Altaïr Ibn La-Ahad

Altaïr Ibn La-Ahad (الطائر At-Taa-ir in Arabic) is the main character and protagonist in the Ubisoft game, Assassin's Creed. His name is Arabic for 'The Bird' and is pronounced in three syllables: At-Taa-irr. "Ibn La-Ahad" and is supposed to mean "Son of no one", but that is not how you would say that in true Arabic.

Description
Altaïr is a master assassin, and part of the Hashshashin order (A Post-Islamic Arabic Group). He has been in the order all of his life and has killed all of the targets that have been given to him (up until the beginning of the game).

He has been trained in many different things, but mainly in sword fighting, knife fighting, throwing knives, hand to hand combat, climbing, parkour, and acrobatics.

He is 25, and very over confident because of his rank within the Hashshashin Order. He follows the Assassin's Creed but does not enjoy following it, though he was demoted due to his failure to adhere to the creed at the beginning of the game.

Over the course of the game he kills nine key men who are involved in a conflict threatening to tear apart the Holy Land. The game is set in 1191, during the Third Crusade and takes place in the cities Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus.

Altaïr travels to these cities on horseback, and kills his victims with a variety of weapons and styles. While his face is mostly hidden, he is recognizable by his distinctive white outfit. His name "Altaïr" is Arabic for "the bird". Game producer Jade Raymond also stated that when in mid-air, his shadow is that of an eagle. This is because of the small point on his hood and the fact that his suit has a cut through the middle, giving the appearance of tail feathers.

Equipment
Altaïr is shown in trailers and development diaries to carry a large arsenal of weaponry and equipment. As shown in the Xbox 360 gameplay demo, he possesses a sword, throwing knives, and a short blade. The assassin's clan leader then gives the assassin a feather from a messenger bird, before each mission, which he is to soak in the blood of his main victim and bring back as proof of his successful assassination.

Altaïr also has a mechanical blade that he utilizes for close-range assassinations. It uses a complex system of gears to extend and retract and protrudes from a gauntlet on his forearm. Altaïr had his left ring finger removed as part of his initiation into the Brotherhood of Assassins and this allows a space for the blade to protrude from his wrist when his fist is clenched.