Who is the playable hero of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag?

Edward Kenway is the playable hero of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.

Edward is a Welsh privateer who becomes involved with both the Assassins and Templars in the early eighteenth-century Caribbean. His ambition begins with the prospect of wealth, but his experiences gradually force him to reconsider his loyalties and the cost of pursuing freedom without responsibility.

Edward is the father of Haytham Kenway and the grandfather of Ratonhnhaké:ton, also known as Connor. That family connection makes Black Flag part of the broader Kenway narrative begun in Assassin's Creed III.

The game is especially associated with naval exploration, piracy, and Edward's ship, the Jackdaw. Edward Thatch, better known as Blackbeard, is a separate historical character who appears in the story, so his name is not the answer to this question.