| Bayek | |
|---|---|
| Assassin's Creed character | |
 | |
| First appearance | Assassin's Creed: Origins – Desert Oath (2017) |
| First game | Assassin's Creed Origins (2017) |
| Created by | Ubisoft Montreal |
| Portrayed by | Abubakar Salim |
| In-universe information | |
| Origin | Siwa Oasis, Ptolemaic Kingdom, Egypt |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
Bayek is a fictional character in Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed video game franchise. He serves as the protagonist of the 2017 title Assassin's Creed Origins, in which he is portrayed by British actor Abubakar Salim through performance capture, though his first appearance was in the tie-in novel Assassin's Creed: Origins – Desert Oath, which further explores his backstory. The character has also made minor appearances or been referenced in subsequent games and spin-off media of the franchise.
Within the series' alternate historical setting, Bayek lived during the final years of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, shortly before it was annexed by the Roman Empire as the Province of Egypt. Born and raised in the remote settlement of the Siwa Oasis (hence his epithet Bayek of Siwa), he dedicates his life to ensuring the security and welfare of the Egyptian people as the last of the Medjay, a title he inherited from his father. In Origins, Bayek fights against the imperialist incursion of Roman troops into Egypt as his tragic past of conspiracy, loss, and death is gradually revealed. Alongside his wife Aya, he is the co-founder of the Hidden Ones, the precursor organization to the series' fictional Assassin Brotherhood, which is inspired by the real-life Order of Assassins. As leader of the Hidden Ones, he sometimes used the alias "Amun" when signing off on letters of correspondence.
Bayek's character has been received positively by critics and fans of the Assassin's Creed series, and he is regarded as one of the franchise's best and most popular protagonists. As with the series' other protagonists, Ubisoft has released various merchandise promoting the character.