Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad is the first playable protagonist introduced in the Assassin's Creed series. He is the central historical character in the original 2007 game and belongs to the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins.
Altaïr's story is set during the Third Crusade, chiefly in the cities of Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. At the start of the game, he is a highly ranked Assassin whose failure during a mission causes him to lose his status. His mentor, Al Mualim, orders him to complete a series of assassinations before restoring his rank.
The name Altaïr is commonly written with the Arabic patronymic Ibn-La'Ahad, meaning “son of no one.” The character later appears in Assassin's Creed: Revelations and is connected to Desmond Miles through the Animus.
Altaïr is sometimes confused with Ezio Auditore because Ezio became the most prominent early-series hero. Ezio, however, first appears in Assassin's Creed II, released after the original game.