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Who are the Civilization 7 leaders? From Augustus Caesar to Xerxes I, Catherine the Great to Trung Trac, Firaxis is treating us to an all-star lineup of historical figureheads in its latest Civ installment.
Many of the Civilization 7 leaders you’ll encounter in this iteration of the iconic 4X game series will be familiar if you’ve spent any time with its predecessors. However, there are some fresh faces you’ll need to acquaint yourself with now that the Civilization 7 release date is here – that’s where we come in. Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the Civ 7 leaders, including what they excel at.
Every Civilization 7 leader
These are all the Civilization 7 Leaders available in the game so far, including DLC-exclusives:
- Ada Lovelace (DLC)
- Amina
- Ashoka, World Renouncer
- Ashoka, World Conqueror (DLC)
- Augustus Caesar
- Benjamin Franklin
- Catherine the Great
- Charlemagne
- Confucius
- Friedrich, Oblique
- Friedrich, Baroque (DLC)
- Harriet Tubman
- Hatshepsut
- Himiko, Queen of Wa
- Himiko, High Shaman (DLC)
- Ibn Battuta
- Isabella
- José Rizal
- Lafayette
- Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor
- Napoleon Bonaparte, Revolutionary
- Niccoló Machiavelli
- Pachacuti
- Tecumseh (DLC)
- Trung Trac
- Xerxes, King of Kings
- Xerxes the Achaemenid (DLC)
Civilization 7 leaders tier list
S-tier
Isabella
- Gain 300 gold every time you discover a Natural Wonder. Gain 600 gold if the Natural Wonder is in Distant Lands
- +100% tile yields from Natural Wonders
- +50% gold towards purchasing naval units
- -1 gold maintenance for naval units
As a colonial expansionist, Isabella’s gold bonus doubles when she discovers wonders in distant lands, which she can quickly reach thanks to her naval might. Naturally, she reaps the most benefits from coastal settlements, so she can build her fleet as efficiently as possible.
Xerxes, King of Kings
- +3 combat strength for units attacking in neutral or enemy territory
- 100 Culture and 100 gold per Age when you capture a settlement for the first time
- +10% gold in all settlements. +200% for settlements not founded by you
- +1 settlement limit per Age
There are few ruling titles cooler than ‘King of Kings,’ and Xerxes I fully embodied it. Firaxis knows this, which is presumably why the Persian paragon has two alternate forms: Xerxes, the Achaemenid, and Xerxes, King of Kings.
Xerxes, King of Kings, embodies the ruler’s earlier years, granting combat, Culture, and gold bonuses when sieging and capturing enemy territory and settlements. If you’re also at war, expect Xerxes to give your efforts a big thumbs up with a small relationship boost. Xerxes, the Achaemenid, on the other hand, gains an extra trade route with all other leaders, granting Culture and gold when you create one. Just don’t out-route him – he hates that.
Ashoka, World Renouncer
- +1 Food in cities for every five excess Happiness
- +10% Food in all settlements during a Celebration
- All buildings get +1 Happiness adjacency for improvements
Ashoka, World Conquerer (DLC)
- +1 Production in cities with five excess Happiness.
- +10% Production in settlements not founded by you
- Declaring a Formal War grants a Celebration
- +10 combat strength against districts during a Celebration
By contrast, Ashoka’s militaristic persona prefers to wage war on small empires he might easily conquer. Declarations of war temporarily improve the combat strength of units, and he benefits from bonus production in subjugated settlements. Whether you opt for peace or war, Ashoka is an expansionist leader who performs best with a large territory.
Harriet Tubman
- +100% Influence towards initiating Espionage actions
- Gain five War Support on all wars declared against you
- Units ignore movement penalties from vegetation tiles
American abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman is a Civ newcomer, and what a leader we have on our hands. After escaping slavery, Tubman dedicated her life to freeing enslaved people and later women’s suffrage. She also operated as a spy for the Union during the Civil War, which is why she grants Influence towards initiating espionage actions in Civ 7. Additionally, Tubman gains war support on all wars declared against you, while units ignore vegetation movement penalties.
