In the Assassin's Creed series, which Italian assassin stars in Assassin's Creed II?

Ezio Auditore is the Italian assassin who stars in Assassin's Creed II.

The game follows Ezio from his youth in Florence through his transformation into an Assassin. Its historical story spans much of the Italian Renaissance, with major locations including Florence, Venice, Monteriggioni, and Forlì. Ezio becomes involved in a conflict with the Templar Order after his family is executed as part of a political conspiracy.

Assassin's Creed II was released in 2009 and introduced a substantially larger range of activities than the first game, including property management, equipment upgrades, and expanded social stealth. Ezio's story continued in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Assassin's Creed: Revelations, making him the series' most extensively developed historical protagonist.

Ezio is not the same character as Altaïr, whose story is set during the Crusades. He is also distinct from Desmond Miles, the modern-day character whose genetic memories include Ezio's life.