WASHINGTON — A mysterious torch bearer has captured the wonder of Opening Ceremony viewers, with many comparing the masked person to a popular video game franchise.
During the start of the Opening Ceremony, the character "stole" the torch from a group of children and as the ceremony unfolded, the broadcast continued to cut back to the person as they jumped and executed stylish parkour moves across Paris' skyline and through iconic landmarks.
The figure, masked with what looks like a fencer's cage and hooded with a white cloak, wore a dark-colored vest and flowing garments.
The acrobatic performance, as well as the unique look, bring to mind the iconic characters from the popular Ubisoft video game series "Assassin's Creed." One of the games, "Assassin's Creed Unity," is set in revolution-era France, and features an assassin dressed similarly to the torch runner helping topple tyrants across Paris.
The franchise is known for incorporating historical monuments and characters into the story, as well as its three-dimensional gameplay involving climbing, jumping, falling and maneuvering through an urban environment.
Many on social media were quick to make the comparison between the series and the mysterious storyline during the Opening Ceremony.
One of the Ubisoft game studios that produces the Assassin's Creed games is located in France, which would tie-in with the ceremony's theme of highlighting cultural points of interest in the country.
The ceremony also featured the popular novel and musical Les Misérables, Marie Antoinette, and Louis Vuitton.
According to the Associated Press, the mysterious torchbearer was inspired by a number of characters from French culture: Belphégor, the Iron Mask, the titular character from “Phantom of the Opera,” Fantomas, Ezio from “Assassin's Creed” and Arsène Lupin.
The torchbearer ran atop the Musee d’Orsay, dashed past Pont Neuf, rode a boat with a kid holding the flame and later cartwheeled down a red runway.
It's unclear if the mysterious torch bearer is the final person who will light the Olympic cauldron, or simply the person who will deliver the torch to someone else.
Toward the end of the ceremony, another mysterious character popped up to deliver the Olympic flag.
"A representation of Olympic spirit and a call for peace and solidarity takes shape in the form of a horsewoman galloping across the Seine," the Olympic Games social media account explained.
Lighting the Olympic cauldron is one of the highest ceremonial honors the host nation can bestow on somebody. Traditionally, the person has been a national figure of great importance, such as Muhammad Ali or Steve Nash.
The identity of the person lighting the cauldron is still a mystery, and is one of the most closely guarded secrets of an Olympic host country.