Jill Valentine (Resident Evil)
Survival horror series Resident Evil made an indelible mark on gaming, but not just for its technological innovation. Introduced in the original 1996 game, the elite S.T.A.R.S. operative Jill Valentine has since become one of gaming’s most well-known characters period, gunning down zombies in her iconic beret.
Chun-Li (Street Fighter)
When the original Street Fighter was released, it only had one playable character in the sour-faced Ryu. But when the sequel rolled around, gamers were introduced to, among others, Chun-Li. The first woman to be a bonafide fighting game powerhouse, Chun-Li is a hero to feminists and leg day gym-goers everywhere.
Misty (Pokémon)
In the original Pokémon games, you couldn’t even pick a female avatar. So it must have shocked a number of up-and-coming male chauvinists that Misty is the leader of the Cerulean City gym – and, unlike her childish anime counterpart, she takes no prisoners. Her Starmie will destroy your team.
Coco Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot)
If female characters existed in the early days of gaming, it was often as eye candy. Look no further than Crash Bandicoot’s Tawna, a clear Pamela Anderson pastiche. In the sequel, however, we’re introduced to Crash’s tech-savvy kid sister Coco, whose skill sets her apart from her tokenistic peers.
Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
Gaming’s original feminist statement, Lara Croft became a household name her for gun-toting, back-flipping tomb raiding. While her limited polygons were ogled by shut-in gamers, Tomb Raider II’s ‘naked’ cheat code – which in reality made Croft explode – made it clear where the developers stood on the character.
Princess Peach (Mario)
Often characterised as a stereotypical damsel in distress, the history of Princess Peach (also known as Princess Toadstool) is a bit more complicated. She was playable as early as Super Mario Bros. II, and has long been a top-tier staple of spin-offs like Mariokart and Mario Tennis.
Samus Aran (Metroid)
When the original Metroid released for the NES, few gamers even realised they were playing as a woman. In fact, this was something of a trick reveal at the conclusion of the game, with Aran removing her helmet to display her flowing golden locks. Changing minds one bounty hunter at a time!
Tifa Lockhart (Final Fantasy VII)
Fantasy settings are replete with gown-bedecked princesses who gasp at their kingdom’s fall to ruin. Tifa Lockhart is not like that at all. Lockhart is an eco-terrorist who, in a world where ten-foot-long swords and house-sized guns exist, opts to fight tanks with her bare fists.
Dixie Kong (Donkey Kong Country)
It was a bold move to leave the titular Donkey Kong out of Donkey Kong Country II, the ape-filled platformer from Rare. His nephew Diddy Kong returns alongside new character Dixie Kong who, while she’s stereotypically resplendent in pink, is able to glide by spinning her ponytail. She’s superior to Diddy in every way.
Princess Zelda (Zelda)
Probably the damsel with the biggest character arc in gaming, Princess Zelda was originally little more than a macguffin. Over time, however, Zelda – the wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom – has become a fearsome warrior. In Breath of the Wild, it is her will alone that prevents Calamity Ganon from breaking free.
Aloy (Horizon)
Aloy, a genetic clone of a 21st-century engineer, doesn’t really have the chance to live a straight life. She’s too busy fighting for survival in a brutal, uncompromising world. Her mixture of physicality and street smarts make her one of video gaming’s most influential heroines.
Birdo (Mario)
Even since her first appearance as an enemy in Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic, Birdo was been a fan favourite of the Mario franchise. More recently, she has been the subject of discussion relating to her gender identity, with some gamers perceiving her as transgender. Whether Birdo is a trans icon or not, she’s made a stamp.
Navi (Zelda)
Navi is an irritating sidekick, but a helpful one all the same. Given her credentials, she becomes more and more indispensable as the game goes on, forcing players to accept her flaws. Some critics of The Legend of Zelda even went as far as to say that Navi was the greatest partner in video gaming history.
Cortana (Halo)
Inside Master Chief’s helmet, for the most part, is Cortana, the Halo franchise’s AI companion. Unlike the other AI creations in pop culture (i.e. HAL 9000 or Skynet), Cortana is not a cold, calculating brute. She’s funny, whimsical and as emotive as any human. Crucially, she’s also easily bored, which makes her very relatable.
