List of Native American video game characters
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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" that showed that Native Americans are underrepresented in video games.[1] This is a dynamic list of Native American video game characters that excludes sports and music titles. It includes characters that are portrayed as Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
The game character roles are either a player character (PC) or a non-player character (NPC).
- 1 2 3 4 This main character is unnamed.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 This character is based on an historical person.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 This character is known by its role, rather than by a formal name.
- ↑ Although the video game uses a fictional tribal name and location, it was based on the actual Duwamish Native American tribe in the Seattle, Washington area.
- ↑ This character originated in a comic book series and was identified as a pre-Columbian member of the Mandan in issue one. The video game does not specify a tribal affiliation.
Unnamed non-playable characters
The following video games include unnamed Native Americans as non-playable characters.
| Game | Release year | Ethnicities | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Conquest: Fight Back | 2002 | Aztec, Haida, Maya | NPC | |
| America: No Peace Beyond the Line | 2001 | Sioux | NPC | [12] |
| Custer's Revenge | 1982 | Native American | NPC | [46][59][a] |
| Don't Wake The Night | 2019 | Guaraní | NPC | [60] |
| Indian Attack | 1983 | Native American | NPC | [19] |
| Indian Battle | 1980 | Native American | NPC | [61] |
| Hammer Boy | 1990 | Native American | NPC | [19] |
| Indian Battle | 1980 | Native American | NPC | [61] |
| Kane | 1985 | Wagari | NPC | [19] |
| Kane | 1986 | Native American | NPC | [19] |
| Kona | 2017 | Cree, Algonquin | NPC | [62] |
| Law of the West | 1985 | Native American | NPC | [19] |
| Meriwether: An American Epic | 2017 | Native American | NPC | |
| The Oregon Trail | 1985 | Native American | NPC | [4][46] |
| The Oregon Trail | 2021 | Native American | NPC | [4] |
| Outlaws | 1985 | Native American | NPC | [19] |
| Sid Meier's Colonization | 1994 | Apache, Arawak, Aztec, Cherokee, Inca, Iroquois, Sioux, Tupi | NPC | [63] |
- ↑ The goal of this pornographic game was to rape a Native American woman.
See also
References
- ↑ "Video Game Minority Report: Lots Of Players, Few Characters". Science Daily. University of Southern California. 30 July 2009. Archived from the original on 31 July 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
- ↑ Apachacha, 1993, retrieved 2025-07-26 – via Internet Archive
- ↑ Derboo, Sam (July 13, 2010). "A History of Korean Gaming". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Valdez, Chad (2024-03-26). "Indigenous Representation in Video Games". Cultural Survival. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ Campbell, Colin (2018-09-03). "This Land is My Land takes a different view of the Wild West than Red Dead Redemption". Polygon. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ↑ Lemon, Marshall (2018-07-02). "This Land Is My Land is a Western played from the perspective of a Native American". VG247. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 "Native American Characters (page 2)". Giant Bomb. 30 May 2022. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Miller, Jon (June 26, 2008). "Civilization IV: Colonization First Look". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2008-12-07. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Koreis, Justin (8 November 2022). "The best games by or about Native Americans". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Native American Characters (page 1)". Giant Bomb. 30 May 2022. Archived from the original on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- 1 2 Pearson, Craig (2019-07-10). "New Turok game is more cute 'em up than shoot 'em up". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- 1 2 "A*M*E*R*I*C*A (Windows)". My Abandonware. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ↑ "Aritana and the Twin Masks". Xbox. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ "Aritana and the Twin Masks". Duaik. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- 1 2 Filipowich, Mark (2013-02-26). "My Thoughts While Playing Expeditions Conquistador". bigtallwords. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Age of Empires III User's Manual. Ensemble Studios / Microsoft Game Studios. 2006. pp. 56, 126–127.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs (Game)". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dillon, Beth A. "Signifying the West: Colonialist Design in Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs". Eludamos Journal for Computer Game Culture, vol. 2, no. 1 (2008) pp.129-144.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Morley, Julie (30 November 2014). "A Brief History of Native American Representation in Video Games". Cliqist. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ↑ "Brave: A Warrior's Tale Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- 1 2 Price, Tom (August 7, 2009). "Brave: A Warrior's Tale Review (Xbox 360)". Team XBox. Archived from the original on 2012-11-28. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Top 10 Best Native American Video Game Characters!". Blockfort. 