Ratonhnhaké:ton

"Compromise. That's what everyone has insisted on. And so I have learnt it. But differently than most, I think. I realize now that it will take time, that the road ahead is long and shrouded in darkness. It is a road that will not always take me where I wish to go - and I doubt I will live to see it end. But I will travel down it nonetheless. For at my side walks hope. In the face of all that insists I turn back, I carry on: this, this is my compromise."

- Ratonhnhaké:ton

Ratonhnhaké:ton (1756 - unknown), known by the adopted name of Connor, was a Native American Assassin of the Kanien'kehá:ka during the American Revolutionary War. He was also an ancestor of Desmond Miles.

Early life
"On this land, I am torn. Part of me wants to fight and repel all outsiders. The other part of me is the outsider."

- Ratonhnhaké:ton reflecting on his parentage

Born to Haytham Kenway and Kaniehtí:io, Ratonhnhaké:ton was raised among his mother's village in Kanatahséton. His childhood was spent in the company of the other children in his village, including Kanen'tó:kon, whom he remained close friends with into his later life. When Ratonhnhaké:ton was five, he was assaulted by several members of the Templar Order, who were seeking the Precursor site rumored to be near Kanatahséton. He demanded to know the name of the leader of the group, and Charles Lee answered him, amused why he wanted to know. Ratonhnhaké:ton promised that he would find him, but the Templar only brushed off his statement.

Ratonhnhaké:ton's life was spared, though he was knocked unconscious, and woke to find his village in flames; an attack that he mistakenly assumed that Lee and his Templar brethren had been responsible for. The event took Ratonhnhaké:ton's mother from him, and would later prompt him to seek justice for his people and fight tyranny wherever he saw it.

Joining the Assassins
"The others in the village - they thought this was something I wanted. Something I chose to do. But it never felt that way to me. No, it was not a choice. It was an obligation."

- Ratonhnhaké:ton, on seeking the Assassins

Ratonhnhaké:ton remained in his village until 1769, but would always question why his people were not allowed to leave the valley they inhabited. When he was 14, he finally gained some answers from the Clan Mother, who met with him in private to explain. She showed Ratonhnhaké:ton a Crystal Ball, and told him that their people had been tasked with guarding a secret on their lands. Upon holding the Piece of Eden, Ratonhnhaké:ton heard the voice of Juno, and found himself standing in the Nexus.

Juno led him on a "spirit journey", giving him the form of an eagle as she led him through a foggy landscape. She told him that the path he was taking would allow the Templars to gain premature access to the Grand Temple, and bring the world into ruin. She instructed him to seek out a certain symbol that would lead him to the right path.

Upon regaining consciousness, Ratonhnhaké:ton found himself at the edge of the valley by a river. As he drew the symbol he had been shown into the sand on the river bank, the Clan Mother came up behind him, and asked where he had seen it. He explained that a spirit had shown it to him, and the Clan Mother understood what was being asked of him.

She directed him to a homestead that lay in the east, where she claimed to have seen the symbol before, and formally gave him permission to depart the valley. Ratonhnhaké:ton crossed the Frontier, and arrived at a run-down manor, sometime in the year 1769. He knocked on the door, and was greeted by an elderly man. Ratonhnhaké:ton hesitantly stated that he had been told to go there for training, but the man only denied him and shut the door in his face. After spending a night in the nearby stables, the young Mohawk tried again the following morning, but the man only yelled at him to get off his land.

He persisted stubbornly, banging on the manor's back door, and climbing up onto the balcony to try to gain entrance there, but the man intercepted him. He threw Ratonhnhaké:ton to the ground and sternly insisted that he move on, as the world already had. Ratonhnhaké:ton returned to the stables, angrily calling back that he would not leave until the man agreed to train him.

That night, bandits infiltrated the homestead, and passed by the stables as they discussed their attack. Ratonhnhaké:ton, woken by their voices, asked them what they were doing there. The bandits attacked him, though he was able to fend them all off. However, the leader of the bandits hit him from behind, knocking him to the ground and questioning him whether he was working for the owner of the homestead. At that moment, the old man came to Ratonhnhaké:ton's rescue, stabbing the bandit leader in the back.

He bade Ratonhnhaké:ton to clean up the mess, then follow him into the manor so they could talk. There, the man finally told him about the conflict between the Assassins and Templars, and revealed himself to be a Master Assassin named Achilles Davenport. He also showed him a hidden room in the basement of the manor, which held an Assassin's uniform and a pair of Hidden Blades. Achilles then led him a wall that held the names and portraits of the Templars in the colonies, namely William Johnson, John Pitcairn, Thomas Hickey, Nicholas Biddle, Benjamin Church, Charles Lee, and Ratonhnhaké:ton's father, Haytham Kenway, Grand Master of the Templar Order's Colonial Rite.

Boston Massacre
Achilles continued to train Ratonhnhaké:ton for the next few months at the homestead. In March of 1770, he invited Ratonhnhaké:ton to come with him to Boston, where they could purchase supplies for repairing the manor. There, in order for Ratonhnhaké:ton to more easily move through colonial circles, Achilles suggested that he take on the name "Connor"; after his son, Connor Davenport, who had died a few years previously, and also said that his skin was light enough to pass as someone from Italian or Spanish descent.

