Which Assassin's Creed game introduced Ezio Auditore da Firenze as its protagonist?

Assassin's Creed II introduced Ezio Auditore da Firenze as its protagonist.

Released in 2009, the game follows Ezio from his youth in Renaissance Florence through his transformation into an Assassin. The story takes him across several Italian locations, including Venice, Forlì, Tuscany, and the Vatican City. Its historical setting occurs more than two centuries after the original Assassin's Creed.

Ezio became one of the series' most recognizable characters. His story continues directly in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Assassin's Creed: Revelations, creating a connected trilogy. These later games show him as an experienced Assassin rather than a newly recruited one.

A common mix-up is to identify Brotherhood as Ezio's introduction because it is often more familiar for its Rome setting and Assassin recruitment system. However, Assassin's Creed II is the game that first establishes Ezio's family, motivation, training, and early adventures.