Assassin’s Creed is a popular video game franchise that features historical fiction, science fiction, and fictional characters intertwined with real-world historical events and figures. The main premise of the series is that there is a secret war between two factions: the Assassins, who fight for peace and free will, and the Templars, who seek to control humanity with ancient artifacts called Pieces of Eden. The games allow players to relive the memories of their ancestors, who were important Assassins throughout history, using a device called the Animus.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Assassin’s Creed lore is the connection between the different protagonists of the games. Many fans have wondered how they are related to each other, and whether they share a common bloodline. One of the most frequently asked questions is whether Arno Dorian, the protagonist of Assassin’s Creed Unity, is related to Desmond Miles, the protagonist of the modern-day storyline of the first five games.
Who is Arno Dorian?
Arno Dorian was born in 1768 in Versailles, France. He was the son of Charles Dorian, a French Assassin who was killed by Shay Cormac, a former Assassin turned Templar, when Arno was eight years old. Arno was then adopted by François de la Serre, the Grand Master of the French Templars, who raised him alongside his daughter Élise, unaware of his Assassin heritage.
Arno joined the Assassin Brotherhood in 1789, after François de la Serre was murdered by a coup within the Templar Order. Arno sought to avenge his adoptive father and uncover the true instigators of the French Revolution, which was manipulated by a radical faction of Templars led by François-Thomas Germain. Along the way, he rekindled his romance with Élise, who had become a Templar herself and also wanted to stop Germain.
Arno’s story spanned from 1776 to 1808, and he encountered many historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Maximilien Robespierre, Marquis de Sade, and Georges Danton. He also discovered a powerful Piece of Eden called the Sword of Eden, which was wielded by Germain. Arno eventually killed Germain in 1794, but not before witnessing Élise’s death at his hands.
Who is Desmond Miles?
Desmond Miles was born in 1987 in a remote Assassin compound in South Dakota, United States. He was the son of William Miles, the Mentor of the American Assassins, and an unnamed mother. He was also a descendant of several prominent Assassins throughout history, such as Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Edward Kenway, Haytham Kenway, and Ratonhnhaké:ton (also known as Connor).
Desmond ran away from his home at age 16, seeking a normal life away from the Assassin-Templar conflict. He became a bartender in New York City until he was kidnapped by Abstergo Industries, a modern-day front for the Templars, in 2012. Abstergo forced him to use their version of the Animus to relive his ancestors’ memories and locate Pieces of Eden around the world.
Desmond escaped from Abstergo with the help of Lucy Stillman, an undercover Assassin who worked for Abstergo. He then joined a small team of Assassins composed of Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane. They used their own Animus to train Desmond as an Assassin and find more clues about the Pieces of Eden and their creators: an ancient civilization called the Isu or First Civilization.
Desmond’s story spanned from 2012 to 2013, and he learned that he was chosen by Juno, an Isu who wanted to enslave humanity using her Piece of Eden: an Eye that could manipulate reality. Juno also revealed that Lucy was a double agent for Abstergo and made Desmond kill her using Ezio’s Apple of Eden. Desmond then fell into a coma and entered a virtual space within the Animus called the Black Room.
There he met Clay Kaczmarek (also known as Subject 16), another Assassin who had been experimented on by Abstergo before him. Clay helped Desmond recover his consciousness and find another Piece of Eden: a Key that could activate an Isu temple hidden under New York City. The temple contained a device that could prevent a solar flare that threatened to destroy humanity in 2012.
Desmond sacrificed his life to activate the device and save the world from the disaster. However, he also unknowingly released Juno from her imprisonment within the temple. Juno then began her plan to take over humanity using digital means.
The short answer is: yes.
The long answer is: it’s complicated.
According to Ubisoft , Arno Dorian is a descendant of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the protagonist of Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations. Ezio is also one of Desmond’s ancestors, which means that Arno and Desmond are distant cousins.
However, the exact nature of their relationship is unclear. Ubisoft has not revealed how Arno is related to Ezio, or which branch of Ezio’s family tree he belongs to. Ezio had four known children: Flavia, Marcello, Claudia, and an illegitimate son named Giovanni. It is possible that Arno is a descendant of one of them, or of another unknown child or relative of Ezio.
Furthermore, Ubisoft has not confirmed whether Arno’s DNA was used by Abstergo to create the Helix software, a successor to the Animus that allows users to access genetic memories from a cloud database. The Helix software was introduced in Assassin’s Creed Unity and Rogue, and it was used by Abstergo to find more Pieces of Eden and Isu sites in the modern day.
In Assassin’s Creed Unity, the player assumes the role of an unnamed Helix user who is contacted by the Assassins and asked to explore Arno’s memories. The Assassins claim that they have hacked into the Helix server and found an unlabelled memory stream that belongs to one of their own. They also say that they need the player’s help to find a Sage, a human who carries the DNA of an Isu named Aita.
The Sage in question is François-Thomas Germain, Arno’s nemesis and the leader of the radical Templars. Germain was also the reincarnation of Aita, who was Juno’s husband and a scientist who worked on the Eye. Germain possessed a Piece of Eden called the Sword of Eden, which he used to kill François de la Serre and Élise de la Serre.
The Assassins hope that by finding Germain’s body, they can locate his DNA and use it to access his memories and find Juno’s location. Juno is still a threat to humanity, as she has been manipulating various groups and individuals through the internet and the Pieces of Eden.
However, Abstergo is also aware of the player’s activities and tries to stop them from accessing Arno’s memories. Abstergo claims that they have acquired Arno’s DNA from an unknown source and that they have been studying it for years. They also say that they have found something very interesting in his bloodline.
It is possible that Abstergo obtained Arno’s DNA from Desmond’s body, which they recovered after his death at the Isu temple. Desmond had relived Ezio’s memories using the Animus, which means that he had inherited some of Ezio’s DNA. Since Arno is a descendant of Ezio, he might share some DNA with Desmond as well.
If this is true, then it means that Arno and Desmond are not only cousins, but also share a common ancestor: Adam . Adam was one of the first humans created by the Isu as slaves. He rebelled against his creators with the help of Eve, another human who carried Isu DNA. Adam and Eve stole an Apple of Eden from the Isu and escaped from their city.
Adam and Eve are considered to be the progenitors of all humans who have Isu DNA in their blood. These humans are called Hybrids or Tainted Ones by the Isu. They have a higher affinity for using Pieces of Eden and accessing genetic memories than normal humans. They are also more likely to be Sages or have Eagle Vision, a sixth sense that allows them to perceive hidden information.
Arno and Desmond are both Hybrids, as they have Isu DNA in their blood. They are also both capable of using Eagle Vision and Pieces of Eden. However, they are not Sages, as they do not carry Aita’s DNA.
Therefore, Arno and Desmond are related by blood through Ezio Auditore da Firenze and Adam, but they are not direct descendants of each other. They are distant cousins who share a common heritage as Assassins and Hybrids.
Conclusion
Arno Dorian and Desmond Miles are two important protagonists in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. They both lived through turbulent times in history and fought against the Templars for peace and freedom. They both had access to ancient technology and secrets that could change the fate of humanity.
However, they also had different backgrounds and personalities. Arno was a French nobleman who was raised by Templars but joined the Assassins out of guilt and love. Desmond was an American bartender who was kidnapped by Templars but escaped with the help of Assassins out of curiosity and duty.
They never met each other in person, but they were connected by blood through their ancestors: Ezio Auditore da Firenze and Adam. They were both part of a long line of Assassins who carried Isu DNA in their veins. They were both Hybrids who could use
