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{{Era|AC4}}
{{Era|Individuals}}{{WP-REAL|Blackbeard}}
{{WP-REAL|Blackbeard}}
{{Update|''[[Assassin's Creed: Black Flag]]'' and ''[[Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard - The Lost Journal]]''}}
{{Spoilerhd}}
{{Quote|Caution's nothing without charisma! If a man plays the fool, then it's only fools he'll persuade. But appear to be the devil... and all men will submit.|Edward Thatch to Edward Kenway, 1718.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag|Diving for Medicines}}
{{Quote|Caution's nothing without charisma. If a man plays the fool, then it's only fools he'll persuade. But appear to be the devil... and all men will submit.|Edward Thatch to Edward Kenway, 1718.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag}}
{{Character Infobox
{{Character Infobox
|image = AC4 Edward Thatch.png
| image = AC4 Edward Thatch.png
|birth = c. 1680<br>[[United Kingdom|Kingdom of England]]
| birth = c. 1680 <br />[[Kingdom of England]]
|death = 22 November 1718 (aged 38)<br>[[Ocracoke|Ocracoke, Province of Carolina]]
| death = 22 November 1718 {{c|aged c. 38}}<br />[[Ocracoke]], [[North Carolina|Province of North Carolina]], [[United States|British America]]
|hidep = yes
| species = [[Human]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''
| database = [[Database: Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch|Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch (Assassin's Creed IV)]]<br>[[Database: Edward Thatch (Rebellion)|Edward Thatch (Rebellion)]]
|voice = [[Mark Bonnar]]}}
| affiliates = *[[Royal Navy]] {{c|c. 1701 – 1713}}
'''Edward Thatch''' (c. 1680 – 1718), also known by the alias '''Blackbeard''', was an infamous [[United Kingdom|English]] [[Piracy|pirate]] captain who sailed the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] and the eastern seaboard of the American colonies during the early 18th century, aboard the ship ''[[Queen Anne's Revenge]]''.
*[[Republic of Pirates|Pirate Republic]] {{c|1713 – 1718}}
*''[[Sea Dog's Bite]]'' crew {{c|1713 – 1717}}
*''[[Queen Anne's Revenge]]'' crew {{c|1717 – death}}
| voice = [[Mark Bonnar]]
}}
'''Edward Thatch''' (c. 1680 – 1718), also known by the alias '''Blackbeard''', was an infamous [[United Kingdom|English]] [[Piracy|pirate]] captain who sailed the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] and the eastern seaboard of the [[United States|American]] colonies aboard his flagship, the ''[[Queen Anne's Revenge]]'', during the [[Golden Age of Piracy|early 18th century]], being one of the most respected crime lords of the time.


In 2013, his [[Genetic memory|genetic memories]] were used as an Animi Avatar by the [[Abstergo Entertainment|entertainment branch]] of the [[Templars|Templar]] company [[Abstergo Industries]], to influence the general public via the [[Animus]] game console, under the title of [[Blackbeard (Animi Avatar)|Blackbeard]].
In 2013, his [[Genetic memory|genetic memories]] were used as an Animi Avatar under the title of [[Blackbeard (Animi Avatar)|Blackbeard]] by the [[Abstergo Entertainment|entertainment branch]] of the [[Templars|Templar]] company [[Abstergo Industries]], to influence the general public via the [[Animus]] game console.


==Biography==
==Biography==
===Early life===
===Early life===
Edward Thatch was likely born in [[Bristol]], England, in 1680. Little is known of his early years until the War of Spanish Succession in 1701, when he enlisted in the [[Royal Navy]]. At some point during the course of the war, Edward left the Royal Navy to become a privateer, where he would meet [[Edward Kenway]] and [[Charles Vane]].
Edward Thatch was likely born in [[Bristol]], England, in 1680. Little is known of his early years until the [[War of the Spanish Succession]] in 1701, when he served as a [[privateer]] for the [[Royal Navy]] in the Caribbean.<ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Database: Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch]]</ref> During the war, Thatch met [[Benjamin Hornigold]], [[Edward Kenway]],<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Now Hiring]]</ref> and [[Charles Vane]].<ref name="The Forts">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[The Forts]]</ref>


However, with the advent of peace in 1713, Thatch was, like so many other privateers, denounced by his government and left to fend for himself. Eventually he turned to piracy to make his living, joining forces with his colleague [[Benjamin Hornigold]].
In January 1713, Thatch and his crew came to the rescue of the ''[[Amazon Galley]]'', a [[ship]] belonging to the [[East India Company]], when it was being boarded by the crew of the ''[[Emperor]]''. The pirates were soon overpowered by the privateers and the soldiers, and only two of them were left alive. [[Blaney]], one of the remaining pirates decided to join Thatch's crew, and asked if he could kill Edward Kenway, the other survivor. Thatch told them to have a [[Fist|fistfight]] instead, with Kenway emerging victorious. However, when Blaney attempted to cheat, he was shot by Thatch, and Kenway was recruited into Thatch's crew.<ref name="AC4Book">''[[Assassin's Creed: Black Flag]]''</ref>


