The Life, Death, and Legacy of Assassin’s Creed’s Connor…

On April 4, 1756, 269 years ago, a half-British, half-Mohawk named Ratonhnhake:ton was born, but for most Assassin’s Creed fans and members of the Assassin Brotherhood, this man was better known as Connor Kenway. In 2012, Connor was introduced to players as the fourth major protagonist in the mainline Assassin’s Creed franchise after Desmond Miles, Altair Ibn-La'Ahad, and Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and the final ancestor Miles would relive the memories of before his death. First appearing in Assassin’s Creed 3, Connor would go on to become one of the most popular characters in the franchise, appearing in two other games. With many players revisiting Connor’s story in response to A ssassin’s Creed Shadows, here’s an in-depth look at Connor’s life, death, and legacy for the franchise.

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The Complicated Family of Connor Kenway

When gamers first delved into Assassin’s Creed 3, most were already aware of Connor’s rich family tree, with 18th century man being a descendant of the legendary Assassins Altair Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze, as well as the ancestor of William and Desmond miles. However, fans were quickly shocked to learn just how complicated and tragic Connor’s immediate family history was. Connor is not the first character gamers play in the 18th century. Instead, the first three sequences of the game have players embody Connor’s father, Haytham Kenway, who is revealed to be the Grand Master of the Colonial Rite of the Templar Order, the Assassin Brotherhood’s archenemies. This was the first time gamers got to play as a Templar in Assassin’s Creed’s main campaign.

Tasked with establishing a Templar presence in the British colonies, opening the Isu Grand Temple, and eliminating the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood, Haytham would eventually encounter the Mohawk warrior Kaniehti꞉io, otherwise known as Ziio, in 1754. Together, Haytham and Ziio thwarted the British's efforts to encroach on Mohawk territory and assassinated General Edward Braddock in 1755 during the French and Indian War.

During these events, the two would briefly enter a romantic relationship together, with Haytham unknowingly fathering Connor before leaving to expand Templar control and continue destroying the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood. Ziio remained in colonial New England and raised Connor alone in a small Mohawk village until 1760, when she was killed by a British attack on the settlement.

Connor’s Discovery of his Assassin and Templar Lineage

Orphaned at the age of four, Connor is raised by his remaining members of the village, swearing to avenge his mother’s death. In 1769, Connor is sent to seek out the disgraced Mentor of the Assassin Colonial Brotherhood Achilles Davenport, to become an Assassin. Reluctantly, Davenport successfully trains Connor and aids him in eliminating Templar leaders within both the British Empire and the American Patriots during the Revolutionary War. It’s during Connor’s time with Davenport that he discovers who his father is, as well as his paternal grandfather, the legendary early 18th-century British Assassin Edward Kenway. By 1778, Connor and Haytham would encounter each other numerous times, with the two attempting to convert each other to their causes. Eventually, Connor was forced to assassinate his father to stop him from dominating the colonies.

Connor Kenway’s Life and Impact on Colonial America

Beyond Connor’s familial struggles and quest to defeat the Templars and free the people of North America, the Colonial Assassin repeatedly proves himself to be a selfless, resourceful, and skilled warrior. While training under Davenport, Connor discovers a deteriorating ship in the bay of the Davenport Homestead. With the help of Captain Robert Faulkner, Connor is able to restore the Aquila and uses it to support Patriots and colonists, trade supplies, and combat Templar naval forces. The Aquila additionally helps Connor reconnect with scattered remnants of the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood such as the Louisiana-based Assassin Aveline de Grandpre as seen in Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation.

Connor himself spearheads the reconstruction of the Colonial Brotherhood by helping downtrodden colonists and training them to become Assassins, such as:

Deborah Carter
Stephane Chapheau
Jamie Colley
Duncan Little
Clipper Wilkinson
Jacob Zenger

By the end of the Revolutionary War, Connor had successfully rooted out most Templar control within the young United States of America and had begun supporting other Assassins, such as those in the Parisian Brotherhood. Not every person Connor aided helped the Assassins, however. Throughout Assassin’s Creed 3, players could take part in Homestead missions, which had Connor rebuild the Davenport Homestead, help struggling colonists, and invite them to live on the estate. Connor further helped shape the young United States by directly helping several Founding Fathers, such as George Washington and the Sons of Liberty, as seen in Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR.

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The Death and Legacy of Connor Kenway

After the defeat of the Colonial Rite of the Templar Order with the deaths of Haytham Kenway and Charles Lee, little is known about Connor’s later life. In Assassin's Creed 3, Connor’s village is shown to have fled after the United States seized and sold their land. Despite this event, Connor still kept in touch with many leaders in the United States, such as when he helped free Washington from nightmares caused by an Apple of Eden in The Tyranny of King Washington DLC. Connor continued to help rebuild the Colonial Brotherhood, serving as its new leader, even requesting Grandpre to help recruit the former slave, Patience Gibbs, in Rhode Island in 1784.

Connor makes no other game appearances following the end of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag’s Aveline DLC, but some of his later life is depicted in books and graphic novels. In the novel Assassin’s Creed: Forsaken, Connor reads through Haytham’s journal to learn more about his father’s early life and what Haytham truly thought of his son. In the comic Assassin's Creed: Reflections, it is revealed Connor eventually joined another tribe and married a currently unknown woman. Together they had three daughters, but only one, Io:nhiote, possessed the Eagle Vision ability present in the Miles family line. Due to this ability, it’s presumed Io:nhiote is Desmond Miles’ direct ancestor after Connor.

Connor Kenway’s Legacy in the Assassin’s Creed Franchise

It’s currently unknown when exactly Connor Kenway died in the Assassin’s Creed timeline, but his impact and legacy on the franchise can forever be felt. Without Connor, the modern-day Assassins may never have existed, and the Templars could have dominated the entire US, if not the world. Connor’s actions paved the way not just for an improved generation of Assassins but for Desmond Miles to save the world from catastrophe in 2012. He was additionally the first major Native American protagonist portrayed in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, paving the way for more diverse characters and narratives to be featured in later games. While Connor’s story may have been divisive at launch, he’s gone on to become more accepted by fans for his rich, complex, story and groundbreaking naval gameplay.

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