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El Presidente
The Player Character. Can be male or female, depending on the player's choice.
- Benevolent Dictator: While his actions in game may differ, in 4 he truly wants to turn Tropico into a utopia where everyone is happy, housed, and fed.
- Dirty Coward: They can be this if you have the Cowardly trait, running from battle far more readily.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Most Tropico campaigns tend to involve El Presidente saving Tropico or even the whole world against much worse people who wish to control or even destroy everything. For all his faults, El Presidente for the most part tends to be satisfied with just Tropico and would always protect it from those who would see it destroyed.
- Frame-Up: In 4's campaign, they get framed for the assassination of the U.S. president and are forced off the radar, sending them back to square one.
- Purely Aesthetic Gender: Man or woman, El Presidente has the exact same functions and abilities in the game.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: In 4, after being caught in a conspiracy against them, they work to discredit their conspirators, ruining their businesses/governorships one by one.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: If sufficiently wounded in an attack, they'll make a break back to the palace until the attack is over.
- Sleazy Politician: El Presidente can be pretty unscrupulous even at the best of times. They have certain ways of diverting money into their personal Swiss Bank Account, aren't above bribery (by or for them), can cheat at elections and have political opponents arrested, among other things.
- Vanity Is Feminine: Female Presidentes' quotes show far more vanity than a male Presidente, with them frequently talking about how beautiful they are.
- Rage Breaking Point: In the Far Fronteris DLC, El Presidente is harrased by countless beauraucrats and pertitioners, uinitl he finally snaps from it and starts yelling about how much he hates his island. He then declares he will go into space and make a new Tropico on Mars. but in reality he tricks the annoying people onto the rocket, sending them far far away so they can't bother him.
The Broker
Added in Tropico 6, the broker is a mysterious merchant, possibly head of an international crime syndycate, and dedicated to getting you good deals in echange for money. In Lobbyistico DLC he also gives you money in exchange for enacting certain laws, or putting his men in positions of power within your government.
- Best Served Cold: After the paranoid Colonel Scott kidnaps him and subjects him to Cold-Blooded Torture for using the term "Red Markets" (Red is communist, you see) he spends the rest of the mission giving you objectives, and a lot of money, to do things that help his plans to absolutely destroy the Colonel politically.
- Naïve Newcomer: Yes. His world is full of murder, bribes, and asassinations. He assumes that since you are a legitimate government, that you don't do that sort of thing as a "Good Guy". He is mildy shocked to learn otherwise.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: He is the Broker. Noboy knows who he really is, and the Broker would like to keep it that way.
- Lovable Rogue: despite not being on the up and up, he is extremely friendly and he often makes good offers that strongly benefit you for vey reasonable prices.
- Mysterious Backer: Very much so. The Broker seems to be interested in making money and good deals, but often asks you to pass edicts for mysterious purpouses and even wants you to install his men into your parliment for equally mysterious reasons.
Penultimo
Penultimo as he appears in Tropico 5.
Penultimo as he appears in Tropico 6.
Your Number Two and leader of the loyalist faction in Tropico 4 and its subsequent installments.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Can be dumber than a doorknob, but he has his moments.
- Suggests in 4 that, when the United States and USSR are gearing up for war, you complete some of your goals without receiving outside help, in order to stabilize the region. This will lower the DEFCON level each time you do so.
- When trying to buy out Las Fruitas from Keith Preston, he suggests that you start small, so that Keith doesn't notice what you are doing.
- His guidence tasks in 6 are always helpful to catch in areas you are lagging behind in, if housing happiness is low he'll have you build two residential areas for example.
- What firmly cements his spot as a Bunny-Ears Lawyer is the fact that, more often than not, his scatterbrained ideas actually work. Notably, in one mission in 4 where he is secretly replaced by a clone, the clone provides logical and sound advice that ultimately ends up tearing Tropico apart. As soon as the real Penultimo is found and returned, he comes up with some nonsensical plan to fix it that, true to form, works like a charm.
- Children Are a Waste: This is how he describes children in 6, in the edict to ban contraception.Penultimo: Babies... they cry, poop, and do nothing useful.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: He wasn't always slavishly devoted to El Prez. He appears in 3 as your tutor and wants to buy poison, indicating that he's more willing to try and poison you.
- I Owe You My Life: In 6, the first mission has him stranded on an uninhabited island. You rescuing him is what prompts his intense loyalty.
- Meaningful Name: He's your second-in-command. To you, he's penultimate.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: His appearance is clearly based on the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
- Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: In 6, he takes on the roles of pirate, commando, secret agent, and hacker, complete with appropriate outfits.
- Number Two: To YOU. He's your most frequent and most loyal advisor.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: Assumes that DEFCON is some kind of super weapon and that, if it reaches one, the world will end. While he's wrong to assume it is a superweapon, DEFCON 1 indicates that nuclear war has begun, which will likely destroy humanity.
- Undying Loyalty: In 4 onwards. He never, EVER betrays you and speaks for the Loyalist faction, which ALSO never betrays you. (The worst they do is just stop being Loyalists).
- Yes-Man: Completely unflinching in his belief that El Presidente can do no wrong, always managing to find a way to deflect blame or praise El Presidente's most heinous actions.
Factions
Each Tropico game has several factions, which must be placated to garner general public support.
Almost all of the factions have these tropes in common:
- Bread and Circuses: Although pissing any one of them off is unavoidable, it is important to placate them enough to tolerate you by giving them food and entertainment.
- Morton's Fork: Achieving their long-term faction goals and meeting their immediate demands is a practice that is often contradictory. In addition, while keeping them content enough to put up with you is the goal, it's remarkably easy to piss them off, which can make you think twice about Stating the Simple Solution, lest it go horribly wrong. In 6, ignoring a dual demand from both factions pisses them both off. You can only do one faction's task, and you'll suffer an approval drop with the other. In 3, it is possible to outright ban a troublesome faction that's too difficult to please, but that just leads to a rise in rebel activity.
- The War on Straw: They are frequently extreme caricatures of many real life political factions.
- We ARE Struggling Together:
- The factions frequently come into conflict with one another and sometimes their unreasonable or narrow demands are not in either El Presidente's or the people's better interests.
- This comes to a head in one of 4's campaign missions. Two factions present a task to you at various points, and you must pick one. The one you didn't pick triggers a faction disaster for no reason other than being ignored.
The Capitalists
Capitalist emblem in 6
The capitalists represent Tropico's business interests and favor industrialization, for-profit enterprises, and a booming tourist-based economy. They have a rivalry with the communists, though in 4, their goals usually do not directly contradict. They lean heavily toward policies favoring the United States. In Tropico 5 and 6, they become relevant in the World Wars onward.
