Connor (Assassin's Creed)
Half-Mohawk Master Assassin in the American Revolution.
Ratonhnhaké:ton, commonly known as Connor, is a fictional character in the Assassin's Creed video game series. He is a half-British, half-Mohawk Master Assassin who serves as the main protagonist of Assassin's Creed III (2012), set during the American Revolution. The character is notable as an Indigenous protagonist in the video game industry.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Assassin's Creed
- First game
- Assassin's Creed III (2012)
- Creator
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Portrayed by
- Noah Watts; Jamie Mayers (young)
- Nationality
- Iroquois-British
- Also known as
- Connor
- Origin
- Kanatahséton, Mohawk Valley, British America
- Spouse
- Unnamed wife
Facts from the source article.
Creation and development
Connor was conceived as a character of mixed Mohawk heritage to serve as an outsider in the American Revolution setting of Assassin's Creed III. The development team collaborated with the Kahnawà:ke Mohawk community near Montreal, consulting residents to translate Mohawk dialogue and hiring a cultural consultant from the Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center to ensure authenticity and avoid stereotypes. Despite extensive research into Mohawk culture and language, the team did not want Connor to be defined solely by his heritage.
Creative director Alex Hutchison stated in a 2012 interview that the team aimed to create a real character with a full life story who happened to be Native American, rather than a cardboard cutout. Two key members of the Kanien'kehá:ka community assisted in developing Connor: Akwiratékha Martin, a Kanien'kéha language teacher, and Teiowí:sonte Thomas Deer, a Mohawk cultural liaison. Noah Watts provided both the voice and motion capture performance for Connor.
Watts initially auditioned for what he believed was an unnamed film set during the American Revolution, unaware it was for Assassin's Creed III. Watts based his portrayal on Cherokee actor Wes Studi's work in the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans, particularly his matter-of-fact delivery. He also deliberately avoided using contractions early in the game to signify that English is Connor's second language, gradually implementing them later to show his character's linguistic development.
Appearances
Connor, whose original name was Ratonhnhaké:ton, is a paternal ancestor of Desmond Miles, the modern-day character who relives his memories through a device called the Animus. Born in 1756 to a Kanien’kehá:ka woman named Kaniehtí:io after a brief relationship with Haytham Kenway, the Grand Master of the Colonial Templars, Connor saw his mother die during an attack on their village in 1760. He blamed the Templar Charles Lee for the assault. Years later, as a teenager, a village elder gave him a Crystal Ball that allowed Juno, a member of the First Civilization, to speak with him.
Juno told him he must join the Assassins to protect his village, so he went to the homestead of Achilles Davenport, the retired Mentor of the Colonial Brotherhood. Achilles, who had lost faith in the Assassins after his group fell apart, reluctantly trained Ratonhnhaké:ton and gave him the name Connor, after his own dead son, to help him fit into colonial society. Connor learned the Templars were trying to control the American Revolution, so he fought alongside the Patriots, hoping they would safeguard his people’s land.
He rebuilt the Colonial Brotherhood by recruiting new members, turned Achilles’ homestead into a community for displaced settlers, and restored an old Assassin ship called the Aquila, becoming its captain. While hunting a rogue Templar named Benjamin Church, Connor met his father Haytham, and they formed a shaky alliance. During their time together, Connor saw that the Assassins and Templars had similar goals and considered uniting them. But Haytham later revealed that George Washington had caused Kaniehtí:io’s death, breaking Connor’s trust. Connor then returned to his village, only to find Charles Lee had tricked his people into supporting the Loyalists.
Reception
Connor received mixed critical reception, often compared unfavorably to his father Haytham and previous series protagonists Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze. In a contemporary review for PSM3, Joel Gregory criticized Connor's character arc, stating that while his skills develop, his personality does not, and described him as relentlessly strait-laced, humourless, and duller than Altaïr and far from Ezio. Connor placed low in numerous Assassin's Creed character rankings.
A 2021 PC Gamer list ranked him last, calling him a boring protagonist who sulks and complains through what the reviewer considered the worst Assassin's Creed game, while Haytham placed fourth. German outlet GamePro ranked Connor as the franchise's 13th-greatest protagonist, criticizing his lack of development and blind devotion to the Assassin Order, but acknowledging he is more nuanced than often credited and might rank higher with a sequel. CBR ranked Connor second to last in likability due to his hotheaded and violent nature.
However, some reviews were positive. PC Gamer's Chris Thursten said Connor's characterization is strong and that he comes into his own in the second half of the game. In a 2020 ranking by TheGamer, Connor finished fifth for holding onto his convictions and desire for justice despite conflict with allies. Connor was nominated for Character of the Year at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards and Best Character Design at the 4th Inside Gaming Awards in 2012.
More in Story & Timeline
Elsewhere in Assassin's Creed
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