Welcome to another part of our coverage for Hispanic Heritage Month 2026, and this time around, we thought it would be fun to celebrate some of the most standout Latino and Hispanic characters in video games.
One of the beautiful things about video games is that they are filled with so much variety these days that there are honestly a LOT of characters we could have put on this list. From heroes to villains, luchadores to soldiers, and even a Grim Reaper who works as a travel agent, there are plenty of Latino and Hispanic characters who have left their mark on the medium.
So, we narrowed it down to 10 characters who we feel really stand out. As with any list like this, there are probably going to be some names you think we left off. But these are 10 characters that, for one reason or another, have become some of the most memorable Hispanic and Latino faces in gaming.
So let’s get into it.
10. Raul Menendez — Call of Duty: Black Ops II
We’re kicking things off with one of the most memorable villains in Call of Duty history: Raul Menendez.
Menendez is the primary antagonist of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and he’s a Nicaraguan revolutionary who becomes the leader of the Cordis Die movement. What makes Menendez stand out isn’t simply the fact that he’s a Latino villain, but how much personality and motivation the character was given. He isn’t just some generic bad guy who wants to take over the world. His hatred is deeply personal, and the game spends a significant amount of time showing us exactly why he became the person he is.
Menendez was voiced and motion-captured by the late Kamar de los Reyes, a Puerto Rican actor who was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to a Cuban father and Puerto Rican mother. De los Reyes brought a tremendous amount of personality to the role, and his performance is a big reason why Menendez remains such a memorable Call of Duty villain.
Menendez might not be the hero you’d want representing Latino characters in gaming, but there’s no denying that he’s one of the most recognizable.
9. Sombra — Overwatch
When Overwatch was released, Blizzard introduced players to a massive cast of characters from all over the world, and one of the most immediately recognizable was Sombra.
Born Olivia Colomar, Sombra is a Mexican hacker who uses her skills to manipulate information and expose secrets. And while her hacking abilities are obviously a huge part of what makes her useful in Overwatch, her Mexican identity is also incorporated into her character design, voice, dialogue and overall presentation.
And then there’s the voice behind her: Carolina Ravassa, a Colombian-American actress who was born in Cali, Colombia. Ravassa’s performance helped give Sombra the confident, playful and sometimes downright cocky personality that fans came to love.
Sombra has become one of the most recognizable Latina characters in modern multiplayer gaming, and considering how many Overwatch characters there are, that’s saying something.
8. Juan Aguacate — Guacamelee!
Okay, how can we make a list about Latino video game characters and NOT include a luchador?
Juan Aguacate is the protagonist of Guacamelee!, and he’s about as Mexican as a video game character can get. The game takes inspiration from Mexican culture, folklore, luchador traditions and Día de los Muertos imagery, and Juan is right at the center of all of it.
What I love about Juan is that Guacamelee! doesn’t just use Mexican culture as a background decoration. It’s incorporated into practically every part of the game’s world, from the characters and environments to the humor and mythology.
And then you have Juan himself, who goes from being a humble agave farmer to a supernatural luchador capable of punching his way through an entire army of enemies.
That’s the kind of video game logic I can get behind.
Juan has become an especially memorable character among fans of indie games, and his luchador design makes him instantly recognizable. He’s also one of those characters where you can look at him for about two seconds and immediately understand what game he’s from.
7. Vega — Street Fighter
Now, this one comes with a little bit of a technicality.
Vega is Spanish rather than Latin American, meaning he’s technically Hispanic rather than Latino. But because we’re celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, I think it’s more than fair to give one of gaming’s most iconic Spanish characters a spot on this list.
Vega made his debut in Street Fighter II and immediately stood out from practically everyone else on the roster. He’s a narcissistic Spanish ninja who combines his fighting skills with the traditions of Spanish bullfighting, all while wearing a mask and fighting with a claw attached to his hand.
I mean… how could you forget him?
Vega is also one of the earliest examples of a Hispanic character becoming a recognizable part of a major fighting game franchise. He’s been around since 1991, and his visual design has remained one of the most distinctive in Street Fighter.
