Who is the playable protagonist of Assassin's Creed Rogue?

Shay Patrick Cormac is the playable protagonist of Assassin's Creed Rogue. He begins the game as an Assassin but defects to the Templar Order after becoming disillusioned with his former allies.

Rogue is set largely in the North Atlantic, the Appalachian River Valley, and New York during the eighteenth century. Its story takes place between Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed III, linking the colonial and pirate-era narratives.

Edward Kenway is the protagonist of Black Flag, while Arno Dorian leads Unity. Al Mualim is an important character in the first Assassin's Creed game but is not Rogue's playable hero. Shay's change of allegiance is the defining premise that distinguishes Rogue from most entries in the series.

The game also revisits characters such as Haytham Kenway and Achilles Davenport. Its naval gameplay builds on Black Flag while presenting the player as an Assassin hunter rather than as a conventional member of the Brotherhood.