Aura. It's not about how many enemies you can cut down, because then, even a nameless, faceless, and voiceless Tarnished could be one of the most awe-inspiring characters ever. It isn't about how stylish you are, either, because you don't see anyone talking about Yamcha in a conversation about aura. Aura is a rare combination of presence, charisma, kindness, danger, and charm that makes a protagonist larger than life itself.

It's what lets an Assassin strike fear into the Templars' hearts, while still being lovable and iconic for us players. In an 18-year-old franchise, not every Assassin has had it, but when they do, it makes all the difference.

18 Connor Kenway – Assassin's Creed III

The least aura an Assassin's Creed protagonist has ever had

It's sad that one of the most significant games in the Assassin's Creed franchise had to feature a protagonist who was the charismatic equivalent of a wooden plank. I still remember seeing Assassin's Creed III in a gaming café for the first time, and seeing Connor's robe flowing with his movement as he climbed trees and lodged tomahawks into his enemies' chests was terribly impressive.

At the time of getting the game, the entire player base had been spoiled by Ezio, one of the most charismatic and unforgettable gaming protagonists of all time. Connor felt like a less-than-pleasant whiplash, where neither his animations nor his voice acting ever felt like anything more than someone reading off a script for a payday.

17 Shay Patrick Cormac – Assassin's Creed Rogue

Memorable for changing sides, but not much else

It will always be a shame how Assassin's Creed Rogue got buried between Black Flag and Unity, especially because its protagonist, Shay Cormac, remains one of the most interesting AC heroes ever written. He wasn't dripping with charisma, but he was strong enough to stand by his own convictions and principles after he got disillusioned by the Assassins.

The problem, however, is that Shay, much like Rogue itself, never managed to escape the shadow of the other titles around it. When it comes to his writing as a character, Shay Cormac was definitely undercooked, and you only see tiny flashes of any personality in the whole 12-hour campaign. He's memorable for switching sides, yes, but not for much else.

16 Haytham Kenway – Assassin's Creed III

Aura kept going down the further you went the lineage

When Assassin's Creed entered a new era with AC III and finally gave us a new mainline game after three years, we began playing as Haytham Kenway — a suave, middle-aged man who wielded hidden blades and looked good in combat. Heck, the man even got the title card drop for the game, and they really had us going there for a while, making us believe he was the protagonist of the game.

That's until the prologue ends, and we realize he was a Templar, in one of the most memorable plot twists from the time. In the little time we did have with Haytham, though, he was certainly a memorable protagonist. It's a shame that he later devolved into a by-the-numbers Templar supremacist, leading to him being just barely more memorable than his son, Connor.

15 Basim Ibn Ishaq – Assassin's Creed Mirage

Charismatic, but not unforgettable

In AC Valhalla, Basim as the mentor was an interesting figure. He was mysterious and calculating, and I couldn't wait to find out what he did with his own starring role in 2023's Mirage. To my surprise, Basim did manage to hold his own in a league of great protagonists.

Sure, he's not going to be considered among the likes of Ezio or Edward, but regardless, he had a quiet and magnetic pull about him that you couldn't help but pay attention to. Even without the Loki twist from Valhalla, Basim is manipulative and persuasive even as he works alongside The Hidden Ones, and his morality was always sort of gray, which lent him a rather different aura than a lot of other heroes in the franchise.

14 Desmond Miles – Assassin's Creed — Assassin's Creed III

The thread that wound it all together, but never got to shine alone

For as much as I want him back, there's no denying that Desmond, in the long list of Assassin's Creed protagonists, didn't have as much aura as he should've had. In hindsight, it does make sense, because for as long as he lived in the franchise, Desmond Miles was little more than a conduit to justify hopping timelines between Altair, Ezio, and Connor.

Throughout his journey, Desmond was only ever a reactive protagonist, being told where to go and what to do, even well until his demise. Plus, for the life of me, I couldn't possibly recall a single dialog from Desmond that any AC player remembers by heart.

13 Aya of Alexandria – Assassin's Creed Origins

I wish she had gotten more time to shine

Aya of Alexandria, Bayek's wife, was an AC protagonist for a short while in Origins, and we played just a few missions as her. However, in those few missions, and through her continued presence in Bayek's journey, one thing was pretty clear — Aya had fire inside her. Her ties with Cleopatra and Julius Caesar only added to her mysterious aura and ability, but that was where things ended.

For the most part, even while playing the game as well as in hindsight, Aya was a rather underdeveloped character who truly could have been one of the greatest female characters in this entire 18-year-old franchise. For that, however, she would have required way more screen time and perhaps an entire half as a protagonist.

12 Bayek of Siwa – Assassin's Creed Origins

Unforgettable? Absolutely. Charismatic? Mildly

Bayek of Siwa was the first protagonist we met when the franchise decided to pivot into RPG territory in 2017. With Assassin's Creed Origins, Ubisoft took two years bringing Ancient Egypt to life, and with it, the origin of the Assassins went further back. We saw Bayek create 'The Hidden Ones', a cult that would be the precursor to the Assassins as we knew them.

True to its name, the game also gave us the origin of the Assassin logo, which was a neat little touch. Bayek of Siwa, then, was a stoic man dealing with the loss of his son, all while holding on to his inherent kindness, serving the people of Egypt and never once forgetting his duty as a medjay. Actor Abubakar Salim did a great job as Bayek, too, and there's no denying that he remains one of the most iconic AC protagonists we've had till date.

11 Evie Frye – Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Elegant with the cane, deadly with the hood

In AC Syndicate, Evie was the brains while Jacob was the brawn, and while her brother left a bunch of knocked-out goons in his wake, Evie exuded a strong, calm impression. She was much more focused on the creed's ideals than her brother, and that's why she gave the game a touch of elegance, which, frankly, couldn't have been possible with Jacob alone.

Her aura came from her sheer competence and lethality — this was a woman who could slit your throat with her cane and calmly join a party without looking worse for wear. I still wish a solo outing with Evie had happened, even if it had been DLC, because had that been the case, Evie Frye could've become a much more unforgettable protagonist in the AC franchise.

10 Jacob Frye – Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Enigmatic, charismatic, and what a southpaw

A cockney brawler with a sense of humor and mean punch — that's what Assassin's Creed Syndicate needed, and Jacob Frye delivered thoroughly on that account. Running through industrial London with brass knuckles and a cheeky grin, Jacob Frye had an aura that was definitely more street-smart and London-leaning than it had anything to do with a centuries-old Assassin cult, but he was still pretty unforgettable.

Was he sophisticated like Evie? Absolutely not, and that's why I, as a fifteen-year-old playing Syndicate for the first time, loved him. Jacob wasn't a particularly deep man, but he was fun, and boy did he have plenty of street-level aura as he got into fistfights and ran his gang.

9 Alexios – Assassin's Creed Odyssey

The brother who got overshadowed by his sister

When Odyssey first launched, I remember Ubisoft pushing Alexios just as hard as Kassandra, but most players who picked him quickly realized that he wasn't the stronger option. His goofy, larger-than-life aura felt good to watch on the screen, but his delivery often veered into unintentionally hilarious territory, which means that my biggest compliment for Alexios is that he was... tolerable.

Alexios wasn't nuanced, he wasn't subtle, and compared to Kassandra of all people, he is nothing but the weaker, more forgettable sibling.