He’s not Latino, technically speaking, but he’s absolutely Hispanic, and he’s absolutely iconic.
6. King — Tekken
Speaking of luchadores, let’s talk about King.
King is one of the most recognizable characters in the entire Tekken franchise, and the official Tekken 8 character profile lists his country as Mexico.
The character is essentially a masked Mexican professional wrestler, inspired in part by real-world lucha libre and the legendary Mexican luchador Fray Tormenta. But what makes King particularly interesting is that underneath all of the wrestling moves and the jaguar mask, he’s actually one of the more compassionate characters in the Tekken universe.
King manages an orphanage and uses his wrestling career to help raise money for children in need. So while you’re out there hitting somebody with a giant wrestling throw, the guy you’re playing as is also trying to make sure a bunch of orphans have somewhere to live.
That’s King.
He’s been a staple of Tekken since the very first game, and his combination of lucha libre, wrestling moves and larger-than-life design has made him one of the most recognizable Mexican characters in fighting games.
5. Reaper — Overwatch
If Sombra represents one side of Mexican representation in Overwatch, Reaper represents something completely different.
Before he became the masked, shotgun-wielding mercenary known as Reaper, he was Gabriel Reyes, one of the original leaders of Overwatch. Reyes is a Mexican-American character from Los Angeles whose story eventually takes him down a much darker path.
Following a series of events that left him presumed dead, Reyes eventually returned as Reaper, a terrifying mercenary who can literally turn into a cloud of smoke and teleport around the battlefield.
And yes, this is one of those characters where the design is basically saying, “What if the Grim Reaper was also a dude who really liked shotguns?”
But Reaper’s Latino identity is still an important part of the character, particularly because he isn’t simply defined by stereotypes. Gabriel Reyes is a military veteran, a leader, a complicated former friend of Soldier: 76 and eventually one of Overwatch’s biggest enemies.
He’s also become one of the most recognizable characters in the Overwatch franchise.
4. Carlos Oliveira — Resident Evil
If you played Resident Evil 3 back in the day, there’s a very good chance you remember Carlos Oliveira.
Carlos is a member of the U.B.C.S. and works alongside Jill Valentine during the Raccoon City outbreak. He’s tough, he’s sarcastic, he’s got the hair, and he’s carrying enough weaponry to make you wonder why anyone thought sending the Nemesis after these people was a good idea.
Carlos is also an interesting case when it comes to Latino representation because Capcom has never clearly established exactly which Latin American country he comes from. He’s generally described as a Latin American character, and the game’s story establishes that he became involved with guerrilla forces in his homeland before joining the U.B.C.S.
For years, fans have debated whether Carlos is supposed to be Brazilian, largely because of his surname, but that has never been officially confirmed.
Regardless of where exactly he’s from, Carlos has become an important part of Resident Evil history. He’s also been voiced by several actors throughout the franchise, including Vince Corazza in the original Resident Evil 3 and Gideon Emery in Operation Raccoon City, with Jeff Schine providing the performance in the 2020 remake.
And honestly, I’d love to see Carlos come back in a future Resident Evil game.
3. Rico Rodriguez — Just Cause
If we’re talking about Latino video game protagonists, Rico Rodriguez is one of the first names that comes to mind.
Rico is essentially the video game industry’s answer to the question: “What if we made a Latino action hero who could do absolutely everything?”
Need to jump out of a plane? Rico’s got you.
Need to hijack a helicopter? Rico’s got you.
Need to grapple onto a moving vehicle, attach it to another vehicle, jump off, deploy a parachute and somehow survive the explosion? Somehow, Rico’s got you.
Across the Just Cause games, Rico has become known for being one of gaming’s ultimate action heroes, and the series has repeatedly leaned into his Latino identity and larger-than-life personality. He’s essentially the Latino James Bond crossed with an action movie character who has absolutely no regard for the laws of physics.
The character has also been voiced by several actors throughout the series, including Robin Atkin Downes in the original Just Cause and Just Cause 2, Kevin Collins in Just Cause 3, and Orion Acaba in Just Cause 4.