If you want to get into Tubman’s good books, then make sure you’re not declaring any surprise wars – each one leads to a sizable decrease in relationship quality. However, if anyone wants to wage war on you, you’ll have a huge advantage. This will either deter opponents from waging war against you – great – or put you at an advantage if they do – also great. If you do your warmongering by the book, then you’ll find yourself a powerful ally in one of the debutant Civilization 7 leaders.
Amina
- +1 resource capacity in cities
- +1 gold per Age for each resource assigned to cities
- +5 combat strength on all units in plains and deserts
Having earned herself an upgrade from Great General in Civilization 6 to a bonafide leader in Civ 7, warrior-queen Amina is a force to be reckoned with on land or sand. The 16th-century Hausa powerhouse ruled over the kingdom of Zazzau, and now she’s coming to rule the world thanks to the combat strength bonus she grants all units on Plains and Desert.
As these regions are her forte, expect to get on Amina’s bad side if you have more settlements than her in these areas. Conversely, if you steer clear of her turf entirely, Amina will like you more – but just a little. Amina isn’t just a militaristic leader and provides some neat economic boons. Cities are granted extra resource capacity, while each resource assigned to cities grants an extra gold per age. Brutal and benevolent.
Ibn Battuta
- Gains two Wildcard Attribute Points after the first Civic in every Age
- +1 sight for all units
- Gain a unique Endeavor called Trade Maps that allows you to gradually see other Leaders’ explored area
Mr. Worldwide himself Ibn Battuta has finally landed the role of leader in Civ 7, and his exploration bonuses are quite something. Not only does he get a wildcard attribute points to spend as he pleases, but Battuta’s Trade Maps Endeavor grants the ability to see other leaders’ explored areas – a major boon for getting the lay of the land.
As a master of traversal, Battuta loves fellow travelers and will offer up a large relationship bonus to the player who has uncovered the most fog of war tiles. If you want to dominate the information game, then Ibn Battuta is your guy.
A-tier
Benjamin Franklin
- +1 Science per Age on Production buildings in cities
- +50% Production towards constructing Production buildings
- +1 science per Age from active Endeavors you started or supported
- You can have two Endeavors of the same type active at the same time
Always the bridesmaid, and finally the bride. Benjamin Franklin has made various cameos in Civ over the years and has even starred as a leader in unofficial mod expansions. Now, for the first time, the iconic inventor, statesman, and founding father is getting his flowers and is set to bring his electrifying charisma to the fore as one of the Civilization 7 leaders.
Old Benny loves players who are politically aligned with him and share a government. However, don’t be surprised if you end up impaled with a lightning rod should your paths diverge. Franklin’s scientific chops come into play with his leader bonuses, which provide bonus Science to production buildings and Endeavors. Oh, and you can have two Endeavors of the same type active at the same time – tidy.
Augustus
- +2 Production in the Capital for every town
- You can purchase Culture buildings in towns
- +50% gold towards purchasing buildings in towns
As the founder of the Roman Empire, Augustus Caesar ushered in a golden age of imperial peace, unifying the fractured republic under a single banner – his own. His campaign of expansion grants him bonus production in the capital for every town he constructs, with additional gold to invest in the infrastructure of each settlement. This makes him especially effective at extracting resources and claiming territory at speed. He considers leaders who follow his tactics a potential threat, whereas leaders who prefer city management are less of a concern.
Himiko, Queen of Wa
- Gain a unique Endeavor called ‘Friend of Wei’ that can be performed in an alliance to grant you and your ally +25% Science
- Can support Endeavors for free
- +4 Science per Age for every leader with whom you’re Friendly or Helpful
A relative newcomer to the series, Himiko was a queen of ancient Japan who ascended to the throne after the people effectively recognized having a king resulted in too much warmongering and bloodshed – based. A shamaness, Himiko has two alternate personas in Civ 7: Himiko, Queen of Wa, and Himiko, High Shaman.
Himiko, Queen of Wa’s unique Endeavor ‘Friend of Wei’ grants you and an ally a sizable Science bonus. Additionally, this Himiko gains Science for every leader she’s friendly or helpful with. Effectively, Himiko is proof that the power of friendship triumphs over everything. Provided you’re happy to avoid conflict and play a friendly game, the Queen of Wa is a brilliant choice of Leader.
Xerxes, the Achaemenid (DLC)
- +1 trade route limit with all other Leaders
- Creating a trade route or road with a merchant provides +50 Culture and +100 gold per Age
- +1 Culture and +1 gold per Age for Unique buildings and Unique improvements
Throughout his reign, Xerxes took an Achaemenid Empire on the precipice of disaster and led it to glory. At first, this was chiefly achieved on the battlefield before defeat in Europe had him turn inwards to developing great structures back home. This is reflected in Xerxes, the Achaemenid’s unique abilities. While we still consider King of Kings Xerxes by far the strongest of the two, there is a certain appeal to trade route Xerxes if economy is your thing, and the leader’s bonus Culture and gold for laying trade routes and roads goes a long way towards an economic victory.
Charlemagne
- Military and Science buildings receive a Happiness adjacency bonus for Quarters
- Gain two free cavalry units, once unlocked, when entering a Celebration
- +5 combat strength for cavalry units during a Celebration
The Charle-main man at every social function, Charlemagne’s aptitude for state-building helped him expand an empire that spanned much of Western Europe throughout the Eighth and Ninth centuries. Though party politics didn’t exist back then, Charlemagne favors leaders who do their share of political partying, fostering positive relations with the player who has triggered the most celebrations.
Charlemagne’s leader bonus grants military and science buildings a Happiness adjacency for Quarters. It actually is all fun and games for Charlemagne, who provides combat strength to cavalry units during celebrations. He’ll even give you two extra cavalry units, once unlocked, when entering a celebration. How nice of him.
Lafayette
- Gains a unique Endeavor called Reform, which grants an additional Social Policy slot
- +1 combat strength for every tradition, but not policy, slotted in the Government. +2 in Distant Lands
- +2 Culture and +2 Happiness per Age in settlements. +4 in Distant Lands
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette (try saying that five times as fast after a few beers) had a real penchant for revolution. Not only did the Marquis fight for the Continental Army in the American Revolution, but he later helped his native France navigate its own revolution.
Lafayette’s playstyle revolves around his unique Endeavor, Reform, which grants an additional social policy slot. Furthermore, Civilization 7 leaders who support Reform also gain a slot, making him a worthy ally. America’s favorite fighting Frenchman, Lafayette gains further bonuses when on the road. Just make sure you have a few urban districts to stay on his good side.
Catherine the Great
- +2 Culture per Age on displayed Great Works
- +1 slot for each building with Great Work slots
- Cities settled in Tundra gain Science equal 25% of their Culture per turn
After taking a short vacay from Civ, Catherine the Great is back and more cultured than ever. The series mainstay has led Russia in nearly every mainline game, and the tsarina’s hankering for Great Works makes her the perfect choice for the artistically inclined.
Unsurprisingly, Catherine detests those with more impressive collections than her, so don’t be surprised if she comes for your prized paintings. If you amass plenty of Great Works ten expect to enjoy a large Culture boost. What’s more, tundra-based cities accrue bonus Science equal to a portion of their Culture each turn, so get bidding on those Watteau’s.
Confucius
- +25% growth rate in cities
- +2 Science from specialists
Thanks to his advocacy for public welfare and education, cities overseen by Confucius benefit from a 25% growth rate bonus. He takes a dim view of the rival civilization with the least amount of specialists, opting to cozy up with civilizations that control the most – though, in many cases, that might be Confucius himself. Any specialist under his control yields additional Science per turn, letting him plow through research development on the technology tree. This 6th-century philosopher may be ill-equipped to lead armies, but he’s the ideal leader to achieve an early Science victory.
If Confucius being this high up our tier list surprises you, don’t be deterred by his seemingly minimal abilities in comparison to others. Confucius’ real bonus comes in unlocking Ming and Qing in the Exploration and Modern Ages respectively, two of the best Civ 7 civilizations.
