List of black video game characters
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This list of black video game characters exclude sports and music titles. A study was published in 2009 by the University of Southern California called: "The virtual census: representations of gender, race and age in video games" and it showed that black characters appear in video games in proportion to their numbers in the 2000 US census data, but mainly in sports games and in titles that reinforce stereotypes.{{cite web|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729140931.htm|title=Video Game Minority Report: Lots Of Players, Few Characters|date=30 July 2009|website=Science Daily|publisher=University of Southern California|accessdate=16 November 2014|archive-date=31 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731140901/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729140931.htm|url-status=live}}
List of characters
{{List years|date=December 2023}}
Before 2000s
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Name !Role !Nationality !Notes |
| rowspan="2" |1984
| rowspan="2" |Punch-Out!! |Kid Quick | | |Appeared in the Arcade version of Punch-Out!! |
| Mr. Sandman
| | | |
| 1985
| G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero |Playable |American | |
| 1986
|Edgar | | | |
| rowspan="2" |1987
|Doc Louis | | |First appeared in the NES version of Punch-Out!!! |
| Street Fighter
| |American | |
| rowspan="2" |1989
|Celie | | | |
| Legend of the Ghost Lion
|Moja | | | |
| 1990
| | | |
| rowspan="3" |1991
| | | |
| Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
| |American | |
| Streets of Rage
|Playable | | |
| rowspan="4" |1992
|Eddie "Skate" Hunter |Playable | |Also known as Sammy Hunter |
| The Dagger of Amon Ra
|Ernie Leach | | | |
| Night Trap
|SCAT member Collins |NPC | | |
| King's Quest VI
|Pawnshop Owner |NPC | | |
| rowspan="7" |1993
|Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers |Watchman Toussaint Gervais | | | |
| Mortal Kombat II
| |American | |
| rowspan="3" |Police Quest: Open Season
|Alvin Hooper "Yo Money" | | | |
| Nicolette
| | | |
| Raymond Jones
| | | |
| Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers
|Playable |Jamaican | |
| Virtua Fighter
|Playable | | |
| rowspan="6" |1994
| rowspan="2" |Bebe's Kids | | | |
| LaShawn
| | | |
| Killer Instinct
| | | |
| Tough Guy
|Sheana |Playable | | |
| rowspan="2" |The King of Fighters '94
|Lucky Glauber | | | |
| Heavy-D!
| | | |
| rowspan="3" |1995
|Playable |Botsvanian | |
| Fighting Vipers
| | | |
| Tekken 2
| | | |
| rowspan="3" |1996
|Zack | | | |
| Killer Instinct
|Maya | | | |
| Resident Evil
| | | |
| rowspan="9" |1997
| | |Leader of AVALANCHE |
| Interstate '82
| | | |
| rowspan="2" |Tekken 3
|Playable | | |
| Tiger Jackson
|Playable | | |
| Mortal Kombat 4
|Kai |Playable | | |
| Rival Schools: United by Fate
| | | |
| rowspan="3" |Street Fighter III: New Generation
|Playable |Britain | |
| Elena
| |Kenyan | |
| Sean Matsuda
|Playable |Brazilian | |
| rowspan="3" |1998
|Half-Life{{cite magazine |date=8 February 2009 |title=Why are Black Game Characters Failing the Audience? |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/why-are-black-game-characters-failing-audience/ |magazine=Edge |accessdate=16 November 2014 |archive-date=10 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210101714/http://www.edge-online.com/features/why-are-black-game-characters-failing-audience/ |url-status=live }} | |American |Eli is first named and plays a bigger role in Half Life 2, released 2004 |
| Resident Evil 2
| | | |
| Metal Gear Solid
|Donald Anderson (DARPA Chief) | | | |
| rowspan="5" |1999
|Akuji |Playable | | |
| Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
|Afro Thunder |Playable | | |
| The King of Fighters '99 Evolution
|Seth | | |First playable as The King of Fighters 2000 |
| Shadow Man{{cite web |last=Carr |first=Krystal |date=16 February 2014 |title=12 Black Video Game Characters That Kick Ass! |url=http://sheattack.com/12-black-video-game-characters-kick-ass/ |accessdate=16 November 2014 |publisher=SheAttack |archive-date=16 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140216204712/http://sheattack.com/12-black-video-game-characters-kick-ass/ |url-status=dead }}
|Michael LeRoi "Shadow Man" |Playable | | |
| Urban Chaos
|D'arci Stern | | | |
2000s
2010s
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Name !Role !Nationality !Notes | |
| rowspan="8" |2010
| | | | |
| Heavy Rain
|NPC |American | | |
| rowspan="3" |Pokémon Black and White
|Lenora | rowspan="2" |NPC | rowspan="2" |American* | |
| Marshal
|Unova's Fighting-type Elite Four member. | |
| Iris
| | | | |
| No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
| | | | |
| Mass Effect 2
| | | | |
| Metroid: Other M
| | | | |
| rowspan="5" |2011
| | | | |
| Deus Ex: Human Revolution
|Yelena Fedorva | |Russian | | |
| Infamous 2
|Nix | |American | | |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
|Nazir Nazeem | | | | |
| Anarchy Reigns
| | | | |
| rowspan="11" |2012
