In Assassin’s Creed, which Assassin serves as the game’s principal historical protagonist?

Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad is the principal historical protagonist of the first Assassin’s Creed game. He is an Assassin operating in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade, and the player experiences his missions through Desmond Miles’s Animus sessions.

At the beginning of the game, Altaïr’s rank and equipment are reduced after he violates the Brotherhood’s code during a failed mission. His mentor, Al Mualim, assigns him targets in cities including Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. Completing these investigations gradually reveals a larger Templar plan involving Pieces of Eden.

Altaïr is distinct from Ezio Auditore, the protagonist of the next major storyline, and from Bayek of Siwa, whose story takes place much earlier in ancient Egypt. Altaïr’s campaign established the series’ recurring Assassin, Templar, and Animus framework.