Edward Kenway

"You're a good man, Edward, and if you learn to keep settled in one place for more than a week, you'll make a fine father too."

- Anne Bonny to Edward Kenway, who is expecting the arrival of his daughter, 1722.

Edward James Kenway (1693 – 1735) was a Welsh-born British privateer-turned-pirate and a member of the Assassin Order.

Edward joined the British Royal Navy early in his life and, once accepted, found himself stationed in the West Indies. However, a quick end to the war and the promise of gold, glory and fame eventually seduced him into a life of piracy; it was during this quest that Edward first encountered the Assassin and Templar Orders, and became embroiled in their struggle.

Over the next few years, Edward struggled with the internal conflict that arose from his desire for fame and riches – through the finding of the Observatory - and what he saw as his recompense for bringing death and destruction upon the Assassins. Eventually, Edward chose to entrust the Observatory to the Assassins, and elected to join their Creed.

Edward was the father of Haytham Kenway and the grandfather of Ratonhnhaké:ton; through this line, he is an ancestor of William Miles, and his son, Desmond.

In 2013, an Abstergo Entertainment research analyst was tasked with exploring Edward's genetic memories in order to gather footage for a planned video game; Pirates of Nightmares.

Early life and first marriage
Edward was born in Swansea,, to Bernard Kenway and Linette Hopkins; at the age of ten, his family relocated to a farm in , in South West England. However, the pastoral life did not agree with Edward and he became a well-known troublemaker in his adolescence.

At the age of seventeen, Edward met Caroline Scott, a woman two years his senior who intervened on his behalf during an altercation outside a tavern. They were married within a year, and Caroline became pregnant with a daughter, Jennifer Scott, unbeknownst to Edward.

Their marriage soon proved problematic as Caroline grew tired of Edward's inability to find steady work or take his responsibilities as a husband seriously. Ultimately, Edward's grandiose ideas about sailing as a privateer in the West Indies led to their estrangement, and she left to live with her parents prior to his departure. It was at this time that Caroline learned of her pregnancy, but chose to keep the fact from Edward.

Life as a privateer and pirate
Determined to prove his worth, Edward pursued his dreams of being a privateer; in late 1712, he boarded a ship chartered for Jamaica with the intention of sailing under the renowned privateer, Benjamin Hornigold. He remained in Jamaica for six months until the in early 1713, which effectively ended all conflict between the major empires. As a result, British privateers were no longer needed or tolerated in the West Indies, causing Edward to find himself out of work. He subsequently took to piracy and began working aboard a schooner.

In early 1715, Edward's ship attacked a passing vessel which proved to be too much for the crew to handle. With their Captain dead, Edward took the helm and did his best to keep the ship afloat, but to no avail. Shipwrecked in Cape Bonavista, Edward met the only other survivor - an Assassin named Duncan Walpole – whose ship the pirates had attacked.

Washing up next to Edward, Walpole offered to pay Edward for passage to Havana; Edward agreed upon condition of immediate payment, and advanced toward Walpole. Concerned, Walpole drew his pistol, but it misfired due to the gunpowder being wet. Walpole fled, and Edward pursued him through the jungle, eventually dueling and killing him.

Looting Walpole's body, Edward found a letter from Governor Laureano de Torres y Ayala of Havana, detailing Walpole's intended defection to the Templar Order. Oblivious to the implications of the letter, Edward donned Walpole's Assassin robes (though he discarded the broken Hidden Blade) and collected a crystalline rectangular prism which was to be delivered to Torres for payment.

Edward shortly encountered a group of English soldiers harassing a merchant named Stede Bonnet, whom they believed to have been one of the pirates involved in the earlier battle. After dispatching the soldiers, Edward introduced himself to Bonnet using Walpole's name and accompanied him to Havana.