===Piracy===
===Piracy===
In 1715, Thatch, Hornigold and [[Mary Read|James Kidd]] met with Edward Kenway in [[Nassau]]. There, the four discussed their plans to free the city of its British garrison and turn it into their very own Pirate Republic. Thatch, with the assistance of Kenway, arranged for the capture and subsequent use of a [[Spanish Navy|Spanish]] [[Man O' War|galleon]], ''[[El Arca del Maestro]]'', as a fortified defense of one of the island's harbors.
{{Dialogue|Kenway|You don't do nothing subtle, do ya, Thatch?|Thatch|Legends ain't born from mildness.|Edward Kenway and Thatch, 1718.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag|Devil's Advocate}}
With the advent of the [[Peace of Utrecht]] in 1713, Thatch was, like so many other privateers, denounced by his government and left to fend for himself. Eventually, he turned to piracy to make his living, convincing most of his crew to join him.<ref name="Database" /> One of the crew's first acts of piracy was their search for the [[Shipwreck|wreck]] of a [[Spanish Treasure Fleet|treasure]] [[Leviathan (Spanish)|galleon]] housing [[gold]],<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – ''[[Dead Men's Gold]]'' – [[A Drunken Sailor]]</ref><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – ''[[Dead Men's Gold]]'' – [[Into the Rigging]]</ref> though they faced opposition from the British Navy captain [[Blount]], who sought the same prize.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – ''[[Dead Men's Gold]]'' – [[The Leviathan's Bones]]</ref><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – ''[[Dead Men's Gold]]'' – [[A Fistful of Doubloons]]</ref> In the end, Thatch's crew prevailed and made off with their prize after killing Blount and sinking his [[Man O' War]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – ''[[Dead Men's Gold]]'' – [[Blood and Thunder]]</ref>


A few years later, Thatch once again met with Hornigold and Kenway to discuss the stagnation in growth that had hit Nassau. They determined that the town needed medicines to survive, but that attacking British warships to obtain said medicine was likely to draw too much attention, especially given the Crown's renewed focus on eliminating the pirate threat in the Caribbean.
[[File:Proper Defenses 3.png|thumb|250px|left|Thatch informing Kenway about ''El Arca Del Maestro'']]
Thatch later encountered Benjamin Hornigold again and, as the two developed a strong friendship, the former was convinced to become Hornigold's quartermaster; a position he held until early 1716.<ref name="Database" /> In 1715, the two pirates met with [[Mary Read|James Kidd]] and Edward Kenway in [[Nassau]]. There, they discussed their plans to free the city of its British garrison and turn it into their very own Pirate Republic. Thatch, with the assistance of Kenway, arranged for the capture and subsequent use of a [[Spanish Navy|Spanish]] galleon, ''[[El Arca del Maestro]]'', as a fortified defense of one of the island's harbors, beaching it on nearby [[Abaco Island]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Proper Defenses]]</ref>


Despite these circumstances, Thatch's displeasure with their immediate success, or lack thereof, spurred him into assaulting a British Man O' War to take its medicine supply. He subsequently had to be saved by Kenway, who helped him to capture the ship.
By 1717, having grown his beard to transform himself into the character of "Blackbeard",<ref name="The Forts" /> Thatch commandeered a ship called the ''Adventure''—captained by [[Stede Bonnet]]—for himself. Allowing Bonnet to remain aboard as a protégé, Thatch commanded the ship for two months when he captured the [[France|French]] [[Slave ships|slave ship]] ''La Concorde''. Renaming her ''Queen Anne's Revenge'' in honor of the late [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen]], he armed the [[frigate]] with over forty [[cannon]]s, thereby becoming one of the most feared pirates in the West Indies.<ref name="Database" />


[[File:The Siege of Charles-Towne 9.png|thumb|left|250px|Blackbeard and his prisoners at Charles-Towne]]
In early 1717, Thatch encountered three ships that belonged to his friend, [[Samuel Bellamy]] and his associates, [[Olivier Levasseur]] and [[Alonzo Batilla]] in the [[Grand Bahama]]s. They were engaged in an uneven fight against the ''[[King George (Man O' War)|King George]]'', a British Man O'War led by the Templar Captain [[Francis Hume]]. Thatch decided to assist them by firing a broadside into the Man O'War, allowing Batilla to destroy the battered ship by shooting at its weak spots. Leaving as soon as he arrived, Batilla questioned his identity before leaving.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Pirates]]'' – [[The Whydah's Secret]]</ref>
In 1718, Thatch and Kenway traveled to the British colony at [[Charleston|Charles-Towne]] in order to procure a large amount of medicine, which had been sourced to the town by a box found in the captured Man O' War. By the time Kenway arrived, the ''Queen Anne's Revenge'' had been blockading the town for seven days and had taken several hostages, encouraging Charles-Towne to surrender its medicine. To Thatch's disappointment, there had been no response, and the party he sent to bargain with the governor had not returned.


