The recent announcement of Yasmine from Street Fighter 6 has been positive for the Filipino community. That’s because there’s another character joining a popular franchise with Filipino blood. On top of that, Yasmine will be the lead in the story for this season. That being said, let’s take a look at some notable Filipino and Filipina characters in the world of video games.
Jose Astrada (Front Mission 3)
While not a main character, we have to give our respects to Jose Astrada. Probably the very first Filipino character to appear in a video game. Appearing in Front Mission 3 (1999), he is an NPC who helps the players in some capacity. We also have to give Front Mission 3 a shout-out since the game takes place in some parts of the Philippines, like the Taal Base section, and other minor characters who are Filipinos.
Talim (Soul Calibur)
The very first Filipina character in a fighting game was Talim, appearing in Soul Calibur 2 back in 2003. She has also appeared in five different Soul Calibur games, so this girl has some pedigree to her. She belongs to a fictional village in the Philippines where they worship the Wind Deity. Her name, Talim, means blade in English, and she had two bladed tonfa as her weapons, in the stage of history.
Neon (Valorant)
Her full name is Tala Nicole Dimaapi Valdez is an agent in the game. Using electricity as her source of power, Neon is one of the most loved characters in the game. She also speaks Tagalog in some of her lines, and safe to say, she has her fans who main her.
Conduit (Apex Legends)
Having the full name Rowena Valentina Coffey, Conduit was born into a middle-class Filipino family. Her story is pretty much common, and she joined local fighting events to support her family. Even after she became a Legend, some of her earnings went to support her family. Shame she doesn’t speak any Tagalog in the game.
Josie Rizal (Tekken)
First appearing in Tekken 7, she is the first and, for now, only Filipino character in the game. In a game filled with characters coming from different nationalities and cultures, Josie was welcomed by the players. She fights in the local Eskrima-style kickboxing, and she incorporates it in her gameplay. Her name is based on the national hero of the Philippines, Jose Rizal. She isn’t in Tekken 8, unfortunately, but may return in future games.
Jose Rizal (Civilization VII)
While Josie is good, the man himself, the national hero, is a character in Civilization VII. He plays a role as one of the LEADERS in the game. He has his stats and attributes that are essential if you want your Civilization to grow. He doesn’t even need to be the Leader of specific civilizations. He even has some nice Tagalog lines that don’t sound like bad dubbing.
Paquito and Lapu Lapu (Mobile Legends)
While a fictional game, these two characters were based on two Filipinos. Paquito is based on the famous boxer Manny Pacquiao. Paquito himself uses his fists and has skin where he has boxing gloves. Lapu-Lapu is based on an actual Filipino hero of the same name who killed Magellan in the Battle of Mactan. He even looks close to the hero that he is based on.