Connor was awed by the sights and life of the city, so much so that Achilles needed to scold him for staring at passing townspeople. Achilles then directed him to a nearby general store to buy lumber and other construction material, and have them brought back to their carriage.

After purchasing the items on Achilles' list, Connor passed by a rioting crowd, who were yelling at the local British Army soldiers to leave their city. Connor returned to Achilles' side as they observed the uproar, until they spotted Haytham Kenway speaking with another man in the crowd. Achilles, worried that the Templar would worsen the already delicate situation, sent Connor to discover what Haytham and his associate were planning.

Despite wishing to approach his father, Connor obeyed Achilles' instruction to follow the other man instead. Connor tailed him up onto the rooftops, and was able to stop the man from firing a shot into the crowd. However, Charles Lee, who had standing on a rooftop on the opposite side of the street, fired his pistol into the air and caused the British soldiers to attack Boston's citizens in a violent massacre. In the confusion, Haytham approached one of the guards and pointed out Connor, prompting several soldiers to pursue him through the city, and later accuse him of firing the first shot.

Upon managing to escape the guards, Connor was approached by a man, who instructed him to seek out someone who could help him, Samuel Adams. Samuel aided Connor in clearing his name by teaching him to remove wanted posters, and to bribe either town criers or printing shops to announce false propaganda. Afterwards, Samuel led Connor to Boston's port, where Connor could safely sail back to the Davenport Homestead. After returning to the homestead, Connor angrily confronted Achilles, accusing him for abandoning him in Boston, but Achilles only calmly remarked that the day of experience had been more valuable than months of training. In acknowledgement of his achievements, Achilles finally entrusted Connor with two Hidden Blades.

Restoring the Homestead
Shortly after their return from Boston, Connor and Achilles were alerted by a man banging on the window of the manor and calling for help. Connor immediately followed him to the nearby river, and saw a second man clinging to an adrift log, which was rapidly heading towards a waterfall. Connor chased him along the riverbank, before jumping into the water to save him from falling down the waterfall ahead.

After finding out that the two, Godfrey and Terry, were loggers that were seeking a place to build a mill, Connor offered them a good location on the homestead. Grateful, the two men and their families set up their homes on the property, marking the first of many residents of the homestead to come. Over the next few years, he would help many people around the area, and request them to settle near homestead, which grew into a small community. He would buy raw materials and crafted goods from the residents and sell them through convoys. He protected the residents from outsiders as well.

A little while after saving Terry, Achilles instructed Connor to meet him by the homestead dock, in order to look over something that he simply called "an asset". Upon arriving, Connor saw the remains of a ship in disrepair, as well as a small shack overlooking the bay. He and Achilles entered the shack and met with Robert Faulkner, the First Mate of the ship in the harbor, the Aquila. Connor offered to pay for the ship's repairs, and Robert gladly agreed to gather a crew for her, and restore her to sailing capability. For the next three years, Connor trained with Achilles.

After the Aquila had been repaired, Robert invited Connor along to have the ship fitted with cannons. Connor joined him without hesitation, and the two were out at sea for weeks, where Robert taught Connor to both sail the ship and fire her cannons. They dealt with a few privateers, before making their way back. On his return, he heard a drunken man shout about letters he possessed, written by William Kidd. When he finally returned to the manor, he was berated by Achilles, who accused him of leaving for so long without so much as a goodbye.

Nevertheless, that day, Achilles led Connor down to the manor basement, in order to bestow on him the Assassin robes there. Though Achilles admitted that the Order usually had a ceremony for such an occasion, neither he nor Connor seemed the type for such things. Instead, after Connor had donned the robes, Achilles simply verbally welcomed him into the Brotherhood of Assassins.

Hunting the Templars
"My enemy is a notion, not a nation."

- Connor, on his sporadic involvement in the Revolutionary War

Declaration of war
Later that year, Kanen'tó:kon came to visit Connor at the homestead, bringing news that William Johnson was attempting to lay claim on their nation's land without their consent. Outraged by the thought, Connor immediately decided to seek out Johnson.

Though Achilles tried to keep him from acting hastily, Connor argued that he had made a promise to protect his people. Connor took a hatchet from Kanen'tó:kon and buried its blade into one of the manor's columns, explaining that doing so signified the start of a war, and that the hatchet would not be removed until the danger had passed.

Connor later met up with Sam Adams, who offered to help him find Johnson only after he helped Adams cripple Johnson's tea extortion. Connor then met Stephane Chapeau, a French taverner, and helped him ward off tax collectors that were harassing him. Soon afterwards, Stephane went into a violent rage, and caused various riots around Boston against the Loyalists.

After finding the main overseer of the transportation of the tea, Connor had Stephane assassinate him, inducting him into the Brotherhood afterwards. Later, Connor met with Adams again, who recruited Connor in helping with dumping the newly arrived supply of tea into the ocean, and Connor accepted, smugly dropping the last crate of tea into the water in front of Johnson, who was watching from a distance. Seeing the oppression of the people by the Templars, he began helping out people throughout Boston and New York. He recruited a few of these men and women, and inducted them into the brotherhood just as he did with Stephane.

