Who are the Civilization 7 leaders? From Augustus Caesar to Xerxes I, Catherine the Great to Trung Trac, Firaxis is treating us to an all-star lineup of historical figureheads in its latest Civ installment.
Many of the Civilization 7 leaders you’ll encounter in this iteration of the iconic 4X game series will be familiar if you’ve spent any time with its predecessors. However, there are some fresh faces you’ll need to acquaint yourself with in the lead-up to the Civilization 7 release date – that’s where we come in. Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the Civ 7 leaders revealed so far, including what they excel at.
Here are all the Civ 7 leaders revealed so far:
- Amina
- Ashoka
- Augustus Caesar
- Benjamin Franklin
- Catherine the Great
- Charlemagne
- Confucius
- Harriet Tubman
- Hatshepsut
- Himiko
- Ibn Battuta
- Isabella
- José Rizal
- Lafayette
- Napoleon Bonaparte
- Niccoló Machiavelli
- Pachacuti
- Tecumseh
- Trung Trac
- Xerxes
Amina
Having earned herself an upgrade from Great General in Civilization 6 to a bonafide leader in Civ 7, warrior-queen Amina is a force to be reckoned with on land or sand. The 16th-century Hausa powerhouse ruled over the kingdom of Zazzau, and now she’s coming to rule the world thanks to the combat strength bonus she grants all units on Plains and Desert.
As these regions are her forte, expect to get on Amina’s bad side if you have more settlements than her in these areas. Conversely, if you steer clear of her turf entirely, Amina will like you more – but just a little. Amina isn’t just a militaristic leader and provides some neat economic boons. Cities are granted extra resource capacity, while each resource assigned to cities grants an extra gold per age. Brutal and benevolent.
Ashoka
Civ 7’s Ashoka reprises his role from Civilization 4, though he’s quite different from his earlier counterpart. The Mauryan Emperor has two personas this time around, reflecting his spiritual shift from warlord to peacebroker in his later years. His pacifist persona aligns with the Buddhist ideals of peace, aligning himself with leaders who cultivate happiness throughout their empire.
His food production also increases with excess happiness, amassing a bounteous harvest for his cities that only grows during celebrations. By contrast, his militaristic persona prefers to wage war on small empires he might easily conquer. Declarations of war temporarily improve the combat strength of units, and he benefits from bonus production in subjugated settlements. Whether you opt for peace or war, Ashoka is an expansionist leader who performs best with a large territory.
Augustus
As the founder of the Roman Empire, Augustus Caesar ushered in a golden age of imperial peace, unifying the fractured republic under a single banner – his own. His campaign of expansion grants him bonus production in the capital for every town he constructs, with additional gold to invest in the infrastructure of each settlement. This makes him especially effective at extracting resources and claiming territory at speed. He considers leaders who follow his tactics a potential threat, whereas leaders who prefer city management are less of a concern.
Ben Franklin
Always the bridesmaid, and finally the bride. Benjamin Franklin has made various cameos in Civ over the years and has even starred as a leader in unofficial mod expansions. Now, for the first time, the iconic inventor, statesman, and founding father is getting his flowers and is set to bring his electrifying charisma to the fore as one of the Civilization 7 leaders.
Old Benny loves players who are politically aligned with him and share a government. However, don’t be surprised if you end up impaled with a lightning rod should your paths diverge. Franklin’s scientific chops come into play with his leader bonuses, which provide bonus Science to production buildings and Endeavors. Oh, and you can have two Endeavors of the same type active at the same time – tidy.
Catherine the Great
After taking a short vacay from Civ, Catherine the Great is back and more cultured than ever. The series mainstay has led Russia in nearly every mainline game, and the tsarina’s hankering for Great Works makes her the perfect choice for the artistically inclined.
Unsurprisingly, Catherine detests those with more impressive collections than her, so don’t be surprised if she comes for your prized paintings. If you amass plenty of Great Works ten expect to enjoy a large Culture boost. What’s more, tundra-based cities accrue bonus Science equal to a portion of their Culture each turn, so get bidding on those Watteau’s.
Charlemagne
The Charle-main man at every social function, Charlemagne’s aptitude for state-building helped him expand an empire that spanned much of Western Europe throughout the Eighth and Ninth centuries. Though party politics didn’t exist back then, Charlemagne favors leaders who do their share of political partying, fostering positive relations with the player who has triggered the most celebrations.
Charlemagne’s leader bonus grants military and science buildings a Happiness adjacency for Quarters. It actually is all fun and games for Charlemagne, who provides combat strength to cavalry units during celebrations. He’ll even give you two extra cavalry units, once unlocked, when entering a celebration. How nice of him.
