Best Indigenous Characters In Gaming

Native Americans have a history of being poorly represented by media, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that it's because of deep-rooted colonial prejudice. In a lot of classic Westerns, for example, Indigenous people were reduced to hoards of barbaric savages whose only function was to attack the (usually white) heroes. Even attempts at change in the late 20th Century ended up creating a different stereotype by portraying Indigenous characters as mystics. "Cowboys and Indians" was a popular children's game for decades. Millenials today still grew up in the last era where it was socially acceptable to refer to the Indigenous population as "Indians."

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Fortunately, while Indigenous representation continues to be a problem to this day, there does seem to be more of it in popular media, especially in video games. It is far from perfect. A large portion of Indigenous game characters are found in the rosters of fighting games, and while there is significantly more representation of men than women, there have been some notable indigenous characters to make an impact on the gaming community.

10 Charles Smith

A Beloved Supporting Character And Voice Of Reason

Red Dead Redemption 2 added a few new faces to the gang introduced in the first game, but one of the standouts was easily Charles Smith. This is a man who came from a difficult life, growing up with a Native American mother and an African American father during the peak of white Americans pushing westward in the name of "Manifest Destiny," but he never let it break him.

Aside from being an expert hunter and survivalist, Charles also proved to be a really nice guy and a voice of reason as the Van Der Linde Gang started to fall apart, even being one of the few outlaws to side with protagonist Arthur Morgan in the end.

9 Connor

A Warrior Caught Between The Will Of His Colonizers And The Safety Of His People

When Assassin's Creed 3 made the decision to move its story to the American Revolution, Ubisoft decided to take an unusual approach. Instead of glorifying the colonists, the game instead shifted focus towards how Indigenous people were affected by a morally ambiguous war that had nothing to do with them.

This introduced fans to Ratonhnhaké:ton, aka. Connor, an assassin who worked tirelessly to defend his people from the oppression of colonialism. The son of Haytham Kenway (and therefore the grandson of Assassin's Creed 4's Edward Kenway) and a Kanien'kehá:ka warrior named Kaniehtí:io, aka. Ziio, Connor is divided between two worlds, and provides an interesting an mostly-unexplored perspective on one of the most significant wars in American history.

8 Julia Chang

A Native American Woman with an Unusually Varied Career

There does seem to be a trend of Indigenous characters appearing in fighting games, but it is rare to see that role filled by a woman. This makes fan-favorite Julia Chang stand out a lot more. Originally found as a baby in the ruins of an unidentified tribe's settlement, Julia would be adopted by Michelle Chang (herself half-Indigenous) and grow up to have a very strange career.

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Among other things, she has found success as an archaelogist, conservationist, and internet streamer, all while still having time to participate in fighting tournaments (which she is consistently shown to be very, very good at).

7 Poundmaker

Real-Life Cree Hero

Pîhtokahanapiwiyi, better known by the title of "Poundmaker," was an actual Cree Leader during the late 19th Century famous for his efforts to advocate the rights of Indigenous peoples at a time when the Canadian government was starving them and encroaching on their land.

Though he did not hold his position for long, and would eventually be arrested for alleged "treason" (for which he would only be exonorated in 2019), he still became a figure of great respect in the Indigenous community. So, when Civilization 6 added the Cree as a playable Civilization, they needed a historical leader, and what better choice than an actual Cree hero?

6 Mina "Thunderbird" Sky

Nakota Pilot And Medic

While the trend might be getting better, there still isn't a huge range of great Indigenous characters in gaming, and even less so when it comes to Indigenous women, so the introduction of Mina "Thunderbird" Sky in Rainbow Six Siege was a welcome surprise.

She is a Canadian Air Force pilot originally from the Nakota of Saskatchewan, and proudly wears the traditional facial tattoos of her people. Even the codename "Thunderbird" comes from an old legend about a powerful bird that often acts as a protector. It's a fitting name for an operator who loves to fly and strives to protect both her Nakota and Rainbow Six families.