Introduction to the Templars
Upon arriving, the two traveled to a local tavern to meet with Bonnet's contact, where several thugs recognized Edward as a pirate and provoked him into a fight. After dispatching the men, Edward was forced to flee as Spanish soldiers entered the tavern and began to chase him. While he was able to escape, the Spanish turned on Bonnet and seized his ship's holdings, including the package meant for Torres. Edward infiltrated the Spanish fort to recover the package before going to the intended meeting with Torres.

Edward carefully maintained his charade as he conversed with soon-to-be-Templars Woodes Rogers, whose wife had met Duncan, and Julien du Casse. du Casse equipped Edward with a pair of Hidden Blades and requested that Edward show them some Assassin techniques in action; picking up on hints from du Casse and Rogers, Edward was able to replicate the move set with relative accuracy.

When Torres eventually arrived, Rogers, du Casse and "Walpole" were inducted into the Templar Order. Edward listened to Torres' plans to locate a First Civilization site known as the Observatory, which the Templars believed would allow them to monitor every person in the world and learn all their secrets. Uninterested, Edward took the opportunity to pickpocket the Templars as they discussed their plans.

The four then traveled to the city docks to retrieve a man named Bartholomew Roberts, an alleged Sage who knew the Observatory's location. On the way back to the governor's house, they were ambushed by Assassins and Roberts fled, though Edward managed to chase him down retrieve him. As Roberts was led away, Torres gave Edward Walpole's intended pay for a job well done - 1000 reales.

Later, meeting with Bonnet, Edward complained about the pay he had received, believing it was insufficient. He then resolved to discover the Observatory's location and sell it to the highest bidder, and realized he would need the Sage's assistance. He infiltrated the prison where Roberts was being held, only to find the Sage gone and the Templars, having discovered his ruse, waiting for him. For robbing them of Walpole's valuable expertise, Torres had Edward imprisoned on a ship in the Spanish Treasure Fleet heading for Seville.

Arrival in Nassau
Edward managed to escape confinement with the help of a similarly imprisoned Adéwalé, recruit a number of other prisoners, and steal one of the fleet's ships in the process. Hit by a storm, they narrowly managed to escape before the entire accompanying fleet was sunk. Edward decided to name his newly acquired ship Jackdaw and, realizing that hardly any of his new crew would accept Adéwalé as captain, dubbed him Quartermaster.

Heading to Nassau with his new ship, Edward introduced Adéwalé to three of his old associates: Edward Thatch, James Kidd and Benjamin Hornigold. Edward then moved throughout the British-occupied town, freeing imprisoned pirates to recruit as crewmen and weakning British control over the island. That complete, he began working with Hornigold and Kidd to carry out lucrative missions, plundering ships and raiding a nearby plantation.

Thatch shared with Edward his concerns about protecting their newly formed "Pirate Republic" from British recapture, and proposed a plan to take a particular Spanish Galleon in order to better protect the nascent revolutionary state. At his request, Edward located and tailed the Galleon to Great Inagua, only to learn that the ship was owned by none other than Julien du Casse. Reasoning that du Casse could not be allowed to live and spread news of Edward's escape, Edward approached the cove through the jungle, snuck aboard the ship and assassinated du Casse.

James Kidd congratulated Edward on his victory, and brought him to a Mayan stela in the jungle, telling him to use "the light of life" to uncover the treasure to which it pointed. Kidd then showed Edward an underground tunnel leading to the du Casse manor and the special armor locked away there, and proposed that Edward keep the island as his base. He also requested that Edward meet him in Tulum in several weeks' time, as he had more to show Edward there.

Introduction to the Assassins
"Jaysus, Kidd! You led me into a mess. Is it these monks guarding the treasure you promised me?"

- Edward Kenway to James Kidd, 1716.

Arriving in Tulum, Edward found himself having to sneak through the jungle to meet with Kidd, as the area was heavily guarded by Assassin forces. Upon their eventual meeting, Edward was set upon by Ah Tabai, who demanded to know why Edward had sold their location to the Templars and attacked the Assassins in Havana. Kidd diffused the situation by telling Ah Tabai that Edward had "the Sense", and requested leave for them to enter a nearby temple. After claiming that he would recognize Bartholomew Roberts if he saw the man again, Edward was granted access to the temple with Kidd.

