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There are 14 main games in the Assassin's Creed franchise (and 32 games altogether counting spinoffs) - and through it, we've met some amazing assassins and Knights Templar, as well as some modern-day characters who... well.. aren't as cool. I've been playing the Assassin's Creed games since 2010, notching everyone one as they came out - with Assassin's Creed Shadows currently waiting for me on my PS5 right this moment. But as I delve into that world, I'm revisiting in my mind (and to be honest, by playing in the days leading up to Shadows' release) the favorite ones from my past.

What I've learned is that while I loved some games despite of their main characters, there are three big Assassin's Creed leads that I keep coming back to - just for them. In this week's edition of Popverse Picks, I will get out of the animus and get full-on into my bias with my favorite characters after playing the franchise for the past 15 years.

Ratonhnhaké:ton / Connor

I played AC games before Assassin's Creed III, and I've played games after - but it's that game's lead Connor that stands out as my favorite of all, 13 years running. He's not the easiest AC lead character to like, but I found that after spending 10-20 hours (okay, more!) with him I really found nuance in his story and an appreciation for who the character is - especially playing the game through completion. 

Perhaps his mixed heritage and issues with his biological father connected with my own personal experience, and I'm biased? Well, that's why I list him as my favorite. As I continued to deal with my own nuanced connection to my family's Native American heritage, playing Connor really touched something for me - especially for the dynamic hunting system the game offered - something I would argue is better, or at least on-par with, Red Dead Redemption.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze

When people think of Assassin's Creed, I like to imagine they picture Assassin's Creed II's Ezio (and hopefully not Desmond Miles, but that's another story). Ezio's character arc is arguably (yes, let's argue in the comments) the best overall character arc in the entire franchise, and Roger Craig Smith's career-defining work as the character made this character a gaming icon 16 years on.

What gets it for me is Ezio's growth over the course of his game series, and being everything the original game's protagonist Altair wasn't. Testy? Yes. Smart? Yes. Bull-headed? Yes. But it also showed immense growth from his rebellious years to being a mentor and elder by his storyline's end.

Kassandra 

Alexios who? Assassin's Creed Odyssey had been my most anticipated AC game to date, and it bore out wonderfully - especially by being able to play as Kassandra. Maybe it was me channeling my Wonder Woman fandom... but if so, who can blame me?

Kassandra's storyline, evoking the better parts of Frank Miller's 300, really struck a chord with me - especially as it grew into a competition with her brother under the broader shadow of warmongers looking to use battles to make a buck (real life, huh?). While some might say it's the ancient Greek setting which won people over, for me, Kassandra's characterization benefited from that but wasn't only about that - with her surprise appearance in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla as a gleaming example of that. Playing her was literally like being Conan for me, so much so that if we ever get a good Conan the Barbarian game I'll compare it to this.

Here's how to play the Assassin's Creed games in order.