5 Nightwolf

Indigenous Martial Artist

Nightwolf is easily one of the most iconic Indigenous characters in video games. He is a martial artist and spirit warrior who specializes in crushing the forces of evil, having been crucial in preventing several apocalypses. Nightwolf has been a regular member of the cast since Mortal Kombat 3 in 1995.

Although this character's reputation is soured by his roots in Western Native American stereotypes as opposed to actual Indigenous cultural beliefs (particularly an over-emphasis on what's known as the "Spiritual Warrior" trope), he still remains a fan favorite, and his more modern incarnations have attempted to expand his character toward being more culturally sensitive.

4 Nuna

Inuit Child With Amazing Endurance

Upper One Games' Never Alone was inspired by a famous Inuit legend about a hero seeking an end to a perpetual winter. Although that hero is traditionally portrayed as a man, Never Alone assigns the role to a young girl. Nuna, who has to face harsh Arctic weather with only a fox for company.

She faces a variety of trials on her quest, from puzzles to basic combat, but proves incredibly resilient for her age. Progression in Never Alone is doled out through the telling of Inuit stories, rather than skill points, which is very much in line with the game's themes of keeping the cultural stories of old alive through youth.

3 Tommy Towadi

Repatriate Cherokee Mechanic

Protagonist Tommy from Prey (2006)

Prey

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FPS

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LIVING WEAPONS, A FAITHFUL SIDEKICK, vehicles, giant environments, jaw-dropping memorable moments, a story of redemption and destiny, and a 3-HOUR EPIC SOUNDTRACK BY JEREMY SOULE (Oblivion, Guild Wars). The FPS of the year is in your hands.

IMAGINE A PLACE where gravity isn't always down! It can be controlled, twisted, flipped, and even wrap around small planeloids. IMAGINE WALKING ON WALLS O AND CEILINGS? Can you handle this new challenge?

PORTALS CHANGE EVERYTHING. Experience for the first time the reality bending effects of a portal world. Prey sets a new standard that will completely MESS WITH YOUR MIND.

MULTIPLE GAMEPLAY INNOVATIONS from the developer that brought you Bullet Time including Deathwalk (dying is no longer annoying...it's fun!) & Spiritwalk leave your body to explore, ambush, and solve MIND BLOWING PUZZLES).

Released

July 11, 2006

Developer(s)

Human Head Studios, 3D Realms, Venom Games

Platform(s)

PC, Xbox (Original), Xbox 360, Xbox One

Genre(s)

FPS

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The 2006 FPS adventure Prey (not to be confused Bethesda's 2017 spiritual successor, also called Prey) was structured around an odd mix of Indigenous spiritual beliefs and science fiction. So it isn't too surprising that they chose to have an Indigenous protagonist.

"Tommy" Towaldi has the unusual ability to spiritually reach places that others cannot, a skill which he uses to evade death and outwit his alien captors. A time when there were few Native American protagonists in anything, his presence ended up resonating with a lot of players.

2 Thunderbird

The Legendary Creature Has its Own Game

• Developer: Elizabeth LaPensée
• Released: 2017
• Platform: PC, Mobile

The Thunderbird is a mythological creature found across various Indigenous cultures, often portrayed as an eagle-like creature of immense power who acts as a guardian and protector of the natural order. This is the setup for Elizabeth LaPensée's Thunderbird Strike, in which players control the legendary bird as it retaliates against the oil industry and restores life to the destroyed land.

The game brings a famous legend into the modern day while addressing real-life issues of industrial encroachment on Indigenous land, and struck enough of a nerve that many oil companies accused it of promoting eco-terrorism.

1 Wolf Hawkfield

Indigenous Brawler And Ultimate Challenger

There seems to be a popular trend of Indigenous characters appearing in fighting games - Nightwolf in Mortal Kombat, and Thunder Hawk in Street Fighter, but Virtua Fighter's Wolf Hawkfield is easily one of the most interesting. Originally from an unidentified tribe in the "Canadian Wilderness," Wolf Hawkfield went from hunter and woodsman to an international wrestling sensation.

His real passion, however, is facing a worthy opponent, something he feels so strongly about that he retired from wrestling when it seemed like he'd faced everyone, only to return when he saw the potential for a new challenger.

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