London’s full of all sorts of characters at any given time, which is especially true for Ubisoft’s next hacking adventure. It’s not exactly a secret that the defining feature ofWatch Dogs: Legionis that every character within the game’s world can be recruited and become playable. Each character has their own unique personality and backstory, and their own individual relationship with DedSec’s resistance. It’s the player’s job to recruit a variety of different characters to help defeat the oppressive martial law of Albion.
Characters inWatch Dogs: Legiondo have some foundational archetypes like brawlers, hackers, spies, law enforcement, ex-military, etc., but from there every character has their own unique spin on that character type. Some characters are career construction workers, some are professional magicians with weird haircuts, some are fully retired elderly citizens, and tons more. Ubisoft has already shown off quite a few permutations of this fluid character system, exemplifying how limitless the system truly seems.
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All Sorts of Vigilantes
This particular archetype falls under the standard or assumed protagonist of aWatch Dogsgame, at least in a vacuum. For a franchise all about hacking and vigilante justice,past protagonists like Aiden Pearce and Marcus Holloway have fit into this character type. Obviously forWatch Dogs: Legion, vigilantes will likely be simplified down so that they are experts in certain areas only instead of all-rounder characters.
So far,Legionhas shown off a few different versions of vigilante characters in the game. They may not be as inherently well-rounded and capable as previousWatch Dogsprotagonists, but they all excel in certain familiar playstyles. So farLegionhas shown off general protestors and deviants, like local graffiti artists and vocal activists. There’s also been anarchic brawlers like “Mickey the Drunk,” shown off in one of the latest gameplay trailers. Some are hacking-specific vigilantes like “Amy,” the drone expert. Vigilantes will likely be a common sight inthe politically charged climate of London duringWatch Dogs: Legion.
Construction Workers
While the vigilante-type characters will likely be common recruitable characters,Watch Dogs: Legiondoes have some specific personalitiesthat evolve from basic archetypes. One in particular character shown off byLegionis the construction worker, who functions a little bit like a brawler with some added benefits. Aside from being proficient with brash melee combat, construction workers have a few perks like a nail gun and a big ole wrench to assist with combat. Construction Workers can access some off-limits areas incognito with their orange and yellow uniform. They also have access to their own large cargo drone to infiltrate areas from above, or drop objects on unsuspecting targets.
Cops, Paramedics, and other State Workers
Similarly, players can also recruit first responders like law enforcement and paramedics to the cause. Police and paramedics, along with their professional training, have some passiveabilities that are vital forWatch Dogs: Legionplayers. Having a paramedic recruited to the cause heals injured and incapacitated characters faster, so that players can return to play those characters sooner. Law enforcement and police officers have some sway when it comes to criminal activity, like recruiting a barrister to help bust other recruited characters out of jail. Police officers have some leeway in terms of investigating and asking questions of others.
These kinds of characters add a compelling metagame-like twist on the gameplay loop, assuming permadeath doesn’t get to them first.
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Spies and Assassins
If the construction worker character wasn’t enough to emphasize the campy vibe ofWatch Dogs: Legion, this character type almost certainly will. Some of the potentially recruitable characters shown off byLegionare British spies and professional assassins. Assassins in a lot of ways resemble John Wick-esque characteristics, even thoughsome assassins are related to a certain other Ubisoft franchise. The spy types are literally the classic James Bond stereotypes, almost to the point of parody: Spies have silenced pistols, former MI6, have an old non-copyright version of an Aston Martin that shoots rockets out of the headlights. The game is based in London, after all.
Senior Citizens
Continuing in the theme of absurdity, players can also recruit the elderly to the cause. Former hackers, assassins, military, etc., who used to be enjoying their peaceful retirement, can be recruited to DedSec to carry out missions just like every other character. In some cases, they’re far more experienced and proficient in certain tasks compared to their younger colleagues. In other cases, they have a terminal illness or or debilitating attribute thatturns them into a ticking time bomb or operational risk. As odd as choosing a senior citizen as a playable character may seem, characters like “Helen, the Retired Assassin” became so popular upon the game’s reveal.
Albion Double Agents
Players can even recruit some of the enemies in the game, depending on their relationship levels with Albion and DedSec.Albion being the main villainous force run by Nigel Cassthat’s putting London under martial law in the first place. These characters will likely be some of the hardest to recruit, but it is possible. One of the most recent gameplay trailers showcases and Albion security officer joining DedSec and infiltrating a confidential meeting to spy on Cass and find out his intentions.
There’s likely even more potential characters to find in the final build of the game, but there’s already a lot of potential inthe fluidity of characters inWatch Dogs: Legion. The whole “play as anyone” dynamic seemed really ambitious last year, but seeing it fully realized in-depth in 2020 is very promising for what players may get to see in the full game.
Watch Dogs: Legionlaunches Jun 07, 2025, for PC, PS4, Stadia and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series versions will launch alongside the consoles.
