Carlo Grimaldi

Carlo Grimaldi (1445 – 1485) was a member of the Venetian Great Council, or the Council of Ten, and a member of the Roman Rite of the Templar Order.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Carlo was a political animal since childhood, longing for power through government and authority. He was lucky to know the Doge of Venice, Giovanni Mocenigo, and worked hard to improve his relationship with him. Upon his departure from his palace in Monaco, Carlo discovered a secret of the Venetian politician Ignazio Contarini's daughter; she wished to marry the son of a servant, completely against her father's wishes.Assassin's Creed II – Database: Carlo GrimaldiAssassin's Creed: Renaissance
Carlo used this information to trick the couple into attempting an escape via boat that night. Unfortunately for the girl and her alleged lover, Grimaldi was waiting for them with some hired men and Ignazio. The servant's son was killed, the daughter recaptured and Carlo was given high recommendations by Ignazio to the Doge. As a result of this praise, the Doge gave him a position in the Council of Ten.
===Aiding the Templars===
In 1485, some years after Ezio Auditore da Firenze's arrival in Venice, Grimaldi went to meet with Emilio Barbarigo in the Palazzo della Seta, bearing news of the Templars' worst enemy in Venice. Emilio was very surprised to hear of the Assassin's arrival, to the exasperation of his fellow Templar. After informing Emilio of a meeting to be held in Santo Stefano, Carlo Grimaldi left with his men and Emilio was assassinated almost moments after his departure.Assassin's Creed II – 
Unaware of his very close brush with death, Carlo went on to meet Marco Barbarigo, Silvio Barbarigo, Dante Moro and Grand Master Rodrigo Borgia, where the group conversed as they traveled through the streets of Venice, discussing the need to murder the current Doge and whomever would be chosen amongst them to take his place. Shortly after his arrival, Rodrigo reprimanded his men for thinking selfishly, as it would be his choice to choose the next Doge.
After this secret gathering, Carlo left to attempt to persuade the Doge to join the Templar cause. Despite this, the Doge was unheeding of Carlo's pleas of danger and his false concern for the Doge's safety.
===Death===
Once certain of his failure to recruit the Doge to the Templar cause, Grimaldi arranged a meeting with him in the Palazzo Ducale, feigning interest in a game of chess. During this encounter, Carlo poisoned Mocenigo's wine and encouraged him to play and drink with him. They were almost interrupted by a loud sound on the roof, which would have foiled Carlo's plans by preventing the Doge from drinking; fortunately for Grimaldi, he managed to convince the Doge that the sound simply came from children playing with firecrackers.
Meanwhile, Ezio swooped into the building on Leonardo da Vinci's flying machine, dashing into the room and declaring Carlo a traitor. Unfortunately, it was too late; the Doge had drunk the poisoned wine, and he began to die from the effects of cantarella almost immediately.
Carlo fled the scene, shouting to his men that the Assassin had killed the Doge. Despite this, Ezio managed to catch up to and pounced on Carlo in the Palazzo's courtyard. In his final moments, Carlo remarked on the similarity of their actions in killing to benefit themselves, a statement that Ezio refuted before paying the Templar his last rites and fleeing the scene.
==Personality and traits==
Carlo was a politician to his core, cunning and greedy, ambitious for a place of power over his fellow man. His plans were plotted well, adapting to different situations very quickly and always aiming to bring himself more power. He appeared cowardly, but the fact that Carlo remained in Venice once he was aware of the Assassin's presence was a sign of either true courage or simple obstinacy. Accompanying this, he refused to let go of his Templar ties even at the moment of death.
Carlo was also a very persuasive and charismatic man, easily gaining the friendship of the Doge whilst in competition with the Doge's other eager supporters. The Doge was unaware of his apparent friend's nature until the last moment; this showed a trust between Carlo and the Doge, along with the man's staff and personal guards.
Additionally, he was a strategist unafraid of being in the thick of battle, though his style was not waged with the sword. Once aware of his failure to recruit the Doge, Carlo did not hesitate to kill his apparent friend with the favored Templar poison of cantarella. Some of his actions did show his true, snake-like nature, using the forbidden love of two young people to gain a seat on the Council of Ten.
Yet, despite his frustrations with the difficulty of earning Doge Mocenigo's trust and favour, and his ultimate betrayal, Grimaldi also seems to have held for him some measure of respect or goodwill. This is seen in his resistance to the eagerness of the Barbarigo to eliminate the Doge, and his efforts to persuade the Doge to relent even after Borgia ordered his death.
==Behind the scenes==
Although Carlo's character is fictional, the is presiding over the principality of Monaco in reality.
Carlo's death was featured in the E3 demo, but it greatly differed from the final version. His assassination took place during the Carnevale, in substitution for Marco Barbarigo. The death of the Doge of Venice was also excluded and an extra scene was added, with a guard running to Carlo, screaming about Ezio's flying machine, and Carlo replying, "Coward! The Devil is not the one you need to fear. Tell him hello for me!" He then stabbed the guard in the chest, continuing with "I know you're here, Assassin! Show yourself, or are you afraid?"
At the time of his death, Carlo would have been around 40 years old, yet he appears to be much older, with features such as grey hair.
In the non-canonical mobile adaptation of Assassin's Creed II, Carlo Grimaldi is assassinated by Ezio Auditore in 1486, not 1485, and he is described as Emilio Barbarigo's superior. Rather than being slain at the Palazzo Ducale, he is chased down in his armored war boat—reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci's naval cannon—by Ezio on his flying machine while attempting to flee Venice. His vehicle is armed with a triple-barreled ballista that fires volleys of nine flaming bolts, and he engages in a battle against Ezio, confident in his boat's "invincibility". Ultimately, the Assassin prevails when the bombs he drops from his vehicle destroy his boat, killing Carlo.
==Gallery==
CU CarloGrimaldi.jpg|Concept art for Carlo Grimaldi
AC2 Carlo Grimaldi painting.jpg|Carlo's portrait in the Villa Auditore's gallery
BoF 1.png|Silvio and Carlo talking
BoF 2.png|Ezio following Carlo and Silvio
BoF 5.png|Carlo and his fellow Templars at the meeting
If At First 5.png|Carlo with Doge Mocenigo
IF 8.png|Carlo's final moments
Ac2Carlo.png|Carlo Grimaldi
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed II 
*Assassin's Creed: Renaissance
*Assassin's Creed II mobile game 
==References==
Category:1445 births
Category:1485 deaths
Category:Individuals
Category:Italians
Category:Politicians
Category:Templars
Category:Italian Templars