List of black video game characters facts for kids
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.
Contents
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
- List of black animated characters
- List of black superheroes
- Lists of black people
- Race and video games
