Let’s be real for a second. If you try to map out the Assassin's Creed family tree on a napkin, you’re going to run out of ink before you even get to the Renaissance. It’s a massive, tangled web of DNA that spans roughly 80,000 years, and honestly, Ubisoft hasn't always made it easy to follow. We like to think of Desmond Miles as the center of everything, but he’s really just the point where several ancient, lethal rivers finally crashed into each other.
It isn't just about who fathered whom. It’s about the "triple-helix" DNA and those pesky Isu genes that make certain people capable of jumping off cathedrals into haystacks without shattering their femurs.
Most players start with Altaïr, but the actual roots go way back to the First Civilization. If we’re talking about the bloodline that eventually produced Desmond, we have to look at the Isu-human hybrids. Adam and Eve weren't just religious figures in this universe; they were the original rebels who stole the Apple of Eden. This set off a genetic arms race.
The Isu Legacy and the First Rebels
The whole thing starts with a spark of rebellion. Adam and Eve were hybrids, born from the union of Isu—those "Those Who Came Before"—and the humans they essentially kept as a slave labor force. Because they had this mixed heritage, they weren't susceptible to the mind-control powers of the Pieces of Eden.
That’s the "Eagle Vision" everyone talks about. It’s not a magic power. It’s a sensory leftover from a prehistoric race of scientists.
Fast forward a few millennia. We get to Bayek of Siwa and Aya (later Amunet) in Assassin's Creed Origins. Here is where people get confused. Is Bayek Desmond’s ancestor? Actually, no. Based on the lore confirmed in the games and the Essential Guide, Desmond is not a direct descendant of Bayek. However, Aya’s lineage is a different story. Aya is a descendant of Kassandra from Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Kassandra is the powerhouse of the Assassin's Creed family tree. She lived during the Peloponnesian War and carried a massive amount of Isu DNA. When she had a child named Elpidios, she unknowingly kicked off a line that would eventually lead to Aya, and then much later, to the Italian branch of the family.
The Kenway Mess and the Colonial Split
The Kenway family is probably the most tragic part of the whole saga. You’ve got Edward Kenway, a Welsh privateer who stumbled into the Assassin-Templar war because he wanted to get rich.
He had two children: Jenny and Haytham.
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Now, Haytham is a fascinating glitch in the system. He’s the son of a Master Assassin but becomes a Grand Master of the Templar Order. That’s a wild pivot. He eventually fathers Ratonhnhaké:ton (Connor) with Kaniehtí:io, a Kanien'kehá:ka woman. This specific branch represents the North American side of Desmond’s ancestry. It’s a direct line of "Sensory" genes passing through the frontier.
- Edward Kenway: The Pirate.
- Haytham Kenway: The Templar "mistake."
- Connor: The hero of the Revolution.
While the Kenways were busy in the Americas, the European lines were doing their own thing.
Ezio and Altaïr: Two Parallel Paths
A common misconception is that Ezio is a descendant of Altaïr. He isn’t.
I’ve seen countless forum posts arguing about this, but Ubisoft’s lead writers have clarified it multiple times: Altaïr and Ezio are on two completely different sides of Desmond’s family tree. Think of Desmond as the "convergence point." He has Altaïr’s DNA from his mother’s side and Ezio’s DNA from his father’s side (or vice versa, though the games usually suggest the Auditore line comes through Bill Miles).
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad lived in the 12th century. He had two sons, Darim and Sef. Sef’s descendants eventually moved toward Alexandria and then into Europe.
Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the poster boy for the franchise, didn't even know he had Assassin blood until his father was hanging from a noose. After his long career, he retired and had two children with Sofia Sartor: Marcello and Flavia. It is through Marcello that the Auditore line continued, eventually weaving its way through centuries of European history until it hit the 20th century.