Six months later, Kanen'tó:kon led Connor to Monmouth, where Johnson was attempting to negotiate with the local natives. Though Johnson promised them protection, the natives firmly told him that his words were empty, and that they would not sell their land to him. As Johnson decided to try convincing them with violence instead, Connor swiftly assassinated him. In his last words, Johnson told Connor that he had not wished to own the lands for profit, but to ensure peace and protection for all the nations.

Igniting the Revolution
A year later, a messenger arrived at the homestead, bearing a request for Connor to aid a man named Paul Revere. Connor politely refused the offer, frowning on the fact that the Patriots mistook him as one of their own. However, when Achilles pointed out that the Templar John Pitcairn was mentioned in the letter, the Assassin relented.

Though he met with Paul Revere, Connor was disappointed to find that Pitcairn was not present. Instead, Revere recruited his help in riding to warn the inhabitants of Lexington and Concord about the incoming British army; with the promise of later locating Pitcairn. After the ride, Connor joined the Continental army at Lexington, where a bloody battle ensued. Pitcairn was present at the fight, but Connor chose instead to help in the defense of the town, rather than pursue his true target.

Later, Connor accompanied Samuel Adams to George Washington's induction as Commander In Chief. Midway through Washington's speech, Connor heard the voice of Charles Lee, who had been sitting behind him. He stood to confront Lee, but Samuel quickly intervened, pulling him away and attempting to distract him by introducing him to Washington. Washington greeted him warmly, and Connor admitted that the man before him would be the one to lead the country into freedom.

Connor was later directed to Bunker Hill, where the forces of Israel Putnam were engaging the British troops of Pitcairn. Connor offered Putnam his help in disabling the ships that were pinning the Continental forces down with cannon fire, as destroying the artillery would drive Pitcairn out of hiding.

After Pitcairn and his troops retreated to a more secure position outside of the city, Connor infiltrated the camp and managed to assassinate him from above. Pitcairn gave the same justifications for his actions as Johnson, and as he died, Connor recovered a letter from his body that gave evidence of an attempt on George Washington's life, and escaped before the Regulars could attack him. His actions led to the start of the Revolution, as Pitcairn could have negotiated a truce with the Americans, but was killed by Connor.

Connor started investigating the attempt to kill Washington, although he didn't make much progress. In early 1776, Benjamin Tallmadge, an ally of the Brotherhood, led him to New York, in search Thomas Hickey, who was responsible for running a counterfeiting ring there, and was plotting to murder Washington. When Connor arrived at Hickey's operation, he drew his Hidden Blade, revealing himself to be an Assassin. Hickey commented that he had thought Connor's kind had been wiped out, before escaping out of the building. Though Connor chased Hickey through the streets and caught him, the two were apprehended by the guards. Connor attempted to explain that he was not involved in the operation, but he was knocked unconscious, and he and Hickey were thrown into Bridewell Prison on charges of counterfeiting.

Protecting George Washington
When Connor awoke in Bridewell Prison, he discovered that Hickey had been placed in the cell next to him, much to the latter's amusement. Connor spoke that at least Washington would be safe with Hickey imprisoned, but Hickey only pointed out the two Templars approaching his cell.

Charles Lee and Haytham Kenway released Hickey, though told him that he was only moving to a larger cell; due to the on-going investigations for his involvement in a plan to assassinate Washington. Just as the Templars were about to leave, Hickey asked them what was to be done with the Assassin, and pointed out Connor in his cell. Haytham instructed Charles to deal with the problem, and the latter promised Connor that he had a plan for him, which would kill two birds with one stone.

As the Templars departed, Connor eavesdropped on his fellow inmates and found that a prisoner had crafted a key identical to the prison warden's. Connor confronted the prisoner, who was called Mason Weems, and found him to be cooperative after he mentioned that Washington was in danger, since Weems was a strong believer in Washington's role in the country's independence.

Though Weems said that he intended to escape, the key he had been crafting over the past few months had just been stolen by another of the inmates. Connor stole the key back, but found that it did not open his cell. The next day, he confronted Mason again, who told him that the key was not meant to work, and that it was meant to be swapped with the warden's real key, so he would not notice the theft. However, the only way to get near the warden was to end up in the Pit, a solitary confinement area of the prison. Thus Connor started a fight with several prisoners, until the guards were forced to restrain him, and throw him into the Pit.

There, Connor switched his and the warden's keys and sneaked into the higher end portion of the prison, where he thanked Weems for helping him and promised to return the favor, before going to Hickey's cell. Upon reaching Hickey's cell however, Connor only found the body of the warden, and turned to find Lee and Hickey at the doorway.

Holding him at gunpoint, the Templars explained to him that Connor would be brought to trial for plotting to assassinate Washington, and that they were considering pinning the murder of the warden on him as well. Connor attempted to disarm Lee, but the Templar only grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against the wall. Lee finally realized that Connor had been the young boy he had threatened years ago, and was gleeful about the irony that Connor had kept his promise to find him. Lee knocked Connor unconscious, and he was dragged back to his cell.

Connor awoke the following day and was transported to his execution site, where he was met by Hickey. Though Connor stated that he had thought he would be put on trial, Hickey cheerfully told him that trials were not permitted to those accused of treachery.

