The Rise Of Connor Kenway | An Assassin's Creed Character Study
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
- Where some Assassin's Creed protagonists got multiple games, Connor Kenway is an example of a beloved character that only had a single outing. In today's character study, we examine his story and whether he would have benefitted from multiple entries or if Assassin's Creed 3 did his character justice.
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Time Codes:
0:00 - Intro
3:15 - Part 1: Character & Design
16:56 - Part 2: Story Implementation
1:30:11 - Part 3: Conclusion
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Thanks for watching the video :)
#ConnorKenway #AssassinsCreed3 #ac3remastered - Ігри
Connor the goat
At 36:18 my dream
Agreed
@@christianbloomfield1870Lol you need a better dream watch the cinematic trailer LOL 😂
Connor deserves a sequel game he should have at least made a cameo in unity that would have been so cool
I think the character's in these games are very underrated. They aren't all equally interesting but all of their motivations are pretty tightly constructed
As much as I love Ezio’s personality, there’s something about Connor that clicked with me way better. It could be his way of speech, his stoic-ness, his resolve or his heritage, his compassion for those he cares about, his naïveté, his hunting skills, idk.
I’m so glad someone recently made a video like this. I never noticed the red being some nod to the red on the other Assassins. I was wondering about his hair and somehow forgot how it was associated with his culture. I love that you mentioned the concept art!
Missed opportunity to speak about how Connor conducts himself when interacting with his assassin recruits on a casual basis and his homestead neighbors
I appreciate when people are able to look at the dialog and not just the tone of Connor's voice. A lot of people complain that Connor is whiny when he argues with Achilles when in reality he is simply asking for Achilles to understand that he is doing what he thinks is right even if Achilles disagrees and its nice to see your perspective being unbiased by the actors performance like many have
1:10:55 He did love Ziio in the Forsaken book she left him (I forget the specifics why but I believe it's because she caught him lying about his Templar origins or something) she soon discovered she was pregnant and Haytham never knew. He only started to speculate about Connors existence when his crew had a meeting with him and told him of the day Connors village was burned down and they ran into a fair skinned native american child who had a necklace on that was described exactly like the one Ziio used to wear which is what made him suspicious. It wasn't until sequence 8 that he was able to confirm Connor was his son when he saw him in jail
Also at this point in the story Haytham KNEW Ziio was dead he pretended to be surprised to hear about it but he knew she was dead and that it was done by Washington's hands. Part of the reason why he didn't tell Connor was because he knew Connor would never believe him so he waited until he had evidence to do so, Connor unfortunately assumed that Haytham kept this information secret to weaponize it to turn Connor against the colonists(which isn't completely wrong but it also isn't completely true)
Connor is the most relatable assassin ever.
I like conner so much. People who don't like him don't understand the subtlety of character nor even his struggle . Many people like MC that say and express everything loud and clear . But alot of conner s character is understood not simply by what he says but what he doesn't say . Alot of his environment and situation tells his story and u can see how the world shapes his personality.. he's not charming but he's honorable and respectable which is why I liked him so much . I liked his silent fire and his desire to to peace and not death dispite the fact that he's fighting a losing battle...man people really don't be liking conner and I just don't get it. It's like people like the same kind of funny charming talkative MC with all the answers .
Ezio may have made me fall in love with the Assassin’s Creed, but Connor’s story and character is dear to me. I still have a crush on him, and miss the days of my teenage years playing this game in winter, when I should have been at my online studies.
Same feeling here👍
Connor really out here stealing girls hearts 😂
He was the most attractive 😂. I was 17 years old playing this in 2012-2013 on my ps3. I thought he was the sh*t. He is my favorite and the greatest assassin. I like Ezio but I truly admire Connor 🫶🏾.
