Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Ezio Auditore di Firenze is to be the protagonist of Assassin's Creed II. Ezio is a young Florentian nobleman-turned-assassin in the year 1486. An article from GameInformer states that he is a descendant of Altaïr, and ancestor of Desmond. An interview with the game's creative director, Patrice Desilets, confirms that the Ezio becomes an assassin to seek his vengeance on those that killed his family (it is possible that they are Templars). Ezio is also announced to be allied with the famous inventor/artist Leonardo da Vinci and the writer/philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli.