Which Assassin's Creed game introduced the naval protagonist Edward Kenway?

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag introduced Edward Kenway as its central protagonist.

Edward is a Welsh privateer who becomes involved with the Assassin–Templar conflict in the early eighteenth-century Caribbean. Unlike many earlier protagonists, he begins primarily motivated by wealth and opportunity rather than commitment to either faction. His transformation unfolds as he encounters figures including Blackbeard, Mary Read, and other pirates.

The game is known for making sailing and naval exploration central systems rather than occasional activities. Edward commands the Jackdaw, upgrades its weapons and hull, and travels among Caribbean ports and islands. Edward is also the grandfather of Haytham Kenway and the great-grandfather of Ratonhnhaké:ton, linking Black Flag to Assassin's Creed III's Kenway family story.