One of the most exciting things about the Assassin's Creed franchise when it first came on the gaming scene was how it blended a modern story with adventures from hundreds of years ago. It served to show how the struggle between the Assassin Order and Templars was one that spanned generations, and it added a layer of enormity to the consequences of the player. Assassin's Creed came out pretty strong with its modern protagonist, Desmond Miles, someone who grounded the fantastical story of secret societies while giving the series an unlikely hero to rely on. Desmond's time with the franchise was not eternal, however.
Not long into Assassin's Creed's life, it started to become very clear what parts of the game players connected with the most. While the modern-day storyline always took up a fraction of the game compared to the parts set in the past, there were still many fans that dreaded the modern sections with each new installment. It appeared that those criticisms finally came to a head when after five games in the series, Desmond Miles was killed off in shocking fashion. While his death didn't eliminate these modern stories, it changed them for the foreseeable future, and in retrospect, there are a number of reasons why that's likely for the best.
Assassin's Creed Was Running Out Of Things For Desmond To Do
The first couple of Assassin's Creed games had some really unique narrative elements that centered around Desmond and his journey as a modern assassin. His escape from the evil Abstergo and growing relationship with other assassins added some depth to his character, but it became very clear with Assassin's Creed Revelations that the series was running out of things to do with him. After a huge twist at the end of AC Brotherhood, Revelations starts with Desmond in a comatose limbo in the Animus. It completely sidelined him from the story that was going on up to that point and made it seem like the franchise was stalling for time until it could give him something more interesting to do.
Better Doors Opened For Assassin's Creed
After coming back to reality in Assassin's Creed 3, Desmond was killed off in a sacrificial move that saved the world from disaster. This came as a huge shock to fans at the time, as it looked like the franchise just killed off its one consistent protagonist, but better story opportunities opened as a result. The franchise was now able to tell stories that centered more on the past as many fans had requested, and after some time a new modern protagonist was introduced. Starting with AC Origins, fans got to know the assassin Layla Hassan, and her story provided a fresh perspective on a seemingly tired narrative up to that point.
Desmond Found A Better Role In Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Although Desmond may have been killed off somewhat unceremoniously in AC 3, the franchise didn't forget about him moving forward. He was referenced numerous times in other games until the most recent entry Assassin's Creed Valhalla actually showed us what had become of Desmond after his death. Players discovered that through all of the games after his death, Desmond had been in a liminal space known as the Grey, and become a being of pure light called "The Reader". It's here that the Assassin's Creed series was able to finally find a purpose for Desmond, using the Grey to try and find new ways to save humanity.
There's no doubt that the modern storyline of Assassin's Creed can get a little convoluted, but there's still a charm to it that lasts to this day. The developers behind the franchise have found new ways to make it more interesting with each new installment, all while leaving space for the legacy of its very first protagonist. There are some new concerns over how Assassin's Creed Infinity will handle the modern storyline of the franchise, but hopefully, the game will use the lessons learned from Desmond Miles to better captivate fans.
Assassin's Creed Infinity is in development.