Your detailed thoughts on each leader

[SMcM]

Do you know anything about Spartan government?
In addition to what has just been said:
Sparta had 2 kings at the same time, so the power of one of them was limited to begin with.
Their role was mostly religious and military, not political.
The decisions were taken by oligarchs.
Leonidas went to his death with a handful of soldiers because Sparta considered that it wasnot worth sending an actual army to this fight. Even he didn't have that much power.
So we're talking about the wife of one of the two military and religious leaders of a civ actually managed by oligarchs.
I'd rather have Lycurgus as a leader fo Sparta than anybody else, even though his historicity is doubtful, but he had a legacy whereas other rulers only led their nation for a small time and didn't achieve much individually.

Was Leonidas not quite important to relations with other city-states though? Did he not go to great lengths to try to secure alliances with the other city-states in order to combat Persia? Why did they not value him more?

As for Gorgo, who I have not heard of before, Wikipedia says this;

'She is notable for being the daughter of a king of Sparta, the wife of another, and the mother of a third'

Anaxandridas II, father of Leonidas, was succeeded by Cleomenes I, father of Gorgo and brother of Leonidas I. Cleomenes was succeeded by his brother, Leonidas I. Gorgo was just Leonidas' (her uncle) queen consort, not a queen regnant.

 

[LDiCesare]

Leonidas handled the negotiations with other city states, and had some influence as he was part of the 30 oligarchs (2 of which were the kings). The elder council certainly respected the kings, and they tended to remain there for longer than the others due to age concerns.
His wife however had zero power. Being notable for being the mother, daughter and wife a king is ridiculous. Almost all queens in the world were all of this. Gorgo has nothing remarkable, and was not a leader at all. Including her can only be justified by wanting more female leaders.

 

[Liufeng]

From the different answers that came for now, it seems everyone is rather pleased with the majority of the leaders, except for :

- Catherine of Medici : Weak choice comparing to the large base to pick from France rulers, plus known for the events of the "Saint-Barthélemy" where thousands of protestants were murdered.
- Gorgo of Sparta : Simply known as wife, daughter and mother of Kings, almost nothing is known about her, and she truly seems a simple quota filling leader, specially because of the much better leader Greece has.
- Gandhi : Most people are tired of seeing him, and beg for new blood. Gandhi's image is drying out and people just wish the tradition to end, specially when a country like India has MANY MANY MANY leaders to pick from, even more that it is not divided between at least 2 civs.
- Montezuma I : Not the leader itself, but his very poor render in game who makes him look like a joke.
- Cleopatra : Not a great feat queen who ruled a decaying kingdom. Criticized specially because of the choice to pick presence of a far better egyptian queen : Hatshepsut.

This is, for now, the general impression of the posters.

 

[altayrneto]

There are many ways to judge the leader, from the character animation to the historical relevance, and I will try to be less arbitrary in many of my thoughts (In some I will like the leader because of his personal history, and in others, I will like because of the character's personality and animation, but I will prioritize their relevance in their age and their gameplay...).

Spoiler :

Teddy Roosevelt: A really nice choice! He is one of the most striking presidents in world's history, mostly because of his badass way of life and for be a good leader. If I must choice another leader for this civilization, I would choice Lincoln (I think Washington is yet too much idealized by many Americans to be showed less bland than his appearance in Civ V)
Saladin: One of my favorite historical leaders, a great diplomat and military leader, that would fit nicely with some defensive and religious mechanics. Another leader for Arabia? Harun al-Rashid, with a cultural/scientific focus.
Montezuma: Montezuma shows well the Aztecs as a warrior empire, and he is traditional in Civ series. Nothing against him, except his carnival clothes. And saddly, I don't know any other Aztec emperor to be a alternative to him. (No, Montezuma II isn't a good alternative)
Pedro II: As Teddy and Saladin, he is one of my favorite leaders in world history (He would be much better know if he were the emperor of some greater country...), but, as everyone are saying, the exclusion of the Incas is sad. But, it doesn't whory me, because I knows that will be a Inca DLC, but I wouldn't be so sure with a Brazilian DLC... Other leader for Brazil: Juscelino Kubitschek
Qin Shi Huang: Another good choice in a civilization with so many good choices for leaders (and I don't know why they chosed Mao so much...). Aside the odd animation, I have no problem with him. Other leaders for China: Cao cao, Kangxi, Ming Chengzu, Tang Taizong or even Wu Zetian again.
Cleopatra: A polemical choice here in Civfanatics, but she was much better accepted by the masses. I, personally, have nothing against her, even less now with multiple leader for some civs. Other leaders for Egypt: Ramses, Akhenaton/Nefertiti and Hatshepsut.
Victoria: A more iconic than great leader, who fits well the colonial and imperialist gameplay. Other leader for England: Elisabeth, Henry VIII and Churchil
Catherine de Medici: This was a Odd choice. Even considering her influence at the time, she wasn’t a great leader of the French. But, her machiavellian personality and her focus in espionage would make her a good character ingame (Even with Richelieu, who is more well know and would have almost the same gameplay than her). Other leaders: Louis XIV and Napoleon. (Let’s remember that this both could sell DLC with profit, but Catherine wouldn’t...)
Barbarossa: I liked him for two main reasons: First, he was a medieval king, and there’s a lack of european medieval king since civ V, and because he keeps the beligerant gameplay, which fits so well with Germany. Let’s Just see how the diplomacy with city-states Will work. Other leaders: Bismarck and Friederich
Pericles: He was the leader that I was waiting for the Greeks, even more if he gives the deserved atention to maritime warfare (one thing that used to annoy me in Civ V is how Alexander didn’t settle at the coast!) Other leader for a maritime Greece: Agamemnon
Gorgo: The distinction of a Athenian and a Spartan Greece is really good, but I’m still surprise with her as the Spartan leader. Maybe they were afraid of ingame Leonidas wasn’t “Gerard Butler” enough, or they think that he is overhyped, or they are thrusting Herodotus too much, or it’s just a female quota. Other leader for a military Greece: Alexander.
Gandhi: I don’t need to say nothing about him. I agree with everyone here! Other leaders for India: Ashoka, Akbar and Chandragupta Maurya
Hojo Tokimune: I didn’t heard about him before, but I liked him and his traits. Other leader for Japan: Hideki Tojo and Tokugawa
Mvemba Nzinga: Strange choice for a african leader – The one who wanted to be lika na European... But I wouldn’t mind if they added Nzinga Mbande later!
Harald Hardrada: Good leader for the Vikings (even being Christian), but came too early... And it’s strange, because a Viking civ, if well made, would sell without problems as a DLC, and the Vanilla game doesn’t need to use this as apeal. Anyway, other leader for a Viking Norway: Lagertha (If Gorgo can be a leader, why not Lagertha?)
Trajan: As shyPiano alread said, “optimus princeps”. Other leader for Rome: Constantin and Marcus Aurelius
Peter the Great: He is a good choice, but I wound still prefer Ivan or Catherine...
Tomyris: A good civ and leader to give more diversity to the game! (I’m hoping now for some Cyrus’ Persia...)
Philip II: He is wellcome to give some change from Isabella, but i’m glad that she will came as a alternative leader soon.
Gilgamesh: I don't care if the leaders are legendary (in most of the cases they were real leaders, but their stories were extrapolated, purposely or not.), and I would like to see him. Sumer is comming.