- Decomposite Character: In 5 and 6, they are this to the industrialists, who they can potentially butt heads with. Industrialists favor heavy manufacturing while Capitalists tend to prefer advanced service-based economies such as tourism, which depends on not overexploiting the islands.
- Money, Dear Boy: Their main concern, where they're all about making as much money as possible. Their faction disaster will even have them steal from the treasury until they are placated.
- Pragmatic Villainy: While they are still concerned with wealth, they favor a tourism-heavy economy in 6, and thus have a vested interest in cutting back on logging, mining, and pollution generating industry, because those aren't great for tourism.
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: To the Communists in almost all the games.
- Strawman Has a Point: The capitalists are concerned with businesses that generate profits, which can help keep the player in the black in the long run. They also favor lower crime rates and a diversified economy, and in 6 they're also likely to be happy to move away from polluting industry in favor of more profitable tourism and service industries.
Antonio Lopez
Leader of the Capitalist Faction in Tropico 4.- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Downplayed. While yes, he does suggest and practice morally dubious business ethics, he is also an advocate of a strong police system, and can give you good advice which will help to keep you in the black.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: He looks suspiciously similar to longtime US Presidential advisor Zbig Brzezinski.
- Police Are Useless: He mentions this if Tropico's police force is too weak. He'll state that he was robbed twice, and that they even took his charts. The second guy beat him up because Lopez had already been robbed blind.
Mason Belmonte
Leader of the Capitalist Faction in Tropico 6.- Motor Mouth: A fast-talking businessman obsessed with money.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Less inclined toward polluting industry and would rather keep brazen militarism at bay, since both are bad for tourism.
The Communists
Communist emblem in 6
They represent the leftist-oriented workers of the island(s) and strive to create a worker's paradise in the islands itself. They become relevant in the World Wars onward in 5 and 6 and tend to favor close ties with the Soviets/Eastern Bloc. They have a rivalry with the capitalists and the religious.
- Big Brother Is Watching: They prefer plenty of surveillance and a state-controlled media, preferably in their favor.
- Chummy Commies: Outside of their authoritarian leanings, they are generally concerned with, housing, social welfare, and health and wellness, which makes them one of the easiest factions to placate in the long run. Their favored policies usually also make it easy for workers to get around and to fleece additional money off the rich.
- Dirty Communists: Downplayed. They have genuinely respectable motivations for many of their actions and are perfectly willing to be reasonable with the player if you don't cause problems for others just because. But they still have a very poor view of democracy and heavily favor authoritarianism. Sometimes they're just lazy bums who wish not to work, but are thankfully content with various backup requests.
- Outgrown Such Silly Superstitions: Their Marxist-Leninist ways mean that they occasionally butt heads with the religious faction. Taken further in 5 and 6, where they favor an Atheist state.
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: To the capitalists, with an added layer of Slobs vs. Snobs.
- Slobs vs. Snobs: Their aversion to anything appealing to the wealthy, which includes things that Intellectuals like, pits them against the Intellectuals as well.
Comrade Vasquez
Leader of the Communist Faction in 4.- Bread and Circuses: Surprisingly, he accepts this. During the mission to beat Marco Moreno, he's completely fine with the player distracting the masses from their suffering by building a sports complex while Presidente searches for El Toucan.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Possibly the biggest example in the series, openly trying to be a just leader who thinks about others instead of himself. Tellingly, when his faction disaster occurs, he actually tries to put a stop to it, realizing how counterproductive it is.
Marco Moreno
Leader of the Rebels (not exactly a faction) in 4, and replaces Vasquez as the leader of the Communists in 6.- Expy: Of Ernesto "Che" Guevarra.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Surprisingly enough for a rebel, he is this — in 4, should you legitimately prove that one of your regime's goals is making the lives of the average Tropican better, he'll willingly defect and join your cause. He takes on Comrade Vasquez's role as this in 6.
- Rebel Leader: In 4, only showing up during the campaign. He's apparently made a career of rebelling so much that no leader in the Carribean (or, indeed, the world) has ever impressed him enough to get him to stand down. El Presidente ends up being the one to break this streak.
- Took a Level in Kindness: He's backed off from being a violent revolutionary by the time of 6, instead lobbying on behalf of his fellow communists.
The Conservatives
Conservative emblem in 6
A patriotic, isolationist faction concerned with preserving the culture of Tropico against the winds of change. They subsume the role of the Nationalists from the previous three Tropico games and become relevant in modern times in 6. They come into conflict with the Intellectuals frequently.
- Anachronism Stew: Invoked with the Good Old Days constitutional option, which forces the Tropican populace to dress in colonial-period attire.
- Appeal to Tradition: The be all, end all of their political leanings. They prefer traditional architecture and methods of government from the colonial era.
- Bigot vs. Bigot: Is known to come into conflict with the Religious faction due to several conflicts of interest despite being social conservatives that oppose marriage equality.
- Everyone Has Standards: Their stance toward free food. Tradition dictates that nobody starves to death in Tropico unless there's no food left.
- Good Old Ways: Their key difference with the Nationalists of 3 and 4. They paint their ardent nationalism with copious amounts of nostalgia for the colonial period.
- Gun Nut: They are obsessed with firearms for some reason.
- Irony: Fixated on structures and traditions of the past... yet don't play a role until the game reaches Modern Times.
- Right-Wing Militia Fanatic: They support the type of justice carried out by the barrel of a gun.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: They subsume many of the traits of the Nationalist faction in 3 and 4, albeit with an American-style conservative flavor over the more overtly Neo-Nazi imagery of El Diablo and the nationalists.
- Utopia Justifies the Means: They'd like a return to a traditionalist Tropico from the days of yore and would gladly give up personal and civil liberties for it.
Hector Delgado
The xenophobic representative of the conservatives.- Angry White Man: His behavior mimics the stereotype, albeit set in a Latin Caribbean milieu.
- Everyone Has Standards: Demands you provide enough food for everyone. In Tropico, tradition dictates nobody starves unless there is no food left. Also hates it if crime is rampant.
- Good Old Ways: An ardent supporter of traditional Tropican values.
- Ironic Name: "Delgado" is spanish for thin and he is far from it.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Resembles conservative pundit Rush Limbaugh.
- Smug Snake. Certaintly gives off this regard, with a very smug grin on his portrait and a self satisfied way of speaking. He's also very fair weather, acting like he's the smartest man in the room when you agree with him, and acting like a whiny child when you don't.
