"Less Popular" Leader Elimination Thread

[Guandao]

Akhenaten (Egypt) 20
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 20
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) (19+1)=20 I'm fine with him being a leader, he would be my third pick for a Mughal leader, behind Akbar and Shah Jahan
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 18
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) (14-3)=11 There are better choices for a male English leader, plus the Irish won't be happy about his inclusion.
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 22
Tin Hinan (Berbers / Tuaregs) 11
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[Morningcalm]

Akhenaten (Egypt) 20 - 3 = 17 Wasn't very popular with historians either, let alone his own people, who continued to worship other gods (which casts doubt on the suggestion that his reforms were actually revolutionary, as this occurred despite Akhenaten having mandated worship of Aten, and having stripped temples of virtually every Egyptian god of their wealth and priests). There is also evidence supporting the view that Akhenaten became monotheistic not because of divine inspiration, but because he wanted to take power from the influential priests of Amun, the chief deity, who wielded enormous political influence. Unfortunately he was a leader who sought power for its sake, not to empower his state. All instances in which he paid any attention to foreign policy were because of self-interest, not state interest. Akhenaten was focusing so hard on his religious cult, that he neglected the army, internal revenue, and foreign policy, leaving power in the hands of his general, Horemheb, and his vizier, Ay, both of whom went on to become pharaohs themselves. Of Akhenaten's foreign policy, this has been said:

Hatshepsut and her successors, such as Tuthmosis III (1458-1425 BCE), employed a balanced approach of diplomacy and military action in dealing with foreign nations; Akhenaten chose simply to largely ignore what happened beyond the borders of Egypt and, it seems, most things outside of his palace at Akhetaten...The preponderance of the evidence, both from the Amarna letters and from Tutankhamun’s later decree, as well as archaeological indications, strongly suggests that Akhenaten was a very poor ruler as far as his subjects and vassal states were concerned and his reign, in the words of Hawass, was “an inward-focused regime that had lost interest in its foreign policy”

Also, he moved the Egyptian capital from Thebes to some city he created in the desert which was abandoned and later destroyed. I've seen other Civ VI AI make cities in stupid locations, but this takes the cake. And unlike Hatshepsut, Akhenaten barely had a foreign policy and was deeply unpopular in his lifetime and immediately thereafter (see Horemheb and Ay, who defaced and destroyed his monuments, reusing the building materials). Re: Hatshepsut being condemned; she wasn't condemned as such for her reign so much as her gender; Thutmoses III himself seems not to have resented her as such, since he chose to be buried in his own temple next to her's and left her name and image intact in her mortuary temple. Also, recent scholarship suggests Hatshepsut did not undergo damnatio memoriae; rather, it seems the defacing of the monuments did not occur until Thutmose III was in his forty-sixth or forty-seventh regnal year, and likely Thutmoses III defaced them at least partially to ensure his son had a strong claim to the throne over any that claimed descent from Hatshepsut.)
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 20
Atahualpa (Inca) 21
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 20
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 21
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 18 + 1 = 19 (Should be at least 20; this was a monotheist leader that paid attention to foreign policy; withstood Sennacherib's Assyrian army at the walls of Jerusalem, and increased Judah's national strength)
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) 11
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 22
Tin Hinan (Berbers / Tuaregs) 11
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[Zaarin]

Re: Hatshepsut being condemned; she wasn't condemned as such for her reign so much as her gender; Thutmoses III himself seems not to have resented her as such, since he chose to be buried in his own temple next to her's and left her name and image intact in her mortuary temple. Also, recent scholarship suggests Hatshepsut did not undergo damnatio memoriae; rather, it seems the defacing of the monuments did not occur until Thutmose III was in his forty-sixth or forty-seventh regnal year, and likely Thutmoses III defaced them at least partially to ensure his son had a strong claim to the throne over any that claimed descent from Hatshepsut.)

I'm aware of this. To all appearances, Thutmoses III had no problems with his stepmother/aunt and merely defaced her public statues for political reasons, but I am of the persuasion that Akhenaten also was purged for political reasons (that will happen when you strip power away from the most powerful political class, in this case the priests of Amun). I'm also given to understand that he was quite popular in his early reign, but as his health declined and he withdrew from public in later years he also became less popular--the same happened to Elizabeth I.