With Kenway's arrival, they successfully procured the needed medicine. However, when Kenway suggested they return to Nassau, Thatch declined, saying he would be traveling north for business. Kenway inferred that Thatch had no plans to return to Nassau, which Thatch confirmed, saying that he intended to go into retirement.
Later that year, he met Batilla again at [[La Boca del Diablo]] and informed the pirate about Bellamy's death in a storm and the wreckage of Levasseur's ship, ''[[Le Postillon]]''. The two pirates then sailed to the shipwreck and investigated the site. Batilla discovered the Templars' involvement in the attack and told Thatch about the Templars and their attempt to rule the seas. Before sailing back to Nassau, Thatch informed Batilla of a [[Slavery|slaver]] [[fort]] where the young pirate might find out more about Levasseur's attackers.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Pirates]]'' – [[La Boca del Diablo (memory)|La Boca del Diablo]]</ref>
 
At the start of 1718, Thatch once again met with Hornigold and Kenway to discuss the stagnation in growth that had hit Nassau. They determined that the town needed medicines to survive, but that attacking British warships to obtain said medicine was likely to draw too much attention, especially given the Crown's renewed focus on eliminating the pirate threat in the Caribbean.<ref name="Diving for Medicines">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Diving for Medicines]]</ref>
 
Despite these circumstances, Thatch's displeasure with their immediate success, or lack thereof, spurred him into assaulting a British Man O' War to take its medicine supply. He subsequently had to be saved by Kenway, who helped him to capture the ship.<ref name="Devil's Advocate">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Devil's Advocate]]</ref>
 
[[File:The Siege of Charles-Towne 9.png|thumb|250px|Thatch and his prisoners at Charles-Towne]]
Thatch and Kenway traveled to the British colony at [[Charleston|Charles-Towne]] in order to procure a large amount of medicine, which had been sourced to the town by a box found in the captured Man O' War. By the time Kenway arrived, the ''Queen Anne's Revenge'' had been blockading the town for seven days and had taken several hostages, encouraging Charles-Towne to surrender its medicine. To Thatch's disappointment, there had been no response, and the party he sent to bargain with the governor had not returned.<ref name="Siege of Charles-Towne">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[The Siege of Charles-Towne]]</ref>
 
With Kenway's arrival, they successfully procured the needed medicine. However, when Kenway suggested they return to Nassau, Thatch declined, saying he would be traveling north for business. Kenway inferred that Thatch had no plans to return to Nassau, which Thatch confirmed, saying that he intended to go into retirement.<ref name="Siege of Charles-Towne" />


===Death===
===Death===
{{Quote|In a world without gold, we might have been heroes!|Edward Thatch's final words, 1718.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag}}
{{Quote|In a world without gold, we might have been heroes!|Edward Thatch's final words, 1718.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag|Do Not Go Gently...}}
[[File:Do Not Go Gently 9.png|thumb|right|250px|Thatch's last stand]]
Thatch accepted a pardon from [[Charles Eden]], governor of [[North Carolina]], but quickly resumed piracy to gather more funds for his retirement. [[Alexander Spotswood]], the governor of [[Virginia (state)|Virginia]], became aware of his continued piracies, and paid Lieutenant [[Robert Maynard]] to get rid of him.<ref name="Database" />
After the blockade of Nassau by British forces, Kenway and Vane tracked Thatch down to [[Ocracoke Island|Ocracoke]] to convince him to return, to no avail. While Vane swore him off, Kenway was more understanding, saying he did not begrudge Thatch his choice. In thanks, Thatch informed him that the [[Sages|Sage]] [[Bartholomew Roberts]] was rumored to be sailing on a slaver ship called the ''[[Princess]]''.
 
[[File:Do Not Go Gently 9.png|thumb|250px|left|Thatch fighting the British troops]]
After the blockade of Nassau by British forces, Kenway and Vane tracked Thatch down to [[Ocracoke]] to convince him to return, to no avail. While Vane swore him off, Kenway was more understanding, saying he did not begrudge Thatch his choice. In thanks, Thatch informed him that the [[Sage]] [[Bartholomew Roberts]] was rumored to be sailing on a slaver ship called the ''[[Princess]]''.<ref name="Do Not Go Gently">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Do Not Go Gently...]]</ref>
 
Later that evening, two Royal Navy vessels under Maynard launched an ambush, destroying the small settlement as well as the ships anchored in the harbor, including the ''Queen Anne's Revenge'', which forced Thatch and Kenway to make their escape aboard the ''[[Jackdaw]]'', the only ship to survive the attack. The two soon realized, however, that they would need to capture the attacking Man O' War in order to leave safely, and subsequently boarded it.<ref name="Do Not Go Gently" />
 
Despite their best efforts, the pirates were soon overwhelmed; surrounded and outnumbered, Kenway saw that Thatch was in danger and threw him a [[Firearm|pistol]], but Thatch was slain in the back and beheaded after a prolonged and bloody engagement, causing Edward to scream his name, though Kenway and Vane were able to escape.<ref name="Do Not Go Gently" />
 