The Environmentalists
Enviromentalist emblem in 6
The Environmentalists are concerned with preserving the natural beauty of Tropico and often stand against polluting industries, often to the detriment of national economic interests. They often find themselves in opposition to the Capitalists and Communists in 4 and the Intellectuals and Industrialists in 6. In 5 and 6, they become relevant from the Cold War onward.
- Appeal to Nature: They carry many of the narrow-minded fallacies held by crunchy granola people in real life.
- Bourgeois Bohemian: They tend to favor tourism as an industry. As such, they're less-likely to butt heads with the Capitalists in 6, who favour service-based economies, which require a relatively pristine environment.
- Ludd Was Right: Their opposition to technology and advanced economies has shades of this.
- New-Age Retro Hippie: The faction has a hippie vibe to them. In Tropico 6, they take on a crunchy granola persona that is opposed to, among other things, vaccination.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: They don't necessarily oppose all industrial buildings; things like chocolate factories and juiceries actually boost their approval slightly.
- Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: They have a very narrow interpretation of environmentalism and "natural living" that could be detrimental to the wellbeing of the people as a whole.
- Strawman Has a Point: Despite being hippies, their demands make sense if you want happiness to stay high. No-one likes living in ugly, polluted surroundings, after all.
Sunny Flowers
The Hippie representative of the Environmentalists from 4 and 6. She and Penultimo co-host the radio in 4.- Adaptational Attractiveness: Due to the way portraits are drawn in 6
versus 4, she's far more pleasant to look at in the former game. - The Bus Came Back: She goes AWOL in 5, but in 6, she's back as the Environmentalist representative.
- Granola Girl: She fits the hippie (and, in 6, crunchy granola) stereotype to a T.
- Ludd Was Right: She has a tendency to be dismissive of modern technology, which puts her on a collision course with Elena Culpepper.
- New-Age Retro Hippie: She has stereotypically hippie beliefs, down to being a Neopagan.
- Not So Above It All: Sunny Flowers can still be goaded into a consumerist craze despite speaking against flagrant consumerism, such as if El Presidente builds a shopping mall.
- Ship Tease: With Penultimo in 4. He occasionally mentions attraction to her, and in Modern Times, she is against the idea of torturing him, even if he is a clone.
The Globalists
Appearing only in 5, where they replace the Intellectuals, they are a faction concerned with liberal ideas and immigration policies. In 6, they are subsumed by the Intellectuals.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Basically a re-branded, open-borders friendly version of the Intellectuals.
Lord Oaksworth
A condescending, patronizing blowhard of a European Lord who represents the interests of the Crown in 5, before becoming a representative of various other factions (including the Religious and the Globalists) later down the line.- Defector from Decadence: As per 5's minimalist cast, he eventually comes to represent foreign and factional interests later in the game, suggesting that he defected to the revolutionaries.
- Evil Colonialist: Surprisingly averted. Despite being unpleasant, he does try to be helpful to the governor as they try to set up the colony and lay the groundwork for the revolution.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: As smug and condescending as he is, he claims to go through all sorts of hoops to keep the current governor in power and helpfully mentions that he would eventually run low of opportunities to do so, prompting the governor to move toward rebellion sooner rather than later.
The Industrialists
Industrialist emblem in 6
Introduced in 5, the Industrialists represent the captains of industry of the country, eager to exploit the country's natural riches for economic gains. Tends to come into conflict with the environmentalists as a result. They become relevant from the Cold War onward.
- Decomposite Character: From the Capitalists from 5 onward. They favor a robust industrial economy concerned with exploiting the natural resources of the island, whereas the Capitalists favor a diversified income stream that includes environment-dependent tourism.
- Despotism Justifies the Means: They tend to favor authoritarian governments.
- Reasonable Authority Figure:
- Some of their demands are good for your economy in the long term. They also are in favor of an educated workforce, ideal for an advanced and wealthy export economy.
- Despite their aesthetic suggesting 'big polluter' types, they approve of renewable electricity structures being built in 6 just as much as the Environmentalists do. All electricity is equal, after all.
Veronica Veneno
The representative of the Industrialists and Capitalists in Tropico 5.- The Bus Came Back: She reappears in 6's DLC New Frontiers.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: She's a greedy businesswoman with no hangups on exploiting others.
- Expy: Of Veronica Lodge, and thus the foil to Betty Boom.
Harland Zander
The Industrialist representative in Tropico 6.- Cigar Chomper: His portrait has him holding a big, fat cigar.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: A robber baron who speaks with a dismissive tone about workers and the environment.
- Fat, Sweaty Southerner in a White Suit: He's not particularly fat or sweaty, but he otherwise looks and speaks like a southern plantation owner, despite the game being set in the Spanish Caribbean and the Industrialists only being available from the Cold War onwards.
- Strawman Has a Point: Often, his demands can be useful to meeting economic and development goals.
The Intellectuals
Intellectual emblem from 6
Forward-thinking social liberals and freethinkers, the Intellectual faction is in favor of the development of advanced industries and are focused on making Tropico a hub for scientific development. They tend to be complacent with Capitalist directives while looking down on the Religious and Communists. One of the hardest factions to please. Originally one of the base factions available from the first, third, and fourth games, they become relevant in Modern times from 5 and 6 onward.
- For Science!: In 6, they strongly prefer scientific developments over anything else, which can put them at odds with the Luddite Environmentalists.
- Gentleman and a Scholar: In 4, they look favorably on a presidente with the Biblical Scholar, Leftist Author, Naturalist, and Professor backgrounds.
- Mad Scientist: They have shades of this in 6.
- Outgrown Such Silly Superstitions: They have a vocal rivalry with the Religious and Conservative factions in 6, and are concerned with an open science-focused future that eschews all prior traditions.
- Playful Hacker: In 6. Their faction disaster would have Presidente cut off from the Internet for a year.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: They tend to favor a good education system, which can benefit your nation over the course of the game by making advanced economies and industries possible. If you have the resources to maintain them building high-tech structures can also yield tremendous benefits.
- Slobs Versus Snobs: They come off as aloof elitists who are against anything appealing to the common people in 4, and slightly unhinged mad scientists in 6.
Miss Pineapple
Miss Pineapple is one of El Presidente's advisors in 4 and represents the interests of the Intellectual faction. She is also not-so-subtly implied to be having an affair with El Presidente.- Dominatrix: She apparently has a show in a cabaret where she is known as "Mistress Pineapple."
- Girl Friday: Presidente's advisor and "tutor".
- Meaningful Name: She's called Miss Pineapple, and her head is shaped a little like said fruit.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Her advice, such as pushing for a high school to be built, is generally very helpful to your country's development. Hiring foreigners from abroad gets expensive very quickly, after all.
