There’s no denying the monumental impact the Assassin’s Creed franchise has had on gaming. What began as a potential Prince of Persia sequel evolved into a sprawling series with 13 mainline games — some great, some mediocre, and some downright unforgettable. Through the Animus, players have traversed centuries and continents, donning hoods and wielding hidden blades.

Yet, for long-time fans, the series' modern-day storyline, once a compelling thread, has become a source of frustration. The narrative arc that the original games meticulously built has largely stagnated, leaving Desmond Miles — the man who started it all — in a narrative limbo, and with him, the entire modern-day arc of the franchise.

The lost heartbeat of the franchise

The bartender who became a beacon of hope

Desmond Miles was the man who started the Assassin’s Creed franchise — a bartender picked up by the Templars to look into the memories of the greatest assassin who ever lived — Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad. From there, we saw Desmond escape the Templars and join up with a small faction of Assassins as they tapped into his memories of Ezio Auditore, Haytham Kenway, and Connor Kenway, to find the Apple of Eden, all to thwart an impending doomsday.

Now, all of that sounds interesting, but surely not as interesting as hopping across Florentine rooftops and scaling Damascene walls. I might be a part of the minority here. I enjoyed the modern-day gameplay in the original Assassin’s Creed games, where Desmond and his gang broke into high-rise buildings to get the information they needed. All of this was building up to a fully fleshed-out modern-day Assassin’s Creed game — one where Desmond would have harnessed the Bleeding Effect to channel every great assassin he’s ever relived the memories of, to take down the Templars in the war.

Sadly, nothing seemed to come of it. By the end of Assassin’s Creed III, Desmond simply touched a globe and slumped to the ground, sacrificing himself to save the world. That one game where he would have been at the front and center of it all simply became a pipe dream, a game we never got.

The fallout of a rushed sacrifice

Things have been all over the place since Desmond’s death

Desmond’s death wasn’t just a plot twist but a fracture. And instead of picking up the pieces and running with it, Ubisoft seemed to panic. The modern-day story became a halfhearted sideshow, bouncing from playable nobodies to first-person cutscene tours that felt like filler content.

Sure, they introduced Layla Hassan and tried to rekindle that modern-day spark in AC Origins, but it always felt like chasing a shadow. No arc felt earned. No bond ever really formed between players and Layla, so much so that her modern-day content was optional in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. You can’t just swap in a new character and expect emotional investment, especially not after a five-game buildup like Desmond had.

Even the franchise head stated that the series struggled in the post-Desmond era, and that’s saying something. Assassin’s Creed started aiming for mythical grandiosity over grounded conflict. Isu lore started ballooning into god-speak nonsense, and the original Templars vs. Assassins war — the whole reason Desmond mattered — became background noise.

Desmond never left, but his absence is resounding

Desmond Miles is alive as The Reader

Here’s the thing — Assassin’s Creed didn’t completely close the book on Desmond. In Assassin's Creed Valhalla, his consciousness was revealed to still exist, trapped inside the Isu’s digital space known as “The Grey.” He’s now known as The Reader, quietly analyzing timelines and searching for ways to prevent the next catastrophe. So don’t tell me he’s gone.

There are actually plenty of in-universe ways Desmond could return. Maybe the Isu figure out how to reconstruct him physically, or maybe he integrates with a new protagonist, à la Subject 16. Maybe he becomes the voice in our Animus — our virtual mentor in the shadows, watching and guiding like a techno-ghost with a score to settle.

The point is — he’s there. He’s always been there. Ubisoft just needs the courage to hit “unpause.” Imagine how powerful it would be to bring back the original protagonist, not just for fan service, but to show how far we’ve all come. A full-circle moment. A proper end — or maybe a new beginning. I won’t even be mad if Ubisoft decides to use Elijah Miles, Desmond’s son, in future games instead. Desmond could be Elijah’s guide as we go through the kid’s ancestral memories.

At this point, I’d really take anything Desmond-related, so long as it isn’t hidden in encyclopedias and notes that half the player base could easily miss.

I’m not asking for a retcon — I’m asking for heart

What ties this all together?

This isn’t just about Desmond. It’s about the Assassin’s Creed I fell in love with — the one where the past mattered because the future was at stake. Jumping off a cathedral wasn’t just aesthetic; it was rebellion. Modern-day threats felt urgent and grounded in something real.

Bring back the urgency. Bring back the why.

Desmond Miles represented that. His arc was flawed, sure. But it was ours. He was the only person in the franchise who had to live with the weight of every blade, every leap of faith, every ancestor’s mistake. And he paid the price so we could keep playing.

So yeah, maybe it’s been a decade. Maybe the series has “moved on.” But here’s the twist — the best stories never really end. They echo. And Desmond’s echo? It’s still ringing.

The problem with a potential Desmond return

Desmond’s modern-day arc, split over mainline games, could get dissonant quickly

I get it — it would’ve been tough to keep his story going if you wanted to make AC a staple franchise with major releases every year or two, and it wouldn’t have been long before it became stale or definitely convoluted and hard to track. Any new players of the franchise coming into it would’ve felt rather confused if they picked the series up from somewhere in the middle.

However, the historic setting and campaign would’ve been more than sufficient to ensure their enjoyment, with perhaps Desmond’s story serving to pique their interest and goad them into buying other titles in the franchise. Regardless, the short and sweet nature of the Desmond parts kept them easy to follow, and a small recap going into any new game wouldn’t have hurt.

Will Desmond return to Assassin’s Creed?

Desmond Miles — the descendant of Altair, Ezio, Edward, Haytham, Connor, and Adam himself — never got closure. The man Ezio talked to never got to see things through. In fact, fans of the character, myself included, never did, either.

Even if his return requires creative liberties, I'm willing to embrace them if it means restoring the compelling Assassins vs. Templars conflict in the modern era. As a long-time fan, my desire to see Desmond return isn't rooted in nostalgia alone but in a yearning for the franchise to reclaim its narrative balance.

So, Ubisoft, I promise I’ll look the other way and extend my suspension of disbelief if the script bends over backwards to somehow get Desmond Miles back. All I ask is that the man is paid his dues, and we get to experience the truest, most distilled form of Assassin’s Creed through his modern-day arc, once more.