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{{short description|Assassin's Creed character}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
| image = Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.png
| series = ]
| first = '']'' (2007)
| last = ''Assassin's Creed: Rebellion'' (2018)
| creator = ]
| voice = ] (''Assassin's Creed'') <br/> ] (''Revelations'')
| portrayer = Francisco Randez
| occupation = ]
| origin = ], ]
| nationality = ]
| affiliation = ]
| family = Umar Ibn-La'Ahad (father)<br/>Maud (mother)
| spouse = Maria Thorpe
| children = Darim Ibn-La'Ahad (son)<br>Sef Ibn-La'Ahad (son)
}}
'''Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad''' ({{lang-ar|الطائر ابن لا أحد}}, meaning "The Bird, Son of No One")<ref>{{cite book |last=Bowden |first=Oliver |author-link=Oliver Bowden |title=Assassin's Creed: Underworld |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sq3MCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT156 |publisher=] |date=December 1, 2015 |page=156 |isbn=9780698189263}}</ref> is a fictional character in ]'s ] video game series, a ] master assassin who serves as the ] of the games set in the late 12th and early 13th century.<ref name="Miguel">{{cite news |last=Miguel |first=Urko |title=La saga Assassin's Creed cumple 10 años |url=https://areajugones.sport.es/2017/11/19/la-saga-assassins-creed-cumple-10-anos/ |date=19 November 2017 |access-date=3 December 2017 |newspaper=Area Jugones |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mansilla |first=Chema |title=La evolución gráfica de la saga Assassin's Creed en vídeo |url=http://www.3djuegos.com/noticias-ver/175521/la-evolucion-grafica-de-la-saga-assassins-creed-en-video/ |access-date=3 December 2017 |newspaper=3djuegos |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Alepitekus |title=Análise: Assassin's Creed Origins Cumpre o Prometido, mas Podia ter Feito Mais |url=http://www.comboinfinito.com.br/principal/analise-assassins-creed-origins-cumpre-o-prometido-mas-podia-ter-feito-mais/ |date=16 November 2017 |access-date=3 December 2017 |newspaper=Combo Infinito |language=pt}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Amalfitano |first=Ricccardo |title=Assassin's Creed festeggia il suo decimo anniversario |url=http://4news.it/assassins-creed-festeggia-suo-decimo-anniversario/ |date=13 November 2017 |access-date=3 December 2017 |newspaper=4news |language=it}}</ref> He first appears as the main playable character of the original '']'' game, which takes place during the ] in 1191.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schubert |first=Martin |title=5 Dinge, die in Assassin's Creed Origins für frischen Wind sorgen |url=https://blog.de.playstation.com/2017/11/06/5-dinge-die-in-assassins-creed-origins-fr-frischen-wind-sorgen/ |date=6 November 2017 |access-date=3 December 2017 |newspaper=] |language=de}}</ref> His later appearances include the spin-offs '']'' and '']''] and the sequels '']'' and '']'' (in which he is playable only during cetrain sequences).{{sfn|Tzvetkova|2017|p=312}}


{{R from merge}}
Altaïr is an ancestor (on the maternal side) of ],{{sfn|Tzvetkova|2017|p=312}} the protagonist of the modern-day portions of the first five main games.<ref name=Miguel/> Born to assassin parents in 1165, he has been a member of the ] for most of his life, beginning his training at a young age and rising to the rank of master assassin by his mid-20s.<ref name="GarcíaRosales">{{cite news|url=http://lavozdgo.com/2019/11/12/game-over-assassins-creed-ii-diez-anos-de-conflictos-entre-templarios-y-asesinos/|title=Assassin's Creed: Diez años de conflicto entre Templarios y Asesinos|last=García Rosales|first=Omar|date=29 November 2017|newspaper=La Voz de Durango|access-date=3 December 2017|language=es}}</ref> While very arrogant in his younger years, Altaïr managed to overcome his flaws and become one of the most skilled and wisest assassins to have ever lived. After being forced to kill his mentor, ], for betraying the assassins, he succeeded him as leader of the Assassin Order and worked to reform it. During his later journeys, Altaïr made several important discoveries that would benefit future generations of assassins, for which he would be remembered as a legendary figure within the Order. Near the end of his life, Altaïr built a vault underneath the assassin's base in ] to store his knowledge, as well as his most powerful artifact, the ], before sealing himself inside with it. The vault and Altaïr's remains wouldn't be discovered until centuries later, in 1512, by the Italian assassin ].