Shepard (Mass Effect)
Commander Shepard is a funny one. The character is usually depicted as a male, but players are able to choose their gender at the beginning of each Mass Effect game. Shepard, though, is arguably better as a female. She will go all out to establish peace in the galaxy, and won’t let anything stand in her way.
Alyx Vance (Half-Life 2)
The daughter of resistance leader Dr Eli Vance and close ally of Gordon, Half-Life’s Alyx Vance is inspired to fight against the alien empire oppressor known as the Combine and their human representative, Dr Wallace Breen. She made an impact on the gaming world thanks to her Afro-Asian ethnicity, making many minority players feel heard.
GlaDOS (Portal)
GLaDOS, or the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, was created by combining a supercomputer with the mind of Aperture Science’s director Cave Johnson’s assistant Caroline. These circumstances make GLaDOS just a little bit bloodthirsty and unstable. But once players bond with her and sympathise with her struggle, the clouds disappear.
Tracer (Overwatch)
Tracer is the poster girl for the Overwatch franchise which is itself something to be admired. British in origin, Tracer’s health isn’t so strong but she makes up for it with agility and a knack for teleportation and time travel. In 2016, Glixel ranked Tracer as the fifth-most iconic video game character of the 21st century.
Lux (League of Legends)
Lux, the Lady of Luminosity, grows up frightened of the repercussions she’ll suffer if the insular realm discovers her powers. Still, this doesn’t prevent her from using them for good, embracing her powers privately in order to help her homeland in any way she can. A total inspiration.
Madeline (Celeste)
Madeline is a young trans woman hellbent on climbing Celeste Mountain. That’s the crux of the game. Along the way, she has to fend off a series of characters, including a personification of her mental health known as Badeline. The character received instant praise with one critic calling her the “most relatable character of the decade.”
Yennefer (Witcher III)
Yenneger, soul mate to Geralt of Rivia and mother figure to Princess Ciri, is a native of Vengerberg, the capital city of Aedirn in the Witcher franchise. Thanks to being born with a congenital hunchback, she faced a tricky childhood, ridiculed even by her own parents. But she trucks on, with some handy magical abilities, serving as a hero for the disabled gaming community.
Hornet (Hollow Knight)
This NPC is the best character in the world of Hallownest. Daughter of the Pale King and sister of the Hollow Knight, she is trying to save the kingdom her father once dominated. At first, players meet Hornet as an antagonist and hardy boss, but as the game goes on, your relationship grows.
Freya (God of War)
Sometimes known as the Witch, Freya is the former Queen of the Valkyries in God of War and God of War: Ragnarok. Fans have called her the first female character in the series to be positively represented thanks to her multifaceted character arc and believable goals. Humanising Freya was a chef’s kiss touch on the writer’s part.
Senua (Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice)
This medieval Scottish warrior has psychosis and schizophrenia, believing a dark entity within her is the driving force in rescuing her lover’s soul from Helheim. What makes Senua, and thus Hellblade, special is that despite her mental health struggles, she continues to thrive, never letting it set her back.
Ms Pac-Man (Pac-Man)
Pac-Man may spend most of his time on the run, but he’s only human at the end of the day, and he seeks companionship like the rest of us. It was a great move to introduce Ms. Pac-Man, especially as a character in her own right and not just a damsel in distress. Fans of the 80s gaming giant still love her to this day.
Sonya Blade (Mortal Kombat)
Like Chun Li, Sonya Blade was a revolution in the Mortal Kombat world, which was very much a sausage fest back in the 1990s. Blade has evolved with time, with her military roots really shining through, cementing her as a Mortal Kombat legend. Her ‘To The Choppa’ fatality from Mortal Kombat 11 is enough to put her on this list.
Aya Brea (Parasite Eve)
Aya Brea really put her neck on the line when she chose to take on Mitochondria Eve after she burnt down a theatre full of people and spread her disease among human life. Her gutsy display of skill and strength remains an inspiration to all gamers, particularly women who didn’t have that many female role models in 90s gaming.
King (Art of Fighting)
We suppose it’s a compliment to King that a lot of people thought she was a dude when they first faced off against her in Art of Fighting. Nope, King is very much a femme fatale, only in traditional male clothing, and that’s why we love her. The curtains, the clobber and the Muay Thai tekkers; it creates sparks.