While explaining the nature of the Assassin-Templar conflict and the Creed, Kidd led Edward to an antechamber containing a sculpture of the Sage. Edward originally claimed that it did not resemble Roberts at all; however, as he and Kidd completed an associated puzzle, layers of the sculpture were removed to show a better likeness underneath. Astonished, Edward confirmed that the statue perfectly resembled Roberts.

When Edward and Kidd exited the temple, they found the Assassin base under siege by Templar forces. Edward aided the Assassins in their fight, freeing several who had been captured and earning the appreciation of Ah Tabai. However, considering the damage he had caused through negligence, Ah Tabai decreed that Edward was not welcome in Tulum any longer.

In pursuit of Roberts
Upon his return to Nassau, Edward learned from Charles Vane and Jack Rackham that Governor Torres of Cuba was residing in a fort with a sizable amount of gold that Charles aimed to steal. Undercutting him, Edward quickly sailed to Torres' location and captured the fort.

Inquiring about Roberts, Edward learned that the Sage had been captured by a Kingston-based slaver name Laurens Prins, who was ransoming him to the Templars. Edward decided to use the opportunity to reach Roberts himself, and coerced Torres into aiding him. When they arrived in Kingston, Edward started to tail Torres, only to discover James Kidd was also pursuing Prins, intending to assassinate him.

Reluctantly, James agreed to Edward's request not to assassinate Torres and Prins until they had uncovered the Sage's location. Despite being detected, the two eventually tracked Prins down to his manor in the north of the city. Edward agreed to aid James in the infiltration and the assassination of Prins. James, noticing that they would not be able to get far through stealth alone against such a heavily guarded complex, elected to act as a distraction. Removing her bandanna and reddening her lips, James revealed herself to be a woman.

Edward quickly overcame his confusion and, using "James'" distraction, snuck into the manor's gardens and assassinated Prins. Moments later, Edward was surprised to find Roberts free from confinement and holding "James" at gunpoint. Roberts revealed that he was working for Prins, but was not surprised to hear about his betrayal. Shooting the alarm bell, Roberts made his escape, followed shortly by his two would-be rescuers.

Escaping Prins' property and regrouping with "James", Edward requested her real name; she told him it was Mary Read, and that if he informed anyone of her true identity, she would "unman" him.

Medicines for Nassau
The following year, in 1718, word reached Nassau of a general pardon for all pirates being issued by Woodes Rogers – the new Governor of the Bahamas. Thatch and Hornigold disagreed on how they should address the situation; the former favored the use of force to keep the Pirate Republic alive, the latter a period of quiet to turn prying eyes away from Nassau. Hornigold stated that without proper care, including medicine for the sick, Nassau was not worth attempting to save. Edward agreed and elected to procure some medicine in a way that did not draw British attention. Remembering the storm that sunk the Spanish Treasure Fleet, he suggested searching the wrecks for any medicine that might have survived.

Edward purchased a diving bell and met with Thatch at the site of the sinking; unfortunately, the medicine had not survived three years at the bottom of the ocean. Enraged, Thatch left, but was shortly pursued by Edward.

Soon enough, Edward learned that Thatch had attacked a British Man O' War in an attempt to gain some medicine, and was now in trouble. Sailing the Jackdaw to his location, Edward managed to relieve Thatch of his predicament. Although the amount of medicine they procured was pitiful, Edward suggested they travel to Charles-Towne - whose stamp adorned the medicine crates – to retrieve the whole lot.

Siege of Charles-Towne
One month later, the two met near Charles-Towne, where Edward was shocked to see Queen Anne's Revenge brazenly off shore with hostages aboard. Thatch revealed that he had spent eight days there, waiting for the medicine to be delivered, but that the crew he had sent ashore a week before to retrieve it had not been heard from since. Edward set out to retrieve the medicine personally.

