Civ 7 Leader Overview
Civilization 7 brings transformative changes to the franchise, most notably its innovative Ages system that requires players to transition through Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern eras by switching civilizations. Crucially, your selected Leader remains constant throughout your entire campaign.
While Leaders don't provide as many unique traits as full Civilizations, their persistent abilities create powerful synergies when strategically paired with different eras. To help optimize your gameplay, we've ranked every base game Leader (excluding DLC characters Ada Lovelace and Simón Bolívar) based on their standalone performance in single-player mode.
Civ 7 Leader Tier Rankings
S-Tier - Confucius, Xerxes King of Kings, Ashoka World Conquerer, Augustus
A-Tier - Ashoka World Renouncer, Benjamin Franklin, Charlemagne, Harriet Tubman, Hatshepsut, Himiko High Shaman, Isabella, Jose Rizal, Machiavelli, Trung Trac, Xerxes The Achaemenid
B-Tier - Amina, Catherine The Great, Friedrich Oblique, Ibn Battuta, Lafayette, Napoleon Emperor, Napoleon Revolution, Tecumseh, Himiko Queen of Wa
C-Tier - Friedrich Baroque, Pachacuti
S-Tier Leaders Analysis
Ashoka, World Conquerer
This formidable warmonger converts Happiness into military might through multiple powerful bonuses:
- +1 Production per 5 excess Happiness
- +10% Production in conquered cities
- Automatic Celebrations upon declaring Formal Wars
- +5 Combat Strength against Districts during Celebrations
Ashoka rewards aggressive expansion while maintaining domestic stability. His Celebration-triggered combat bonuses create devastating offensive windows, though managing conquered city unrest becomes crucial.
Augustus
The Roman emperor thrives through rapid territorial expansion:
- +2 Capital Production per Town
- Ability to purchase Culture Buildings in Towns
- 50% discount on Town building purchases
Augustus maximizes undeveloped Towns rather than upgrading them, creating an economic powerhouse fueling capital dominance. His straightforward settlement-focused gameplay delivers consistent expansion advantages.
Confucius
The philosopher-king specializes in peaceful growth:
- 25% faster city growth
- +2 Science from Specialists
Confucius claims territory faster while building formidable scientific infrastructure. Though militarily vulnerable early, his late-game technological advantage becomes overwhelming.
Xerxes, King of Kings
The Persian ruler dominates through relentless conquest:
- +3 Combat Strength abroad
- Massive Culture/Gold rewards per captured Settlement
- 10% Gold bonus empire-wide (+20% in conquered cities)
- Extra Settlement capacity per Age
Xerxes snowballs through continuous military campaigns, converting victories into economic and cultural acceleration designed to overpower opponents.
