Home > News > Civilization VII: Leader Abilities Unveiled!

Civilization VII: Leader Abilities Unveiled!

by Lillian Feb 22,2025

Civilization VII: A Comprehensive Guide to All Leaders and Their Abilities

Mastering Civilization VII requires a robust strategy, and your chosen Leader is paramount. This guide details all currently confirmed Leaders in Civilization VII, outlining their unique abilities and agendas. Note that this list may be updated as more Leaders are revealed.

Leader	Unique Ability	Attributes	Agenda
Amina	Warrior-Queen of Zazzau: +1 Resource Capacity in Cities. +1 Gold per Age for each Resource assigned to Cities. +5 Combat Strength on all Units in Plains and Desert.	Economic, Militaristic	Desert of the Warrior-Queen: Medium Relationship decrease if they control more Plains/Desert settlements; Small Relationship increase if they control none.
Ashoka, World Conqueror (Founders Content Pack)	Devaraja: +1 Production in Cities for every 5 excess Happiness. +10% Production in Settlements not founded by you. Declaring a Formal War grants a Celebration. +10 Combat Strength against Districts for all Units during a celebration.	Diplomatic, Militaristic	Without Regret: Medium Relationship decrease with the Leader controlling the most tiles; Medium Relationship increase with the Leader controlling the fewest.
Ashoka, World Renouncer	Dhammaraja: +1 Food in Cities for every 5 excess Happiness. +10% Food in all Settlements during a Celebration. All Buildings gain a +1 Happiness adjacency for all Improvements.	Diplomatic, Expansionist	Without Sorrow: Medium Relationship increase with the player having the highest Happiness; Medium Relationship decrease with the player having the lowest.
Augustus	Imperium Maius: +2 Production in the Capital for every Town. Can purchase Culture Buildings in Towns. +50% Gold towards purchasing Buildings in Towns.	Cultural, Expansionist	Restitutor Orbis: Medium Relationship decrease per Town in other empires; Medium Relationship increase per City (excluding Capital) in other empires.
Benjamin Franklin	The First American: +1 Science per Age on Production Buildings in Cities. +50% Production towards construction Production Buildings. +1 Science per Age from active Endeavors you started or supported. Can have two Endeavors of the same type active at a time.	Diplomatic, Scientific	Civic Virtue: Increased Relationship with players sharing his Government; Decreased Relationship with players not sharing his Government.
Catherine the Great	Star of the North: +2 Culture per Age on displayed Great Works. Buildings with Great Works gain an additional slot. Cities settled in Tundra gain Science equal to 25% of their Culture per turn.	Cultural, Scientific	Dusha: Medium Relationship decrease with the player having the most Great Works; Medium Relationship increase with the player having the fewest (requires a Great Work).
Charlemagne	Father of Europe: Military and Science Buildings receive a Happiness adjacency for Quarters. Gain 2 Cavalry units, once unlocked, when entering a Celebration. +5 Combat Strength for Cavalry units during a Celebration.	Militaristic, Scientific	The Golden Shepherd: Medium Relationship increase with the player triggering the most Celebrations; Medium Relationship decrease with the player triggering the fewest.
Confucius	Keju: +25% Growth Rate in all Cities. +2 Science from Specialists.	Expansionist, Scientific	Guanxi: Medium Relationship increase for having the most Specialists.
Friedrich, Baroque (Deluxe Content Pack)	Hohenfriedberger Marsch: Gain a Great Work upon capturing a Settlement for the first time. Gain an Infantry Unit when you construct a Culture Building.	Cultural, Militaristic	Parisian Sensibilities: Medium Relationship increase per Wonder in the Capital; Small Relationship decrease per Building in the Capital.
Friedrich, Oblique	Berlin Academy: Army Commanders start with the Merit Commendation (+1 Command Radius). Gain an Infantry Unit when you construct a Science Building.	Militaristic, Scientific	To Arms!: Medium Relationship decrease with the empire having the fewest Military Units; Small Relationship increase with the empire having the most.
Harriet Tubman	Combahee Raid: +50% Influence towards initiating Espionage action. Gain 5 War Support on all wars declared against you. Units ignore movement penalties from Vegetation.	Diplomatic, Militaristic	Veracity: Medium Relationship increase per Formal War declared; Medium Relationship decrease per Surprise War declared.
Hatshepsut	God’s Wife of Amun: +1 Culture for every imported Resource. +15% Production towards the construction of Buildings and Wonders in Cities adjacent to Navigable Rivers.	Cultural, Economic	Wonders of Iteru: Small Relationship decrease if you have more Wonders; Medium Relationship increase if you have fewer.
Himiko, High Shaman (Founders Content Pack)	Miko of Amaterasu: +2 Happiness per Age on Happiness Buildings. +50% Production towards constructing Happiness Buildings. +20% Culture but -10% Science. These effects are doubled during a Celebration.	Cultural, Diplomatic	Shaman Queen: Small Relationship decrease per Settlement with Science and Gold Buildings; Small Relationship increase per Settlement with Culture and Happiness Buildings.
