Famous Filipino Video Game Characters You Should Know

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play as a Filipino in a video game? You might be surprised that you probably played one already.

Many Filipino game developers work on major titles nowadays, so it is no surprise to see characters from the Philippines. That is why we should take a moment to appreciate their roles.

This article will discuss some of the famous Filipino video game characters. See if your favorite titles get mentioned, so you can look for them the next time you play.

1. Neon (Valorant)
2. Isabella Reyes (Call Of Duty: Vanguard)
3. Lapu-Lapu (Mobile Legends)
4. Zeri (League of Legends)
5. Lechonk (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
6. Josie Rizal (Tekken 7)
7. Talim (Soul Calibur) 
8. Kerry Eurodyne (Cyberpunk 2077) 
9. Phoenix Adarna (PUBG Mobile) 
10. Manananggal (Shin Megami Tensei 5)

1. Neon (Valorant)

Do you like to go fast? Then, Neon is your best bet in Valorant, the hit multiplayer first-person shooter from Riot Games. According to the game developer, Neon’s powers stem from recurring blackouts in the Philippines. That is why she can shoot electricity from her hands.

Playing her means being quick on the trigger. You have to go hard and fast and intercept the enemy team. Also, you can stop enemies in their tracks with her electric wall. 

Her voice actress is the up-and-coming Vanille Velasquez. Moreover, Fil-Aussie singer Ylona Garcia sings her theme music. You can say that Valorant is Southeast Asia’s counterpart for the West’s Call of Duty. No wonder she is number one on this list of famous Filipino video game characters. 

2. Isabella Reyes (Call Of Duty: Vanguard)

What if you prefer an FPS that is more grounded in reality? You could play CoD: Vanguard’s multiplayer as Isabella Reyes, a Filipina freedom fighter. According to in-game lore, she was born in 1923 in the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Moreover, her father trained her in the Filipino martial art of Arnis.

Its practitioners disguised its practice as a dance during the Spanish occupation. Arnis mainly relies on wielding two batons to deliver quick strikes on enemies. Isabella joined the Hukbalahap resistance after her father died during the Second World War. The group was a historical guerilla movement against Japanese invaders.  

3. Lapu-Lapu (Mobile Legends)

Lapu-Lapu is the Philippines’ first historical hero. He was the datu or tribal leader of Mactan who fended off the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his invaders. 

The mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title Mobile Legends features him as a playable champion. You may play as Lapu-Lapu and join four team members in a five-on-five battle.

The gameplay feels familiar if you play League of Legends. Each team has bases that connect via three lanes. Members must fight their way toward the enemy camp and destroy it. 

Mobile Legends calls Lapu-Lapu “The Courageous Blade” and gives him a different in-game backstory. He fights the Moniyan invaders instead of the European colonizers. Yet, the game kept his overall appearance. Lapu-Lapu bears tribal tattoos and gold jewelry, like his real-life portrayal.

4. Zeri (League of Legends)

Speaking of League of Legends, let us talk about Zeri. She is a famous Filipino character since she is a playable champion in arguably the most popular MOBA worldwide. 

Like Neon, Zeri has zappy electric powers. One of her most recognizable abilities is firing bolts of lightning that link to multiple enemies. Vanille Velasquez also voices Zeri, and she also appears in a Riot Games title. Moreover, she sports a colored twin-tail hairstyle.

5. Lechonk (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)

Lechon is a Pinoy suckling pig that is a staple for festivals and other gatherings. On the other hand, Lechonk is a cute creature that appeared in trailers for the upcoming Pokemon game.

Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet will release on the Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022. The game has not come out yet, but Lechonk is already a famous Filipino video game character.

After all, the Normal-type Pokemon is a cute little piggy creature. Will it be a great choice for your team in this turn-based game? We will have to wait and see!

6. Josie Rizal (Tekken 7)

Tekken is a fighting game that pits various fighters against each other. It is a decades-old franchise that has expanded its character roster with various nationalities.

Tekken 7 launched with a Filipino heroine inspired by the country’s national hero: Josie Rizal. According to in-game lore, she joined the Tekken Force after seeing the corporate army give typhoon relief in the country. Her outfit uses the colors of the national flag. Also, her fighting style is a mix of Arnis and kickboxing, letting her deal multiple blows faster than her opponents.

7. Talim (Soul Calibur) 

We recently discussed an old-school title, so let us proceed with another one. Tekken mostly involves regular martial artists, but Soul Calibur’s characters are fully fantastical.

Like the former, Soul Calibur franchises have been around for several years. In 2002, it included a Filipino fighter named Talim. Her name means “sharp” in Tagalog. Her in-game backstory says she is a teenage warrior who hails from the Village of the Wind Deity. It rests in the Visayan Islands of the Philippines. 

Talim learned the ways of the Wind so that she could become the last babaylan or priestess of her tribe. Yet, do not let that childlike appearance fool you. She wields elbow blades to attack with Eskrima or Arnis. Many of these characters use this art, don’t they?

8. Kerry Eurodyne (Cyberpunk 2077) 

Cyberpunk 2077’s setting is in the near future when people adapt cybernetic enhancements to their bodies. It is a role-playing game that lets you play as V. Your goal is to separate from Johnny Silverhand. He is a rock star turned rebel played by Keanu Reeves. His band has a Filipino guitarist named Kerry Eurodyne.

He has Filipino-inspired tattoos and mentions taking a break in the province of Masbate for two years. Also, Eurodyne is a famous Filipino video game character due to his crucial part in the game’s story.

We will take too long to discuss his role in the game. Cyberpunk may sound familiar even if you have not played the game. Netflix had a popular series based on the franchise named Cyberpunk 2077: Edgerunners. 

9. Phoenix Adarna (PUBG Mobile) 

We cannot exactly describe PUBG’s Adarna as a famous Filipino video game character. It is a character skin that players can earn after completing specific challenges. Afterward, they could transform their character into the Phoenix Adarna. It is a colorful costume inspired by the Ibong Adarna or Adarna Bird. 

The Ibong Adarna appears in the classic Filipino poem with its namesake. In the story, three princes seek their curative powers. However, they must watch out for its ability to turn people into stone.

The Adarna in Player Unknown’s Battle Grounds (PUBG) does not have special powers. However, it features the voices of Rodfil Macasero and Moymoy Palaboy.

10. Manananggal (Shin Megami Tensei 5)

The popular title Persona 5: Royal recently launched on the Nintendo Switch. However, you will not find a famous Filipino video game character in it. Instead, you should look at another game in the same franchise: Shin Megami Tensei 5. It features the manananggal as a creature that can help your RPG journey.

It is a well-known mythical creature in Filipino folklore that appears as a woman during the day. However, it sprouts bat-like wings on its back and splits from its torso during the night. 

Conclusion

You may have played these famous Filipino video game characters in one of your sessions. Perhaps you should play again and check them out yourself. Video games are a growing industry in the Philippines. More people play them nowadays, thanks to free-to-play titles like Mobile Legends. 

As a result, more esports teams have Filipino representatives. For example, Team Secret is an all-Filipino team that competes in professional Valorant games.

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