Plenty of Assassin's Creed games have been released in October or November, meaning that several anniversaries can be compounded. Not only did Assassin's Creed Origins turn 5 this October, but Assassin's Creed 3 turns 10. This franchise entry saw the entire direction of the franchise end, with Desmond dying to free Juno and save Earth, with the Kenway saga beginning in full earnest from thereon, and new story arcs finding their place in the franchise. Eventually, Juno would be defeated in an Assassin's Creed comic, and a lot of what the franchise began with seemingly came to an end.
Obviously, Desmond's death was a big deal. While Abstergo would use his DNA for following games, the franchise slowly and surely moved away from him. Desmond himself has not appeared in a game in ten years, even if mainstays like Shaun, Rebecca, and his father have never forgotten him or his sacrifice. Assassin's Creed 3 was considered by many to be the end of Desmond's story at release, but AC3's unique relationship with Assassin's Creed Valhalla shows how Desmond's story never truly ended—it just went into hibernation.
Assassin's Creed 3 Has a Deep Relationship With Valhalla, Future AC Games
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is both prequel and sequel to AC3, with the two titles being more closely related than many others. Assassin's Creed 3 is a prequel in how it explores the Pieces of Eden and Connor's people through Eivor's journey, but also because of how it comes to an end. Layla will find herself in The Grey, trapped there as Basim's plot sees the Staff of Hermes used to resurrect himself. She meets a mysterious figure named The Reader, who like her became trapped in The Grey. The Reader has been using Yggdrasil to find a timeline (of sorts) where the Earth is not destroyed; even after the modern Assassins foiled the Earth's destruction in AC3, it's clear that everything keeps pushing the world toward its destruction.
But it didn't take long for fans to realize The Reader was voiced by Desmond's VA Nolan North. That's in no way a coincidence, even considering North's prevalence in the industry, as many also find The Reader's model to be identical to Desmond's. The original Assassin's Creed modern-day protagonist may have lost his physical body when he freed Juno, but it's clear that he didn't fully die. He found himself in The Grey, and while The Reader may never be acknowledged as Desmond, fans know it's him.
And unless The Reader gets pushed to the comics like Juno did, this character is set to play a big role in future Assassin's Creed games. Assassin's Creed Mirage doesn't have a modern-day section, but Infinity is said to be the house of the modern-day story moving forward. The Reader would be the best way to tell that meta-story, and it'll be exciting to see what Desmond's future holds as The Reader.
Assassin's Creed Mirage releases in 2023 for Luna, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.