After discreetly guiding the Jackdaw through the bayou, Edward snuck ashore and forcefully obtained the key to the storeroom holding the medicines. He returned to Queen Anne's Revenge with two crates, as well as the means to make more. Thatch congratulated him, but then revealed he would not be returning to Nassau, instead choosing to retire while he still had time to enjoy it.

Blockade of Nassau
Shortly after his return to Nassau, the city was blockaded by the Royal Navy; Woodes Rogers came ashore to publicly announce the general pardon being offered to the pirates, but warned that for the time being they were restricted to the island regardless of their answer. Hornigold and his crew elected to accept the pardon, whilst Vane angrily rebuked it.

Meeting with Vane, Edward decided the time had come to leave Nassau; he proposed using a fireship to ram the British blockade, and went to gather the gunpowder while Vane retrieved the pine pitch.

After procuring the gunpowder, Edward returned to Vane, who was still in the process of retrieving the pitch. While there, the two overheard that Rogers' associate, Commodore Peter Chamberlaine, had decided to ignore the Govenor's orders and was set to destroy the pirate fleet that very night. Vane suggested Edward kill the Commodore before he could order the attack. Edward agreed, made his way to the Commodore's warship, and assassinated him.

With Chamberlaine dead, the pirates made their move. Launching the fireship at the British fleet, they punched a hole in the blockade and escaped the area, heading for Kenway's base in Great Inagua.

The death of Blackbeard
"In a world without gold, we might have been heroes!"

- Edward Thatch's last word, 1718.

Meeting with Read in Great Inagua, Edward stated his intentions to try and bring Thatch back to the West Indies. He then set sail for Ocracoke, where Thatch had retired to, in order to make the attempt.

When he arrived, he found Vane angrily giving up on his attempts to bring Thatch back to the Pirate Republic; Edward reluctantly accepted that Thatch had no intention of returning, and instead decided to help him celebrate his retirement. As a parting gift, Thatch informed Edward that he had learned about a man named "Roberts", who was working on a slaver ship called Princess. Edward gratefully accepted the information, but soon spotted a local man acting suspiciously.

Edward followed the man through the outlying jungle until he had met with a British officer. Eavesdropping on their conversation, Edward heard the two discussing Thatch's reputation. Eventually, they reached a clearing overlooking the village and one of the men launched a flare. Within moments, a nearby British fleet bombarded Ocracoke with mortars, destroying the town and many of the ships in the docks. Edward hurriedly made his way back to the Jackdaw, where he once again met with Thatch, and the two attempted to escape.

They succeeded in disabling and boarding the attacking Man O' War, but were soon overwhelmed. Thatch was surrounded and decapitated by the British, whilst a shocked Edward, who had tried and failed to fight his way to Thatch's aid, was thrown overboard. Shaken, Edward returned to the Jackdaw and eventually fought his way free of the attacking fleet.

Marooned on Isla Providencia
Edward returned to Great Inagua and, disheartened, informed Vane of Thatch's death. Soon enough, a decision was made to pursue the Princess and learn the location of the Observatory. As such, both Edward and Vane traveled south in search of a slaver ship.

Once that had located one, both the Ranger and the Jackdaw launched their attack. Quickly overcoming the vessel and capturing its captain, they learned that the Princess regularly sailed out of Kingston. However, before their next move could be decided, Vane and Edward found themselves surrounded by Jack Rackham and the rest of the mutinying crew.

The two were marooned on the island of Isla Providencia. After a few months, Vane grew distrustful and nonsensical, blaming Edward for all their troubles and threatening to kill him. Vane fled, and Edward pursued him into the jungle before being surprised by a stack of muskets and grenades Vane had happened upon. Sneaking through the ruins, Edward managed to get behind Vane and disarmed him, before leaving him alone on the island. Upon his return to shore, Edward took advantage of the timely arrival of a fishing schooner and used it to return to Great Inagua. There he found Mary Read and Adéwalé waiting, an incarcerated Rackham in tow and the Jackdaw safely docked.