|Assassin's Creed III: Liberation{{cite web |last=Clauson |first=Jonathan R. |date=20 January 2014 |title=The State of Black Video Game Characters |url=http://www.inquisitr.com/1102184/the-state-of-black-video-game-characters/ |accessdate=16 November 2014 |publisher=Inquisitr |archive-date=22 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122054255/http://www.inquisitr.com/1102184/the-state-of-black-video-game-characters/ |url-status=live }} |Playable |French |Aveline is born lives under French Louisiana era | |
| Borderlands 2
|Sir Hammerlock | | | | |
| Diablo III
|Tyrael | | | | |
| Fire Emblem Awakening
|Basilio | | | | |
| rowspan="2" | The Walking Dead | Clementine
|Playable |American | |
| Lee Everett
| |American | | |
| Mass Effect
|NPC |Undefined | |
| Hitman Absolution
|Raymond Valentine | | | | |
| Clash of Clans
|Hog Rider |Troop |Undefined | |
| Starhawk
|Emmett Graves | | | | |
| Spec Ops: The Line
|Lieutenant Alphanso Adams | | | | |
| rowspan="14" |2013
|Adéwalé |NPC |Trinidadian | | |
| Batman: Arkham Origins
|Warden Martin Joseph |NPC |American | | |
| Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
|Hexxat |Playable | | | |
| BioShock Infinite
| | | | |
| Grand Theft Auto V
|Franklin Clinton |Playable |American | | |
| Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death
| | | | |
| rowspan="4" |The Last of Us
|NPC |American | |
| Marlene
|NPC |American | | |
| Riley Abel
|NPC |American | | |
| Sam
|NPC |American | |
| Killer Is Dead
|Bryan Roses | | | | |
| Remember Me
| | | | |
| Pokémon X and Y
|Grant | | | | |
| The Wonderful 101
| | | | |
| rowspan="5" |2014
|Aurelia Hammerlock | | | | |
| rowspan="2" |Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
|Sergeant Cormack | | | | |
| Knox
| | | | |
| rowspan="2" |Dragon Age: Inquisition
|Delrin Barris | | | | |
| Vivienne
| | | | |
| rowspan="8" |2015
| |American | | |
| Life Is Strange
|Principal Ray Wells | |American |Also appears in Life Is Strange: Before the Storm | |
| Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
|Pallegina | | | | |
| Heroes of the Storm
|Qhira | | | | |
| Mortal Kombat X
|Jacqui Briggs | |American | | |
| rowspan="2" |Tekken 7
| |Canadian | | |
| Leroy Smith
| |American |Released in 2019 | |
| Until Dawn
|Matt | |American | | |
| rowspan="19" |2016
| rowspan="7" |Dead by Daylight |Philip Ojomo | rowspan="4" |Playable |Nigerian | |
| Lisa Sherwood
|American | |
| Herman Carter
|American | |
| Joey
|Canadian |A killer who is a part of a band of other killers known as "The Legion".{{Cite web |title=The Legion {{!}} Frank, Julie, Susie, Joey {{!}} Backstory, Build & Perks {{!}} Dead by Daylight |url=https://deadbydaylight.com/game/characters/the-legion/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=deadbydaylight.com |archive-date=2023-02-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220093817/https://deadbydaylight.com/game/characters/the-legion/ |url-status=live }} | |
| Portia Maya
|Playable |Caribian |A killer who as The Houndmaster. | |
| Claudette Morel
| rowspan="2" |Playable |Canadian | |
| Adam Francis
|Jamaican | |
| Nuclear Throne
|Rogue | | | | |
| Mafia III
|Lincoln Clay |Protagonist |American | |
| rowspan="3" |Overwatch
| rowspan="3" |Playable |Ghanian | | |
| Doomfist
|Nigerian | | |
| Lúcio
|Brazilian | | |
| rowspan="2" |Hitman
|Olivia Hall | | | | |
| Kalvin Ritter
| | | | |
| rowspan="2" |Pokémon Sun & Moon
|Kiawe | rowspan="2" |NPC | rowspan="2" |Hawaiian* | |
| Olivia
|She is both a Kahuna and a member of the Alolan Elite Four. | |
| rowspan="2" |Stardew Valley
|Demetrius | | | | |
| Maru
| | | | |
| Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
| | | | |
| |Street Fighter V
|Menat | |Egyptian | | |
| rowspan="9" |2017
| |American | | |
| Arms
| | | | |
| Call of Duty WW2
|Marcus Howard | | | | |
| Dream Daddy
|Mat Sella | | | | |
| Horizon Zero Dawn
|NPC | | |
| Mass Effect: Andromeda
|Liam Kosta | | | | |
| Prey
|Dayo Igwe | | | | |
| Slime Rancher
|Beatrix LeBeau | | | | |
| Splatoon 2
| | | | |
| rowspan="9" |2018
|Mira |Playable | | | |
| Dandara
|Dandara |Playable | | | |
| rowspan="2" |Red Dead Redemption 2
| | | | |
| Tilly Jackson
| | | | |
| rowspan="2" |Hitman 2
|Zoe Washington |NPC | | | |
| Sophia Washington
|NPC | | | |
| Hitman: Sniper Assassin
|Stone |Playable | | | |
| Return of the Obra Dinn
|Winston Smith |NPC |American | | |
| Soulcalibur VI
|Playable |Sumerian | | |
| rowspan="9" |2019
| rowspan="3" |The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan |Alex | | | | |
| Brad
| | | | |
| Félicité "Fliss" DuBois
| | | | |
| Devil May Cry 5
| | | | |
| rowspan="2" |Apex Legends
|Bangalore | | | | |
| Lifeline
| | | | |
| rowspan="3" |Pokémon Sword and Shield
|Nessa | rowspan="3" |NPC | rowspan="3" |British |She is the Water-type gym leader of Galar. | |
| Leon
|He is the champion of the Galar region. | |
| Hop
|He is the player's rival and Leon's little brother. |
2020s
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic500286.files/The%20Power%20of%20Play%20-%20Everett.pdf The Power of Play: The Portrayal and Performance of Race in Video Games] at Harvard University
- {{MobyGames|id=-group/protagonist-black|name=Games with black protagonists}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black video game characters}}