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| “ | It might be that this idea is only the beginning of wisdom, and not its final form. | „ |
| ~ Edward Kenway. |
| “ | For years I've been rushing around, taking whatever I fancied, not giving a tinker's curse for those I hurt. Yet here I am... with riches and reputation, feeling no wiser than when I left home. Yet when I turn around, and look at the course I've run... there's not a man or woman that I love left standing beside me. | „ |
| ~ Edward Kenway. |
Edward James Kenway is a major protagonist of the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
He is the titular overarching protagonist of the Kenway Saga, being the main protagonist of the 2013 video game open world/sea Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, the overarching protagonist of the 2012 novel Assassin's Creed: Forsaken, and one of the overarching protagonists of the 2012 video game Assassin Creed III.
Edward used to be a Welsh privateer in the British Navy and was stationed in the West Indies. However, a quick end to the war and the promise of gold, glory and fame eventually seduced him into a life of piracy; it was during this quest that Edward first encountered the Assassin and Templar Orders and became embroiled in their struggle. He later became a member of the Assassin Brotherhood after losing most of his friends due to a pirate's life. He is the father of Haytham Kenway, the grandfather of Ratonhnhaké:ton (or Connor Kenway), and the ancestor of Desmond Miles.
He is voiced by Matt Ryan, who also voiced and portrayed John Constantine in the titular CW series and various media.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Edward Kenway was born in Swansea, Wales to Bernard and Linette Kenway, and the family later relocated to Bristol in Southwest England. A known troublemaker in his youth, Edward met and fell in love with Caroline Scott, and later married in 1712 despite the disapproval of her parents. Caroline's father disowned her and didn't provide her with a dowry, leaving the married couple deprived of wealth. Edward became dissatisfied with his life as a former and wanted to make his fortune as a privateer in the West Indies and decided to do so even after Caroline returned to her family. Caroline's father then sent the Templar Wilson and the Trade Organization to burn the Kenway family's home, and Edward managed to save his parents. However, Bernard disowned his son, who decided to get revenge on Tom Cobleigh and Julian, who had committed the act of burning the farm.
Though Edward managed to kill Julian, he was bested by Wilson, and was taken aboard the emperor, becoming a privateer on the ship. Edward was harassed by his peers, especially the sailor Blaney, who slowly began to hate Kenway since the latter didn't fear him. Captain Alexander Dolzell told his crew that they would possibly turn to piracy due to the War of the Spanish Succession was coming to a close, and Edward later helped Dolzell in capturing the British merchant ship, the Amazon Galley. When Edward noticed that the Amazon Galley's captain was wearing a ring similar to Wilson, he asked for answers before Dolzell killed him. During the siege, the privateer Edward Thatch and his crew attempted to rescue the Amazon Galley, but Blaney committed mutiny against his crew and attempted to kill Kenway. However, Thatch instead proposed a brawl between Kenway and Blaney, and the latter broke the rules of the brawl by using a weapon.
Thatch then shot Blaney dead, and Edward was recruited into Thatch's crew, and trained under Thatch's on how to use a sword and firearm. Edward would later meet Benjamin Horningold, and served under Thatch's privateers until the Treaty of Utrecht was signed in 1713, which ended all conflicts of fighting empires. Seeing that British privateers were no longer needed no tolerated in the West Indies, Edward turned to piracy and became a crew member of Abel Bramahs Jacobite.
Black Flag[]
In 1715, the Jacobite attacked a passing vessel which crippled Bramahs ship, who was killed and forcing Edward to take the ship and attack the vessel. Though victorious, the Jacobite sinks into the sea, forcing Edward and the assassin named Duncan Walpole to wash ashore to Cape Bonavista. Walpole offered to pay Edward to passage to Havana, but Kenway agreed to pay immediately before Duncan attempted to kill the pirate with a pistol. The firearm misfired due to the wet gunpowder, and Edward chased Walpole across the jungle and killed him. Finding a letter on Walpole's corpse, Edward learned that Governor Laureano de Torres y Ayala asked for Walople to meet with him in Havana but didn't realize that the letter was in fact Torres welcoming Duncan to the Templar Order. Edward then took Duncan's robes and decided to impersonate him so he could receive payment from Governor Torres and headed to Havana after rescuing the merchant Stede Bonnet.