{{DEFAULTSORT:Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr}}
The character has been generally well received, with praise directed at his skills as an assassin and growth throughout the series. However, some reviewers were critical of ]'s performance as Altaïr and the character's lack of backstory in the first game, which they felt made him two-dimensional and difficult to care about.

== Fictional character biography ==
Altaïr was born in 1165 to Umar Ibn-La'Ahad, an ] assassin, and his wife, Maud, who died of complications during childbirth. Umar was later executed by the forces of ] when he was revealed to have participated in a disastrous mission to assassinate the ruler, which resulted in Umar killing a nobleman who had caught him. He allowed himself to be executed to save the life of a fellow assassin, Ahmad Sofian, who had been captured and forced to give up Umar's name. The last thing Umar heard before his death was the voice of his son crying for him. Later, Ahmad, unable to live with the guilt of causing Umar's death, apologized to Altaïr before committing suicide in front of him. Ahmad's son, ], was led to believe that his father had left the Assassin Order, so when Altaïr eventually told him what had actually happened, Abbas refused to believe him and grew distrustful of him.

After his father's death, Altaïr was taken in by ], the Mentor of the Assassin Order, who raised and trained him at the ], the Assassins' headquarters. By the time he was 24 in 1189, Altaïr had become a skilled Assassin, more talented than most of his peers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Patrick |title=Assassin's Creed Origins acknowledges and abandons the series' mistakes |url=https://www.avclub.com/assassin-s-creed-origins-acknowledges-and-abandons-the-1820324907 |date=15 November 2017 |access-date=3 December 2017 |newspaper=]}}</ref> A flashback from '']'' shows the events leading to Altaïr's promotion to Master Assassin. In 1189, the ] attacked Masyaf and took Al Mualim hostage, aided by an Assassin turncoat named Haras. Altaïr killed Haras and saved Al Mualim, earning his and the other Assassins' respect.

The mobile spin-off '']'' takes place one year after this, in 1190, and depicts Altaïr's quest for an artifact called the Chalice, which is said to have the power to end the ]. During his journey, he discovers that "the Chalice" is in fact a woman named Adha, whom he had known and had feelings for, and that the Templars are also after her. Although Altaïr manages to kill the Templar leader, Lord Basilisk, he is unable to stop Adha from being captured and subsequently executed by the Templars. Adha's death greatly infuriated Altaïr, and he swore revenge against everyone responsible.

In 1191, during the events of the original ], Altaïr is sent on a mission to ] to recover an artifact from the Templars: the ]. The mission is a failure, and Altaïr breaks the tenets of the Order, leaving his fellow Assassins to face the Templars alone after a confrontation with the Templar grandmaster, ]. Altaïr flees to Masyaf to report his failure but is followed, resulting in Masyaf being attacked by the Templars. The Assassins are able to fend off their enemies, but Al Mualim opts to punish Altaïr by stripping him of his rank and sending him on a mission to assassinate nine Templars across the ]. Altaïr successfully eliminates his first eight targets, but when attempting to kill the last, Robert himself, he is tricked with a decoy: a woman named ]. Altaïr spares Maria after she reveals that Robert is meeting with ] to negotiate an alliance between the Crusaders and Saracens against the Assassins, and ultimately kills Robert, foiling his plan. Before dying, Robert reveals that Al Mualim has betrayed the Assassins and allied with the Templars to obtain the Apple, only to then betray them as well in order to keep the Apple for himself. Returning to Masyaf, Altaïr is forced to fight through his fellow Assassin being controlled by the Apple before confronting Al Mualim, who tries to use illusions to fight him, but is ultimately defeated. With Al Mualim dead, Altaïr tries to destroy the Apple, but instead unlocks a map showing the locations of other Pieces of Eden around the world.

