Saladin

Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb (Arabic: يوسف صلاح الدين بن أيوب), better known as simply Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn or Saladin (c. 1138 - 4 March 1193), is the commander of the Muslim armies and lands arrayed against the invading Richard the Lionheart, and never makes a direct appearance in the game. He is, however, referenced frequently by other characters, and his forces are engaged with Richard's during the Battle of Arsuf. To start the Third Crusade during which Assassin's Creed takes place, Saladin and his men defeated Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem (who would later ally with King Richard in the Siege of Acre), and Raynald of Chatillon at the Battle of Hattin. Despite being defeated three times in Acre, Arsuf and Jaffa by Richard, Saladin manages to secure Jerusalem by finalizing a treaty by which Jerusalem would remain under Muslim control, but which also allowed unarmed Christian pilgrims to visit the city. This treaty is called Treaty of Ramla. Richard departed the Holy Land on October 9, 1192.

Saladin died on March 4, 1193. He is buried in Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria. He is considered a hero in the Muslim world and is also respected by his Christian counterparts.

Many people preach about Saladin in Jerusalem and Damascus, and against him in Acre.

Trivia

 * "Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn" means "Righteousness of our Religion/Faith"
 * Though he never appears in the game, there is concept art of his character (in the limited edition artbook and the official strategy guide) hinting that he was originally going to appear in the story, possibly at Arsuf.
 * In-game, the Crusaders (such as Robert de Sable and the Acre heralds) use the European pronunciation of "Salla-din", while the Saracens (such as the Damascus and Jerusalem heralds) use the Arabic pronunciation of "Sa-lah-ah-din".