Confucius
Thanks to his advocacy for public welfare and education, cities overseen by Confucius benefit from a 25% growth rate bonus. He takes a dim view of the rival civilization with the least amount of specialists, opting to cozy up with civilizations that control the most – though, in many cases, that might be Confucius himself. Any specialist under his control yields additional Science per turn, letting him plow through research development on the technology tree. This 6th-century philosopher may be ill-equipped to lead armies, but he’s the ideal leader to achieve an early Science victory.
Harriet Tubman
American abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman is a Civ newcomer, and what a leader we have on our hands. After escaping slavery, Tubman dedicated her life to freeing enslaved people and later women’s suffrage. She also operated as a spy for the Union during the Civil War, which is why she grants Influence towards initiating espionage actions in Civ 7. Additionally, Tubman gains war support on all wars declared against you, while units ignore vegetation movement penalties.
If you want to get into Tubman’s good books, then make sure you’re not declaring any surprise wars – each one leads to a sizable decrease in relationship quality. If you do your warmongering by the book, then you’ll find yourself a powerful ally in one of the debutant Civilization 7 leaders.
Hatshepsut
Wheeler dealer extraordinaire Hatshepsut spent her reign as Pharaoh wisely, expanding Egypt’s trading network and amassing great wealth that was subsequently channeled into impressive building projects. Having utilized the Nile as a major trading route, it’s no surprise that she grants buildings and wonders constructed near navigable rivers a production bonus. What’s more, you’ll gain Culture for every imported resource.
Considering her penchant for opulent structures, Hatshepsut won’t be best pleased if you have more wonders than her. Suffice it to say, you’re in for a wonderful time if you lock Hatshepsut in as your leader.
Himiko
A relative newcomer to the series, Himiko was a queen of ancient Japan who ascended to the throne after the people effectively recognized having a king resulted in too much warmongering and bloodshed – based. A shamaness, Himiko has two alternate personas in Civ 7: Himiko, Queen of Wa, and Himiko, High Shaman.
Himiko, Queen of Wa has a unique Endeavor called ‘Friend of Wei’ that grants you and an ally a sizable Science bonus. Additionally, this Himiko gains Science for every leader she’s friendly or helpful with. Effectively, Himiko is proof that the power of friendship triumphs over everything.
Conversely, Himiko, High Shaman has shunned science in favor of culture and making her people as happy as possible. In fact, if you have science and/or gold buildings then expect to get on her bad side.
Ibn Battuta
Mr. Worldwide himself Ibn Battuta has finally landed the role of leader in Civ 7, and his exploration bonuses are quite something. Not only does he get a wildcard attribute points to spend as he pleases, but Battuta’s Trade Maps Endeavor grants the ability to see other leaders’ explored areas – a major boon for getting the lay of the land.
As a master of traversal, Battuta loves fellow travelers and will offer up a large relationship bonus to the player who has uncovered the most fog of war tiles. If you want to dominate the information game, then Ibn Battuta is your guy.
Isabella
Civ 7’s Isabella brings the queen of Spain back to the series from Civ 5, and we’re ready to set sail with her once again. Her Wonderlust drives her to hoard natural wonders, and to do so is in her best interest given the bonus gold and tile yields she receives when she discovers one. However, she’s prone to anger when other leaders discover wonders instead, making her a mean diplomat if you share her love for those coveted landmarks.
As a colonial expansionist, Isabella’s gold bonus doubles when she discovers wonders in distant lands, which she can quickly reach thanks to her naval might. Naturally, she reaps the most benefits from coastal settlements, so she can build her fleet as efficiently as possible.
José Rizal
Filipino nationalist José Rizal was a key activist and advocate for political reform in the Philipines while it was a Spanish colony. Unfortunately, the Spanish didn’t take too kindly to Rizal’s stance and sent him to the firing squad, though this only cemented his national hero status. An ophthalmologist by trade, Rizal has his eyes on the prize, and you’ll see great gains in Culture and gold when soaking up rewards from narrative events.
Celebrations are a key proponent of Rizal’s playstyle, and they not only generate more Happiness but also last longer (just like Filipino Christmas). Rizal gets on famously with the leader undertaking the most diplomatic Endeavors, while the most sanction-happy player will be met with his ire.
Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette (try saying that five times as fast after a few beers) had a real penchant for revolution. Not only did the Marquis fight for the Continental Army in the American Revolution, but he later helped his native France navigate its own revolution.
