The player character in Assassin's Creed Unity, set during the French Revolution, is Arno Dorian.
Arno is a French Assassin whose story unfolds mainly in Paris from 1789 onward. He becomes involved with the Brotherhood after the death of his adoptive father and investigates a conspiracy connected to the Templars and the revolutionary turmoil.
The game portrays major events and locations associated with the French Revolution, including the storming of the Bastille and the execution of Louis XVI. Its historical narrative is fictionalized and places Arno alongside real figures and events.
Élise de la Serre is often mistaken for the protagonist because she is central to the plot. She is Arno's childhood friend and a Templar, while Arno is the character controlled throughout the main campaign.