Age of Empires III character sheets
"Blood", "Ice" and "Steel" | "Fire" and "Shadow" | "Japan", "China" and "India" | Deathmatch/Skirmish AI | Major Civilizations (European | Non-European) | Other Civilizations
"Blood", "Ice" and "Steel" | "Fire" and "Shadow" | "Japan", "China" and "India" | Deathmatch/Skirmish AI | Major Civilizations (European | Non-European) | Other Civilizations
Characters introduced in the campaigns from the Age of Empires III expansion The WarChiefs: Fire and Shadow.
For Kanyenke/Ká:nien, Nonakhee, George Washington and Amelia Black, go here.
The Black family
The half-Iroquois son of John Black and Nonahkee and the protagonist of Fire, Nathaniel was raised by his mother and his uncle Kanyenke/Ká:nien. He helped unite several Iroquois villages into a confederation of shared interests and economy, but the rising conflict between the American colonists and the British forces led him and other Iroquois, to choose sides. He sides with the colonists when the revolutionary war breaks out, and helps General Washington in the Independence Wars. Nathaniel devotes a great deal of his time (and his family's fortune) for the cause and is eventually memorialized for his efforts, but this eventually leads to the fortune of the Black family waning out, leading to his daughter Amelia to make an effort to recover it.
Nathaniel attacks with a rifle and tomahawk. He has a lot of hitpoints and two special ranged attacks, Hawkeye Attack and Eagle Eye, that he can use once every couple of minutes. If he falls in a fight, he collapses and has to regenerate enough health to be recovered by allies. Nathaniel can collect Treasures and build Trading Posts near Native settlements and Trade Routes.
- Badass Native: He, a half Iroquois/Haudenosaunee warrior, was part of the War for Independence.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Mentioned at the end of Ice as Nonakhee's son with the deceased John Black. He appears as a baby here.
- A Father to His Men: Whether they're colonists or natives, Nathaniel treats his men well, further solidifying his status among Americans as a war hero.
- Going Native: Inverted. While Nathaniel never lets go of his Iroquois/Haudenosaunee heritage, he becomes increasingly more at home with the colonists, in time gaining renown as an American war hero and owner of Falcon Company.
- Good Parents: Amelia Black said that Nathaniel was one to her.
- Hero Unit: For the entirety of Fire.
- It's Personal: Kuechler kidnaps Nonahkee, driving Nathaniel to act with bloody vengeance through the war.
- The Peter Principle: While Nathaniel excels at commanding both natives and colonial militia, he isn't as successful in being a businessman after the war.
- Private Military Contractors: He inherits what's left of his father's old mercenary group, or at least whatever the Haudenodaunee were able to salvage after John's death.
- Someone to Remember Him By: In the original game, his purpose is basically to allow the Black family to continue after John's Heroic Sacrifice.
- Riches to Rags: He wasted the fortune given by the British as a reward to his father's Heroic Sacrifice in the War for Independence, building the fortresses in Saratoga and supplying the troops at Valley Forge. Later, he was given a reward by the American Government because of his contribution to the Independence War. He used that reward to create the Falcon Company, a railroad company, but he wasn't a businessman, thus all the money was spent and said company almost got bankrupted until Amelia took the reigns.
Nathaniel's half-Lakota grandson and Amelia's half-Sioux son, and the protagonist of Shadow, Chayton Black seems to have inherited his family's tendency to wind up smack dab in the middle of opposing forces. When gold is discovered in the Black Hills, tensions between the Sioux Nation and settlers erupt. Against a backdrop of greed, fear, and prejudice, Chayton discovers that taking the convenient side can cost everything - even his own identity.
Chayton attacks with a rifle and saber. He has a lot of hitpoints and two special ranged attacks, Hawkeye Attack and Eagle Eye, that he can use once every couple of minutes. If he falls in a fight, he collapses and has to regenerate enough health to be recovered by allies. Chayton can collect Treasures and build Trading Posts near Native settlements and Trade Routes.