==Legacy==
{{Dialogue|Vane|Devil damn the man, he was fierce. But his heart was divided.|Edward|It's hard to let go of the life you know best.|Edward Kenway and Charles Vane discussing Thatch shortly after his death, 1718.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag|Vainglorious Bastards}}
[[File:The End 7.png|thumb|250px|Edward reminiscing Thatch and other pirates]]
In October 1722, when Edward fondly recalled his late friends in [[Great Inagua]] prior to his departure from the Caribbean and return to England, Thatch appeared among them.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[The End]]</ref> Years later, after settling down in [[London]] with his family, Edward took an [[Dog|Irish wolfhound]] as a pet and named him [[Thatch]] in honor of his late friend.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]'' – 9 December 1735</ref>
 
Reportedly, at some point during his pirate career, Thatch visited [[Dead Chest Island]] and marooned fifteen of his crew members there as punishment. The captain left each sailor with a cutlass and a bottle of rum, and when he returned later that month, he discovered that most of the men had already died. This story later became a local legend.<ref name="Dead Chest Island">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Database: Dead Chest Island]]</ref>
 
In 2023, when Edward's descendant [[Noa Kim]] came into contact with a [[Crescent amulet|crescent-shaped]] [[Piece of Eden]] in the [[Ourang Medan|SS ''Ourang Medan'']]'s shipwreck, the artifact's powers, combined with the [[Bleeding Effect]], caused Noa to experience several hallucinations of Edward's [[Genetic memory|memories]]. One of these visions depicted Thatch alongside Edward's other friends, including Charles Vane, Benjamin Hornigold, and Mary Read.<ref name="FT 77">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple Episode 77|Episode 77]]</ref>
 
==Personality and traits==
{{Quote|That's some soft talk coming from a pirate. And as it happens... I mostly agree.|Thatch on [[Adéwalé]]'s desire to avoid attacking merchant ships.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag|Proper Defenses}}
Thatch was a warm and avuncular man who despised the corruption of the British bureaucracy and cared deeply about building an independent state for dispossessed privateers like himself in Nassau.<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref> Although the Pirate Republic fell into squalor, he went to tremendous lengths to find medicine for his disease-ridden brethren,<ref name="Devil's Advocate" /> until the point he felt his age was catching up to him and left.<ref name="Siege of Charles-Towne" />
 
[[File:Prizes and Plunder 8.png|thumb|250px|left|Thatch relaxing with Kenway and Hornigold on a beach]]
Thatch also genuinely cared for Edward Kenway, treating him as a student and mentoring him in all matters of sailing and "proper" piracy.<ref name="AC4" /> When the captain [[Abel Bramah]] tried to snare Kenway in a foolish quest for [[gold]], Thatch went so far as to threaten Bramah with a pistol in a failed last attempt at dissuading Kenway from joining the hunt after ignoring many prior warnings.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard – The Lost Journal]]''</ref>
 
The demonic persona of Blackbeard was crafted by Thatch to avoid actually using violence to intimidate his enemies. He bolstered his formidable image by growing out his beard partly to make himself all the more iconic<ref name="The Forts" /> and performing stunts such as lighting fuses in his hair,<ref name="Diving for Medicines" /> pouring gunpowder in his rum, or forcing his crew to work below deck as he burned sulfur to prove he was the hardiest of all of them. Unfortunately, Thatch's fearsome reputation caught up to him when the British attacked and killed him, just as he was retiring.<ref name="Do Not Go Gently" />
 
===Skills and equipment===
{{Quote|Give your quarry something to fear, some hellish thing from a fever'd dream, and men will drop to their knees pleading for their Lord before aught else!|Thatch explaining his use of theatrics to scare enemies into submission, 1718.|Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag|Diving for Medicines}}
Thatch was an experienced sailor and captain from his years as a member of the Royal Navy as well as a pirate. He was also a master of intimidation cultivating an appearance to strike fear into his enemy's so much so that they would rather give up than fight.<ref name="AC4" />


Later that evening, two Royal Navy vessels under Lt. Robert Maynard - who had also tracked down Thatch - launched an ambush, destroying the small settlement as well as the ships anchored in the harbor, including the ''Queen Anne's Revenge'', which forced Thatch and Kenway to make their escape aboard the ''[[Jackdaw]]'', the only ship to survive the attack. The two soon realized, however, that they would need to capture the attacking Man O' War in order to leave safely, and subsequently boarded it.
[[File:Diving For Medicines 10.png|thumb|250px|Thatch demonstrating his intimidation skills on Stede Bonnet]]
Thatch was a highly skilled [[swords]]man, besting many members of the Royal Navy as well as training Edward Kenway into a master himself. He was additonally a skilled marksman, once striking the sailor Blaney square in the forehead to save Kenway's life.<ref name="AC4Book" />


