Which fictional Assassin is the main protagonist of the original Assassin's Creed?

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad is the main protagonist of the original Assassin's Creed.

Altaïr is a Syrian Assassin active during the Third Crusade. The first game follows his fall from favor, his efforts to regain his rank, and his investigation of targets associated with the Templars. His missions take place in cities including Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus.

The character is voiced by Philip Shahbaz in the original game, while his later appearances use other performers. Altaïr also appears in Assassin's Creed: Revelations, which explores his life at several stages and links his story to Ezio Auditore's.

Players sometimes confuse Altaïr with Desmond Miles, who experiences Altaïr's memories through the Animus. Desmond is the modern-day framing character; Altaïr is the historical protagonist controlled in the original game's main sequences.