X-COM (Video Game)/Characters

Central Officer John Bradford
Central Officer Bradford is the main character that XCOM players interact with. He tracks the status of soldiers, missions, and the XCOM agency itself, and reports it to the player.

"Bradford: Are you really using our tracking terminal to play Civilization?! At least I hope you're planning for a military victory."
 * Audience Surrogate: Bradford is not a brilliant scientist like Vahlen, either of the Shens, or Tygan, so they get to explain things to him while we listen in.
 * The Chains of Commanding: He takes the responsibilities that come with leading and sending soldiers to danger - and possible death - very seriously.
 * Drives Like Crazy: Some of the Avenger chatter in XCOM 2 paints him as this, but he says that anyone who has a problem with his flying is welcome to take the helm...
 * Drowning My Sorrows: How he spent a good portion of his time in hiding between XCOM: EU/EW and 2
 * Eagleland: He's very much an American officer. Which is further confirmed in XCOM 2, revealing that he's from Kansas.
 * Hypercompetent Sidekick: As second only to the Commander, aka you, he's effectively this.
 * Memetic Outfit: His green sweater.
 * Not So Above It All: In one piece of base chatter in XCOM:EU, he has this to say:


 * Team Dad: By XCOM 2, he's become this to XCOM and implied to be one for Shen's daughter especially.
 * The Watson: In XCOM:EU, much of his dialog is asking one of the doctors to explain what something is.

Dr. Vahlen
Dr. Vahlen is the chief scientist of XCOM. She's quite enthusiastic about getting to research aliens and their technology, and not terribly concerned about the human cost of the missions to retrieve them.

"Bradford: Excellent work, Commander. Our friend here might be uncooperative at the moment, but I have a feeling a talk with Dr. Vahlen will change his tune.""
 * Herr Doktor: Dr. Vahlen's a German scientist with a rather brutal streak and a knack for "interrogating" captured aliens. And she's one of the good guys.
 * Hot Scientist: Downplayed, but she's rather easy on the eyes while staying completely professional.
 * Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: The peculiar method that's used to "interrogate" captive aliens is of her design. Notably, the interrogation consumes a captive from XCOM's inventory.  A line from Bradford after "retrieving" a VIP (implied to be an EXALT operative) implies that she has experience handling humans as well:


 * Last-Name Basis: We know the first names of the other officers of XCOM, but not hers. The backstory of XCOM 2 however reveals her first name to be Moira.
 * Mad Doctor/Mad Scientist: She's primarily a research scientist, but she is also apparently responsible for overseeing the operations to turn soldiers into MECs, so she must have some medical background.
 * Memetic Molester: Her "interrogations" have helped give her this reputation among fans.
 * Pet the Dog: Occasionally, she'd comment approvingly if soldiers return from a mission unscathed.
 * Stop Helping Me!: She will "helpfully" chide players who use explosives on aliens that she hasn't dissected or interrogated. Presumably, she'd rather sacrifice a few troopers to get the corpses in better condition.
 * Volcano Lair: Apparently, this is where she spent her time between XCOM:EU/EW and 2.
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: Dr. Vahlen's "missing" in XCOM 2, though there are scattered in-game hints that she's still out there.

Dr. Raymond Shen
Dr. Shen is the chief engineer of XCOM.


 * AI Is a Crapshoot: He's not much fond of automated robots, let alone armed ones.
 * Cool Old Guy: Dr. Shen might not be a grandfather, but he definitely exhibits this trope.
 * The Heart: He somewhat takes up this role in XCOM, at least compared to Dr. Vahlen.
 * Heroic BSOD: After a while, he eventually loses interest in acquiring more alien technology, after "seeing enough" of what they're capable of.
 * Heroic Sacrifice: The Avenger in XCOM 2 is implied to be his final masterwork. It's up to the Commander's actions however whether his efforts would be vindicated or all for nothing.
 * The Men First: In contrast to Dr. Vahlen, he's much more adamant in insisting that human lives come first.
 * My God, What Have I Done?: The lengths that XCOM is willing to go to -- splicing humans with alien DNA, or chopping them up into cyborgs -- inspires this feeling in him.
 * What the Hell Is That Accent?: His accent is vaguely Chinese, though XCOM 2 confirms that he's Taiwanese.

General Peter Van Doorn
Peter Van Doorn is a VIP who needs rescuing from a Council mission in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. He is very grateful for the rescue and provides some resources as mission rewards.

The mission was not particularly well-liked, but he won some fans with his can-do attitude, even under fire. Popular XCOM streamer Beaglerush named one of his recruits after Van Doorn, and after said trooper became a valuable member of the squad, the Long War developers modified the mission rewards so that he will actually join XCOM after being rescued.

"Bradford: "We're picking up an unsecured transmission from some clown calling himself 'Van Doorn'. Doesn't sound like the kind of recruit we're looking for.""
 * Ascended Extra: He not only becomes a playable member of XCOM in Long War, but also returns as a powerful recruit in XCOM 2.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: Generals usually don't go to the front lines, but Van Doorn sure can wield a gun.
 * Bald of Awesome: He's got one.
 * Boisterous Bruiser: Even when pinned down by aliens and unarmed, he shouts one-liners like "Get down here! Not fair if I have all the fun!"
 * Determinator: "Come on! I won't go down without a fight!"  In Long War, he comes with the "Implacable" perk that grants immunity to chain-panic.
 * Fearless Fool: In XCOM 2, Bradford gets this impression of him:

Dr. Richard Tygan
Dr. Tygan is the chief scientist by XCOM 2, taking the place of Dr. Vahlen. He had previously been an up-and-coming researcher for a pharmaceutical corporation before ADVENT took over.


