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- "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."
- ―Ratonhnhaké:ton, 1783.[src]
Ratonhnhaké:ton (/radũnhaɡɛ̌ːdõ/, born 1756), commonly known by his adopted name Connor, was a Kanien'kehá:ka-born Master Assassin of the Colonial Brotherhood during the period of the American Revolutionary War. He is an ancestor of Victor Flores Castillo[2] and Desmond Miles, the latter through the paternal line.[3]
The son of the British Templar Haytham Kenway and Kaniehtí:io, a Kanien'kehá:ka woman from the village of Kanatahséton, Ratonhnhaké:ton was raised in Kanatahséton. In 1760, when he was still a young child, he was assaulted by Charles Lee and other Colonial Templars seeking the Isu temple which the Kanien'kehá:ka were protecting and lost his mother shortly thereafter when their village was burned down by the forces of George Washington.
Concerned by the outside world's impact on his people, Ratonhnhaké:ton eventually joined the Assassin Brotherhood on the advice of Oiá:ner and the Isu Juno in order to protect his village and prevent the Templars from returning. Finding the Templars had wiped out the Colonial Assassins years prior, Ratonhnhaké:ton convinced the retired Assassin Mentor Achilles Davenport to train him and adopted the more Western-sounding pseudonym of 'Connor'.
During his hunt for the Templars, Ratonhnhaké:ton aided the Patriot movement and protected George Washington, unwittingly becoming an important figure of the American Revolution. However, he was conflicted by wanting to reconcile with his father, despite Achilles' warnings as to the futility of uniting the Assassin and Templar philosophies, and his dogged pursuit of Charles Lee, whom Haytham staunchly supported.
Upon learning that it was Washington, not Lee, who had burned his village, Ratonhnhaké:ton became disillusioned with the Revolutionaries but continued using them to aid in the eradication of the Templars. He reluctantly accepted Washington's request for help investigating Benedict Arnold and then in disposing of an Apple of Eden he had recovered. The latter incident saw Ratonhnhaké:ton trapped in an alternate reality constructed by the Apple, one wherein Washington ruled as king through tyranny. Eventually, Ratonhnhaké:ton escaped this reality and disposed of the Apple.
Following Achilles' death, Ratonhnhaké:ton successfully eliminated the Colonial Templars, including his father, and went on to rebuild and lead the Colonial Assassins in the newly formed United States of America. In this capacity, he expanded the Assassin network in the New World and reconnected a number of previously detached Brotherhoods across the region.
Biography
Pre-birth
In 1725, a vision of Ratonhnhaké:ton, alongside other Assassins from both the past and the future, appeared to his grandfather Edward Kenway while the latter was under the influence of a Piece of Eden shaped like a crescent amulet.[4]
Early life
Losing his mother
Ratonhnhaké:ton with his mother
Ratonhnhaké:ton was born on 4 April 1756 to Kaniehtí:io, a Kanien'kehá:ka woman from the village of Kanatahséton, following her short-lived relationship with the Colonial Templars' Grand Master Haytham Kenway. Raised alone by his mother, Ratonhnhaké:ton's childhood was spent in the company of other children from the village, including Kanen'tó:kon, with whom he remained friends into his later life.[5]
In November 1760, when Ratonhnhaké:ton was four, he ventured into the grounds outside his village to play hide-and-seek alongside the other Kanien'kehá:ka children. While he managed to locate all of the others on his turn, he was assaulted by members of the Templar Order as he hid, who were seeking the Isu site rumored to be located near Kanatahséton.[5]
Despite his capture, the young Kanien'kehá:ka defiantly demanded to know the name of the leader of the group, and Charles Lee answered him, amusedly inquiring why the child wanted to know. Ratonhnhaké:ton then promised that he would find Lee, but the Templar only brushed off his statement before the boy was knocked unconscious by William Johnson with the butt of his musket. Awakening sometime later, Ratonhnhaké:ton returned to Kanatahséton, only to find it in flames.[5]
Ratonhnhaké:ton witnessing his mother's death
After making his way through the burning village, Ratonhnhaké:ton found his mother in a longhouse, trapped under debris. He desperately tried to lift the debris to rescue her, but his efforts were in vain and he was eventually pulled away to safety by a Kanien'kehá:ka man while Kaniehtí:io perished in the inferno. This event led Ratonhnhaké:ton to grow up with a resentment towards Lee and his Templar brethren, whom he blamed for Kanatahséton's destruction and his mother's death, and he would later seek justice for his people and fight tyranny wherever he came across it.[5]
Leaving home
Ratonhnhaké:ton remained in his village, which was rebuilt following the attack that had claimed his mother, until the age of thirteen. He served his tribe as a hunter, using his freerunning skills to traverse the surrounding valley in search of prey, as well as trinkets such as eagle feathers. He would also occasionally bring his friend Kanen'tó:kon along, acting as his mentor and sharing his knowledge with him. Thanks to Ratonhnhaké:ton's lessons, Kanen'tó:kon was able to become a skilled hunter and freerunner in his own right.[6][7]
Ratonhnhaké:ton meeting Juno
However, Ratonhnhaké:ton continued to be concerned about the threat the colonists posed to his people and would ask questions about why his tribe was not allowed to leave the valley they inhabited. He eventually received some answers to his questions in October 1769, when Oiá:ner, the Clan Mother of the village, asked Ratonhnhaké:ton to meet her in private after he returned from one of his hunts with Kanen'tó:kon.[8]
Showing Ratonhnhaké:ton a Crystal Ball, Oiá:ner told him that their people had been tasked with guarding a secret on their lands. Upon touching the Piece of Eden, Ratonhnhaké:ton heard the voice of Juno and found himself 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 in life he was currently taking would allow the Templars to gain premature access to the Grand Temple, which would bring the world into ruin. Juno then instructed him to seek out a certain symbol that would lead him on the right path.[8]
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 had been 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.[8]
Ratonhnhaké:ton meeting Achilles Davenport
Ratonhnhaké:ton crossed the Frontier, running into an elderly man being chased by bandits along the way, and arrived at a run-down manor several days later. He knocked on the door and was greeted by the same elderly man from earlier. Ratonhnhaké:ton hesitantly stated that he had been told to go there for training, but the man denied him and shut the door in his face. After spending a night in the nearby stables, the young Kanien'kehá:ka tried again the following morning, but the man only yelled at him to get off his land.[9]
Ratonhnhaké:ton persisted stubbornly, banging on the manor's back door, and climbing up onto the balcony to try to gain entrance there, though 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 once more, angrily calling back that he would not leave until the man agreed to train him.[9]
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. The thugs attacked him, though he was able to fend most of them off. However, the leader of the bandits hit him from behind, knocking him to the ground and questioning whether he was working for the owner of the homestead.[9]
Achilles explaining the Templars' cause
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 to follow him into the manor so that they could talk. There, the man finally told him about the conflict between the Assassins and the Templars, before introducing himself as Achilles Davenport. He also showed him a hidden room in the basement of the manor, which held an Assassin's robes and a pair of Hidden Blades.[9]
Achilles then led Ratonhnhaké:ton to a wall that held the names and portraits of the Templar leaders in the colonies: William Johnson, John Pitcairn, Thomas Hickey, Nicholas Biddle, Benjamin Church, Charles Lee, and Ratonhnhaké:ton's father, Haytham Kenway. Recounting his traumatic encounter with the Templars nine years prior, Ratonhnhaké:ton asked what the Order sought, to which Achilles explained that they desired "a chance for new beginnings, unfettered by the chaos of the past". The Assassin then claimed that the only way to stop the Templars was to eliminate them all, including Haytham.[9]
The Boston Massacre
Connor and Achilles in Boston
Achilles continued to train Ratonhnhaké:ton for the next few months at the homestead, beginning his teaching on the vital skills that would shorten the gap in experience between Ratonhnhaké:ton and his father. In March of 1770, Achilles invited Ratonhnhaké:ton to come with him to Boston, where they could purchase supplies for repairing the manor.[10]
There, in order for Ratonhnhaké:ton to more easily move through colonial circles, Achilles suggested that he take on the name "Connor" after his late son, Connor Davenport, who had died of typhoid fever several years earlier. 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 where he could buy lumber and other construction materials, and have them brought back to their carriage.[10]
After purchasing the items on Achilles' list, Connor passed by a rioting crowd, who were yelling at the local British soldiers to leave Boston. Connor returned to Achilles' side as they observed the uproar, until they spotted Haytham speaking with another man in the crowd. Achilles, worried that the Templars would worsen the already delicate situation, sent Connor to discover what Haytham and his associate were planning.[10]
Connor watching Haytham and his accomplice
Despite wishing to approach his father, Connor obeyed Achilles' instruction to follow the other man instead. He 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 been 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 out of startlement. In the confusion, Haytham approached one of the guards and pointed out Connor, prompting several troops to pursue him through the city, and later accuse him of firing the first shot.[10]
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. Revealing himself to be an acquaintance of Achilles, Adams aided Connor in clearing his name by teaching him how to remove wanted posters, and to bribe either town criers or printers to announce false propaganda.[11] He also show him the tunnels constructed by the Freemasons to navigate under Boston.[12] Afterward, Adams led Connor to Boston's port, from where he could safely sail back to the Davenport Homestead.[13]
After returning to the homestead, Connor angrily confronted Achilles, accusing him of abandoning him in Boston, but Achilles calmly remarked that the day of experience had been more valuable than months of training. In acknowledgment of his achievements, Achilles finally entrusted Connor with a pair of Hidden Blades.[14]
Becoming an Assassin
- "Once upon a time we had ceremonies on such occasions. But I don't think either of us are really the type for that. You've your tools and training. Your targets and goals. And now you have your title. Welcome to the Brotherhood, Connor."
