Shay Patrick Cormac

Shay Patrick Cormac was concepted based on the idea of a member of the Assassins having a change of heart and leaving as a result of a traumatic act of betrayal. Shay joined the Brotherhood as a brash young man, and is depicted at the beginning of Rogue's narrative as a somewhat frivolous personality who does not take his role seriously due to his youth and lack of wisdom, though he is full of inner conflict as he questions the motivations of his leaders. Richard Farrese, one of the writers for Rogue, explained that the character is prompted to rethink his whole philosophy and his allegiance to the Assassins as a result of a cataclysmic event, and realizes that the Templars' goals and methods are much more in line with his own beliefs. Ivan Balabanov, producer and general manager of Ubisoft Sofia, describes Shay's character arc as a "transformation into this very somber, dedicated character who is pursuing his former comrades for something he genuinely believes is the better road.” Ivan Balabanov further noted that "there are not many lines which Shay doesn’t cross. It’s a dark story. It’s probably the most tragic of AC games so far. You see that Shay is not somebody who, once he’s made up his mind, he’s forgotten what it’s like to know these people. He knows who they are. He’s regretful when he kills them."

Ubisoft staff have emphasized that Shay is not evil or ruthless at any point in the game's narrative, but rather the narrative focuses on Shay "as a human being, his story, why he’s doing what he’s doing, all in the context of demonstrating these gray areas".[2] The development team wanted to create a relatable character whose actions create room for understanding, and that they deliberately avoid creating a "monodimensional, very flat character, a stereotypical bad guy who kills the good guys".[1] Producer Karl van der Luhe explains that from Shay's perspective, it is not about "going to the dark side", but rather a case of him finding himself being aligned with the Templars' approach as he comes to a realization that their motives and strategy are more in-line with what he believes is right, and he joins to help push it further. Van der Luhe noted that the Templars and Assassins essentially want the same things and that their point of difference is their approach into getting there. Writer Susan Patrick suggested that by hunting down his former comrades, Shay is in fact seeking redemption.[3]

Writer Richard Farrese suggested that one of the exciting things about playing a Templar is that the player experienced "all of that from the other side", and now that they are part of the Templar Order as Shay, the game places the player in direct opposition against the chaos wrought by the Assassins.[4] One of the key differences between both organizations, besides their philosophical differences, comes down to resources; Farrese explained that the Templars are well-heeled compared to the Assassins, and while they are not in control of the Colonial authorities at the onset of the French and Indian War, they are actively trying to manipulate them. The Templar Order's access to a wealth of resources is manifested through Shay’s arsenal of rare and exotic weapons that either existed as prototypes during the era or were actually in use at the time.[4] A notable example is his air rifle, which allows him to silently take out enemies at a distance, and utilizes a variety of different projectiles like darts or firecracker rounds that distract enemies or help him complete objectives.[4] At a predetermined point in the narrative, he is also given a grenade launcher attachment for his rifle by a fictionalized version of Benjamin Franklin, which could fire off shrapnel grenades and other loads.[1]

There is some conflicting information as to Shay's place of birth. Mitch Dyer from IGN described him as the Dublin-born son of a fisherman,[1] and the character's speech is punctuated with a noticeable Irish accent. On the other hand, Patrick explained in a developer's blog post on the Ubisoft website that he is born to Irish immigrants in New York.[3]

In 2019 DAMTOYS released a figure of Shay Cormac, which stands at just over 12 inches tall and dressed in the character's signature robed outfit, with accessories such as pistol bags, bracers, and pouches. The action figure features nearly a dozen interchangeable hands, which allows for poses with different types of weapons.[6]

Shay Patrick Cormac has been well received by video game journalists, with favorable placements on several "top character" ranking lists of Assassin's Creed series protagonists.[7][8] Andy Kelly from PC Gamer praised Shay as a "tough and ruthless" character who refuses to prey on the weak and occasionally shows mercy, and that more "nuanced and flawed" lead characters like him should appear in the Assassin's Creed series.[9] Ewan Moore described Shay as "brutal yet conflicted", a compelling character who is always willing to be kind when he can, and expressed a desire to see another full game with him as a lead.[10] Andrew Carroll from Headstuff included Shay in his list of 6 great Irish video game characters in commemoration of St Patrick's Day 2019.[11]

Critical commentary have focused on the characterization of Shay's humanity. Mitch Dyer from IGN commented that while Rogue is the darkest, most brutal game in the entire series, its main character is not the villainous sociopath he had expected, but rather has goals, regrets, fears, and a grounded personality that makes him a fascinating character.[1] Dyer observed that Shay is more relatable compared to previous series protagonists, and that his fall from grace happens slower than he had anticipated, which contributes to making his change of allegiance more convincing. He concludes that it is discomforting that the assassin he finds the most interesting is the one who hunts down and slays his former comrades, though the narrative's grim tone is balanced by what he considered to be one of the most preposterous, hilarious events in the entire series: Benjamin Franklin giving Shay a grenade launcher, a "fun tool for sending enemies into a rage, blowing up walls, or gassing groups of bad guys into unconsciousness".[1] Stephen Totilo from Kotaku considered him to be one of the most interesting protagonists in the series whose character arc, from Assassin to Templar is satisfyingly told through playable missions.[12] Softpedia's review of Rogue praised Shay is probably one of the most complex characters in the series who has an actual personality and deep moral dilemmas, and claimed that one could not find fault with his actions even though the series have predominantly depicted the Assassin and Templar conflict from the perspective of the former.[13] In a retrospective review of Rogue, Shubhankar Parijat from Gamingbolt said Shay’s transformation from young Assassin to Master Templar remains "fascinating to see". Parijat said Rogue's storyline, which revolves around Shay's personal conflict with his former friends and allies, seeing him being forced to view things in different ways, watching him interact with and form closer bonds with his newfound comrades in the Templars, deserves a special place in the Assassin’s Creed series.[14][12]

Steven Piovesan's performance as Shay Patrick Cormac have received mixed reviews. Marshall Honorof from Tom's Guide thought Piovesan convincingly portrays Shay as thoughtful and conflicted.[15] The Irish accent Piovesan uses for the character on the other hand have attracted criticism, particularly from Irish publications.[16][17][18]