Elena Culpepper
The faction representative for the Intellectuals in 6, she represents the interests of a more modern, forward-thinking, and tech-savvy generation.- Black and Nerdy: An Afro-Caribbean woman who is a nerd.
- A Million Is a Statistic: Her conflict with the Communists can be seen as this.
The Loyalists
A faction appearing in Tropico 3: Absolute Power and Tropico 4 that represents El Presidente's fanatical squadron of followers. They believe that El Presidente alone is capable of ruling the country and are thus thoroughly opposed to any dissatisfaction with the way Presidente runs things. They are among the easiest factions to court as well as the hardest to placate once irritated. They are represented by Penultimo.
- All Crimes Are Equal: In the Modern Times DLC, the SWAT HQ has a work mode where it will only accept Loyalists, and they will go kill any criminals they encounter.
- Brainwashed: The Sanatorium building in the Modern Times DLC can turn visitors into new Loyalists.
- Democracy Is Bad: They all believe this. Why vote for your leaders when El Presidente is the only choice you should be making?
- Easy Evangelism: Poorly educated people can easily be swayed into this faction through manipulative propaganda techniques.
- Fan Disillusionment: Their Disaster is simply members leaving the faction.
- Fan Dumb: In-Universe, they're El Presidente's own, thinking that he can do no wrong.
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: They can still vote against El Presidente and become criminals.
- Phony Degree: An edict in the Modern Times DLC (Special Diplomas) can give half of the faction high school education (some might even receive college education). This is useful to fill SWAT HQ with Loyalists.
- Praetorian Guard: In the Modern Times DLC, they can become this if the SWAT HQ accepts only Loyalists agents. They will side with El Presidente during coups.
- Shameless Self-Promotion: They demand this of El Presidente. A Childhood Museum is one of their base demands. Then they'll demand a Mausoleum and even the Golden Statue!
- Unpleasable Fanbase: In-Universe. Usually, any attempt that El Presidente makes to placate or show genuine concern to the wellbeing of the other factions over perpetuating and glorifying his reign will rub them the wrong way.
The Militarists
Militarist emblem in 6
A faction representing the interests of Tropico's armed forces, led by General Rodrigo Rodriguez in 3, 4, and 6. They appreciate a militarized Tropico with heavy emphasis on creating infrastructure for the army. Their bluster often puts them at odds with just about every other faction, including the Intellectuals and the Religious. In Tropico 5 and 6, they become relevant in from the World Wars onward.
- Military Coup: Piss them off enough, and they'll issue an ultimatum: improve relations or suffer one of these. This can very easily cost you the game, considering that you kinda need the military on your side in the event of a hostile attack on the palace.
- Properly Paranoid: A strong military presence is critical for the player to survive the many occasional hazards of the game, including rebel threats and foreign invasions, the former of which can happen at any moment.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: They're pretty easy to please all things considered, as they approve of mass-construction of cheap homes, and having a decent military is essential for stopping guerilla attacks. The fastest way to piss them off is to mass-construct embassies, but since you only need five of them maximum, you'd have to be trying to ruin your relations with the Militarists.
General Rodriguez
- Alliterative Name: Rodrigo Rodriguez
- Armchair Military: Admits this about himself.
- The Bus Came Back: He's MIA in 5, but he's back as Militarist leader in 6.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: Among the many things he fears are his dreams about penguins and pterodactyls. Some of the requests he makes can be baffling, such as building a rollercoaster.
- General Ripper: A warmongering paranoid jingoist obsessed with national security through superior firepower. Not that he's entirely wrong, though.
- Only Sane Man: He is the only person in the first mission for the "New Frontiers" campaign to realize that stealing a superweapon from the Axis/Central powers during the World Wars is good way to piss everyone off. He doesn't outright question the decision, but asks that Tropico prepares for the inevitable backlash.
- The Neidermeyer: Announcer Chatter reveals him to be a mouthy, demanding superior to his soldiers.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Bears a significant resemblance to actor Luis Guzman.
The Nationalists
An isolationist faction in 4 and 5 concerned with Tropican-centric policies and interests. They resent anything foreign — be it immigrants, foreign goods, foreign aid, or foreign relations. They also want a national average wage that's higher than the Caribbean average. They are replaced in 6 by the Conservatives while subsuming the role of the Loyalists in 5. They are present at the start of the game in 3 and 4 and become relevant in 5 during modern times.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: A fanatically insular faction concerned with supporting Tropico and Tropico alone.
- Fascist, but Inefficient: Their insistence on closed borders will cripple the country's economy due to labor shortages.
- My Country, Right or Wrong: They put Tropico above all other nations and resent any form of foreign interest or intervention, including humanitarian aid during a time of crisis.
- Occupiers Out of Our Country: A sentiment they claim to hold.
- Patriotic Fervor: They often demand patriotic sentiments expressed.
- Powder Keg Crowd: They will cause riots if they are sufficiently displeased with the current leader, targeting (what else?) foreign citizens.
El Diablo
El Diablo in 4
The representative of the Nationalists in 3 and 4.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: He is a tattooed skinhead. The symbol on his shirt is also clearly fascist.
- Bald of Evil: Completely bald, and one of El Presidente's more unpleasant advisors, frequently speaking with open disgust about anything foreign.
- Meaningful Name: "The Devil" in Spanish.
- Tattooed Crook
- The Napoleon: According to a radio broadcast he is rather short. He gets very angry when Sunny Flowers points this out.
The Religious
Religious emblem in 6
A significant cultural bloc, the Religious faction is concerned with meeting the spiritual needs of the people of Tropico, focusing mainly on the construction of religious buildings. The Religious faction is one of the largest at the start of the earlier games until Tropico 4. In 5 and 6, they become a key player from the World Wars onward. Because of their typical social conservative stances, they often come into conflict with the typically secular-leaning Intellectuals and Communists. In 6, they also lock horns with the trigger-happy Militarists.
- Activist-Fundamentalist Antics: In 6, their ultimatum, anathema, will have members of the faction burn down buildings they visit.
- Artistic License – Religion: Gameplay restrictions mean that Tropican clergy are allowed to marry (and marry a partner of the same gender, despite being opposed to it as a faction).
- Christianity is Catholic: They have a heavy Catholic flavor, despite differences brought about by gameplay necessity.
- The Fundamentalist: They typically hold conservative and fundamentalist Christian views, with all that it entails in terms of social policies.
- Good Shepherd: In later games, they tend to emphasize social welfare and are concerned with ensuring that people get their basic needs met. In the colonial era in 6, the missions can even be set to provide healthcare—the only buildings in the game to do so in that era.
