The Assassin's Creed series has introduced players to a lot of well-loved characters over the years. The ability of the series to move between different points in history has allowed room to explore unique stories, but recently the series has seen a return to form. Valhalla brought the franchise back to the Middle Ages and the same is expected of the upcoming Mirage, set in medieval Baghdad. But a much more intriguing implication came with the teasers, some of which gave the impression of the original game's protagonist, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, making a return.
This is likely not the case, as Mirage is set almost three hundred years earlier, although the designs for the games' assassins were clearly inspired by Altair's outfit. However, it does bring up an interesting question. The games like to keep things fresh by introducing new stories and characters, but are there some who could benefit from revisiting? The simple answer is yes. There are certainly a few settings that could be revisited, but there are also plenty of characters throughout the Assassin's Creed series that could benefit from a fresh take.
5 Aya
Assassin's Creed: Origins centered around the duo of Bayek and Aya as they pursued vengeance for their murdered son, and started the Assassin Brotherhood (then known as the "hidden ones") in the process. Most of the focus, however, was on Bayek and Aya was only playable in a few specific sections. They were often key plot points or major historical events, including the famous assassination of Julius Caesar, but she did not get to enjoy the open world and exploration experienced by her husband.
This is unfortunate, given Aya was a pretty interesting character in her own right. More frustratingly, it has since been revealed that Aya was supposed to have a much bigger part in the game only to get cut back due to questionable decision-making on Ubisoft's executive board—something that annoyed a lot of players.
To their credit, Ubisoft has been attempting to reform itself and become more inclusive but the impact of its negative attitude. One great way to begin addressing that would be to give Aya her proper due as the central figure of a game, and there is a path left open by Origins. The logical approach would be a game set in Rome, following Aya's establishment of the Brotherhood against the fallout of Caesar's assassination- this would allow a new setting and story while still building on what was established of her in Origins. It would also be great to see more of her part in developing and growing the Order, something alluded to in Valhalla.
4 Claudia Auditore
Ezio Auditore remains one of the most popular and iconic protagonists of the Assassin's Creed series, but he was not the only interesting character to appear in his games. Players got to meet some fascinating historical figures, but they also got to see some interesting players from Ezio's own family.
One of the more underrated characters was his sister Claudia Auditore, a character who proved quite capable in her own right, especially during the events of Brotherhood. Over the course of the game, she successfully runs a brothel that she also turns into a powerful spy network for the assassins, and even manages to single-handedly thwart an attempted assault.
Claudia was formally inducted into the Assassins and took an active part in the climax, but it was ultimately Ezio's story. Claudia's life as an assassin post-Brotherhood remains a loose end. A story centered around Claudia would allow the developers to revisit one of the most popular parts of the series while still offering something new and different. Ezio's story might have been completed, but Claudia definitely has room for an exciting narrative that could dive deeper into the renaissance.
3 Aveline De Grandpre
Aveline was notable for being the first female protagonist in an Assassin's Creed game, but her appearances were limited to the spin-off title Liberation (originally a PS Vita exclusive) and one very short DLC for Black Flag. This could only do so much for her surprisingly complex story that involved intrigue and betrayal. Of course, this was also back before it became public knowledge that Ubisoft was actively squashing efforts to give the series a female lead, making it even less likely for her to get any real-time in the spotlight much to the frustration of many fans.
However, a lot about the series has changed since Liberation, and a proper game starring Aveline, or at least featuring her as a major character, could dive a lot deeper into her world. The original game was set primarily in 18th-century New Orleans and focused heavily on the Atlantic slave trade, but the initially PS Vita-exclusive release meant limited resources.
The game ended up being pretty short, and could only scratch the surface of its brutal subject matter. Revisiting Aveline in a full game with the production values of Origins or Odyssey could do a lot more to capture the injustices of slavery in America.
2 Lydia Frye
The Assassin's Creed series has generally been cautious when approaching the 20th century, but they have experimented with some of its earlier events. Chronicles included an installment set during the Russian Revolution, but more interestingly Syndicate included a hidden bonus level set during World War 1.
This section introduced Lydia Frye, granddaughter of the game's deuteragonist Jacob Frye, and followed her efforts to break up a German spy ring in London. Sadly, it was very short and unable to go into a huge amount of detail. This was not helped by the later revelation that she was meant to have a bigger role that was squashed by discriminatory executive decisions.
A game centered around Lydia could offer a much greater look into the First World War and its impact on England. Syndicate's bonus level already introduced one historical figure who could be a major character-Winston Churchill and breaking up spy rings could work as a possible mechanic.
1 Shao Jun
Chronicles, an experimental trilogy of side-scrollers, was not the best-received Assassin's Creed title, but one of its protagonists managed to leave an impact on fans- Shao Jun. Her story Chronicled a quest for vengeance against the emperor, but there is only so much of the historical background that can be covered in a side-scroller.
Her story would later get expanded on through a manga, but that only works for players accustomed to the format, and that has not stopped fans from wanting to see her get something more than an experimental side-scroller.
Many fans have been clamoring for proper exploration of an Asian setting and reintroducing a fan favorite like Shao Jun into a proper Assassin's Creed game would make a great entry point. Plus it would be an opportunity to explore a less obvious setting. A full game with Shao Jung as the star would allow the player to explore renaissance-era China in intricate detail.