- ―Achilles inducting Connor into the Assassin Brotherhood, 1773.[src]-[m]
Godfrey thanking Connor for saving Terry
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 to his death ahead.[15]
After finding out that the two men, Godfrey and Terry, were loggers in search of a place to build a mill, Connor offered them a good location on the homestead.[15] Not long afterward, Connor protected the carpenter Lance O'Donnell after his wagon was attacked by mercenaries.[16] Grateful, these men, alongside Terry and Godfrey's families, built homes on the property and became trading partners with Connor, in addition to crafting special weapons, pouches and consumables for the Assassin.[17]
Achilles later 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 her repairs, and Faulkner gladly agreed to gather a crew for the vessel and restore her to sailing capability.[17]
Connor confronting Church and Biddle
Six months later, after the Aquila had been repaired, Faulkner 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 Faulkner taught Connor how to both sail the ship and fire her cannons. Making a stop at Martha's Vineyard, Faulkner went to recruit David and Richard Clutterbuck as gunnery officers for the Aquila while Connor spotted Benjamin Church conversing with the Royal Navy junior officer Nicholas Biddle in a tavern.[18]
Recognizing Church from Achilles' wall of Templar targets, Connor approached the man and demanded to know Charles Lee's whereabouts. Unimpressed, Church simply warned off Connor, just as Faulkner arrived and nearly got into an altercation with Biddle. Fortunately, the tavern's owner Amanda Bailey de-escalated the situation, and Connor and Faulkner left with their new cannons and crew members. They subsequently tested the Aquila's weaponry in a fight against a group of privateers that attacked them, before sailing back to the homestead.[18]
On his return, Connor heard a drunken man shout about letters he possessed, written by the infamous privateer and pirate William Kidd. Connor soon spoke to the man, "Peg Leg", who explained that the letters hinted at the location of a great treasure. He would give them to the Assassin in exchange for "trinkets" from treasure boxes hidden across the American frontier.[18]
Connor receiving his Assassin robes
When he finally returned to the manor, Connor was berated by Achilles, who accused him of leaving for so long without as much as a goodbye. Nevertheless, Achilles led Connor down to the manor basement, in order to bestow to 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 welcomed him into the Brotherhood of Assassins.[18]
Adventures on land and sea
Connor regularly explored the Frontier, joining the New England Hunting Society, who would alert him to infamous animals, such as a cougar that threatened children from his village in the neighboring valley. He also befriended the explorer Daniel Boone, who told him of mysterious and supernatural creatures and events he had witnessed, which Connor would often investigate and discover a logical explanation for.[19]
While in the Frontier, Connor came across the farmers Warren and Prudence being attacked by British troops for refusing to yield their produce to them. After he fended off the attackers, they became the third group to settle on the Davenport Homestead.[20]
Connor inviting Warren and Prudence to the Homestead
Connor also joined the Boston Brawlers, eventually winning a tournament hosted by them, and was invited to join a Thief's Club after they noticed his pickpocketing skills. On partaking in the clubs, they subsequently gave him challenges to complete. The Assassin also explored the underground tunnels used by the Freemasons that Samuel Adams had shown him, learning some of their secrets when using the magic lantern.[19]
In 1773, Connor took on contracts along the East Coast to defend the merchant ship the Henderson,[21] and to hunt down the privateer ship the Saint James.[22] He also sailed to the Bahamas to destroy the Windermere, which carried Templar cargo,[23] and the Leviathan, which carried a Templar emissary.[24] While investigating raids on Martha's Vineyard, Connor and Faulkner found Fort Phoenix to be occupied by Templar forces; they successfully destroyed it, but the raids continued nevertheless.[25]
After exchanging one trinket, Connor received the first of William Kidd's letters from Peg Leg. The document was addressed to a man known as Lucky Lem, who had been imprisoned in Fort Wolcott. In response, Connor infiltrated the fort and recovered a piece of a map from Lem's cell, which contained the description "It lies under the eagle's bed." Connor then made his escape while the Aquila opened fire on the fort, diving into the sea as the stronghold was set ablaze.[26]
The American Revolution
Boston Tea Party
- "These are troubled times. The already uneasy alliance between the Crown and its subjects frays. And behind them both the Templars plot, pulling strings and moving pieces. History dictates they seek order through control. But how will they affect it here? Who supports them? And what conspiracies have they already spun? All these things I must determine, for only by knowing my enemy can I hope to stop them."
- ―Connor, reflecting on the Templars' influence over the Revolution, 1773.[src]-[m]
Connor declaring war on the Templars
Later that year, Kanen'tó:kon visited Connor at the Davenport Homestead, bringing news that William Johnson was attempting to lay claim to 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 then 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 to his people, and that the hatchet would not be removed until the danger had passed, despite Achilles' bewilderment at the property damage.[27]
On his way to leave the homestead, Connor came across a hunter named Myriam, who had been injured by poachers. While Achilles looked after her, Connor used the rope darts he had just been given by his Mentor to deal with the poachers, while leaving one alive as a warning. Connor subsequently invited Myriam to live on the homestead on the condition she provided the other residents with part of her hunt, and she accepted, moving into a cabin north of the manor.[28]
In Boston, Connor met up with Samuel Adams, who offered to assist him in finding Johnson, but only after the Assassin had helped Adams cripple Johnson's tea extortion. While lending his aid to Adams and the Sons of Liberty, Connor met Stephane Chapheau, a French taverner, and helped him ward off tax collectors that were harassing him.[27] Soon afterward, Stephane went on a violent rampage and caused various riots around Boston against the Loyalists. After finding the main overseer of the tea's transportation, Connor had Stephane assassinate him, taking him on as an apprentice afterward.[29]
Connor and Stephane Chapeau dumping the tea into Boston harbor
Later, Connor met with Adams again, who aimed to recruit the Assassin into dumping the newly arrived shipment of tea into the ocean, which Connor accepted. During the subsequent Boston Tea Party, Connor protected Adams, Stephane and the Sons of Liberty as they dumped the tea into the water, and smugly dropped the last crate himself, as a show of rebellion against Johnson and Charles Lee, who were watching from a distance.[30]
Following this, Connor, having witnessed the oppression of Boston's citizens by the Templars, began helping out people throughout the city. In the process, he met and recruited Duncan Little and Clipper Wilkinson, taking them on as apprentices, just as he had done with Stephane.[31][32]
Connor also brought the miner Norris to live on the Davenport Homestead after he had been assaulted by drunken soldiers.[33] The two became close friends, with Connor helping Norris court Myriam's hand in marriage.[34] He later brought the doctor Lyle White to live on the Homestead after Warren and Prudence learned they were going to have a child.[35] The Homestead further expanded when an inn, the Mile's End, was established by Oliver and Corrine.[36]
Connor assassinating William Johnson
In July 1774, Connor learned that the destruction of Johnson's tea shipment had not stopped the Templar's plans as he had hoped, and that Johnson had found another means to procure the Kanien'kehá:ka's land. After Kanen'tó:kon informed him that the Templar was attempting to negotiate with the Iroquois Chiefs at Johnson Hall, Connor infiltrated the estate and observed the meeting.[37]
Although Johnson promised them protection, the natives firmly told him that his words were hollow and that they would not sell their land. As Johnson decided to try convincing them with violence instead, Connor swiftly assassinated him from above. With his dying words, Johnson told Connor that he had not wished to own the lands for profit, but to ensure the natives' protection from the colonists.[37]
Sometime that year, Connor was given William Kidd's letter to Abel Owens, who had been shipwrecked on Dead Chest Island, a large rock located in the Virgin Islands. Once at the island's ship graveyard, Connor encountered scavengers who had recovered Owens' portion of the map, to whom he gave chase. After dispatching them, Connor read out the next clue, "Near the wolf's abode."[38] The Assassin also sailed to the jungles of Cerros, where he recovered Kidd's personal sword from a Maya pyramid.[39]
Igniting the Revolutionary War
- Pitcairn: "Better we hold the strings than another."
- Connor: "No. The strings should be severed. All should be free."
- Pitcairn: "And we should live forever on castles in the sky. You wield your blade like a man, but your mouth like a child. And more will die now because of that..."
- —John Pitcairn's dying words to Connor, 1775.[src]-[m]
Connor and Paul Revere fleeing Regulars during the Midnight Ride
In April 1775, a messenger arrived at the Davenport Homestead, bearing a request for Connor to aid a man named Paul Revere. Connor politely refused the offer, frowning on the fact that the Sons of Liberty mistook him as one of their own. However, when Achilles pointed out that the Templar John Pitcairn was mentioned within the letter, the Assassin relented.[40]
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 locating Pitcairn later.[40] After the ride, Connor joined the Continental Army at Lexington, where a bloody battle ensued. Pitcairn was present at the fight, but Connor chose to help in the defense of the town rather than pursue his target.[41]
Later, Connor accompanied Samuel Adams to George Washington's induction as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Midway through Washington's speech, Connor heard the voice of Charles Lee, who had been sitting behind him. He immediately stood to confront Lee, but Adams quickly intervened, pulling him away and attempting to distract him by introducing him to Washington. The Commander-in-Chief greeted him warmly, and Connor admitted that the man before him would be the one to lead the country into freedom.[42]
Connor meeting with Putnam at Bunker Hill
Connor was later directed to Bunker Hill, where the forces of Israel Putnam were engaging Pitcairn's British troops. Connor offered Putnam his help in disabling the ships that were pinning down the Continental forces with cannon fire, as destroying the artillery would drive Pitcairn out of hiding.[42] After Pitcairn and his troops retreated to a more secure position outside of the city, Connor infiltrated their camp and assassinated his target from the treetops above.[43]
In his final moments, Pitcairn gave the same justifications for his actions as William Johnson, claiming that he was trying to prevent a war by negotiating a peace treaty with the Patriot leaders, and not kill them as Connor had assumed; however, because of the Assassin's actions, war was now inevitable. After Pitcairn passed away, Connor recovered a letter from his body that revealed an assassination plot on Washington's life. He subsequently escaped the Regulars' camp before they could attack him and reported his success to Putnam.[43]
Connor subsequently started investigating the plan to kill Washington, although he did not make much progress. In the meantime, he learned of a secret that would jeopardize the funding of the Revolution. To this end, he set sail to sink the HMS Dartmoor before it reached Boston.[44] At his Mentor's request, Connor also retrieved Achilles' old Assassin robes, which he had hidden in a cave on the Homestead.[45]
Protecting George Washington
- Weems: "That man is our Jupiter Conservator, destined to lead us not just to freedom, but greatness. Anyone who says otherwise is either a simpleton or a traitor."
- Connor: "Then you understand why I need to get out of here. If I don't help him, he is going to die."
- —Mason Weems and Connor discussing Washington, 1776.[src]-[m]
Connor being arrested along with Hickey
In 1776, Achilles contacted Benjamin Tallmadge, an ally of the Brotherhood, who led Connor to New York in search of Thomas Hickey. Tallmadge explained that Hickey was responsible for running a counterfeiting ring there and was plotting to murder Washington. When Connor arrived at Hickey's hideout, 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.[46]
Although Connor chased Hickey through the streets and eventually caught him, they were both apprehended by guards. Forthwith, Connor attempted to explain that he was not involved in Templar's operation, only to be knocked unconscious, and both he and Hickey were subsequently thrown into Bridewell Prison on charges of counterfeiting.[46]
When Connor awoke in the prison, he discovered that Hickey had been placed in the cell next to him, much to the latter's amusement. In response, Connor rebutted that at least Washington would be safe with Hickey imprisoned, but Hickey pointed out the two Templars approaching his cell. Charles Lee and Haytham Kenway released Hickey, though they told him that he was only moving to a larger cell, due to the ongoing investigations for his involvement in the assassination plot against Washington.[47]
Connor speaking with Mason Weems
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 Lee 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 a conversation between his fellow inmates and learned that a prisoner, Mason Weems, had crafted a key.[47]
The Assassin subsequently confronted Weems and found him to be cooperative after he mentioned the planned attempt on Washington's life, 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. With this in mind, Connor stole the key back but found that it did not open his cell.[47]
The next day, he confronted Mason again, who told him that the key was not meant to work and that it was intended 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. Begrudgingly, 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 portion of the prison, where he thanked Weems for helping him and promised to return the favor, before going to Hickey's cell.[47]
Connor being choked by Lee
Upon reaching it, however, Connor found the dead body of the warden and was confronted by Lee and Hickey. Holding him at gunpoint, the Templars explained that Connor would be brought to trial for plotting to assassinate Washington and that they were considering pinning the warden's murder on him as well. The Assassin attacked Lee but was easily knocked out due to exhaustion from previous skirmishes. As Lee finally realized that Connor was the same boy he had threatened years before, he was gleeful that the Assassin had kept his promise to find him and proceeded to knock him unconscious.[47]
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 then led towards the gallows as dozens of spectators denounced him from all sides, and Washington, Lee, and Hickey looked on.[48]
As he neared the front of the crowd, Connor noticed his Assassin apprentices killing the guards overlooking the event and, after being punched to the ground by one of the spectators, found himself being helped up by Achilles. The old man assured Connor that he was not alone and advised him 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 around his neck, the Assassin gave a whistled signal just as the trapdoor under him was opened.[48]
Connor assassinating Thomas Hickey
The noose was severed before it could strangle Connor,[48] secretly thanks to the intervention of Haytham, who was hidden among the crowd and threw a knife at it, having recently discovered Connor's identity as his son and not wishing to have his death on his conscience.[49] The Assassin was subsequently given his tomahawk by Achilles and, upon spotting Hickey attempting to assassinate Washington, rushed to stop him.[48]
Making his way through the crowd, Connor reached Washington before Hickey and fatally struck the Templar with his tomahawk. Before Hickey succumbed to his injuries, Connor tried to interrogate him about the Templars' motives, but Hickey only mocked him in response, revealing that he had never believed in the Order's cause and joined it solely for his personal gain. Afterwards, Connor found himself surrounded by several soldiers, but Israel Putnam ordered the troops to stand down, pointing out that the Assassin had just saved Washington's life.[48]
Connor at the signing of the Declaration of Independence
Learning that Washington had left for Philadelphia, Connor and Achilles proceeded to travel there, as the former wished to inform the Commander-in-Chief of the existence of the Assassins and Templars. Achilles advised him not to, stating that it would only distract Washington, but the younger Assassin was undeterred. Arriving at Independence Hall, 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 the Assassin's arrival.[48]
After the Continental Army retreated from New York, Connor recruited the locals Deborah Carter, Jacob Zenger and Jamie Colley as Assassin apprentices, after they aided him in stopping the Templars from exploiting the British occupation of the city.[50][51][52]
Connor also invited the British deserter David Walston, a blacksmith,[53] and the seamstress Ellen and her daughter Maria to live on the Davenport Homestead.[54] This prompted attacks from Ellen's estranged husband Quincent and his associates,[55] as well as British soldiers seeking to arrest Dave for treason, but Connor led the Homestead in defending their friends.[56] The Homestead also saw the addition of a church during the war, pastored by Father Timothy.[57]
Connor aided the Revolution by infiltrating forts in Boston, New York and the Frontier, killing the captains stationed there and claiming them for the Patriots.[19] He also accompanied Washington and the Patriots when they crossed the Delaware River that Christmas, during a surprise attack on the British in New Jersey.[58]
Hunting the Randolph
- Connor: "We need to find out what Biddle intends but we must hurry. What else do you know of Biddle?"
