Desmond Miles is the modern protagonist who relives genetic memories in the first Assassin’s Creed.
Abstergo captures Desmond and places him in the Animus, a machine that reconstructs memories inherited through his ancestors’ DNA. By reliving the life of Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad, Desmond becomes involved in a conflict that stretches from the Third Crusade into the modern world.
Desmond’s role differs from that of the historical characters he experiences. He does not physically travel into the past; instead, the Animus presents ancestral memories as an interactive simulation. The process also allows him to acquire skills and notice visual effects associated with the Bleeding Effect.
Desmond comes from a family with Assassin connections, and his father is William Miles. Later games place Desmond in memories connected to other ancestors, including Ezio Auditore and Ratonhnhaké:ton. Players sometimes identify the historical Assassin as the protagonist of the entire first game, but Desmond frames the story and drives its modern-day plot.