@@Fourwindsofsuccess that's badass, y'all are lucky you got to play in those times when everyone was so hyped about Assassin's Creed. Sadly I couldn't cause I was too young and my family didn't have much money anyways
@trashcantacos you can play them now especially that the games are so cheap and widely accessible
God, I love the Kenway family, I know Edward, Ziio, Jennifer, and even Haytham in a way would be proud of Connor.
Connor does not look 13 when he meets Achilles. He should have officially been 17 or 18, just like Ezio was when he first became an Assassin
@@unicorntomboy9736whats funnier is you can take down many o many of forts as 13 y/o Conner from the british which I think is absolutely hilarious in hindsight I had no idea he was 13 till this video so me going and doing all the side stuff as 13 Conner is hilarious
Connor’s robes were actually Edward’s, after his death, Adewale received his robes and Adewale gave them to Achilles, and Achilles modified them to fit the aesthetic of the colonial America, he originally wanted his son to inherit the robes but gave them to Connor
Really?
@@rithik8674 yea you can look it up
No. They're very clearly Achellies robes altered and worn after not being touched for decades. There is literally no similarities between Edward's or Connors besides the white and blue on them
@rithik8674 no it's false information someone on Twitter started spreading because an artist tried to say they were Edward's robes after black blag cane out.
You are one of many people who don't have a baised in these character break-downs. I love your videos, please keep making more:)
Thank you so much! I fully intend to :]
Cracking character study, interesting to find someone enjoy not only AC3 but Connor’s character as well. Have you listened to the full dialogue during the Connor/Haytham fight? It’s basically 8 minutes of philosophy and ideology which is honestly what I think the fight was more supposed to be about then an actual boss battle. Can’t wait to see more characters under the microscope from you!
Thank you so much! That’s definitely an example where I’d love to do a whole video just on that single interaction which I would consider doing in between longer vids
@@willismakesmovies I look forward to your future content 👍🏻
idk. if somebody calls connor "connor kenway", i think they fundamentally don't understand his character. he doesn't consider himself a kenway, first of all, and the two names "connor" and "kenway" have nothing to do with eachother. his name is ratohnhaketon, and he uses his alias simply "connor", given to him by achilles, not haytham (making the two names, again, completely unrelated to eachother) when among people who can't pronounce his real name. "kenway" has no place here anywhere.
@braevinmaund1210 you're half right. He may not consider himself an kenway, but he is. Because his the son of Haytham.
@@crimsonking7179 even then, connor was buried as Connor Davenport. His blood may have been Kenway, but nothing that tied him to this earth was.
Connor was always my favourite assassin.. his robes his weapons even the way he moves and fights
i love Connor so much 😭 he deserves this analysis and this passion ❤ thank you so much
Thank you for the kind words! Connor is my favourite AC character so I’m glad I could do him justice for you
@@willismakesmoviesmine also. People overlook him as emotionless and boring, and they miss the whole point of him and his character.
1:14:00 this scene was amazing, he was extremely savvy in seeing Hatham’s ploy and stood up for himself in an eloquent way
When i heard Native American assassin, that's all that was needed, all in. Had to edit this in, those robes were probably my favorite. The buttons man.
Always wanted to see Connor go up against Shay Cormac, the two sides of Haytham kinda thing.
Bro I died when Connor said: I was told you can train me. NO 😂
Unpopular opnion but AC III main theme is 🔥
Love ''Ezio's Family'' but it still one of my 2nd fav ac tracks.
I used to really not care for Connor much, but I have to say with the trashy new Assassin's Creed meta that's come about, with even trashier protagonists, it's caused me to remanence more in the past and realize not only how well written and grey this game was, but also how good Connor as a protagonist was. I guess you never really know what you've got until it's gone huh?
That's how I feel. I played all of Ezio's story and found Connor boring. But after playing syndicate to vallhala I go back and he's not the best but he's still a great character
I'm coming late, but this, I feel, was well made. I loved the highlighting of early traits of leadership Connor had before he left, and his interactions with the Templars, and that protecting his village was his ultimate motivation to leave. I think playing as the Templars, without realizing it, really helps the story and, perhaps, may have worked too well as people who criticize Connor proceed to actually believe the Templars for once and see him as foolish as they do.
