Haytham Kenway: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Fictional character in Assassin's Creed franchise}}

{{good article}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}

{{notability}}

{{Infobox character

| name = Haytham E. Kenway

| series = [[Assassin's Creed]]

| image = [[File:HaythamKenway.png|175px]]

| caption =

| firstgame = ''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' (2012)

| last =

| creator = [[Ubisoft Montreal]]

| portrayer = Adrian Hough

| fighting_style =

| nationality = British

| origin = [[London]], [[Kingdom of England|England]], [[Kingdom of Great Britain]]

'''Haytham E. Kenway''' is a character in [[Ubisoft]]'s ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' video game franchise. He is introduced as the [[false protagonist]] of ''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' (2012), in which players control him for the game's initial chapters, before being revealed as the true [[antagonist]]. Haytham also serves as a [[supporting character]] in ''[[Assassin's Creed Rogue]]'' (2014), which takes place between his playable chapters in ''Assassin's Creed III'' and the latter part of the game, and his backstory is further explored in the [[novel]] ''[[Assassin's Creed (book series)#Forsaken (2012)|Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]''. In the games, he is portrayed by actor Adrian Hough through [[Motion capture|performance capture]].

Within the series' [[Alternate history|alternate historical setting]], Haytham was born in 1725 as the son of [[Edward Kenway]], one of the leading members of the British Brotherhood of Assassins and the protagonist of the prequel game ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' (2013). Following his father's murder in 1735, he is manipulated into joining the [[Knights Templar|Templar Order]], the Assassins' arch-enemies, and eventually becomes one of the Order's leading members as the [[Grand master (order)|Grand Master]] of the [[Thirteen Colonies|North American]] colonial [[Masonic bodies|rite]]. Under Haytham's leadership, the Templars exterminate most of the Colonial Assassins, becoming the dominant force on the continent, and later attempt to build a new nation under their rule by influencing the [[American Revolution]]. During this time, Haytham sires a son, [[Ratonhnhaké:ton|Ratonhnaké:ton / Connor]], with a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] woman, who in turn joins the Assassins and undoes most of his father's work. Though Haytham and Connor briefly become allies and consider unifying their orders, they both ultimately realise that peace between the Assassins and Templars is impossible, and their conflict culminates with Haytham's death at Connor's hands in 1781.

Prior to ''Assassin's Creed III''{{'}}s release, Haytham was not advertised as a playable character in order to surprise players. The twist that players were actually controlling a Templar during the first third of the game was praised for its cleverness and for being the first time in the series that players got to experience the Templars' point of view in the storyline, although some criticized the inclusion of Haytham's sequences for hurting the game's pacing. Unlike his son Connor, who had a divisive reception, Haytham was well-received for his charm and complexity, and is considered one of the best villains in the franchise.