 

[Zaarin]

Akhenaten 17
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 20
Atahualpa (Inca) 22 (21 + 1) -- I will be disappointed if he's not portrayed holding his brother's gilded skull as a drinking vessel.
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 20
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 19
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) 8 (11 - 3) -- Literally any Plantagenet would be a better option. In fact, Charles I would be a better option, and Charles I would be a horrible option.
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 22
Tin Hinan (Berbers / Tuaregs) 11
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[AnonymousSpeed]

Akhenaten 17
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 20
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 21 I'm back to stick up for my man, Aurangzeb again. Some people criticize him for religious fanaticism, but honestly, that's why I respect him. His convictions aren't popular with modern historians (we tend to like people who build things and are tolerant rather than pious), but he was loyal to them, which is something I think is only fair to give him credit for. There's a video which, while simple and probably meant for younger demographics, had a really big impact on me when I first saw it some years ago, and I think it expresses a lot of my feelings on Aurangzeb pretty well. This is that video, by the way.
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 19
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) 8
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 22
Tin Hinan (Berbers / Tuaregs) 8 While her legend is impressive, she isn't a figure who we know much about, nor does she bear Gilgamesh's prestige. I don't think you couldn't do something with a Tin Hinan leader, I think most ideas could be made into something interesting, but all because you can do something doesn't mean you should, and Tin Hinan isn't quite so notable that I think she merits inclusion. It also puts her equal with Cromwell, the recent punching bag, so let's see how that goes.
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

While I'm not planning on voting for Cromwell (I'd like to see him, but I'd like to see most leaders), I will say at least a few things to his credit. He was a capable military leader, playing a large part in establishing England as a dominant naval power (although trade suffered pretty poorly during this time), and while he did try to enforce his puritan beliefs in English society, he had enough tolerance for private religious worship which wasn't Puritan to let the Jews back into the country. Also, similar to Akhenaten, Cromwell did manage to abolish a very powerful and very popular system and hold together a new sort of government with very little but his own personality, given how the Stuarts quickly rose back to power after his death. He also had his own religious values he was loyal to, though you could question his loyalty to his republican ones, I do.

 

[Kimiimaro]

Akhenaten 17
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 20+1=21 - One of the best Byzantine emperors who helped Byzantium arise again and made it stable again.
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 21
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 19
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) 8
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 22
Tin Hinan (Berbers / Tuaregs) 8-3=5 - We just lack too much information of her.
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[Siptah]

Akhenaten 17
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 22 (21+1) Father of the Komnenian Restoration, so a good choice for Byzantium. In part responsible for the Crusades as well. Could make an interesting Agenda - likes Joint Wars and does them all the time?
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 21
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 19
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) 8
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 19 (22-3) He was a great leader, but is such a short lived civ that is basically famous for a single event a good idea? Or did I miss something?
Tin Hinan (Berbers / Tuaregs) 5
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[Morningcalm]

Akhenaten 17 - 3 = 14 (Let's move things along here. Known primarily for his monotheistic enforcement of a lockdown on Egyptian polytheism, but evidence shows he cared little for foreign policy and enriched his own religious cult at the expense of the happiness of his citizens. This is not a bold, charismatic, capable leader--this is a selfish, uninterested, inept one who lost much Egyptian national power despite having followed on the economic and military prowess of prior pharaohs. But hey, at least they made interesting art during Akhenaten's reign right?)
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 22
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 21
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 19 + 1 = 20 (This guy ought at least be 20--a monotheist who successfully defended Jerusalem against the Assyrian Empire with a combination of luck (ala Hojo Tokimune), and strategy (Siloam Tunnel, fortification of Jerusalem with walls and towers, formation of an alliance with Egypt), and made sweeping religious reforms of which his people overall approved (the Passover tradition he renewed saw celebration such as had not been seen in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon, and he also oversaw the compilation of the books of Isaiah, Proverbs, Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes according to the Talmud). Hezekiah also has a well-attested record biblically and archaeologically.)
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) 8
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 19
Tin Hinan (Berbers / Tuaregs) 5
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

I'm aware of this. To all appearances, Thutmoses III had no problems with his stepmother/aunt and merely defaced her public statues for political reasons, but I am of the persuasion that Akhenaten also was purged for political reasons (that will happen when you strip power away from the most powerful political class, in this case the priests of Amun). I'm also given to understand that he was quite popular in his early reign, but as his health declined and he withdrew from public in later years he also became less popular--the same happened to Elizabeth I.