In another flashback from ''Assassin's Creed Revelations'', immediately after Al Mualim's death, Altaïr cremates his body and decides to take over as Mentor of the Assassin Order, hoping to fix the damage Al Mualim had done. However, Abbas opposes the idea and steals the Apple from Altaïr, but is unable to bear its power, forcing Altaïr to retrieve it before it kills him. After this, Altaïr convinces his fellow Assassins about his ability to lead the Order and is formally appointed Mentor. During his time leading the Order, Altaïr tries to expand its influence while making several important reforms. He also comes up with new assassination techniques and modifies the Assassins' trademark weapon, the Hidden Blade, so that it can disperse poison and no longer requires the sacrifice of the wielder's ].

The ] game '']'' is set roughly one month after the original game, and takes Altaïr to ] to eliminate the last remnants of the Templars, who are controlling the island. Along the way, he once again crosses paths with Maria Thorpe; initially his prisoner, she slowly warms up to Altaïr and ends up aiding him in his fight against the Templars, having become disillusioned with their cause. By the end of the game, the two have fallen in love and make plans to leave to ]. Altaïr and Maria's relationship is more fully explored in the novel '']'', in which they get married and have two sons: Darim and Sef.

After these events, Altaïr begins to study the Apple of Eden, and records his findings in a journal known as the Codex. Using the knowledge provided by the Apple, he creates a set of unbreakable armor, but later destroys the blueprints used for its creation, fearing they could fall into the wrong hands. In 1222, with the ]'s advance threatening the Assassin Order's expansion, Altaïr journeys to ] in ], ]{{sfn|Edginton|2017|p=32}} with Maria, Darim and Qulan Gal to assassinate ].{{sfn|Edginton|2017|p=33}}{{sfn|Edginton|2017|p=34}}{{sfn|Edginton|2017|p=35}} When they return to Masyaf ten years later, they discover that Abbas has usurped control of the Order and had Sef killed. Altaïr tries to exact revenge using the Apple, but Maria stops him, resulting in her being killed by one of Abbas' followers. After this, Altaïr is forced to flee Masyaf with Darim and go into a self-imposed exile.

In ''Assassin's Creed Revelations'', Altaïr, now in his 80s, returns to Masyaf to reclaim control of the Assassin Order. Gaining the support of his fellow Assassins, he confronts the elderly Abbas in the Masyaf Castle and kills him with a small gun mounted inside his Hidden Blade. After successfully restoring the Order to its former glory, Altaïr makes the decision to split it into smaller "guilds" located around the world, with the help of ]. He also creates a library underneath the Masyaf Castle to store his knowledge, which is sealed by six keys containing his memories. In 1257, near the end of his life, he gives five of the keys to the Polos in order to hide them, as well as his Codex, to spread the teachings of the Assassin Order. Afte saying goodbye to Darim, Altaïr seals himself inside the library with the sixth key and the Apple of Eden, and peacefully passes away at the age of 92. His remains are discovered centuries later, in 1512, by the Italian assassin, ]. By this point, the library is empty, except for Altaïr's skeleton holding the Apple, which Ezio chooses to leave behind, having "seen enough for one life".