Connor was marched towards the gallows as dozens of spectators denounced him from all sides, and as Washington, Lee, and Hickey looked on. However, as he neared the front of the crowd, he noticed several of his fellow Assassins killing the guards overlooking the event, and, after being punched to the ground by one of the spectators, Connor found himself being helped up by Achilles. The old man advised Connor to simply give a signal the moment he wanted to be freed. Though Lee spoke out Connor's supposed crimes to the crowd and placed the noose about his neck, the Assassin gave a whistled signal just as the trapdoor under him was opened. The noose was severed before it could strangle him, and Achilles pulled Connor to his feet under the gallows and handed him his tomahawk.

Connor ran through the disordered crowd as his Assassin recruits faced off against Hickey's mercenaries, heading towards Washington, who was standing at the back with his bodyguards. Hickey rushed to Washington in a desperate attempt to assassinate him, but Connor caught up and struck down Hickey first. With his last breath, Hickey confessed that he did not care for the Templars' cause, and had simply followed them since they held the money and power.

Connor then found himself surrounded by several raised muskets, but Putnam arrived in time to order the Continental soldiers to stand down, irritably pointing out that Connor had just saved Washington's life. Connor asked where Washington had gone, but found he had already left for Philadelphia. He and Achilles traveled there, where Connor decided that he would tell Washington about the conflict between the Assassins and Templars, in order for the man to better understand about what he was up against. Achilles advised him not to, stating that it would only distract Washington. Once inside, Connor attended the signing of the Declaration of Independence, claiming the freedom of the colonies from British occupation, though Washington had already left for New York prior to his arrival.

Hunting down the Randolph
While investigating the raids on the Nantucket coast, Connor and Faulkner found a fort occupied by Templars. They successfully destroyed it, but the raids continued.

A little while later, they met with Amanda Bailey near Martha's Vineyard, who told them about attacks on American ships by the USS Randolph, captained by Continental Navy captain, Nicholas Biddle. They gave chase to the Randolph, but were ambushed by several Templar ships. Though the Aquila sank all the ships with ease, they bought Biddle the time he needed to escape.

Connor once again used the Aquila, to escort the French ship, La Belladonna. The Randolph was supposed to escort her, but left her alone in the open sea. The captain of the Belladonna stepped aboard the Aquila, as he wanted to ensure that his escort wouldn't run away like the Randolph. Soon enough, Templar ships came to attempt to sink the Belladona.

The Aquila and La Belladonna sank several ships together, with La Belladonna sinking at least eleven of them, and the Aquila sinking many more. A Man-o-War intervened and destroyed La Belladonna's mast. Connor ordered his crew to fire chain shot, and destroyed the Man-o-War's mast, before boarding the ship and killing most on-board. He quickly caught up with the ship's captain, and interrogated him. He revealed that it was not the British that were attacking La Belladona. Biddle and all the ships under his command worked for the Templars. Connor quickly saw the truth in this after recovering a ring with a Templar Cross from his hand.

The Randolph was nearby and Connor observed it with his monocular. However, he couldn't give chase, as he had to protect the Belladonna.

On March 17, 1778, he located the Randolph, and chased it during the stormy night. Biddle led them into an ambush, and the Aquila was soon surrounded by the Randolph and two Men-o-War. Despite the odds being stacked against them, they sank both the Men-o-War with ease, and destroyed the Randolph's mast with a single broadside. The crew of the Aquila boarded the Randolph and killed Biddle's crew with ease. Connor ran straight for Biddle, and duelled with him as his crew watched. An explosion caused both of them to fall through the deck, and they continued their duel in the belly of the ship. When he mortally wounded Biddle, Connor stated that "Biddle's reign over the colonial coast has ended". Biddle replied that Connor was foolish to believe him an enemy to the cause, and requested that he be allowed to sink with his ship. Connor fulfilled his last wish, much to Faulkner's dismay, who believed that the Randolph would have made a fine prize.

Due to the absence of the Aquila from historical records, and possibly through the Templars' manipulation of history, it is commonly believed that the Randolph was sunk during a battle with the HMS Yarmouth, not the Aquila.

Despite these successes, he had come no closer to eliminating the threat the Templars posed to Washington. As winter rolled in, Connor decided to go and warn Washington. Achilles attempted to stop him, insisting that the Assassins worked quietly and did not go announcing conspiracies from the rooftops. In turn, Connor harshly criticized Achilles' faulty leadership of the Colonial Assassins that led to the Templars dominating the Colonies. Achilles reminded him that life wasn't a fairy tale and there were no happy endings, but Connor did not believe him, stating the above was true only when men like Achilles were in charge. As he mounted his horse, Achilles sternly warned Connor that if he wished to save the world, he should avoid destroying it in the process.

Working with Haytham
Connor met with Washington in the Continental camp in Valley Forge, where the commander confided in him that a large amount of supplies meant for his troops had just been stolen. Washington concluded that Benjamin Church, a Continental traitor who had recently been released from prison, was likely behind it, and thus sent Connor to investigate an abandoned church nearby, where suspicious activity had been reported. Connor arrived to find the church house seemingly empty, but as he walked inside, he was ambushed from above by his father, Haytham. The Assassin managed to slip from his grasp, and the two circled each other, with Connor accusing Haytham of coming to check whether Benjamin Church had stolen enough supplies for their British army brothers.