In Havana, Edward got into a fight with a thug who recognized Edward as a pirate and was forced to leave the area when Spanish soldiers came to break up the fight. Edward returned to Bonnet, and learned the Spanish had seized Bonnet's ship holdings, and collected the package meant for Governor Torres. Edward then infiltrated the tower to collect the package but was unable to get Bonnet's holdings due to him not having a spare of hands. Edward then went to the meeting, where he met Governor Torres, Woodes Rogers, and Julien du Casse, where he gained the hidden blades, pistol, and was inducted into the Templar Order. The group then went to the city docks to collect the Sage Bartholomew Roberts, but they were ambushed by the Assassins who wanted to stop the Templars from learning the location of the Observatory. Kenway assisted the Templars and retrieved Roberts and was paid by Torres of a thousand Reales.
Annoyed about the pay he received form the governor, Edward decided to find the location of the Observatory to sell it to the highest bidder, but realized he would need to ask Roberts of its whereabouts. Infiltrating the prison, Edward found that Roberts had escaped, and that the Templars had discovered that Kenway was not Walpole. Torres decided to have Edward be imprisoned on a Spanish treasure fleet for robbing the Templars of Walpole, and Kenway attempted to remind Torres that he gave him the package. On the Spanish fleet, Edward managed to escape from imprisonment alongside Adéwalé, and the two rescued fellow prisoners and escaped from the area with a brig. After making it out of the storm, Edward made Adéwalé his quartermaster, and named the brig the Jackdaw after a bird he recalls from his early life. Edward traveled to Nassau, and met with Thatch, Horningold, and James Kidd on fighting against the British to weaken their control over the Caribbean.
After plundering ships and stealing supplies from a plantation, Thatch informed Edward about protecting the pirate republic from the British and learned that a ship that Thatch was tailing held Du Casse. Seeing that Du Casse would inform the Templars of his survival, Edward went through the Great Inagua jungle and assassinated Julien on his ship. Afterward, Edward claimed the Great Inagua as his new home, and Kidd told Kenway to meet him at Tulum in several weeks to show him something. In Tulum, Edward was introduced to the Assassin Brotherhood, who were angered at him for giving Torres the package and killing their fellow brethren in Havana. After helping Kidd confirm the Sage in the temple, Edward helped the Assassins fight off a siege by the Templars, rescuing Assassins and his crew. The Assassin's leader, Ah Tabai told Edward he was forgiven by the brotherhood for helping them, but he was not allowed to return due to the damage he had caused.
In 1716, Edward was informed by Charles Vane and Jack Rackham that Governor Torres was residing in a fort, and Kenway captured the fort and made Torres help him reach Roberts since he was captured by the slaver Laurens Prins. While trailing Torres, who was meeting with Prins in Kingdom, Edward was informed by Adéwalé that Kidd was there to assassinate Prins. Edward managed to convince Kidd to work with him, and the two managed to kill him. During the course of this action, Kidd revealed herself to actually be a woman named Mary read, and Roberts escaped after revealing he was working with Prins. In the following years, the people of Nassau became sick, forcing Kenway, Thatch and his allies to find medicine for the citizens. Edward managed to get the medicine, giving it to Thatch before returning to Nassau once again. The Royal Navy had blockaded the town, and Rogers and Peter Chamberlaine were sent to meet with the pirates to give them pardons, with Hornigold accepting the offer. Edward and Vane worked together to destroy the naval blockade and traveled to the Great Inagua to make it their new base.
In 1718, Edward meets with Thatch who has decided to retire, and informs Kenway that a man named Roberts was working on a slave ship named the Princess. After speaking with Thatch, Edward noticed a man acting suspicious, and overheard that the man speaking with a British officer, which turned out to be an ambush on Thatch and his crew. Edward assisted in helping Thatch disable a Man O'War, but Thatch was killed by the British while Edward was knocked off the ship. Shaken by the loss of Thatch, Edward returned to the Jackdaw and fled from the area and met with Vane. Mourning the loss of their friend, Edward and Vane decided to work together again to find the Princess and managed to gain information that the ship sailed in Kingdom every couple of months. However, Rackham started a mutiny of Vane's crew, and left Edward and Vane to be stranded while Rackham stole the Jackdaw and was planning on selling Adéwalé.
