In Assassin's Creed II, which Renaissance artist is revealed as an ally of Ezio Auditore?

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

Leonardo meets Ezio in Florence and becomes one of his most important civilian companions. He studies and improves the strange pages Ezio obtains from Altaïr's Codex, helping convert their diagrams into practical equipment. His workshop also supplies upgrades such as the hidden-blade mechanisms and a short period of flight using a glider.

The partnership reflects Leonardo's real historical reputation as a painter, engineer, inventor, and anatomist. Assassin's Creed II places him within a fictionalized version of Renaissance Italy while retaining recognizable details from his life and work.

Leonardo is not a member of the Assassin Brotherhood in the same way as Ezio. Instead, he is a trusted friend and technical collaborator. The game's later entries revisit him in Florence and Venice, making his relationship with Ezio a continuing thread rather than a one-time cameo.