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Ratonhnhaké꞉ton

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki


Ratonhnhaké꞉ton
Assassin's Creed character
File:Ratonhnhaketon AC3.png
Ratonhnhaké:ton in Assassin's Creed III
First appearanceAssassin's Creed III (2012)
Created byUbisoft Montreal
Portrayed byNoah Watts
Jamie Mayers (young)
Information
AliasConnor
TitleCaptain of the Aquila
Mentor of the Colonial Brotherhood of Assassins
OccupationAssassin
Frontiersman
Privateer
Community Builder
AffiliationAssassin Brotherhood
Kanien’kehá:ka
Continental Army
Aquila crew
FamilyHaytham Kenway (father)
Kaniehtí:io / Ziio (mother)
Achilles Davenport (surrogate father)
ChildrenIo:nhiòte (daughter)
RelativesBernard Kenway (paternal great-grandfather)
Linette Kenway (paternal great-grandmother)
Edward Kenway (paternal grandfather)
Tessa Kenway (paternal grandmother)
Jennifer Scott (paternal half-aunt)
William Miles (descendant)
Desmond Miles (descendant)
Elijah (descendant)
OriginKanatahséton, Mohawk Valley, British America
NationalityIroquois-British

Search Ratonhnhaké:ton on Amazon.

Ratonhnhaké:ton (/radũnhaɡɛ̌ːdõ/), commonly known by his adopted name Connor,[lower-alpha 1] is a fictional character in the video game series Assassin's Creed, a half-British, half-Mohawk master assassin who serves as a central character in the games set around the American Revolution. He first appears as the main protagonist of Assassin's Creed III (2012), in which he is portrayed by Native American actor Noah Watts through performance capture, and voiced by Jamie Mayers as a young child. He also makes a minor appearance in the tie-in game Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, and is the narrator of the novel Assassin's Creed: Forsaken. The character has made further appearances in various spin-off media of the franchise.

Within the series' alternate historical setting, Ratonhnhaké:ton was born in 1756 as the illegitimate son of Haytham Kenway, a British nobleman and the leader of the North American colonial rite of the Templar Order, following his short-lived relationship with Kaniehtí:io, a Kanien’kehá:ka woman from the village of Kanatahséton. After witnessing his mother's death in an attack on their tribe in his youth, Ratonhnhaké:ton vows revenge on the Templars, whom he holds responsible, and eventually joins their rival organization, the Assassin Brotherhood (inspired by the real-life Order of Assassins), which was nearly exterminated by the Templars years prior. The Colonial Brotherhood's sole surviving member, Achilles Davenport, reluctantly trains Ratonhnhaké:ton and gives him the Westernized name "Connor", the name of Achilles’ deceased son, to help him blend in with colonial society. Spending years to fight the Templars and rebuild the Colonial Brotherhood, Connor becomes a central figure in the American Revolution and the subsequent Revolutionary War as he helps the Patriot cause with the goal of protecting his people's lands from incursions and preventing the Templars from taking control of the young United States.

Connor's character has received a mixed critical reception, with some reviewers criticizing him as a dull and uninteresting protagonist, and an unlikeable character due to his hotheaded nature. More positive commentary focused on Connor being a misunderstood character with an interesting and sympathetic backstory, and on his distinct status as an Indigenous protagonist in the video game industry.

Creation and development[edit]

Life-sized statue of Connor at the Musée de la civilisation in Quebec City, Canada.

Connor was conceptualized as an individual with mixed Mohawk heritage to fill the role of an outsider for Assassin's Creed III's American Revolution setting. In developing Connor and the other Mohawk characters of the game, the team worked with the Kahnawà:ke Mohawk community near Montreal, contacting some of the residents to help translate Mohawk dialogue, and hired a Mohawk cultural consultant from the Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center, who ensured the characters were authentic and the team avoided stereotypes. In spite of the extensive research they have conducted into Mohawk culture and language, the team did not want Connor to be defined solely by his heritage. Alex Hutchison, the creative director of Assassin’s Creed III, said in a 2012 interview “I think that’s what attracted a lot of the groups to work with us. We had this idea that we’re just going to have a character, he’s a real character, he’s part of a 30-hour story, and you follow his whole life–and he’s also Native American [...] It’s not a cardboard cutout.”[1] Ubisoft worked with two key members of the Kanien’kehá:ka: Akwiratékha Martin, the Kanien'kéha language teacher, and Teiowí:sonte Thomas Deer, the Mohawk cultural liaison, when developing Connor's character.[2]

Portrayal[edit]