- Mirroring Factions: In 6, they share a lot of similarities with the communists both in terms of meeting the needs of the people and eschewing the presence of luxuries for the wealthy.
- Moral Guardians: They are also likely to turn their noses against vices such as pubs and cabarets.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Faith-related buildings and medical facilities are some of the citizens' basic needs, which in turn keep the Religious content. Some of their demands are also simple to fulfill, such as producing chocolate or apparel, which you can sell later on.
- The Theocracy: One of their faction goals; selecting the theocracy option is one of the ways to garner their support.
- Turbulent Priest: Dissatisfied clergy can speak against Presidente in the pulpits, affecting anyone who attends church.
Reverend Esteban
A perpetually inebriated priest who represents the Religious faction in 4.- The Alcoholic: Implied to have a drinking problem and is willing to counteract the very legislation he requested (prohibition) on behalf of his faction, "anonymously" calling in to TNT to complain about it.
- Egocentrically Religious: One of his arguments for having Presidente build a grand cathedral is to make all the other Caribbean nations jealous, which will make them look better in the eyes of God by comparison.
- Killed Offscreen: If the player activates Prohibition in 5, it's mentioned that he drank himself to death, but was canonized for drinking any and all alcoholic beverages, "lest they tempt his flock to sin".
- You Bastard!: He calls out Presidente for letting a famine happen by explaining that he had to officiate the funeral of a child.
Sister Francesca
A sanctimonious and stern nun representing the Religious faction in 6.- As the Good Book Says...: She frequently uses metaphors from the Bible whenever she addresses El Presidente, usually to snark at him.
- Condescending Compassion: She generally speaks with a disappointed tone at Presidente.
- Good Is Not Nice: She is concerned with the welfare of her flock and is not afraid to tell off the country's ruler to get her point across.
- Nun Too Holy: As her intro suggests, she's not above cursing.
- Sour Supporter: She's very dismissive of Presidente and talks in a tone that barely hides her doubts of their sincerity. She won't exactly be nice even if Presidente does what she wants.
The Revolutionaries
Revolutionary emblem in 6
The revolutionaries are a faction representing the oppressed people of the colonies, who are tired of having to give in to the crown's orders at the expense of their own needs. They support actions in favor of the common people of colonies and toward militarization while oppose the construction of vanity projects for the wealthy people loyal to the crown. Naturally opposed to the Royalists.
- La Résistance: A movement dedicated to toppling the rule of the Crown over Tropico.
- The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: They prefer to bolster the fledgling nation's military might early on.
- Slobs vs. Snobs: They do not appreciate actions that they feel oppress the common people, which include slum housing for the poor and luxuries for the rich.
- Spark of the Rebellion: They see working with the governor as this.
Evita Vasquez
The revolutionary representative in Tropico 5, later representing the Communists and Militarists in later eras. May be related to Comrade Vasquez from 4.- Named After Someone Famous: She gets her name from Evita Peron, former first lady of Argentina.
Sofia Ortega
The representative of the revolutionaries in Tropico 6.- The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: In her own words, the ends justify being mean.
The Royalists
Royalist emblem in 6
Appearing in 5 and 6, this faction represents the citizenry of Tropico that are loyal to the Crown. They start off with an abysmal view of the governor and have to be gradually displaced by revolutionists as the game progresses. They are opposed by the Revolutionaries. The Royalists align themselves to the interests of the crown, and are represented by Lord Oaksworth in 5 and by Lord Roger Wyndham in 6. The opinion of the royalists are not crucial for independence, but their satisfaction influences their opinions of you afterward.
- Bread and Circuses: They are usually placated by constructing luxury entertainment such as theatres and opera houses.
- Les Collaborateurs: The Royalists are loyal to the European monarchy that rules over Tropico in the colonial period.
- Slobs vs. Snobs: A variation. Their conflict with the Revolutionaries can be seen as this, as buildings that appeal to them piss off the Revolutionaries.
Lord Oaksworth
For tropes relating to him, see "The Globalists".Lord Roger Wyndham
A haughty and sinister-sounding European aristocrat who bosses the governor around in 6.- Aristocrats Are Evil: A sinister blue-blooded noble who barks all sorts of threatening orders to the governor in the name of the Crown.
- Bad Boss: He likes to give an assortment of veiled threats to the governor, because "the Crown Demands!". Even his compliments are backhanded and laced with barely disguised contempt.
- Blue Blood: Comes from a family with, in Penultimo's words, "more blue blood than an ocean of octopuses."
- But Now I Must Go: After you declare independence, he states that the Crown is reassigning him to be an envoy to the Archduke of Austra-Hungary.
- Card-Carrying Villain: He describes his own leadership style as "firm yet unfair."
- Disproportionate Retribution: He hates Penultimo for accidentally triggering his coconut allergy at a function with the King, and so he tries to have him assassinated at the theatre.
- Enemy Mine: In “Battle Royal”, while he’s trying to force El Presidente to give him the Alabaster Narwal, he puts this feud aside to prevent the Axis from invading Tropico out of fear that they’ll take it for themselves. Once the world wars end, the feud resumes as before.
- Evil Colonialist: He's much more of an asshole than Lord Oaksworth, being openly contemptuous of Tropicans.
- Every Man Has His Price: In the Pirate King mission, in 6, he'll occasionally approach you and offer a year's worth of royal mandate for $3,000.
- Faux Affably Evil: He's well-mannered, but makes his disdain for the governor, their citizens and their island very clear in most everything he says.
- High-Class Glass: Wears a monocle.
- Plot Allergy: In the first mission, he was revealed to be allergic to coconuts. Because of this, he develops a grudge against Penultimo, who fed him a coconut canape by accident. His aversion to coconut trees drives him to assign the governor to cut them down... and makes it possible for Tropican revolutionaries to hide smuggled gold inside the coconuts.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: His intro suggests that he used to be King's right-hand man, but got demoted for reasons he refuses to disclose.
- Smug Snake: A condescending, haughty, racist, colonial-era nobleman who sees Tropico and its island as beneath him.
- Sore Loser: At the end of "Battle Royal", when El Presidente beats his last attempt to get the Alabaster Narwal, Lord Wyndham begins by saying that a gentleman accepts defeat with a stiff upper lip. He then states that he is ‘’not’’ a gentleman, and goes on an lo rant about how unfair it is and accusing you of cheating.
- Unexpected Character: For a lot of players, it can be quite a shock for the foppish one-note Blue Blood overseer of the Colonial setting to reemerge as the Ahab-esque Determinator Big Bad of the game's final and longest mission map.