- Ambiguous Situation: In The Warchiefs, it's left unclear if Chayton really survived the Battle of Little Big Horn.
- Badass Native: He's part Iroquois, part Sioux, and has the Black family's blood in his veins. He is also a powerful warrior.
- But Now I Must Go: In Definitive Edition. After Custer is defeated, Chayton resolves to head east to parts unknown, fearing that both the Lakota and Falcon Company would suffer if he stayed.
- Character Narrator: Becomes one in the Definitive Edition of Shadow, replacing his mother Amelia.
- Contrasting Sequel Main Character: He is half-native like his grandfather Nathaniel, but he got his native side from a Lakota man, while Nathaniel got his Iroquois side from his mother. A crucial difference between them is that Nathaniel goes from fighting just among Natives to fight for United States, while Chayton eventually fights against United States and joins the Sioux/Lakota. Nathaniel was raised in a native village, while Chayton was raised by his American mother.
- Face of a Thug: His face can be intimidating, but he is a hero. Custer invokes the trope when they first meet.
- Going Native: In the original version of Shadow, he joins the Sioux. He later changes his attire to a Sioux attire, only keeping his cape. He paints a hand in his face, wears feathers in his hair and forgoes almost all his clothing. His in-game character's language changes to the Lakota one, too. At the ending, his fate is uncertain, since Amelia has not seen him ever since.
- Heel Realization: He is not a villain, but he comes to this reaction when Holme orders him to destroy a village.
- Hero Unit: For the entirety of Shadow.
- Moveset Clone: He has the same moves and special attacks of his grandfather.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Finally comes to the realization that he's been helping Holme murder innocent Sioux for Holme's personal gain, and thenceforth resolves to correct his mistake by tearing down the fort he just helped build.
- Never Hurt an Innocent: He is against hurting innocent people, which leads to him turning on Holme.
- Odd Friendship: He has this kind of friendship with Crazy Horse in the original game, as he was the CEO of a railroad company, and Crazy Horse has been fighting the U.S all his life.
- Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Given that destroying an entire regiment is outright treason, he promptly loses all his wealth. However, he defected for a very good reason.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: In Definitive Edition, he's revealed to have fought on the Union's side during the American Civil War and having taken some time to recover from his wounds.
- Significant Wardrobe Shift: He loses most of his clothing in favor of looking more native.
- Tribal Face Paint: In The Warchiefs, he paints a hand in his face since he joins the Sioux/Lakota.
- Whole-Plot Reference: In Definitive Edition, Chayton story arc and eventual fate echo Dances with Wolves.
- With Us or Against Us: In the original game. After Holme's death, Custer decides that the time for negotiation with the Sioux is over, and that Chayton will have to side with either the Americans or with the Sioux. He chooses to stay with the Sioux.
- Would Not Shoot a Civilian: The second that Chayton turns on Holme is when Holme orders him to burn down an entire village. An appalled Chayton immediately protests that he cannot attack women and children and immediately turns on Holme.
- You Can't Go Home Again: In both versions.
- In the original game, with both Holme and Custer dead, Chayton can never return to American society. While Amelia somberly accepts his fateful decision, she hopes that if her son is out there, he finds peace with the Sioux/Lakota.
- Definitive Edition has Chayton leaving both the Lakota and Falcon Company behind for parts unknown, realizing that as an outlaw, he would endanger everyone he cared about if he stayed.
Their allies
In-game, Crazy Horse is similar to the Sioux/Lakota WarChief. He can befriend Treasure guardians, heal injured ally units, increase their speed by having them close to him and has an area-of-effect attack called "Swashbuckler attack". He can also collect treasures and build Trading Posts.
- 11th-Hour Ranger: Appears only in the last level as a playable unit.
- Un-person: He's written off the Definitive Edition version of Shadow due to his maternal family
forbidding him from being portrayed without permission.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Replaces Crazy Horse and has a more prominent role in the story.