However, Haytham corrected his disillusionment that the Templars were working for the British, and admitted that Benjamin Church had turned against the Templars as well as the Continental army. Haytham then suggested a momentary truce, as both of them wished to locate Benjamin Church.

The two hunted Church's men through the frontier, and were eventually led to a warehouse in Boston. Haytham's reputation permitted him free passage, though Connor insisted that he not enter alone; saying that they were to go on together, or not at all. Thus, in order for him to pass unquestioned, Haytham instructed Connor to disguise himself as a mercenary, and openly introduced the Assassin to the guards as his son.

Inside, Haytham casually asked Connor about his mother, as Kaniehtí:io had cut all ties with Haytham shortly after Connor's conception. However, Connor only hotly answered that she had been murdered under his orders, much to Haytham's shock and claims that he had ordered no such thing. Connor ignored his father's protests, and only stated that he had run out of forgiveness.

They moved forward to confront Church, but the man inside the warehouse revealed himself to be a decoy, and signalled an ambush. The Assassin and the Templar fought back the mercenaries successfully, and questioned one of them to discover that the Continental troop supplies and Church himself had just left on a ship called the Welcome. Shortly afterwards, riflemen shot nearby barrels of gunpowder and set the building ablaze, forcing Connor and Haytham to escape into the water.

Connor employed the Aquila to chase down Church's vessel, and after cornering the other ship, they were able to break down its masts with chained shots. As they drew near, Haytham pushed Connor from the wheel and rammed the Aquila into Church's ship; sparking a fight between both crews.

Connor killed the officer on board, before following his father below decks. There, Connor found Haytham violently beating Church, and berating him for his betrayal of the Templar Order. Connor managed to restrain his father's temper, and he crouched by Church to question him himself. At Church's refusal to speak, the Assassin stabbed him with his Hidden Blade, and Church revealed with his dying breath that the supplies had been deposited at an island nearby. He also attempted to justify his actions, and stated that King George had every right to feel betrayed, and that the British were not without cause.

Heartened after this event, Connor began to believe that there was a possibility that Assassins and Templars might be able to unite, due to their similar ideals and beliefs.

Broken alliances
Some time after the assassination of Benjamin Church, Connor decided to once again seek out Haytham, in hopes of more permanently allying their Orders. After apologizing for his harsh words, Connor reconciled with Achilles, and then presented the idea of unity to him. However, Achilles openly disapproved, insisting that it was impossible to work alongside the Templars, and that the Assassins' goals could never be accomplished with Haytham still alive.

Connor nevertheless tracked Haytham down to New York, where the Templar was working on discovering the British army's plans. Though Haytham was frustrated to find that his spies did not know what the plans were, and that they had only been told to wait for orders from above, Connor pointed out that that simply meant they needed to track down the British commanders.

Connor and Haytham sought out a meeting of the commanders among the buildings devastated by New York's great fire, and were able to capture three of them. Within his quarters in Fort George, Haytham questioned each in turn, and the three revealed the British forces' plans to withdraw from Philadelphia and march for New York within the next two days. Following the interrogation, Haytham killed all three of them, much to Connor's disapproval. Though angered by his father's merciless actions, Connor turned his attention to more important matters, and left to warn Washington of the British troop movements.

Though Haytham insisted on meeting up with Lee instead, Connor refused. As Connor explained the situation to Washington, Haytham slipped behind the commander and took the correspondence he had been reading. Haytham wondered aloud what the note contained, and read out to Connor that the commander had just ordered the burning of the Mohawk village and the salting of their lands; since many of the Kanien'kehá:ka had been aiding the British. The Templar also brought up the burning of Kanatahséton fourteen years previously, which Washington had also been responsible for.

Enraged, Connor cut ties with Washington, much to Haytham's approval. However, as Haytham called for his son to leave with him to speak with Lee instead, Connor rejected him as well, correctly accusing Haytham of withholding the information until it suited him. After threatening to kill the two men should they try to follow or stop him, Connor rode off to stop the messengers bearing Washington's order to attack.

Connor killed Washington's messengers as he travelled to his village, and arrived to find it unharmed. However, there, the Clan Mother informed him that Lee had already rallied several of the Mohawk to repel the invading Continental soldiers. Unwilling for his village to become involved in the war, Connor knocked out each of the warriors readying to ambush the Continentals. However, as he ran towards the last one, Kanen'tó:kon, he threw Connor off and threatened him with a knife.

Kanen'tó:kon angrily said that he should not have believed Connor would protect their village, accusing him of turning against their people, and of being seduced by Washington's cause. Though Connor desperately tried to insist that Lee had fed him lies, Kanen'tó:kon only attacked him. After a struggle, Connor was forced to kill his friend.

Connor later pursued Lee to Monmouth, and arrived to find a contingent led by Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette told Connor that Lee had showed up moments before to take charge; screaming at everyone to advance before riding away. At that moment, a large number of British soldiers came to surround the area, and Connor volunteered to cover their retreat.

