For the past couple of months, I have been trying to figure out which Assassin’s Creed leading character is my favorite. There are so many at this point that choosing has been quite difficult. However, after taking some time to reflect, I selected my two favorites for best leading character from the franchise.
While I thoroughly enjoyed Connor Kenway (Ratonhnhaké:ton), I also became very fond of Shay Patrick Cormac over the years. These protagonists are an easy selection in the world of Assassin’s Creed. The different issues they encountered, as well as how they addressed the world, both served as prime reasons for why I chose them.
By analyzing both of them, I hope I can lead other folks to reflect on the franchise. You do not necessarily need a favorite, but hopefully, this will help show why these two characters are special.
Assassin’s Creed 3 – Connor Kenway
My first choice comes from Assassins Creed 3. From an objective standpoint, this choice is biased because AC3 was the first Assassin’s Creed game that I ever played.
I truly appreciate Connor because of his storyline. As a half-Mohawk, half-English character living in the time of the American Revolution, he had to deal with many obstacles. From losing his mother at a young age, to eventually having to kill his father, Haytham Kenway, Connor’s ordeals eventually put him on the outside of the world he is actively involved in.
I have always been a big fan of lone-wolf characters. By the end of AC3, it feels as though Connor has become the embodiment of this persona. He sees the flaws on both sides of the American Revolution and seems to take a step back to make sure that his decisions are reasonable by the time of the ending. He is not perfect, yet, it is quite clear that the consequences of his actions, no matter how great or small, linger in his mind.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue – Shay Cormac
Shay Patrick Cormac. The Assassin turned Templar. His story seems to be one of the few where an Assassin went rogue from the Creed.
From the very start of Shay’s story, I was hooked. The fact that he immediately had to deal with the Assassins doing work without understanding the consequences was interesting..His character seemed to be on the straightforward path of any Assassin, but seeing the destruction of Lisbon at the hands of the Assassins was pivotal in changing his course. Once he reaches the climactic point of his story, where he is shot by the Colonial Assassins, he is already mentally detached from the Assassins.
The latter half of the game is dedicated to Shay putting an end to the Assassins. His fixation follows the course of not necessarily putting an end to the people, but putting an end to the course of their actions. As a result of this, however, he does end up taking the lives of those he called his friends.
I don’t know if Shay ever felt the Templars were right, but I know his most interesting aspect was introspection. It never felt like he made decisions without thinking about them after Lisbon, and I loved that about him. For too long, characters have just performed actions for the sake of doing them. Instead, Shay’s spin is that he does things with a purpose. His actions have a unique rationale behind them.
Favorites in Perspective
Even though I do not have a favorite between the two, I can respect them both as equals. The series has always been top-notch, but these two characters defined it for me.
Connor Kenway was the first true experience I had in the AC world, so there is no question this influenced my favoritism towards him. Shay, while coming later, was a testament to the fact that it is ill-mannered to follow orders blindly.
The franchise will always be one of my favorites. Even though I have not played recently, I have been watching the cutscenes to keep track of the franchise. I cannot predict the future of the franchise, yet, I am excited to see where it goes. Were it up to me, I would probably try to figure out more ways to incorporate the United States, like a spinoff following the Civil War.
