Who is the protagonist controlled by players in the original Assassin's Creed?

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad is the protagonist controlled by players in the original Assassin's Creed.

Altaïr is a Syrian Assassin operating in the Levant during the Third Crusade. At the beginning of the game, he loses his rank after breaking the Brotherhood's rules during a mission. His mentor, Al Mualim, then assigns him a series of assassination targets, allowing Altaïr to restore his reputation while uncovering a larger conspiracy.

The game's modern-day storyline follows Desmond Miles, whose memories are accessed through the Animus. Desmond is therefore an important character, but he is not the historical protagonist players control for most of the original adventure. Ezio Auditore belongs to the next major protagonist arc, beginning with Assassin's Creed II.

Altaïr's name is sometimes written with different transliteration marks, including Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. The character later appears in other series material, including Assassin's Creed: Revelations, which connects his life with Ezio's story.