The Assassin's Creed series has featured many different protagonists over the years. One of the best was Edward Kenway, who was the leading character in Assassin's Creed IV: Blag Flag. And his presence is a big reason why the pirate adventure is regarded as a highlight of the series.
Edward was brash, confident, and witty, and his journey from money-hungry scoundrel to full-blooded Assassin was great. While he's only appeared in one game, he's also been a character in a few of Assassin's Creed's written works. And he's certainly played a significant role in the series overall. Because of that, there are certain facts about the man that every AC fan is required to know.
10 Debuted In Assassin's Creed: Forsaken
Assassin's Creed's books and comics add a lot to the series. For starters, they are usually enjoyable, plus they contain extra information about the AC universe and its characters. Although, the best gift they've given to fans is Edward.
Yes, the pirate didn't debut in Black Flag. Instead, he made his first appearance in Assassin's Creed: Forsaken. The novel focused on Edward's son Haytham and his life as a child. It actually provided some interesting insight into what Edward was like as a father.
9 His Hood
As far as Assassin robes go, the ones Edward wore were among the coolest looking. From the brown padding for extra protection to the pistols strapped to his chest, the outfit fitted perfectly with the character's personality.
However, there was something about the getup that was very different from the robes in the previous games: the hood wasn't shaped like a beak. Altair, Ezio, and Connor all had beaked hoods, which helped further hide their identities. Duncan Walpole - the person who Edward stole the clothes from - clearly wasn't as stealthy as those other Assassins.
8 Otso Berg Used His Memories
Otso Berg was one of the most prominent Templars throughout the series and caused many problems for the present-day Brotherhood. Eventually, he would become a Black Cross. The rank is only reserved for the best Templars as they're trusted to seek out traitors and search for the Pieces of Eden.
To be able to do the role efficiently, he had to relive the memories of some great Assassins of the past to learn their skills. This is all depicted during the Assassin's Creed Reflections comics, and in issue #3, he goes back to Edward's time.
7 Wasn't Originally Going To Be Welsh
It's hard to imagine Edward without his thick Welsh accent. In fact, it's something that sets him apart from other members of the Order. But he nearly sounded very different.
Originally, the lead writer, Darby McDevitt, was looking for someone with a Nothern English accent. Yet, upon meeting Matt Ryan - the would-be voice of Edward - and learning about his own Welsh background, they decided to incorporate it into the character.
6 Was The Leader Of The London Brotherhood
Edward was unique as he only became a true Assassin towards the end of Black Flag. Before that, he didn't care about the Brotherhood nor their conflict with the Templars.
After the events of the game, though, he became an all-time great Assassin. Thus, he quickly rose up the ranks of the Order, eventually becoming the co-leader of the Brotherhood in London. Under his eye, the Assassins had dominated that region for some time.
5 How He Got His Climbing Skills
Something about the series that has never made sense is how certain protagonists are so good at freerunning and climbing. Characters like Edward, Ezio, and Connor were able to clamber over pretty much anything before they'd received any Assassin training.
For Edward, however, there was a reason. He spent a lot of his life sailing around the seven seas, which required plenty of climbing masts, as explained by the game's director, Ashraf Ismail. It's unclear how that translates into his ability to jump across buildings, but at least it explains some of it.
4 Never Told Haytham About The Creed
Haytham didn't follow in his father's footsteps; instead, he did the exact opposite as he became a Templar. Edward could've perhaps avoided this if he'd only told his son about the Brotherhood. In the Forsaken novel, it says that the older Kenway was going to reveal the information to his son when he turned ten, but he was killed before he had the chance.
During their short time together, he did teach the boy how to use a sword, and ironically those teachings were used to slice down many of Edward's fellows Assassins. Although, not to question the man's training regime, but Haytham ended up being one of the weaker bosses in the series.
3 Donated The Jackdaw to The Brotherhood
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was perhaps the greatest pirate game ever. However, it wouldn't have been the same if the players didn't have a beautiful ship to control. The Jackdaw was commandeered by Edward early into the story and stuck with him throughout his adventure.
Yet, the game never revealed what happened to the ship after Edward's journey came to an end. Thankfully, the lead writer has since revealed in a tweet that Edward decided to donate the vessel to the Brotherhood. It makes sense as Edward moved to London, which is not a prime area for ships.
2 How He Died
When it comes to the main Assassins, the games rarely depict how they die. Those moments are usually reserved for books, comics, or even videos. In Edward's case, his demise was shown in novel-form.
He wasn't killed by a significant villain, but a group of masked assailants. They broke into his home and managed to use their numbers advantage to get the better of him. It turned out the whole thing was orchestrated by Reginald Birch as part of a Templar plot.
1 He Indirectly Assisted Desmond In Saving The World
Black Flag was the first entry in the mainline series that didn't feature Desmond Miles. The present-day Assassin perished in the preceding game when he sacrificed his life to save the world. To do it, he first needed the Grand Temple key. A key that he probably wouldn't have found without Edward.
This is because many years earlier, the pirate did heavy research on the temple and recorded his findings in a journal. Haytham then used those notes to find the key in question, which is what led Desmond to the item. So in a roundabout way, Edward contributed to saving humanity, not bad for a selfish pirate.