Connor is voiced by Noah Watts, who also physically portrayed the character in a motion capture studio. Watts originally got a call from his agent about an unnamed film set during the American Revolution and, eager to star in a period-piece film, went to the audition, unaware it was actually for Assassin's Creed III. He began his work with Ubisoft for the title in January 2012. Despite his Native American heritage, Watts is not a fluent speaker of the Mohawk language as he is a member of the Blackfeet Nation, and required a language consultant to help him get Connor's lines in Mohawk correct. Watts, a fan of the Assassin's Creed series, enjoyed his time voice acting and performance capturing for the game, and appreciated the opportunity to portray a Native character in such a public platform.[3]

Watts explained that he based his portrayal of Connor on Cherokee actor Wes Studi's work in the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans, particularly his matter-of-fact delivery style. He also chose to emphasize that English is the character's second language by purposefully not using contractions early on in the story and by implementing them towards the end of the game to signify how Connor's vocabulary has improved and developed over time.[4]

Appearances[edit]

Assassin's Creed III[edit]

Connor is an ancestor (on the paternal side) of Desmond Miles, the protagonist of most of the early series' modern-day sequences, who experiences Connor's life through the Animus, a device unlocking hidden memories inside his DNA. As shown in Assassin's Creed III, Connor was born as Ratonhnhaké:ton in 1756 to Kaniehtí:io, a Kanien’kehá:ka woman from the village of Kanatahséton, following her brief relationship with Haytham Kenway, the Grand Master of the Colonial Rite of the Templar Order.[5] Initially raised by his mother, Ratonhnhaké:ton is four years old when he has his first encounter with the Templar Charles Lee, who threatens to harm his people if they do not help him find the Grand Temple, an ancient site belonging the precursor race known as the "First Civilization," which the Kanien'kehá:ka swore to protect. Shortly after this encounter, Ratonhnhaké:ton finds his village aflame and is unable to save his mother, leading him to swear revenge on Lee, who he assumes ordered the attack.[6]

In 1769, a thirteen-year-old Ratonhnhaké:ton is given a Crystal Ball by the village elder, which allows Juno, a member of the First Civilization, to communicate with him. Juno explains that it is Ratonhnhaké:ton's destiny to defeat the Templars, and tells him to seek out the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood, which was nearly exterminated by the Templars years prior. Ratonhnhaké:ton travels to the homestead of Achilles Davenport, the retired mentor of the Colonial Brotherhood, who reluctantly agrees to train him and gives him the name Connor (after his late son, Connor Davenport) to help him blend in with colonial society.[7]

After being training as an Assassin by Achilles, with whom he develops a father-son bond over time, Connor embarks on a mission to eliminate the Colonial Templar Order, who are trying to manipulate the American Revolution to further their own goals. In the process, Connor becomes heavily involved in the American Revolutionary War, supporting the Patriot cause in the hopes that they will in turn protect his people's land from incursions and assist him in his hunt for the Templars.[8] During this time, he also slowly rebuilds the Colonial Brotherhood by recruiting several new Assassin initiates;[9] turns Achilles' homestead into a small community by persuading a number of settlers affected by the war to move there;[10] and renovates a decommissioned Assassin brig, the Aquila, which he then captains in a number of naval missions alongside his first mate, Robert Faulkner.[11]

In 1778, Connor runs into his father Haytham while they are both hunting a rogue Templar, Benjamin Church, and forms an unstable alliance with him. As he spends time with his father, Connor comes to understand that the Assassins' and the Templars' goals are not so different, as they both ultimately desire peace and aim to further the Revolution, but disagrees with Haytham's belief that humanity should be controlled.[12] Regardless, he still attempts to broker peace between the two orders, only for Haytham to reveal that George Washington was behind the attack on his village that killed Kaniehtí:io, prompting Connor to angrily break ties with both of them. He also learns that Washington ordered another attack on Kanatahséton after Charles Lee manipulated its inhabitants into siding with the Loyalists, and is forced to kill several Mohawk warriors, including his childhood friend Kanen'tó:kon, to avert conflict.[13]

After Lee is disgraced by Washington and takes refuge in Fort George, Connor infiltrates the fort to assassinate him, but is instead met by Haytham, and is forced to kill his father after a lengthy battle.[14] During this time, Achilles passes awayand is buried by Connor next to his family.[10] In 1782, Connor tracks down Lee and finally kills him inside an inn after the two rivals share a drink in silence.[15] Returning to his village, Connor finds it abandoned and learns from a hunter that the land has been sold to colonists to settle the United States government's war debts. He also finds the Crystal Ball left intact, and through it, Juno instructs him to conceal the key to the Grand Temple, which he took from Lee.[16] Connor buries the key in the grave of Achilles' son while reflecting on recent events. Despite failing to protect his people and admitting that Haytham was right about the Founding Fathers only pursuing their own interests, he refuses to give up, believing that the Assassins will one day succeed and humanity has the potential to change for the better.[17]

