Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the last time fans of Ubisoft's series will be stepping into Layla Hassan’s shoes, with the game proving to be the final outing for the character. She made her mark during this time, completing her heroes’ journey and signing off on a positive note.
The events leading up to the conclusion saw Layla face several new challenges while struggling with the burden of the things she’d experienced up to this point. All this was conveyed through her dialogue, which reflected the mindset Layla was in and captured her development from the beginning to the end.
10 "If You Spend Too Much Time Narrowing Down What's Possible, You May Never Give Another Thought To The Improbable."
The series has long since stopped caring about historical accuracy and Valhalla got to the point where Layla met Desmond and the two decided to make calculations about how to save the Earth that might take centuries. However, she did instantly prove her worth upon meeting him.
Layla claimed that she and Desmond needed to look into alternate timelines and find out the solution to Earth’s catastrophe in those realities. She then uttered this quote when Desmond was impressed at her way of thinking out of the box.
9 "Often I Grasp Outside My Area Of Expertise. I Am Enthusiastic But Often Wrong."
Despite being the protagonist of the series, Layla knew there were mysteries she couldn’t solve. This didn’t stop her from trying, which she wrote down in her notes in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. She was also gracious in admitting her faults, going so far as to claim she was often wrong.
This was her strength in many ways, as Layla's enthusiasm to search for the truth didn’t falter even after she faced repeat failings. In the end, it was this tenacity of spirit that enabled Layla to join Desmond despite her being trapped with no way out.
8 "I Don't Have Covid, And I'm Well Isolated."
In a nod toward the real-world pandemic going on, Layla referenced the Covid-19 situation during the game. This is found in the e-mails to her brother, who asked her if she had disappeared because she’d contracted the virus.
It was a good way of letting gamers know that Ubisoft is aware of the dangers of the virus, allowing the main protagonist to communicate with the playerbase. She certainly did make it clear that being well isolated was the key.
7 "The Skies Will Be Clear, The Earthquakes Will Stop. And We'll Celebrate Ramadan Together."
The emails and files in Layla’s computer would make for good storylines of their own and checking these out provides some backstory for the protagonist. In the emails to her brother, Layla mentioned their childhood and how she was looking forward to stopping the catastrophe to return to her family.
This made for a nice way of representing the Muslim background she came from, as Layla confessed she was looking to celebrate the month of Ramadan with her family. The quote signifies the diverse line-up of protagonists Layla is a part of.
6 "It Felt Like Two Minds Fighting Over One Brain."
The story showed the breakdown of Layla’s sanity, as she struggled with keeping the memories of Eivor and Odin from overpowering her own psyche. Due to Eivor being a resurrection of Odin, Layla could sense both characters’ essences fighting within her.
It goes to show the incredible pressure Layla was dealing with, as she found it difficult to remain intact with her mindset when there were powerful memories actively attempting to take over her mind. This was her way of expressing the frustration that came with the job of entering the Animus.
5 "I Went Through Hell To Bring You Here, It Had Better Be Worth It."
The Staff of Hermes turned out to be more trouble than it was worth, with Layla losing her previous team after losing her senses under the influence of this Piece of Eden. She was shown to be racked with guilt over this moment at the beginning of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Layla came to resent the staff in some ways, even speaking to it when she spotted it in the cabin and reminding herself that the struggle to attain the thing was supposed to be worth the effort.
4 "Even When We Win, We Lose."
For all the tenacity of spirit Layla displayed, she did let herself embrace the anger that came with repeated failures. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla featured Layla in a frustrated state more than ever before, as she was quick to voice her displeasure.
While conversing with Shaun, and finding out that Desmond’s sacrifice only delayed the inevitable, Layla was angered that every victory entailed another loss. She was right for the most part, as every hero’s effort up until that point had been in vain.
3 "You're A Long Way From Home, Eivor."
This was a good way of voicing out what many players might have been thinking as well. Layla found Eivor’s grave in North America and questioned the logic behind this. This was due to Eivor being born in the 9th century, while Nordic explorers hadn’t reached these shores until 1000 AD.
As part of her musings and continued disdain over not having most of the answers, Layla threw this comment toward Eivor’s exhumed remains. There might have even been a hint of resentment, as Layla knew that Eivor had died at peace with her own adventures while she had to strive forward much more.
2 "If The Universe Were A Simulation, What Would It Matter?"
By this point, most of the things about the Animus don’t make sense. Layla lampshaded this after realizing that the First Civilization had created machines that showed characters false realities by way of simulating entire worlds.
Layla went into the philosophical point of things, wondering if anything would matter in the end if the entire universe were a simulation. This raises several questions of its own, as the entire conflict between the assassins and the Templars seems meaningless.
1 "Let's Get Going. A Few Billion Timelines Might Take A While."
This is one of the best quotes among all the characters, as it highlights how Layla ultimately came to accept her fate. After realizing she was trapped with Desmond and that her body was dead when Basim stole the Staff of Hermes, Layla decided to see the positives.
To this end, Layla offered Desmond help in calculating how they could save the world, even though she was now effectively dead and could do nothing about it. This was the way to close out her journey, with the implication that Layla was at peace with her decision.