Ojeda

Ojeda (died 1492) was a Spanish Templar and right-hand to the Master Templar of the Spanish Rite, Grand Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada.
A ruthless executioner, Ojeda was responsible for burning countless Assassins and heretics at the stake. He also spearheaded the hunt for the pieces of the Shattered Staff of Eden, with which Torquemada intended to conquer Spain and eliminate the Spanish Assassins. However, the Brotherhood interfered in his search, assassinating many of Ojeda's allies and preventing him from acquiring one of the Staff pieces.
In 1492, Ojeda assisted Torquemada during the Templars' conquest of Granada and attempted to retrieve an Apple of Eden in the possession of Sultan Muhammad XII. After capturing the Sultan's son Ahmed to use him as leverage, Ojeda and Torquemada eventually got their hands on the Apple. However, they were met with opposition from the Assassins, and Ojeda perished at the hands of Aguilar de Nerha as revenge for taking the life of his partner María.
==Biography==
===Search for the Shattered Staff of Eden===
Having served Tomás de Torquemada for years, Ojeda was responsible for burning countless Assassins, including the parents of Aguilar de Nerha, at the stake as part of the Spanish Inquisition. This led him to earn a reputation as a feared and ruthless executioner.Assassin's Creed film
Around 1489, Torquemada and Ojeda began a search for the pieces of the Shattered Staff of Eden which, combined with an Apple of Eden, would allow them to control Spain and eliminate the Spanish Assassins. After Torquemada convinced King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile to give him command of the Spanish army, he and Ojeda met to discuss their plans and the latter was placed in charge of the hunt for the Staff pieces.Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – Prologue
However, Ojeda's efforts were hindered by the Spanish Assassins led by Aguilar de Nerha, who killed one of his associates, a corrupt merchant named Hassan,Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – The Merchant of Death and targeted the Inquisitor and Templar Gustavo Ramírez. Learning about this, Ojeda was able to warn Ramírez in time, allowing him to set a trap for the Assassins at his stronghold in Murcia and escape.Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – Death to Ramírez
Later, Ojeda was able to track down one of the Staff pieces to the Monastery of St. Lucia. However, just as he was about to retrieve the artifact, he was confronted by the Assassins and challenged them to a fight. After being gravely wounded, Ojeda decided to retreat, leaving the Staff piece behind and allowing the Assassins to claim it.Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – The Monastery of St. Lucia
===Capturing the Prince===
In 1492, Ojeda led a group of soldiers to locate and capture Prince Ahmed of Granada, in order to ransom him against the Apple of Eden that the Templars knew to be in the possession of his father, Sultan Muhammad XII. Unknown to the Templars, a group of Spanish Assassins led by the Mentor Benedicto had learned about their plans and sought to stop them.
When the soldiers found the Prince hidden in a house, Ramirez stood outside and declared that with the Prince's capture, Spain would finally be united under the Templars' rule. When Ramirez finished speaking, Aguilar de Nerha revealed himself and assassinated the Templar, signaling the others to commence their operation to rescue Ahmed.
Ojeda jumped on a horse and began to chase María, who had hijacked the carriage that held the Prince. A group of soldiers followed and attempted to retake the cart, but María fought them off and Ojeda continued his pursuit alone. Eventually, Aguilar caught up and Ojeda fought him. The carriage, not being driven by anyone, hit a rock and the wheel broke off, causing Aguilar and Ojeda to fall off, although the Assassin was able to jump to María's cart. Quickly recovering from his fall, Ojeda resumed his pursuit and was eventually able to capture Aguilar, María and Ahmed, who had narrowly survived falling off a cliff.
===Escape of the Assassins===
Ojeda subsequently had the two Assassins imprisoned in a chamber in Seville before they were taken to be burned at the stake in an auto-da-fé alongside Benedicto. Torquemada, along with King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I, were also present for the execution and the Grand Inquisitor gave a speech about heresy, denouncing the Assassins as enemies of peace and sentencing them to death. Ojeda took the opportunity to taunt the restrained Aguilar, telling him that he was about to watch his Mentor be burned alive.