==Other appearances==
*Altaïr's outfit has been unlockable in every mainline ''Assassin's Creed'' game since '']'', with the exception of '']'' and '']''. In ''Assassin's Creed II'', Altaïr himself is briefly playable during a flashback sequence experienced by ], in which he is shown conceiving Sef with Maria. In '']'', in the present day, an Abstergo Entertainment market analysis on Altaïr can be found via hacking computers. The Market Analysis reveals Abstergo was looking into the possibility of using Altaïr as a role model for Abstergo's outreach programs, but found his habit of flouting his cultures taboos (demonstrated by video of him burning Al Mualim's body) and passed on using Altaï,r instead deciding to focus on fellow Assassin Abbas Sofian, whose character they found more suitable for their purposes.
*Altaïr is a playable character in the video game '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://palgn.com.au/nintendo-wii/15269/academy-of-champions-soccer-review/ |title=Academy of Champions Soccer Review |publisher=] |first=Joseph |last=Rositano |date=September 22, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116184214/http://palgn.com.au/nintendo-wii/15269/academy-of-champions-soccer-review/ |archive-date=January 16, 2014 }}</ref>
*In the video game '']'', player character ] can disguise himself with Altaïr's outfit.
*In the video game '']'' (2008), Altaïr's outfit is unlockable for the ] to wear.
*Altaïr's outfit also appears in the video game '']''.
*In the video game '']'', the player can obtain an Altaïr trophy.
*In the video game '']'', there is an ] which shows a dead assassin (which resembles Altaïr) in a haystack.
*Altaïr's outfit appears as an outfit for Noctis in the "Assassin's Festival" DLC for '']''.
* Altaïr's outfit appears as a Mii Sword fighter costume available via DLC for '']''.
* Altaïr's likeness was used for a line of ''Assassin's Creed'' character-themed wine labels as part of a joint collaboration between Ubisoft and winemaker ] in 2018; the full name of his label is "2017 Altaïr Ibn-La’ahad ] IGP ]".<ref name="Shack">{{cite web|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/108582/ubisoft-announces-assassins-creed-wine-collection|title=Ubisoft announces Assassin's Creed wine collection|author=Brittany Vincent|date=November 16, 2018|website=Shacknews|access-date=December 21, 2020}}</ref>

==Reception==
The character was generally well received. In 2008, '']'' ranked Altaïr as the fourth greatest ] character of all time, declaring "Not everybody was overly enamoured with ''Assassin's Creed'', but we have nothing but respect for its protagonist ... If everything about the game he inhabited had been as polished and brilliant as him, we certainly would have felt very differently about ''Assassin's Creed''."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/games/the-top-50-xbox-characters-of-all-time-20090616-cdkl.html |title=The Top 50 Xbox Characters of All Time |date=September 30, 2008 |work=] |access-date=July 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006054805/http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/games/the-top-50-xbox-characters-of-all-time-20090616-cdkl.html |archive-date=October 6, 2010}}</ref> The 2011 '']'' lists the character as the 30th most popular video game character.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/02/16/guinness-names-top-50-video-game-characters-of-all-time.aspx |title=Guinness Names Top 50 Video Game Characters Of All Time |first=Jeff |last=Marchiafava |date=February 16, 2011 |work=] |access-date=April 8, 2011}}</ref> He was voted as the ninth top character of the 2000s decade by '']'''s readers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/12/03/readers-top-30-characters-results-revealed.aspx |title=Readers' Top 30 Characters Results Revealed |first=Bryan |last=Vore |date=December 3, 2010 |work=] |access-date=May 18, 2014}}</ref>

Altaïr won '']''<nowiki/>'s "Stars' 2007 Badasssss!" award.<ref name="Badasssss">{{cite news |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/12/05/stars-2007-badasssss-awards-continue?page=2 |title=Stars' 2007 Badasssss! Awards! Continue |author=IGN Stars |date=December 5, 2007 |work=] |access-date=April 8, 2011}}</ref> In 2008, Mikel Reparaz of ] ranked him as the sixth best assassin in gaming, stating "Cool talents aside, Altaïr's a pretty compelling character in his own right, gradually growing out of his arrogant-prick phase to become more noble and altruistic. And as he does, he begins to actually question the morality of what he's doing, something few of the other assassins on this list ever do."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-assassins/ |title=The Top 7... Assassins |newspaper=] |date=February 6, 2008 |access-date=December 4, 2017 |last=Reparaz |first=Mikel}}</ref> That same year, IGN's Jesse Schedeen listed Altaïr as one of the fighters they would have in their ultimate fighting game, saying he was a slightly more realistic and efficient version of the ] from '']''.<ref name="Players Wanted">{{cite news |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/15/players-wanted-ultimate-fighting-game-part-2?page=4 |title=Players Wanted: Ultimate Fighting Game, Part 2 |first=Jesse |last=Schedeen |date=October 15, 2008 |newspaper=] |access-date=April 8, 2011}}</ref> In 2009, he ranked first on '']'''s list of most memorable hitmen in gaming.<ref>{{cite news |first=Gelo |last=Gonzales |url=http://www.fhm.com.ph/entertainment/games/the-5-most-memorable-hitmen-in-gaming |title=The 5 most memorable hitmen in gaming |newspaper=] |date=November 26, 2009 |access-date=December 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129165441/http://www.fhm.com.ph/entertainment/games/the-5-most-memorable-hitmen-in-gaming |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Although Altaïr ultimately did not make the cut, ''Game Informer'' staff considered his inclusion in their "30 characters that defined a decade" collection, with Joe Juba saying, "Altaïr's rise to power is no less dramatic and impressive than Ezio's – it's just most of his transformation into a peerless master assassin took place off-screen."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/11/19/the-snubbed-list.aspx?PostPageIndex=1 |title=The Snubbed List |last=Bertz |first=Matt |date=November 19, 2010 |newspaper=] |access-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref>

