Who is the playable assassin in the first Assassin's Creed video game?

The playable assassin in the first Assassin's Creed video game is Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. He is a Syrian Assassin and the central historical character in the 2007 original game.

Altaïr's story unfolds in cities including Masyaf, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus during the Third Crusade. At the beginning, his arrogance causes him to lose rank and equipment, forcing him to rebuild his reputation through missions assigned by the Brotherhood.

The character is connected to Desmond Miles through the Animus, which allows Desmond to relive ancestral memories. Altaïr also appears in later franchise material, including Assassin's Creed: Revelations.

Altaïr is distinct from Ezio Auditore, the Italian protagonist of the next main entry. His name is commonly rendered with a diacritic, although simplified spellings also appear in some references.