I see no evidence of Akhenaten's popularity in his early reign (unless you mean the time before he stripped the temples and priests away, in the time he was known as Amenhotep IV, or in the time he shared the throne with his father under a coregency, and even there I see no evidence of his "popularity" as such).

On the contrary, Akhenaten was likely the source of widespread national trauma in Egypt, as discussed in BBC's In Our Time podcast on Akhenaten, as Egyptian citizens had grown to rely on family gods and cherished them. So no, I don't think he was popular at any time in his reign. His health declining and withdrawal from public I doubt made him any more unpopular than he already was.

As for Elizabeth I, she became less popular in later years not due to her health declining and/or withdrawal from public life as such, but due to the following: 1) rising costs of war (Elizabeth was unfortunately not very successful in her foreign wars), 2) falling standard of living, 3) her granting favorable monopolies as a form of patronage, which caused "price-fixing, the enrichment of courtiers at the public's expense, and widespread resentment." Elizabeth, however, regained popularity after her famous Golden Speech, in which she acknowledged her errors, saying: "Who keeps their sovereign from the lapse of error, in which, by ignorance and not by intent they might have fallen, what thank they deserve, we know, though you may guess."

Akhenaten made no similar move to gain popularity or acknowledge his flaws at any time in his life that I have found.

 

[Zaarin]

Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 19 (22-3) He was a great leader, but is such a short lived civ that is basically famous for a single event a good idea? Or did I miss something?

It's the nature of paramount chiefdoms to be short-lived: they rise, fall, or rearrange themselves based on the power and charisma of their leaders. I'm not sure if we have much knowledge of the Powhatans before Powhatan, but several chiefs did succeed him before disease and warfare broke the confederacy. It's also worth noting that the Powhatans were probably the most powerful tribe east of the Appalachians from contact until their fall, and that for some time they held Jamestown as a tributary (indeed, many historians few the whole Pocahontas/John Smith thing as a ritual adoption in which Powhatan was making Smith a sub-chief--too bad the actual intent of the ritual was lost on that pirate). They'd also fill the gameplay niche of the Iroquois, who were more significant for a longer period of time, yes, but also just featured in the last iteration and don't have any leader so obvious as Powhatan. As a matter of fact, they don't have any obvious leader because the League was ruled by a Council, meaning the options are A) historically unattested leaders like Hiawatha or Deganawida or B) leaders of individual nations within the League like Mohawk warchief Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea). Not that either A or B are a problem per se, but IMO someone new would be refreshing and Chief Powhatan/Wahunsenacawh would be a great addition to the leader list--as I've mentioned before, English settlers who had been in royal courts described him as equal in pomp and state to any European monarch. (See his portrayal in The New World for example.)

 

[Phrozen]

It's the nature of paramount chiefdoms to be short-lived: they rise, fall, or rearrange themselves based on the power and charisma of their leaders. I'm not sure if we have much knowledge of the Powhatans before Powhatan, but several chiefs did succeed him before disease and warfare broke the confederacy. It's also worth noting that the Powhatans were probably the most powerful tribe east of the Appalachians from contact until their fall, and that for some time they held Jamestown as a tributary (indeed, many historians few the whole Pocahontas/John Smith thing as a ritual adoption in which Powhatan was making Smith a sub-chief--too bad the actual intent of the ritual was lost on that pirate). They'd also fill the gameplay niche of the Iroquois, who were more significant for a longer period of time, yes, but also just featured in the last iteration and don't have any leader so obvious as Powhatan. As a matter of fact, they don't have any obvious leader because the League was ruled by a Council, meaning the options are A) historically unattested leaders like Hiawatha or Deganawida or B) leaders of individual nations within the League like Mohawk warchief Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea). Not that either A or B are a problem per se, but IMO someone new would be refreshing and Chief Powhatan/Wahunsenacawh would be a great addition to the leader list--as I've mentioned before, English settlers who had been in royal courts described him as equal in pomp and state to any European monarch. (See his portrayal in The New World for example.)

