5 best protagonists in the Assassin’s Creed franchise

Assassin’s Creed is renowned for transporting players to different eras and time periods in human history. From the sandy deserts of Egypt to the icy Nordic lands, the franchise takes players on memorable journeys, allowing them to experience great locales, beautiful cities, and impressive gameplay mechanics. However, the driving force is always the game’s protagonist, who enhances the narrative and makes it interesting.

The series began with Altair as the main protagonist, and the mantle was then passed onto Ezio in the sequel, and so on. Over the years, the franchise has had its fair share of ups and downs but given us many memorable characters like Edward Kenway, Bayek of Siwa, Shay Cormac, and Arno Dorian.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer.

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Ezio, Edward Kenway, and three other best protagonists from the Assassin’s Creed Franchise

1) Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Ezio, one of the most revered protagonists in Assassin’s Creed, has partaken in three mainline games of the franchise - Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed Revelations. Players embark on a quest to avenge the death of his family and see him evolve as a key figure in the brotherhood of Assassins.

Ezio’s journey begins with a personal vendetta but, over the course of the games, he imbibes the core tenets of the creed and becomes devoted to the cause. His demeanor also evolves with the storyline. He began as a charming and playful young man but turned into a gruff and stoic Assassin determined to study the history of the order of Assassins over time.

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2) Edward Kenway

Edward Kenway is not technically an Assassin since his quest begins by robbing a real Assassin and donning his robes just to get closer to a mysterious trinket and earn money. As the story progresses, however, Edward realizes his folly and how his unidimensional desire for riches had adverse repercussions on the order of the Assassins.

Edward Kenway doesn’t lose his charm along the way and has always been a fan favorite. Featuring only in Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, Edward’s journey had many eventful moments, ranging from banding with his pirate mates to losing some of them and realizing that his way of life is ending.

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3) Bayek

Bayek is the true master of Assassins as he is the one who forms the Assassin’s Creed to combat the tyranny of the autocratic rulers of Egypt, and the world by extension. Introduced in the RPG reboot Assassin's Creed: Origins, Bayek has a personal grudge to settle against the mysterious figures in the top tier of the Egyptian rule hierarchy.

Bayek loves not only his family but the land of Egypt as a whole, which is reflected in his voice acting and memorable quests. While the game is visually stunning, it is Bayek’s dedication to uplifting his motherland and restoring order and respect for his culture that eventually makes him one of the best protagonists in Assassin’s Creed games.

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4) Shay Cormac

Shay Cormac is the protagonist of Assassin's Creed: Rogue and one of the only Assassins to raise doubts about the morality of the creed. Players will witness him being a sincere Assassin before transforming into a dedicated Templar and thwarting the creed.

Up until this game, players had come to expect to step into the shoes of a protagonist who just follows the orders of Master Assassins and eliminates Templars. Shay, on the other hand, flipped this expectation, and his questions about the morality of the creed are justified, which adds to the credibility of someone betraying the creed.

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5) Arno Dorian

Arno Dorian is the main protagonist of Assassin's Creed: Unity, which had a troubled launch. The major issues have been fixed now, and its detailed depiction of Paris is worth exploring.

In the game, Arno is wrongly accused of murdering his own guardian Francois de la Serre, a Templar. However, he is faced with a conflict as his love interest Elise (daughter of Francois de la Serre) believes him to be the murderer and her hate is exemplified due to his joining the order of Assassins.

Arno also has to unravel the mystery of his father’s death and ultimately stop the powerful Templars that are inclined to wield the Sword of Eden.

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Other Assassin’s Creed protagonists like Evie Frye, and Eivor deserve to be honorable mentions as they made their respective games worth playing.