Journey to Príncipe
Edward returned to his pursuit of Roberts. With Adéwalé's help, he learned that the Princess was due in Kingston soon, and that Governor Torres was in the city with Hornigold in attendance. Listening in on their conversation, Edward learned that Hornigold had sent one of his ships to Príncipe, where Roberts had last been seen. Hornigold then spotted the Jackdaw in the harbor and deduced that Edward had been following them. Edward came out of hiding to berate Hornigold for his betrayal, whereupon he was beset by Torres' soldiers. Not wanting to waste time, Edward escaped the soldiers who engaged him and, upon his return to the Jackdaw, set course for Africa.

Months later, Edward and his crew arrived in Príncipe to find the crew of the Princess dead or captured by Hornigold's Templar associates, Josiah Burgess and John Cockram. As Edward searched the remains of their encampment, he came upon Roberts in hiding there. After a tense discussion, Edward and Roberts made a deal; Edward would kill the Templars and free the crew of the Princess in return for Roberts leading him to the Observatory. Edward then completed his end of the bargain, assassination Burgress and Cockram.

Taking possession of the Man O' War Royal Fortune, Bartholomew Roberts named himself captain and arranged to meet with Edward near the Observatory, back in the West Indies.

The Observatory
In 1719, Edward met with Roberts off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, but soon discovered he had been followed by Hornigold. Edward gave chase and disabled Hornigold's ship, forcing it to beach on a nearby island. Going ashore, Edward managed to evade Hornigold's crew and several British sailors, sneaking behind his old friend before assassinating him. The two had a brief, angry exchange as to the nature of Hornigold's betrayal before he succumbed to his wounds. Edward then returned to Roberts at Cape Long and together, the two traveled inland toward the Observatory.

Roberts led Edward to an island heavily guarded by indigenous guardians whose presence made it impossible for the crew to reach the Observatory. Roberts directed Edward to clear a path, which he did successfully, leading them to a black geometric structure. Roberts identified the building as the Observatory, then promptly killed the crew, leaving Edward to carry a crate of blood vials inside.

Roberts explained the true nature of the Observatory; with a sample of a target's blood kept in a blood vial, the Observatory was able to project what the target was seeing in real-time. To explain, Roberts inserted a vial containing the blood of Jack Rackham, who was currently overhearing James Kidd attempting to recruit Anne Bonny into the life of a pirate. He then inserted the cube of Woodes Rogers, who was discussing the Observatory with Torres.

Edward quickly realized the true reason for the Templars' interest in the Observatory: with just the tiniest amount of blood from each member of the British, Spanish and French governments, the Templars would be able to spy on, blackmail and effectively rule these Imperial governments from behind a veil. However, Edward's interest still laid in financial gain, and he expressed excitement that he and Roberts could rule the high seas using the crystal skull. However, he was quickly struck by Roberts, who had no further use for him with the guardians neutralized. Roberts then left, sealing Edward within the facility.

Edward eventually managed to locate a passé out of the complex, but in his escape impaled himself on a sharpened branch and fell from a waterfall. Reaching the beach, he stumbled toward Roberts, but was too weak to defend himself against the man's crew. An amused Roberts then told him that the Jackdaw had fled, and he decided to take advantage of the large bounty on Kenway's head, turning him over to the British.

Imprisonment
In 1721, after months of imprisonment, Edward was made to witness the sentencing of Mary and Anne for the crimes of piracy, though the two managed to stave their execution by announcing that they were pregnant.

Edward was approached by Torres and Rogers, who offered him his freedom in exchange for the location of the Observatory, though they warned him that they could only stay his eventual execution for so long. Edward refused and was then returned to a.

