Edward Kenway is the Welsh-born pirate who becomes an Assassin in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
Edward is the central protagonist of the 2013 game, whose main historical setting is the Caribbean during the early 18th-century Golden Age of Piracy. He begins as a privateer and pirate motivated by wealth and opportunity rather than a commitment to either the Assassins or the Templars. After taking the identity of an Assassin, he becomes entangled in the conflict between the two factions.
The game features famous pirate figures including Blackbeard, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read. Edward's story combines naval exploration, ship combat, island traversal, stealth, and treasure hunting. His development is built around gradually understanding the consequences of pursuing personal gain without a larger purpose.
Edward is the father of Haytham Kenway and the grandfather of Ratonhnhaké:ton, also known as Connor. Haytham is a Templar protagonist in Assassin's Creed III, while Connor fights for the Assassins. That family connection makes the Kenways one of the series' most important bloodlines.