Current Events > A non-comprehensive list of games with Black protagonists.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I posted this a few months ago; may as well do it again since I've added more to it, though I'll admit that a few may be a bit iffy. It's kind of an ongoing pet project of mine, since games with Black heroes are still rare:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15EK1fZiRFfSxz13WV1xRAvHMZhDBjN1yik76SaPk-lY/

In order to qualify, they must be the playable protagonist or main hero of the game they appear in, even if they share the spot with non-Black characters (and there's a lot of those). Character creators are not counted, but selectable classes with set designs are. Most sports games are also excluded, since those are simulators that don't really have protagonists in them.

You got Enter the Matrix backwards. The black one is the woman. The other option is an Australian guy.

Or at least, the actor who plays him in the game's live-action cutscenes is Australian. Though in the real-time graphics it's hard to tell, lol.

Directive 8020.

it's an upcoming interactive movie-like game, by Supermassive Games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUc0vbSlanM

ReturnOfDevsman posted...

You got Enter the Matrix backwards. The black one is the woman. The other option is an Australian guy.

Or at least, the actor who plays him in the game's live-action cutscenes is Australian. Though in the real-time graphics it's hard to tell, lol.

boxoto posted...

Directive 8020.

it's an upcoming interactive movie-like game, by Supermassive Games.

The sheet has been updated with these.

Google came up with Aerial_Knights Never Yield

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/1b6c6a7f.jpg

She Dreams Elsewhere

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/b063a331.jpg

boxoto posted...

Google came up with Aerial_Knights Never Yield

Added this one. She Dreams Elsewhere was already on the list.

Spiritfarer

Im fairly sure the main character is black, and a LOT of the supporting cast seem to be from a southern US region, which might help support that.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/fed98932.jpg

Solar_Crimson posted...

Added this one. She Dreams Elsewhere was already on the list.

thanks!

Borderlands
Roland

Champions of Norrath and Champions: Return to Arms
Erudite Wizard selectable class, M+F

_____Cait posted...

Spiritfarer

Im fairly sure the main character is black, and a LOT of the supporting cast seem to be from a southern US region, which might help support that.

Got that one as well.

domranguay posted...

Borderlands
Roland

Champions of Norrath and Champions: Return to Arms
Erudite Wizard selectable class, M+F

Added.

What about games that have Black side characters and antagonists?

I don't think I see The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard on the list.

FF7
FF7Remake
FF7 Rebirth
Halo 5
Gears of War 4
Gears 5
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto 5

Humble_Novice posted...

What about games that have Black side characters and antagonists?

Games with Black side characters are much more common, I find.

Not sure about antagonists, but I feel they're even rarer than games with Black heroes.

Enclave posted...

I don't think I see The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard on the list.

It's there.

Omega posted...

FF7
FF7Remake
FF7 Rebirth
Halo 5
Gears of War 4
Gears 5
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto 5

The two GTAs are there already. But Halo 5 could be added.

As for the others, Barret Wallace is not the protagonist of FF7. Marcus Fenix in Gears isn't Black, either.

BUMP

I've added Halo 5 to the list on my PC, but it hasn't been reflect on the uploaded version yet.

The Suffering and it's sequel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Suffering_(video_game)

Ruvan22 posted...

The Suffering and it's sequel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Suffering_(video_game)

There was some ambiguity last time, but I'll go ahead and add him this time. Seems like the consensus is that he's mixed-race and at least partially Black.

I did a control F and did not see it, but I believe the MC of Slime Rancher is black.

El_Dustino posted...

I did a control F and did not see it, but I believe the MC of Slime Rancher is black.

Added both it and its sequel.

Oh yeah there is a second game I need to get to that sometime. First game was very cute.

Deathloop?

Scintillant posted...

Deathloop?

Already there.

Look Outside

Dragon's Dogma II. I mentioned this in the previous topic, too.
.

Solar_Crimson posted...

Character creators are not counted, but selectable classes with set designs are.

Here is a screenshot of DD II's opening where you choose or create your character.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/6/605dbec8.jpg
The guy highlighted (to the right) is one of the pre-made characters you can choose.
.

Selecting the middle character in the hooded poncho (the one with their back facing the camera) takes you to the character creator. However, you can move the camera left or right to focus on and select one of the pre-made characters in the line to be the Arisen, your character, for your playthrough.

Watch_Dogs 2.

Watch_Dogs Legion doesn't really have protagonists, though some of the starting characters are black.

Bebe's Kids for SNES. Terrible game but it still counts.

Did you add that newer game with the black girl who rides some kind of aquatic creature (a frog, I think) in a swamp? It might've come out last year.

Maniac Mansion (one of the selectable kids, Michael)
Elite Beat Agents (the lead dancer on easy mode, Agent Spin)

They both share their spot with other choices though.

there was a Black Voices in Games showcase this morning, where you can find a number of titles:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5tvZCy8vPtg

andri_g posted...

Here is a screenshot of DD II's opening where you choose or create your character.

I'll add it, though I also want to look a bit further into it as well.

jumi posted...

Watch_Dogs 2.

The_Wheelman1 posted...

Bebe's Kids for SNES. Terrible game but it still counts.

Both of these are on the list already.

Shotgunnova posted...

Did you add that newer game with the black girl who rides some kind of aquatic creature (a frog, I think) in a swamp? It might've come out last year.

Not sure. I need a name for it.