Four months later, Edward was freed by Ah Tabai, who had traveled to Port Royal in order to free Mary and Anne. He offered to ensure Edward's safe passage from the prison should he aid in their rescue, an offer Edward readily accepted.

Edward infiltrated the prison and, after a brief visit to both John Rackham's gibbeted body and a delirious Charles Vane in a prison cell, succeeded in finding Mary and Anne and assassinating the guards posted at their cells. However, Mary had grown ill due to giving birth in the prison's unsanitary conditions; despite Edward's attempts to carry her to freedom, she could not make the escape. Asking Edward to make amends for his past and change the course of his future, she died within the prison walls, and Edward carried her body to the shore.

Edward handed Mary over to Ah Tabai, who stated that while he still had not earned them, the Assassin robes Edward had taken from Walpole many years before suited him. He then returned the outfit to Edward before departing with the pregnant Anne.

Edward fell into a deep state of despair, drinking heavily and hallucinating. In his hallucinations, Edward was beset by apparitions of Rogers, Roberts, Caroline and Mary, among others. The former two mocked him, and Caroline and Mary berated his lust for gold and personal glory over anything else. Eventually, he awoke near the Kingston docks, hungover. Standing over him was Adéwalé, who returned the Jackdaw to his care, resigned as his quartermaster and urged Edward to travel to Tulum.

Return to Tulum
When Edward arrived at Tulum, Adéwalé confirmed his resignation as his quartermaster, stating his distaste for working with a man so obsessed with his own gain, claiming he felt the Assassins to pursue a more worthy cause. Edward agreed, reflecting on the fact that despite his wealth, he had lost everyone he cared about in its pursuit. He then appealed to Ah Tabai to help him make amends for his past misdeeds, as per Mary's final request.

After a brief conversation between the two about the Order, Tulum was once again beset by Spanish Templars. Despite Ah Tabai's reservations, he realized that Mary had seen something in Edward, and so chose place his trust in the man. Handing the aspiring Assassin a set of Sheng Biao, Ah Tabai and Edward worked together to clear the jungle of Spanish troops, before Edward snuck aboard their Galleon and assassinated the captain.

With the attack repelled, Edward, Adéwalé and Ah Tabai discussed their next move: the removal of Rogers, Roberts, and Torres. In the interim, Edward sought out the company of Anne, with whom he found camaraderie in the wake of their friends' deaths. He eventually offered her the position of quartermaster in Adéwalé's absence, which she accepted.

Three targets
Travelling to Kingston, Edward and Anne visited the Bureau leader Antó to inquire about Rogers' location. Antó suggested that Edward infiltrate a party Rogers was hosting in the guise of an Italian diplomat. Edward agreed and obtained the disguise he needed.

Sufficiently disguised, Edward entered the party and, as Rogers passed, struck him with his Hidden Blade from a bench. Before he left, Edward pried from Rogers the location of Bartholomew Roberts: Príncipe.

Once more, Edward traveled to Africa in pursuit of Roberts, through the very same stronghold that had held his target captive years before. Roberts attempted to flee aboard the Royal Fortune, but the ship was soon disabled by the Jackdaw and boarded.

On board, Roberts and Kenway fought one another, with Edward emerging victorious after impaling Roberts with his Sheng Biao. Remorsefully, Roberts remarked that perhaps Edward was indeed the one she had sought, and that he wished he had only had time to open the door to the Temple. He then died, requesting his body be destroyed to prevent the Templars acquiring it, before Edward could gain any more answers.

With Roberts dead and the crystal skull that powered the Observatory in-hand, Edward made the return journey to Havana, in order to confront and assassinate Torres. He found the city in lockdown, as Torres had anticipated his arrival. With a drop of Torres' blood, Edward tracked the Grand Master through the city to a fort in the north. Edward infiltrated the fort and assassinated Torres, only to find the man he had slain was a double wearing Torres's clothes. He was then set upon by El Tiburón, Torres right-hand man and bodyguard, whose blood had resided in the vial under Torres' name.