In The Tyranny of King Washington expansion, set after the events of the base game, George Washington visits Connor to ask for his help in disposing of an Apple of Eden he has seized, which has been giving him nightmares of an alternate timeline where Kaniehtí:io was not killed in Connor's youth; as a result, he never became an Assassin, and Washington, corrupted by the Apple's power, has crowned himself the "Mad King" of the United States. Connor is transported into this alternate timeline after touching the Apple, but retains all of his original memories, and is gravely injured after Washington leads an attack on his and Kaniehtí:io's tribe, during which the latter is killed. After recovering, Connor works to depose the tyrant Washington, gaining a number of allies, as well as animal-based powers after brewing and drinking the Tea of the Great Willow, which has mystical properties. In the end, Connor is able to defeat Washington and they are both transported back to the original timeline, where Washington, terrified of the Apple's power, leaves it in Connor's care, who proceeds to toss it into the sea.[18]

Other appearances[edit]

Connor makes a minor appearance in the spin-off game Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, set during the events of Assassin's Creed III. By linking the two games, the player can unlock an exclusive mission in Liberation featuring him; this mission is automatically included in the subsequent re-releases of Liberation. In 1777, Connor meets with Aveline de Grandpré, a fellow Assassin from the Louisiana Brotherhood, to help her track down a Templar and Loyalist officer. The two work together to infiltrate the fort where the officer has taken refuge, with Connor creating a distraction while Aveline assassinates the officer. Afterwards, Aveline asks Connor if he is always certain of the ways of the Assassins; he responds that he only trusts "in his own hands", and the two part ways.[19] In the Aveline expansion pack for the 2013 title Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, it is revealed that Connor kept in contact with Aveline, who helped him in his mission to rebuild the Colonial Brotherhood after the Revolutionary War. In 1784, Connor asks for Aveline's help in finding and recruiting a former slave, Patience Gibbs, to the Assassins, because she fought him off when he approached her.

In the modern-day section of Black Flag, a market analysis for Abstergo Entertainment, the fictional video games subsidiary of Abstergo Industries, can be found via hacking computers. The Market Analysis reveals Abstergo was looking into the possibility of using Connor as the protagonist of a future project, but ultimately decided against it due to finding him too calm and stoic outside of the occasional moments of anger, and thinking that most audiences would not be interested in learning about Mohawk culture. Despite this, Abstergo still considered the option of significantly reducing Connor's role and instead making a product about George Washington.[20] This idea has materialized in Assassin's Creed Unity, where the fictional video game Washington and the Wolf, featuring Connor on the cover, can be seen at the start.[21]

Like other of the series' protagonists, Connor's outfit has been featured as an unlockable cosmetic options in several subsequent releases (namely Black Flag, Unity, and Assassin's Creed Rogue). In 2022, Connor was added as a playable character to the free to play role-playing mobile game Assassin's Creed Rebellion.

In literature, Connor has appeared as the narrator of the novel Assassin's Creed: Forsaken, where he recovers and reads through his father's journal sometime after the latter's death. Upon learning of Haytham's tragic life and the fact that he genuinely cared for his son and did his best to protect him, he realizes he misjudged his father and regrets not being able to reconcile with him. In 2017, Connor was featured in the fourth and final issue of the Assassin's Creed: Reflections comic book miniseries, in which it is revealed that, at some point following the events of Assassin's Creed III, he married a woman from a nearby tribe and had three children, including a daughter named Io:nhiòte, who inherited his rare ability of 'Eagle Vision'.

Reception[edit]

A cosplayer recreating Connor's appearance in Assassin's Creed III.

Connor received a mixed critical reception, being often contrasted with his well-received father, Haytham, who is playable in the first few chapters of Assassin's Creed III, as well as the previous protagonists in the series, Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the latter of whom in particular was critically acclaimed. In a contemporary review of Assassin's Creed III for PSM3, Joel Gregory was disappointed by Connor's character arc, saying that although his skills develop over the course of the main storyline, his personality does not. He also called Connor "relentlessly strait-laced and humourless", and "duller than Altair and a world away from Ezio."[22]

