Summary
Over the course of its lifespan of nearly two decades, theAssassin’s Creedseries has seen a great number of interesting protagonists, but none have left such a lasting mark asAssassin’s Creed 2’s Ezio Auditore. Unlike Altair who came before him,Ezio Auditorewas charismatic, emotional, and relatable, allowing players to more personally attach themselves to him and to more readily grow fond of him. In turn, this moved Ubisoft to create two more games featuring the beloved protagonist (Assassin’s Creed: BrotherhoodandAssassin’s Creed: Revelations) to finish out his story and give fans more time with him.
SinceAssassin’s Creedgave Ezio more time in its universe, no other protagonist has been given the same treatment. This isn’t necessarily due toAssassin’s Creed’s Ezio experiment being a failed one, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the series should do something like that again. As such, there remains a case both for and againstAssassin’s Creedestablishing a new “Ezio” by introducing a recurring protagonist once again.
The Case for a New Ezio in Assassin’s Creed
A Recurring Protagonist Would Allow for Stronger Character Development
The most apparent benefit toAssassin’s Creedfeaturing a recurring protagonist like Ezio again is the opportunity it would allow for stronger development of said character. Ezio’s multi-game arc allowed for a richer and more fulfilling evolution of his character, from a reckless noble to a wise and experienced mentor. A new recurringprotagonist in theAssassin’s Creedserieswould likely offer the same depth, letting players grow alongside them rather than wiping the slate clean with each game.
A Recurring Protagonist Would Allow for Consistency in World-Building and Mechanics
Something else that another recurring protagonist could do for theAssassin’s Creedseries is it would potentially allow for consistency in both world-building and mechanics. While the fundamental mechanics ofeachAssassin’s Creedgamelargely remain the same, some other, more significant changes tend to make everything feel new again. Freshness in gameplay design isn’t inherently a bad thing, but a recurring protagonist would allowAssassin’s Creedto only temporarily moderately refine mechanics between the protagonist’s games.
Mechanics that only slightly differ from a previousAssassin’s Creedare a great way to mature the recurring protagonist as well.
Additionally, whileAssassin’s Creed’s overarching narrativeis fairly consistent throughout the series (when it’s mentioned), the world-building that occurs in each game is significantly different, on account of the constant changes in time periods, settings, and protagonists. Another recurring protagonist like Ezio would, therefore, allow multiple games to be more consistent in their world-building, allowing players the opportunity to become more attached to the world in turn.
The Case Against a New Ezio in Assassin’s Creed
A Recurring Protagonist Would Be at Risk of Stagnation
On the flip side, something another recurringAssassin’s Creedprotagonist would be prone to is stagnation. One ofAssassin’s Creed’s strengths is its ability to reinvent itself in each installment with new historical settings and characters. As such, a new recurring protagonist could limit creative freedom, forcing the series to find ways to keep the same character relevant and interesting across multiple games. This really only worked forAssassin’s Creed 2’s Eziobecause he was such an interesting character, so simply forcing a protagonist’s recurrence “just because” wouldn’t be enough of a reason to do so.
A Recurring Protagonist Could Easily Overstay Their Welcome
A recurring protagonist like Ezio could also easily overstay their welcome if the series wasn’t careful with how it handled said character.Ezio’s trilogy inAssassin’s Creedreally only worked because his story had a clear arc and conclusion. IfAssassin’s Creedoverstayed its welcome with a new recurring protagonist, it would risk diminishing the impact of that protagonist on the franchise.
Ultimately, while the idea of a new recurring protagonist inAssassin’s Creedhas strong potential for deeper character development and a more cohesive narrative, it also risks compromising the franchise’s versatility.The success of Ezio’s trilogystemmed from both the strength of his character and the way his story unfolded, rather than a forced attempt at repeated appearances. IfAssassin’s Creedwere to reintroduce a protagonist across multiple installments, they would need to do so in a balanced way — ensuring the character is compelling without restricting the series' ability to reinvent itself.