Claire Redfield (Resident Evil 2)
This one’s for all the sister figures out there. When Claire Redfield’s brother Chris goes missing, she drops everything and heads to Racoon City to find him. What follows is a tour of Middle America so dangerous players have no choice but to stan Claire. We’ve been so many years with her it’s hard not to see her as our own sister.
Ivy Valentine (Soulcalibur)
Ivy Valentine is a bit saucy, possibly the sauciest entry on this list, but we think it’s right to remind you that female characters can’t only be taken seriously if they dress modestly or boast typically male personality traits. What she lacks in clothing she makes up for in talent and determination, and Soulcalibur just wouldn’t be the same without her presence.
Clementine (The Walking Dead)
At the start of The Walking Dead, Clementine is a diffident, scared girl, incapable of navigating a world of zombies. But as time goes on, she becomes more and more able and is now a fan favourite. Clementine is someone you’d want on your team.
Bayonetta (Bayonetta)
Bayonetta is fearless. Even when staring down demons she laughs in their face and has a little dance. Her design has changed over the years, as well as her choice of weaponry and moves. If you were to place a bet on the strongest Umbra Witch, you’d stick the house on Bayonetta.
Elena Fisher (Uncharted)
Across the Uncharted games, Nathan Drake relies on a ton of friends to get him out of some stark situations, namely Elena Fisher, a jet-setting journalist who turns out to be very handy with a gun. Her loyalty and resolve stands out in a fickle world.
Ellie (The Last of Us)
You would think that anyone given a chance to play as a young girl or a grown man against a horde of zombies would choose the latter. But playing as Ellie in both The Last of Us games is a rewarding experience. Ellie is a top-tier sidekick, capable of hunting down and making mincemeat of the undead who stand in her way.
Aveline de Grandpre (Assasin’s Creed III)
It wasn’t until Assassin’s Creed III that the franchise had its first female protagonist. Aveline de Grandpre is not only the first lead female character in the series but she was also a striking example of minority representation in video games. Mainly though, she’s beloved for her brains and brawn.
Faith Connors (Mirror’s Edge)
Faith Connors was introduced to audiences in 2008’s Mirror’s Edge. Here we have a parkouring courier with a knack for getting herself into trouble. The fun for us is getting her out of it by free-running our way through a host of settings. Faith was slated for not having much of a personality, but who cares when she can do what she does?
Kasumi (Dead or Alive)
Femme fatales are a dime a dozen in the Dead or Alive series, but Kasumi sticks out from the rest. Her easygoing poise, inviting personality and smoking-hot body didn’t take long to win players over back in 1996. Don’t be fooled by any of this, though, Kasumi had dish it out with the rest of them when she wants to.
Chell (Portal)
Chell of Portal doesn’t speak much. She does her talking with her hands. Not literally, like sign language or anything. No, Chell is armed with a Portal Gun and she isn’t afraid to use it. This sharp and resourceful character always keeps you second-guessing yourself. You could never be too carful in her vicinity. Silent but deadly!
D.Va (Overwatch)
There are more strong independent women to admire in Overwatch than you can shake a stick at, but we reckon D.Va takes the cake with her modern aesthetic and vibe. D.Va is an e-girl through and through (very zeitgeist) and a tough one at that. She has been a huge hit with the LGBT gaming community.
The Squid Sisters (Splatoon)
The Squid Sisters may seem like a trivial choice, but their popularity speaks volumes. Gamers can’t get enough of these amphibian idols. Callie is an optimist. A bubbly daydreamer. Marie is more cynical and sardonic. Together, they make for a great double act, especially when they’re performing Ink Me Up and Calamari Inkantation.
Meryl Silverburgh (Metal Gear Solid)
Voiced by Debi Mae West, Metal Gear Solid’s Meryl Silverburgh started out life under a slightly different guise in Hideo Kojima’s earlier effort Policenauts. Teaming up with Snake across several missions and operations, Silverburgh is often rescued by her partner, but we still love her all the same.
Bonnie MacFarlane (Red Dead Redemption)
Bonnie MacFarlane is a recurring character in the Red Dead series, appearing as a major character in Red Dead Redemption and as a stranger in Red Dead Online. We all have a soft spot for Bonnie, especially when she saves Marston’s life. It helps that she will obliterate anyone who tries to harm her family.