I think his relationship with Achilles was a bit undersold. While I can see the "Achilles wants revenge" early, I also see a growing father-son relationship, even if unintended by Achilles. He gives Connor his son's name, the music and tone of their voices give their disagreement after killing Pitcairn a bit more of a..familial back and forth to me. Especially Connor's facial reaction after Achilles says to give back all the training and tools he gave. And all that couples in with the letter and Connor's farewell in the Homestead (I know, the homestead stuff would've been a lot to cover) and why Connor does keep returning to him even after disagreements like if he should tell Washington about the assassination attempt still ongoing.
Overall though, I loved listening to this and seeing you really look at his character design as well. That was a neat element.
Haytham death is quite different in my mind. When he says that he should have killed Connor long ago, it's because he had the heart to do it, while with time passing he could less and less convince himself to kill his son, especially considering the man that he has become. That is why he release Connor's hand despite knowing perfectly that he had his hidden blade at deadly reach. It's litterally a suicide, his only way to not win without betraying his ideology. As he said, one of them have to die, and at the moment he had the upper hand, he understood that he could not force himself to do it, so he "force" Connor, by trying to kill him in the most inefficient way possible, while giving him the opportunity to end it quick for himself
I have to say this while watching this i was replaying the game and when he showed the scene of Haytham killing the opera target i was just in the cutscene and they were perfectly synced.
while Altair and Ezio had stories to make them lovable in 4 different games. like in ac 2 we saw Altair's story as he fell in love with a woman, and in revolution we saw how his story got ended as well as a movie sending Ezio off. but Connor didn't had that. the level of story that has been condensed into one game that got released in 2012 and the attention of details that gave hints to what to expect in the future, this game is really special to me. i played this game recently and got 100 sync in every mission. And I saw who Connor truly is. he is charming when needed, he is daring when it is called for, but most of all he is caring. His father was right. Connor showed affection. if only the assassins' were true their path. if only they went for peace and not voting for that one loosing side that is being shown victim. in the end of the game, there were two ending scenes. one showing even though Connor fought for freedom another problem raised, slavery. second when he returned to his village again, he saw an outsider camping there. when ask where his people were, he said they left in fear and the new govt said that the lands aren't free anymore. cleverly playing their roles not acting like the British in plain sight. what was it all for. in the end the forsaken speech is better, to end the game truly.
3 was my first Assassin's Creed game, and has since become my favorite story in the franchise. At first I was less appreciative of Connor's bluntness and I thought he wasn't subtle or socially adept enough to embody an Assassin, especially after I played AC2,B and R. As I reconsidered the story and the dialogues between Haytham and Connor, and the corridor scenes, that bluntness and sincerity really helped me to understand and enjoy the perspectives of and discussion between the Brotherhood and the Templars.
I love Connor. I wish he got another game he was so good
Fun fact, I believe it is in an AC book but when Connor was saved from being hanged what actually happened was Achilles and the Assassins were too late and Haytham threw a knife at the rope freeing Connor
Connor holds a special place in my heart as the character is based off the same clan my moms side of the family is part of.
My family is Iroquois, Lenape, Mohawk, And Seneca.
Connor is Mohawk and Iroquois
I think before Edward went to back England he gave his Assassin’s robe back to the West Indies Assassins (since it was theirs originally). Adewale then had it for a bit before giving it Achilles since Achilles was going to be the mentor of the Colonies. I think those robes are the same ones as Edward, are we forgetting that Ezio was able to wear Altair’s robes despite the fact it was centuries years old. I think it is the same even though it was never said in game since at the time Edward did not exist
14:16 I had to pause it here because of the shock, since for me that uniform for me looks as good as Haytham's or the default robes. I remember getting so mad that the Aquila's captain outfit we get isn't this one.
