I play video games quite regularly and I’ve come across quite a
few female characters who inspire me a lot. Fighting big bad guys all
while looking stylish and awesome (of course!) they’re some tough chicks
who any guy would be crazy to reckon with. I’m going to give you my top
10 kickass females in video games as I chronologue my childhood and
reach back into this awesome list of ladies. Please keep in mind that
this list is subjective and features games I’ve played, I can’t vouch for a character I haven’t played as before. If
we look beyond the curves there still are some deeply developed females
in this list. Women have had a tough time being taken seriously in
video games so I’m going to take them seriously here. Let’s get on with
the list.
10. Jill Valentine from The Resident Evil Series
Fighting zombies is pretty terrifying, but Jill doesn’t flinch! I feel like her character is often missed and forgotten so she deserves some representation here. Her character has to be strong in the face of hardship as she fights the dreaded Umbrella Corporation and their slue of zombies, she’s badass as she shoots them down and moves on to fight and find her teammates. She was where it all started and she still appears in the series as she’s prominent in their newest title Resident Evil: Revelations. Although she’s a little feminine they’ve strived to make her character physically appealing to everyone while also making her more muscular and strong willed. She’s definitely a role model character that is often overlooked. In the face of fear she strikes it down, and that makes her one brave chick.
9. Princess Peach from the Super Mario Series
She is Nintendo’s female mascot that is an alternative for girls who play Nintendo’s Mario series of games. She may be cute and a little hopeless but despite her fragile nature she has been the hero before and will be again (with Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario RPG, and the upcoming Super Mario 3D Land on the Wii U). I always liked Peach because she was pretty and pink, and I looove pink. But pink doesn’t have to be cute and her character doesn’t have to be perilous unless you think she does. In the Paper Mario series you get to be in her shoes and play her after game chapters as she bravely goes around her kidnapping ground. She’s prepared to save herself while communicating back secrets to Mario that she’s sleuthed from the bad guys. In Super Mario 2 made her the pick of the lot with her awesome floating ability. And in the Smash Bros series she’s been my pick of the roster as she packs a heavy punch, all while looking cute and refined! So although she’s sometimes in the background, (but certainly not always!) Princess Peach is no damsel in distress.
8. Mia Fey from Phoenix Wright:Ace Attorney
A female lawyer’s on my list? Hell yeah! She owns her own firm which is pretty awesome to being with. She’s also the mentor to Phoenix Wright who’s adopted her moral code of being faithful and loyal to their clients by believing in them 100% even when they believe that they are undefendable. She also saved Phoenix from serious jail time when he was young which begins his admiration for her, and his later employment in her firm. She has 2 of her own chapters in the series of games while also being a lasting memory and mentor to Phoenix. She leaves a lasting impression on you that is not forgotten. A defender of the defenseless and a stylish successful woman? Yeah, she deserves to be on this list.
7. Bayonetta from Bayonetta
Why am I including her? There’s a lot of controversy surrounding her and her game that makes her out to be an object of sexual affection as she is over the top with her guns blazing and wears her hair that opts also as a large demon. But I’m going to be honest, I actually had a lot of fun playing her game and I think the sexuality is more of an after thought than the primary objective when you play the game (and who’s to say it’s bad to kickass and look good while doing it?). Her story is a revenge story that involves her recovering lost memories. She’s badass, takes no shit from anyone and is a single mother who holds a lot of affection for her child. I think her sexualization is more a degradation of the market, as there’s this perception that sex sells (and this game was kind of a flop in North America anyway, not selling that many copies). Although games like Metroid feature female protagonists without being sexualized you got to remember that Zero Suit Samus became a thing. I say let’s look past all that frivolous crap and actually examine her character which is strong, brave and independent, all the characteristics you’d want of the perfect femme fatale.
6. Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider Series
A well known character among all video game enthusiasts, Lara Croft needed to be on this list. Although her creation wasn’t all intentional as she was originally envisioned as a man looking more like an Indiana Jones rip-off, and he big bosom was an accident that stuck; if you look beyond this though you’ll see in her previous installations she’s kicked a lot of butt and looked good doing it too. In the latest installment of the series they opted for a more realistic and less boobastic take on Lara, making everyone take her a bit more seriously. The series is in the right direction making her less of a video game sex icon and more of a kickass chick who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Lara is definitely a necessary addition to this list.
5. Chun Li from Street Fighter
Let’s go back a few decades to Street Fighter 2, one of the best fighters of its time. There was a roster of different characters from different countries and then there was Chun Li. Yeah, she was a bit of the token female (being the only female character) but she was awesome with a list of cool moves and a sweet costume design that was tactful and featured those huge thighs which has made her remembered for her awesome muscles first. Why is Chun Li awesome? Because she can kick butt alongside the guys, and she isn’t one of those prettied up girl characters that were often a staple of the times she was coming from. She’s become an icon of the series and a fan favourite. Continually kicking butt since 1991 Chun Li is, and continues to be kickass.