Connor and a small group of Lafayette's elite held off the advance with cannon fire, before falling back as well. Connor rescued several Continental soldiers being lined up for execution throughout Monmouth, before reaching the main force of the Continental army led by Washington.

There, Lafayette congratulated Connor for saving so many lives, but the Assassin only turned to address Washington. Connor told him that Lee had betrayed the Continental army; a claim that Lafayette supported, due to Lee's unusual behavior before the battle. Washington said that he would look into the issue, but Connor irately responded that the time for doing such had passed.

As Connor departed the battlefield, he warned Washington that if the latter spared Lee's life, he would take it himself.

The traitor at West Point
Two years later, Washington called upon Connor again to take out spies he suspected of planning to assassinate Benedict Arnold. Connor decided to take up the offer, but ordered Washington to never call him again. After dispatching the guards, Connor went to Arnold to inform him of the death of the spies. After aiding in distributing gunpowder to the troops, Connor spotted Arnold and his major, John Anderson, sneak off to discuss something. Tailing them, Connor discovered that Arnold was himself a spy, and Anderson was actually Redcoat Major Andre. Arnold sent Andre to deliver a letter to General Clinton detailing Fort West Point's weaknesses.

Following Andre, Connor witnessed the spy redressing himself as a Redcoat and stopped by two Patriots, however, Andre botched up his attempts to get past them and Connor ordered the Patriots to search him, whereupon they found the letter. Andre was captured and Connor confronted Arnold. Arnold claimed that the letter was a farce, and was to ruin his reputation as a loyal Patriot. At that moment, West Point was attacked by Regulars and Arnold escaped on a vessel.

After defending the Fort, Washington arrived to congratulate Connor, though the latter was angered that Arnold escaped. Washington lamented the fact that he was betrayed by a Patriot war hero, to which Connor angrily replied "you reap what you sow". Connor then left Washington to watch Arnold's ship leave.

Hunt for Charles Lee
In 1781, Connor went to Achilles, sickened and slowly dying in bed. Achilles requested news on the Revolution and Connor responded that the Colonists were winning, and that the country might finally be free from British rule. Achilles then told Connor that it was vital that both Haytham and Lee die, despite Connor's continuing belief that Assassins and Templars could unite. Afterwards, Connor met up with Lafayette in the mansion's basement, where Connor revealed his strategy of entering Fort George. To do so, he would need the French allies to disguise themselves as British so they could fire upon the Fort, thus giving Connor the opportunity to kill Lee amidst the confusion. Lafayette agreed to the plan, but told Connor that he would be required to first help the French naval ships at Chesapeake Bay.

Before he left, Achilles requested Connor to find a painting in the burnt ruins of New York. Connor accepted and found an undamaged painting in the ruins, before returning to the homestead with it. Achilles told Connor not to do anything with the painting, until the time was right.

After Connor attended Norris and Myriam's wedding, Connor returned to the mansion to find Achilles dead in his chair, having passed away after finishing writing a letter to Connor. The letter stated that all Achilles' property would go to Connor, and that his appearance in the old man's life had given him great hope in the future of the new nation Connor helped to create. Connor and the homestead residents buried Achilles next to his wife and son, to be remembered as the "Old Man on the Hill". Afterwards, Connor finally hung Achilles' painting inside the manor - a portrait of his late family.

At Chesapeake Bay, Connor captained the Aquila and aided the French in fighting the British. Soon, due to the overwhelming numbers the British possessed, both the ships that aided him were sunk, and a Man-o-War destroyed all the cannons on-board the Aquila. The reinforcements Lafayette promised were still far off, and a battle was still raging on, Connor was forced to ram the Aquila into the Man-o-War. Hearing his crew's apprehensive whispers, he boarded the enemy ship alone, leaving his crew on the Aquila. he killed the captain of the ship, and shot the gunpowder in the belly of the ship, escaping onto the Aquila quickly. The French ships arrived soon after this.

Afterwards, Connor requested the leading admiral to have the ships raise British flags in order to enter Fort George's area without any trouble. Entering the military district through the New York underground, Connor lit the signal for the ships to fire, thus beginning a siege on the Fort. However, Connor was caught in the bombardment and injured. Entering Fort George through a hole created by the cannonballs, Connor found himself confronted by his father, who had foreseen Connor's arrival and had sent Lee away.

After a duel between the two, Haytham held Connor by the throat and began to strangle him. Partway through a speech about Connor's hopeless goals, his son stabbed him in the throat. In his dying words, Haytham stated that he was, in a way, proud of Connor, and that he should have killed him long ago.

After the encounter, Connor shaved his head into a Mohawk and smeared his face with war paint. Confronting Lee, Connor was immediately captured due to his injuries. Lee, enraged by Haytham's death, declared that he would keep Connor alive so the latter could watch Lee destroy everything he had ever loved. Lee then left, ordering the guards to do with Connor as they wished, at which they began beating him. Escaping, Connor boarded a ferry stealthily, and learned that Lee was in Boston before killing the leading officer on board.

In Boston, Connor found Lee at the docks, and the latter ran upon seeing him, ensuing in a chase that led to a ferry under construction which had caught on fire due to an accident. The ferry collapsed, and injured Connor further. Lee however, recovered asked why Connor continued to fight despite being turned on even by the very men he sought to save. Connor replied, yelling "Because no one else will!" and shot Lee in the stomach. Wounded, Lee escaped the burning ferry.