After a prolonged fight, Edward succeeded in killing El Tiburón and escaped the fort, having deduced that Torres was already on his way to the Observatory and oblivious to the fact that Edward held what he sought.

Death of a Grand Master
Returning to the Observatory once more, the Jackdaw fought its way past the Grand Master's escort and its captain went ashore.

Edward, accompanied by Anne, again made his way through the jungle, eliminating the Grand Master's soldiers and freeing those Guardians that had been captured, before entering the Observatory. Inside, he was set upon by the Templars, but made full use of the complex's defenses, which had activated in responses to the Crystal Skull's removal, to dispose of them. Freerunning his way through the facility's ever-changing and disjointed architecture, Edward managed to reach Torres, and struck him down.

As he lay dying, Torres reminded Edward that he ended up a man with nothing. Edward retorted that killing Torres righted his own wrongs and criticized the Templars' goal of controlling humanity. With his last breath, Torres expressed his respect for Edward's convictions.

With the Templar Grand Master dead and the Observatory returned to normal, Edward returned to the central device to find Ah Tabai, Adéwalé and Anne waiting for him. Together they returned the Crystal Skull to its rightful place and vowed to seal the Observatory once more.

Ah Tabai then suggested Edward aid in the search for the missing blood vials, which had been removed since Edward's last visit. Edward agreed, but stated that he would return home to mend his relationship with Caroline first. Remorsefully, Ah Tabai handed Edward a letter which had arrived from England a week past. The letter stated that Caroline had died two years prior, and revealed that Edward had a daughter, Jennifer Scott.

The last pirate
Edward eventually arranged for Jennifer to be brought from England to Great Inagua, and gifted the island to the Assassins for use as a base, an offer gladly accepted by Ah Tabai. Adéwalé revealed that, despite his wounds, Rogers had survived and returned to England, broke but no less of a threat. Edward vowed to deal with him once he had time. Edward invited Anne to return to London with him, but she refused the offer, also claiming she didn't possess the conviction to remain with the Assassins. However, Anne did tell Edward that she considered him a good man and felt he could prove himself a good father in time as well.

Shortly thereafter, a brig carrying the young Jennifer arrived in port, and Edward went to meet her.

Later life and death
Edward eventually retired from his life at sea and moved to London, where he met Tessa Stephenson-Oakley, the daughter of the wealthy landowner from whom he rented his house. Using her family connections, Tessa assisted Edward in purchasing a manor on, London, and by 1725, the two married and had a son, Haytham.

Edward trained Haytham to become an Assassin from an early age, training him in swordsmanship and other types of combat from six years old onward. Edward also encouraged his son to think for himself, and dispute others' opinions. However, Edward kept his past a secret from his young son, though his former career as a pirate forever distanced the family from their neighbors in London.

On 4 December 1733, Edward, Haytham and Jennifer attended a performance of  at the Theatre Royal, where they were joined by Edward's aspiring property manager, Reginald Birch. Following the show, the four met with Tessa at on Chesterfield Street, to celebrate Haytham's eighth birthday.

Upon the return home, the group were accosted by a mugger. When the mugger attempted to steal Tessa's necklace, he was swiftly repulsed by Edward, before being pounced upon by Birch. Edward adamantly refused to allow Birch to kill the mugger, and was infuriated at the man's harsh vigilantism. When the family returned home that night, Edward asked his son whether he thought that the thief should have been allowed to go free. Haytham replied that he had initially wanted to exact revenge, but would have offered the man clemency; Edward then presented Haytham with a steel short sword.

Over the next two years, Birch became a regular visitor of Kenway Manor while courting Jennifer. She eventually discovered he was a Templar, and after informing her father, the two men engaged in a loud argument, ending with Birch storming out of the office. Regardless, he had what he was looking for: young Haytham had unintentionally revealed the location of Edward's journal, containing his research on the First Civilization, when he told Birch about his sword in a secret compartment in the games room.