 * Badass Bookworm: He performed a surgical procedure on himself in order to remove a brain chip ADVENT implanted before joining XCOM.
 * Defector From Decadence: He used to work for ADVENT and enjoyed the creature comforts that came with being a researcher in the Gene Clinics.
 * For Science!: Dr. Tygan doesn't particularly approve of Dr. Vahlen's more brute methods. But even he admits that there's a thrill in working under the tense conditions XCOM tends to operate under.
 * Heroic BSOD: As much as he tries to downplay it, he's unnerved and disgusted by the revelations of the Avatar Project.
 * Omnidisciplinary Scientist: Subverted. His knowledge and expertise is wide enough that he can conduct research into various fields, but knows well enough about his own limitations to leave certain autopsies and finds for Shen to tackle.
 * Red Herring Mole: Although more than a few in XCOM still harbor some concerns on whether he's really defected to the good guys,.

Chief An-Yi "Lily" Shen
Lily Shen is the daughter of Dr. Shen from XCOM, filling his role as Chief Engineer.


 * Generation Xerox: She's taken quite a bit from her late father.
 * Legacy Character: Twenty years after XCOM, there's a new Chief Shen in the workshop. Though her conversations with the Commander reveal that she still misses the long-dead Dr. Shen.
 * Missing Mom: We have no material whatsoever on Mrs. Shen.
 * Robot Buddy: She's created one in the form of a customized GREMLIN.

Sectoid
In the original X-COM and in XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Within, Sectoids are the basic grunts of the aliens. They're not particularly strong, but their plasma weapons are no joke against rookies and they do have some psionic talents, which develop as the game progresses. In XCOM 2, they've been made much tougher with the addition of human DNA.


 * Boss in Mook Clothing: Sectoid Commanders look nigh identical to regular Sectoids, save for a different color. But they have significantly more hitpoints and more psionic power, making them a challenge for even a veteran squad.
 * Fan Nickname: "Ayys." After their more muscular forms were revealed for XCOM 2, they were also nicknamed "Pectoids."
 * The Greys: Sectoids are basically these -- in fact, if the Roswell incident really was an extraterrestrial UFO encounter in the XCOM universe, they might actually be the Grays of conspiracy lore.
 * Took A Level In Badass: The Sectoids become significantly more powerful in XCOM 2, thanks to genetic enhancements.

Viper
Introduced in XCOM 2, Vipers are the "true form" of the Thin Men deployed in the initial invasion. Now that the aliens openly run the world, there's no need to blend them with human DNA to infiltrate; they can just strut (er, slither) in their full reptilian glory.


 * Demonic Spiders: Very much so in the early game. They can dodge attacks (thus taking reduced damage), yank soldiers out of cover and bind them in their coils, and spit clouds of poison, making them considerably harder to handle than ADVENT troopers.
 * Ensemble Darkhorse: Once she slithered into the gameplay demo, players were smitten.
 * Fan Nickname: "Snek."
 * Non-Mammal Mammaries: To be fair, the Vipers are not from Earth, so they could be mammals after all. Their breasts might not necessarily be mammary glands, either.

Muton
A foe from the original X-COM as well as XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Within the humanoid Mutons are the aliens' shock troopers and heavy infantry. Genetically modified for military purposes, they make up for their lack of psionic abilities with heavy firepower, keen intellect and a fierce zeal to their masters. They also serve as a basis for other alien types, like Floaters and Berserkers.


 * Proud Warrior Race: It's suspected that the Mutons or their original predecessors were this before being genetically modified and enhanced. Elements of this can still be found, however, through their "blood calls" and tribal markings.
 * Elite Mooks: Muton Elites, powerful, heavily armored guardians who are generally around.
 * Evil Counterpart: Mutons in general have been described by Word of God as akin to an alien SEAL Team Six
 * Took a Level In Badass: By XCOM 2, Mutons have become more streamlined, but no less dangerous.

Thin Man
Introduced in XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Enemy Within, the Thin Men are aliens intended to be infiltrators and scouts for the invasion. As such they're meant to look, dress and act like humans from a glance. XCOM 2 reveals the Thin Men as heavily modified Vipers, and it's implied that "perfected" versions of them are still around working with ADVENT, such as the Speaker.


 * Acid Bath: Their guns seem to be loaded with this. In addition, killing a Thin Man results in an explosion of corrosive acid.
 * Demonic Spiders: Compared to Sectoids, they can come across as this for a good portion of the game.
 * Face Death with Dignity: Unlike the other alien types, the Thin Men refuse to cower before their impending demise in Dr. Vahlen's "interrogations."
 * Glamour Failure: Bits and pieces of their original, reptilian selves are still visible in their snake-like eyes (hidden by shades) and the scales on their necks. Not even the "perfected" version seen in XCOM 2 managed to remove those flaws entirely.
 * The Men in Black: Their general appearance is based on this, complete with shades, dark suit and tie.
 * Uncanny Valley: While a Thin Man can pass off as human from afar and can speak in different Earth languages, it doesn't quite work. Especially given their size and unnaturally fluid movements.

Ethereal
The Ethereals are the leaders of the alien invasion force. They are masters of genetic manipulation and psionics, and have already brought several species under their control. Humanity is their next goal.


 * Dying Race: For all their psionic talent, the Ethereals are physically frail. Humanity has the potential for psionic powers and physical strength, so they want to use our genes to improve themselves.
 * Man Behind the Man: The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, which involves a different alien invasion in early-1960s America.
 * Not So Stoic: They try to act like they're above it all, but even they show fear when being interrogated by Dr. Vahlen.
 * Squishy Wizard: Their psionic powers are incredibly powerful, but are so physically weak that they can get gunned down with relative ease once they're targeted. Which is why they tend to come with a group of Elite Mutons to protect themselves.