Himiko, Queen of Wa	Friend of Wei: Gain a Unique Endeavor, Friend of Wei (+25% Science for you and an ally). Can support Endeavors for free. +4 Science per Age for every Leader you’re Friendly or Helpful with.	Diplomatic, Scientific	Yamatai: Small Relationship decrease per Settlement with Culture and Happiness Buildings; Small Relationship increase per Settlement with Science and Gold Buildings.
Ibn Battuta	The Marvels of Traveling: Gains multiple Attribute points after the first Civic in every Age. Increased Sight for all Units. Gain a Unique Endeavor called Trade Maps that lets you gradually see other Leaders’ explored areas.	Expansionist, Wildcard	Far and Wide: Large Relationship increase with the player uncovering the most Fog of War tiles; Small Relationship decrease with the player uncovering the fewest.
Isabella	Seven Cities of Gold: Gain 300 Gold every time you discover a Natural Wonder (doubled in Distant Lands). +100% tile yields from Natural Wonders, +50% Gold towards purchasing Naval Units, and -1 Gold Maintenance for Naval Units.	Economic, Expansionist	Wonderlust: Large Relationship decrease per Natural Wonder in borders; Small Relationship increase if possessing no Natural Wonders.
Jose Rizal	Pambansang Bayani: When gaining rewards from a Narrative Event, gain additional Culture and Gold per Age. Increased Celebration duration and Happiness towards Celebrations. Has additional Narrative Events.	Cultural, Diplomatic	Kapwa: Medium Relationship increase for the player with the most active Endeavors; Medium Relationship decrease for the player with the most active Sanctions.
Lafayette	Hero of Two Worlds: Gains a Unique Endeavor, Reform (grants an additional Social Policy slot). Supporting this Endeavor also grants the other Leader an additional Social Policy slot. Increased Combat Strength for every Tradition, but no Policy, slotted in the Government. Increased Culture and Happiness per Age in Settlements. These effects are increased further in Distant Lands.	Cultural, Diplomatic	French Quarters: Small Relationship increase for the player with the most filled Urban Districts; Small Relationship decrease for the player with the fewest.
Machiavelli	Il Principe: Gain +3 Influence per Age. Gain 50 Gold per Age when your Diplomatic Action proposals are accepted, or 100 Gold per Age when they are rejected. Ignore Relationship requirements for declaring Formal Wars. You can levy Military Units from City-States you are no Suzerain of.	Diplomatic, Economic	The Spider: Medium Relationship increase with each other if not at war.
Napoleon, Emperor	Empereur des Francais: Gain a Unique Sanction, Continental System (reduces Trade Route limit of target). +8 Gold per Age for every Leader you are Unfriendly or Hostile with. Can reject Endeavors for free.	Diplomatic, Economic	TBD
Napoleon, Revolutionary	La Grande Armee: +1 Movement for all Land Units. Defeating an enemy Unit provides Culture equal to 50% of its Combat Strength.	Cultural, Militaristic	TBD
Pachacuti	Earth Shaker: All Buildings gain a Food adjacency for Mountains. Specialists adjacent to Mountains do not cost Happiness maintenance.	Economic, Expansionist	Mountain King: Medium Relationship increase for the player with the fewest Mountains; Medium Relationship decrease for the player with the most.
Tecumseh (Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack)	Nicaakiyakoolaakwe: +1 Food and Production per Age in Settlements for every City-State you are Suzerain of. +1 Combat Strength for all your Units for every City-State you are Suzerain of.	Diplomatic, Economic	Suzerain of the World: Large Relationship decrease when a player disperses independently; Small Relationship increase if the player lacks an active “Befriend Independent” Project.
Trung Trac	Hai Ba Trung: +3 free Promotions on your first Army Commander. Your Commanders gain +20% experience. +10% Science in Cities on Tropical tiles. This bonus is doubled during any Formal War you declare.	Militaristic, Scientific	Van Minh: Medium Relationship decrease with the player having the most Commander promotions; Medium Relationship increase with the player having the fewest.
Xerxes, King of Kings	Crusher of Rebellions: +3 Combat Strength for Units attacking in neutral or enemy territory. +100 Culture and Gold per Age upon capturing a Settlement for the first time. +10% Gold in all Settlements, doubled in Settlements not founded by you. +1 Settlement limit per Age.	Economic, Militaristic	Lord of Fire: Medium Relationship decrease when a player is not at war; Small Relationship increase when a player is at war.
Xerxes, the Achaemenid (Deluxe Content Pack)	Silk Road: +1 Trade Route limit with all other Leaders. +50 Culture and 100 Gold per Age when you create a Trade Route or Road. +1 Culture and Gold per Age on Unique Buildings and Unique Improvements.	Cultural, Economic	Lord of Coin: Medium Relationship decrease if the player has an equal or greater number of Trade Routes; Small Relationship increase if the player has fewer.

This information should assist you in selecting the Leader best suited to your playstyle. Remember to consult additional resources for further gameplay strategies.

Trending Games More >