Now you are going to have the still existing tribal members of the Powhatan confederacy mad at you. They disliked the Pocahontas Disney movie because there was no romance between Pocahontas, who was about 10-12 when she met Smith. The interest was more like curiosity rather than love. She actually married John Rolfe who was a very wealthy and powerful planter, who introduced tobacco as a cash crop in North America, and that was a far better alliance than Smith.

It is pretty clear Powhatan wanted the English colonists as a tributary. The land they settled was not being used by any other tribe as it was a poor swamp/salt marsh so he was unconcerned about it at first. Powhatan didn't have direct control of but did receive tribute from tribes on the Eastern Shore across the Chesapeake Bay.

 

[Zaarin]

Now you are going to have the still existing tribal members of the Powhatan confederacy mad at you. They disliked the Pocahontas Disney movie because there was no romance between Pocahontas, who was about 10-12 when she met Smith. The interest was more like curiosity rather than love. She actually married John Rolfe who was a very wealthy and powerful planter, who introduced tobacco as a cash crop in North America, and that was a far better alliance than Smith.

It is pretty clear Powhatan wanted the English colonists as a tributary. The land they settled was not being used by any other tribe as it was a poor swamp/salt marsh so he was unconcerned about it at first. Powhatan didn't have direct control of but did receive tribute from tribes on the Eastern Shore across the Chesapeake Bay.

Actually, Smith was such a wanton liar (let's just say that Pocahontas wasn't the only female who through herself upon him to save his life in his autobiography ) we don't even know if he ever met a person named "Pocahontas," or if he did if it's the same Pocahontas who married John Rolfe (noting that Pocahontas was a nickname, her actual name being Matoaka). But either way, Pocahontas is one of the saddest stories in colonial history, despite the fact that she and Rolfe seemed genuinely happy together by all accounts. The entire affair is a sad case of two-way cultural misunderstanding wherein both sides tried to gain the upper hand through traditional means and were baffled when the other side failed to respond appropriately; that it would end in tragedy was a foregone conclusion.

And yes, Disney's Pocahontas is an exercise in historical inaccuracies, ranging from little details like the fact that Native Americans didn't plant corn in fields and the fact that weeping willows are native to China and certainly wouldn't be found in Virginia in 1607 to major things like Smith being a pirate not prince charming, Pocahontas being twelve, and the Powhatan being matrilineal which means that even had Pocahontas been male she wouldn't have been in line for the chiefdom, her mother's nephews would be. When I watch Pocahontas, I like to play "count the historical inaccuracies"; when I watch Brother Bear I like to play "count the violations of taboo."

(The New World was a dramatization that inflated Smith's role, but on the whole I found it reasonably accurate, particularly in its portrayal of Powhatan himself and his tribe. Plus the entire film is just a phenomenal work of art. Anyone who hasn't seen it should do themselves a favor and do so at once.)

 

[AnonymousSpeed]

I just don't like Disney movies because they're bad.

In part responsible for the Crusades as well. Could make an interesting Agenda - likes Joint Wars and does them all the time?

Hey, that would actually be really cool, I like it.

monotheistic

Monolatrous.

You know, not to revive a dead horse and beat it to death again, but while the new capital Akhenaten built wasn't well placed for actual city functions, I'm pretty sure that it was placed where it was because it was a meaningful location to that religion he was so focused on, rather than because it was supposed to serve actual city functions.

