I waited until after I finished the game to post this crush. It was really hard, too. I was hooked on this crush in about two hours. Actually, I was hooked on everything Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag had to offer. I just felt it was best to wait to see if my new video game crush would wax or wane in my affections. There was definitely no waning involved. (Spoilers ahead!)
Stats:
Full Name: Edward James Kenway
Age: 22 when he first acquired the Assassin outfit
Occupation: Pirate, Assassin
Who is He?
He is the man who brought awesome back to Assassin’s Creed. Edward is the main hero of this installment of the game series. He is a pirate at first and becomes an Assassin later. There is no glorious tradition of hunting Templars making him the man he is. He is voiced by Matt Ryan, who has acted on The Tudors and Vikings.
Fun Facts:
- Kenway’s background was rewritten to match Matt Ryan’s south Welsh accent.
- Edward would write home to his wife, Caroline, once a year before she died.
- Edward is the father of two children, Jennifer Scott and Haytham Kenway.
- The Jackdaw (Edward’s ship) is named after a bird belonging to the crow family.
- Edward was pretty progressive for his time: he had an African male and a woman for his quartermasters.
Why So Crushworthy?
It’s nearly obscene that a video game character be this good looking. I mean, he’s like a combination of Chris Hemsworth and Ragnar Lothbrok. How much CG went into creating those muscles? I mean, Leon and Ezio are good looking. Yet, Edward’s physique made me stare at the television, almost forgetting to play. It was especially bad during the harpooning scenes. It’s just not right. He’s a CG creation. I would gladly join the Jackdaw’s crew.
Ahem, aside from his Viking-like appeal, he was just a fun character. Unlike his uptight grandson, Edward was a man of adventure and excitement. He really didn’t give a hoot about traditions, Assassins, or much else besides plunder. He was an amazing pirate. He was all about freedom, too. He didn’t want anyone telling him what to do. It’s why he held off becoming an a real Assassin for so long. He ignored the Templar cause, too. He just wanted some booty. Nothing ever kept Edward down for long. He met every situation with cleverness and brashness. Unlike Connor, nothing got him overly depressed for long.
He is also very sweet during the game. I really liked his relationship with Mary Read. They weren’t a romantic couple but his friendship with her was very humanizing. He really listened to her when she spoke. I got a little choked up when he got upset over her death. It showed his softer side. He showed it again when he took Anne Bonny on as quartermaster. He was completely adorable when he met his daughter for the first time. He is a character was multi-faceted, always a plus for me. I enjoyed going along with him on his adventures in the game.
