In Assassin's Creed II, which Renaissance artist and inventor becomes an ally of Ezio Auditore?

In Assassin's Creed II, Leonardo da Vinci becomes an ally of Ezio Auditore.

Leonardo appears throughout Ezio's story as a friend, engineer, and interpreter of ancient technology. He helps Ezio understand Codex pages left by Altaïr and uses his own mechanical knowledge to improve equipment, including the hidden blade and a flying machine.

The historical Leonardo da Vinci lived from 1452 to 1519 and was active as a painter, engineer, anatomist, and inventor. The game places a fictionalized version of him in Ezio's world while retaining recognizable elements of his Renaissance career and interests.

Players sometimes confuse Leonardo with the artists whose names inspired the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael. All four were important Italian Renaissance artists, but Leonardo is the one who serves as Ezio's recurring technical ally in Assassin's Creed II. The relationship also connects the game's fictional conspiracy plot with real Renaissance culture.