Who is Deimos If I Play as Alexios?

If you choose to play as Alexios instead of Kassandra in Assassin‘s Creed Odyssey, his elder half-sister Kassandra becomes the main antagonist Deimos – a ruthless weapon wielding terrifying power for the shadowy Cult of Kosmos.

While Alexios is intended to be the canonical Deimos in franchise lore, opting to play as him flips the script with fascinating results. So what‘s Kassandra like as the villainous Deimos compared to her heroic role? Let‘s analyze this fan-favorite character and how she fits one of gaming‘s most iconic antagonist archetypes.

Kassandra‘s Tragic Backstory as Deimos

As an infant, Kassandra was flung from Mount Taygetos under orders from the Cult influencing her father Nikolaos. Rescued by the Cult, she grows up completely brainwashed into becoming their loyal killing machine devoid of family ties.

Dubbed "Deimos" after the Greek god of dread and terror, Kassandra develops into a nearly unstoppable force of nature feared across the Greek world. She leads the Cult‘s forces against enemies with zero mercy or hesitation.

Consumed by bitterness and rage toward her family who "rejected" her, Deimos‘ motivation is carving a swath of vengeance by serving as the Cult‘s unquestioning blade. It‘s a tragic fall for the heroic misthios fated to bear the Staff of Hermes and protector of free will.

The Fates‘ Cruel Twist

A line from the Pythia reinforces the cruelty of Kassandra‘s fate as Deimos in contrast to her "true" destiny:

"It is your destiny to protect free will, not enable those who seek to dominate it."

As Deimos under the strict control of the Cult, Kassandra does precisely the opposite by enabling their scheme for total domination. The mythic hero becomes the very thing she swore to defeat – quite a deviously ironic twist from the creative team at Ubisoft!

Nature vs Nurture Personality Change

The caring, compassionate, and romantic side of Kassandra fans know and love as the Eagle Bearer is utterly absent in her Deimos persona. She is cold, ruthless, and bent fully toward destruction.

This represents an intriguing "nurture vs nature" shift seen in iconic antagonist examples like Anakin/Darth Vader of Star Wars lore. The Cult‘s manipulations rob Kassandra of her true personality, suppressing it under layers of pain and anger.

Deimos Kassandra vs Alexios Comparison

While Kassandra as Deimos still eventually intersects with certain story beats, major differences arise in the cult‘s interactions with her that influence motivations and relationships. Let‘s analyze how she compares to Alexios as the canonical Deimos.

Level of Fanaticism

When Aspasia confronts Kassandra and insists her service to the cult is wasted potential, Deimos reacts with fiery defiance:

"Do not question my conviction. Or my ability to destroy you."

This hints Kassandra is potentially more ruthlessly committed to the cult‘s ideals after her traumatic upbringing than Alexios. She zealously defends them with unwavering loyalty, while Alexios shows more internal conflict.

Combat Prowess and Feared Reputation

Interestingly, NPC reactions suggest Kassandra garners an even greater sense of fear and awe as Deimos versus Alexios in the role:

"They call her Deimos, the Dread. She fights like Ares himself!"

This implies her combat skill strikes bone-chilling dread into enemies. As the series‘ only canonical female misthios matching legendary fighters like Leonidas blow for blow, her reputation as Deimos inspires unmatched terror.

Voice Acting and Performance

Without spoiling major story moments, fans praise voice actress Melissanthi Mahut‘s performance as the ruthless Deimos. The pain and bitterness of young Kassandra‘s horrific experiences simmer underneath, making her menacing rasp incredibly believable.

By contrast, Alexios voice actor Michael Antonakos draws more mixed reception in the Deimos role. Some fans feel his more smug, gloating delivery lacks the subtle nuance Mahut brings.

Gameplay and Choice Analysis

Aside from story and characterization differences, let‘s examine factors like abilities, gear, romance options, and canonical relevance when determining Kassandra vs Alexios as Deimos:

Key Gameplay Differences

As shown above, the actual gameplay experience remains almost entirely identical regardless of protagonist choice. Players utilizing Kassandra in the "non-canon" Deimos role lose nothing in terms of optimizing builds or romance options.

Canon Relevance

However, Kassandra is intended as the true protagonist and hero within series lore rather than the villainous Deimos. As Assassin‘s Creed continues expanding its transmedia universe, her canonical role likely makes her Eagle Bearer position the better long-term choice for continuity.

But for players focused solely on Odyssey without concern for wider lore, choosing Alexios offers reasonable in-game justification to experience Kassandra‘s compelling take as the Cult‘s deadliest weapon.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, I believe both Kassandra and Alexios prove themselves in the iconic Deimos role that transforms hero into nemesis based on player choice. This surfaces fascinating character development possibilities for AC protagonists moving forward.

Each offers their own unique flair – Kassandra with deeper subtle pain driving her Deimos persona, Alexios with smug glee in his power position against the family that rejected him.

As Ubisoft expands the AC universe, Kassandra likely remains the "true" misthios heroine in broader canon lore. But Alexios as her nemesis makes for an intriguing "alternate history" perspective on Odyssey‘s expansive mythos.

Either way, pitting Kassandra or Alexios against the reverse sibling as Deimos adds delicious depth to both characters and the Cult dynamics influencing their ultimate clash against destiny itself.

It‘s those rich layers and moral dilemmas that make immersing ourselves in the rich worlds of gaming so endlessly rewarding. And they‘ve absolutely succeeded with Odyssey on that front thanks to the versatility of its protagonists leaping between hero/villain roles shaped by deviant twists of fate.