When thinking of characters that are synonymous with the Assassin's Creed franchise, none come quite as close as Ezio Auditore da Firenze. As the primary protagonist of three significant mainline titles and the focus of an animated short film, Ezio is perhaps the single-most explored and storied character within the Assassin's Creed series.
Long-term fans of Assassin's Creed are deeply acquainted with Ezio, and so it is no wonder that many outside references or nods to the AC IP involve showcasing Ezio or his iconic garb and equipment. The recognizability of Ezio in relation to Assassin's Creed is best conveyed via his multitude of appearances in other non-AC titles across the industry, with many crossovers and promotional events for other games including Ezio in some shape or form.
Ezio In Battle Royales
Interestingly, many of Ezio's more contemporary appearances within non-Assassin's Creed titles come in the form of battle royales, with the addictive multiplayer of these kinds of titles fostering lots in the way of crossovers and in-game skins relating to other franchises. Perhaps most famously, Ezio appeared as a playable character within Fortnite, befit with his own hidden blade pickaxe and a unique "assassin's strike" emote.
In addition to this, Ezio appeared as a playable character in Fall Guys as a part of a widespread Assassin's Creed crossover event. More specifically, players could unlock Ezio's unique and iconic assassin outfit in-game for their characters to wear as a part of the event. Lastly, players could also unlock Ezio's outfit within the free-to-play mobile battle royale Free Fire, which itself held a comprehensive crossover event with the wider AC franchise.
Ezio's Outfit In Other Titles
Ever since the 2009 release of Assassin's Creed 2, many of Ezio's crossovers with other games have mainly concerned the implementation of Ezio's robes in other titles. For example, players could unlock Ezio's iconic outfit in the likes of Little Big Planet, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, PowerUp Heroes, Monster Hunter World, and even Final Fantasy XIII-2.
Promotional material for Ezio spanned as far as 2011's Assassin's Creed Revelations, which saw several in-game items become available in Team Fortress 2. These items primarily took the form of Ezio's weapons and clothing, originally being made available as a bonus for TF2 players who pre-ordered Revelations.
Ezio In For Honor
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ezio has also appeared as a boss-fight within For Honor, another entity owned by Ubisoft. For Honor sees the best castes of fighters from world history pitted against one another, and so it is no wonder that Ezio and his combat prowess make an appearance in-game.
This appearance took the form of a limited in-game event, in which players could challenge and duel Ezio in multiplayer matches. With Ezio also acting as the announcer throughout this event, his For Honor appearance is one of his most expansive outside the AC franchise.
Ezio In Brawlhalla and Soulcalibur 5
Ezio has appeared extensively within other fighting games over the years, giving further credence to the combat effectiveness of the figure. For example, Ezio appeared in the cartoonishly-styled Brawlhalla in 2022 as a powerful playable character, even boasting a huge range of cosmetic variant skins that saw him become quite popular in-game.
In addition to this, Ezio appeared extensively within 2012's Soulcalibur 5, playing a large role withing the game's non-canon story as a guest character. Within the game, players can control Ezio who is transported forward in time, then facing off against the many other characters belonging to the Soulcalibur franchise as a result. While the Assassin's Creed franchise is one of many memorable characters, perhaps none are as iconic as Ezio Auditore, as evidenced in the plethora of crossover appearances he has made in other games.