This paper presents the properties of the progenitor of the nearby core-collapse supernova SN 2023ixf in Messier 101. The progenitor was identified as a red supergiant (RSG) based on extensive pre-explosion ground- and space-based infrared observations, as well as optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The star was found to be heavily dust obscured, likely the dustiest progenitor candidate yet encountered. The star's effective temperature and luminosity were estimated to be 2770 K and $ 9.0 \times 10^{4} L_{\odot} $, with 68% credible intervals of 2340–3150 K and $ (7.5–10.9) \times 10^{4} L_{\odot} $, respectively. The candidate may have a Galactic RSG analog, IRC –10414, with a strikingly similar SED and luminosity. The initial mass of the progenitor candidate was constrained from $ 12 M_{\odot} $ to as high as $ 14 M_{\odot} $. The candidate was identified as a red supergiant based on its variability in the infrared, with a fundamental period of $ \sim 1091 $ days. The star was found to have a high bolometric luminosity of $ L_{bol} = 10^{4.74} L_{\odot} $ and an initial mass of $ M_{ini} = 11 M_{\odot} $. Jencson et al. (2023) constrained the luminosity and initial mass at even higher values, $ 10^{5.1} L_{\odot} $ and $ M_{ini} = 17 \pm 4 M_{\odot} $, respectively. Niu et al. (2023) also found similar values. The star was found to have a total reddening of $ A_{V} = 0.12 $ mag, with a reddening law of $ R_{V} = 3.1 $. The metallicity at the SN site was estimated to be $ 12 + \log[O/H] = 8.86 \pm 0.01 $, consistent with the neighboring giant H II region NGC 5461. The star was found to have a high oxygen abundance, with line strengths measured from a spectral extraction of nearby emission at the outskirts of H II region #1086. The reddening value estimated was larger than that for H1086 from Kennicutt & Garnett (1996), but it is reasonable to assume that the reddening may well be variable across the regionThis paper presents the properties of the progenitor of the nearby core-collapse supernova SN 2023ixf in Messier 101. The progenitor was identified as a red supergiant (RSG) based on extensive pre-explosion ground- and space-based infrared observations, as well as optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The star was found to be heavily dust obscured, likely the dustiest progenitor candidate yet encountered. The star's effective temperature and luminosity were estimated to be 2770 K and $ 9.0 \times 10^{4} L_{\odot} $, with 68% credible intervals of 2340–3150 K and $ (7.5–10.9) \times 10^{4} L_{\odot} $, respectively. The candidate may have a Galactic RSG analog, IRC –10414, with a strikingly similar SED and luminosity. The initial mass of the progenitor candidate was constrained from $ 12 M_{\odot} $ to as high as $ 14 M_{\odot} $. The candidate was identified as a red supergiant based on its variability in the infrared, with a fundamental period of $ \sim 1091 $ days. The star was found to have a high bolometric luminosity of $ L_{bol} = 10^{4.74} L_{\odot} $ and an initial mass of $ M_{ini} = 11 M_{\odot} $. Jencson et al. (2023) constrained the luminosity and initial mass at even higher values, $ 10^{5.1} L_{\odot} $ and $ M_{ini} = 17 \pm 4 M_{\odot} $, respectively. Niu et al. (2023) also found similar values. The star was found to have a total reddening of $ A_{V} = 0.12 $ mag, with a reddening law of $ R_{V} = 3.1 $. The metallicity at the SN site was estimated to be $ 12 + \log[O/H] = 8.86 \pm 0.01 $, consistent with the neighboring giant H II region NGC 5461. The star was found to have a high oxygen abundance, with line strengths measured from a spectral extraction of nearby emission at the outskirts of H II region #1086. The reddening value estimated was larger than that for H1086 from Kennicutt & Garnett (1996), but it is reasonable to assume that the reddening may well be variable across the region