Lafayette’s playstyle revolves around his unique Endeavor, Reform, which grants an additional social policy slot. Furthermore, Civilization 7 leaders who support Reform also gain a slot, making him a worthy ally. America’s favorite fighting Frenchman, Lafayette gains further bonuses when on the road. Just make sure you have a few urban districts to stay on his good side.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Our next revolutionary Frenchman shouldn’t need an introduction. Napoleon’s military prowess is legendary, even if the Napoleonic Wars ended with his second and final exile to St. Helena. Having been granted two alternate personas in Civ 7, we not only get to enjoy the militaristic Bonaparte, Napoleon, Revolutionary, but also a more economic and diplomatic version in Napoleon, Emperor.
Though it’s not been confirmed what either Napoleon is looking for in a relationship (Joséphine aside), we do know what their leader bonuses involve. Napoleon, Revolutionary provides a movement bonus to land units, while defeating enemy units yields Culture equal to half their combat strength. Napoleon, Emperor, meanwhile, can limit trade routes with his unique sanction and gains gold for every leader he’s unfriendly or hostile with. If you’re a professional hater, Napoleon’s the leader for you.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Civ 7’s Niccolo Machiavelli is a brand-new leader tailormade for players who eschew open conflict and prefer to hatch manipulative schemes from the shadows. His charisma and pragmatism compel him to cozy up with warmongers, and he receives monetary gains regardless of any diplomatic outcome. However, once he’s embroiled in conflict, he’ll do whatever it takes to ensure he comes out on top. Once he’s quietly amassed enough power, he can declare a formal war regardless of relationship requirements, and can even mobilize troops from city states that don’t consider him Suzerain. By the time his political rivals have mustered their forces, it’s already too late.
Pachacuti
The progenitor of the Inca Empire, Pachacuti is a master of expansionism whose military and diplomatic prowess helped him grow the mountainous kingdom of Cusco into a powerhouse that spanned a century. Pachacuti’s real-world propinquity to the Andes grants him a host of mountain-based bonuses in Civ 7, so make sure you’re steering well clear of rocky regions, or else you’ll end up with a hatchet in your back, Chet (or whoever you are).
Tecumseh
Tecumseh is a Shawnee chief who prefers to balance diplomacy with economics instead of all-out war. His anti-colonial sentiments extend to his relationships with other Civilization 7 leaders, taking a dislike to those who suppress independent powers. A strong retinue of envoys is crucial to Tecumseh’s success as a leader, but he’s prepared to defend his territories with a combat strength buff to all units.
Settlements under his control benefit from food and production bonuses that scale to the number of city-states he controls as suzerain. This makes his civilization flourish in grassland and plains, though he can also net a bounteous harvest when settling alongside navigable rivers. Tecumseh is exclusive to the Shawnee DLC pack, available in the Civ 7 deluxe and founder’s editions
Trung Trac
Civ 7’s Trung Trac is a familiar face, but she’s had a major promotion since her stint as a great general in Civ 6. The Lac Viet military leader has an economic and militaristic mind, making her ideal for players who prefer to hoard wealth and crush political rivals. She has a distaste for leaders who promote powerful commanders, so try not to shore up your militaristic might too much if you plan to stay on her good side.
While it might seem a little hypocritical, Trung Trac has a leader bonus which gives her three free promotions for her first army commander, with a flat 20% bonus to commander experience overall. She also benefits from an automatic science bonus to cities built in tropical biomes, which doubles after she declares war, making her a perfect leader for a Domination victory. Finally, her historical civilization is Khmer, an Antiquity Age civ that thrives when built on major bodies of water.
Xerxes
There are few ruling titles cooler than ‘King of Kings,’ and Xerxes I fully embodied it. Firaxis knows this, which is presumably why the Persian paragon has two alternate forms: Xerxes, the Achaemenid, and Xerxes, King of Kings. Throughout his reign, Xerxes took an Achaemenid Empire on the precipice of disaster and led it to glory. At first, this was chiefly achieved on the battlefield before defeat in Europe had him turn inwards to developing great structures back home.
Xerxes, King of Kings, embodies his earlier years, granting combat, Culture, and gold bonuses when sieging and capturing enemy territory and settlements. If you’re also at war, expect Xerxes to give your efforts a big thumbs up with a small relationship boost. Xerxes, the Achaemenid, on the other hand, gains an extra trade route with all other leaders, granting Culture and gold when you create one. Just don’t out-route him – he hates that.
And those are the Civilization 7 leaders that have been officially confirmed so far. Though we can’t dive into the game just yet, make sure you’re ready to rock and roll by checking out the Civilization 7 system requirements, as well as the latest Civilization 7 Twitch drops that can give you some extra in-game goodies.
Additional contributions by Nat Smith.