Who is the main playable character in the original Assassin's Creed?

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad is the main playable character in the original Assassin's Creed. He is a Syrian Assassin who serves as the game's historical protagonist during the Third Crusade in 1191.

At the beginning of the story, Altaïr's actions violate the Assassin Brotherhood's principles, causing him to lose rank and equipment. His mentor, Al Mualim, then assigns him a series of targets in the Levant. These missions form the central structure of the game and gradually reveal a larger conflict involving the Templars and Pieces of Eden.

Altaïr's name means “the flying one” in Arabic, while Ibn-La'Ahad means “son of no one.” The character later appears in other franchise material, including Assassin's Creed: Revelations, where his life is explored alongside Ezio Auditore's.

Altaïr is separate from Desmond Miles, the modern-day character whose genetic memories allow players to experience Altaïr's life.