Every Civilization 7 Leader, ranked

Picking the best Leader in Civilization 7 is no easy feat. Currently, there are 26 different Leaders to choose from when starting a game, with more set to join the roster once the DLC roster starts filling up over the course of 2025.

The best Leader does depend on your Civ and overall gameplay strategy, but some stand out as stronger than the others. Here, we’ve ranked every Civ 7 Leader from S Tier to C Tier to help you find the best of the best.

Civilization VII Leader tier list

Picking the best Civ 7 Leader means looking at their traits, their Leader categories, starting biases, and other unique perks.

To make our list, we’ve considered the following traits:

• Does the Leader have synergy with multiple Civs?
• Is the Leader effective in both solo and multiplayer matches?
• How powerful are the Leader’s unique traits?
• Does the Leader have niche requirements, or do they have multiple win conditions?

You’ll notice from the tier list image above that no Leaders made it into anything lower than a C Tier. While some do feel stronger than others, it’s possible to win with any Leader in the game.

S Tier

Based on our testing, these Leaders stand out as the most impactful options in the game. They have powerful traits and interesting units, and they work well with multiple playstyles. They also have strong core identities, making games with them feel immersive and rich.

Augustus

Arguably one of the best picks for Culture Legacy Path victories, Augustus offers traits that help to speed up empire progress significantly. Boosting Capital Production while making town progression more affordable and Culture-rich is a lethal combination.

Benjamin Franklin

One of the most versatile Leaders in the game, Benjamin Franklin helps with Science yield significantly while boosting diplomacy options.

Charlemagne

This Leader offers the perfect split between Military and Science-oriented perks, helping you access cavalry units speedily for conquering your enemies.

Confucius

Confucius is arguably the strongest Science-leaning Leader in the game. The playstyle is easy to pick up, but the perks he offers with Specialists and growth rate remain meaningful until the end of the Modern Age.

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman is a strong defensive pick, making her viable for multiplayer matches. She allows you to play disruptively without suffering too much in retaliation and can be considered one of the best Military Leaders in the game.

Ibn Battuta

This Leader prioritizes expansion and favors getting as many Settlements on the board as possible. The Wildcard attribute points can help you hit the ground running in new Ages.

José Rizal

This Leader favors narrative event-heavy matches, so it’s a good thing Civ 7 has such a lively narrative system. With Celebration boosts, extra narrative events, and yield boosts, winning via the Cultural Legacy Path with this Leader is a breeze.

A Tier

These Leaders stand out thanks to their power, ability to achieve multiple win conditions with ease, and unique traits. They’re not quite S Tier, but they’re close to it and are worth experimenting with if you’re hoping to find a new favorite.

Amina

Amina is a little situational, requiring a particular enemy positioning to make use of the Combat Strength buff on offer, but if the cards fall in your favor, she’s a powerhouse. Her Economic buffs are exceptional, too, letting you make full use of city resources.

Ashoka, World Renouncer

The base game persona for Ashoka is more powerful than the DLC persona, providing a sturdy Diplomatic Expansionist playstyle.

Catherine the Great

While the tile-type requirement for the Science boost here may be a little niche, it’s a blessing when you end up near Tundra. Getting an extra Great Work slot alongside a Culture boost can help you speed along to a Culture win.

Isabella

Isabella’s Starting Bias cannot be overlooked, as it has exceptional synergy with her traits. Being biased toward Natural Wonders while gaining a significant Gold boost for grabbing them is a huge buff, and her Gold maintenance and Natural Wonder yields are mighty.

Machiavelli

The playstyle associated with Machiavelli can be a little tricky to get the hang of, but it’s powerful once you get the hang of the diplomatic intricacies and resource management required. The City-State and formal war buffs are particularly strong, especially in the early game.

Trung Trac

This Militaristic Scientific Leader is one of the best Military Leaders thanks to the Army Commander buffs and freebies.

Xerxes, the Achaemenid

The Achaemenid is perfect for Economic wins, with the trade route limit buff being a particularly powerful bonus for this playstyle.

B Tier

With the right strategy and Civ combination, these B Tier Leaders can still be powerful and help you secure a win. They’re niche but have plenty to offer and can be fun to play with.

Ashoka, World Conqueror

While this persona is not as flexible as its base game counterpart, it can still be strong with the right Civs, rewarding you for conquering other Settlements and declaring formal wars.

Friedrich, Baroque

The DLC persona for Friedrich is better than the base game counterpart, rewarding Military and Culture efforts in equal measure.

Hatshepsut

If you’re a fan of Economic gameplay and building Wonders, Hatshepsut might be the best pick for you. Her traits are minimalistic yet strong, enhancing imported resources and Production, particularly with navigable rivers in play.

Himiko, Queen of Wa

The base game persona for Himiko is significantly more effective than her DLC counterpart. This Leader prioritizes a friendly playstyle, with the Friend of Wei endeavor working perfectly alongside the friendly and helpful Leader buff.

Lafayette

Lafayette is a decent Cultural Diplomatic Leader, with traits that mean he can walk down multiple paths to victory. His win conditions are a little less clear than other Leaders in the game, but extra Social Policies are always beneficial and the double Distant Land bonus doesn’t hurt either.

Pachacuti

Pachacuti has a simple trait list, heavily favoring the mountain tile type. If you can’t get set up near mountains for whatever reason, his traits don’t feel particularly impactful and can let another Leader outpace you quickly. If you can access these tiles, though, he’s ideal for Economic wins.

Tecumseh

Tecumseh favors any playstyle that revolves around City-States. This does make him less flexible than other Leaders, but if you can get into the position of suzerain quickly, he’s strong.

Xerxes, King of Kings

The base game version of Xerxes demands a quick, aggressive playstyle which may not click with every player. If you’re a fan of Military gameplay, though, the King of Kings can be a solid pick.

C Tier

From our testing, these four Leaders are currently the least powerful options in the game. You can still win with them using the right strategy, but they’re either too niche or simply underwhelming.

Friedrich, Oblique

The base game persona for Friedrich is significantly less impactful than his DLC persona. The Merit Commendation can be nice to have and extra infantry units are useful, but the traits and lack of a starting bias prevent this Leader from being impactful.

Himiko, High Shaman

The High Shaman persona comes with a significant Science penalty. Her traits don’t make up for this penalty, offering extra yield but nothing to counter the potential -20 Science during a Celebration.

Napoleon, Emperor

This Leader prioritizes an aggressive playstyle, but if you prefer aggressive Military games, then Machiavelli is a much more logical pick.

Napoleon, Revolutionary

The land unit movement buff provided by this Leader is useful but not monumental. The Culture reward for beating an enemy can become useful in the late game, but other Leaders can easily outpace with their stronger perks and play styles.

Make sure to consider each Civ unlock as you work through the ages, and check out how to unlock Civs by completing certain gameplay tasks so you can craft the ideal strategy.