Animus Subjects

Subjects are people who have been selected by Abstergo Industries for use in their experiments with genetic memory and the Animus. There are (or have been) at least seventeen Subjects, of which only 2 are ever mentioned in Assassin's Creed.

Known Subjects

Only subjects 16 and 17 are ever mentioned in the game. Subjects One through 15, as well as any that may exist after 17, are never shown, and never seen.

Desmond Miles (Subject 17)

Main article: Desmond Miles

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Subject 17, Desmond Miles

Desmond Miles is the true protagonist of Assassin's Creed.

Brought to Abstergo against his will, he was threatened with a coma and death if he did not participate in the Animus project. Giving in to the threat, he entered the Animus. He was made to recreate the actions of his ancestor Altaïr, in order to find the location of the Piece of Eden. Like Subject 16 before him, Desmond experiences the Bleeding effect. However, he only experiences a relatively minor change- the ability to use Eagle Vision like his ancestor. This is probably due to Lucy urging him to take breaks from the Animus. In Assassins Creed 2 though he gains all of Ezio's skills.

Subject 16

Main article: Subject 16

Subject Sixteen was the predecessor to Desmond Miles in Abstergo's experiments. His name is unknown, but he is at one point referred to as "Neumann". He is never seen in any game.

It is known that, due to the "Bleeding effect", Subject 16 went mad and wrote the cryptic messages throughout the animus room and his bedroom, using his own blood (most likely dying afterwards). He may also have, in his madness, murdered Leila and used her blood to write some of the cryptic messages as it is even stated by subject 16 himself that if he would have written all of the messages with his own blood he would have died before he finished.