The Stranger

The Stranger is the name used to generally refer to the protagonist (the player) of the Ultimas. After Ultima IV, however, he was specifically called the Avatar.

From Ultima I to Ultima IV, the Stranger could be male or female, or "other" in Ultima III, under any name the player wished. He was always human, except, again, in Ultima III where the player could choose from many races. In Ultima IV, the Stranger completed a series of quests to become the Avatar, the embodiment of The Eight Virtues and the true hero of Britannia. Although it wasn't explicitly mentioned in Ultima IV, from Ultima VI onward, it was clearly stated that the Stranger was the person who would become the Avatar, thus preserving continuity.

The Avatar regained the memories of his past adventures when confronting the spirits of Mondain, Minax and Exodus in their respective shrines in the realm of Gargoyles.