Despite their best efforts, the pirates were soon overwhelmed; surrounded and outnumbered, Kenway saw that Thatch was in danger and threw him a pistol, but Thatch was slain after a prolonged and bloody engagement, though Kenway and Vane were able to escape.<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref>
In combat, Thatch seemed to have a near inhuman endurance, as it was noted that during his final battle he was shot no fewer than five times and suffered twenty cutlass wounds. In terms of equipment, he wore two cutlasses, between four to six pistols over his chest, and occasionally a dagger.<ref name="AC4" />


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*The [[Database/Locations (AC3):Dead Chest Island|database entry]] for [[Dead Chest Island]] in ''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' uses the name "Edward Teach".<ref name="AC3">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''</ref>
*Historically, the identity of Thatch's killer was a British lieutenant, later captain of the British Navy, named Robert Maynard. While leading ''HMS Pearl'', Maynard lured Blackbeard into attacking his ship off the coast of North Carolina, and after confronting the pirate in combat was able to kill him. Maynard later put Thatch's head on display, hanging it from the ''Pearl''{{'}}s bow.
*Following his retirement, Edward Kenway took an Irish bloodhound as a pet, which he named Thatch.<ref name="ACF">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]''</ref>
*There was confusion as to Thatch's real surname, with various historical sources spelling his surname as either "Teach, Theach, Tache, Titche, Teatch [or] Tack"; one early source even claims his surname was Drummond. In reference to this, one lieutenant in ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' refers to him as "Edward Teach".<ref name="AC4" /> The database entry for [[Dead Chest Island]] in ''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' uses the name "Edward Teach".<ref name="Dead Chest Island" />
*There was confusion as to Thatch's real name amongst the Royal Navy, with at least one Captain referring to him as '''Edward ''Teach'''''.
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'', [[Louis-Joseph Gaultier, Chevalier de la Vérendrye]] mentions Thatch, Woodes Rogers, and [[Jack Rackham]] as the pirates with whom Adéwalé had 'rubbed elbows'.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Tinker Sailor Soldier Spy]]</ref>
*Thatch is the fourth character in the series whose appearance changed during the events of one game; the first being [[Ezio Auditore Da Firenze]] when he grew a beard following the events of the [[Battle of Forlì (DLC)|Battle of Forlì]], the second being [[Altair Ibn-La'Ahad]] where the [[Memory Seals]] in [[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]] showed him aging into an old man and the third person being [[Ratonhnhake:ton]] where the events of [[Assassin's Creed III]] shows him growing up into a man as well as him later shaving his hair into a mohawk. 
*In 2013, [[Abstergo Entertainment]] announced the possibility of a stage production, titled ''Blackbeard: The Musical'', to be in the beginning stages of development. This is a reference to a {{Wiki|Blackbeard (musical)|production}} begun in 2008.
*[[Mark Bonnar]] came up with Blackbeard's voice by browsing ''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices BBC Voices]'' and emulating the voices of older residents from Bristol. He expressed difficulty maintaining the accent, as sometimes he felt he sounded too [[Ireland|Irish]]. He also channeled his portrayal of the ape in a radio version of ''{{Wiki|The Murders in the Rue Morgue}}'' for the character's growls.<ref>{{Youtube|video=7aSDSPQUSv0|text=The Assassin's Den - ft. Mark Bonnar|channel=UCfB8dJdMxEofkcybwAskjqQ|channelname=Loomer}}</ref>
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'', Thatch was first mentioned in the synopsis of ''[[Dead Men's Gold]]'', a new [[Helix Rift Event]] launched on 18 March 2020. He was later added as a playable character for the second round of the event on 18 April 2020.<ref>{{Facebook|MobileACR|posts/pfbid08VRqNJ4wZhAa814XqBJeQWgnjWL7ygrma3QTiLZYsRFVM7UUnCtc65JWRoqN3RyNl|Assassin's Creed Rebellion|quote=Introducing Edward 'Blackbeard' Thatch, coming to the Mobile Animus on April 18th in the Helix Rift Event, DEAD MEN'S GOLD!|image=File:ACReb Twitter Edward Thatch reveal.png|backup=no}}</ref>


==Gallery==
==Appearances==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" spacing="small" widths="180">
{{GalleryBox|Edward Thatch}}
Edward Thatch concept.jpg|Concept art of Blackbeard
*''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' {{1stm}} {{Mdat}}
Edward Thatch rear view concept.jpg|Rear concept of Blackbeard
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]'' {{Imo}}
Blackbeard profile picture.png|Edward Thatch render
*''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' {{1st}}
Now Hiring 4.png|Hornigold, Thatch and Kenway in Nassau
**''[[Multiplayer/ACIV|Multiplayer]]'' – ''[[Blackbeard's Wrath]]'' {{C|as [[Blackbeard (Animi Avatar)|Blackbeard]]}}
Raise the Black Flag 3.png|Thatch and the others in Salt Key
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Black Flag]]''
Proper Defenses 3.png|Thatch telling others about ''El Arca Del Maestro''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Pirates]]''
Diving For Medicines 1.png|Edward meeting with Thatch in the Caribbean
*''[[Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard – The Lost Journal]]''
Diving For Medicines 9.png|Thatch putting his fiery hat on
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]''
Diving For Medicines 10.png|Thatch demonstrating his theatrics on [[Stede Bonnet]]
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' {{Mo}}
Devil's Advocate 7.png|Thatch talking with the dying British captain
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – ''[[Dead Men's Gold]]''
The Siege of Charles-Towne 1.png|Thatch speaking to the hostages
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]'' {{c|cameo}}
Do Not Go Gently 3.png|Thatch with Kenway in Ocracoke
Do Not Go Gently 10.png|The soldiers killing Thatch
</gallery>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Scroll box|content={{Reflist}}}}
{{AC4}}
{{AC4}}
{{ACP}}
{{ACM}}
{{ACRebellion}}
{{MPChars}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thatch, Edward}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thatch, Edward}}
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[[ru:Эдвард Тэтч]]
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[[Category:Individuals]]
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[[Category:Englishmen]]
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[[Category:Queen Anne's Revenge crew]]