Edward and Vane were marooned on Isla Providencia, but the former was forced to fight against Vane due to him being disgruntled and manic. After fighting Vane, Edward left the island by sneaking onto a schooner, and returned to Great Inagua. He found Mary and Adéwalé waiting for him, having an incarcerated Rackham after he took the pardon from the British. Kenway continued his pursuit of Roberts, and later learned from Adéwalé that Toress would be arriving to Kingston with Harnigold. After being exposed by Harnigold, Kenway escaped to the Jackdaw and traveled to Africa, where he encountered Roberts. The two made a deal, Kenway would kill the Templars Burgress and Cockram and Roberts would lead him to the Observatory. Once he completed his part of the deal, Edward assisted Roberts in obtaining the blood vials needed to enter the Observatory and a ship which he named the Royal Fortune.
After assassinating Harngiold, Kenway and Roberts entered the Observatory and saw a projection, and Edward deduced that the Templars planned on taking blood vials to spy on anyone who plotted against them. Despite seeing the Templars' goal, Kenway remained focused on financial gain, believing that he and Roberts could make a fortune as the lords of the seas with the technology. However, he was betrayed by Roberts, who had no use for him since the guardians of the temple were eliminated. Despite escaping from the Observatory, Kenway was captured by Roberts, who turned him over to the British. During his months in prison, Kenway encountered Mary and Anne, who were being sentenced for their crimes. The two were able to hold off execution by announcing they were pregnant, and Edward was greeted by Torres, who asked for the location of the Observatory.
Edward refused to comply, and he was later freed from imprisonment by Ah Tabai, who offered him safe passage if he assisted him in rescuing Anne and Mary. Infiltrating the prison, Kenway saw Rackham's corpse and Vane imprisoned, but was able to locate both Anne and Mary. Though able to save Anne, Kenway was unable to save a sickly Mary, who asked Edward to make amends of his past and change the course of his future before dying. Taking her corpse to Tabai's boat, he was given back his robes as Anne and Tabai left to safe passage. Following this, Kenway went into a deep state of grief and turned to drinking, which caused him to hallucinate those who had previously encountered through the years. Coming from his drunken state, Kenway was greeted by Adéwalé, who brought the Jackdaw to him, but also revealed that he resigned from being his quartermaster and advised to speak with Ah Tabai.
At Tulum, Kenway decided to amend for his past actions, and assisted the Assassins in dealing with Spanish troops that invaded the land. Afterward, Ah Tabai assigned Edward to assassinate Roberts, Torres and Rogers, with the latter two still trying to find the Observatory. Traveling to Kingston with Anne as his new quartermaster, Kenway was able to disguise himself and wound Rogers, who told him that Roberts was in Príncipe. In Africa, Edward succeeded in assassinating Roberts, and respected the latter's request to destroy his body to prevent the Templars from obtaining it. He then returned to Havana and learned that Torres was on his way to the Observatory but didn't know that Edward held what he was looking for - the crystal skull.
In the Observatory, Kenway assassinated Torres, who in his dying breath respected Edward's new convictions as an assassin. Ah Tabai then placed the skull back in its place, and the assassins vowed to keep the Observatory closed forever to prevent the Templars from accessing its power. Though tasked by Tabai to find the missing blood vials, Edward wanted to first reunite with Caroline to mend their relationship but read a letter that revealed that she had died but gave birth to their daughter Jennifer. After dealing with the pirate Edward Low, Kenway met his daughter, and brought her to Great Inagua. On the island, he was informed by Tabai that Rogers survived from his wounds and was in London, and Kenway decided to head there before greeting his daughter.
Family Life[]
Permanently moving to London, Kenway would lead the assassins there while also marrying a woman named Tessa Stephenson-Oakley, whom he married and had a son named Haytham. During this time, Kenway started to search for the Grand Temple, but later discovered the Shroud of Eden. He decided to keep it hidden from the world and locked the shroud in a box made by the first civilization. As years went by, Edward raised Haytham in the ways of an assassin, but kept his profession a secret presumably for his own safety.
Death[]
In 1735, Edward and his family were attacked by Tom Smith and other mercenaries, who infiltrated the home and proceeded to kidnap Jennifer. Kenway was killed by the mercenaries, which resulted in Haytham seeking vengeance against those who killed his father in cold blood.
Legacy[]
Due to his actions in the Caribbean and finding the Observatory, the Assassins managed to use to expand their influence and cripple the Templars in the area. Sadly, Edward's death crippled the British Assassins, who's presence in London was declining until Jacob and Evie Frye managed to undo this centuries later. Sadly, Edward's son Haytham would become a Templar and would help them find treasures, but Edward's grandson and descendants, Ratonhnhaké:ton, better known as "Connor", and Desmond Miles would become assassins and would fight against the Templars.
