Edward Kenway
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag holds a special place in fans’ hearts for its sea-faring pirate spin on the franchise. A big part of why that tonal shift works so well is thanks to protagonist Edward Kenway. As a swashbuckling, brash assassin, he’s the opposite of what we’d been taught to expect from this series’ heroes. No sly, subtle shadow operative, he’s more synonymous with bar fights and ship battles reeking of gunpowder. As such, he’s a rollicking, exciting hero to play whether he’s on land or sea, but he also has moments of quiet reflection that round him out. Shoutout to Constantine actor Matt Ryan for capturing the character’s emotional range in his lone video game credit. Get him in more games, I say. — Kenneth Shepard