8 December 2019. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ↑ Dangerous Streets (1993)(Flair Software). 1993. p. 8 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ Takahashi, Dean (September 3, 2015). "How Microsoft enlisted a Native American tribe to design a Killer Instinct character". VentureBeat. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ↑ Arif, Shabana (2015-09-11). "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain Episode 28 - Code Talker". VG247. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ↑ Good, Owen S. (June 14, 2017). "Killer Instinct's newest character arrives June 27". Polygon. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ↑ Naytor, Rober. "Killer Instinct". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- 1 2 Hospodar, Mark (2021-03-27). "Red Dead Redemption 2: Everything You Need To Know About Eagle Flies". Game Rant. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ "Prey - PC - Review". GameZone. July 12, 2006. Archived from the original on 2011-06-17. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ "Fights-at-Dawn". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Native American Characters (page 3)". Giant Bomb. 30 May 2022. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ↑ Bartoo-Smith, Nika (2023-04-20). "Envisioning Indigenous Futures". Underscore Native News. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ "Depictions of Native Americans in Video Games". The CRPG Addict. 2022-03-20. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ Tapsell, Chris (2020-05-22). "Civilization 6 Maya: Lady Six Sky leader bonuses, unique units and buildings detailed". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ Bailey, Dustin (2018-01-30). "The Mapuche join Civilization 6 with bonuses against enemy golden ages". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ "Many Wounds". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ↑ Gallagher, Jason M.; Saavedra, John (2017-10-26). "Assassin's Creed Origins and the Story So Far". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- ↑ Banks, Jaime; Mejia, Robert; Adams, Aubrie (2017). 100 Greatest Video Game Characters. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 51–53. ISBN 9781442278134.
- 1 2 3 Kirk, Patrick (2020-06-27). "Civilization 6 Leader and Civilization Breakdown - Montezuma to Shaka". Game Rant. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ "Shadow Hearts: From the New World Hands-On". GameSpot. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- 1 2 Quick, William Antonio (30 May 2022). "8 Games Based On Native American Lore". TheGamer. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ↑ "First Look: Pachacuti". Civilization VII. Retrieved July 24, 2005.
- ↑ "Blood Bros. - Videogame by TAD Corporation". Museum of the Game. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ Plasket, Michael (January 10, 2010). "Blood Bros". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- 1 2 "Pocahontas (Character)". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Native Americans in Video Games: Current Representation". DIRECTV. 29 November 2021. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ↑ Newman, Jared (2012-09-05). "Assassin's Creed III's Connor: How Ubisoft Avoided Stereotypes and Made a Real Character". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ "Best Assassin's Creed Games: Every Game, Ranked". GameSpot. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ↑ Durham, Nick (2011-08-22). "Nightmare Circus". Sega-16. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ↑ Carter, Chris (March 20, 2014). "Review: inFamous: Second Son". Destructoid. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ↑ "Red Dead Revolver". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ↑ "Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword". Gameflip. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- ↑ "Mulaka for Nintendo Switch". Nintendo Official Site. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ↑ Fahey, Mike (2019-07-09). "There's A New Turok Game Coming Out This Month, And It's Super Cute". Kotaku. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- ↑ Ziel, Renee (15 October 2024). "How Civilization 7 Paves the Way for Native American Representation". Game Rant. Archived from the original on 30 Nov 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ↑ "Lara Croft: Guardian of Light". Crystal Dynamics. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- ↑ "Talking NES and History: Capcom Gun.Smoke 1988 US release". CSULB Center for the History of Video Games and Critical Play. 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ↑ "YAKARI: The Mystery of Four-Seasons". Nintendo of Europe SE. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- ↑ Custer's Revenge Instructions. American Multiple Industries. 1982. p. 1.
- ↑ Alexandra, Heather (2019-06-06). "In Don't Wake The Night, You Have The Power Of A God Without The Omniscience". Kotaku. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- 1 2 "Indian Battle - Videogame by Taito". Museum of the Game. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ↑ Sharp, Gregory. "Northern Québec comes alive through video games". High North News. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ↑ Sid Meier's Colonization: Create A New Nation Intruction Manual. Micro Prose Strategy. pp. 69–70.