Ubisoft has released a full character reference guide for Edward Kenway in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and if you are a cosplayer, prop maker, or the sort of person who can lose an entire weekend comparing shades of dirty linen, this is dangerous material.
The guide breaks down Edward’s full legacy outfit, his weapons, his accessories, and all the tiny costume details that made him one of the most immediately recognizable Assassins in the series. It also reminds us that Edward’s whole look works because he was never just “Assassin man in a pirate hat.” He is a pirate first, a menace second, and then, somewhere down the line, he gets dragged into having a moral compass.
The guide reintroduces him as Edward Kenway, born in Wales in 1693, who heads off to the Caribbean after leaving his wife, Caroline Scott, back in Bristol. That is already a red flag (I feel as though there should be a Black Flag joke here, but it’s Friday afternoon and I still have a little jet lag), obviously, but this is Assassin’s Creed, so a bit of bad decision-making is practically the onboarding process. Edward starts as a selfish fortune-hunter chasing wealth and glory, before eventually growing into someone worthy of standing alongside the Assassin Brotherhood.
The outfit is where the guide really gets into it. Edward’s costume is described as a mixture of Assassin and pirate gear, taken from Duncan Walpole after Edward defeats him. It is made from practical materials such as worn leather, cotton cloth, and heavy linen, which makes sense when your daily routine involves sailing, fighting, climbing, wading ashore, and occasionally murdering somebody from above.
The hood, naturally, gets special attention. It is not just there because Assassins are contractually required to look mysterious in profile. It is made from heavy linen, designed to conceal Edward’s face while still staying comfortable and secure during combat. It’s also handy if it starts pissing down. The rest of the outfit follows the same logic: loose garments for movement, tight cuffs to stop fabric snagging, high boots, baggy breeches, belts, sashes, and enough pouches to make any RPG player feel seen.
Then there are the weapons. Edward’s cutlasses are made from spring steel, his pistols include ornate pieces like the Gargoyle’s Breath, and his hidden blades have been modified so he does not need to sacrifice a ring finger like earlier Assassins. Sensible upgrade, that – Pirate chic. There is also a rope dart, taught to him by Ah Tabai, and a blowpipe for poison darts, because sometimes you want your piracy with a bit more stealth and a bit less shouting.
As cosplay guides go, this is impressively specific. Kenway is going to look better than ever when BFR gets released soon.
Authored by
Paul McNally
Paul McNally has been around consoles and computers since his parents bought him a Mattel Intellivision in 1980. He has been a prominent games journalist since the 1990s, spending over a decade as editor of popular print-based video games and computer magazines, including a market-leading PlayStation title. Paul has written high-end gaming content for GamePro, Official Australian PlayStation Magazine, PlayStation Pro, Amiga Action, Mega Action, ST Action, GQ, Loaded, and the The Mirror. He has also hosted panels at retro-gaming conventions and can regularly be found guesting on gaming podcasts and Twitch shows. Believing that the reader deserves actually to enjoy what they are reading is a big part of Paul’s ethos when it comes to gaming journalism, elevating the sites he works on above the norm.
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