Latest revision as of 12:52, 28 November 2025

Patience, brothers. Soon we will reveal the secrets of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard - The Lost Journal.

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"Caution's nothing without charisma! If a man plays the fool, then it's only fools he'll persuade. But appear to be the devil... and all men will submit."
―Edward Thatch to Edward Kenway, 1718.[src]-[m]

Edward Thatch (c. 1680 – 1718), also known by the alias Blackbeard, was an infamous English pirate captain who sailed the West Indies and the eastern seaboard of the American colonies aboard his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, during the early 18th century, being one of the most respected crime lords of the time.

In 2013, his genetic memories were used as an Animi Avatar under the title of Blackbeard by the entertainment branch of the Templar company Abstergo Industries, to influence the general public via the Animus game console.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Early life[edit | edit source]

Edward Thatch was likely born in Bristol, England, in 1680. Little is known of his early years until the War of the Spanish Succession in 1701, when he served as a privateer for the Royal Navy in the Caribbean.[1] During the war, Thatch met Benjamin Hornigold, Edward Kenway,[2] and Charles Vane.[3]

In January 1713, Thatch and his crew came to the rescue of the Amazon Galley, a ship belonging to the East India Company, when it was being boarded by the crew of the Emperor. The pirates were soon overpowered by the privateers and the soldiers, and only two of them were left alive. Blaney, one of the remaining pirates decided to join Thatch's crew, and asked if he could kill Edward Kenway, the other survivor. Thatch told them to have a fistfight instead, with Kenway emerging victorious. However, when Blaney attempted to cheat, he was shot by Thatch, and Kenway was recruited into Thatch's crew.[4]

Piracy[edit | edit source]

Kenway: "You don't do nothing subtle, do ya, Thatch?"
Thatch: "Legends ain't born from mildness."
—Edward Kenway and Thatch, 1718.[src]-[m]

With the advent of the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, Thatch was, like so many other privateers, denounced by his government and left to fend for himself. Eventually, he turned to piracy to make his living, convincing most of his crew to join him.[1] One of the crew's first acts of piracy was their search for the wreck of a treasure galleon housing gold,[5][6] though they faced opposition from the British Navy captain Blount, who sought the same prize.[7][8] In the end, Thatch's crew prevailed and made off with their prize after killing Blount and sinking his Man O' War.[9]

Thatch informing Kenway about El Arca Del Maestro

Thatch later encountered Benjamin Hornigold again and, as the two developed a strong friendship, the former was convinced to become Hornigold's quartermaster; a position he held until early 1716.[1] In 1715, the two pirates met with James Kidd and Edward Kenway in Nassau. There, they discussed their plans to free the city of its British garrison and turn it into their very own Pirate Republic. Thatch, with the assistance of Kenway, arranged for the capture and subsequent use of a Spanish galleon, El Arca del Maestro, as a fortified defense of one of the island's harbors, beaching it on nearby Abaco Island.[10]

By 1717, having grown his beard to transform himself into the character of "Blackbeard",[3] Thatch commandeered a ship called the Adventure—captained by Stede Bonnet—for himself. Allowing Bonnet to remain aboard as a protégé, Thatch commanded the ship for two months when he captured the French slave ship La Concorde. Renaming her Queen Anne's Revenge in honor of the late Queen, he armed the frigate with over forty cannons, thereby becoming one of the most feared pirates in the West Indies.[1]

In early 1717, Thatch encountered three ships that belonged to his friend, Samuel Bellamy and his associates, Olivier Levasseur and Alonzo Batilla in the Grand Bahamas. They were engaged in an uneven fight against the King George, a British Man O'War led by the Templar Captain Francis Hume. Thatch decided to assist them by firing a broadside into the Man O'War, allowing Batilla to destroy the battered ship by shooting at its weak spots. Leaving as soon as he arrived, Batilla questioned his identity before leaving.[11]

Later that year, he met Batilla again at La Boca del Diablo and informed the pirate about Bellamy's death in a storm and the wreckage of Levasseur's ship, Le Postillon. The two pirates then sailed to the shipwreck and investigated the site. Batilla discovered the Templars' involvement in the attack and told Thatch about the Templars and their attempt to rule the seas. Before sailing back to Nassau, Thatch informed Batilla of a slaver fort where the young pirate might find out more about Levasseur's attackers.[12]

At the start of 1718, Thatch once again met with Hornigold and Kenway to discuss the stagnation in growth that had hit Nassau. They determined that the town needed medicines to survive, but that attacking British warships to obtain said medicine was likely to draw too much attention, especially given the Crown's renewed focus on eliminating the pirate threat in the Caribbean.[13]

Despite these circumstances, Thatch's displeasure with their immediate success, or lack thereof, spurred him into assaulting a British Man O' War to take its medicine supply. He subsequently had to be saved by Kenway, who helped him to capture the ship.[14]

Thatch and his prisoners at Charles-Towne

Thatch and Kenway traveled to the British colony at Charles-Towne in order to procure a large amount of medicine, which had been sourced to the town by a box found in the captured Man O' War. By the time Kenway arrived, the Queen Anne's Revenge had been blockading the town for seven days and had taken several hostages, encouraging Charles-Towne to surrender its medicine. To Thatch's disappointment, there had been no response, and the party he sent to bargain with the governor had not returned.[15]

With Kenway's arrival, they successfully procured the needed medicine. However, when Kenway suggested they return to Nassau, Thatch declined, saying he would be traveling north for business. Kenway inferred that Thatch had no plans to return to Nassau, which Thatch confirmed, saying that he intended to go into retirement.[15]

Death[edit | edit source]

"In a world without gold, we might have been heroes!"
―Edward Thatch's final words, 1718.[src]-[m]

Thatch accepted a pardon from Charles Eden, governor of North Carolina, but quickly resumed piracy to gather more funds for his retirement. Alexander Spotswood, the governor of Virginia, became aware of his continued piracies, and paid Lieutenant Robert Maynard to get rid of him.[1]

Thatch fighting the British troops

After the blockade of Nassau by British forces, Kenway and Vane tracked Thatch down to Ocracoke to convince him to return, to no avail. While Vane swore him off, Kenway was more understanding, saying he did not begrudge Thatch his choice. In thanks, Thatch informed him that the Sage Bartholomew Roberts was rumored to be sailing on a slaver ship called the Princess.[16]

Later that evening, two Royal Navy vessels under Maynard launched an ambush, destroying the small settlement as well as the ships anchored in the harbor, including the Queen Anne's Revenge, which forced Thatch and Kenway to make their escape aboard the Jackdaw, the only ship to survive the attack. The two soon realized, however, that they would need to capture the attacking Man O' War in order to leave safely, and subsequently boarded it.[16]

Despite their best efforts, the pirates were soon overwhelmed; surrounded and outnumbered, Kenway saw that Thatch was in danger and threw him a pistol, but Thatch was slain in the back and beheaded after a prolonged and bloody engagement, causing Edward to scream his name, though Kenway and Vane were able to escape.[16]

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Vane: "Devil damn the man, he was fierce. But his heart was divided."
Edward: "It's hard to let go of the life you know best."
—Edward Kenway and Charles Vane discussing Thatch shortly after his death, 1718.[src]-[m]
Edward reminiscing Thatch and other pirates

In October 1722, when Edward fondly recalled his late friends in Great Inagua prior to his departure from the Caribbean and return to England, Thatch appeared among them.[17] Years later, after settling down in London with his family, Edward took an Irish wolfhound as a pet and named him Thatch in honor of his late friend.[18]

Reportedly, at some point during his pirate career, Thatch visited Dead Chest Island and marooned fifteen of his crew members there as punishment. The captain left each sailor with a cutlass and a bottle of rum, and when he returned later that month, he discovered that most of the men had already died. This story later became a local legend.[19]

In 2023, when Edward's descendant Noa Kim came into contact with a crescent-shaped Piece of Eden in the SS Ourang Medan's shipwreck, the artifact's powers, combined with the Bleeding Effect, caused Noa to experience several hallucinations of Edward's memories. One of these visions depicted Thatch alongside Edward's other friends, including Charles Vane, Benjamin Hornigold, and Mary Read.[20]

Personality and traits[edit | edit source]

"That's some soft talk coming from a pirate. And as it happens... I mostly agree."
―Thatch on Adéwalé's desire to avoid attacking merchant ships.[src]-[m]

Thatch was a warm and avuncular man who despised the corruption of the British bureaucracy and cared deeply about building an independent state for dispossessed privateers like himself in Nassau.[21] Although the Pirate Republic fell into squalor, he went to tremendous lengths to find medicine for his disease-ridden brethren,[14] until the point he felt his age was catching up to him and left.[15]

Thatch relaxing with Kenway and Hornigold on a beach

Thatch also genuinely cared for Edward Kenway, treating him as a student and mentoring him in all matters of sailing and "proper" piracy.[21] When the captain Abel Bramah tried to snare Kenway in a foolish quest for gold, Thatch went so far as to threaten Bramah with a pistol in a failed last attempt at dissuading Kenway from joining the hunt after ignoring many prior warnings.[22]