On December 3, 1735, the Kenway household was infiltrated by masked men who kidnapped Jennifer and killed several of the servants. After making sure that his wife and son were safe, Edward raced to the games room and was confronted by two of the intruders; after a prolonged fight, one of the men managed to impale Edward through the chest with his sword, killing him instantly.

Personality and characteristics
"For Christ's sake, Edward. Don't anything but the stink of riches wrinkle your nose?"

- Mary Read, 1718.

During his formative years, Edward was a reckless, albeit brave individual who was infatuated with the idea of fame and glory. Such was his obsession that he left his first wife to become a privateer in the British Navy, hoping to score his fortune in the Caribbean and prove his worth. After the Treaty of Utrecht effectively made privateers redundant, many turned to a life of piracy, Edward among them.

As the captain of the Jackdaw he quickly became feared and respected for his skill at the helm of a ship and his combat prowess, with even the renowned Edward Thatch commenting on his ability.

It was the promise of wealth, power and infamy that spurred Edward into seeking out the Observatory, at the expense of both the Templars and Assassins. Although the Assassin Mary Read knew him to be good at heart and capable of change, the Assassins en-large remained suspicious of him and strongly disagreed with his lifestyle.

Despite the vested interest of both the Assassins and the Templars in the veteran pirate, Edward remained steadfastly focused on his own goals: power, infamy and proof that he was better than he was born to be. Edward was also one to take any advantage afforded him, twisting the meaning of the Assassins' Creed to suit his own ends. Only after losing his friends and compatriots to greed and glory-seeking did he recant his previous behavior, and come to realize what the Creed truly promised: the power to make himself better than he was.

As a father, Edward encouraged his son to think for himself instead of believing everything his home-school teachers said. He also expressed pride toward his son when Haytham said that he would have offered a mugger clemency, instead of acting on the impulse to kill him. Edward could be quite conservative in other respects, such as his decision to marry off his daughter to Birch, as was the tradition of the day.

Skills and equipment
During his privateer years, Edward spent his time repeatedly climbing the vast rigging and masts of his warships, providing him with a deftness that equaled that of any Assassin. He was also known for wielding at least four flintlock pistols, a proficiency in dual-swordsmanship, and for exemplary skill with a variety of armaments.

One of Edward's most invaluable pieces of equipment was his ship, the Jackdaw. She was equipped with a that Edward used to dive for treasure beneath the waves; during these maritime explorations, Edward proved to be a strong swimmer who was capable of fending off hostile sea creatures such as sharks if he was attacked.

Trivia

 * Edward can be translated as "rich guard", as it is derived from the Old English elements ead "rich, blessed" and weard "guard".
 * Kenway comes from an Old English name, either Cynewig or Cenwig, composed of the words cyne ("royal") or cen ("keen, bold") and wig ("war").
 * Edward was the first member of the Kenway family to join the Assassins.
 * During his time trapped in an induced alternate reality, Ratonhnhaké:ton remarked that he seemed to have inherited his taste for maritime adventures from his grandfather, Edward.
 * Unlike many known Assassins, Edward's outfit did not possess a beaked hood.
 * In Assassin's Creed: Forsaken, Edward is described as having dark hair, though he has been shown to have blonde hair in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
 * Edward has been shown to bear multiple facial scars: one through his right eyebrow and the corner of his eye, another across the bridge of his nose, and a third from his right ear through his cheek.
 * Edward's Hidden Blades possessed Assassin insignia engraved on the mechanism, while the right blade also showed a small skull below the insignia, referencing the fact he was both a pirate and an Assassin.
 * Voice actor/motion capture provider Matt Ryan initially chose to portray Edward with a during casting call. However, after the developers heard Ryan's natural  they asked him to voice Kenway instead with a South-Welsh English accent. They then chose to rewrite Kenway's backstory to fit Ryan's accent.