Rayne (Bloodrayne)
Rayne is the main character of the Bloodrayne series, but that doesn’t mean she’s necessarily “good.” For one, she’s a bloodthirsty vampire. Rayne avenges the death of her mother and family by hunting and killing her murderous father, which makes her a bit of a feminist icon to some.
Lulu (Final Fantasy X)
It took up until Final Fantasy X for Lulu to be introduced but she made herself at home in the series as one of Yuna’s guardians. Lulu is an NPC but her impact on the narrative of the game is huge. Her use of black magic is not to be sniffed at, using various dolls and spells to make ends meet.
Anya Stroud (Gears of War 3)
Anya Stroud is in the first two Gears of War games, but it wasn’t until the third instalment that she became the series’ first female playable character. This move from developers paid off massively. Anya is now seen as one of the greatest, and most lethal female video game characters of all time.
Samantha (Gray Matter)
Gray Matter is a 2011 point-and-click game that takes place in Oxford. In it, we follow the trials and tribulations of Samantha Everett and Professor David Styles, an acclaimed neurobiologist. Samatha is a street performer and magician, which may not seem much, but it makes for a great female character.
Alicia Claus (Bullet Witch)
In the post-apocalyptic world of Bullet Witch, Alicia Claus must fight not just demonic enemies but humanoid ones. And fight she does, using multiple types of ammunition. Besides just looking great, Alicia Claus wins us over by using her powers for good. And that’s a tune we can all dance to, isn’t it?
Shanoa (Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia)
As captivating looks-wise as she is personality-wise, Shanoa is one of a group of characters who are out to get Dracula at whatever cost. Shanoa in particular, though, is something else. Nothing stands in her way, not even the Lord of Darkness, and that’s something that makes playing Order of Ecclesia so much fun.
Nariko (Heavenly Sword)
We could wax lyrical about Nariko being the main protagonist of Heavenly Sword and how she’s the wilder of the eponymous weapon and all that other stuff, but it’d be losing track of what’s most important: her hair. Nariko has the greatest head of hair of any female video game character. And for that alone, she’s on the list.
Sarah Kerrigan (StarCraft)
This self-styled Queen of Blades has been critically praised for her authenticity and depth of character, helping her constant pop up on lists much like this one. Sarah Kerrigan has also been brought up in the gender representation debate, with some celebrating the character as a challenge to conventional gender roles.
Sophitia (Soul Edge)
When developers were coming up with the design for Sophitia, the Greek saucepot of the Soulcalibur series, they were trying to find a balance between sacred and vulgar. And it looks like they nailed it. This female gladiator may be a little dated but she made a splash in the ’90s.
Nicole Collard (Broken Sword)
Fans of adventure game series Broken Sword didn’t come for Nicole ‘Nico’ Collard, but they certainly stayed for her. The sidekick of George, this former photojournalist demonstrates her detective chops through street-smarts and sarcasm, solving the crimes across the franchise like it’s no big deal.
Kathy (Kathy Rain)
Level-headed detective Kathy has only made one gaming appearance, but what an appearance it was. In the classic point-and-click Kathy Rain, this protagonist returns to her hometown after the controversial death of her grandfather. Armed with cigarettes and a notepad, Kathy goes to great lengths to suss out the truth.
Amaterasu (Okami)
Not all female characters have to be pin-up models for them to succeed. Take Amaterasu. This Japanese white wolf charmed gamers with her magical abilities in the critically-adored Okami. Her main goal is to accost and defeat Orochi, an eight-headed demon hellbent on keeping Nippon a hovel.
Kassandra (Assassin’s Creed Odyssey)
A descendant of King Leonidas I, Kassandra is thrown into the thick of the Peloponnesian War following the rise of the Cult of Kosmos, gaining the fearsome nickname “Eagle Bearer”. Thanks to her Spartan background, Kassandra is perfectly capable of destroying several enemies at once.
Ahri (League of Legends)
Ahri is a nine-tailed fox who uses her magical powers to charm and seduce opponents in League of Legends. Fans took to Ahri immediately, featuring her in several fan-made video tributes and artworks. Why? What’s not to love? She’s a skilled fighter and did we mention she has nine tails?
Ada Wong (Resident Evil)
Ada Wong begins life as a mysterious figure in the Resident Evil series. She’s a natural hacker, bringing down computers and security systems with ease. On top of that, she can hold her own when it comes to combat. Today, she’s one of the most iconic characters of the franchise, and rightly so.
Heather Mason (Silent Hill 3)
The main female character of Silent Hill 3, Heather Mason is tough as nails and free as a bird. The ills of Silent Hill don’t stand a chance in her presence. Whether or not you’re a fan of the series, you’ve probably heard about Heather Mason and have at least a fraction of respect for her.
Jade (Beyond Good & Evil)
A fan favourite in the Beyond Good & Evil series, Jade is a journalist thrown into the deep end when she comes up against the infamous alien race known as DomZ. Thanks to a nifty background in martial arts, Jade can fend for herself and then some. She’s also got green lipstick, and that’s not something you see every day.
Regina (Dino Crisis)
Dino Crisis wasn’t the most original concept. Released in 1999, it was pretty much Jurassic Park: The Game. But it did introduce us to Regina, a serial slayer of time travelling, naughty dinosaurs. Dino Crisis has three endings, one of which has Regina blow up a T-rex while saying, “End of the line for you, handsome. You’re extinct!”
Jennifer Tate (Primal)
Voiced by actress Hudson Leick (who played Callisto on TV’s Xena: Warrior Princess), Jennifer Tate is one of the warriors in 2003’s Primal. What’s interesting about her character is how she starts out earning a living as a waitress before avenging the abduction of her boyfriend in multiple demonic forms.
Yuna (Final Fantasy)
A skilled magician and warrior, Yuna is one of the Final Fantasy franchise’s greatest characters and of the video gaming’s great female characters. Not only does she possess amazing combative qualities, but she has the voice of an angel, too! Yuna’s story has been said to have inspired many players.
Jaina Proudmore (World of Warcraft)
Jaina Proudmore isn’t very lucky in life. Her childhood sweetheart ends up a monster, her dad’s a bit of a tool, and her enemies tend to climb out of their graves whenever they feel like it. It’s her determination that makes her such a compelling character and force for good.
Celes Chere (Final Fantasy VI)
Celes Chere could have toed the line and enjoyed a life of luxury in the Empire. But no, she decided to reject it and fight back against the oppressors of her loved ones. Celes has a few stumbles along the way, betraying her friends on one occasion, but all this just makes her more relatable and real.
Major Greenland (Battlefield 4)
Major Greenland, in case you didn’t know, is the commander of the US base in the Old Town level, appearing for all three minutes of Battlefield 4’s cut-scenes. The impact she makes, though, is astonishing. Here you have a woman who is completely in control of her troops in a way that doesn’t pander to men.
Emily Kaldwin (Dishonoured 2)
Appearing first as a child in the original, Arkane Studious decided to make Emily Kaldwin a playable character in the sequel, Dishonoured 2. For female gamers across the world, this was a huge and impressive move. Kaldwin is a complex and robust political leader, far from the ditsy stereotypes we had been fed for years.
Kate Archer (No One Lives Forever)
Kate Archer is proof that female characters need not leave behind their femininity in order to be seen as serious threats. No One Lives Forever is camp for the most part, but Archer makes her stamp in a serious way that positively effected the confidence of young girls playing the game.
Haruka (Yakuza)
What makes Haruka so special is that Japanese games generally tend to feature weaker, frankly sillier women; damsels in distress who only exist to be saved by the hulking and serious alpha male. Haruka capitalises on her position to care for children at the Sunshine Orphanage in Okinawa.
Aqua (Kingdom Hearts)
Aqua, the personification of loyalty, good-heartedness, and bravery, is one of the greatest characters in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. From the get-go, she is evidently the most promising friend in her group, routinely saving their lives from all the danger the Kingdom Hearts world brings.
Max Caufield (Life is Strange)
Lara might be the obvious choice when it comes to Life is Strange, but Max Caulfield brings plenty to the table. She may not have any of the athletic powers of Lara, but she makes up for it in her portrayal of adolescence. Life is Strange is a very real game, and Max’s acceptance of the consequences of her actions demonstrates vital emotional intelligence.