Limping to a harbormaster, Connor learned that Lee had fled to Monmouth. Arriving, Connor found Lee at the Conestoga Inn, still bleeding but drinking silently. Upon spotting Connor, Lee offered Connor his drink, which Connor accepted. The two sat together for a while, observing the patrons. In the end, Lee looked at Connor, and though he didn't speak, his eyes did for him. Connor then stabbed Lee in the heart, killing him. Connor then retrieved the key to the Grand Temple from the Lee before setting him down on the table like a patron who had simply had too much to drink, and then left the inn.

Securing the future
Connor later returned to his village to discover his people had left. He returned to the long house where he had met with the Clan Mother several years ago, and opened the box containing the crystal ball, confused as to why it was left behind. It triggered and Juno came to him once again, who was pleased to hear Connor had returned. Angered, he informed her that his people were driven out by the people he had once considered his allies.

Juno's physical form appeared to him and informed Connor he needed to take the key he took from Charles and hide it where no one would ever look for it again, still confused as to why he needed to hide it, Juno told him that he only needed to hide it and he was free to live his life. Though Connor questioned Juno about his people, she reminded him of his people's purpose, to protect the Grand Temple, and that they had fulfilled their role, though Connor knew it wasn't enough for him, and Juno told him that complete justice did not exist, however he made a difference, and would do so again.

Juno reminded him to hide the amulet where no one would find it and the vision faded with the crystal ball disintegrating.

Connor returned to the Davenport Homestead and buried the amulet in the grave mound of Connor Davenport, Achilles's son and his namesake. Later in 1783, Connor was in the Homestead's hidden room, where he removed the portraits of the Templars and burned them in a fire. Walking back outside, he removed the tomahawk from the pedestal he implanted there years ago, signifying that his war was over. He tossed it aside and returned to his village only to discover a lone man sitting by a fire. The man revealed that Connor's people had gone west and that a man in New York was given the land by the newly formed Congress.

When Connor asked how this had happened, the man told him that they didn't have England to supply them with resources anymore, and that they needed to do things themselves. He stated that the American government sold the lands for funds as they would be too much like England if they began to impose taxes, calling the founding fathers "clever men." Connor thanked him and left for New York, where the last of the British ships were leaving for England. As the colonists teased them from the land, the ship fired a warning shot which sank into the ocean. Connor turned and smiled at the colonists' freedom, but also saw a man selling African slaves. It was then when Connor realized that not everyone in the new land had freedom just yet.

Legacy
Connor's actions allowed his descendant, Desmond Miles, to find the key to the Grand Temple through the Animus and save Earth from the solar flare. He also eradicated most of the Templar Order's influence and control in Colonial America with his assassinations of their leaders. Along with this, his work in the Colonial cities of Boston and New York strengthened the Assassin Brotherhood with more recruits, as well as assist the people of the region. His support of the Continental Army lead to many victories, eventually allowing the Colonist to break off from the British. In the process though, his work allowed the Americans to force his people farther west, away from their homelands.

As the Captain of the Aquila, he was a major contributor to the safety of trade-passages around the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean Islands. As the owner of the Homestead's lands, he also helped several colonists that were experiencing hardships around the area. In addition, Connor's life was made accessible to an unknown group through hacking, and the anonymous team was able to learn about the Brotherhood.

Personality and characteristics
"[Connor]'s one of those people that has an inbuilt sense of right and wrong... He isn't a grey area kind of guy."

- Alex Hutchinson, Creative Director of Assassin's Creed III.

Connor was an honorable warrior with a strong sense of morality and heroism. He appeared thoughtful and intense, and the words he did not speak were just as meaningful as the ones he did. His movements resembled those of a predator, always staying low to the ground and moving under enemy attacks.

He strongly believed in defending both his Native American heritage and country from European involvement, who he considered to be "outsiders". However, he also recognized the fact that, due to his parentage, he was a part of the issue that he sought to solve.

Although, from the beginning, Connor's main motives were to protect his people and seek revenge on Charles Lee for burning his village and killing his mother in the process. Even though it is never mentioned, Connor only took part in the war just to take down Lee and protect his people, which he learned later that protecting his people was a disillusioned endeavor. An endeavor that his mentor Achilles warned him was a foolish one on numerous occasions.

This was evident by many of Connor's decisions and his actions, one of them including him cutting all affiliations with George Washington, once he discovered the truth in that the general was responsible for the destruction of his village, as well as signing for a repeat attempt, despite Connor's village remaining neutral in the conflict.

From the start, it could also be seen that Connor possessed an impatience with regards to hunting down his father, Haytham Kenway, which prompted Achilles to admonish the younger man for his recklessness. The older Assassin argued that as eager as Connor was, even if he caught up with his father, he did not have the proper experience to combat the older and more skilled man without Achilles' tutelage.

Connor could at times appear to be quite cocky and arrogant. Examples would be during the Boston Tea Party Connor destroyed the final crate of Tea in front of William Jonhson and allowed him to leave the scene with his fellow Templars, believing that he stopped their plans. Another example is following the assassination of Thomas Hickey he gave no credit to Achilles and his fellow assassins for saving his life, despite the fact it was clear he would have died without their interference. Often he would argue with Achilles that he doesn't need him and could have done everything he has done without him. At one point Connor even went as far as challenging Achilles to a fight to prove him wrong.