- Faulkner: "All of the sudden Congress has a brand new ship for him to captain. From British coxswain to captain of a Colonial Flagship. Something doesn't add up."
- —Connor and Faulkner discussing Nicholas Biddle, 1776.[src]-[m]
Amanda informing Connor and Faulkner about the attacks
In 1776, Connor and Faulkner met with Amanda Bailey near Nantucket, where she told the Assassins about attacks on American vessels by the USS Randolph, the flagship of the Templar Nicholas Biddle, by now a captain in the Continental Navy. The Assassins proceeded to give chase to the Randolph, but were ambushed by several Templar ships. Though the Aquila sank all the enemy vessels with ease, the attack had bought Biddle the time he needed to escape.[59]
Later, Connor once again captained the Aquila, this time in order to escort the French ship La Belladonna, which had been left alone in the open sea after being abandoned by the Randolph, which was supposed to ensure her protection. As a safety measure, one of the Belladonna's crew stepped aboard the Aquila, wanting to ensure that his escort would not run away like the Randolph had.[60]
Soon enough, a number of Templar ships arrived to attack the Belladonna, but the Aquila came to her defense, helping the French vessel sink most of the enemy ships. However, a Man O' War intervened in the confrontation and destroyed the Belladonna's mast, immobilizing it.[60]
Connor looking towards Biddle
Connor ordered his crew to fire chain-shots and destroy the Man O' War's mast, before boarding the ship and killing most of its crew. He then caught up with the ship's captain and interrogated him, discovering that he did not serve the Royal Navy as he had assumed, but the Templar Order. After taking a Templar ring from the dying captain's finger and learning that it was Biddle who had led him to the Belladonna, Connor spotted the Randolph in the distance with his spyglass, but could not give chase as he had to protect the Belladonna.[60]
The Aquila battled another British ship in the East Coast, the Prospector.[61] Later that year, in the Bahamas, the Aquila assisted the Independence after it sent out a distress call,[62] and sank the privateer ship the Somerset.[63]
Finding Kidd's treasure
Connor investigating the Octavius' wreck
At some point, Connor sailed to the Northwest Passage, to recover Hendrick van der Heul's map from the shipwreck Octavius. He obtained the map piece from van der Heul's corpse, just as the wreck began to sink into the freezing waters. On successfully escaping the Octavius, Connor read the third map piece's clue to be "And abreast the rock that doesn't fit."[64]
The Assassin also sailed to Edinburgh Castle, Jamaica, recovering the next map piece from the dungeons of serial killer Lewis Hutchinson. On navigating through the manor and solving the puzzle rooms within, the final map piece read "Close to a tree kissed by fire."[65]
After obtaining all of Kidd's map pieces, Connor and Faulkner assembled the document and determined that Kidd's treasure was located on Oak Island. Sailing there in 1777, Connor quickly worked out Kidd's riddles to find the sinkhole he had buried his treasure in. Consequently fending off a pack of wolves, Connor and Faulkner placed explosives to open the sinkhole, before the Assassin went underground to search.[66]
Connor reaching for the Ring of Eden
Through precariously traversing the limestone caves beneath Oak Island, Connor found Kidd's treasure – a simple ring – suspended between crystals. Upon recovering it, however, the stability of the subterranean caves worsened, due to the explosives used to open the sinkhole, triggering a collapse; luckily, Connor was able to escape. Faulkner was disappointed to see Connor emerge with a mere "coin", only to be shocked when its energy field knocked his flask from his hand. From this, Connor realized the value of Kidd's treasure and wore it to deflect gunfire from then on.[66]
While sailing to the Virgin Islands that year, the Aquila battled and sunk a fleet of privateer ships known as the Sea Wolves,[67] as well as the Greyhound[68] and the Orpheus.[69]
Aiding Aveline de Grandpré
In the winter of 1777, Connor traveled to New York and met with Aveline de Grandpré, a Louisiana Assassin from New Orleans. Aveline enlisted Connor's help in seeking out a Templar and Loyalist soldier named Officer Davidson, from Lord Dunmore's Ethiopian Regiment. Together, the two Assassins tracked Davidson down to a fort within the Frontier. While Aveline infiltrated the fort to locate the Templar, Connor moved around and diverted the attention of Davidson's guards.[70]
Connor meeting Aveline in New York
Following her assassination of Davidson, Aveline met with Connor again. Due to her recent work and the information learned from Davidson, Aveline had begun to feel uncertain about the means and ways of the Assassins. She asked Connor whether he believed fighting as an Assassin was the right thing to do, but instead of picking either side, Connor responded that he "trusted in his own hands" to be able to separate right from wrong. Aveline thanked Connor for his advice and returned to New Orleans.[70]
Assassin-Templar truce
- Haytham: "Look, much as I'd love to spar with you, Benjamin Church's mouth is as big as his ego. You clearly want the supplies he's stolen, I want him punished. Our interests are aligned."
- Connor: "What do you propose?"
- Haytham: "A truce. Perhaps... perhaps some time together might do us good. You are my son, after all, and might still be saved from your ignorance. I can kill you now if you'd prefer?"
- —Connor and Haytham forming a truce, 1778.[src]-[m]
Despite his successes, Connor had come no closer to eliminating the threat the Templars posed to George Washington. As winter rolled in late 1777, Connor decided to go and warn the man, though Achilles attempted to stop him, insisting that the Assassins worked quietly and did not go "announcing conspiracies from the rooftops".[71]
In turn, Connor harshly criticized Achilles' faulty leadership of the Colonial Assassins, which had led to the Templars dominating the Colonies. Achilles reminded him that "life was not a fairy tale and there were no happy endings", but Connor did not believe him, stating that 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 take care to avoid destroying it in the process.[71]
Connor and Washington in the camp
Connor met with Washington in the Continental camp in Valley Forge, where the commander confided in him that a large number of supplies meant for his troops had been stolen recently. Washington concluded that Benjamin Church, a Continental traitor who had recently been released from prison, was likely to be behind the theft, and so he sent Connor to investigate an abandoned church nearby, where suspicious activity had been reported.[71]
Connor arrived to find the church seemingly empty, but as he walked inside, he was ambushed by his father, Haytham Kenway. The Assassin managed to slip from his grasp, and the two circled each other, with Connor accusing Haytham of coming to check whether Church had stolen enough supplies for their British Army brothers. However, Haytham corrected his delusion that the Templars were working with the British, and admitted that 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 Church.[71]
The two hunted Church's men through the Frontier, quickly locating one of the mercenaries next to a broken cart. Connor calmly approached the man but this scared him away, forcing the Assassin to pursue and capture him. A short interrogation followed, which ended with Haytham shooting the mercenary after he revealed everything he knew, much to Connor's dismay.[71]
Connor and Haytham atop the rooftops
Having learned the location of the mercenaries' camp, Haytham ordered Connor to infiltrate it while he sneaked in from a different route, which ultimately led to his capture. Hiding in the bushes, Connor came to his father's rescue, only for Haytham to abandon him before they killed all of the mercenaries, asking Connor to meet him in New York once he was done.[71] After eliminating Church's remaining men, the Assassin made his way to the city, where Haytham led them to the rooftops.[72]
As they came to a stop, Connor decided to ask his father why he had spared him and what the Templars' true motives were. After several moments of consideration, Haytham responded that he had spared Connor out of 'curiosity' and that the Templars and Assassins' goals were not so different, as both groups strived for order, purpose and direction. The difference was in the Assassins' pursuit of freedom, which Haytham saw as an 'invitation to chaos', but Connor disagreed, believing that America had the potential to be different from other nations in the world.[72]
Reaching the gate to Church's hideout in the abandoned Smith and Company Brewery, Haytham decided to head in alone, but Connor insisted that they work together and went to retrieve a mercenary's disguise. Once the Assassin had done so, Haytham introduced him as his son to the guards in order to alleviate their suspicion, much to Connor's surprise.[72]
Connor scolding his father
Having successfully gained entry to the brewery, Haytham casually asked Connor about his mother, as Kaniehtí:io had cut all ties with Haytham shortly after Connor's conception. The Assassin only answered that she had been murdered under his orders, much to Haytham's shock. The Templar went on to explain that he had ordered no such thing, but Connor ignored his father's protests and only stated that he had run out of forgiveness.[73]
The pair moved forward to confront Church, but the man inside the warehouse revealed himself to be a decoy and signaled an ambush. The Assassin and the Templar fought back the mercenaries successfully and questioned the decoy for Church's whereabouts, learning that both the rogue Templar and the supplies he had stolen were headed to Martinique. Although Connor gave his word to the mercenary that he would live if he revealed everything he knew, Haytham quickly executed the man once the interrogation was over, eliciting an angry glare from his son.[73]
Following this, a second ambush began, where the militia shot at the gunpowder barrels within the warehouse, setting the building on fire. With Haytham leading the way, he and Connor narrowly escaped the treacherous brewery by breaking through a locked door on the higher levels, crashing into the water below. From there, the two climbed onto the docks, where they quickly formulated a plan to use the Aquila to pursue Church.[73]
Chasing Benjamin Church
- "It's all a matter of perspective. There is no single path through life that's right and fair and does no harm. Do you truly think the Crown has no cause? No right to feel betrayed? You should know better than this, dedicated as you are to fighting Templars – who themselves see their work as just. Think on that the next time you insist your work alone befits the greater good. Your enemy would beg to differ – and would not be without cause."
