Is Layla Hassan a Templar? Unraveling Her Allegiances in Assassin’s Creed

Layla Hassan is not a Templar. While she initially works for Abstergo, a modern-day corporation heavily influenced by the Templar Order, her journey ultimately leads her to join the Assassin Brotherhood. Her story is one of shifting loyalties and a personal quest for truth, constantly challenging the established factions and their ideologies.

Layla’s Complex Journey: From Abstergo to the Assassins

Layla’s path is far from straightforward. Introduced as a dedicated Abstergo employee in Assassin’s Creed: Origins, she utilizes her skills and modified Animus technology to explore the memories of Bayek of Siwa and Aya of Alexandria. However, her independent nature and growing doubts about Abstergo’s motives push her to break free from their control.

Defying the Templar Order

Layla’s decision to defy Abstergo stems from her inherent belief in freedom of thought and her growing realization of the Templar’s control-obsessed agenda. Her advanced Animus modifications, developed independently, allow her to access memories without direct Abstergo supervision, granting her the autonomy to uncover the truth as she sees it. This independence inevitably clashes with the rigid structure and manipulative tactics of the Templars.

Embracing the Assassin Brotherhood

Over time, Layla aligns herself with the Assassins, recognizing their dedication to free will and their fight against the Templar’s oppressive control. She becomes an active member of the Brotherhood, even leading her own cell within a year, demonstrating her commitment to their cause. While initially reluctant, she becomes a vital asset to the Assassins, using her technological expertise to further their goals.

The Staff of Hermes Trismegistus and its Influence

A crucial turning point in Layla’s journey is her acquisition of the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. The Staff grants her immense power and knowledge but also introduces a corrupting influence, leading to unintended consequences and further blurring the lines of morality. The Staff is a symbol of both opportunity and danger, influencing Layla’s decisions and contributing to her tragic fate.

The Tragic End in Valhalla

In Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Layla’s story reaches a tragic conclusion. Driven by the need to prevent another global catastrophe, she enters a state of suspended animation within an Isu machine, facing lethal radiation exposure. Her final moments are spent trying to prevent disaster and ultimately result in being trapped forever within the machine. The “Reader” informs Layla of her impending death, and she realizes Basim, the reborn form of Loki, manipulated her. Basim escapes with the Staff of Eden, leaving Layla to her fate. This ultimate sacrifice solidified her commitment to prevent further destruction, even at her own expense.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Layla Hassan

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Layla Hassan, providing deeper insights into her character and role in the Assassin’s Creed universe:

1. Is Layla related to Desmond Miles? No, Layla has no known direct familial connection to Desmond Miles. Their significance to the Assassin’s Creed story is through their individual roles and actions, not through blood lineage.
2. Is Layla a descendant of Kassandra? Although Bayek, Alexios, and Kassandra are all related, Layla is not related to them.
3. How did Layla find the Spear of Leonidas? Layla uses the book to find the Spear of Leonidas, which kicks off the events of Odyssey.
4. What happened to Layla in Valhalla? Layla sacrifices herself in Valhalla to prevent a catastrophe but ends up trapped within the Isu machine by Basim, who uses her to escape.
5. What powers does Layla have? In the Marvel Moon Knight comic universe, Layla, as the Scarlet Scarab, possesses heightened physical capabilities and golden wings. In the Assassin’s Creed universe, Layla’s “powers” are the abilities gained from the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus, which allows her to understand and manipulate Isu technology, and her skills in working with the Animus.
6. What is the point of Layla in Assassin’s Creed? Layla’s importance stems from her ability to independently develop and modify the Animus, challenging Abstergo’s control and uncovering new memories and information relevant to the ongoing Assassin-Templar conflict.
7. Who is better, Desmond or Layla? While both are important figures, Desmond is generally considered superior due to his direct lineage to key historical figures and his ultimate sacrifice to save the world.
8. What God does Layla end up with? In the Moon Knight series, Layla becomes the temporary avatar for the Egyptian goddess Taweret.
9. Is Desmond Miles the Reader? In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, it is revealed that when Desmond sacrificed himself in December 2012 to save the Earth, only his physical form was killed, as his consciousness was transported into a computer simulation created by the Isu known as “The Grey.” During his time there, Desmond forgot his original identity and became the Reader.
10. Is Kassandra a Templar? Kassandra and Alexios are proto-Assassins in the same way that she is a proto-Templar.
11. Why is Kassandra in Valhalla? At the ending of Odyssey, we find out that Kassandra is immortal and lives all the way up to the modern day. We also find out through her appearance in Valhalla that she continues to hunt down Isu artifacts long after Odyssey.
12. What vision does Layla have? Layla is an upcoming character with a cryo vision in Genshin Impact. She is a support character.
13. What star is Layla? Layla is a four-star Cryo user in Genshin Impact who wields a Sword in combat.
14. What is the name of Layla’s avatar? Rather than getting her powers from the Ruby Scarab, Layla is turned into the Egyptian superhero after becoming the avatar of Taweret, the Goddess of Women and Children. As the Scarlet Scarab, she possesses heightened physical capabilities on par with those of both Marc Spector and Arthur Harrow.
15. Why was Harrows feet bleeding? Harrow’s feet started bleeding because Marc and Steven reconciled his Duat manifestation with his true self.

Layla Hassan’s story is a testament to the complexities within the Assassin’s Creed universe. She is not simply a Templar pawn but a complex individual whose choices ultimately lead her to embrace the ideals of the Assassin Brotherhood, albeit at a great personal cost. Further explore the fascinating world of video games and learning at the GamesLearningSociety.org.