Assassin's Creed characters should never return to the series, others could be the star of the next title. With Ubisoft set to announce the next Assassin's Creed game soon, some of its best previous side characters might make a return.
The Assassin's Creed series follows a linear storyline of characters rooted in real historical events, although much of its narrative is created in fiction. Side characters are crucial to building those storylines and provide additional background context to the different worlds. Some of them are allies to the protagonists while others act as antagonists that actively work against the assassin brotherhood. Indeed, there have even been times when the main characters were playable Assassin's Creed Templars. Not every side character plays an important role, however, and some are simply there as a story filler.
Assassin's Creed's best side characters that would've made great protagonists are Achilles Davenport, Henry Green, Aya of Alexandria, Barnabas, and Basim. These characters star in different Assassin's Creed games, but are nonetheless integral in their narratives. It wouldn't be surprising to see Ubisoft bring at least one of them back in the future to build onto their persona constructed throughout the series.
Achilles' Multiple Appearances Shows How Important His Character Is
Achilles Davenport, leader of the American Colonial Brotherhood during the middle part of the eighteenth century, would've been the perfect protagonist. The character was first introduced in Assassin's Creed 3 and gave Connor his gear, but he also showed up in Rogue, which followed the history of the American Colonial Brotherhood breaking up and Shay Cormac hunting down the assassins. Achilles is by far one of the most knowledgeable and dynamic characters in the series' universe; he can easily put on a front when in civilian life but quickly turn into an assassin ready to take down a Templar at any moment. It would've been nice to see Ubisoft make a spin-off for his character, but that likely won't happen since Assassin's Creed 3 already showed his death.
Henry Green's Unique Background Would Make Him A Great Protagonist
Henry Green, whose real name is Jayadeep Mir, would've also been an excellent protagonist choice for Ubisoft to develop. Some think Evie should've been Syndicate's main character, but Henry would've worked just as well; that isn't entirely surprising considering he and Evie end up marrying each other anyways. What makes his character so enjoyable is the ability to relate to his past - being exiled from his home yet still making something of himself through the tough circumstances. On top of that, he's incredibly intelligent and has worked as a scholar for the brotherhood, which makes him a good candidate for the role of protagonist. Without the role that Henry played, Assassin's Creed Syndicate wouldn't have been the same game.
Aya's Character Didn't Get As Much Attention As It Should've
Another amazing character who would fit the role of a protagonist well is Aya of Alexandria. She did play a major role in Assassin's Creed Origins, and her and Bayek's work can be credited - arguably - as some of the most important events that characters in the timeline achieved. Aya helped spread the brotherhood (at the time the group was called The Hidden Ones) outside of Egypt to one of the biggest ancient superpowers in history: Rome.
Ubisoft has a lot to work with when it comes to Aya; even a game that goes into depth about her time away from Egypt would be an incredible addition. In Origins, she is technically the deuteragonist, but her character has proven that she's more than deserving of having extra light shined onto her story. Unfortunately, recent news surrounding the series doesn't sound like it's pointing to an Aya return any time soon.
Barnabas Is A Key Side Character In Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Captain of the Adrestia in Odyssey, Barnabas is one of the best companions in any Assassin's Creed game, but his interesting and humorous character makes him a solid pick for an alternative protagonist. Unlike the other side characters, Barnabas isn't an assassin; in a lot of ways - he's a simple man with a ship - sailing across the map of Grece, which is the biggest in the entire series. Most might by him as a filler character, but he's not. It was only because of Barnabas and his crew that the protagonist can leave Kephallonia and adventure out to the rest of the world. Not only that, but he saves the protagonist's life multiple times and serves as a key figure throughout the game. His ability to get information for the mercenary protagonist makes him feel like a spy. Barnabas would've made a great protagonist, especially if the story took place in his younger years of sailing.
Basim's Antagonism Was A Surprising Assassin's Creed Element
Basim is one of the multiple characters in Valhalla that is a Sage, and his motives behind the scenes would've made for a good protagonist role - albeit an evil one. The focus on Basim in the most recent game shows the side character as a traditional assassin with a hidden blade. More than that, though, he's somewhat of a master assassin with his apprentice, Hytham, and he shows Evior how to properly use the tools and tactics of The Hidden Ones. However, Basim's character is rooted much deeper than a simple tutorial guide; he's got his ambitions of reuniting his family but using the protagonist to do it. If players could've followed Basim's story behind the scenes, it would've been one of the best protagonist stories in the Assassin's Creed series.
Throughout the Assassin's Creed games, there are countless side characters in addition to the main ones. Like in every narrative-driven story, they help build the world and they help highlight the motivations of their respective protagonists better. But the best side characters in Ubisoft's long-running franchise would have easily made excellent protagonists by themselves. Nevertheless, Assassin's Creed's next trilogy already has its characters picked out, so one can only hope they're ed by intriguing side characters as the series has seen in the past.