B-tier
Niccolo Machiavelli
- +3 Influence per Age
- Gain 50 gold per Age when your diplomatic action proposals are accepted, or 100 gold when they are rejected
- Ignores relationship requirements for declaring Formal Wars
- Can levy troops from City-States of which you are not Suzerain
Civ 7’s Niccolo Machiavelli is a brand-new leader tailormade for players who eschew open conflict and prefer to hatch manipulative schemes from the shadows. His charisma and pragmatism compel him to cozy up with warmongers, and he receives monetary gains regardless of any diplomatic outcome. However, once he’s embroiled in conflict, he’ll do whatever it takes to ensure he comes out on top. Once he’s quietly amassed enough power, he can declare a formal war regardless of relationship requirements, and can even mobilize troops from city states that don’t consider him Suzerain. By the time his political rivals have mustered their forces, it’s already too late.
Trung Trac
- Gain three free levels on your first Army Commander
- +20% Commander experience
- +10% Science in cities in tropical tiles. +20% while in a Formal War you declare
While it might seem a little hypocritical, Trung Trac has a leader bonus which gives her three free promotions for her first army commander, with a flat 20% bonus to commander experience overall. She also benefits from an automatic science bonus to cities built in tropical biomes, which doubles after she declares war, making her a perfect leader for a Domination victory. Finally, her historical civilization is Khmer, an Antiquity Age civ that thrives when built on major bodies of water.
Hatshepsut
- +1 Culture for every imported resource
- +15% Production towards constructing buildings and Wonders in cities adjacent to navigable rivers
Wheeler dealer extraordinaire Hatshepsut spent her reign as Pharaoh wisely, expanding Egypt’s trading network and amassing great wealth that was subsequently channeled into impressive building projects. Having utilized the Nile as a major trading route, it’s no surprise that she grants buildings and wonders constructed near navigable rivers a production bonus. What’s more, you’ll gain Culture for every imported resource.
Considering her penchant for opulent structures, Hatshepsut won’t be best pleased if you have more wonders than her. Suffice it to say, you’re in for a wonderful time if you lock Hatshepsut in as your leader.
José Rizal
- Gain an additional 20 Culture and 20 gold per Age when gaining rewards from narrative events
- Experience additional narrative events
- +50% Celebration duration
- +50% Happiness towards Celebrations
Filipino nationalist José Rizal was a key activist and advocate for political reform in the Philipines while it was a Spanish colony. Unfortunately, the Spanish didn’t take too kindly to Rizal’s stance and sent him to the firing squad, though this only cemented his national hero status. An ophthalmologist by trade, Rizal has his eyes on the prize, and you’ll see great gains in Culture and gold when soaking up rewards from narrative events.
Celebrations are a key proponent of Rizal’s playstyle, and they not only generate more Happiness but also last longer (just like Filipino Christmas). Rizal gets on famously with the leader undertaking the most diplomatic Endeavors, while the most sanction-happy player will be met with his ire.
Friedrich Oblique
- Army Commanders start with the Merit Commendation, which grants them +1 command radius
- Gain an infantry unit when you construct a Science building
Prussian king Friedrich the Great was the poster boy of enlightened absolutionism and a certified Francophile – RIP king, you would’ve loved being able to rule the French in Civ 7. A genial commander and renaissance man, Friedrich turned mid-18th-century Prussia into quite the powerhouse.
Sporting two different personas, Friedrich, Oblique, and Friedrich, Baroque, there are two distinct ways to play him. Friedrich Oblique grants meaty military bonuses. Not only does the Merit Commendation grant a greater command radius, but it also saves you from using a promotion point for this commendation later on. Plus, gaining an infantry unit whenever you build a Science building is a great way to boost your army quickly and for free. Neither manages to levy Friedrich far up our list, though, due to other leaders who offer better bonuses.
Pachacuti
- All buildings receive +1 food adjacency for mountains
- Specialists adjacent to mountains pay no Happiness maintenance
The progenitor of the Inca Empire, Pachacuti is a master of expansionism whose military and diplomatic prowess helped him grow the mountainous kingdom of Cusco into a powerhouse that spanned a century. Pachacuti’s real-world propinquity to the Andes grants him a host of mountain-based bonuses in Civ 7, so make sure you’re steering well clear of rocky regions, or else you’ll end up with a hatchet in your back, Chet (or whoever you are).
