The Assassin’s Creed series has changed a lot over the years, and there are many things that fans miss about the earlier games. One of which is Desmond Miles, who was the present-day protagonist for the first five games in the franchise.
He spent most of his time in the Animus reliving the memories of his ancestors. His goal was to gain skills and information that would help the Assassins of his time. Throughout the years, fans have shown their appreciation of Desmond by making countless memes about him. They all vary in subject, but many of them have one thing in common: they’re hilarious. Here are some of the best ones.
10 Sidetracked
While Desmond was a decent character, it’s fair to say that his missions weren’t always the most entertaining. They generally consisted of him talking to his allies, and very rarely did they involve stabbing Templars.
Because of this, there was always a feeling of dread when the game switched to Desmond’s perspective. Fans simply wanted to continue playing as the Assassins who had exciting and expansive maps to jump around.
9 Desmond’s Secret Vacation
Desmond was taken away from his normal life and put into the middle of the Assassin and Templar conflict. While it placed him in a lot of danger, it wasn’t all bad. Through the Animus, he got to see some of the most exciting places and time periods ever.
However, he would’ve struggled to return to his former life after his adventures in the Animus. Not simply because it’d seem mundane in comparison, but because he’d have to keep it all a secret.
8 Desmond And Shaun Hastings
In the first few games, Shaun Hastings was a prickly person, to say the least. Unlike Lucy and Rebecca, the historian had no patience for Desmond and his questions. What’s more, Hastings would often take shots at his fellow Assassin any chance he got.
As their friendship improved, the insults turned into friendly banter. Or so it seemed, perhaps as one of the more intelligent characters, Shaun was able to trick people into thinking he was just playing around.
7 The Chosen One
Desmond was the definition of a hesitant hero when he first began his adventure. He didn’t believe he was an Assassin, and why would he? The first Assassins he witnessed in action were the extremely deadly Altair and Ezio, who did things way beyond his capabilities.
However, the people around Desmond kept trying to drum it into his head that he’s not only an Assassin but one of the most important in history.
6 Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood was one of the best games in the series. Desmond, however, didn’t enjoy the adventure as much as the players.
While he managed to finally get his hands on an Apple of Eden, he was then forced to stab the woman he liked before falling into a potentially life-threatening coma. Barring death, there aren’t many worse ways for a mission to end than what Desmond suffered through. Yet, Lucy did turn out to be a Templar, so it wasn’t all bad.
5 Animus Inception
Throughout the games, Desmond’s story arc got very deep and complex. Yet, the whole thing could’ve been even more confusing.
What if Desmond’s time wasn’t the present-day after all? What if there was another Assassin in the future, who was relieving Desmond’s memories of using the Animus? That would’ve likely been the plot of the movie if Christopher Nolan had directed it. It at least sounds a lot more interesting than the Assassin’s Creed film that did come out.
4 Not Fulfilling His Potential
When talking about the best Assassins the series has ever seen, Desmond’s name is seldom brought up. It has nothing to do with his skill level; it’s because he didn’t use his physical talents that often.
Instead, he laid down in the Animus and witnessed the courageous acts his ancestors had accomplished. In his defense, he became the biggest hero of them all by saving the world from certain destruction. All while lying down, now that is a hero.
3 Sixth Sense
It’s often forgotten that during Desmond’s adventures within the Animus, he’s interacting with people who are long dead. The Assassin spends every day getting to know and growing attached to people that he’ll never meet again.
It’s kind of sad, but it’s also the coolest way of seeing dead people ever. Spotting ghosts is boring by comparison, and the people inside the Animus are far less scary too. Although, the time Desmond started seeing those same dead people outside of the machine was a cause for concern.
2 The New Generation
In the recent entries in the series, a new present-day protagonist has emerged named Layla Hassan. Like Desmond, she strives to help the Assassin order using the Animus.
Since her introduction, there’s been a lot of talk about which is the best present-day Assassin. Yet, it’s going to take the newcomer a while before she can reach the level of Desmond Miles. But she’s done well in her first few outings.
1 Ignoring Desmond’s Story
Even though Desmond appeared in more games than the other protagonists in the series, Ubisoft never focused on him as much as his ancestors.
His storyline would often seem secondary compared to what the likes of Altair, Ezio, and Connor were doing. In fact, in each game, he only received a handful of playable scenes. And in the first, that pretty much consisted of walking around two rooms. People mostly complained about the Desmond sections, but that might not have been the case if he was given cooler missions and a more focused narrative.
NEXT: Assassin’s Creed: 10 Funniest Ezio Memes
