lead writer Jeffrey Yohalem later confirmed that Roth was in love with Jacob, and that the kiss was left as ambiguous as possible for Jacob to "figure things out." from 1:15:30–1:15:42, 1:16:20–1:17:20, and 1:18:10–1:18:18
===Etymology===
The name Maxwell comes from Mack, a shortened version of the Scandinavian name Magnus, and the Old English Wella meaning 'stream'; together they mean 'Mack's stream'. Roth is derived from the German word rot, meaning 'red'. Meanwhile Oberon, Roth's alleged given name, was the name of the fairy king in the English playwright William Shakespeare's comedy , possibly referencing Roth's profession as a stage performer.
==Gallery==
ACS Triple Theft 1.jpg|Roth with his pet crow, Rook
ACS Fun and Games 7.jpg|Roth and Jacob
Ross taking off his Mask M4.JPG|Roth revealing himself to his audience
Ross looking fire creation M4.JPG|Roth waiting for Jacob to make his move
I had big hopes for you M4.JPG|A trapped Roth at Jacob's mercy
Kissu M4.JPG|Roth kissing Jacob
Why Not M4..JPG|Roth's last laugh
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
==References==
de:Maxwell Roth
es:Maxwell Roth
fr:Maxwell Roth
it:Maxwell Roth
pl:Maxwell Roth
pt-br:Maxwell Roth
ru:Максвелл Рот
zh:马克斯韦尔·罗斯
Category:1868 deaths
Category:Individuals
Category:British people
Category:Londoners
Category:Actors
Category:Criminals
Category:Entrepreneurs
Category:Blighters
Category:Templar allies
Category:LGBT individuals