Ive realised that everyone is like omg why does everyone hate connor but ive never actually seen anyone hate on him.
Idk just recently getting into all the retrospectives of the games and people seem to not find him a liable character. I'm frustrated cuz I remember thinking he was so cool .actually I like him better than ezio. I've been looking for a positive light on conner for days hah . But I never really seen people call him absolutely trash but kinda mid
Connor has undeniably received way more love in the past several years than he did in and around when his game came out. It wasn't until like, 2018-2020 range when people really started to kind of like him as a character, and if you, like I did, actually said you liked him as much or more than Altair, Ezio, and Edward, a while brigade of people would descend to tell you your opinion was wrong.
I want to say that conor saved me during my toughest times. Because i idealised him, it helped me go through difficult phases where i lost loved ones and went through serious bodily injuries.
I just used to think, conor went through worse.
Incredible job on this video. You truly dove deep into this amazing story and all the little details.
57:57 AYOOOOOOO CONNOR I DIDNT KNOW YOU HAD RIZZ?!😱😱😲
man this video is pure gold
Well done! Looking forward to more videos from you as you grow your channel, AC vids especially but I've been enjoying a lot of the topics you've been covering
Great job with this video! Connor is my favorite assassin and you obviously put a lot of time and research into this documentary on his character.
Love these videos man.
Ubisoft selling out Ezio's Family......that has got to be one of the greatest analogies I have heard. Ezio doesn't have to be in the spotlight, but of course they insists on it.
This is probably one of my favorite videos on this site now, informative, funny, interesting and it's on my favorite character in the entire series of Assassin's Creed. Keep up the amazing work!!
It means so much to hear that, you have no idea, thank you!
I want an Assassin's Creed series each episode tell stories of each game in an 1 hour/ep❤❤
I like Connor because he speaks to my personal character.
Damn i wish that concept captain outfit was an actual costume. Was never a fan of hoods post Ezio and that outfit would be amazing to have throughout the story.
I recently stumbled upon your channel by chance and started watching your videos. And what can I say other than fantastic job. I can only imagine how much time it takes to produce them. That being said, the quality of your ac analysis videos is consistently superb. I have genuinely enjoyed watching them. Can't wait for more content! Would love to see you cover Shay someday. Thank you for your efforts. Best regards from Austria :)
Thank you so much for the kind words! These videos typically take between 1-3 months including replaying the games, writing the script then recording and editing, its a long process but I wouldn’t be satisfied if i did any less for these characters
Also Shay is definitely a character that will be coming soon, next up I’m doing the Frye twins with Jacob’s video dropping tomorrow :]
Excited for this
Excellent analysis.
I really enjoyed ur video it's been years since I last played this game.
38:50
If you are knocked out by a guy that calls you dirt, wake up, find your village burning to the ground and your mother is killed
And the last people you saw near was the guy that knocked you out and called your people filth…
I mean, what would you do?
Glad to see Connor getting the respect he deserves in this video!
I love Conner’s naval outfit
My favorite Assassin who got to much hate for not being Ezio when he Had 0 reason to be like Ezio. Which is funny because people now complain that the games don't take themselves seriously yet when AC3 came out everyone complained that it was to serious.
Loved Conners original robes 👍
Connor is still my favourite assassin. Sooo underrated. Love his character and fighting style.
So I've got two things I wanna say. First off, when Charles Lee says,
"I thought we finished off your kind." I don't believe it is racially charged. Granted Charles Lee is very racist, however I believe he was refering to the assassin's as a whole being wiped out in the colonies.
Secondly I absolutely adore Connor. I appreciate his introspective nature mostly. He has a strong, albeit naive sense of justice too that you can't help but be reeled in by. Connor's ability to see a better day through the struggle, a day he may never get to see mind you, fills me with hope and a desire to be better.