- ―Church's dying words to Connor, 1778.[src]-[m]
The Aquila engaging Church's ship
After two months at sea, the Aquila reached Martinique, only to find Church's ship, the Welcome, abandoned. Noticing a smaller ship in the distance, Connor decided to give chase, but as they went through a rocky passage, Haytham began to harshly criticize his son's perceived poor sailing skills, despite Robert Faulkner's comments that the Assassin had "yet to disappoint".[74]
After the smaller ship passed through a narrow cliff-side area, the Aquila was forced to maneuver around the rocks and was greeted on the other side by a British Man O' War and a few smaller vessels firing at them with full force. Making short work of the smaller boats, Connor and Haytham had the crew fire chain-shots at the Man O' War, breaking the masts before they boarded the enemy ship. Just as they were about to meet at the side, Haytham stole the wheel and rammed the Aquila into the opposing ship before boarding it.[74]
Quickly, Connor leapt to the ship himself, bringing his crew with him to fight the mercenaries aboard. After killing the three officers on the upper deck, the Assassin made his way below deck, where he found Haytham violently beating Church while 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 personally.[74]
Connor assassinating Church
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 on an island nearby. He also attempted to justify his actions, stating that King George had every right to feel betrayed and that the British were not without cause. Pleased that by working together with his father he had managed to retrieve the stolen supplies, 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.[74]
Confronting Nicholas Biddle
Despite his truce with Haytham, Connor continued to see Nicholas Biddle as a threat and, on 17 March 1778, managed to locate the USS Randolph in the Caribbean, attacking the ship in the midst of a stormy night. However, Biddle had led the Assassin into an ambush and the Aquila was soon surrounded by two Men O' War.[75]
Connor confronting Biddle aboard the Randolph
Despite the odds being stacked against Connor and Faulkner, the Aquila sank both the Men O' War and destroyed the Randolph's mast with a single broadside. From there, the ship's crew boarded the Randolph and Connor ran straight for his target, engaging Biddle in a duel while his crew watched. During their fight, an explosion caused the two to fall through the deck, and they continued their duel in the belly of the ship.[75]
When he finally managed to mortally wound his opponent, Connor stated that his reign over the colonial coast had ended, to which Biddle replied that the Assassin was foolish to believe him an enemy to the cause and requested that he be allowed to sink with his ship. Connor fulfilled the Templar's last wish, much to Faulkner's dismay, who believed that the Randolph would have made a fine prize.[75]
Broken alliances
Some time after the assassinations of Benjamin Church and Nicholas Biddle, Connor decided to once again seek out his father, in the hopes of 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.[76]
Connor bringing the British officer to Haytham
Connor nevertheless met with Haytham in New York, where the Templar was working on discovering the British Army's plans. 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 it simply meant they needed to track down the British commanders, and the pair sought out a meeting of the commanders at Trinity Church, which had been burned by the Great Fire of New York.[76]
After ambushing them, Haytham and Connor were able to detain three of the commanders, but one of them ran away, prompting Haytham to order his son to chase after him. Quickly re-capturing the commander, Connor brought him to Haytham's quarters at Fort George, only to find that his father had executed the other two officers after interrogating them. Once the final commander was similarly killed, Connor criticized Haytham for his ruthlessness, but the Templar argued that the officer would have warned the Loyalists if he was allowed to leave.[76]
Setting their differences aside, Connor and Haytham decided to inform the Patriots of what they had learned: that the British planned to withdraw from Philadelphia and proceed to New York within the next two days. Although Haytham wanted to deliver the information to Charles Lee, Connor disapproved and convinced his father to meet with George Washington at Valley Forge instead.[76]
Connor warning Washington and Haytham to not interfere with his mission
At Valley Forge, while Connor talked with Washington, Haytham slipped behind the commander and discovered a letter ordering an attack on Kanatahséton, which was suspected of having allied with the Loyalists. The Templar then extracted a confession from Washington that he had ordered a similar attack during the Seven Years' War in 1760, making the commander responsible for Kaniehtí:io's death and not the Templars as Connor had assumed for years.[77]
Despite this shattering revelation, Connor knew that his people's safety came first and immediately set off to deal with the Continental soldiers sent to attack Kanatahséton. Although Haytham wished to accompany him, the Assassin angrily criticized his father for withholding this information from him and only revealing it when it suited the Templars' aims. He subsequently cut ties with both Haytham and Washington, threatening to kill them should they try to follow or stop him.[77]
Connor managed to kill Washington's messengers as he traveled to his village and arrived to find it unharmed. However, once there, Connor was informed by the Clan Mother that Lee had already rallied several of the village's warriors to repel the invading Continental soldiers. Unwilling for his village to become involved in the war, the Assassin 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.[77]
Connor facing Kanen'tó:kon
Kanen'tó:kon angrily mentioned that he should not have believed Connor would protect their village, accusing him of turning against their people and being seduced by Washington's cause. Though Connor desperately insisted that Lee had fed him lies, Kanen'tó:kon attacked him. After a brief struggle, Connor was forced to kill his friend, who in his final moments claimed that the British would win the war and ensure the Kanien'kehá:ka's safety.[77]
Battle of Monmouth
Connor pursued Lee to Monmouth and arrived to find a French contingent led by the Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette told Connor that Lee had shown 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.[78]
Connor with Washington and Lafayette
Connor and a small group of Lafayette's elite held off the British advance with cannon fire, before falling back as well. The Assassin then 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.[78]
He 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 matter, but Connor irately responded that the time for doing so had passed. As the Assassin departed the battlefield, he warned Washington that if the latter spared Lee's life, he would take it himself. The death of Kanen'tó:kon solidified his desire to kill Lee, and Connor drew a dagger near Lee's portrait on his target wall.[78]
Investigating West Point
Two years later, in September 1780, Washington called upon Conno to eliminate a spy ring he suspected of planning to assassinate Major General Benedict Arnold at West Point. Connor agreed to conduct an investigation, to help the Patriot cause, not Washington, and warned the commander to never call on him ever again.[79]
Connor confronting Arnold over his letter to the British Army
After identifying and eliminating all the spies, Connor met with Arnold, who tasked him to help his men ship some of their supplies and gunpowder out of West Point.[79] Despite finding the request suspicious, the Assassin complied and, in the process, captured a deserting soldier who attempted to flee.[80] Later, Arnold tasked Connor to distribute gunpowder to the troops, but while doing so, the Assassin spotted Arnold and his major, John Anderson, sneak off to discuss something.[81]
Following them, Connor discovered that Arnold himself was a spy and that Anderson was actually the Redcoat John André. Arnold sent André to deliver a letter to General Henry Clinton, offering the surrender of West Point for the sum of twenty thousand pounds. Tailing André, Connor witnessed the spy redressing himself as a Redcoat and being stopped by two Patriots. However, André botched up his attempt to get past them and Connor ordered the Patriots to search him, whereupon they found the letter.[81]
While André was arrested, Connor confronted Arnold, who claimed that the letter was a farce, instigated to ruin his reputation as a loyal Patriot. However, at that moment, West Point was attacked by the British and, in the confusion, Arnold escaped on the HMS Vulture. After defending the fort, Washington arrived to congratulate Connor, though the latter was angered by Arnold's escape. Washington lamented the fact that he had been betrayed by a Patriot war hero, to which Connor angrily replied "You reap what you sow" before taking his leave.[82]
Last stand against the Templars
Battle of the Chesapeake
Connor speaking with the dying Achilles
By 1781, Achilles had become bedridden due to his age. Connor remained by his Mentor's side and informed him of his recent accomplishments, including his short-lived alliance with Haytham. Although Achilles advised his apprentice not to let his emotions cloud his judgment, Connor believed that, without Lee, his father could still be persuaded to ally with the Assassins. As such, he resolved to eliminate Lee, who was hiding in Fort George after being court-martialed and discharged from the Continental Army.[83]
Meeting with Lafayette in the mansion's basement, the Assassin devised a plan to infiltrate Fort George by having the French Navy shell it with cannon fire, allowing Connor to slip in during the confusion. Lafayette gave his approval to the plan, but told Connor that in order to secure the French's support, he would first need to lend his aid to the French fleet at Chesapeake Bay. Connor proceeded to sail there while his Assassin apprentices and Lafayette cleared the tunnels underneath Fort George.[83]
At Chesapeake Bay, Connor and Faulkner captained the Aquila and aided Admiral François-Joseph Paul de Grasse's fleet in fighting the British, alongside the Marseillois and the Saint-Esprit. However, due to the British's overwhelming numbers, both French ships were soon sunk and a Man O' War destroyed all the cannons on board the Aquilla. With the reinforcements Lafayette had promised still far off and the battle still raging, Connor was forced to ram the Aquila into the Man O' War.[83]
Admiral de Grasse agreeing to help Connor
Hearing his crew's apprehensive whispers, the Assassin boarded the enemy ship alone, leaving his crew behind. He killed the captain of the ship and shot its gunpowder cache, before quickly escaping onto the Aquila as the Man O' War exploded. Somewhat safe at this point, the French reinforcements arrived soon afterward. From there, Connor made his request to Admiral du Grasse and suggested that his ships raise British flags, in order to approach the area surrounding Fort George without any trouble.[83]
Having successfully secured du Grasse's aid for his mission, Connor returned to the Davenport Homestead so Dr. White could tend to the wounded crew members of the Aquila. As the doctor struggled to treat all of the injured sailors, Connor recruited Terry's wife Diana to help him, whereupon she became Dr. White's official assistant.[84]
At the manor, Connor found that Achilles had peacefully passed away in his sleep, holding a letter in which he apologized for failing to say goodbye properly and acknowledged that Connor had turned the Homestead into a thriving community. He also revealed that his apprentice's actions had given him hope for the future of the nation Connor had helped to create. After his funeral service, Connor and the Homestead residents buried Achilles next to his wife and son, to be remembered as the "Old Man on the Hill".[85]
Connor looking at the painting of Achilles' family
Subsequently, Connor hung up a painting that Achilles had requested he retrieve a few years earlier.[86] Having kept the painting covered until that point because Achilles claimed it would bring him painful memories, Connor discovered that it was a portrait of his late Mentor's family, providing the Assassin with a memento to remember him by.[87]
With Achilles' passing, Connor became the de facto leader of the Colonial Brotherhood and inherited his manor and Assassin robes. Visiting Achilles' grave, Connor paid his respects to his late Mentor, vowing to make him proud and hoping that they would one day see each other again.[85]
Attack on Fort George
Connor soon resumed his mission to eliminate Charles Lee and, as planned, infiltrated Fort George through the tunnels underneath New York. After passing by Lafayette and his Assassin apprentices, Connor found himself in the city's military district and proceeded to light the signal for the French ships to commence their attack.[88]
Haytham attacking Connor
However, Connor was caught in the bombardment and injured. Limping into Fort George through a hole created by the cannonballs, the Assassin was confronted by Haytham, who had foreseen Connor's arrival and sent Lee away. A duel between father and son then ensued, as Haytham refused to abandon the Templar cause and attacked Connor, who was initially overpowered due to his injury. However, he was soon able to even the odds by stabbing Haytham's arm with his Hidden Blade.[88]
Eventually, a cannonball knocked both Connor and Haytham to the ground, but they quickly recovered and resumed their duel. Throughout their fight, the Assassin and Templar argued about their respective Orders' causes, with Haytham claiming that humanity was inclined by nature to be controlled and that the Patriot leaders were united now by a common cause, but would begin fighting among themselves over how to best rule the nation, leading to another war. However, Connor believed that his father had lost faith in humanity's ability to choose their own destiny, and refused to do the same.[88]
After a fierce battle, Haytham again gained the upper hand when he pinned Connor to the ground, holding his neck with one hand and his left arm with the other. As Haytham declared that the Templar Order would inevitably rise again despite Connor's actions, he began choking him with both hands. With his left arm now free, Connor seized the opportunity and quickly stabbed his father in the neck with his Hidden Blade, bringing an end to their confrontation.[88]
Connor assassinating Haytham
As Haytham succumbed to his injuries, he admitted that, despite everything that had happened between himself and Connor, he still felt a certain sense of pride with his son's noble qualities. He also stated that he should have killed him long ago, before finally passing away. In response, Connor simply bid his father farewell and walked away, leaving Fort George to resume his hunt of Lee.[88]
Prior to leaving the fort, Connor found Haytham's chambers and recovered his journal. Reading through it, Connor learned about his father's tragic life and the fact that he had loved him in his own way, saving his life during his attempted execution in New York and concealing Washington's involvement in Kaniehtí:io's death because he had assumed Connor would never believe him.[49] With this newfound knowledge, Connor marked Haytham off of the target wall beneath the manor with the word "Sakataterihwáhten", to signify his regret at their falling out, but remained resolute in his decision to support the Assassins.[19]
Confrontation with Lee
- Lee: "Why do you persist...? You put us down. We rise again. You end one plot – we forge another. You try so hard... But it always ends the same. Those who know you think you mad and this is why... Even those men you sought to save have turned their backs on you. Yet you fight, you resist. Why?"