Their enemies
Leader of the Hessians hired by the British during The American Revolution, Colonel Sven Kuechler prides himself on his strict adherence to Hessian military virtues. Discipline. Obedience. Ruthlessness. There's nothing "soft" about Kuechler's leadership. His job is to extinguish this traitorous rebellion firmly and decisively. And none shall stand in his way for long.
In Fire, he raids an Iroquois encampment and captures Nonakhee, resulting in a grudge from Nathaniel that eventually leads both of them to be involved in the Revolution.
Colonel Kuechler attacks with his officer's saber. He has a lot of hitpoints, but if he falls in a fight, he collapses and has to regenerate enough health to be recovered by allies. The Colonel can collect Treasures, but cannot build Trading Posts.
- Arch-Enemies: He is a recurring enemy of Nathaniel.
- Cultural Posturing: He considers both the Iroquois/Haudenosaunee and American colonials as backwater savages, and constantly tries to make an example of them.
- Germanic Efficiency: A villainous example. He extols and enforces Hessian military virtues to a considerable degree, making his forces a consistent danger.
- Moveset Clone: Stands like Delgado, attacks with a sword like Delgado and is as lethal as Delgado.
- One-Hit Kill: Can kill most units with one hit of his sword and can incapacitate George Washington with just three swings.
- Plot-Irrelevant Villain: Although he is allied with the British, he is not the central problem. The actual problem is the American Independence War.
- Senseless Sacrifice: An evil version of this: during the Battle of Morristown, after his raid upon the Capitol is frustrated, he appears in person to finish the job. The mission ends with him dying.
William "Billy" Holme
Sworn to preserve and protect, Sheriff Holme sees this territory as a land of conflict and opportunity. He's a survivor - a tour of duty during the Civil War has given him a gruff, sometimes jesting, view of life. With his long-time friend Chayton by his side, Holme is not a man to let events simply unfold for themselves.
Billy Holme attacks with a pistol. He has the ability to train a posse of Renegados as if he were a moving Saloon. Holme has a lot of hitpoints, but if he falls in a fight, he collapses and has to regenerate enough health to be recovered by allies. Holme can collect Treasures, but cannot build Trading Posts.
- Ambition Is Evil: He wanted to get the gold from Sioux terrains. He has no problem on killing them for getting that, even if they are innocent.
- Badass Longcoat: He wears a long black coat and is a grizzled war veteran.
- Big Bad Friend: He uses Chayton for his own ends and turns on him the moment he can no longer manipulate him.
- Contrasting Sequel Antagonist:
- He is more involved in the plot than Kuechler. Holme reuses the Hidden Villain trope of Alain Magnan, while Kuechler was blatantly evil like Warwick. Kuechler was a leader of a mercenary army, while Holme was a sheriff working for United States.
- Chronologically, he's also this in relationship to Pierre Beaumont. Whereas both are irredeemable jerkasses with a penchant for genocide who end up being killed by the heroes, Beaumont is a jerk from the beginning, while Holme is eventually blinded by the riches. Also, unlike the melee-focused Beaumont, Holme's suited for ranged attacks and can create units. Both also die by being shot, but Beaumont dies in the act while Holme's subjected to Disney Villain Death, falling to a pit with explosive barrels ensuring his death. Lastly, Holme is controlled in the first scenarios up to Fort Laramie, whereas Beaumont cannot be controlled at all.
- Dirty Cop: Given that he is a sheriff, and Holme calls himself the official representative of the law, the amount of illegal acts he commits makes this a given.
- Do Unto Others Before They Do Unto Us: How he tries to justify giving the order to massacre an entire village full of women and children, in that they will do something later. Chayton doesn't take it.
- Disney Villain Death: He falls to his death after trying to shoot Chayton.
- Evil Old Folks: He is the main antagonist of Shadow and is clearly in middle age.
- Gameplay Ally Immortality: When he is under your command, he cannot be killed, only revived after being knocked out. This ends when his status as a villain is revealed.