Despite this, Achilles described Connor as being quite humble, often playing down his own actions. Connor was also quite naïve as well, such as believing that the Assassins and Templars could form a permanent alliance following the stressful alliance between himself and his father Haytham. Another example would be when Samuel Adams was teaching Connor how to remove his notoriety he questioned why he just can't tell people the truth instead of just telling them lies. A final example of Connor's naïvety was allowing William Johnson to live following the Boston Tea Party, believing that he had lost the ability to buy his people's land.

Equipment and skills
Connor was a capable free-runner, able to climb trees and swing from one to another, as well as scale cliff faces or other natural elements. He could move through the cityscape just as easily, and was able to slide under or vault over obstacles within urban environments.

Accompanying his capacity to move fluidly, Connor was able to wield several different weapons – including a tomahawk, bow, flintlock pistols, rifle, rope darts, and Hidden Blades. He could dual-wield various combinations of these weapons, with his ambidexterity helping him to do so proficiently. He was of a strong and heavy build, giving him an advantage in combat, but causing him to make an effort when free-running.

Connor was a skilled forager, and often hunted animals similarly to assassination targets; tracking and trapping several kinds that he encountered across the Frontier. He also possessed a rare extra-sensory ability known as Eagle Vision.

In terms of clothing, Connor was most often garbed in a hooded white jacket with blue lining, as well as a thin red sash fastened with an Assassin insignia, and brown boots with leggings that extended past his knees. However, during his voyages on the Aquila, Connor wore a blue overcoat and tricorne hat.

Romantic life
Throughout the events that led to his ascension into the ranks of the Assassin Order in, Connor had no time to partake in any romantic relationship. A fact that was brought to light by his inclusion into the bachelor group of the Davenport Homestead during a discussion with Lyle White and Lance O'Donnell during a social event taking place after Maurice and Myriam's marriage, held within the Inn owned by Oliver.

However, during conversations in the Frontier and New York, Connor and Deborah "Dobby" Carter exchanged questions with one another concerning their life. When she noted the lack of a spouse and promptly asked him of the reason behind it, Connor proceeded to explain that he couldn't afford the time to cater to a woman's needs but that he hoped to one day settle down and have a family. To that, Dobby replied that, should he ever decide to settle down with someone, he ought to give her the first chance, to which Connor responded "I will."

Trivia

 * Assassin's Creed III


 * Several news media and publishers, even Ubisoft's own media, have dubbed Ratonhnhaké:ton as Connor Kenway. This is an error, as Ratonhnhaké:ton never took on his father's surname.
 * Contrary to several known Assassins (including Aquilus, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Aveline de Grandpré, and Nikolai Orelov) who possessed connections to eagles, Connor was more closely likened to a wolf.
 * "Ratonhnhaké:ton" (pronounced Ra-doon-ha-gay-doon) means "life that is scratched"; referring to a struggle to survive.
 * Since every Mohawk name is unique, at the advice of their Mohawk cultural consultants, Ubisoft agreed not to trademark the name "Ratonhnhaké:ton".
 * Voice actor Noah Watts based Connor's voice on actor Wes Studi's portrayal of Magua in the 1992 film of The Last of the Mohicans, particularly his matter-of-face delivery of the line "When the Grey Hair is dead, Magua will eat his heart." Watts also emphasized that English is Connor's second language by not using contractions.
 * Unlike some of Desmond's other ancestors, Connor had no scar on his lip, similar to Aquilus. However, he did possess a scar on his right cheek.
 * Connor was unique amongst the other ancestors that Desmond viewed, as neither of his parents were Assassins.
 * Connor's initial character design displayed him with a slender build, while his final character model was altered to show him with a significantly more muscular appearance.
 * Lead Game Designer Steven Masters mentioned that Connor could originally scalp his opponents, but it was removed from the game since Ubisoft's Mohawk consultants felt that it was an unusual thing for their ancestors to do.
 * Despite his near constant annoyance with Achilles, it was clear that Connor cared for him greatly, which could be seen at both his funeral and when Connor visited his grave shortly afterwards. At his grave, Connor stated that he missed him nearly as much as his mother, implying that he thought of Achilles as somewhat of a father figure. In addition, he also promised that he would make Achilles proud.
 * Of the known Assassins that Desmond Miles relived the lives of, Connor was the only one who was not known to have killed any civilians. Altaïr killed an old man in Solomon's Temple during the search for an Apple of Eden, and Ezio inadvertently killed several civilians in Cappadocia by destroying a large amount of gunpowder.
 * The interactions between Haytham and Connor showed similarities to William and Desmond, specifically concerning personality and conversations.
 * If Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is synched to Assassin's Creed III, there was an exclusive mission with Connor as the playable character. However, the reason why Desmond was unable to relive that particular memory of Connor was never explained.
 * According to the Animus database, Connor was the first Native American to join the Assassins.
 * Watts stated that when he asked writer Corey May if Connor would have a love interest, he responded the character was a virgin during the game's timeframe.