Which character is the first playable protagonist in Assassin's Creed III?

Haytham Kenway is the first playable protagonist in Assassin's Creed III.

Although Connor Kenway is the character most closely associated with the game's main story, Assassin's Creed III opens with several sequences in which players control Haytham. Haytham travels to colonial Boston and begins investigating a mysterious mission connected to the Templars and the search for an important location.

This opening deliberately creates uncertainty about Haytham's allegiance and identity. Later, the game reveals that he is a high-ranking Templar and Connor's father. Connor, whose Kanien'kehá:ka name is Ratonhnhaké:ton, becomes the principal playable Assassin after Haytham's introductory chapters.

The structure distinguishes Assassin's Creed III from many earlier entries, which generally introduce one primary hero immediately. Haytham's opening chapters also establish several figures and locations that remain important throughout the American Revolution setting.