The playable protagonist of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is the pirate and former privateer Edward Kenway.
Edward is a Welsh sailor who turns to piracy during the early eighteenth century. His search for wealth leads him into the conflict between the Assassins and Templars, and he eventually acquires the identity and equipment of an Assassin. The game combines naval exploration, ship combat, island travel, and historical pirate characters.
Edward Kenway is also part of the wider Kenway family. He is the father of Haytham Kenway and the grandfather of Ratonhnhaké:ton, the protagonist of Assassin's Creed III. Edward Thatch, better known as Blackbeard, is a separate historical pirate who appears as a character in Black Flag.