Highlights

  • The main characters of the Assassin's Creed franchise, such as Ezio Auditore and Desmond Miles, have had a long-lasting impact on fans due to their screen-time and character development.
  • Edward Kenway and Bayek of Siwa, from AC: Black Flag and AC: Origins respectively, have also been highly memorable protagonists with compelling stories that have resonated with players.
  • Eivor from Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Alexios/Kassandra from AC Odyssey, and Altair from the original game are also highly regarded characters, each bringing their own unique qualities and narrative contributions to the franchise.

The Assassin's Creed franchise has released a wide range of popular titles since its inception in 2007. While a big appeal of these games are the different eras of human history that they portray, the main characters of any installment are ultimately the most important aspect.

As the Assassin's Creed games have increased in scale and popularity, the main characters of the releases have only grown in presence, with some of the most iconic characters in gaming hailing from the IP. Even some of the earliest protagonists in Assassin's Creed hold a great legacy in the hearts of many fans, with some key assassins having a more long-lasting impact than others.

This tier list will only be focusing on the protagonists of mainline Assassin's Creed releases.

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S-Tier

  • Ezio Auditore
  • Desmond Miles
  • Edward Kenway
  • Bayek of Siwa

The protagonists in this tier are rated so highly either thanks to their intense amount of screen-time or the compelling isolated stories that they were apart of. Both Ezio Auditore and Desmond Miles have grown to become the faces of the Assassin's Creed franchise, with Ezio being the core protagonist of three popular titles and Desmond being the center of the modern-day narratives of the first five installments to the IP.

Besides their large amount of screen-time, Ezio and Desmond wowed fans with their flair and character development over time. Edward Kenway and Bayek of Siwa achieve this same feat in their respective titles. Edward's larger-than-life presence as a pirate-turned-assassin appealed to a huge amount of AC fans, with his role in AC: Black Flag being a huge part of why the game is looked back upon so fondly.

Bayek's genuinely touching tale of vengeance and morality had a similar impact on fans, making Bayek a beacon of hope during Assassin's Creed's stormy transition into open-world RPG releases with 2017's Origins. With Bayek also being one of the key founders of the Hidden Ones and therefore the Assassin Brotherhood itself, Bayek is arguably one of the most important figures across the entire franchise, only aiding his memorability and overall impact.

A-Tier

  • Eivor Varinsdottir
  • Alexios/Kassandra
  • Altair Ibn-La'Ahad

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Eivor has also established herself in the top rankings of the franchise's protagonists, with fans experiencing her story starting from childhood. While dealing with significant trauma and hardship of her own, Eivor maintained an endearing passion to help others, rising to the head of her clan and establishing a thriving community away from her homeland. Eivor's individual achievements are intensely impressive, with her leadership skills and positive outlook making for a fantastically well-rounded main character.

AC Oddyssey gave fans a choice between Alexios and Kassandra as main characters. Both figures essentially act in the same way throughout the story. The game's fantastical take on Ancient Greece was reflected in the humor and wit of Alexios/Kassandra, offering a generally more lighthearted protagonist than what the franchise usually employs.

Altair was the protagonist that started it all for Assassin's Creed, taking the helm of the IP all the way back in 2007. While Altair lacks a lot of the personality and deeper emotions of many protagonists that followed him, his ruthless efficiency and dedication to the cause showed fans exactly what the Creed stood for, setting a high standard for future main characters to strive towards.

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B-Tier

  • Basim Ibn Ishaq
  • Jacob and Evie Frye

Basim recently appeared as the protagonist of Assassin's Creed Mirage, having first been portrayed as a side-character and shock antagonist of Valhalla. Basim's story is arguably the most complex of any AC protagonist, due to the fact he is a Sage of the Isu God, Loki. This leads to a conflict within Basim as he battles with the repressed memories of a past life, adding a fantastic element to his story. While his presence still pales in comparison to those ranked above him, Basim offers a truly unique tale within the AC universe.

Jacob and Evie Frye were dual protagonists in Assassin's Creed Syndicate, with the player switching between them to use different playstyles. Both protagonists had an unforgettable connection as twin siblings, with Evie also serving as the first steps for female main characters in the mainline franchise. The choice of two simultaneous protagonists sadly gave them both less individual presence than the main characters of other games, but the Frye twins hold an important role in the IP's history nonetheless.

C-Tier

  • Connor
  • Arno Dorian

Connor, also known as Ratonhnhake:ton, was the half-British, half-Mohawk protagonist of Assassin's Creed 3. The figure's shared heritage led to a fascinatingly poignant conflict of belonging and purpose, with Connor's story being one of the most heartbreaking across the IP. These traits also make Connor a very jaded and silent protagonist, which sadly reduces his overall memorability.

Lastly, Arno Dorian was the core figure of Assassin's Creed Unity, being a French-Austrian noble who fell into the Creed following the death of his father. Arno's story mirrored a lot of Ezio's origins without the necessary screen-time and personality to make him an impactful protagonist, and the initial negative reception of Unity only damaged Arno's overall reputation further. Assassin's Creed has done extremely well to tell a broad range of stories and characters, but it is clear that some have left a much more gripping impression than others.