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List of black video game characters facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

A list of black video game characters includes many heroes, villains, and friends you can find in your favorite video games! These characters are important because they help make games feel more real and represent different people from all over the world.

In 2009, a study from the University of Southern California looked at how different people are shown in video games. It found that black characters appeared in games about as often as they do in the real world (based on 2000 US numbers). However, many of these characters were often found in sports games or sometimes showed old stereotypes. This list focuses on characters from games that are not sports or music titles.

Awesome Characters You Can Play Or Meet

This table shows some cool black characters from various video games. You might play as them, or they might be important friends or rivals in the game!

Name Game title/franchise Role
50 Cent 50 Cent: Bulletproof and 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand Playable character
Afro Samurai Afro Samurai Playable character
Augustus Cole Gears of War Important character
Black Lightning "Jefferson Pierce" Black Lightning has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Black Manta "David Hyde" Black Manta has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Black Panther Black Panther has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Blade Blade has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Colonel Shaq Fu Important character
Cyborg Cyborg has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Dona Way of the Samurai 3 Non-playable character (NPC)
Don Donatelouse (aka Dona-dona) Way of the Samurai Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Firestorm Firestorm has appeared in many games Important character
Hauser Suikoden Playable character
James Heller Prototype Main character
John Stewart John Stewart has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Laheesa One on One Playable character
Lucius Fox Lucius Fox has appeared in many games Non-playable character (NPC)
Luke Cage "Power Man" Luke Cage has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Mace Windu Mace Windu has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Mark Kimberley Shenmue Important character
Mash One on One Playable character
Miles Morales Miles Morales has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Mohammed Avdol JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Important character
Mister Terrific Injustice: Gods Among Us Non-playable character (NPC)
Nick Fury Nick Fury has appeared in many games (Sometimes he is not black) Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Sig Jak and Daxter series Important character
Storm Storm has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Tom Johnson Shenmue Important character
Vixen "Mari Jiwe McCabe" Vixen has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)
Voodoo Shaq Fu Playable character
War Machine War Machine has appeared in many games Playable or non-playable character (NPC)

Black Characters Through the Years

Video games have featured black characters for a long time. Let's look at some examples from different decades!

Before 2000

Before the year 2000, many games started to include black characters. These characters often helped tell the story or were fun to play.

Year Title Name Role Notes
1984 Punch-Out!! Kid Quick Appeared in the arcade version
1985 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Roadblock Playable
1987 Punch-Out!! Doc Louis First appeared on the NES
1991 Streets of Rage Adam Hunter Playable
1993 Mortal Kombat II Jax Briggs
1997 Final Fantasy VII Barrett Wallace Leader of AVALANCHE
1999 Shadow Man Michael LeRoi "Shadow Man" Playable

The 2000s

The 2000s brought more diverse characters into gaming. Many became main characters or key parts of popular game series.

Year Title Name Role Notes
2001 Halo: The Fall of Reach Sergeant Major Avery Junior Johnson
2002 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Lance Vance Also appears in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Carl "CJ" Johnson Playable A very famous main character
2004 Half-Life 2 Alyx Vance Alyx is playable in the VR game Half Life Alyx (2020)
2007 Mass Effect David Anderson
2008 Left 4 Dead Louis Playable
2009 League of Legends Ekko Playable One of many playable characters

The 2010s

In the 2010s, games continued to feature a wide range of black characters, including many protagonists and important supporting roles.

Year Title Name Role Notes
2010 Pokémon Black and White Lenora NPC An archeologist and Gym Leader
2011 Dead Island Sam B
2012 The Walking Dead Clementine Playable A beloved main character
2013 Grand Theft Auto V Franklin Clinton Playable One of the three main characters
2015 Mortal Kombat X Jacqui Briggs
2016 Mafia III Lincoln Clay Protagonist The main hero of the story
2016 Overwatch Doomfist Playable One of many playable heroes
2017 Watch Dogs 2 Marcus Holloway
2018 Red Dead Redemption 2 Lenny Summers
2019 Apex Legends Bangalore

The 2020s

New games in the 2020s continue to bring exciting and diverse characters to life.

Year Title Name Role Notes
2020 Streets of Rage 4 Cherry Hunter Playable
2021 Deathloop Colt Vahn Protagonist One of the main characters
2022 Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Ryme NPC A Ghost-type Gym Leader known for her rap music
2023 Forspoken Alfre Holland Protagonist The main hero of the game
2023 Baldur's Gate 3 Wyll Ravengard Playable A companion you can choose to play as or have in your party
2024 Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Floyd Lawton "Deadshot" Playable One of the four characters you can play

See also

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