- Connor: "Because no one else will!"
- —Charles Lee and Connor's final words to each other, 1782.[src]-[m]
Mourning the loss of both his father and Achilles, Connor shaved his head into a mohawk and smeared his face with war paint before heading to New York to deal with Lee once and for all. Finding the Templar delivering an eulogy at Haytham's funeral, Connor approached him from the crowd but was quickly subdued by his guards. As Lee vowed revenge against the Assassin and swore to destroy everything he held dear, Connor was unimpressed by his threats and told him that he would fail, and die with the rest of his plans.[89]
Connor captured by Lee's men
After Lee left, his guards took Connor away to beat him up, but the Assassin freed himself and headed to the HMS Jersey, a British prison ship. There, he eavesdropped on a conversation between the captain and Lee's mercenaries, learning that the Templar was headed to Boston to recruit more men to his cause in an attempt to rebuild the Order's influence.[89]
In Boston, Connor found one of Lee's mercenaries inside the Green Dragon Tavern and interrogated him for the Templar's whereabouts. Subsequently heading to the docks, Connor located his target, who ran upon seeing him, prompting a chase that led to a ship under construction. As the ship caught fire due to an accident, both Connor and Lee crashed through a collapsed floor, and the former was impaled by a sharp piece of bark.[90]
After Lee approached the injured Connor and questioned why he continued to fight despite being turned on at every point, even by the very men he sought to save, the Assassin yelled "Because no one else will!" in response. At the same time, he pulled out his pistol and shot Lee in the stomach, though the Templar managed to escape. Limping out of the burning ferry, Connor approached a harbormaster who informed him that Lee had fled to Monmouth.[90]
Connor taking the amulet from the dying Lee
Arriving at the Last Drink tavern exhausted and injured, Connor found Lee seated at one of the tables, still bleeding from the gunshot wound inflicted by the Assassin. With neither man in any condition to fight, Lee silently offered his drink to Connor, who accepted, also without saying a word.[90] After the Assassin and Templar sat together for a while, observing the patrons, Lee looked over at Connor and nodded slightly.[49] This signaled Connor to stab Lee in the heart, ending his life.[90]
After retrieving a strange-looking amulet from around the Templar's neck, which had previously belonged to Haytham, Connor sat Lee down on the table like a patron who had simply had too much to drink. He then took his leave, still limping because of his injuries and with the amulet in-hand.[90]
Securing the future
Six months later, in April 1783, Connor returned to Kanatahséton to discover his people had left. He spoke to a lone frontiersman sitting by a fire, who revealed that Connor's people had gone west and that a man in New York had been given the land by the newly formed Congress. When Connor asked how this had happened, the frontiersman told him that the country did not have England to supply them with resources anymore and that the Congress 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".[91]
Connor reuniting with Juno
Connor then entered the longhouse where he had met with the Clan Mother many years ago, and opened the box containing the Crystal Ball, confused as to why it had been left behind. Suddenly, the artifact was activated and Juno spoke with him once again. She was pleased to know that Connor had succeeded in his task, but the Assassin angrily pointed out that eliminating the Templars had not saved his people. In response, Juno stated his actions had not been in vain, as they had led him to the amulet currently in his possession.[90]
After Juno asked him to hide the amulet where none might find it, a confused Connor asked her to explain, to which she vaguely claimed that "what once was shall be again." Still confused, the Assassin asked about his people's fate, and Juno explained that they had served their purpose of guarding the area near Kanatahséton and its secrets. When Connor claimed that it was not enough for him, Juno told him that complete justice did not exist, but he had made a difference and would do so again in the future. With that, she vanished once more and the Crystal Ball disintegrated in Connor's hands.[90]
Following this, Connor returned to the Davenport Homestead and buried the amulet in the grave mound of Connor Davenport, Achilles' son and his namesake.[90] As he did so, he reflected on his journey, apologizing to his mother for failing to protect their people and to his father for being unable to reconcile their differences. Although acknowledging that Haytham had been right about the true nature of his former allies, Connor refused to take this as a sign of the Templars' cause being just, as he believed things could still improve. Instead, he resolved to continue fighting for what he believed was right and remained hopeful about the Assassins' future.[49]
Connor removing the tomahawk from the manor's post
After burying the amulet, Connor headed inside the manor and removed the portraits of his Templar targets from the basement, burning them in a fire. Walking back outside, he retrieved the tomahawk from the column he had implanted it in a decade ago, signifying that his war against the Templars was finally over, and tossed it aside.[92]
From there, Connor traveled to New York on Evacuation Day, witnessing the last British ships leaving for England. As the colonists teased them from the land, one of the ships fired a warning shot that sank into the ocean. Connor turned and smiled at the colonists' freedom, but also saw a man selling African slaves, reminding him that not everyone in the new land had freedom just yet.[93]
During his time in the city, Connor also met with George Washington to play bocce. As they played, the Assassin asked Washington what he would do now that the war was over. When Washington responded that he planned to retire, Connor expressed his disappointment and argued that the former commander should continue leading the country, in peacetime as well as war.[19]
Trapped in an alternate timeline
Connor and Washington with the Apple of Eden
Sometime later, Connor was camping out in the Frontier when Washington sought him out for help.[94] The commander explained that he was plagued by horrific nightmares, which he revealed were caused by an Apple of Eden that he had recovered in the aftermath of the Siege of Yorktown. Although Washington recalled finding the Apple on a captured British officer, he could not remember the officer's face and was inexplicably drawn to the artifact from the moments he had laid eyes on it.[95]
Unnerved, Connor asked to take a closer look at the Apple. However, as he touched it, the artifact emanated a beam of light, engulfing both Connor and Washington, and the pair soon found themselves in an illusionary timeline brought on by the Apple, with no recollection of how they had ended up there.[96]
Awakening in a different world
Ratonhnhaké:ton was awakened by his mother, Kaniehtí:io, who alerted him to a threat in the forest. As he followed her, Ratonhnhaké:ton questioned how Kaniehtí:io was alive and what was going on, though he received no answer. Soon enough, they encountered a Bluecoat ambush attacking a Kanien'kehá:ka woman.[97]
Ratonhnhaké:ton confused upon seeing his mother
After dispatching the soldiers, the woman warned Kaniehtí:io that King George was looking for her and had attacked the town of Concord. Ratonhnhaké:ton and Kaniehtí:io then set out towards Concord in order to try and save the townspeople, and en route Ratonhnhaké:ton once more questioned his mother as to why the woman had called Washington a 'king'. However, he again received no response, as Kaniehtí:io only stated that Washington's forces were attacking Concord because of her.[97]
As they reached the top of a hill, the pair witnessed a group of Bluecoats forcing the townspeople into the church and barricading the door, while the troops' leader demanded that the citizens inform him of Kaniehtí:io's whereabouts. Due to the townspeople insisting they did not know her location, the Bluecoats set fire to the church. In response, Ratonhnhaké:ton and his mother quickly ambushed Washington's men and liberated the townspeople, only for a cannonball blast to kill the group before they could escape.[97]
Meeting King Washington
- Ratonhnhaké:ton: "Commander Washington! Why are you doing this? After all we accomplished! Take hold of your senses!"
- Washington: "Another delusional savage. I have never had such a firm grasp on my senses. Now bend your knee to your monarch, and make penitence in the last moments before you are blasted to your dread reward."