Why Desmond Miles Was the "Chosen One"
Desmond was special because he was a genetic anomaly. Most people in the AC universe might have a tiny fraction of Isu DNA—maybe 0.0005%. Desmond had a much higher concentration because his parents were from two "pure" Assassin lineages that had been kept separate for centuries.
When Bill Miles and his wife had Desmond, they effectively "combined" the lines of:
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- The Levantine Brotherhood (Altaïr).
- The Italian Renaissance (Ezio).
- The Colonial American line (The Kenways).
This is why the Animus 2.0 worked so well for him. His DNA was a high-definition library of the greatest Assassins to ever live.
The Modern Day and the "Desmond's Son" Twist
Here’s where things get really weird. If you played Assassin's Creed Syndicate and hunted down all the Intel files, or read the Uprising comic series, you know about Elijah.
Elijah is Desmond’s illegitimate son.
Desmond didn't even know he existed. Elijah is a "Sage," which means he is a human reincarnation of the Isu known as Aita. This makes him arguably the most important figure in the current Assassin's Creed family tree. He carries Desmond’s multi-lineage Assassin DNA plus the concentrated genetic memory of an actual Isu. He’s currently a wild card in the lore, wandering around with the Koh-i-Noor (one of the most powerful Pieces of Eden).
Frequently Misunderstood Relations
It’s easy to get lost in the weeds. For instance, people often ask if Eivor from Assassin's Creed Valhalla is related to Desmond.
The answer is no.
Eivor’s story is told through Layla Hassan’s Animus. Layla doesn't need to be a descendant because she uses the "DNA extraction" method from blood samples found on Eivor’s remains. This was a major shift in the series' logic. It allowed Ubisoft to explore characters like Kassandra and Eivor without having to explain how their specific bloodline reached the modern day.
- Kassandra/Alexios: Ancestor to Aya, but not necessarily a direct ancestor to Desmond (though likely a distant relative).
- Arno Dorian: His lineage is separate. We see his memories through a "sample" rather than a direct descendant in the modern day.
- Jacob and Evie Frye: Their descendants are mentioned in the Last Descendants novels, but they don't lead to Desmond.
Mapping the Bloodline Connections
If you're trying to track the flow of "Eagle Vision," it looks sort of like this:
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The Isu (Juno, Minerva, Jupiter) created the template. Adam and Eve broke the mold. From there, the genes scattered. In the Ptolemaic era, we see the blend of Spartan royalty (Kassandra) and Egyptian protectors. By the time we hit the Crusades, the Levantine branch is dominant.
The Renaissance brings in the Auditore family, who were basically bankers with a side hustle in political assassination. Then the Kenway line introduces the British/Welsh element.
All of these people were essentially "carriers" for a specific genetic sequence that allows for the use of the Animus. Without that high concentration of Isu DNA, the Animus would just show a blur.
Actionable Steps for Lore Hunters
If you want to verify these connections yourself, don't just rely on the games. The games are only half the story.
First, check out the Assassin's Creed: Reflections comic book series. It fills in the gaps regarding what happened to Ezio and Altaïr's children. Second, read the Assassin's Creed: Essential Guide (the 2020 or 2022 editions). It specifically breaks down the "Sage" cycle and how the Kenway line was monitored by the Templars for decades.
To truly understand the Assassin's Creed family tree, you have to stop looking for a straight line. It’s a web of "forced" coincidences orchestrated by the Isu from across time. If you’re playing the newer games, pay attention to the "Notes" section in the modern-day laptops. That’s where the real family drama is hidden.
Look for the name "Elijah" in the logs. That is where the future of the bloodline is headed. The story of Desmond ended in a temple in 2012, but his DNA is still very much alive, and it’s arguably more dangerous now than it ever was when he was the one in the Animus.
Keep an eye on the "Hiren" folders in the newer games' database. They contain the most up-to-date info on how Abstergo is currently trying to map the remaining descendants of the Kenway and Auditore lines. The hunt for the "Perfect Bloodline" isn't over; it’s just moved from the Animus to the real world.