==Creation and conception==

Haytham's inclusion as a playable character was kept secret from the press and was only known to the development team, with all advertisement solely focusing on [[Connor Kenway|Connor]]. Looking back on the game in 2019, Alex Hutchinson, the Creative Director of ''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'', named the decision to make Haytham the surprise protagonist of the first third of the game as an effective idea to draw players into the narrative. It also offers a fresh perspective on the conflict between Assassins and Templars, as Haytham is the first playable Templar in the series. However, he noted that his character arc was far too long because there was no time for extensive [[product testing]], which led to some backlash from players.<ref name="Hutchinson">{{cite web |last=Makuch |first=Eddie |date=March 19, 2019 |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/we-just-couldnt-do-everything-in-the-time-we-had-left-assassins-creed-3s-creative-director-looks-back-on-the-makings-of-a-franchise-black-sheep/ |title="We just couldn't do everything in the time we had left": Assassin's Creed 3's Creative Director looks back on the makings of a franchise black sheep |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |access-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109082704/https://www.gamesradar.com/we-just-couldnt-do-everything-in-the-time-we-had-left-assassins-creed-3s-creative-director-looks-back-on-the-makings-of-a-franchise-black-sheep/ |url-status=live }}</ref> According to series writer Susan Patrick, in ''[[Assassin's Creed Rogue]]'', the emphasis of his role was placed on him being a [[role model]] for Assassin-turned-Templar [[Shay Patrick Cormac]], because they both had similar backgrounds,<ref name="Gamespot">{{cite web |last=Makuch |first=Eddie |date=August 20, 2014 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/assassins-creed-rogues-hero-is-brash-and-arrogant-/1100-6421830/ |title=Assassin's Creed Rogue's Hero Is "Brash and Arrogant," But Also Has a Conscience |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-date=13 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613215039/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/assassins-creed-rogues-hero-is-brash-and-arrogant-/1100-6421830/ |url-status=live }}</ref> while one of the main objectives of the game was to show the missing chapters in Haytham's life.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dyce |first=Adrew |date=August 13, 2014 |url=https://gamerant.com/assassins-creed-rogue-haytham-kenway-story/ |title='Assassin's Creed Rogue' To Finish The Final Chapter of 'The Kenway Saga' |website=GameRant |access-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-date=4 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160904052014/http://gamerant.com/assassins-creed-rogue-haytham-kenway-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Adrian Hough, the actor who performed Haytham's voice and [[motion capture]], noted that the writing was very good for the character, and acknowledged that the development team gave him artistic freedom to make the character his own, ultimately considering him a product of his performance as well as writing and animation.<ref name="InterviewHough">{{cite web |last=Steinlage |first=Tate |date=December 28, 2012 |url=https://www.gamezone.com/originals/interview-talking-with-adrian-hough-assassin-s-creed-3-s-haytham-kenway/ |title='Interview: Talking with Adrian Hough, Assassin's Creed 3's Haytham Kenway |website=Gamezone |access-date=February 15, 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115023044/https://www.gamezone.com/originals/interview-talking-with-adrian-hough-assassin-s-creed-3-s-haytham-kenway/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Darby McDevitt, the narrative director of the 2020 series installment ''[[Assassin's Creed Valhalla]]'', found an opportunity to include a reference to Haytham in the game. Recalling that some fans had given feedback that Haytham sounded like an Arabic name, McDevitt suggested "Haytham or Hytham" for the name of a supporting character who brings the Hidden Ones back to England during the events of ''Valhalla'', which serves as an in-universe basis for Edward Kenway's likely decision to name his son.<ref name="Kotaku">{{cite web|last=Zwiezen|first=Zack|date=February 2, 2011|url=https://kotaku.com/assassins-creed-valhallas-devs-told-us-how-they-sneak-i-1846178174|title=How Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Creators Snuck In Connections To Older Games|website=Kotaku|access-date=February 17, 2021|archive-date=14 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514204611/https://kotaku.com/assassins-creed-valhallas-devs-told-us-how-they-sneak-i-1846178174|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Fictional character biography==

{{summarize section|date=August 2023}}

Born in 1725 in [[London]] to former pirate-turned-Assassin [[Edward Kenway]] and his second wife Tessa, Haytham belonged to the [[British nobility]] and was raised secluded from other children, being trained to be an Assassin from an early age. However, this changed in 1735, when Edward was killed by mercenaries who broke into their home to steal a journal containing Edward's research of the First Civilization. During the attack, Haytham was forced to kill for the first time to save his mother, but was unable to rescue his half-sister Jennifer, who was kidnapped by the mercenaries.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bowden |first=Oliver |title=[[Assassin's Creed (book series)#Forsaken (2012)|Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]] |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |year=2012 |isbn=9783833226106 |pages=Chapter 4}}</ref> Edward's acquaintance [[List of Assassin's Creed characters#Reginald Birch|Reginald Birch]], secretly a Templar and the one responsible for the attack, was appointed Haytham's [[legal guardian]] and took him on an unsuccessful quest throughout Europe to find Jennifer, during which Haytham was trained in the ways of the Templars, eventually joining the Order in 1744.<ref>{{cite book | last = Bowden | first = Oliver | title = [[Assassin's Creed (book series)#Forsaken (2012)|Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]] | publisher = [[Penguin Books]] | year = 2012 | pages = Chapter 7 | isbn = 9783833226106}}</ref>