Connor has placed low on numerous Assassin's Creed character rankings. In a 2021 list by PC Gamer, he came out last, with the reviewer calling Connor a boring protagonist who "sulks, pouts, and complains his way through what is also the worst Assassin's Creed game." On the same list, Haytham placed fourth due to being a more complex and fun character to play as than Connor.[23] 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 that he is a more nuanced character than most people give him credit for, and that he might rank higher if he was given a sequel to flesh out his character.[24] In a list by CBR ranking the Assassin's Creed protagonists by likability, Connor finished second to last due to his hotheaded and violent nature.[25]

However, not all reception of the character was negative. In his review of Assassin's Creed III, PC Gamer's Chris Thursten said that Connor's characterisation is strong, and that he "will get some flak simply for not being Ezio, but he comes into his own in the second half of the game."[26] In a 2020 ranking of the franchise's Assassins by TheGamer, Connor finished fifth for holding onto his convictions and desire for justice even when they put him into conflict with his allies.[27]

Connor was nominated for "Character of the Year" at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards,[28] and Best Character Design at the 4th Inside Gaming Awards in 2012.[29][30]

Indigenous representation[edit]

In a 2022 retrospective on Indigenous representation in video games, Comic Book Resources highlighted Assassin's Creed III and the character of Connor as a "valiant effort," and praised Ubisoft's decision to work with Mohawk consultants in order to portray and explore Native American culture, beliefs and language respectfully.[31]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ Despite several media outlets and subsequent games in the series referring to Connor as Connor Kenway due to his consanguinity with Haytham Kenway, the character never identifies himself as such in Assassin's Creed III.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Newman, Jared (September 5, 2012). "Assassin's Creed III's Connor: How Ubisoft Avoided Stereotypes and Made a Real Character". Time. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  2. ↑ Venables, Michael (November 25, 2012). "The Awesome Mohawk Teacher and Consultant Behind Ratonhnhaké:ton". Forbes. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  3. ↑ Olp, Susan (November 29, 2012). "Crow actor stars in Assassin's Creed III video game". Billings Gazette. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  4. ↑ "The Assassin's Den - ft. Noah Watts". YouTube. November 29, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  5. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Chapter 3. Search this book on
  6. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Chapter 4. Search this book on
  7. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Chapter 5. Search this book on
  8. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Chapters 6–8. Search this book on
  9. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Liberation Missions. Search this book on
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Homestead Missions. Search this book on
  11. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Naval Missions. Search this book on
  12. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Chapter 9. Search this book on
  13. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Chapter 10. Search this book on
  14. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Chapter 11. Search this book on
  15. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Chapter 12. Search this book on
  16. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Epilogue. Search this book on
  17. ↑ Bowden, Oliver (2012). Assassin's Creed: Forsaken. Penguin Books. pp. Chapter 49. ISBN 9783833226106. Search this book on
  18. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (April 23, 2013). Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Search this book on
  19. ↑ Ubisoft Sofia (October 30, 2012). Assassin's Creed III: Liberation. PS Vita, PS3, Xbox 360, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Scene: Chapter 8. Search this book on
  20. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (October 29, 2013). Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch. Ubisoft. Search this book on
  21. ↑ Ubisoft Montreal (November 11, 2014). Assassin's Creed Unity. Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia. Ubisoft. Scene: Prologue. Search this book on
  22. ↑ Gregory, Joel (October 30, 2012). "Assassin's Creed 3 PS3 review – struggling to break the shackles of the old world". PlayStation Official Magazine (UK). Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2012. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  23. ↑ Kelly, Andy (January 28, 2021). "The assassins of Assassin's Creed, ranked from worst to best". PC Gamer. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  24. ↑ Wobker, Nele (December 30, 2020). "Assassin's Creed: Alle Charaktere im Ranking – Welcher ist der beste?". GamePro (in German). Retrieved February 15, 2021.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
  25. ↑ Boucher, Nicholas (June 6, 2021). "Assassin's Creed: All The Main Protagonists, Ranked By Likability". CBR. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Assassin's Creed III Review". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2012. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  27. ↑ Alexander, Daniel (November 27, 2020). "Assassin's Creed: All The Assassins, Ranked From Worst To Best". TheGamer. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  28. ↑ Taormina, Anthony (December 7, 2012). "2012 Spike Video Game Awards Winners List". Game Rant. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2013. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  29. ↑ Sonntag, Lawrence (December 10, 2012). "Winners of the 4th Annual Inside Gaming Awards Announced". Machinima.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  30. ↑ Sonntag, Lawrence (November 20, 2012). "Inside Gaming Awards 2012 Nominees Announced". Machinima.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  31. ↑ Bell, Sean (July 15, 2022). "It's Time for Triple-A Developers to Explore Indigenous Characters". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 5, 2023.


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