- —Ratonhnhaké:ton and King Washington upon their meeting.[src]-[m]
Following this tragedy, Kaniehtí:io urged Ratonhnhaké:ton onward, telling him that they could not afford to stop in the middle of the conflict to mourn losses. The pair then ventured through Concord to disable the Bluecoat cannoneers, before turning the armaments on the reinforcements heading towards the colonial town.[97]
Ratonhnhaké:ton trying to plead with King Washington
On dispatching the troops and messengers that passed by, Ratonhnhaké:ton and his mother made their way to Lexington, where they met King Washington in person. Ratonhnhaké:ton tried to plead with Washington, reminding him of their accomplishments together during the Revolutionary War, but the king dismissed him as "another delusional savage". He then declared his intention to destroy Kanatahséton and rode off, leaving Kaniehtí:io and Ratonhnhaké:ton behind to prevent Bluecoat runners from igniting gunpowder kegs and causing more casualties.[97]
From there, Kaniehtí:io insisted that the two of them return to warn the Kanien'kehá:ka village of Washington's impending attack, but they were ambushed in the forest close by and had to resort to defending themselves until two warriors from Kanatahséton, Kahionhaténion and Teiowí:sonte, came to their aid. Despite their assistance, when Kaniehtí:io questioned their appearance and was told that they were sent by the Clan Mother to harvest ingredients for a sacred strength-giving tea, she reacted with anger on hearing mention of it.[98]
Later, Ratonhnhaké:ton and Kaniehtí:io returned to their village, where Ratonhnhaké:ton witnessed his mother argue with Oiá:ner about the herbal tea made from the frontier's Red Willow tree, with Oiá:ner claiming that the Kanien'kehá:ka needed it to prepare for Washington's attack. Kaniehtí:io rebuked this claim by stating that in the end, the consequences of the tea would have been too severe to justify using it.[98]
Ratonhnhaké:ton receiving his father's Hidden Blades
Eventually, Kaniehtí:io stormed off, and as Ratonhnhaké:ton followed her into the longhouse, she gave him a pair of Hidden Blades that his father had left for him. When Ratonhnhaké:ton revealed his familiarity with both the weapon and his father's affiliations, a surprised Kaniehtí:io asked him how he knew this information. Ratonhnhaké:ton attempted to explain that the whole situation was wrong and that his mother should not be alive, but before he could finish, the Bluecoats attacked.[98]
The newly appointed King Washington, accompanied by Benedict Arnold and Isreal Putnam, killed Kaniehtí:io with a blast from a scepter containing the Apple of Eden. Enraged and grief-stricken at having witnessed his mother's demise a second time, Ratonhnhaké:ton attacked Washington, only to be easily defeated by the Apple's powers. Knocked back on the ground, Ratonhnhaké:ton was subsequently shot twice and stabbed with a musket in the chest by Washington, to which he slipped into a state of unconsciousness.[98]
Taking the Spirit Journey
When Ratonhnhaké:ton awoke in a cave, five months had passed. Upon noticing that he had regained consciousness, the Clan Mother, who had nursed him back to health, explained that King Washington's forces had destroyed Kanatahséton and killed Kaniehtí:io. She then remarked that Ratonhnhaké:ton took the news surprisingly well, before instructing him to climb the Red Willow tree, pluck its virgin boughs and drink the tea brewed from them.[99]
Ratonhnhaké:ton undertaking his first Sky World Journey
Heeding her words, Ratonhnhaké:ton ingested the tea and violently vomited, though he ventured on a spirit journey in which he stalked an elk by listening to its heartbeat. At the end of the vision, Ratonhnhaké:ton gained the ability to become invisible at will, as well as summon a pack of wolves to ambush his enemies. He quickly put these abilities to use against a group of Bluecoats who had stolen his equipment, which he successfully recovered.[99]
Shortly thereafter, Ratonhnhaké:ton was asked by one of his fellow warriors, Kahionhaténion, to assist in locating and rescuing his brother, Teiowí:sonte. The two tracked Kahionhaténion's brother and discovered that he was tied up along with other members of their tribe, who were lined up to be executed. Once Ratonhnhaké:ton and Kahionhaténion liberated their people, Ratonhnhaké:ton was instructed to return to the Clan Mother for further instruction.[100]
Hunt for Benedict Arnold
When he returned to their hideout, Ratonhnhaké:ton discovered that all of the villagers had been slaughtered, including the Clan Mother. Before succumbing to her injuries, Oiá:ner told Ratonhnhaké:ton to kill Washington, as well as Israel Putnam and Benedict Arnold, finishing what his mother had started. She also claimed that Kaniehtí:io was right to be worried about the tea and warned him to respect its power. With a solemn promise to carry out her request, Ratonhnhaké:ton infiltrated Valley Forge, trailed Putnam to a fortress and discovered Arnold in the center of the stronghold.[101]
Ratonhnhaké:ton with the dying Arnold
Using his powers, Ratonhnhaké:ton reached Arnold and mortally wounded him. Before Arnold died, Ratonhnhaké:ton told him that he had been waiting a long time to kill him for his defection to the British Army, though Arnold was bewildered by this and protested that he had never set foot inside West Point. He further claimed that he was being controlled by Washington and told Ratonhnhaké:ton to liberate Benjamin Franklin in Boston, but died before he could say more.[102]
While Ratonhnhaké:ton was distracted, Putnam approached him from behind and hit him in the head with the butt of his pistol, knocking him unconscious. When he awoke sometime later, Ratonhnhaké:ton realized that he had been captured and was being transported to Boston. Along the way, Putnam revealed his intentions of taking over Boston, likely intending to gain it as a reward for handing over Ratonhnhaké:ton to Washington.[102]
Finding Benjamin Franklin
- Franklin: "My only wish is to atone for my wickedness. I will devote every moment to destroying the King!"
- Ratonhnhaké:ton: "How?"
- Franklin: "My dear man. I can be of enormous benefit. I served at Washington's side, I know his habits quite well."
- —Benjamin Franklin to Ratonhnhaké:ton, after he freed him from Washington's control.[src]-[m]
Upon arriving in Boston, Putnam presented Ratonhnhaké:ton in a cell to Washington and Franklin. Surprised to see that he survived their last encounter, Washington ordered that Ratonhnhaké:ton be beheaded as they left. In solitude and imprisoned, Ratonhnhaké:ton distracted the guards by turning invisible, before locking them in his own cell when they entered to investigate.[103]
Ratonhnhaké:ton reuniting with Kanen'tó:kon
Following this, Ratonhnhaké:ton discovered Kanen'tó:kon in the neighboring cell and learned that his friend had joined Samuel Adams' resistance. Subsequently, Ratonhnhaké:ton freed him and recovered his own equipment, during which Kanen'tó:kon noticed his vial of the Red Willow tea.[103] Deciding he ought to undertake his own spirit journey to help, Kanen'tó:kon attempted to drink the concoction, but Ratonhnhaké:ton stopped him and insisted that it was too dangerous.[104]
After Kanen'tó:kon revealed that multiple animal spirits could be met through consuming the tea, Ratonhnhaké:ton volunteered to drink it instead, as he was already familiar with the spirit world and could handle the tea's risks. Journeying to the Sky World once more, Ratonhnhaké:ton encountered an eagle spirit and, after protecting her eggs from bobcats, gained the ability to fly short distances.[104]
Ratonhnhaké:ton awoke from his vision just as Bluecoats led by Franklin arrived to prevent his and Kanen'tó:kon's departure. After using his newfound power to secure their escape, Ratonhnhaké:ton chased after Franklin and eventually managed to tackle him while Kanen'tó:kon fought the remaining soldiers.[105] Dazed, Franklin began to awake from Washington's control, but was interrupted when the king himself teleported in and attacked Ratonhnhaké:ton.[106]
Ratonhnhaké:ton fighting Washington
Now armed with the power of both the wolf and the eagle, Ratonhnhaké:ton had an easier time fighting Washington, who was forced to escape by casting illusions of him taunting Ratonhnhaké:ton, and of Kaniehtí:io expressing anger at her son for drinking the Red Willow tea. As Washington managed to slip away, Kanen'tó:kon and Samuel Adams later found Ratonhnhaké:ton unconscious in the streets, rousing him and bringing him to a safehouse.[106]
Ratonhnhaké:ton was determined to find Franklin and was told of a tavern where he could listen for information on his whereabouts. Avoiding the suspicious soldiers by playing a game of checkers, he eavesdropped on a messenger who was sent to deliver a letter to Putnam by Franklin. Pickpocketing the letter, Ratonhnhaké:ton learned that Franklin planned to meet Putnam at the docks before he replaced the document to ensure its delivery. There, despite Franklin's meeting going awry, Ratonhnhaké:ton captured the man after shooting him twice with arrows, finally freeing him of Washington's control, before taking him to Adams.[107]
Escaping Boston
- Faulkner: "The goddamn wharf's too heavily guarded."
- Ratonhnhaké:ton: "I can change that, if you'll tell me what needs to be done."
- Faulkner: "Well, let's see. I'll need you to untie the Aquila so it's all set to go. Meantime, I can scare you up a small crew."
- —Ratonhnhaké:ton and Robert Faulkner planning to escape on the Aquila.[src]-[m]
Angered at Franklin's presence, Adams was skeptical of the man's change of heart and wanted him dead, though Ratonhnhaké:ton convinced Adams that Franklin had useful information to share with the resistance; Franklin immediately told them that Washington had gone to New York to deal with the rebels there. Disdainfully leaving Franklin in Ratonhnhaké:ton's care, Adams and Kanen'tó:kon planned to make their way to New York via the Boston Neck, thanks to a sympathetic Bluecoat captain, where they could then join with Thomas Jefferson's rebels.[108]
Ratonhnhaké:ton bringing the horse to Franklin
Franklin informed them he had created a special means of protection for Washington's palace in New York, and to bypass it they would require a special metal from a loyal blacksmith. Ratonhnhaké:ton met the blacksmith – who turned out to be David Walston – but learned that he had used the metal for horseshoes for a high-ranking soldier at Fort Hill. After Ratonhnhaké:ton stole the horse, Franklin pried off the horseshoes and then asked him to obtain his diagram from an officer at the tavern.[108]
Ratonhnhaké:ton met with the officer, who informed him of a massacre at Boston Neck. He explained Putnam had started a rumor that the captain there was friendly to the rebels, and claimed to have witnessed the death of Adams. Enraged by his gloating, Ratonhnhaké:ton smacked the officer with a checkerboard and promptly beat up the other soldiers in the tavern.[109]
After taking the diagram, Ratonhnhaké:ton hurried to Boston Neck and verified the tragedy for himself, finding Kanen'tó:kon's tomahawk and two severed fingers, along with Adams' torn bloodied uniform.[109] He then returned to Franklin, informing him of their loss, and added that the pair would have to escape Boston by sea.[110]
Ratonhnhaké:ton and Franklin meeting with Faulkner
To do so, Ratonhnhaké:ton stole a Bluecoat's uniform so that Franklin could take him to a ship he knew, and guarded the Founding Father along the way. At the docks, they found a drunken Robert Faulkner, who had the Aquila confiscated by Franklin. Ratonhnhaké:ton promised Faulkner that Franklin had turned on the king and aimed to prove this by returning his ship. While Faulkner gathered a crew, Ratonhnhaké:ton took out the snipers at the docks and unfastened the ropes docking the Aquila.[110]
The next morning, Faulkner's sailors charged the docks but found that the Aquila had drifted out into the open sea. To secure their escape, Ratonhnhaké:ton fended off Washington's soldiers while the crew swam to the ship, until Putnam emerged, holding Kanen'tó:kon hostage. Putnam threatened to shoot him unless Ratonhnhaké:ton surrender, but he used the Eagle Flight to surprise Putnam and assassinate him.[111]
As he lay dying, Putnam acknowledged Washington's control but felt guilty, blaming himself for the evil that the Apple had simply unleashed within him. Afterward, Ratonhnhaké:ton and Kanen'tó:kon made their break for freedom, dodging musket fire and diving into the bay. Later, aboard the Aquila, Kanen'tó:kon apologized to his friend, explaining that Putnam had tortured him until he suggested that the rebels would escape by sea, but Ratonhnhaké:ton bluntly answered that he did not care.[111]
Arrival in New York
Ratonhnhaké:ton and Kanen'tó:kon looking at Washington's Pyramid
As the Aquila arrived in New York's bay, the crew gazed in awe as they spotted Washington's Pyramid.[111] Suddenly, the king's fleet attacked the ship; Ratonhnhaké:ton took the wheel and sank the enemy vessels, then ordered the crew to recover their flags to disguise their ship. After navigating through a mine field placed around Manhattan, the Aquila devastated another fleet but ran out of firepower. Ratonhnhaké:ton gave the order to abandon ship, and rammed the Aquila into a Man O' War while the crew swam away.[112]
After finding himself on dry land, Ratonhnhaké:ton discovered that Kanen'tó:kon had died protecting Franklin from Washington.[112] Angered, Ratonhnhaké:ton drank the Red Willow tea and went on another spiritual journey. Despite the protests of his mother's ghost, he found the spirit of the bear and gained the power to create shockwaves. This ability also turned his eyes unnaturally blue.[113]
Waking up, Ratonhnhaké:ton and Franklin went in search of Thomas Jefferson's rebels and found him leading an attack on the Pyramid's courtyard, which was failing due to their exits being blocked off. Ratonhnhaké:ton used his newly acquired power to tear open an escape path, joining Jefferson in the process.[114]
War on Washington
Warren and Ratonhnhaké:ton giving out the food
Jefferson informed Ratonhnhaké:ton that they would need to sway the people to join the rebellion against King Washington; to begin, he suggested removing John Fitzwilliams, an official selling food at inflated prices. Ratonhnhaké:ton tracked him to his base of operations and assassinated him, then asked a civilian — who happened to be Warren — to help him deliver food to the starving civilians. [115]
