Which character is the playable pirate captain in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag?

Edward Kenway is the playable pirate captain in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.

Edward is a Welsh privateer who turns to piracy during the early eighteenth-century Golden Age of Piracy. After taking the clothing of an Assassin, he becomes entangled in the conflict between Assassins and Templars while sailing across the Caribbean. His ship, the Jackdaw, is central to exploration, naval combat, and boarding missions.

Black Flag was released in 2013 and includes historical figures such as Edward Thatch, better known as Blackbeard, and Benjamin Hornigold. These real pirates appear as characters, but they are not the player character. Edward's story also connects the game to the wider Kenway family.

Edward is the father of Haytham Kenway and the grandfather of Ratonhnhaké:ton, also known as Connor, the protagonist of Assassin's Creed III. Haytham and Connor therefore belong to the same family but have different roles in the series' historical conflict.