When Assassin's Creed Origins released, players were treated to a different type of gameplay style than they were used to seeing in the previous Assassin's Creed titles. The game landscape changed forever by implementing RPG components such as gear, weapons, levels, and stats. But one thing that has remained consistent throughout the franchise has been the characters.
Origins introduced us to Bayek and Aya, a couple who helped bring the assassin order to life and fundamentally change the course of history forever. While they parted ways at the end of the game, Aya's story didn't end. Instead, she fell into more dangerous scenarios by leaping headfirst into the Roman Empire during the rule of Julius Caesar.
This is where writer Anthony Del Col continues Aya's story with the Titan Comics series, Assassin's Creed Origins.
We got the chance to chat with Del Col about not only Aya, but the world of Assassin's Creed as a whole and the real-life history that weaves through the story. You can also have a listen to our interview with Paul McCaffrey, the artist who is working on the Adler series for the company. We would love to hear your thoughts in the usual spot!
Comic Brooks: Are there any eras that haven't been explored in Assassin's Creed that you would want to delve into?
Del Col: Wow. Such a great question. Obviously, the Viking era is next in the games, so they’ve already checked that off. I’d love to tell a Samurai story(!), something in the world of Conquistadors (such a fascinating time period), a love story set in World War I (perhaps the most interesting war – and so few stories are set within it today compared to WWII), and something with the Mughal Empire (an era not many people in the Western world are aware of). I also have one I started to write set in the Dirty War of Argentina in the ‘70s, which would almost feel like a time-traveling adventure bringing someone together with her grandmother. I really enjoy pushing the limits of what the AC Universe can consist of, and bringing generations closer together really intrigues me.
Comic Brooks: What makes Aya so compelling compared to some of the other assassins in the franchise?
Del Col: Well, I think the obvious fact is she’s a female. One of the knocks against the AC Universe over the years is that its game lead characters have all been male. That’s what we (co-writer Conor McCreery and editor Lizzie Kaye) addressed with our Assassin’s Creed comic series with Titan back in 2016. Charlotte de la Cruz was the first modern-day female lead, and it was a blast to create her story. I also did the same with my Assassin’s Creed: Gold Audible fiction series, with another female lead. As for Aya, what I really enjoy about her is she’s stronger (strategically, psychologically, emotionally) than all of the male assassins and army leaders around her. Yet she can’t show that. She needs to keep that information hidden, just like Assassins must remain in the shadows. She controls everything without anyone knowing it.
Comic Brooks: What is one previously established assassin you would want to bring to life in comic form?
Del Col: I like to swim against the stream, so… I don’t think the game itself is one of the best, Evie Frye from Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate is one of my favorite characters. Much like Aya, she exists in a male-dominated society and must yield influence through strategic ways. Plus, I just LOVE the Victorian-era London setting and have desperately wanted to tell a story in that world for a long time.
For the first time collected together in a special omnibus edition, follow the rise of charlotte De La Cruz as she's thrown into the world of the Assassin Brotherhood intheir generation-spanning war with the Templar Order
The Assassin's Creed: Origins Deluxe Edition will be available in November of this year for $29.99!