Ratonhnhaké:ton followed Warren's carriage and fended off soldiers attempting to block it from reaching the market place. Once there, Ratonhnhaké:ton and Warren began handing out the food while the latter declared that this act of generosity had been Thomas Jefferson's idea. Subsequently, the civilians began praising Jefferson, to which Ratonhnhaké:ton quipped that the people's favor had been bought with a few carrots.[115]
Afterwards, Ratonhnhaké:ton continued to create unrest for Washington, destroying statues of the king, blowing up cannons, assassinating officers, assaulting town criers, and hanging soldiers in the streets with the rope dart. Initially, it seemed to have no effect on the king's power, as Ratonhnhaké:ton and Franklin watched a rally where Washington declared he would invade England. As time passed, however, civilians began fighting soldiers in the streets.[116]
Ratonhnhaké:ton, Jefferson and Franklin during the attack on the Pyramid
Jefferson sent Ratonhnhaké:ton to commence Washington's downfall by rescuing a captured spy in the military district. The spy – Godfrey – planted explosives at the base of the tower where the army kept their ammunition, which Ratonhnhaké:ton detonated, toppling the tower.[117] The following morning, the Bluecoats and rebels clashed before Washington's Pyramid. Meeting with Jefferson and Franklin, Ratonhnhaké:ton received the key to the king's throne room from the latter, and proceeded to infiltrate the palace.[118]
Death of a King
While navigating the Pyramid, Ratonhnhaké:ton used his powers to dispatch all the guards in his path and tracked his mother's movements, as Kaniehtí:io had also broken into the palace to steal Washington's Apple of Eden, but had ultimately failed. Eventually, Ratonhnhaké:ton arrived at the throne room, which he gained access to using Franklin's key, and used the scaffoldings inside to climb to the top of the Pyramid, where Washington stood waiting.[118]
Confronting the mad king, Ratonhnhaké:ton promised to spare his life if he surrendered the Apple, to which Washington asked him if he intended to "save [his] soul" or claim the artifact for himself. He then explained that possession of the Apple was both a burden and a blessing and asked Ratonhnhaké:ton what he would do with the artifact's power. After Ratonhnhaké:ton answered that he would not use it to enslave the people, a furious Washington attacked him.[119]
Ratonhnhaké:ton defeating King Washington
Despite the king making ample use of the Apple's powers, such as firing energy bolts at Ratonhnhaké:ton and summoning projections of himself to attack him, the Assassin was able to counter them using his own abilities and eventually gained the upper hand. After tackling Washington multiple times, the glass ceiling under them broke, causing both the king and Ratonhnhaké:ton to fall into the throne room. While a mortally wounded Washington slumped into his throne with the Apple, an injured Ratonhnhaké:ton slowly approached him to take the artifact.[119]
After experiencing visions of both his mother and Kanen'tó:kon begging him not to seize the Apple, as well as a final vision of himself demanding he take it, Ratonhnhaké:ton touched the artifact, causing its illusion of an alternate timeline to end and bringing the Assassin and Washington back to their own reality. The two looked at each other with distrust, cautious of what they had seen the other capable of, before Washington picked up the Apple from the ground.[119]
Connor dropping the Apple into the ocean
Following several moments of hesitation, Washington relented and turned the Apple over to Connor, who in turn stated that no man should possess such power. The commander suggested dropping it into the ocean with a weight, before riding off. Sometime later, Connor took the Aquila out to sea. He briefly gazed at the Apple, sealed and weighted in a bag, then dropped it into the ocean and ordered his crew to sail back home.[119]
Later life
In the years following the Revolutionary War, Connor sought to expand the Colonial Brotherhood with new recruits. In 1784, he came across a runaway slave named Patience Gibbs and attempted to recruit her, but she fought him off. The Assassin subsequently wrote a letter to Aveline de Grandpré, whom he had mainted contact with following their encounter seven years prior, asking for her help.[120]
Because of Aveline's legendary reputation among slaves, Connor believed that she would have more success persuading Patience to join the Assassins;[120] this ultimately proved to be true, as Patience agreed to accompany Aveline to the Davenport Homestead after the two women worked together to eliminate the Templar Edmund Judge, Patience's former master.[121]
Connor with his daughter Io:nhiòte
Connor later married a native woman from a nearby tribe with whom had a son and two daughters; his youngest child was named Io:nhiòte. In April 1796, he took Io:nhiòte far from her mother's village to teach her how to track and hunt, despite her tribe's tradition about training women. While they were hunting a deer, the young girl acted recklessly and fell from a small cliff drop, spraining her ankle. Connor left his daughter behind to look for cold water at the river in order to bring the swelling down.[122]
While he was away, Io:nhiòte noticed fresh wolf tracks nearby and tried to warn her father of the predator's presence but he was too far away. In the sky, Connor's daughter saw an eagle above her and in her distress, she somehow connected with the bird. Flying towards Connor, the eagle screeched a warning just as the wolf was leaping on the Assassin while he was collecting water from the stream.[122]
Connor put down the wolf with his Hidden Blade and discovered that the animal was driven mad by a festered gunshot wound from a musket. Returning to Io:nhiòte, he was amazed to find that she was aware of his encounter with the wolf because she had seen it through the eyes of an eagle. Realizing the extent of her potential, Connor stated that he had indeed a great deal to teach his daughter.[122]
In March 1804, the Haitian Assassin Eseosa contacted Connor at the Davenport Homestead to request additional training in preparation for his assassination of the tyrannical Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who had grabbed power following Eseosa's contributions in the Haitian Revolution.[123]
Legacy
A sketch of Connor
Connor's actions eradicated the Templar Order's influence and control in Colonial America by assassinating their leaders,[19] completely undoing Shay Cormac's earlier work[124] and dealing a crippling blow from which the North American Templars never recovered.[19] He also prevented George Washington from being corrupted by the Apple of Eden's power, as shown in the alternate timeline where he never became an Assassin.[125]
Along with this, his work in Boston and New York strengthened the Assassin Brotherhood with more recruits, and it assisted the people of the region. His support of the Continental Army led to many victories during the American Revolutionary War, eventually allowing the North American colonists to secure their independence from Britain. In the process, though, his work allowed the Americans to force his people farther west, away from their homelands.[19]
As the captain of the Aquila, Connor was a major contributor to the safety of trade passages to St. Augustine, Louisbourg, the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands, by wiping out the privateers who preyed on ships there. As the owner of the Davenport Homestead's lands following Achilles' passing, he also helped several colonists that were experiencing hardships around the area.[19]
Connor's contribution to restoring the Assassin Order's presence in the Thirteen Colonies led him to become widely recognized among the Assassins worldwide. By December 1776, the French Assassin Charles Dorian had become aware of Connor's accomplishments and cited them to Shay Cormac when the Templar assassinated him at the Palace of Versailles, stating that Connor's efforts had undone the Templars' plan to influence the American Revolution.[126]
Connor's actions also served as justification for the fanatical Master Assassin Pierre Bellec, another member of the French Brotherhood, who used them alongside the accomplishments of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze, as the examples of how his actions of poisoning the French Mentor Mirabeau were meant to destroy the French Assassins, in order to rebuild them stronger than before.[127]
In 2012, Connor's descendant Desmond Miles relived his genetic memories through the Animus to find the key to the Grand Temple in order to protect the Earth from the impending Second Disaster.[19] On 20 December, the day before the coronal mass-ejection was expected to strike the Earth, Desmond told Rebecca Crane that because he was rapidly reliving years of Connor's life within a single week, he had recently begun to "hear" Connor's voice through the Bleeding Effect.[128]
After Abstergo Industries recovered Desmond's body following his sacrifice to prevent the Second Disaster, they uploaded Connor's memories to their cloud server. After viewing the recordings, their analysts opted not to make any products about him, deciding his stoic personality and native background would make him unappealing to most viewers.[3] His purported marriage with an unknown blonde woman and their subsequent separation, in which she took their children and left Connor alone for the remainder of his life,[129] was later revealed to be Abstergo propaganda.[122]
By 2016, a sketch of Connor, as well as his personal bow, were hanging in the laboratory of the Abstergo Foundation Rehabilitation Center in Madrid, Spain.[130] Around the same year, another of Connor's descendants, Victor Flores Castillo, operated in London as a member of The Crew, a group of Assassins searching for a Piece of Eden.[2]
In 2017, the Master Templar Juhani Otso Berg relived the memories of Connor's daughter Io:nhiòte at Abstergo Montreal in order to uncover more information about the Assassin's life that could benefit his duties as the Black Cross. The relationship between Connor and Io:nhiòte proved particularly impactful for Berg, as it made him reflect on his relationship with his own daughter, Elina.[122]
Noa's Animus avatar wearing Connor's robes
In 2023, when Noa Kim began to succumb to the Bleeding Effect after reliving the memories of his ancestor Edward Kenway involving a crescent-shaped Piece of Eden, he found himself in the Animus' memory corridor. There, he was surrounded by multiple apparitions of Edward wearing the robes of various Assassins, including Connor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore.[131]
Noa was then presented with Connor's outfit and tomahawk and subsequently gained the Assassin's skills,[131] using them to go on a rampage aboard the Exitus, during which he wielded a fire axe in a manner similar to how Connor had wielded his tomahawk. His rampage only came to an end when Shimazu Sei intervened, helping Noa return to his senses as he could not bring himself to attack Sei.[132]
Personality and traits
The death of Connor's mother and burning of his village left him growing up with a strong desire for justice and the concern of what impact the colonists would have on the Kanien'kehá:ka. This left him with an often introspective, humorless disposition; Kanen'tó:kon once told him to stop worrying about colonial expansion when he had commented on the beautiful sight of viewing the forest from up the trees. This bluntness continued into early adulthood when he would misinterpret Israel Putnam's playful banter for insults, although in time he would learn to respond to such comments with a cold stare. Connor was, for the most part, introverted, philosophical, and spiritual. Although he appeared ruthless and cold-hearted, especially while fighting, deep down he was extremely sensitive and gentle.[19]
A mere 13-years old when thrust into the outside world, Connor's strong sense of morality would lead him to be quite naïve. He could not comprehend the notion of racial prejudice that Achilles suffered from and argued with Samuel Adams when he taught him how to remove his notoriety, questioning why he could not simply tell people the truth instead of lying to them. He also expressed discomfort with killing, such as his regret for assassinating William Johnson, whom he had naïvely intended to spare after believing that he had lost the ability to buy his people's land. This discomfort also led him to desperately believe that the Assassins and Templars could form a permanent alliance following the stressful one between himself and his father Haytham.[19]
Connor reflecting on Charles Lee's actions
Although, from the beginning, Connor's main motives were to protect his people and seek a misguided revenge on Charles Lee for the burning of his village and the death of his mother in the process. Connor only took part in the war for these reasons, of which he later learned that the latter was a disillusioned endeavor; one that his mentor Achilles warned him against on numerous occasions.[19]
This was evident by many of Connor's decisions and actions, one of them including him cutting all affiliations with George Washington, once he had discovered the truth of the general's responsibility towards the destruction of his village, as well as signing for a repeat attempt, despite Kanatahséton remaining neutral in the conflict.[19]
Already a capable, strong hunter and killer since he was a boy, Connor possessed an impatience with regards to tracking 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. Accompanying this, Putnam often misinterpreted Connor's actions for reckless bravado, when for him, running through a battlefield was a simple feat.[19]
Connor could still be youthfully cocky and arrogant. During the Boston Tea Party, Connor destroyed the final crate of tea in front of William Johnson and allowed him to leave the scene with his fellow Templars, believing that he had stopped their plans. As his accomplishments increased, he would argue with Achilles that he did not need him and could have done everything he had accomplished without him. At one point, Connor even went as far as challenging Achilles to a fight to prove him wrong.[19]
Connor pondering the future at Achilles' grave