In 1754, after retrieving the key to the Grand Temple, a First Civilization site, from the Assassins, Haytham was sent by Birch to the [[Thirteen Colonies]] to find and access the Temple, as well as establish a permanent presence for the Order in [[North America]] as the new [[Grand Master (order)|Grand Master]] of the Colonial Rite.<ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Assassin's Creed III]] |developer=[[Ubisoft Montreal]] |publisher=[[Ubisoft]] |date=October 30, 2012 |platform=[[PlayStation 3|PS3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii U]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]] |scene=Chapter 1}}</ref> Recruiting [[Charles Lee (general)|Charles Lee]], [[Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet|William Johnson]], [[Thomas Hickey (soldier)|Thomas Hickey]], [[Benjamin Church (physician)|Benjamin Church]], and [[John Pitcairn]], Haytham was successful in establishing a new base for the Templars after killing his former associate [[Edward Braddock]]. However, his mission to locate the Grand Temple proved unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Assassin's Creed III]] |developer=[[Ubisoft Montreal]] |publisher=[[Ubisoft]] |date=October 30, 2012 |platform=[[PlayStation 3|PS3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii U]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]] |scene=Chapter 3}}</ref> During this time, he had a brief relationship with a [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] woman, [[List of Assassin's Creed characters#Kaniehtí꞉io|Kaniehtí꞉io]], but was eventually forced to leave her to focus on his Templar affairs.<ref name=":0">{{cite video game |title=[[Assassin's Creed III]] |developer=[[Ubisoft Montreal]] |publisher=[[Ubisoft]] |date=October 30, 2012 |platform=[[PlayStation 3|PS3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii U]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]] |scene=Chapter 4}}</ref>

Haytham returned to Europe in 1757 to resume his search for Jennifer, which eventually led him to the [[Ottoman Empire]], where he recovered her from slavers.<ref>{{cite book | last = Bowden | first = Oliver | title = [[Assassin's Creed (book series)#Forsaken (2012)|Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]] | publisher = [[Penguin Books]] | year = 2012 | pages = Chapter 33 | isbn = 9783833226106}}</ref> After she informed him that Birch was behind their family's demise, the siblings led an attack on his estate, during which Birch was killed and Haytham was gravely injured.<ref>{{cite book | last = Bowden | first = Oliver | title = [[Assassin's Creed (book series)#Forsaken (2012)|Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]] | publisher = [[Penguin Books]] | year = 2012 | pages = Chapter 35 | isbn = 9783833226106}}</ref> While recovering, Haytham considered leaving the Templars due to Birch's actions, but ultimately concluded that the Order's goals were righteous, even if its methods were flawed.<ref>{{cite book | last = Bowden | first = Oliver | title = [[Assassin's Creed (book series)#Forsaken (2012)|Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]] | publisher = [[Penguin Books]] | year = 2012 | pages = Chapter 36 | isbn = 9783833226106}}</ref>

In 1758, Haytham returned to the colonies to extend the Templars' influence, and inducted former Assassin [[Shay Patrick Cormac]] into the Order.<ref>{{cite video game|title=[[Assassin's Creed Rogue]]|developer=[[Ubisoft Sofia]]|publisher=[[Ubisoft]]|date=October 11, 2014|platform=[[PlayStation 3|PS3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii U]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]]|scene=Chapter 4}}</ref> After being informed by Shay about several First Civilization sites that could lead to devastating earthquakes, he worked with him to prevent the Assassins from accessing them, wiping out most of the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood in the process. In 1760, a final confrontation in the [[Arctic]] saw the last of the Colonial Assassins eliminated, although Shay convinced Haytham to spare their leader, [[List of Assassin's Creed characters#Achilles Davenport|Achilles Davenport]].<ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Assassin's Creed Rogue]] |developer=[[Ubisoft Sofia]] |publisher=[[Ubisoft]] |date=October 11, 2014 |platform=[[PlayStation 3|PS3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii U]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]] |scene=Chapter 6}}</ref>

After making the Templars the dominant force in North America, Haytham's main goal over the next two decades was to remove British colonial rule and establish a new state where Templar ideals would become law. However, his attempts to influence the [[American Revolution]] to this end were thwarted by [[Ratonhnhaké:ton|Connor]], his son with Kaniehtí꞉io, who had been trained as an Assassin by Achilles to take vengeance on the Templars, whom Connor blamed for his mother's death.<ref name=":0" /> Haytham was shocked to learn about Kaniehtí꞉io's death and the existence of his son, which had been hidden from him by his fellow Templars, and became torn between his loyalty to the Order and his newfound sense of paternal responsibility. When Connor was later framed by the Templars for a plot to assassinate [[George Washington]], Haytham, not wanting to have his son's death on his conscience, secretly saved him from his execution.<ref>{{cite book | last = Bowden | first = Oliver | title = [[Assassin's Creed (book series)#Forsaken (2012)|Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]] | publisher = [[Penguin Books]] | year = 2012 | pages = Chapter 40 | isbn = 9783833226106}}</ref>

