Alexios

Alexios (c. 446 – 422 BCE), also known as Deimos, was a member of the Cult of Kosmos, a proto-Templar organization based in ancient Greece. The grandson of King Leonidas I of Sparta, he was the younger half-brother of Kassandra, who became an infamous mercenary.

Biography
Separated from his family as an infant during a plot orchestrated by the Cult of Kosmos, Alexios was taken in by the Cult because of his connection with the Isu. He was shaped to become a weapon to be used by the Cult, henceforth known by the name Deimos.

Eventually, his allegiance to the Cult of Kosmos put him at odds with his sister, who was attempting to dismantle the Cult's influence across Greece, in the midst of the Peloponnesian War, and to reunite their family.

Personality and traits
As Deimos, Alexios possessed a messiah complex, believing himself to be a demigod due to his Isu blood, someone who would bring order to the Greek world. Due to his harsh upbringing by the Cult of Kosmos, Deimos displayed almost no empathy for anyone and a strong lust for violence and warfare. His nature was extremely intimidating, to the point where even the Cult feared his unpredictable wrath.

However, beneath his exterior was an emotionally broken individual who finally snapped out of the Cult's brainwashing when Kassandra handed him her Spear as a reminder of their shared bloodline to King Leonidas. It was after this gesture, that Alexios broke down into tears for all the violence he had committed and was happy to be reunited with his family once again.

Equipment and skills
Thanks in part to his bloodline, and the Isu sword he possessed, Deimos displayed powerful feats in combat. He is able to thrust his sword into the ground to release blasts of energy and can even project beams of energy from the tip of his sword. His combat prowess was so vast, that was even able to brutally massacre Brasidas, a highly skilled and experienced Spartan warrior within a few seconds as well as go toe-to-toe with Kassandra and her Spear.

Behind the scenes
Alexios, Αλέξιος, is an Ancient Greek name meaning 'defender'. Deimos, Δεῖμος, meaning 'dread', was also the name for the deification of terror, regarded as the son of Ares and Aphrodite and the twin of Phobos, 'fear', in Greek mythology.
 * Etymology

Alexios is one of two selectable protagonists in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, alongside Kassandra. Regardless of whom the player chooses, the two protagonists share the same story. However, the novelization of the video game confirms that Alexios is not the canonical protagonist. If the player chooses Alexios as the protagonist then he and Kassandra's roles in the story are reversed, with Kassandra becoming Alexios' younger sister. Regardless, both characters share the same romance options.
 * Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

Dependant on choices made by Layla Hassan within her Animus HR-8.5 simulated environment, Alexios can survive beyond his historical death on Mount Taygetos and join the crew of the Adrestia, alongside Myrinne, Nikolaos, and Stentor. However, in the novel during the final confrontation, Alexios has lost the will to live and goads Kassandra into executing him by feinting threateningly towards Myrinne.

Alexios bears similarities to Deimos from the God of War franchise. Both are the younger brothers of Spartan warriors: Kassandra and Kratos respectively. Both are Spartans themselves. Both were kidnapped and tortured by the antagonists, resulting in their ruthlessness. Both were separated from their families at a young age due to antagonistic forces and a prophecy of the Oracle which foretold that they would bring about a cataclysm. For Alexios, this was the Cult of Kosmos and the fall of Sparta, and for God of War's Deimos, this was Ares and and the destruction of the Olympians. Finally, both eventually reconciled with their elder siblings (depending on the choice taken in Odyssey for Alexios).
 * Miscellaneous

As of January 2019, two thirds of Odyssey players have chosen Alexios as the protagonist. During playtesting, the split was 50/50.

Appearances

 * Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
 * Assassin's Creed: Odyssey novel
 * Assassin's Creed: Rebellion