Despite this, Achilles and Washington described Connor as being quite humble, often playing down his own actions. Also, putting his near-constant annoyance with Achilles aside, it was clear that Connor cared for him greatly, which could be seen at both his funeral and when Connor visited Achilles' grave shortly afterward. 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.[19]
As he grew older and lost allies, while his nemesis Charles Lee still lived, Connor became cynical and was willing to torture a mercenary to learn Lee's location. However, by the time he finally caught up to Lee, Connor no longer seemed to be driven by his desire for revenge against the man; instead, he simply believed that Lee needed to be eliminated due to the threat he posed to the future of the United States and the Assassin Order. In the end, Connor even appeared to show his nemesis some respect and kindness, as he silently agreed to share a drink with Lee before ending his life.[19]
Even with all the losses and betrayals he endured, Connor refused to abandon his idealistic vision of the world, one where peace and freedom could co-exist. However, his experiences did alter his perspective of things, as he eventually realized the world was much crueler than he had thought at first. Despite agreeing with Haytham that there would always be people who only pursued their own self-interest, he refused to lose hope in mankind like his father had. Instead, he held firm onto his belief that humanity had the potential to change for the better, and resolved to never stop fighting for his dream, even if it took "another thousand years" for it to finally come true.[49]
While in the alternate timeline, Ratonhnhaké:ton was more irritable and impatient due to the differences he encountered, and expressed bitterness to Thomas Jefferson about aiding civilians suffering under King Washington's regime. He was also in danger of becoming seduced by the Apple of Eden's power after defying his mother and drinking the Red Willow tea. He even weakly stated he would use the Apple for the good of everyone when asked by Washington, but on returning to the real world he was able to reject it entirely and drop it into the sea.[125]
Skills and equipment
Connor dual-wielding a Hidden Blade and a tomahawk
Having been raised in Kanatahséton, Connor became a skilled freerunner at an early age, being able to climb trees and swing from one branch 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.[19]
During his youth, Connor received minimal combat training from the Kanien'kehá:ka, becoming a young warrior of the tribe. He wielded a tomahawk and dagger; in addition, he honed his skill with a bow to the point where he could target any opponent and strike from a far distance.[19]
After being mentored by Achilles, Connor's abilities increased significantly and he eventually became a Master Assassin, trained in the ways of stealth, swordsmanship, observation, pickpocketing and lockpicking. He was well adept in blending in his surroundings as well as sneaking around heavily guarded places. He would usually blend in with dense crowds and mimic their activities. He was also extremely skilled in espionage, stealth, infiltration, disguise, thievery, and eavesdropping.[19]
Connor using his Pivot Blade in combat against Haytham
Connor was able to wield several different weapons, including a tomahawk, bow, flintlock pistols, poison darts, rope darts, and dual Hidden Blades. He could dual-wield various combinations of these weapons, with his ambidexterity allowing him to do so proficiently. Additionally, Connor's left Hidden Blade was a Pivot Blade, which quickly became an indispensable tool in his arsenal as its pivot function made it useful in both combat and hunting.[19]
Connor was also skilled in unarmed combat, being able to overpower multiple opponents at once. If there was a possibility, he utilized the surrounding objects to his advantage, such as chairs, tables or barrels, to cripple his opponents. His heavy build gave him an advantage in combat but impeded his freerunning abilities albeit by a negligible amount. Nevertheless, his agility allowed him to easily dodge musket fire. In addition, his heavy build allowed him to defeat multiple enemies in mere seconds without hesitation. He could kick hard enough to even send enemies twice his size flying several meters into the air.[19]
When engaging his father Haytham in unarmed combat, despite being badly wounded prior, Connor was able to gain the upper hand, countering and restraining Haytham before stabbing him in the arm with his Pivot Blade. As a child, he was significantly strong enough to lift a log all by himself when he ran to save his mother. Like his father, he could easily tear apart metal locks with a single punch. In addition, Connor was a capable swimmer, able to swim great distances with relative ease.[19]
Like the few peak-bodied Assassins born before him, Connor had far greater durability and endurance than the average man. He could survive building-destroying explosions without suffering any injury and heal from it later on, and even when seriously wounded, he was capable of fighting head-to-head with his own father and even gain the upper hand for a significant portion of the battle.[19]
Connor fighting a bear
Connor also grew to be an efficient hunter, utilizing his tracking skills and traps to hunt down various animals he encountered across the Frontier, such as elks, cougars, wolves, bobcats, and bears, with minimal effort. Connor was strong enough to go head-to-head with bears and elks head-on and even push them back with his bare hands. Additionally, Connor possessed the rare extra-sensory ability known as Eagle Vision, which he could use to help identify clues and track down enemies.[19]
Tutored by Robert Faulkner, Connor became a skilled captain, sailing the Aquila on multiple occasions and was capable of fending off rogue waves. During these voyages, Connor recovered a Ring of Eden buried by William Kidd on Oak Island, which granted him immunity to stray gunfire.[19]
While trapped in an alternate reality created by an Apple of Eden, Ratonhnhaké:ton retained the same skill level. Upon drinking the Red Willow tea, he was granted supernatural abilities linked to the spirit animals of the wolf, eagle, and bear. He could temporarily turn invisible, summon a pack of astral wolves to fight alongside him,[133], fly short distances by turning himself into an eagle,[134] and unleash devastating shockwaves that knocked back even the strongest of foes or destroyed scaffoldings.[125]
Connor sailing the Aquila
Connor was a skilled leader and battle commander, winning many key battles for the Colonial Army. Robert Faulkner mentioned Connor was a fast learner, and he was able to add many skills to his repertoire. While at times brash or impulsive, Connor was brilliant, learning many languages and was a skilled military strategist. Connor understood politics and made efforts to improve conditions for his people with the colonists. He also made the homestead a thriving trade community.[19]
In terms of clothing, Connor most often wore a hooded dress uniform 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.[19] Aboard the Aquila however, Connor wore a blue overcoat and tricorne hat.[19] During his time in the alternate reality, he wore a wolf skin hood, and bear fur over his shoulders.[133]
Trivia
- Name
- Early on, several news media and publishers, including Ubisoft, gave Ratonhnhaké:ton's adopted name as Connor Kenway. In-game, Ratonhnhaké:ton was never shown to adopt his father's surname, which was later mirrored by Ubisoft's official Assassin's Creed Facebook page in 2013.[135] However, this stance seems to have changed, as in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Assassin's Creed: Rogue, Assassin's Creed: Unity, Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR, and the concept art entries in Assassin's Creed III Remastered, Ratonhnhaké:ton is consistently referred to as Connor Kenway.
- Unlike several known Assassins, including Aquilus, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore, Aveline de Grandpré, and Nikolai Orelov, whose names were connected to avians, Connor is an Irish name originating from Conchobar, meaning "lover of hounds" or "wolves".
- According to Ubisoft, "Ratonhnhaké:ton" (pronounced Ra-doon-ha-ge-doon) means "life that is scratched", referring to his struggle to survive.[136] "His spirit has emerged" or "he has begun to live" are equally valid but less poetic interpretations of his name; Haudenosaunee names are not meant to be literal and encourage one to think about how they want their name to shape them.[137] Since every Mohawk name is unique, Ubisoft agreed not to trademark the name.[138]
- Personality and relationships
- Series lead writer Corey May intended for Connor to be more thoughtful due to his upbringing, and to consider different perspectives. He added that Connor is motivated by a desire to fix the problems in the world that he feels no one else is willing to do anything about, and that this idealism "makes him a little bit naïve, that he thinks that one person can make a difference, but he clings to that belief and remains very firm in his convictions, so I think it makes him endearing in a way that previous Assassins haven't been."[139]
- The developers considered giving the character a love interest in The Tyranny of King Washington and Aveline de Grandpré in particular for the role. However, it was decided the characters' motivations and personalities were too different from each other.[140]
- Connor historically skinned every animal he killed, as leaving a hunted animal unskinned resulted in desynchronization.
- Voice and character design
- Voice actor Noah Watts based Connor's voice on actor Wes Studi's portrayal of Magua in the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans, particularly his matter-of-fact delivery of the line "When the Grey Hair is dead, Magua will eat his heart." Watts also chose to emphasize the fact that English was the character's second language by avoiding the use of contractions early in the story.[141] By the end of the main story, and certainly during the events of The Tyranny of King Washington, Ratonhnhaké:ton has increased his usage of contractions, such as when he yells "That's it!" before smacking a soldier.
- Connor's rock climbing animations were based on video reference of free solo climber Dan Osman.[142][143]
- Lead Game Designer Steven Masters mentioned that Connor could originally scalp his opponents,[144], a feature that was seen in the demo footage where he scalps a Redcoat officer and gives the piece to Washington,[145] but it was removed from the game since Ubisoft's Mohawk consultants felt that it was an unusual thing for their ancestors to do and Ubisoft agreed that it was too brutal for Connor's character.[144]
- Character Designer Jeff Simpson expressed difficulty in creating Connor, as there were no Mohawk Americans in the development team, despite them being multi-cultural.[146]
- Connor was initially meant to be purely Native American until the team chose to make him a British-American.[146]
- Other
- If Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is synched to Assassin's Creed III, the exclusive mission "Connor's Way" appears with Connor as the playable character. However, the reason why Desmond is unable to relive that particular memory is never explained. It can be inferred that this memory was not crucial to Desmond's efforts in obtaining the Grand Temple Key, with it being subsequently overlooked by the Animus.
- Connor was voted Best Game Character at the Virgin Media Awards,[147] and was nominated for Character of the Year at the 2012 VGA Awards. In his nomination video, Connor thanked Ubisoft's developers for creating him and the world he lived in alongside the Easter egg of an Assassin Turkey.[148] In his unused acceptance speech video, Connor thanked the fans, before using the award to counter-kill some British Regulars.[149]
- Connor is unique amongst the ancestors that Desmond viewed, as neither of his parents had been Assassins. However, Connor did have ties to the Assassins, as his grandfather Edward Kenway became a member of the Assassin Brotherhood after his travels in the West Indies.
- Connor's stature, while not officially revealed by Ubisoft, can be easily determined by comparing him to George Washington during cutscenes. George Washington was historically 6'0 (1.83m) tall, which he reveals in a letter to his tailor Charles Lawrence on 20 June 1768,[150] and given that both men are eye-to-eye, this also makes Connor stand at 6'0 (1.83m) tall.
- James Nadiger revealed on Twitter in March 2019 that Assassin's Creed: Initiates was initially supposed to feature more of Connor's story in his later life,[151] as revealed through the perspectives of characters around him, like Eseosa.[152] After creating a fake Abstergo Entertainment program[153] called "The Sad and Lonely Death of Ratonhnhaké:ton",[154] as shown in the Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook, Nadiger wanted to slowly reveal Connor's real story through Initiates, showcasing that he became one of the greatest Mentors in the Brotherhood's history.[155] This would have showcased Connor's family and friends alongside the role of the American Assassins in pivotal events such as the War of 1812 and would explain that the Davenport Homestead vanishing and Connor dying alone were ruses to elude the Templars.[156] Initiates was cancelled before Nadiger could finish what he planned,[157] although more of Connor's life was eventually shown in the fourth and final issue of the brief comic series Assassin's Creed: Reflections.[158]
Appearances
- Assassin's Creed III (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
- Assassin's Creed: Forsaken
- Assassin's Creed: Initiates(mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (mentioned only)
- Aveline (voice only)
- Assassin's Creed: Rogue (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Unity (appears on Helix Navigator only)
- Assassin's Creed: Memories
- Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed: Reflections
- Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun (cameo)
- Assassin's Creed: The Official Collection
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
- Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR
- Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
- Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game
References
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