In 1778, Haytham and Connor formally met and formed an uneasy alliance to eliminate former Templar Benjamin Church and further the Revolution.<ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Assassin's Creed III]] |developer=[[Ubisoft Montreal]] |publisher=[[Ubisoft]] |date=October 30, 2012 |platform=[[PlayStation 3|PS3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii U]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]] |scene=Chapter 9}}</ref> Realizing his son could become an important asset if converted to his cause, Haytham took this opportunity to try and convince him about the Templars' goals and motives. However, their alliance fell through after Connor discovered that Washington was responsible for Kaniehtí꞉io's death—a fact Haytham had deliberately kept hidden from him—and angrily cut ties with his father.<ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Assassin's Creed III]] |developer=[[Ubisoft Montreal]] |publisher=[[Ubisoft]] |date=October 30, 2012 |platform=[[PlayStation 3|PS3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii U]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]] |scene=Chapter 10}}</ref> Eventually admitting that he would not be able to reconcile with his son and realizing the threat he posed, Haytham decided to personally deal with him. In 1781, correctly predicting that Connor would target Charles Lee, who was residing in [[Fort Amsterdam|Fort George]], Haytham sent the latter away and stayed behind to confront his son, who ultimately killed him after a lengthy battle.<ref>{{cite video game|title=[[Assassin's Creed III]]|developer=[[Ubisoft Montreal]]|publisher=[[Ubisoft]]|date=October 30, 2012|platform=[[PlayStation 3|PS3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii U]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]]|scene=Chapter 11}}</ref> Sometime after Haytham's death, Connor recovered his journal, in which the former revealed that he did not expect to survive his final confrontation with Connor and that he wanted his son to have his journal, so that he would better understand his point of view and maybe forgive him, implying that Haytham let Connor kill him.<ref>{{cite book | last = Bowden | first = Oliver | title = [[Assassin's Creed (book series)#Forsaken (2012)|Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]] | publisher = [[Penguin Books]] | year = 2012 | pages = Chapter 49 | isbn = 9783833226106}}</ref>

==Other appearances==

Aside from ''Assassin's Creed III'' and ''Rogue'', Haytham has made [[cameo appearance]]s in several other games in the series. In ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'', which stars his father Edward, he appears as a young child in a [[post-credits scene]],<ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]] |developer=[[Ubisoft Montreal]] |publisher=[[Ubisoft]] |date=October 29, 2013 |platform=[[PlayStation 3|PS3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii U]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]] |scene=Post-credits }}</ref> while the fictional video games subsidiary of [[Abstergo Industries]] considers him suited as a video game protagonist advocating the Templars' ideals, due to him being regarded as one of the greatest Templars in history.<ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]] |developer=[[Ubisoft Montreal]] |publisher=[[Ubisoft]] |date=October 29, 2013 |platform=[[PlayStation 3|PS3]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Wii U]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]] }}</ref> This idea has materialized in ''[[Assassin's Creed Unity]]'', where the fictional video game ''The Lone Eagle'', starring him, can be seen at the start.<ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Assassin's Creed Unity]] |developer=[[Ubisoft Montreal]] |publisher=[[Ubisoft]] |date=November 11, 2014 |platform=[[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[PlayStation 4|PS4]], [[Xbox One]], [[Google Stadia|Stadia]] |scene=Prologue }}</ref> Alongside multiple other Templar characters from the series, Haytham appears in the 2014 online [[Role-playing video game|role-playing]] [[Digital collectible card game|collectible card game]] ''Assassin's Creed Memories''.<ref>{{cite video game |title=Assassin's Creed Memories |developer=Ubisoft |publisher=[[Ubisoft]] |date=August 21, 2014 |platform=[[iOS]] }}</ref>

