Far Cry 6 has officially been announced, offering players a deeper take on the long-running franchise. But perhaps most interesting is Far Cry 6's main cast, including Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito as the antagonist, Anton Castillo. The series has a long history of focusing on the villain, leading to some wonderfully horrific icons, like Far Cry 3's Vaas.
But Far Cry 6 is also returning to a fully-voiced protagonist in Dani Rojas, a revolutionary born on Far Cry 6's fictional island of Yara, a location heavily influenced by Cuba. With two fully fleshed-out characters headlining, fans have a lot more to look forward to in terms of character development, and that has exciting implications for the game.
Dani Rojas
Players can choose to play as a male or female Dani in Far Cry 6, with full performance and voice capture for either option. This time around, players will also see third-person views of the character during cutscenes, which the Far Cry franchise has shied away from doing in the past, instead opting for a first-person view throughout the game.
What makes Dani such an exciting figure is how ingrained in the culture of Yara they are. Dani is "born and raised" in Esperanza, Yara's capital city, Far Cry 6 Narrative Director Navid Khavari told Game ZXC in an interview. That's a drastic change from other voiced Far Cry protagonists, who are typically outsiders, even if they have bonds to the locations their respective game takes place in.
Dani is a military drop out, and apparently a reluctant participant in the revolution, not wanting to be involved with Anton or the movement to rid Yara of him. While it isn't clear what role Dani will play in the revolution now, players will learn more about the character as Far Cry 6's launch gets closer.
Anton Castillo
Anton is the son of a former dictator himself, his father having been executed more than 50 years ago. "Right from the beginning, from when he was a teenager, he sort of felt that the country was stolen from him and his family," Khavari tells us. Despite being the dictator of an oppressive government, Anton believes what he's doing is for the greater good of Yara. He rose to power on the promise of rebuilding paradise, but his vision of paradise "doesn't necessarily include everyone."
Anyone that speaks out against Anton will find themselves "rounded up into a forced labor state," which Anton deems necessary to see his vision through. And while it would be easy to dismiss Anton as the typical supervillain dictator, there are other layers to the character that prior Far Cry entries haven't had with their antagonists. Anton is charismatic and intelligent, with most of his vile actions coming from a "twisted logic."
Perhaps the most grounding thing about the character, however, is his relationship with his son, Diego. Anton loves his son, and wants to see him succeed as his successor. The relationship between Anton and Diego is arguably Far Cry 6's most compelling element, at least from what fans have seen from the game so far, which is admittedly little.
Both characters bring something new to the franchise, making for what could be Far Cry's most interesting narrative yet. Considering some of the stories the series has told in the past, that may mean something truly special. Giancarlo Esposito already looks perfect for the role of Anton Castillo, and if the rest of the cast brings the same energy, it may lead to a truly wondrous experience.
Far Cry 6Â will release February 18, 2021, for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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