Akhenaten 14
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 22
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 22 I've expressed my support for Aurangzeb before and now I'm bring him up to the levels of Alexios and Atahualpa. For the sake of this, I'll give Komnenos a pass for now.
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 20
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) 8
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 19
Tin Hinan (Berbers / Tuaregs) 2 It's a bit unfortunate to see a leader get dogpiled, especially for the purpose of this thread, but I like most of the rest of these leaders, and don't hold a particular affinity for Tin Hinan, so...
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[Zaarin]

Akhenaten 15 (14 + 1) -- In a franchise that has seen Joanna the Mad lead Portugal, Gandhi lead India, and Catherine de Medici lead France, I really don't find any argument against Akhenaten that compelling. Can you name a pharaoh with a bigger personality, with the possible exception of Cleopatra? I might not have chosen him for Civ5, but I think he'd make a great addition to Civ6. And as both I and AnonymousSpeed have pointed out, Atenism was not monotheistic; it was monolatrous.
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 22
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 22
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 20
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) 5 (8 - 3) -- Not a fan.
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 19
Tin Hinan (Berbers / Tuaregs) 2
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[Kimiimaro]

Akhenaten 15
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 22+1=23 - Sneaky upvote
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 22
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 20
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) 5-3=2 - Who would want Lord Protector as an English leader? Not me! Kings are better!
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 19
Tin Hinan (Berbers / Tuaregs) 2
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[Guandao]

Akhenaten 15
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 23
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 22
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 20
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) 2
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) (19+1)=20 Much of Powhatan's history was lost due to cultural/demographic change (their language went extinct earlier than many other Native American languages), but Powhatan was a significant ruler in the Virginian coast at that time. I also like the idea of a New England Algonquian Civ led by Massasoit or even Metacomet.
Tin Hinan (Berbers / Tuaregs) (2-3)=0 Pretty much known for her tomb than her deeds. I think Dihya would be a better choice for a female Berber leader (she resisted the Arabs).
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[Morningcalm]

Akhenaten 15 (14 + 1) -- In a franchise that has seen Joanna the Mad lead Portugal, Gandhi lead India, and Catherine de Medici lead France, I really don't find any argument against Akhenaten that compelling. Can you name a pharaoh with a bigger personality, with the possible exception of Cleopatra? I might not have chosen him for Civ5, but I think he'd make a great addition to Civ6. And as both I and AnonymousSpeed have pointed out, Atenism was not monotheistic; it was monolatrous.

Maria the Mad, Gandhi and Catherine de Medici are not popular with the player base of Civs V and VI, if the frequent Facebook/forum/Steam comments are to be seen in the aggregate. So Akhenaten doesn't fare well under such an argument. I also think all three of the other leaders you cite had more success than Akhenaten--sure, Maria went mad, but she was widely considered a good ruler before that time (in that sense, similar to Ivan the Terrible), including a number of diplomatic overtures that put Portugal on the map; Gandhi of course threw off the British yoke with a sustained satyagraha campaign, and Catherine de Medici schemed successfully, holding de facto power while her sons held the throne (though one of her sons, more rebellious than the others, undid much of her influence near the end of her life). Saying "Akhenaten is not as bad as these other people" would not work either, because he neglected foreign policy more than any of the three you cite, and that for me is a big reason not to include him in a game like Civ which is all about interacting with other civilizations. Pharaohs with bigger personality include the big three: Rameses II, Hatshepsut, and Thutmose III, but also include successful rulers like Senusret III, one of the best-attested rulers of the New Kingdom. Notably, all of these pharaohs were also more successful overall than Akhenaten (and would thus fit either V or VI better). Akhenaten himself could only really have an agenda similar to ones already existing in the game--notably, preference for people who follow his religion, spread his religion, or have high faith (or high faith and culture), etc. Whether Atenism was monolatrous is not the point--historians consider him as one of the earliest monotheists. The semantics of his actual belief system don't really interest me, particularly given that Akhenaten himself seems not to have actually believed in his religion as such, and rather exploited it for personal political power.