==Reception==

Haytham was well-received as a character and often contrasted with the divisiveness of his son, Connor. In a contemporary review of ''Assassin's Creed III'' for ''[[PC Gamer]]'', Chris Thursten called Haytham a good villain but also observed that "the writers seem to like [Haytham] more than they do their ostensible lead [Connor]."<ref name="PCGAMER">{{cite magazine |url = http://www.pcgamer.com/review/assassins-creed-3-review/ |title = Assassin's Creed III Review |access-date = December 4, 2012 |magazine = [[PC Gamer]] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121204064750/http://www.pcgamer.com/review/assassins-creed-3-review/ |archive-date = December 4, 2012 |url-status = live |df = mdy-all }}</ref> However, a lot of contemporary reviewers refused to give a detailed account on Haytham, in order to not spoil the plot twist that he, a Templar, is the game's first protagonist.<ref name="opmuk review">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/review/assassins-creed-3-ps3-review-struggling-to-break-the-shackles-of-the-old-world/2/ |magazine=[[PlayStation Official Magazine - UK|PlayStation Official Magazine (UK)]] |access-date=November 20, 2012 |date=October 30, 2012 |first=Joel |last=Gregory |title=Assassin's Creed 3 PS3 review&nbsp;– struggling to break the shackles of the old world |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102181126/http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/review/assassins-creed-3-ps3-review-struggling-to-break-the-shackles-of-the-old-world/2/ |archive-date=November 2, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="AC3 G4">{{cite web |last=Webb |first=Morgan |url=http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/65904/assassins-creed-3/review/ |title=Assassin's Creed 3 Review for Xbox 360 |publisher=[[G4 (U.S. TV channel)|G4TV]] |access-date=October 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030205350/http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/65904/assassins-creed-3/review/ |archive-date=October 30, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/assassins-creed-3-review-declination-of-independence/ |title=Assassin's Creed 3 review: Declination of independence |work=[[Joystiq]] |date=October 30, 2012 |access-date=October 30, 2012 |first=Ludwig |last=Kietzmann |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302041904/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/assassins-creed-3-review-declination-of-independence/ |archive-date=March 2, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Alex Hutchinson, Creative Director of ''Assassin's Creed'' noted that the character faced some backlash as a surprise protagonist due to his arc being too long, but pointed out that he remains a fan favorite, making his way into other installments and selling a lot of [[action figure]]s,<ref name="Hutchinson"/> whereas ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' lauded this move as "bold" in a list of gaming's most satisfying character switches.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/gamings-most-satisfying-character-switches/ |title=Watch gaming's most satisfying character switches |publisher=[[GamesRadar+]] |date=December 16, 2015 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |first=David |last=Roberts |df=mdy-all |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212822/https://www.gamesradar.com/gamings-most-satisfying-character-switches/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''[[IGN]]'' described Haytham among the best new video game characters of 2012, claiming that "no man is as cunning, conniving, and sassy as Haytham Kenway".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/12/04/the-best-new-video-game-characters-of-2012 |title=The Best New Video Game Characters of 2012 |publisher=[[IGN]] |date=December 4, 2012 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |first=Marc |last=Nix |df=mdy-all |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212731/https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/12/04/the-best-new-video-game-characters-of-2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2020, ''IGN Brasil'' ranked Haytham as the second best villain in the franchise.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://br.ign.com/assassins-creed/81338/feature/assassins-creed-ranqueamos-todos-os-viloes|title=Assassin's Creed: Ranqueamos os melhores vilões|website=IGN Brazil|author1=Diego Lima|author2=Bruno Yonezawa|date=May 6, 2020|access-date=February 17, 2021|language=Portuguese|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212656/https://br.ign.com/assassins-creed/81338/feature/assassins-creed-ranqueamos-todos-os-viloes|url-status=live}}</ref> In a ranking of all Assassin's Creed characters by ''PC Gamer'', Haytham was ranked much higher than Connor (who finished last) and also eclipsed his father Edward, with the reviewer comparing him favorably to [[James Bond]], noting that "his ruthlessness make him a joy to play as", in contrast to Connor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-assassins-of-assassins-creed-ranked-from-worst-to-best/ |title=The assassins of Assassin's Creed, ranked from worst to best |work=[[PC Gamer]] |date=January 28, 2021 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |first=Andy |last=Kelly |df=mdy-all |archive-date=9 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409052611/https://www.pcgamer.com/the-assassins-of-assassins-creed-ranked-from-worst-to-best/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Frank Martin of ''DualShockers'' described Haythem as one of the best villain in ''Assassin's Creed'' and said that its "a very peculiar character given how likable he is. "His story is such a unique one that it should definitely be explored more in the ''Assassin's Creed'' universe."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dualshockers.com/best-assassins-creed-villains/#crawford-starrick | title=10 Best Assassin's Creed Villains, Ranked | date=22 April 2023 | access-date=28 August 2023 | archive-date=28 August 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230828000703/https://www.dualshockers.com/best-assassins-creed-villains/#crawford-starrick | url-status=live }}</ref> He was also described as one of the greatest protagonist in the franchises by German outlet ''[[GamePro]]'', who noted that his moral ambiguity and complexity made players reflect on the nature of the Templar Order for the first time in the series' history.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gamepro.de/artikel/assassins-creed-alle-spielbaren-charaktere-ranking,3365252.html |title=Assassin's Creed: Alle Charaktere im Ranking – Welcher ist der beste? |magazine=[[GamePro]] |first=Nele |last=Wobker |language=German |date=December 30, 2020 |access-date=February 15, 2021 |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212603/https://www.gamepro.de/artikel/assassins-creed-alle-spielbaren-charaktere-ranking,3365252.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Likewise, ''[[GameRevolution]]'' featured Haytham in a list of "video game villains who were actually right", especially in regards to his vision of an ideal state.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/features/441171-video-game-villains-who-are-right |title=Video Game Villains Who Are Actually Right |website=[[GameRevolution]] |first=David |last=Lozada |date=October 9, 2018 |access-date=February 15, 2021 |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602221239/https://www.gamerevolution.com/features/441171-video-game-villains-who-are-right |url-status=live }}</ref>

