The protagonist of the first Assassin's Creed game is Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.
Altaïr is a Syrian Assassin operating in the Levant during the Third Crusade. At the beginning of the 2007 game, he is a highly ranked but overconfident member of the Brotherhood. After a failed mission, his rank and equipment are taken away, forcing him to rebuild his reputation.
The game follows Altaïr as he investigates targets in cities including Masyaf, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. His missions gradually reveal a conspiracy involving the Templars and a powerful Piece of Eden. The historical setting is fictionalized, but several real political and religious figures appear.
Altaïr is sometimes confused with Ezio Auditore, the hero of the next major game. Ezio became the series' best-known early protagonist, but Altaïr is the central character of the original release and later returns in Assassin's Creed Revelations.