- Greed: He is never satisfied with the amount of gold he has to mine and is willing to murder to get more even though he's probably already filthy rich. He actually foreshadows it when he states it is greed since everyone wants the gold.
- Hero Unit: During the early missions of Shadow.
- Hidden Villain: Of the Shadow arc, as he manipulates Chayton into murdering innocent natives and ultimately ends up causing the conflict between them and the U.S. Army. All because he's a greedy sack of shit.
- Hypocrite: He calls himself the representation of the law. He later winds up creating a small army of renegade outlaws to save him from Chayton's wrath.
- It's All About Me: He constantly emphasizes the gold and how important it is, ignoring everybody else's concerns and problems.
- Intergenerational Friendship: With Chayton. It might have been genuine at first, but by the time they meet up again, Billy just sees Chayton as a means to make more money and tries to kill him when Chayton refuses to obey him any further.
- Manipulative Bastard: He brings Chayton out to the Black Hills, hoping to use Chayton to legitimize a clearly illegal expedition. When the Sioux show a willingness to negotiate, he tries to murder Crazy Horse, knowing the Sioux will go to all out war, and that the Army will come in.
- Mook Maker: He can train Pistoleros.
- Old Soldier: He's a veteran of the American Civil War and acts like a mentor to the younger Chayton until Chayton sees Holme as the greedy bastard he is.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Initially subverts this, then plays it straight when he starts calling Crazy Horse Chayton's old pal despite Chayton having never met the Sioux leader. He later makes comments about Chayton himself after he turns on him. On the other hand, when asked by Chayton, Holme admits that if the Sioux lands had belonged to the settlers, he would have killed them as cold-heartedly to claim the gold.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: He briefly alludes to this when he comforts Chayton when they see a Sioux massacre, saying he saw a lot of people die at Antietam and Gettysburg.
- The Sociopath: Holme clearly displays sociopathy. Holme clearly ignores the law that he swore to uphold unless he has to appear normal, he is a masterful manipulator who manages to create a war with his own actions based on how everyone will react, shamelessly cites the law, and happily breaks when it suits his purposes, he has a overriding goal to get as much gold as he can, he has no emotional attachment to Chayton, and he ultimately convinced that the goal belongs to him regardless. Holme fits the trope to a t.
- Walking Spoiler: Revealing his intentions would immediately reveal most of the conclusion.
- With Us or Against Us: He utters this trope word for word when Chayton turns on him, realizing that Chayton has seen through his schemes.
General George Armstrong Custer
Impulsive. Proud. Witty. Tragic. While he'll always be remembered for that fateful day at the Little Big Horn, Custer's life was paradoxical. A fierce warrior who thrived on conflict; a devoted husband adored by his wife; a failed leader who led his men to destruction.
Custer clearly loved the western frontier and reveled in his role in shaping it. Nevertheless, as with any historical figure, the drama of his life and its final act remain clouded in legend.
General Custer attacks with his officer’s saber. He has a lot of hitpoints, but if he falls in a fight, he collapses and has to regenerate enough health to be recovered by allies. Custer cannot collect Treasures or build Trading Posts.
- Anti-Villain: Unlike other antagonists, he has no maliciousness on leading an attack on the Sioux.
- Big Bad: Is built up to be this. He isn't, it's Holme.
- Dead-Hand Shot: In the final video, his hand is shown falling to the floor, representing his death.
- Foregone Conclusion: The final battle in Shadow is the Battle of Little Bighorn. It doesn't end well for him.
- Good Parents: According to the story, he was a loving father.
- Historical Domain Character: Naturally.
- Honor Before Reason: He insists on attacking the Sioux despite all.
- Punch-Clock Villain: He's arrogant, patronizing, and kind of racist, but he's just as much a victim of Holme's manipulations as anyone and seems to want to solve the conflict without any violence, at least initially.
- Suicidal Overconfidence: A wiser general, on seeing that most or all of his auxiliary forces and supplies had been compromised, might have chosen a means of attack other than a straight cavalry charge against the Sioux.
