The Assassin’s Creed series has had no shortage of memorable protagonists, but there are definitely some who made a better impression than others. With frequent game releases since 2007 that touch on a wide range of historical settings and stories, Assassin’s Creed has covered a lot of ground. Different cultural and narrative contexts offer a lot of variety in protagonist characterization, although there’s a consistency in generally striving to be cool.

The best Assassin’s Creed protagonists are ones with interesting arcs that make it easy to be invested in their growth, as it’s a lot harder to care about the stories if flat characters are driving them. Appreciably, some of the protagonists who pull this off the best still manage to do so in different ways, and even the weaker ones are never a complete waste. Ezio Auditore da Firenze might remain a fan-favorite, but every good Assassin’s Creed protagonist hasn’t just been his clone.

13

Jacob Frye Is The Over-Used Sibling

The Assassin’s Creed series has always balked at committing to female protagonists. Although some have appeared, they’ve consistently been as shared protagonists or optional choices outside of spin-off games. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is one example of the series pairing a male protagonist with a female one, and although the game gets some worthwhile mileage out of the sibling concept with Jacob and Evie Frye, it fails to make everything work as well as it could.

Jacob can be a funny and engaging character, but his usage in the game ends up leaving Evie with a lesser role than she deserved. She’s arguably the more interesting character, but Jacob wastes the spotlight with more frequent and significant missions. If Jacob was used in moderation, it would be easier to love him, but he just wasn’t utilized in the right way.

12

Shay Cormac Wastes Some Opportunities

Assassin’s Creed Rogue leaned into an interesting twist on the franchise, following a character named Shay Cormac who starts to question the ideology and behavior of the Assassins. He ends up defecting to the Templars, which could make for a valuable change in perspective. It’s a difficult narrative gambit to pull off, however, and Shay’s characterization can feel a bit inconsistent and imperfectly executed in the game’s struggle to make everything work.

The worst condemnation for Shay is probably that Asssassin’s Creed 3 already offered an arguably better look at the Templar Order in a much briefer story segment. Ideally, Shay should represent a look at why the Templars can believe in their fundamental ideals and mean well by them, but the game ultimately simplifies a segment of the Templars to dodge a lot of the classic questions about their beliefs. He’s not a bad character, but a bit of a wasted opportunity.

11

Alexios Shouldn’t Be The Protagonist

Alexios is another example of a perfectly fine male protagonist failing to live up to the game’s female protagonist, in this case serving as a main character option for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. He’s not a bad character by any means, and his vivid, sometimes humorous personality can be endearing. He doesn’t work as well in the lead role, however, as the game was originally written with Kassandra as the sole protagonist.

Alexios can ultimately be best appreciated in a Kassandra playthrough, where he takes on the antagonistic role of Deimos. His over-the-top personality shines in this arrangement, while Kassandra works best as a more classically heroic lead. It’s another case of the general struggle that’s seen with weaker Assassin’s Creed protagonists, where potentially strong characters just aren’t used in the ways that suit them best.

10

Eivor Doesn’t Stand Out Enough In AC: Valhalla

Eivor represents a different approach to the question of the protagonist’s gender, as the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla protagonist can simply be either male or female while being the same basic character. In either form, however, Eivor doesn’t particularly stand out among Assassin’s Creed protagonists. There isn’t a huge spark of character there, and a respectable personality and set of beliefs doesn’t completely make up for that.

Not every Assassin’s Creed protagonist has to be a major charmer, but Eivor can feel weirdly distanced from too many events in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Part of it may just be how far the style of Valhalla is from a lot of classic Assassin’s Creed hallmarks (and how long and full of endless side content the game can be), but the series does better with some stoic protagonists elsewhere.

9

Arno Dorian Is A Bit Divisive

A lot of negative reactions to Arno might have been somewhat colored by the general disaster of Assassin’s Creed Unity‘s launch, and like the game in general at this point, he does have a lot of fans. Arno isn’t perfect, and that’s what makes him interesting. His personal failings and consistent struggles make him one of the more thoroughly humanized Assassin’s Creed protagonists.

Interest in Arno will ultimately come down to personal tolerance for how much he can let his emotions get in the way. If that sounds like an interesting character failing to spend time with, then he could be one of the most engaging in the series, even if it’s approached in a somewhat tropey way. If it doesn’t, watching him wallow at his lower points could end up feeling like a drag.

8

Basim Ibn Ishaq Checks All The Assasin’s Creed Boxes

Basim is a protagonist that’s hard to take much issue with, as he’s both likable and ultimately more interesting than that likability might betray. Those who knew him from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla before Mirage will already be well-aware that his character arc goes to potentially unexpected places, but seeing it go there is engaging regardless and connects things in a meaningful way.

Basim isn’t a character that’s being driven toward any particularly strong trope, instead representing a man with good priorities who ultimately starts to question the choices and secrets of those around him. Mirage lacks some of the memorable presentation and dynamic scenes that drive the best Assassin’s Creed stories, which can let down the portrayal of his written character arc a bit. Even so, he remains an undeniably solid Assassin’s Creed character.