Adrian Hough, the [[voice actor]] who portrayed Haytham, was nominated for a [[British Academy Games Awards|BAFTA Games Award]] in the "Performer" category at the [[9th British Academy Games Awards]] ceremony for his portrayal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2013/games |title=Games 2013 |publisher=[[BAFTA]] |access-date=February 13, 2021 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=13 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413154853/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2013/games |url-status=live }}</ref> In an interview, the actor noted the positive fan response his character had received, especially in regards to [[cosplay]].<ref name="InterviewHough"/>

While discussing which characters should be included in a future [[Netflix]] series based on the video games, Matthew Aguilar of ''Comicbook.com'' opted for Haytham, noting his charm and backstory, calling him one of the most interesting villains in the series.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/netflixs-assassins-creed-which-assassin-should-series-feature/ |title=Netflix's Assassin's Creed: Which Assassin Should the New Series Feature? |publisher=Comicbook.com |date=November 25, 2020 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |first=Andy |last=Kelly |df=mdy-all |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213244/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/netflixs-assassins-creed-which-assassin-should-series-feature/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Analysis==

Writing for ''[[Heavy (website)|Heavy]]'', Paul Meekin observed that the Templar Order seeks control of governments, finances, and the day-to-day lives of individuals they view as "too dangerous to themselves to be trusted" because they believe that this is the best solution for humanity's supposedly self-destructive nature; he highlighted a quote by Haytham from ''Assassin's Creed III'' where the character posits that it is within humanity's nature to be told what to believe and how to believe it.<ref name="Heavy">{{cite web|url=https://heavy.com/games/2017/10/assassins-creed-origins-story-ideology-analysis/|title=How Assassin's Creed Is About The Nature of Humanity|author=Paul Meekin|date=October 26, 2017|work=Heavy.com|access-date=February 17, 2021|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624035554/https://heavy.com/games/2017/10/assassins-creed-origins-story-ideology-analysis/|url-status=live}}</ref> Nick Dinicola from ''[[PopMatters]]'' noted that while the Templars can produce good leaders, in truth their true goal is to consolidate power for personal gain: Haytham himself is "sympathetic to the plights of those beneath him, but he’s among terrible company: two tyrants and a slave trader". With regards to his position and legacy within his Order, Dinicola drew attention to in-game Templar propaganda presented in ''Rogue'' which contends that Haytham was “slain by the ungrateful [Assassin] son who could not appreciate the wisdom of his pragmatic, race-blind approach to politics and personal life” as an example of how the Templars use their position of power to rewrite history and promote themselves in a more favorable light.<ref name="Pop">{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/183738-the-assassins-propaganda-2495638918.html|title=The Assassins' Propaganda|author=Nick Dinicola|date=July 29, 2014|publisher=Pop Matters|access-date=February 17, 2021|archive-date=14 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614033907/https://www.popmatters.com/183738-the-assassins-propaganda-2495638918.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

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