Leaders we’d like to see in Civilization 7

Some newcomers to the series that would be interesting to play as

Firaxis / 2K Games

Although the Civilization 7 waiting room isn’t quite exhausted with Microsoft’s Ara: History Untold yet to be released, Firaxis and 2K’s announcement of the next entry into the series has made all turn-based 4X strategy fans very excited. We know literally nothing about the game at this point and given that both Civilization 5 and 6 made some massive changes to the series – 5 with a  new tile shape and 6 with districts – we could be in for a total surprise. Or maybe not.

Frankly, that doesn’t even matter at this point – fans just want to be excited and speculate about which leaders we may see in the upcoming game and that’s a fun activity we very much enjoy, as well. So for this article, we’ll assume that Civ 7 will feature a historical figure from a nation’s history as its leader. However, our goal with this list is to name leaders who might provide their nation with a style and focus it never had before, introducing some fresh faces into the series.

Again: All of this is pure speculation and just for the sake of fun – and with that out of the way, here are ten leaders we’d like to see in Civilization 7.

Alfred the Great – England

• Focus on military and science

Alfred the Great may never have been the king of a truly united England, but he very much laid the foundations for it by fending off repeated Viking invasions and instigating administrative as well as educational reforms on which the following generations could build.

Alfred the Great as he appeared in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. / Ubisoft

With Alfred as a leader, England could be played with a military and science focus instead of the usual concentration on naval power and colonies. To quote my esteemed colleague Ryan Woodrow: “Yeah, I don't want to have to play as Boat King just because I'm playing England.”

Marcus Aurelius – Rome

• Focus on military and culture

Rome’s leaders in Civ generally hail from its imperial era with the sole exception of Julius Caesar, so we’re going with an emperor as well: Marcus Aurelius (you may know him as the old emperor in Ridley Scott's original Gladiator movie) was known as the philosopher emperor due to his interest in stoicism – in fact, you can still read the book he wrote about it today. Despite that cultural inclination, Aurelius was a seasoned general and directed many campaigns himself, giving us the dose of Roman militarism we can’t live without.

If Firaxis were to go with someone from the republican era, then Cicero or Scipio Africanus are two options providing wildly different playstyles: One more focused on culture and stability, the other on military affairs.

Maximilian I. – Germany

• Focus on military and culture

Leaders of the Holy Roman Empire have become a common pick for Germany, so we’re continuing this trend. Maximilian I. was one of the most successful rulers of the HRE: An able general, military innovator, diplomat, and friend of arts and sciences, Maximilian added Spain to the holdings of House Habsburg, retook occupied Austria from Hungary, and initiated important military reforms. 

Despite his military innovations, which ironically accelerated the departure of heavy cavalry from Europe’s battlefields, he had a deep longing for chivalry and knighthood, being a big fan of jousting tournaments and armor. This led to him being called Europe's 'last knight' by writers. He sponsored the endeavors of many artists and thinkers with the humanist school being especially favored.

Maximilian would offer the chance to get a different take on Germany, departing from its usual production-focused playstyle.

Meiji – Japan

• Focus on military and industry

Understandably, the focus with Japan so far has mostly been its feudal period – who doesn’t love the samurai aesthetics, right? Emperor Meiji would offer us a fresh and more modern take on Japan. Under his reign, the previously isolationist nation transformed into an industrialized powerhouse that looked outwards for expansion, rapidly modernizing its military, government, and economy. 

I’m not sure what the best pick for its secondary focus would be: Trade certainly flourished after the borders opened up, but so did science and production, so there's much flexibility to be had here – in any case, it’s an all-new Japan.

Henry IV. – France

• Focus on industry and diplomacy

One of France’s less well known rulers, Henry IV. could provide yet another fresh perspective on the nation after we’ve been through versions that have been military- and culture-focused. Henry tackled religious discord during his reign, forming alliances to weaken Catholic power in Europe, but largely concentrated on making the lives of his subjects better by building infrastructure like roads and bridges to facilitate commerce and industry – there’s a reason why he’s called Henry the Good.

John F. Kennedy – United States

• Focus on diplomacy and science

The United States’ earlier presidents have generally been the focus in Civ up to this point, so why not go a little further towards our own time? JFK is probably one of the most well-known leaders of the US around the globe and he was one of the driving forces behind the Apollo program – a science and engineering project all of humankind can be proud of. 

His personal leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis, on the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and the Berlin Crisis are especially noteworthy when talking about the possible diplomacy focus – but this could just be my European perspective talking.

Ivan III. – Russia

• Focus on military and diplomacy

Ivan III. was an instrumental figure in establishing a powerful and independent Russia. It was him who defeated the remnants of the Golden Horde and broke the Tatars’ supremacy over Russia, bringing Novgorod under Muscovy’s control. This feat earned him the nickname 'gatherer of Russian lands.' Of course, this aspect is problematic given Russia's current invasion of Ukraine, which the aggressor is partly justifying by the need to reconquer lost territory.

Ivan sought to elevate Russia internationally, establishing relations with most of Europe’s important states, marrying a Byzantine princess, and beginning a grand building program in Moscow to make it a representative capital.

Themistocles – Greece

• Focus on military and trade

We can’t do wholly without a boat king, can we? Themistocles was the visionary Athenian politician who persuaded the city-state’s people to invest the profits of a newly-discovered silver mine into a grand fleet of warships – and it was this fleet that defeated the Persians at Salamis under his lead, defending Greece from the Great King’s invasion. With this triumph as a foundation, Athens went on to form its own seaborne empire in the Aegean, growing rich (and arrogant) from its profits.

Aside from the naval power aspect, you could still go for the more traditional culture focus of Greece, but wealth would fit the founder of Athens’ empire better.

Khufu – Egypt

• Focus on industry and culture

I will admit that a wonder-focused Egypt isn’t exactly new, but come on: It’s Egypt. You have to build wonders as Egypt. And who would be more qualified to lead such a civilization than Khufu, otherwise known as Cheops? The largest, most impressive pyramids in the country carry his name.

Concentrating on production and culture may not be very creative, but some things simply work too well to be changed. Besides, going with Egypt’s modern leaders is probably much too controversial anyway, so it's perhaps for the best to stick with antiquity.

Cao Cao – China

• Focus on military and diplomacy

China obviously has tons of potential leaders thanks to its immensely rich history, so picking just one is very difficult – but I always had a soft spot for Cao Cao, the man who’d rather betray the world than be betrayed by it. 

Cao Cao as he appeared in Total War: Three Kingdoms. / Creative Assembly / Sega

One of the principal figures of the Three Kingdoms era (you may have read a book or played a video game about it), Cao Cao was so successful as a warlord and politician that not only his descendants became emperors, but also the descendants of his secretary. Cao Cao always had a ruse up his sleeve in war and politics. A resourceful man, he was also very meritocratic, scouting talented men and giving them a chance to serve him. That screams for a Great Person bonus of some kind.