Foreign Powers
Like your typical Banana Republic, Tropico is beleaguered by outside forces since the colonial age. In 1 and 3, the factions are the United States and the Soviet Union only, while in 4, they are presented along with three other, more minor powers. There are even more foreign powers in 5 and 6, but they all become relevant only during their specific age.- Anachronism Stew: Bordering on Alternate History at times, most notably in 4. The Soviets can persist past 1992, the Chinese are Red and Rich in the 1950s, and the European Union appears as a singular entity before 1993. Rectified somewhat in 5 and 6, where many of the factions do not become relevant until well past a specific age. In 5 and 6, the Axis and Allies represent both their IRL counterparts and the Central and Entente powers of WWI. The Allied flag/diplomatic seal is half of the American and British flags, which can be considered anachronistic since the Americans were historically the last of the Allies to join in.
- Hegemonic Empire: All of the powers save the Crown are essentially this. In essence, Tropico is just another small country for them to ruthlessly economically exploit in their game of power. Do as they say, or suffer stifling economic sanctions and/or be invaded.
- Cultural Posturing: Some of the representatives can be quite haughty and condescending, even when they're being friendly.
- Gunboat Diplomacy: The lingering threat of foreign occupation is a constant theme in the series. The U.S. and U.S.S.R. will invade you if you irk them enough times, ending the game right then and there (unless you're playing 5).
- Mirroring Factions: While they might be antagonistic to one another, most of the powers in the games are hegemons who demand that Tropico follow their trade and political interests on the threat of economic sanctions or worse, outright invasion.
- International Showdown by Proxy: Of which Tropico is the unfortunate battleground. You must play along or play them against each other to stay in power and protect your people.
- Playing Both Sides: It's possible (and for practical purposes, required) for Presidente to do this for the benefit of themself and their people.
- Realpolitik: The great powers' general approach to controlling Tropico, and how El Presidente should act in turn. Presidente must placate these great powers to secure their regime and avoid invasion.
- Take a Third Option: Becomes possible in 4, where you can play to the smaller powers of the E.U., China and the Middle East. In prior games, you could only balance your allegiance between the U.S. and USSR. In 5 and 6, this does not become a de jure diplomatic option until Modern Times.
- You Have Researched Breathing: In 5 and 6, you must re-invite factions into your embassy after you progress to the next era, since they are functionally different polities in-game. Justified to an extent, since many of them are composed of multiple states that have become irrelevant or go their separate ways as time passes.
- The U.S., UK, and Soviet Union (formerly the allies) went their separate ways during the Cold war as the Western Powers and Eastern Bloc.
- In the Modern Times period, the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. did a number on the Eastern bloc, so you'll have to re-invite Russia. The Western Powers also go their separate ideological directions, meaning you have to invite both the U.S. and the E.U. at this point.
The Crown
Crown emblem in 6
The European power that colonized Tropico. In 5 they are represented by Lord Oaksworth, while in 6 they are represented by Lord Roger Wyndham. For their character sheets, see their entries in the Globalists and the Royalists.
- Artistic License – History: Tropico is culturally based on the Spanish colonies in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, the Crown the player serves in 5 and 6 is very clearly flavored after the British Empire.note
- Bad Boss: The Crown heaps several demands on the governor, goading them with extentions to their mandate.
- The Empire: Nominally, the only literal example of the bunch. They are the direct rulers of Tropico until it declares independence. But functionally, they are no different from the other great powers.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: You can pay your way to independence if you've enough cash. Handy if the player doesn't feel like a fight.
The Allies
Allies' emblem in 6
A superpower relevant during the World Wars.
- Composite Character: They represent the Allies of both World War One and World War II, the former also being known as the Entente powers. A literal example is in their flag, which comprises half of the U.S. and UK flags.
- Eagleland: They have shades of type 3 in 5, since their representative is an ersatz of a US president. Donwplayed in 6, since they receive a more British flavor in Lord Wynton Marlborough.
Rudolf Thompson
The U.S. President in Tropico 5 and a recurring campaign character.- Big Good: A recurring ally of Presidente and an honest, friendly, well-intentioned man. He is one of the most positive portrayals of a US president in the entire series.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: A clear expy of both Theodore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Lord Wynton Marlborough
The Allied representative in Tropico 6, a cheery British diplomat.- Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: He is the representative of the Allies and and he smokes a calabash pipe in his portrait.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Very clearly based on Sir Winston Churchill, while taking the name of his ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough. Also bears a bit of a resemblance to Franklin Roosevelt.
- Quintessential British Gentleman: Given who he's based on, it only makes sense.
- Stiff Upper Lip: Attempts to evoke this; he's usually quite jovial, but sometimes he blurts out that "everything's gone pear-shaped and we need a steady hand on the tiller."
The Axis
Axis emblem in 6
A superpower relevant during the World Wars.
- Argentina Is Nazi Land: It's possible for you to invoke this, only replace "Argentina" in this case with "Tropico". In 5, you can house exiled Axis émigrés after they inevitably lose the war, which is also alluded to in dialogue in 6 if you sided with them come the end of the war.
- Composite Character: They represent both the eponymous faction in World War II and the Central Powers in World War One. In essence, they're whatever side of the war Germany was on.
- Day of the Jackboot: In 5 and 6, withstanding their invasions is one consequence of either allying with the Allies or having absymal relations with them. Failing will result in this trope.
- Foregone Conclusion: The Axis will lose both World Wars no matter what the player does. This has no effect on Tropico itself and only reflects in the dialogue given to the player if they are in an alliance with the Axis.
- No Swastikas: The Axis flag in 5 and their diplomatic seal in 6 is the War Ensign of Nazi Germany without the swastika in the circle.
- Those Wacky Nazis: With everything that may entail. They like strong militaries and repressive measures, and aren't a fan of players who have more liberal policies.
Erich von Strohm
A Nazi military officer and representative of the Axis Powers in 6.- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: If you made an alliance with the Axis, then when the war ends he'll beg you to allow a group of people who look just like him, his friends, and his family to immigrate to Tropico.
- Bad Boss: Occasionally yells at his unseen underling, Wolfgang.
- Germanic Depressives: He's usually quite dour if he's not trying to be sinister and intimidating.
- Perpetual Frowner: He says that he's unable to smile due to a facial condition.
The Western Powers
Western Powers' emblem in 6
A superpower introduced in 6, the Western Powers represent NATO and take the place of the U.S. in the Cold War era. Their diplomatic seal is the NATO flag rotated by 45 degrees.
- Captain Ersatz: Of the U.S. in prior games.
- Eagle Land: A solid Type 2, with Red Scare paranoia defining them.