Akhenaten 15 - 3 = 12 (For the numerous reasons above I have cited, including that Akhenaten's agenda if implemented in VI would add nothing that isn't already there, I do not think he is fit to be Egypt's second leader, particularly given how lacking he was in military and foreign policy matters--heck, at least Cleopatra did relatively well in the foreign policy front. But even then, I think the best choice for a second Egyptian leader would be a military/culture flavored one. Senusret III is quite an intriguing option in that regard, particularly given that Nubia is now in the game.)
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 23
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 22
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 20
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) 2
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 20 + 1 = 21 (While I don't like the idea of the civ as such being in the game, I think few can deny that this was a leader who was rather iconic, and not merely due to his association with Pocahontas either.)
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[Zaarin]

Akhenaten 12 -- It seems you're simultaneously arguing that he was too preoccupied with his religion and at the same time uninterested in it. Do I believe Akhenaten was divinely inspired? Well, being a monotheist myself, the answer is no, no more than I believe Mohamed or the Buddha were divinely inspired. Of course he was politically motivated; much like the Chinese eunuchs, the priests of Amun dominated the politics of the period. But at the same time I do believe that Akhenaten was sincere (see, for example, his fine "Hymn to Aten").
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 23
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 22
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 20
Menawa (Creek) 21
Napoleon III (France) 22
Oliver Cromwell (England) ELIMINATED -- Posthumously executed once again.
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 22 (21 + 1) -- I'd like to see the Powhatans replace the Iroquois, and I feel like Civ6's leader focus is the perfect opportunity to do it: Chief Powhatan was powerful, charismatic, cunning, and regal; his leader screen, if done properly, would be magnificent.
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[AnonymousSpeed]

I'm starting to feel we should just leave Akhenaten be, so MorningCalm will have to pick other people to downvote. I'm interested to see what else they have to say.

It might help me clarify what to do since I don't actually have anyone on the list I'd like to downvote, as is.

Akhenaten 12
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 23
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 23 I'm increasing Aurangzeb's "Buffer" here, so that in the event he proves an unpopular survivor we'll have time to crush his rivals before he can be defeated.
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 20
Menawa (Creek) 18 I think Menawa is actually a somewhat interesting character in history. However, he did only lead the Red Sticks faction of the Creek, and while Vercingetorix shows that a failing rebellion can still qualify one to be a Civilization leader, the Creek have other options they could go for, while Vercingetorix is one of if not the only good leaders for the Celts or Gauls. As mentioned above I don't really dislike any of the options left, but I think they out-prioritize Menawa.
Napoleon III (France) 22
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 22
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 21
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

...also I like Ghandi. I even like the nuke jokes. How dare anyone disagree with sentiment, it is the correct one.

 

[Siptah]

Akhenaten 13 (12+1) I think it is too early for him to drop out. And just to give people more to complain about: I disagree on Akhetaten being that bad an idea. It's close to a fertile patch of the nile and surround by hills that from natural borders and are well suited for tombs. Of course, it's on the wrong side of the river! Also keep in mind that cities didn't exist at that point in Egypt. Settlement archeology in Egypt is always problematic due to the samples we have - it's almost always planned villages and not naturally developed ones (Elephantine being the big exception). Akhetaten however is a well planned large structure that for the first time in this culture features some city-like elements. So it's an important milestone in Egyptian history. And anyway, I like Akhetaten. And now the fun nerd fact that has not much to do with Akhenaten: scholarly consensus since around 30 years (after decades of sometimes heated discourse) is that Egypt pre-Akhenaten wasn't polytheistic ;-)
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 23
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 23
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20
Hezekiah (Judah) 20
Menawa (Creek) 18
Napoleon III (France) 22
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 22
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 18 (21-3) He's one of those guys that is seen in a much more positive light since the nationalistic movement in the 19th century. Yes, he united the Gauls for a last round of fighting, but his fame today is charged with nationalism and not history. And I think if it wasn't for Asterix, where he throws his weapons with so much pride, he would be much more unpopular by the now living generations anyway.
Yongle Emperor (China) 21

 

[Kimiimaro]

Akhenaten 13
Alexander II (Russia) 21
Alexios I Komnenos (Byzantium) 23+1=24 - He is actually among my choices for the Byzantine leader.
Atahualpa (Inca) 22
Aurangzeb (India / Mughal) 23
Calvin Coolidge (America) 16
Coloman the Learned (Hungary) 18
Edward the Confessor (England) 20-3=17 - I'm afraid that this man isn't exactly among my choices for the alternate English leader.
Hezekiah (Judah) 20
Menawa (Creek) 18
Napoleon III (France) 22
Powhatan (Powhatan Confederacy) 22
Vercingetorix (Celts / Gauls) 18
Yongle Emperor (China) 21