Desmond Miles is a fictional character from Ubisofts Assassins Creed video game franchise. He was introduced as the protagonist of the modern-day sections of the first Assassins Creed game and maintained this role for the next four installments, with his journey and development making up the frame story that unites the first five Assassins Creed titles. Desmond has also been referenced or featured in a smaller capacity in subsequent games in the series, as well as various spin-off media.

At the end of Assassins Creed III, Desmond sacrificed himself to save the Earth from a solar flare that threatened to end human civilization on Earth. It is revealed in Assassins Creed Valhalla that only his physical form was killed, as his consciousness was still alive. However, the next entry in the series, Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, took a completely different route with the modern-era plot, making it clear to players that Desmonds storyline was finished.

Despite Desmonds death seven entries prior to Assassins Creed Valhalla, the echo of his sacrifice is still felt in the game’s narrative. It’s all-but-clear that the ending of Valhalla has Layla, the modern-day protagonist introduced in Assassin’s Creed Origins, meeting with a seemingly transcendent Desmond, now called The Reader, re-contextualizing his place in Assassins Creed lore.