Relm_Arrowny_87 posted...

Maniac Mansion (one of the selectable kids, Michael)
Elite Beat Agents (the lead dancer on easy mode, Agent Spin)

They both share their spot with other choices though.

Will look into Maniac Mansion.

Not sure about Elite Beat Agents, though. I haven't played it, but aren't you controlling them as a group, with the White male the lead?

boxoto posted...

there was a Black Voices in Games showcase this morning, where you can find a number of titles:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5tvZCy8vPtg

Good stuff. I'll have to watch this later.

Of course, the comments there are reprehensible.

I didn't even think about the comments :/

when the showcase is live there aren't any outside of the chat, but I turn that off since those posts are rarely ever any good regardless of the content.

The OP spreadsheet has been updated.

Still need to get around to watching the Black Voices video.

The recent "smash hit" Mindseye. It stars the same VA/model who did Lincon Clay in Mafia III.

Unsure if mentioned but would the Splatoon series count? You can create a character and make them black, and in the DLCs for 2 and 3 Marina is one of your supporters.

El_Dustino posted...

Unsure if mentioned but would the Splatoon series count? You can create a character and make them black, and in the DLCs for 2 and 3 Marina is one of your supporters.

Custom characters and NPCs don't count. Has to be a pre-set playable character, even if they're one of many.

Also, apparently Sir Hammerlock from Borderlands 2 is black (thought he was really tanned from being an avid outdoorsman), so would his sister Aurelia count? She was a DLC character for Pre-Sequel.

Wolfenstein: The New Colossus has a DLC expansion called Gunslinger Joe that stars a black man.

Still kind of bums me out that when it comes to this sort of thing its usually stuff like character creation (and more often than not the "black leaning" customization options like with hairstyles is some hot ass, lol. Either the options are terrible like with most western dev games, or you can kind of tell that you are still just making a typical japanese anime protagonist with something like code vein's options. I do appreciate the games that really try though, the nioh 2s/tecmo-koei's creator in general and imo the monster hunter world/wilds customization is pretty great for making anyone) sports games obviously, playing as a criminal dude in GTA, or they are some sort of cop possible undercover, military/ex-military/mercenary (so the deathloops, true crime streets of new york I think it was, prototype 2 and mercenaries would fall here).

I appreciate the attempts like with forspoken despite the game not turning out too great, or something like that south of midnight game.

Personally, I want a jrpg game (doesn't necessarily have to be made by actual japanese devs. It can be a indie thing, like with sea of stars and cosmic star heroine) with a black lead. No character creation, no secondary lead, just......black protagonist jrpg. The closest rpg game I can come up with is like, haven. (With the main dude lead being ambiguously brown).

Ah yeah I forgot the first post oops

Found another one while browsing the PSN Store:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Precinct_(video_game)

Relooted
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GIEYKNET8MQ

a_riot04 posted...

Relooted
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GIEYKNET8MQ

Neat show.

Once again, avoid the comments.

Tenet of the Spark

you play as a black boxer, and a couple of his ancestors, who are Viking and Mesoamerican

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TNfcK_RJMFk

boxoto posted...

Tenet of the Spark

you play as a black boxer, and a couple of his ancestors, who are Viking and Mesoamerican

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TNfcK_RJMFk

Pretty cool.

Funny how he tries to make people wonder how a Black man has a Viking ancestor, when that's probably very common considering how far back the Vikings lived.

Didn't see Forspoken on the list but I'm not sure of your criteria.

Pretty sure Frey is half black on her father's side. You never see the dad (afaik) so it's not confirmed 100% though.

Dalthine posted...

Didn't see Forspoken on the list but I'm not sure of your criteria.

Pretty sure Frey is half black on her father's side. You never see the dad (afaik) so it's not confirmed 100% though.

It's there, and she definitely counts.

The criteria is that they must be the primary protagonist, or at least share the position with other non-Black characters. Character creators don't count; premade characters that can be selected (such as being tied to a specific class that has that design) count, though. Most sports games are not counted, as they tend to not really have protagonists or stories involved (and if they do, they usually utilize a character creator).

Solar_Crimson posted...

It's there, and she definitely counts.

The criteria is that they must be the primary protagonist, or at least share the position with other non-Black characters. Character creators don't count; premade characters that can be selected (such as being tied to a specific class that has that design) count, though. Most sports games are not counted, as they tend to not really have protagonists or stories involved (and if they do, they usually utilize a character creator).

Oh yeah I saw that bit. I was more talking in terms of semi ambiguous fantasy race stuff.

Rereading though, I think I can add another (unless I'm blind again). In Wayfinder, Silo is one of the initial batch of playable characters available. There's no specific canon hero so any of them are viable as protagonist as a sort of class.

No More Heroes 2 is often cited here. She's not the protag, but she's a playable main character and one of the first playable characters who is also a black woman.

edit: I'd also add every street fighter after Boxer is playable.

Soul Calibur 2, Xbox version only (Spawn).

Solar_Crimson posted...

Pretty cool.

Funny how he tries to make people wonder how a Black man has a Viking ancestor, when that's probably very common considering how far back the Vikings lived.

Well, black people didn't exist until the Portuguese started taking them as slaves in the 15th century, which is a bit after the Viking age so....

I am apparently obligated to point out that this is sarcasm since apparently people can no longer comprehend it without the disclaimer

Do aliens voiced by black people count?