Bizarrely Desmond, who spent several months reliving the lives of several ancestors including Haytham and Connor, would experience Edward's memories of being washed up on Cape Bonavista despite never accessing Edward's memories. Rebecca Crane also noted how strange this was and wanted to inquire further but Desmond's sacrifice to save the world prevented her from doing this.
Personality[]
During his formative years, Edward was a brave, albeit reckless individual who was infatuated with the idea of fame and glory. Such was his obsession that he left his first wife to become a privateer in the British Navy, hoping to score his fortune in the Caribbean and prove his worth. After the Treaty of Utrecht effectively made privateers redundant, many turned to a life of piracy, and Edward was among them.
As the captain of the Jackdaw he quickly became feared and respected for his skill at the helm of a ship and his combat prowess, with even the renowned Edward Thatch commenting on his ability. It was the promise of wealth, power and infamy that spurred Edward into seeking out the Observatory, at the expense of both the Templars and Assassins. Although the Assassin Mary Read knew him to be good at heart and capable of change, the Assassins in-large remained suspicious of him and strongly disagreed with his lifestyle.
Despite the vested interest of both the Assassins and the Templars in the veteran pirate, Edward remained steadfastly focused on his own goals: power, infamy and proof that he was better than he was born to be. Edward was also one to take any advantage afforded him, twisting the meaning of the Assassins' Creed to suit his own ends. Only after losing his friends and compatriots to greed and glory-seeking did he recant his previous behavior and come to realize what the Creed truly promised: the power to make himself better than he was.
As a father, Edward encouraged his son to think for himself instead of believing everything his home-school teachers said. He also expressed pride toward his son when Haytham said that he would have offered a mugger clemency, instead of acting on the impulse to kill him. Edward could be quite conservative in other respects, such as his decision to marry off his daughter to Birch, as was the tradition of the day.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Eagle Vision: Additionally, Edward possessed the rare ability of Eagle Vision, a form of supernatural senses, inherited by beings who are descendants of Isu people. He can see through walls, predict movements and even hear conversations from afar, giving him the advantage against his enemies.
Abilities[]
- Master Assassin: He was both a highly skilled Master Assassin. He learned and developed a vast array of skills, such as picking pockets, blending into crowds, armed and unarmed combat, alternative or multiple weapon attacks, stealth and public assassination techniques, free-running and long-range combat.
- Assassinations: His primary objective is to use the Hidden Blade to assassinate his targets. He learned how to use Hidden Blades thanks to the hints from Templars Woodes Rogers and Julien Du Casse
- Peak Human Condition: Due to extensive training and meditative techniques, he possesses Olympic levels of strength, speed, endurance & agility.
- Peak Human Strength: He was several times that of even the strongest soldiers of the British and Spanish Armies. His punches could easily kill a person. In terms of brute strength, he seems to be stronger than other Master Assassins as he is an able to lift to full-grown men up.
- Peak Human Mobility: His reflexes, agility, and speed are also more potent, being able to easily counter and defeat hordes of opponents. He was able to kill many of them before they could even see him coming to them, as he moves with such great speed and agility.
- Peak Human Stamina: He can even fight an entire army without showing any signs of fatigue.
- Peak Human Durability: He also has a great deal of durability as he was able to land on his feet, after falling from several stories, without any signs of struggle or lack of comfort. He was capable of surviving numerous brutal injuries that would have killed normal humans.
- Peak Human Metabolism: His metabolism is also presumably superior.
- Expert Acrobat: Like any Master Assassin, he is a remarkable free-runner, parkour master & mountaineering expert. These abilities combined with his seemingly superhuman strength & speed, made his acrobatic prowess far more profound than all the other Assassins, before and after him.
- Master Hand-To-Hand Combatant: Even prior to joining the Brotherhood, Edward was an experienced brawler, capable of easily overpowering men in hand-to-hand with quick and brutal strikes and knew how to disarm a man of his weapon while unarmed. It is likely that he expanded his skills after joining the Assassins, presumably blending martial arts techniques in with his style.