On the other hand, Philip Shahbaz's vocal performance, particularly his American accent, was criticized. Hilary Goldstein of IGN, in her review of the original ''Assassin's Creed'', called the voice acting for Altaïr "abysmal," going on to say that he "speaks with an American accent and sounds as if he is auditioning for community theatre."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/11/13/assassins-creed-review |title=Assassin's Creed Review |last=Goldstein |first=Hilary |newspaper=] |date=November 13, 2007 |access-date=December 4, 2017}}</ref> ZTGD's Joey Guacamole offered a similar opinion in his review of the game, calling it one of the worst voice acting performances of recent memory.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ztgd.com/reviews/assassins-creed/ |title=Assassin's Creed |last=Guacamole |first=Joe |newspaper=ZT Game Domain |date=January 17, 2011 |access-date=December 4, 2017}}</ref> ]'s Kevin VanOrd was somewhat less critical of Shabaz's performance, writing that he did an "all-right" job as Altaïr, but still found him lacking compared to the other actors in the game.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/assassins-creed-review/1900-6182795/ |title=Assassin's Creed Review |newspaper=] |date=November 13, 2007 |access-date=December 4, 2017 |last=VanOrd |first=Kevin}}</ref> Some critics also took note of his undisclosed backstory in the original game. ]'s Will Tuttle, when comparing the character to ''Assassin's Creed II'''s protagonist Ezio Auditore, wrote that while Altaïr was "undeniably badass," the lack of any backstory or motives made him difficult to care about.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/assassins-creed-2/1046764p1.html |title=The Consensus: Assassin's Creed II Review |newspaper=] |date=November 17, 2009 |access-date=December 4, 2017 |last=Tuttle |first=William}}</ref> IGN, using results from a reader's poll and comments, also listed Altaïr as the ninth most overrated video game character, calling him to a "poor man's Prince of Persia" and declaring him a two-dimensional, very formulaic character.<ref name="Overrated">{{cite news |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/04/24/top-10-most-overrated-videogame-characters |title=Top 10 Most Overrated Videogame Characters |first=Jesse |last=Schedeen |date=April 24, 2009 |newspaper=] |access-date=April 8, 2011}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Bowden |first=Oliver |author-link=Oliver Bowden |title=Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5unqr93gYBQC |publisher=] |year=2011 |pages=464 |isbn=9780141966717}}
* {{cite book |last=Bowden |first=Oliver |author-link=Oliver Bowden |title=Assassin's Creed: Revelations |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W6FQ4_wJSFEC |publisher=] |year=2011 |pages=528 |isbn=9780141966724}}
* {{cite book |last=Tzvetkova |first=Juliana |title=Pop Culture in Europe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zk83DwAAQBAJ |chapter=Video Games |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zk83DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA303 |publisher=] |year=2017 |pages=414 |isbn=9781440844669}}
* {{cite book |last=Edginton |first=Ian |author-link=Ian Edginton |title=Assassin's Creed: Reflections |editor-first=Valeria |editor-last=Favoccia |editor2-first=Giorgia |editor2-last=Sposito |editor3-first=Carlos |editor3-last=López |editor4-first=Tom |editor4-last=Williams|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OXgrDwAAQBAJ |chapter=Memory 2: Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OXgrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT29 |publisher=] |year=2017 |pages=29–35 |isbn=9781785862410}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad}}
* on ]

{{Assassin's Creed}}

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