I wonder if the Horizon games were partially inspired by AC3. Zero Dawn started development the same year AC3 had its big marketing campaign and release. Maybe these are just traditional storytelling tropes at work but consider these similarities:
- Both Aloy & Connor are seen as outsiders
- Both Rost & Ziio die early on
- Both the Nora & Kanien'kehá:ka tribes are isolationist
- Both tribes worship and protect the entrances to ancient, technologically advanced facilities (Eleuthia-9 Cradle & the Grand Temple)
- Both Aloy & Connor are sent out with a mission to eliminate the threat to their tribes
- The Base from Horizon 2 and the AC3 Homestead have similarities (gradually more characters move there)
- Horizon 2 has its own equivalent of First Civilisation characters foreshadowed in the 1st game (First Civ was also foreshadowed in AC1)
- Both Aloy & Desmond have to stop the 2nd apocalypse
- Both Sylens and Achilles serve the role of a mentor figure that the protagonist often comes into conflict with
- And even Aloy's outfits feel Assassin's Creed-y (at least IMHO)
Aloy Is An Honorary Native In My Opinion.
Hope you’ll cover the AC Chronicle games some day!
ac3 is my all time assassins creed love everything about it
Thank you for this video.
Such a large portion of the fandom are too immature to understand Connor's personality, growth, motivation and struggles.
I remember being around 16 or 17 when AC3 came out and immediately fell in love with his stoic nature and blunt, to the point manner of speech, it was a breath of fresh air in contrast to Ezio's flowery personality with which I could never relate.
A dumb but funny detail from me is I had and still have the same half ponytail hairstyle and that was super cool to me back then 😂
My favorite assassin of all time
What a great character study. Perhaps Bayek next? I would love to hear your thoughts about him, his journey, and his growth.
Bayek is definitely a character I think would be very rich in depth, I think that would be a long video to work on so I’m working to rattle off a few characters first, but there will be a Bayek video coming down the pipeline and I’d be excited to tackle
@willismakesmovies the depth and quality of your videos really brought me to replay many of these games. I instantly subbed. Thank you, and keep it up. I can't wait for Bayek, my favorite protagonist.
your analysis of the game is better than the actual game 🥺❤️
ah! can we get liberation analysis as well?
Of all the years I've cared about this game, today I learned/realized... Connor was FOUR YEARS OLD when his mom died in the fire?! THAT IS NOT A GOTDAMN FOUR YEAR OLD. 😭 I can maybe dismiss his model at 12/13 as some kids growth spurt early and look mature transitioning into their teens (e.g. Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson looking like a grown ass man in HS)... But no, I can not suspend reality of that being a FOUR YEAR OLD Connor.
Loved the analysis but I’m missing the homestead and the recruits innit.
Outstanding video as always!
Connor’s struggles are so unique in the AC series that it gives me all the more appreciation for him and this story. From a gameplay perspective this game was a mix for me but narratively this is one of the best in the franchise. Connor does not have as clearly denied an arc as others but he does grow and change over the game, but it is subtle. The start of this game was a disservice to him as a character though, those Haytham sequences should have been flashbacks akin to the Christina missions in Brotherhood, they further develop the Templars giving us the most interesting antagonists in the series so absolutely needed to be in the game though. Connor’s relationship with Achilles is incredible, I wish we had been able to see Connor take on more of a mentor role himself, either later in the game or a sequel to see how he compares
Why we never got the crossover with Connor, Aveline, Shay and Arno I’ll never know. This was definitely such a missed opportunity for Ubisoft, all these characters would benefit massively from more time but alas it was not meant to be.
I thought the red, blue and white of connor's color pallet was to represent the United states flag, but what you said in the video also made sense
Charles Lee was actually a friend of the local tribes, and if my memory is correct, even married a woman from the Iroquois Confederacy.