- Red Scare: Has this as an overarching theme, with Cold War-era paranoia being their thing.
Colonel Buck Scott
The representative of the Western Powers in 6.- Almighty Janitor: A field-grade officer representing the free world.
- Expy: Of George C. Scott's General Buck Turgidson.
- General Ripper: Colonel, actually, but the trope is still in play. He is a very paranoid, xenophobic and jingoistic American officer.
- Foil: To Nadia of the Eastern Bloc. Both are quite secretive, but while Nadia lets El Presidente in on what she's planning, Colonel Scott always approaches interactions with paranoid apprehensiveness.
- I Know You're Watching Me: His paranoia leads him to assume this of everyone he suspects to be a filthy Red. Even himself.
- The Paranoiac: Extremely suspicious of anything associated with the Eastern Bloc. He sees "red" everywhere.
- Properly Paranoid: Given how shiftily Nadia acts, he's probably not entirely wrong about there being some sort of plot going on behind the scenes.
The U.S.S.R./Eastern Bloc
Eastern Bloc emblem in 6
The Soviets are one of two superpowers in the original game, and they appear again in 3 and 4. In 5 and 6, they become relevant during the Cold War. And also in 6, they become a more general multinational bloc representing the countries under the Iron Curtain.
- Composite Character: In 6, the Eastern Bloc presumably subsumes both the Soviet Union and the rest of the Warsaw Pact, though functionally, the Soviets are still implied to be calling the shots.
- Chummy Commies: Being pals with them is a key part of placating the Communist faction, so you'll need to invoke this trope to keep them happy.
- Despotism Justifies the Means: They favor a totalitarian state as a national policy.
- Dirty Communists: Not only do they have an affinity for authoritarianism, they have hegemonic imperialist tendencies on top of that. Despite their nominal "anti-imperialist" affiliations, they really only see Tropico as just another puppet to control.
- Outgrown Such Silly Superstitions: Their preferred constitutional stance on religion in 5 and 6, favouring an atheist state.
- Moscow Centre: In 4 and 6, the communist world is represented by spies.
Agent Sasha
The representative of the Soviets in 4.- Femme Fatale Spy: A sultry Russian spy.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: Not her, but she mentions in a story mission about how an employee of theirs who hid a tape with incriminating evidence regarding Nick Richards was sent to Siberia, and how they wouldn't be seen for some time.
Nadia Kutsnetchov
The representative of the Eastern Bloc in 6.- Code Name: She's so secretive, she mentions that her name is just a convenient pseudonym (which explains said name's inaccuracy).
- Foil: To the paranoid Buck Scott. Colonel Scott is a lot less trusting of anyone, Presidente included, while Nadia tends to be more forward with her requests.
- Spy Speak: She speaks exclusively in this.
The U.S.
US emblem in 6
The Americans are one of the original superpowers in the original game and remain relevant in 3, 4, 5, and 6. A dominant default superpower in the original, 3 and 4, they become relevant only after the start of the Cold War in 5, and Modern Times in 6, where their previous Cold War role is represented by the Western Powers.
- Eagle Land: A solid type 2 through most of the games they appear in, being a bunch of condescending bullies unafraid to not only attempt to threaten Tropico into doing their bidding, but bragging about how awesome they are at every turn.
Ambassador Crane
The representative of U.S. interests in Tropico 4.- "Ass" in Ambassador: A slimy, imperialistic and haughty representative, and a caricature of the foreign policy of the U.S. toward Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Jerkass: He constantly treats El Presidente as an underling, to be condescended to and threatened as he sees fit.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Strongly resembles a caricature of former CIA officer David Atlee Phillips.
Raymond King
The representative of U.S. interests in Tropico 6.- Corrupt Corporate Executive: He has his thumb on a lot of businesses.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Personality-wise, he heavily resembles 45th U.S. president Donald Trump.
The E.U.
EU emblem in 6
The Europeans were introduced in 4 as one of the three alternate superpowers to court and placate. They are a soft power, focusing on luxury entertainment, intellectual leanings, and progressive and environmentally sound social policies. In 5 and 6, they become relevant after Modern Times.
- Anachronism Stew: In 4, they appeared well before they became an established entity in 1993. This was corrected in 5 and 6, where they become relevant in Modern Times (which is some point in The '90s).
- Bourgeois Bohemian: They have shades of this in 4, favouring social liberal, democratic and environmental policies.
- History Marches On: The stereotypically English Lord Chuffney being the E.U. representative becomes vastly outdated after the 2016 referendum that saw the UK vote to leave the E.U. To reflect this, the E.U. representative in Tropico 6 is Eline Dupont, who has a French name, but resembles then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
- I Am Very British: In 4, the European Union has a distinctly British flavour. They are represented by an English aristocrat, and one of the work options in the TV station is the BBC, which is mentioned to be a European import. Averted in 6, where the E.U. is patterned more after a post-Brexit European Union.
- Mirroring Factions: In the Tropico 4 campaign scenario "Independence Day," the E.U. is just as low-key imperialistic as the U.S., instructing El Presidente to promote the idea of annexing an island as a colony in the early half of the mission.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: In 6, they have an overregulated economy with a lot of red tape, which Eline describes as a necessary part of turning away from their old ways of constant in-fighting.
- United Europe: A downplayed example for gameplay simplification purposes. The entire European Union functions as a single trade partner for Tropico and they set their policies to your country in unison.
- We Buy Anything: They don't sell you anything in 4 and only accept exports, which means that keeping them placated won't make your production chains cheaper, but it will increase your export prices. They do manifest soft power in other ways, such as being a main source of intellectual capital (that is, foreign experts).
Lord Chuffney
The E.U. representative in Tropico 4, a haughty British aristocrat.- Aristocrats Are Evil: Downplayed. He's just your run-on-the-mill classist aristocrat, who can be quite affable otherwise.
- I Am Very British: A nobleman who wears a tux and a monocle.
Eline Dupont
The E.U. representative in Tropico 6.- Beleaguered Bureaucrat: Given that she represents a group of nations united by obstructive bureaucrats, this is to be expected.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: She is modeled after Angela Merkel and Christine Lagarde, former chancellor of Germany and president of the European Central Bank since 2019 respectively.
Russia
Russia's emblem in 6
The Russians are a superpower introduced in 5 and 6, who become relevant in Modern Times. They are meant as a nod to IRL politics and replace the Soviet Union as the eras progress.
Vlad Orlov
The Russian representative in Tropico 6.- Faux Affably Evil: He tends to pepper his chumminess with veiled threats.