However, right after Benedicto was executed, Aguilar managed to escape his restraints and freed María. The two Assassins subsequently fled the scene and, though Ojeda chased them, utilizing a crossbow to try and eliminate them, he was ultimately unsuccessful. As Aguilar and María reached the top of the Seville Cathedral, they performed a Leap of Faith into the streets below and escaped the city.
===Obtaining the Apple and death===
After Sultan Muhammad XII announced Granada's formal capitulation, the Templars entered the city and met with the Sultan at the Alhambra Palace. Using Prince Ahmed as leverage, Ojeda and Torquemada acquired the Sultan's Apple of Eden, but moments later they were attacked by Aguilar and María, who dropped several smoke bombs and locked the door of the room, trapping the bulk of the Templar's forces outside.Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – The Fall of Granada
Although the Assassins managed to kill most of the Templar soldiers inside the room, Ojeda overpowered María during the fight and held a blade to her throat. He then offered Aguilar, who had stolen the Apple of Eden from Torquemada, a deal, promising to spare his partner if he surrendered the Apple. Although Aguilar agreed, María took her own life with Ojeda's blade before he could act, to prevent Aguilar from betraying the Creed to save her life.
Enraged by María's death, Aguilar engaged Ojeda in combat but was gradually overcome by his opponent's sheer strength. It was only after he had been knocked to the ground that Aguilar managed to gain the upper hand. In her final moments, María signaled towards her Hidden Blade, reminding Aguilar of its secret function. Aiming the blade at Ojeda, Aguilar fired it into the Templar's chest, giving him the advantage he needed to defeat and kill him.
==Personality and traits==
An imposing presence, Ojeda possessed a serious hatred of Aguilar de Nerha, mocking the Assassin about his Mentor Benedicto's inevitable execution during an auto-da-fé. Commanding a grand army, Ojeda would raze entire towns in the service of his master, Tomás de Torquemada.
===Skills and equipment===
Ojeda was a skilled fighter, capable of wielding swords as well as a crossbow. However, he tended to rely on his brute strength over technique in battle, a flaw which ultimately led to his death at Aguilar's hands. Nevertheless, Ojeda displayed impressive feats, being able to take down not only Assassins, but also civilians and anyone with tangential ties to the Brotherhood, whom he would have hung or burned at the stake under the guise of the Spanish Inquisition.
Ojeda's sword featured a carved ivory head of the first publicly recognized Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Hugues de Payens, showing his devoted allegiance to the Templar cause.Assassin's Creed: Into the Animus – Chapter 5: Costumes and Weapons
==Behind the scenes==
Ojeda is a character introduced the 2016 Assassin's Creed film, where he was portrayed by Armenian actor Hovik Keuchkerian.
In the film's official novelization, Ojeda is described as having , a characteristic that frequently occurs among Sages. In a Reddit AMA with Aymar Azaïzia, he confirmed that Ojeda was not a Sage. Later, when depicted in the 2018 mobile game Assassin's Creed: Rebellion, Ojeda's model does not exhibit the heterochromia.Assassin's Creed: Rebellion In the same AMA. when questioned about the relationship between Ojeda and McGowen due to their similar appearances, Azaïzia was undecided whether or not McGowen was Ojeda's descendant.
==Gallery==
Ojeda's Sword - Concept Art (Cropped).jpeg|Concept art of Ojeda's sword
ACM Ojeda.jpg|Ojeda close-up
ACReb Ojeda render.png|Ojeda as he appears in Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
ACReb Aguilar attacked Torquemada.jpg|Ojeda's confrontation with Aguilar, as depicted in Rebellion
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed film 
*Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization
*Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
==References==
de:Ojeda
es:Ojeda
fr:Ojeda
pl:Ojeda
pt-br:Ojeda
uk:Охеда
zh:奥赫达
Category:1492 deaths
Category:Individuals
Category:Spaniards
Category:Spanish Army personnel
Category:Templars
Category:Spanish Templars