The demonic persona of Blackbeard was crafted by Thatch to avoid actually using violence to intimidate his enemies. He bolstered his formidable image by growing out his beard partly to make himself all the more iconic[3] and performing stunts such as lighting fuses in his hair,[13] pouring gunpowder in his rum, or forcing his crew to work below deck as he burned sulfur to prove he was the hardiest of all of them. Unfortunately, Thatch's fearsome reputation caught up to him when the British attacked and killed him, just as he was retiring.[16]

Skills and equipment[edit | edit source]

"Give your quarry something to fear, some hellish thing from a fever'd dream, and men will drop to their knees pleading for their Lord before aught else!"
―Thatch explaining his use of theatrics to scare enemies into submission, 1718.[src]-[m]

Thatch was an experienced sailor and captain from his years as a member of the Royal Navy as well as a pirate. He was also a master of intimidation cultivating an appearance to strike fear into his enemy's so much so that they would rather give up than fight.[21]

Thatch demonstrating his intimidation skills on Stede Bonnet

Thatch was a highly skilled swordsman, besting many members of the Royal Navy as well as training Edward Kenway into a master himself. He was additonally a skilled marksman, once striking the sailor Blaney square in the forehead to save Kenway's life.[4]

In combat, Thatch seemed to have a near inhuman endurance, as it was noted that during his final battle he was shot no fewer than five times and suffered twenty cutlass wounds. In terms of equipment, he wore two cutlasses, between four to six pistols over his chest, and occasionally a dagger.[21]

Trivia[edit | edit source]

  • Historically, the identity of Thatch's killer was a British lieutenant, later captain of the British Navy, named Robert Maynard. While leading HMS Pearl, Maynard lured Blackbeard into attacking his ship off the coast of North Carolina, and after confronting the pirate in combat was able to kill him. Maynard later put Thatch's head on display, hanging it from the Pearl's bow.
  • There was confusion as to Thatch's real surname, with various historical sources spelling his surname as either "Teach, Theach, Tache, Titche, Teatch [or] Tack"; one early source even claims his surname was Drummond. In reference to this, one lieutenant in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag refers to him as "Edward Teach".[21] The database entry for Dead Chest Island in Assassin's Creed III uses the name "Edward Teach".[19]
  • In Assassin's Creed: Rogue, Louis-Joseph Gaultier, Chevalier de la Vérendrye mentions Thatch, Woodes Rogers, and Jack Rackham as the pirates with whom Adéwalé had 'rubbed elbows'.[23]
  • In 2013, Abstergo Entertainment announced the possibility of a stage production, titled Blackbeard: The Musical, to be in the beginning stages of development. This is a reference to a production begun in 2008.
  • Mark Bonnar came up with Blackbeard's voice by browsing BBC Voices and emulating the voices of older residents from Bristol. He expressed difficulty maintaining the accent, as sometimes he felt he sounded too Irish. He also channeled his portrayal of the ape in a radio version of The Murders in the Rue Morgue for the character's growls.[24]
  • In Assassin's Creed: Rebellion, Thatch was first mentioned in the synopsis of Dead Men's Gold, a new Helix Rift Event launched on 18 March 2020. He was later added as a playable character for the second round of the event on 18 April 2020.[25]

Appearances[edit | edit source]

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An image gallery is available for Edward Thatch

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Database: Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch
  2. ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Now Hiring
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – The Forts
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Assassin's Creed: Black Flag
  5. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – Dead Men's Gold – A Drunken Sailor
  6. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – Dead Men's Gold – Into the Rigging
  7. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – Dead Men's Gold – The Leviathan's Bones
  8. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – Dead Men's Gold – A Fistful of Doubloons
  9. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – Dead Men's Gold – Blood and Thunder
  10. ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Proper Defenses
  11. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Pirates – The Whydah's Secret
  12. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Pirates – La Boca del Diablo
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Diving for Medicines
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Devil's Advocate
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – The Siege of Charles-Towne
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Do Not Go Gently...
  17. ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – The End
  18. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forsaken – 9 December 1735
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Assassin's Creed III – Database: Dead Chest Island
  20. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 77
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
  22. ↑ Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard – The Lost Journal
  23. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rogue – Tinker Sailor Soldier Spy
  24. ↑ The Assassin's Den - ft. Mark Bonnar on the Loomer YouTube channel
  25. ↑ Assassin's Creed Rebellion (@MobileACR) on Facebook "Introducing Edward 'Blackbeard' Thatch, coming to the Mobile Animus on April 18th in the Helix Rift Event, DEAD MEN'S GOLD!" ([no backup link]) (screenshot)

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de:Edward Thatch es:Edward Thatch fr:Edward Thatch he:אדוארד טאץ' hu:Edward Thatch it:Edward Thatch ja:エドワード・サッチ nl:Edward Thatch pl:Edward Thatch pt-br:Edward Thatch ru:Эдвард Тэтч zh:爱德华·萨奇

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