- Mother Russia Makes You Strong: He believes this, if his bio is to be believed.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: He's based heavily on Vladimir Putin.
- The Social Darwinist: He applies this to his political ideology.
- Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: He believes this to an extent. He claims that people in power will do exactly this if they were subject to their own laws, and that to have justice, some people must be above the laws.
- Vodka Drunkenski: He occasionally mentions that he bought a bottle of Vodka to share with El Presidente should one of their requests be successful.
China
China's emblem in 6
The Chinese were introduced as one of the three alternate powers in 4. In 5 and 6, they become relevant in Modern Times.
Yu Li
The Chinese representantive in 4.- Faux Affably Evil: He acts like an overtly polite diplomat that masks his condenscending and sinister behavior. His main response to El Presidente when his country has abysmal relations with Tropico is that relations can only improve... complete with Chinese fleets surrounding the island.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: His appearance is based off of real-life Chinese diplomat Sha Zukang.
Ambassador Zhang
The Chinese representative in 6.- Beleaguered Bureaucrat: He tries to be polite about this, but he's quite up-front about Tropico being low on China's list of priorities...
- No-Respect Guy: ...and it matches how his government sees him, being in the bottom percentile of Chinese diplomats.
The Middle East
Middle East's emblem in 6
The Middle East is introduced in 4 as one of the alternate powers to court. In 5 and 6, it becomes relevant in Modern Times. In 4, its flag is that of the real-world Arab League, while, in 5 and 6, it uses a Fictional Flag.
- Arab Oil Sheikh: Their representatives are these. This actually has an effect on their economic relations; they prefer a country that imports its oil and don't take kindly to anyone who tries to muscle in on their enterprise. Domestic oil production is a sure-fire way to get on their bad side.
- Arch-Nemesis: In 4, they have a rivalry with both the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
- The Fundamentalist: They have shade of this, and will respond negatively if you happened to be one yourself. They are a Muslim-majority region and will look down on any action taken by El Presidente that encourages Christian Fundamentalism in Tropico; having too many churches and cathedrals will tend to rub them the wrong way.
- Middle Eastern Coalition: The Middle East is essentially a fictional version of this. In 4, it is generally assumed that they (rather inaccurately) represent the Arab League, which excludes a few countries in the Middle East. In 5 and 6, this is downplayed at the cost of being less representative of any one real-world country or organization. In those games, they are closer to the wealthy Gulf monarchies rather than the Arab League as a whole, though they also behave like OPEC, which doesn't just include Arab states.
- Power-Upgrading Deformation: In 4. For some reason, having the Ugly trait improves their diplomatic relationship with you, possibly due to your resemblance to a camel.
- Qurac: They have shades of this. Sheikh Salim peppers his statements with references to his multiple wives, being rich, and camels.
Sheikh Salim
The Middle Eastern representative in Tropico 4.- Gonk: Though the caricature art style has much to do with this, Sheikh Salim is not a looker.
- Kavorka Man: He has a lot of wives, but isn't one for good looks.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: His portrait is a caricature of Palestinian politician Yasser Arafat.
Prince Thari
The Middle Eastern representative in Tropico 6.- An Offer You Can't Refuse: His intro mentions this. He loves being generous (because he controls a vital resource), but expects his friends to be generous in turn.
- Royal Brat: Tends to act like this at times. He was, after all, the world's richest kid, then the world's richest teenager.
- Uncle Pennybags: Invoked. He brags about being everyone's friend because he represents a region that has the one thing everyone needs.
Tropico 4 campaign only characters
Brunhilde Van Hoof
The representative from the UN.
- Beat Them at Their Own Game: When Tropico plans to break world records in Tropico Above All, it turns out that all the available records to be beaten are all linked to her in some way (the World's Largest Mustache on a Woman and the World's Smelliest Cheese both comes from her hometown), so...
- Crippling the Competition: She does not want her hometown to lose those records.
- Brick Joke: The remaining money she blocked in Tropico Above All return later in the next mission.
- Even Evil Has Standards: In Crisis, she will help El Presidente to prevent Nuclear armageddon by organizing Pan-Caribbean Summits.
- Evil Brit: Only her accent, otherwise her name is Dutch, and her hometown of Bad Humperdinksburg is likely German.
- Expy: Her appearance is heavily based on Margaret Thatcher.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: As an antagonist, she's this.
- Teen Hater: In Keep Calm And Carry On, she demands El Presidente to imprison five young people on the behalf US conservative groups just because there are young.
- The Von Trope Family: A Dutch "Van".
Generalissimo Santana
El Presidente's mentor and friend.
- Blackmail: In Into the Spotlight, an embarrassing photo of him is taken on a roller coaster. It is up to El Presidente whether to go through blackmail or not.
- Cigar Chomper
- Easily Forgiven: After his fall from power, he helps El Presidents when the latter is targeted by mysterious accidents, stating he doesn't like conspiracies to kill dictators. But not for free, of course...
- Evil Former Friend: He's part of the conspiracy to frame El Presidente for the assassination of the US President.
- Expy: Based on Fidel Castro on his later years.
- La Résistance: Forced into this when El Presidente ousts him.
Keith Preston
Billionaire CEO of Fruitas LTD and is interested in the goods of Tropico, especially mining ones.
- Easily Forgiven: Has no hard feeling against El Presidente for destroying his businesses (he still has his mining ones), and offers Swiss bank funds in exchange of for a share of mining profits.
- Expy: His appearance seems based on Boss Hogg of The Dukes of Hazzard.
- Portmanteau: His name is the result of a combination of two last names, Minor C. Keith and Andrew W. Preston, who were the co-founders of United Fruit Company.
- Riches to Rags: Done to him by El Presidente over the course of two missions, as revenge for not helping him after being blamed for the assassination of the US President. Averted in the end, as he still has his mining business.
Nick Richards
An US senator from Nebraska. He starts seeking better relations with Tropico.
- CharacterCatchphrase: He ends every sentence with "I am not a crook."
- Assassination Attempt: He's killed soon after his arrest following the reveal he killed his predecessor.
- Back from the Dead: Return for one mission in Modern Times DLC. Averted, as it turns out to be a clone.
- Expy: Of Richard Nixon.
- Fall Guy: Claims the assassin of the US President is Tropican in order to blame El Presidente.
- Klingon Promotion: When he becomes Vice President, he assassinates the President to take over.
Dr. Steinschneider
A mad scientist who initially assists El Presidente, but is later revealed as the main antagonist of the Modern Times expansion.—-
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: His appearance is heavily based on Rowan Williams (former Archbishop of Canterbury) and his behaviour is centred around a stereotypical Albert Einstein-like 'mad scientist.'
