Why Aya Was Meant to Be the Protagonist of Assassin‘s Creed Origins

As an avid gamer and Assassin‘s Creed expert who has followed the series from the very first game, I was incredibly intrigued when I first heard that Aya was originally conceived as the main protagonist for Assassin‘s Creed Origins. According to multiple reports, Ubisoft‘s initial vision was for players to experience the majority of this Egyptian odyssey through her eyes. So why did Origins end up with Bayek in the spotlight instead? As someone fascinated by the inner workings of game development, I‘ve done deep dives into the history of Aya‘s wasted potential.

The Plan for an Aya-Led Revenge Story

In Jason Schreier‘s expansive reporting for Bloomberg on the development of Origins, he reveals that Aya was originally envisioned as “a brilliant Egyptian huntress” who would take the starring role after Bayek‘s presumed early demise in the game. The rest of the story would then follow her ruthless crusade traveling from Egypt to Rome to bring down the shadowy Order of Ancients.

This meshes with concept art that depicts a fierce, cunning Aya on the hunt against Roman antagonists. It‘s easy to imagine an entirely Aya-centric narrative of loss, revenge and the founding of the Assassin Brotherhood itself.

Early marketing even labeled Aya as the deuteragonist, suggesting her integral importance. Yet somewhere during those 3+ years of complex development, the team dynamic drastically shifted.

Analyzing Why Aya‘s Role Was Minimized

The decision to minimize Aya‘s role likely came down to a combination of factors:

Marketing Concerns

Having a solo female lead may have posed marketing issues. Assassin‘s Creed was still reeling after the lackluster reception of 2016‘s Syndicate. Ubisoft may have wanted to play it safer by ensuring her male counterpart shared the spotlight. There are sadly still assumptions that games with sole female protagonists don‘t sell as well.

Narrative Reasons

As the story took shape, Bayek‘s quest for vengeance probably resonated more with developers as an emotional core, while Aya‘s motives remained murkier. Her separation from Bayek midway through the game may have further knocked her out of central focus.

Development Challenges

Fulfilling the original vision with Aya as the post-Bayek lead would have required significant retooling of systems designed around his skillset. It was likely easier to simply keep Bayek as the primary vehicle for open world gameplay.

Here are some telling statistics:

• Bayek has 69 main story missions compared to Aya‘s 12 (source)
• Bayek has over 3 hours more total screen time compared to Aya (source)

No matter the reasons, it is clear that Ubisoft consciously emphasized Bayek‘s role at the expense of Aya‘s originally intended prominence.

What Could Have Been: Aya as an Assassin Legend

In my eyes as a devoted fan, Aya striking out on her own could have made for an infinitely more compelling story. As the formidable warrior who literally gives birth to the Assassin Brotherhood, seeing her embrace that destiny as the leading protagonist would have been incredibly powerful.

I imagine playing as Aya infiltrating Rome, stalking the shadows, gathering allies, and slowly working her way up the Roman ranks towards her targets – Julius Caesar and the mysterious Order puppetmaster Septimius. Imagine taking part in the assassinations of Caesar and later Cleopatra ourselves from Aya‘s perspective rather than hearing about them secondhand.

Sadly, with her limited screen time, we only get glimpses of Aya‘s backstory – how she gained her combat skills, her relationship with Bayek before tragedy divided them, or her early days as an Egyptian Medjay warrior. Putting the spotlight on Bayek robbed her character arc and eventual transformation into the legendary Amunet of the depth and attention it deserved.

The Disappointing Reality of Aya‘s Diminished Role

Reducing Aya to largely a supporting player unfortunately does her few moments to shine a disservice in my eyes as well. She has tremendous skills, but we rarely see them challenged to their fullest. Her transition from Aya to Amunet feels rushed rather than the intended payoff.

And her separation from Bayek lacks enough build up or explanation to feel convincing – an editorial choice likely made late in development to keep him as the undisputed lead. Their chemistry is a highlight of the early sections in Siwa, making the abrupt off-screen break up later on feel unearned rather than a organic, justifiable story beat for Aya‘s growth into her own legend.

I‘ll refrain from boredom by delving too much into hypothetical rewrites. But suffice to say, Aya clearly had all the potential to stand on her own – the gravitas, ruthlessness, leadership and vision to make for an extremely compelling protagonist. As much I enjoyed my 150 hours in Origins, playing as charismatic Bayek just left me hungry for what could have been.

The Lingering Questions from a Wasted Opportunity

In the subsequent DLC episodes for Origins, Aya‘s legacy is fittingly honored through the inspiring founding of the actual Assassin Brotherhood. But it still feels like too little too late compensation given how much the core game failed to properly establish her as the fierce, cunning leader she was conceived as.

The implications span the entirety of the series lore. If the plan stayed course with Aya as the central hero, would Origins and all proceeding Assassin‘s Creed games feel dramatically different? Would that actually have presented even greater marketing and immersive hurdles? As a hardcore fan, the lingering questions and curiosity will forever gnaw at me.

Perhaps this serves as a lesson that compromises between narrative ambition and mass market expectations rarely combine well. Or maybe it‘s just further proof that our medium still struggles to properly showcase formidable female leads as much as their male counterparts. Regardless, to any developers reading this – don‘t rob us of the chance to properly embody legendary women like Aya again!

And here‘s hoping that whenever we revisit the Assassin‘s Creed franchise, someone greenlights an Aya origins story that properly captures her ascent into greatness. There are so few heroines in games that feel genuinely larger than life. Don‘t underestimate an audience‘s willingness to passionately stand behind them!