7

Connor Kenway Is An Underrated AC Protagonist

As the direct follow-up to Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Connor Kenway of Assassin’s Creed 3 never stood much of a chance. Going from Ezio’s charisma to a character that felt much less witty and charismatic was a tough sell, and complaints about the game in general didn’t help the transition much. When taken on his own right, however, Connor is a very human and compelling protagonist who deserves better than his reputation.

What’s cool about Connor is just how different he is from Ezio, likewise struggling to gain maturity, wisdom, and temperance, but in a very different way. He’s also uniquely positioned to have a nuanced and interesting perspective on the American Revolution, and his relationship with Haytham Kenway is an engaging thread to explore. Some of his best material might be hidden in side content, but it’s well worth giving Connor another chance.

6

Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad Started It All

Altaïr deserves some credit for starting the Assassin’s Creed franchise off right, even if the first game feels like a prototype that Assassin’s Creed 2 evolved on in many ways. He’s definitely on the stoic side of Assassin’s Creed protagonist, taking his Assassin duties very seriously. This results in some skill that can’t be sneezed at, although it does leave him with a less personable demeanor.

The biggest benefit that Altaïr has is how much the series has been able to expand on his character over the years. From the novel Assassin’s Creed: The Secret Crusade to his codex that can be read in Assassin’s Creed 2, there’s a lot to flesh out his original appearance. Even without any of that, though, he’s still a respectable Assassin’s Creed protagonist despite his comparative lack of charm.

5

Evie Frye Deserves More Assassin’s Creed Attention

The Evie Frye problem loops back around to the other side of the Jacob Frye issue — she feels unfortunately under-utilized in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. Even with that sidelining, however, she definitely makes an impression. With Jacob covering a more brawl-focused style, she leans into a stealth focus, which arguably brings out the best side of Assassin’s Creed.

Considering how common it is for Assassin’s Creed characters to run around causing chaos, it’s cool to see a character focused on covering for mistakes and cleaning up messes. She might have a chance to be one of the very best characters if this wasn’t really all she got to do, but a sense of humor and a great performance still prevent her from being one-dimensional and blend some of the best features of the most memorable Assassins in the series.

4

Bayek Of Siwa Has A Great Performance

Voice acting can go a long way in making a video game character great, and few examples of that are stronger than Bayek of Siwa. Abubakar Salim plays the Assassin’s Creed Origins protagonist in a way that consistently conveys all the smallest nuances of his emotion, and the depth of the performance makes it easy to become emotionally invested in his quest.

Bayek displays many of the best qualities associated with Assassins, with wide-ranging wisdom and a willingness to help any who are in need. He also simmers with anger at the injustice he and others have faced, which adds just enough darkness to the story to give it weight. As the founder of the Hidden Ones that serve as the precursor to the Assassin Brotherhood, it’s important to be able to see how Bayek’s ideals eventually become the Brotherhood’s, and Assassin’s Creed Origins manages that without a hitch.

3

Kassandra Balances The Best Assassin’s Creed Traits

The greatness of Kassandra is how well she balances character traits. Her toughness is counterbalanced with a soft side whenever it’s necessary, and her serious intent is married with a great use of sarcasm that can sometimes be a bit unpredictable. She’s also another situation where the character is heavily elevated by exceptional voice acting, which is one of the reasons why everyone should at least try her out as the Asssassin’s Creed Odyssey protagonist.

The RPG aspects of Odyssey do make it a bit hard for Kassandra to have a perfectly honed character arc designed around one experience, which other standout Assassins can all boast. At the same time, exploring relationships and avenues with Kassandra consistently leads to interesting results, and she earns a place as one of the best protagonists in the series.

2

Edward Kenway Has A Compelling Character Arc

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is a common fan favorite, and Edward Kenway played no small part in securing that legacy. The piratical flavor demands a different sort of protagonist than any that came before, and Edward delivers just that. He’s brash and bold in a different manner, seizing whatever opportunities he gets to secure a better life, even when those do end up sometimes harming others.

The tragic elements of Edward’s story ultimately make it particularly compelling, and his arc over the course of the game is arguably one of the best that Assassin’s Creed has to offer. Rather than feeling like someone destined to be an Assassin from the start, he’s someone who has to go through a lot and make some major mistakes to get there, turning the process into something especially rewarding.

1

Ezio Auditore Da Firenze Is An Icon For A Reason

At the end of the day, there’s one Assassin that has defined the series more than any, and it’s not without good reason. Ezio Auditore da Firenze is that rare protagonist that leaps off the screen with extraordinary charisma, making every scene in a trilogy centered around him count.

Ezio undergoes a significant evolution from a devil-may-care playboy to an Assassin who cares deeply about his duties, but he never loses that spark along the way. His wit is consistently engaging while never overdone, and his interactions with many other memorable characters are often easier to remember than the highlights of other Assassin’s Creed games. Plus, there’s just no other Assassin’s Creed protagonist who could say “requiescat in pace” like Ezio can, and that alone might be reason enough for him to take the crown.