- Master Swordsman: Being trained by pirates and later, the Assassins, Edward was extremely skilled in the use of swords, even wielding one in each hand. When the Kenway mansion was attacked, Edward, despite only just being roused out of bed, was able to fight off many Templar mercenaries with only a cane sword, before being overcome. Edward became regarded as one of the best swordsmen in the Brotherhood's history.
- Master Marksman: Edward was extremely skilled in the use of firearms, able to wield four at a time without trouble, and could chain all four in quick succession at targets without aiming. His skill also extended to blowpipes, with him being able to master the weapon within a few minutes of receiving it. He could also throw knives with perfect accuracy, though only from a limited distance. Near the end of his life Edward had also gained some proficiency with a bow, enough to teach his son Haytham the basics of the art.
- Rope Dart Mastery: He was also exceptionally skilled with rope-darts, mastering the weapon almost immediately after being given them, to a level that matched his grandson's own mastery with the weapon.
- Axe Proficiency: If having successfully disarmed a brute of his axe, Edward could competently wield the weapon against enemies, though it is obvious he wasn't a master of the weapon.
- Expert Spy: He is well adept in blending in his surroundings as well as sneaking around heavily guarded places. He would usually blend in with dense crowds and mimic their activities. He is extremely skilled in espionage, stealth, infiltration, disguise, thievery, eavesdropping, and tracking. Edward was able to pose as Duncan Walpole, a man whom he had only briefly met, effectively enough to fool his Templar contemporaries, who had been informed ahead of time of Duncan's mannerisms and personality. He was also able to pose as an Italian diplomat to infiltrate Woodes Rogers' party, even speaking Italian effectively enough to fool those suspicious.
- Gadgetry: He had access to a vast set of tools, weapons & equipment at his disposal, the main weapons being his Hidden Blades. He usually carried: Hidden Blades, pistols, swords, rope darts, blowpipe, smoke bombs, and throwing knives.
- Master Sailor: He was an exceptional seaman and was able to captain his boat, the Jackdaw, with incredible skill. This skill was later inherited by his son and his grandson, Haytham and Connor Kenway respectively
Equipment[]
- Hidden Blades: Edward was given the hidden blades from Julien du Casse in Havana and requested that Edward show them some Assassin techniques in action. Picking up on hints from Du Casse and Rogers, Edward was able to replicate the moves with relative accuracy.
- Swords: Edward carried swords due to his time in the Caribbean, which he used in combat.
- Pistols: Edward carried various pistols, with his flintlock pistols being secured by Abstergo Industries in modern day.
- Smoke Bombs: He carried smoke bombs, which he used to escape from enemies who were too much to deal with or being trying to capture him.
- Explosives: Kenway also carried explosives, which he used to effect targets.
- Daggers: He carried daggers, which he could use to throw at targets from far away.
- Clubs:
- Axes: Edward could carry axes if he wished to.
- Blowpipes: Kenway acquired a blowpipe, when he visited Tulum and subsequently aided Mary Read during a slave raid on the settlement. Using the darts, Edward was able to eliminate British soldiers and free both Assassins and his own crew members alike.
- Rope Darts: In 1720, rope darts were given to the pirate Edward Kenway by Ah Tabai, Mentor of the West Indies Assassins, after Edward proved himself worthy of having ties with the Assassins. He most notably used one such dart to slay the infamous pirate Bartholomew Roberts during a naval battle off the coast of West Africa.
Quotes[]
| “ | It's not about need, Caroline. I want food that don't make me sick. I want walls that hold back the wind. I want a decent life. | „ |
| ~ Edward to Caroline. |
| “ | Was it good for you as well? | „ |
| ~ Edward to Duncan Walpole. |
| “ | I am on to you, sneaksby! | „ |
| ~ Edward to Duncan Walpole. |
| “ | You mistake my motive old man I'm only after a bit of coin. | „ |
| ~ Edward Kenway |
| “ | Maybe the world does need men with ambition to stop people like you from mucking it all up. | „ |
| ~ Edward Kenway |
| “ | You stepped in the path of my prize not a thing a man should do. | „ |
| ~ Edward Kenway |
| “ | You through in with the very kind we once hated. | „ |
| ~ Edward Kenway |
| “ | At least the world has one less snake in it and that's enough for me. | „ |
| ~ Edward Kenway |
| “ | I'm only seeing a job done. | „ |
| ~ Edward Kenway |
| “ | That maybe but killing rights a far greater wrong than what I did. | „ |
| ~ Edward Kenway |
Gallery[]
External links[]
 Heroes
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