A Passage to India

Dreamfall Chapters is set in a cyberpunk future where Europe is paying the price for centuries of wasteful spending and industrialization. Mira owns a workshop in the sprawling city of Europolis, but she originally hails from the tech-slums of Mumbai. Growing up in the streets, she survived cyborg gangs, police-backed assassins, and unethical corporations looking for live research subjects. Her upbringing made her abrasive and rebellious, and she’s not afraid to let her mouth run wild. She’ll verbally abuse anyone within earshot, and her angered soliloquies are often laced with Hindi curses. Indians are often painted as direct individuals who aren’t afraid to speak their minds, but Mira really needs to dial it back. She’s not the most pleasant person on this list, but her offensive vernacular reflects the hostile world she lives in.

If you’re familiar with the Double Dragon series, you probably remember a muscle-bound henchman named Abobo who would bust through walls like the Kool-Aid man. Rage of the Dragons began as a proper entry in the Double Dragon series, but it morphed into an homage when the designers were unable to secure the rights. Abubo Rao is obviously inspired by Abobo, and he’s defined by his powerful stature and brute strength. He used to be a member of a gang and planned to eventually overthrow his boss, but his plans were sidelined after he was defeated by Jimmy and Billy Lee Lewis. He has held a grudge ever since, and he’s desperate to rebuild his reputation and become a kingpin in the criminal underworld. He acts like a giant baby when he’s defeated, but the dude can punch the ground so hard that he creates earthquakes!

The son of the last Sikh Princess and a Kashmiri Muslim, Jayadeep Mir was raised to be an Assassin like his father. As a member of the Indian Brotherhood, Jaydeep was exceptionally skilled at swordsmanship and freerunning, and his potential was almost supernatural in nature. Unfortunately, he was banished to England after failing his first mission and compromising the Brotherhood. He took the alias “Henry Green” and built a network of contacts representing a cross-section of English society. He was unassuming, affable, and relaxed, and this ultimately allowed him to survive in Templar-controlled London long after the rest of the Brotherhood had been eliminated. It’s no wonder he was known as the Ghost. Jayadeep had always hoped to return to India, and he was eventually permitted to go home after proving himself in the field.

An 11-year-old genius with an IQ of over 300, Krishna Ramanujan has always had a fascination with machines and technology. He made numerous contributions to the scientific community at a young age, and he was even admitted into a technical university in the United States. When he’s not devoting himself to mechanical engineering research, he’s likely fighting crime under the guise of Wonder-Black. He’s especially good at solving cyber-crime, and he has a knack for collecting data. Wonder-Black has a silent disposition and seems apathetic in social situations, but he’s not as unusual as his incoherent mumbling would suggest. Despite his achievements, he’s still a child. He’s a university student in America and an active superhero at the New Delhi field office, but I’m sure he’d rather spend his time playing video games.

Lakshmi Bai is based on one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, but I’m including her on this list anyway since The Order: 1886 is set in an alternate steampunk reality. Lakshmi was a disposed queen from India, but she faked her own death after the United India Company seized control of the East Indies. The powerful trade organization was plotting to rule the world with unethical forces, and Lakshmi stood in opposition to them. To that end, she recruited a number of low-class citizens and immigrants and formed the Rebellion. Her group was viewed as terrorists in the public eye, but they revealed conspiracies, hunted vampires, and helped expose Jack the Ripper! Lakshmi took her fight to London, but her Indian heritage was always apparent. She’d even speak Hindi when she needed an extra layer of secrecy.

Great Tiger made his debut in the arcade version of Super Punch-Out!! way back in 1984 – making him one of the earliest examples of an Indian video game character. He’s also one of the most stereotypical characters on this list. He speaks Hindi, he wears a turban in the ring, and he even rides a magic carpet. He also plays up the tiger motif at every turn, but I’d expect nothing less. The “Champion of India” uses magic and illusions to trick his opponents, and his mysticism defines him as a fighter. He moves so fast that he appears to be teleporting around the ring, and he can even create clones of himself. Hinduism has a number of interlinked ascetic traditions that are tied to the acquisition of higher powers, so Great Tiger’s techniques are likely an indication that he has transcended the limitations of the body.

Satya Vaswani grew up in an impoverished area of Hyderabad in the wake of a global war. Her living conditions were less than ideal, but she was given a way out when the Vishkar Corporation began using “hard-light” technology to build self-sustaining cities for the nation’s displaced population. Vaswani was one of the few who was capable of becoming a light-bending architect, so she immersed herself in her education and became one of Vishkar Corporation’s top architects. She even put her own touch on things by incorporating traditional Indian dances into her construction methods! Under the guise of Symmetra, she was sent around the world to expand her firm’s influence. Growing up, Symmetra struggled with social situations and preferred structured environments. It’s no wonder she was so keen on engineering perfect societies.

A young Indian princess and the daughter of the Maharajah, Farah was captured as a war prize. She was made a slave in a neighboring kingdom, but she wasn’t your typical damsel in distress. Rest assured, her athleticism defined her as much as her beauty. Although she was raised in luxury, she was also trained in combat. After forming an uneasy alliance with the eponymous Prince of Persia, she used her archery skills to escape from the palace’s perilous catacombs. She wasn’t satisfied with a supporting role, however, so she seduced the Prince and stole the legendary Dagger of Time from him. The weapon allowed its wielder to control time itself, so it’s understandable why someone as strong-willed as Farah would want it for herself. All in all, Farah represents the uninhibited confidence that modern Indian women are known for.

Chloe Frazer is an unlikely candidate for this list. She was raised in Australia by her Australian mother, and she speaks with a distinct Australian accent. Furthermore, she appeared in several games before her Indian heritage was even mentioned. When she was finally promoted to main character in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, however, more details were revealed about her history. Incidentally, her father was an Indian archaeologist who shipped his family off to Australia because his latest expedition was too dangerous. Chloe returned to the Indian subcontinent decades later, and she was shown to be highly knowledgeable about Indian mythology and the Hoysala Empire. Although she’s of mixed ancestry, her South Asian heritage plays a major role in her transformation from a professional thief into a legitimate archaeologist.

Dhalsim is a deeply spiritual individual who likes meditation, curry, and elephants. Although he preaches tenets like self-discipline and pacifism, he’s also protective of his village and his loved ones. He’s not fond of conflict, but his esoteric yoga makes him a dangerous fighter when the situation calls for it. Rest assured, he’s much more capable than his emaciated body might suggest. His training gives him the ability to extend his limbs to unnatural lengths, and it’s fitting that a pacifist would adopt a fighting style that creates distance between himself and his enemies. Yoga is one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and it obviously had a lasting impact on Dhalsim’s life. He uses it to breathe fire, teleport, and deliver noogies to his opponents. 90% of his dialogue consists of the word “yoga,” but you have to admire his consistency.