C-tier
Friedrich Baroque (DLC)
- Gain a Great Work upon capturing a settlement for the first time
- Gain an infantry unit when you construct a Culture building
Friedrich Baroque has a passion for the arts, creating positive relations with players who build wonders in their capitals. Be careful going against him, as Friedrich will gladly pillage a settlement or two for a great work. Like his Oblique counterpart, you gain a military unit when building a specific building, so you’ll want to put your focus on Culture instead of Science, but, again, there are lots of other leaders with greater military might.
Himiko, High Shaman (DLC)
- +2 Happiness per Age on Happiness buildings
- +50% Production towards constructing Happiness buildings
- +20% Culture but -10% Science. +40% Culture and -20% Science during a Celebration
In contrast to her other persona, Himiko, High Shaman shuns Science in favor of Culture and making her people as happy as possible. In fact, if you have Science and/or gold buildings then expect to get on her bad side. The reason the High Shaman isn’t as high in the tier list as her royal counterpart is that she takes a hit to Science for her increased Culture, and there are better leaders out there for gaining Culture quickly, while that massive Production boost is exclusive to Happiness buildings, which aren’t always the most beneficial to build.
Napoleon Emperor
- Gains a unique Sanction that reduces the trade route capacity for a target civilization by one, causes a massive relationship penalty, and costs more to reject
- +8 gold per Age for every leader you are Unfriendly or Hostile with
- Can reject Endeavors for free
This revolutionary Frenchman needs no introduction. Napoleon’s military prowess is legendary, even if the Napoleonic Wars ended with his second and final exile to St. Helena. Having been granted two alternate personas in Civ 7, we not only get to enjoy the militaristic Bonaparte, Napoleon, Revolutionary, but also a more economic and diplomatic version in Napoleon, Emperor.
Napoleon’s Emperor persona can limit trade routes with his unique sanction and gains gold for every leader he’s unfriendly or hostile with. If you’re a professional hater, Napoleon’s the leader for you. While this might look good for those who want to wage war on everyone, there are other leaders who offer much more, such as
Tecumseh
- +1 Food and Production per Age in settlements for every City-State of which you are Suzerain
- +1 combat strength for all units for every City-State of which you are Suzerain
Tecumseh is a Shawnee chief who prefers to balance diplomacy with economics instead of all-out war. His anti-colonial sentiments extend to his relationships with other Civilization 7 leaders, taking a dislike to those who suppress independent powers. A strong retinue of envoys is crucial to Tecumseh’s success as a leader, but he’s prepared to defend his territories with a combat strength buff to all units.
Settlements under his control benefit from food and production bonuses that scale to the number of city-states he controls as suzerain. This makes his civilization flourish in grassland and plains, though he can also net a bounteous harvest when settling alongside navigable rivers. Tecumseh is exclusive to the Shawnee DLC pack, available in the Civ 7 deluxe and founder’s editions.
Ada Lovelace
- Cities receive +2 Science per Age when you complete a Civic Mastery. This resets at the start of each Age.
- Gain Culture equal to 50% of your total Science per turn when you complete a Technology Mastery.
Ada Lovelace, added with the Crossroads of the World collection, is actually a fairly decent choice for focus on Science or Culture. Given the way her Culture increases with her total Science, and that her Science increases passively every few turns, you quickly see huge growth in both.
That said, nothing Lovelace offers has any bearing on Production, Food, or military might, and this could cause her to struggle against some of the powerhouses higher up this list. Even if you want to focus your attention on Science or Culture, you still need food and production income to keep you civilians happy, and you can’t prevent someone else waging war on you, meaning armies are crucial. It’s not good enough just concentrating your efforts on cultural-scientific goals.
Napoleon Revolutionary
- +1 movement for all land units
- Defeating an enemy unit provides Culture equal to 50% of its combat strength
Napoleon, Revolutionary provides a movement bonus to land units, while defeating enemy units yields Culture equal to half their combat strength. This isn’t the grandest offering considering all the other Leader abilities, which is why Napoleon is at the bottom of our list, but if you want to give him a try anyway, you must connect a 2K account to your game to unlock him.
And those are the Civilization 7 leaders. Before you dive into Firaxis’ latest, be sure to check out the Civilization 7 system requirements, as well as the latest Civilization 7 Twitch drops that can give you some extra in-game goodies.
Additional contributions by Nat Smith and Danielle Rose.
