Which Assassin's Creed title was the first to feature a playable female protagonist in the main series?

Assassin's Creed Syndicate was the first main-series Assassin's Creed title to feature a playable female protagonist, Evie Frye.

Syndicate, released in 2015, lets players control Evie Frye as well as her twin brother Jacob. Evie is a full playable protagonist with her own missions, abilities, and narrative focus, rather than only appearing as a supporting character.

Earlier releases had already included playable women in other forms. Aveline de Grandpré leads Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, a spin-off first released for PlayStation Vita in 2012. Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China also features Shao Jun, but it belongs to a separate side-scrolling series.

The distinction matters because “first in the series” can refer either to the broad franchise or to the main numbered-style console line. Syndicate is the commonly cited answer for the main series, while Liberation predates it as a spin-off.