Rico might not have the emotional depth of some of the other characters on this list, but when it comes to pure video game iconography, the guy has a grappling hook, a parachute and two pistols.
That’s pretty hard to beat.
2. Manny Calavera — Grim Fandango
Coming in at number two is one of my personal favorites: Manny Calavera from Grim Fandango.
And honestly, Manny is one of those characters that proves you don’t need to make a character a traditional action hero for them to become iconic.
Manny is a Grim Reaper working for the Department of Death, helping recently deceased souls travel through the Land of the Dead. The entire game is heavily inspired by Mexican culture, Día de los Muertos imagery, Aztec mythology and classic film noir.
And the result is something that still feels completely unique decades later.
Manny himself is voiced by Tony Plana, a Cuban-American actor who was born in Havana, Cuba, and whose family moved to Miami when he was a child. Plana’s involvement is especially important because Grim Fandango intentionally used Latino performers throughout its cast, with creator Tim Schafer wanting the dialogue and Spanish slang to feel authentic. Plana even helped shape some of Manny’s dialogue to make the Spanish conversations sound more natural.
That’s something I think is really cool about Manny.
He’s not just a character who happens to have a Spanish-sounding name. His entire world is deeply connected to Mexican and Latino cultural influences, and those influences are part of what makes Grim Fandango so special.
Manny Calavera is weird, stylish, funny, cynical, and completely unforgettable.
And that’s exactly what you want from an iconic video game character.
1. Dominic “Dom” Santiago — Gears of War
And coming in at number one is a character I don’t think we could have left off this list:
Dominic Santiago from Gears of War.
Dom is one of those characters who became iconic not simply because of how cool he looked or how many enemies he could kill, but because of the emotional connection players developed with him.
Dom is Marcus Fenix’s best friend and one of the central characters throughout the original Gears of War trilogy. He’s there beside Marcus through some of the most brutal moments of the Locust War, and for many players, Dom wasn’t just another character running alongside them.
He was the guy running alongside you.
That’s an important distinction.
When you’re playing Gears of War cooperatively, Dom becomes part of the experience. He’s the character you’re fighting beside, and as the story progresses, you get to see more of who he is outside of the battlefield. His relationship with Maria, his family and his friendship with Marcus all give the character an emotional weight that goes beyond simply being the second guy with a giant gun.
Dom is voiced by Carlos Ferro, who provided the character’s voice throughout the original Gears of War trilogy. Ferro is an actor, writer, director and producer, and his performance helped make Dom one of the most recognizable Latino characters of the Xbox 360 generation.
And then there’s that moment in Gears of War 3.
If you know, you know.
Dom’s sacrifice remains one of the most emotional moments in the entire franchise, and it’s a big reason why the character continues to be remembered all these years later.
There are plenty of Latino characters in video games who are more colorful, more powerful, more popular today or even more directly connected to their culture.
But Dom represents something different.
For an entire generation of gamers, he was their Latino gaming buddy. He was the guy beside you when you were playing Gears with your friends, and when his story came to an end, it genuinely hurt.
And that’s why, for me, Dom belongs at number one.
And like I said at the top of this article, there are still so many fantastic Latino, Latina and Hispanic characters that could have been included on this list.
This is really just a snapshot of the incredible variety of characters that have appeared in video games over the years. We’ve got soldiers, villains, luchadores, hackers, action heroes, supernatural characters, and even a Grim Reaper who just wants to get somebody onto the Number Nine train.
And I think that’s one of the coolest things about video games.
As the medium continues to grow, we’re seeing more characters from different cultures and backgrounds get the opportunity to become heroes, villains and everything in between. And hopefully, we’ll continue to see even more Latino and Hispanic representation in video games moving forward.
Because whether you’re playing as Dom Santiago, throwing somebody across the ring as King, hacking your way through a match as Sombra, or simply trying to survive the afterlife with Manny Calavera, there’s something special about seeing characters from our cultures become part of gaming history.
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month 2026!