In recent years, the Assassin’s Creed franchise has come under fire for quite a few issues concerning women. There were misconduct and assault allegations, as well as a cleaning of the house to make sure those accused were removed. There was also the “women don’t sell” debacle, in which certain higher-ups at Ubisoft stated that exact sentiment in regards to why Kassandra wasn’t the only protagonist for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, even though she’s canonically the “correct” choice for main character. It seems Ubisoft is trying to repair its reputation now, but it may still have a long way to go.
Creating a AAA Assassin’s Creed title with the only choice being a female protagonist wouldn’t rectify all of the damage done, but it would definitely be a progressive step in the right direction. Though there have been female Assassin’s Creed protagonists in the past, though they’ve never been in AAA titles. Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China featured Shao Jun as the protagonist, but she’s never been seen in the AAA titles; though she does have her own manga and an upcoming novel trilogy in the works. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Odyssey, and Valhalla feature women as playable options, but are never the only character available – it’s time that changes.
In total, there are 29 Assassin’s Creed games, including all main AAA entries into the franchise as well as the spin-off games. Of these 29 games, there are only 6 opportunities to play as a female protagonist, and only 4 of them are available to play for the entirety of the game. The list of playable female protagonists, in order of appearance, is as follows:
- Aveline de Grandpre (2012)
- Shao Jun (2015)
- Evie Frye (2015)
- Aya (Amunet) (2017)
- Kassandra (2018)
- Female Eivor (2020)
With this math in mind, that means there are 26 other games that have players in the shoes of only male protagonists. For a game series that debuted in 2007, it’s disheartening to see these numbers laid out so plainly. Even in Syndicate and Origins, Evie and Amunet are only playable for a portion of the story, with only some missions being exclusively theirs. Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation’s Aveline de Grandpre was the first female protagonist in the series, but only in a game that was originally an exclusive for PlayStation Vita. The time has come for an only female-led AAA Assassin’s Creed title, especially with these numbers in mind.
In an interview with Game Rant a few months back, the founder of the Assassin’s Creed Sisterhood, Kulpreet Virdi, mentioned that the AAA Assassin’s Creed titles only have women as a choice. Not a set-in-stone, “this is the only protagonist” role, but a choice, and the gravity of that statement is worth bringing up again. Aveline and Shao are the only female protagonists who have dedicated games that don’t force players to bounce between protagonists, or give a choice between a male or female character. They didn’t have AAA releases, either.
Playing as a woman in a major Assassin’s Creed installment would further solidify the equality Ubisoft is striving for. While it seems inclusive to give a choice between a male or female character RPG-style, it’s kind of a shallow sentiment. There are some things only women experience in this world, as well as some things that only men experience, and a game solely dedicated to a female assassin experience would showcase some of the disparities and unique experiences.
Origins would have been a very different game if told from Aya’s perspective, especially when dealing with losing Khemu. Instead her role was diminished, even though she was the main protagonist during development.
There’s also something to be said about the choice mechanic, and how Kassandra and Eivor both adapt to traditionally “masculine” traits and roles. Alexios and the male counterpart of Eivor never adopt more “feminine” traits. The scales are tipped to favor masculinity, which can make sense in the context of knowing both Eivor and Kassandra are warriors.
However, not every Assassin’s Creed female character was designed this way. Aya was a slim but an incredible fighter, while Evie favored stealth over overt physical altercation. Eivor and Kassandra are great additions to the Assassin’s Creed universe, but there are so many more tropes to explore than just “masculine woman earns respect of male peers.”
A femme fatale inspired assassin would be an incredible game to play. It would be like Killing Eve’s Villanelle getting dropped into a historical drama, using her charms to take down members of the Templar Order (or Order of Ancients, depending on what time period the game takes place in). Paola of Assassin’s Creed 2 can almost fulfill this role, having been part of the Brotherhood as well as the leader of the courtesans in Florence, but players never get to experience the game through her eyes. It would be so interesting and so exciting to see an Assassin’s Creed story played out through the perspective of a woman who takes down men using her charm, wit, and hidden blade.
Another related, but not the same, trope would be a woman who is consistently underestimated by those around her (kind of like real life). This protagonist would have the support of the Assassin Order and those who work with her would know how powerful she is. To the enemy, she would be an unassuming obstacle and not seem like a very big threat. As soon as someone crosses her, or it’s time to take out the target, there she is with her blade at their throat – and they never heard or saw her coming. A plot like this would be frustrating to watch, unfortunately, but the sweet taste of revenge would satiate players in the end.
Equality isn’t just about giving players a choice between a male or female protagonist. It’s about formulating stories that relate to that specific assassin, which has been done time and time again for male protagonists that female gamers played without hesitation. The same needs to be done for the next big Assassin’s Creed title by giving players a game where the only playable lead is female – no ifs, ands, buts, or letting the Animus decide.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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