My favorite part of the video 3:59
Please do Altiar Ibn La Ahad next. I think he is underatted
Alternatively Eivor would be good too. Speaking of which, Eivor is the one who gave Connor's early medieval ancestors the crystal orb that he would eventually receive, so in a way Eivor helped ignite Connor's journey as an assassin 900 years later
The best Assassin's Creed character
Please do Jacob and/or Evie Frye at some point
I always forget that Charles Lee didn't actually start the fire
Edwards robes obviously survived the test of time as Evie seems them in the Kenway manor in Syndicate.
Can you make a viddo of shay cormac?
If you read the book then you find out that Haythem was the one who saved Connor from getting hanged.
0:09 All ta yeah
Kanienkehaka is not a mohawk tribe, it is THE mohawk tribe. The native name for the whole nation
1:17:32 by the buuk
Conner should have fought the guy from Shay from Roque since he became a Templar
It is still heartbreaking that Connor and Haytham couldn't make it work
The scifi part of the plot driving connor to seek the Assassins is not contrived. The scifi part of AC is the main factor in ALL the plots of the games. The animus' ability to simulate genetic memories is the medium of that plot, not its ultimate theme. The scifi part of Assassin's Creed IS the main plot.
50:21 The mission wasn't even close as hard to 100% as the ones I've chosen to be the hardest (one of the biggest one being The Giant and the Storm).
I still don't like Connor (I don't like the fact that he refuses that people could have other moral standards) but your video made me change my judgement: he is a good character. I still prefer Ezio, he is more likeable and I love the atmosphere and music of AC 2 (my first AC) (and I love Italy), but you made me forgive him. Thank you :)
what accent does he have it sounds like somewhere in in the UK but doesn't seem like Britain, im québécois so the accents in the uk arent as clear to me they all kinda blend together, im guessing scottish
amazing video!! everything was so perfect and engaging, before I knew it the hour and a half went by so fast!! I'll definitely be checking out your playlist ☺️
thank you for all the effort you put into this and thank you for rekindling my love and appreciation for this amazing game!!! 🥹
I thought it was confirmed that Haytham saved Connor from the hanging
Do you ever consult Oliver Bowden's novelizations?
I’ve only read the black flag and unity novels but I’ll be reading Forsaken for the Haytham video
You sound like John Pitcairn
nah sorry bro his Captain's outfit looks dope
3:28 great video but bro you butchered his native name so hard, yes it’s spelt Ratonhnhaké:ton but it’s pronounced Ra-doon-ha-ge-doon (at least according to Ubisoft sources anyway)
Connor is the GOAT ❤🤲🏾. He’s my favorite assassin that I never forgot, I loved his story as well and his strong will devotion towards his missions. I also loved his assassin outfit and moccasin boots. He’s my favorite assassin out of all of them despite haters always worshipping Altair & Ezio as the only beat assassin’s because they’re into toxic nostalgia who don’t like growth, new beginnings, and updated content. He looked sooo cool to me.
Indians are one with nature and destiny. Juno talking to Connor just kinda fits that.. "pull your head out of your a## and get on track" theme
Music goes too HARD in 1:33:15
Rahonageton
Ratonhnhnáke:ton*
Ratonageton
Connor is not my favorite and I can understand the criticism because after ezio let's be real it would be hard for any character to be a popular follow up to ezio. Especially connor who was very different than ezio and didn't have a lot of what made ezio popular. But seeing a lot more of his story and seeing his final speech it was clear connor had a lot of heart and a strong will to do the right thing. But after ezio he didn't have a good chance to be popular amongst the fans.
Only AC fans with low intelligence think Conner was a bad character, he's on of the best, if not subjectively THE best assassins the series as seen. People just cant understand nuince and need bright flashy stuff to keep their two second attention spans that are about as deep as bathwater. Conner is anything but boring and his character arc in this game was something I wish I could experience for the first time again. When this came out I was a young boy reaching manhood and I think I speak for many saying Conner was an idol we looked up to, someone we wanted to be like, and yet another unsung hero overshadowed by the loudest voices in the room.
38:20
I compare Connor to Anakin Skywalker in many ways