4. GLaDOS from the Portal Series
There’s so much to like about GLaDOS it’s hard to find a place to start. She took over Apeture Labs and made it a place of reckoning in her own way. Her sarcastic and sadistic nature give her many awesome one liners that have had a lasting impression on anyone who’s played the Portal series. She’s smart and independent, and even though she’s a computer she’s not about to be your servant, the player becomes more of her play thing to entertain her in the years of loneliness she’s been dealing with in the abandoned laboratory. She’s a bit of a tragic figure but she’s not about to let you feel sorry for her because she’ll never like you. Her character contrasts the stoic Chell very nicely, and GLaDOS’ monotone sarcastic voice is really the highlight of the Portal series. Even as a potato in Portal 2 she’s fiesty and doesn’t lose her ego. For being strong, funny and bit of a sadist, GLaDOS is pretty kickass.
3. Princess Zelda
This princess has been quite prolific in the countless amount of games she’s been in. Every game is named after her legend. This ain’t no legend of Link, Zelda has a lot of history and importance behind her as her family guarded the Triforce. She is a necessary ruler to Hyrule as she is a guardian of the land. She has been a guide for Link, a romantic interest, and a mentor helping him along his quest. I think Ocarina of Time says it best when she disguises herself as a guy in order to help Link along to find all the temples and the five sages.When I first played Ocarina of Time I thought Sheik was a dude, Zelda had me convinced. And in Wind Waker she’s the fiesty pirate Tetra, and you don’t see that one coming either! This isn’t a princess who waits around to be saved, she holds a lot of power in her hands and is ready to fight alongside Link when possible. And let’s not forget how amazing Sheik was in Smash Bros Melee, she dominated the game! Any guy will admit that Princess Zelda is a force to be reckoned with, and that makes her one badass chick.
2. Lucina from Fire Emblem: Awakening
This character is a recent creation from the Fire Emblem who is also not shy to disguising herself (much like Zelda). She goes back in time to save her father and protect the kingdom (and is prepared to do this all by herself!). That’s pretty awesome. And she saves her father, aunt, and the protagonist on multiple occasions. She fights with a legendary blade that can beat the baddies pretty fiercely. She’s also charming and kind making her a refined princess as well as a fierce warrior. The Fire Emblem series is prolific for having female leads who kick butt, and that’s really awesome. But Lucina in particular stands out to me because of her devout sense of duty that she’s willing to give her life for, while also being a cheerful optimistic fighter. And with the cut scenes that are amazing in Awakening she’s given a lot of life making her a character you really latch on to. Lucina is a warrior first and princess second, that makes her extremely kickass.
1. Samus Aran from the Metroid Series
If you didn’t see this coming, then shame on you. I had to put Samus as my number 1. She defines a badass female. She was one of the very first female heroines that surprised everyone at the end of Metroid on the NES when she was revealed to be female. A stoic bounty hunter it was no surprise that everyone would take this news as a shocker because women were only prize pieces in that generation of gaming. Samus was pushing the boundaries then, and continues to be a leader in kickassery. Her gender wasn’t what made the games awesome, because pretty much every title she’s been in (save for Other M) has been an amazing gaming experience. She’s diplomatic and brave, and doesn’t need anyone but herself to make it out alive (which gave many Metroid games that sense of desolation, a unique characteristic that not many games capture proficiently). Although recent installments of Samus have made her more curvacious with her zero suit (taking away from what makes her really awesome) we won’t forget what suit shes iconic in. And she is an icon in gaming, she’s remembered for that first, curves last. Keep on kicking butt Samus.
Christina
10. Jill Valentine from The Resident Evil Series
Fighting zombies is pretty terrifying, but Jill doesn’t flinch! I feel like her character is often missed and forgotten so she deserves some representation here. Her character has to be strong in the face of hardship as she fights the dreaded Umbrella Corporation and their slue of zombies, she’s badass as she shoots them down and moves on to fight and find her teammates. She was where it all started and she still appears in the series as she’s prominent in their newest title Resident Evil: Revelations. Although she’s a little feminine they’ve strived to make her character physically appealing to everyone while also making her more muscular and strong willed. She’s definitely a role model character that is often overlooked. In the face of fear she strikes it down, and that makes her one brave chick.
9. Princess Peach from the Super Mario Series
She is Nintendo’s female mascot that is an alternative for girls who play Nintendo’s Mario series of games. She may be cute and a little hopeless but despite her fragile nature she has been the hero before and will be again (with Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario RPG, and the upcoming Super Mario 3D Land on the Wii U). I always liked Peach because she was pretty and pink, and I looove pink. But pink doesn’t have to be cute and her character doesn’t have to be perilous unless you think she does. In the Paper Mario series you get to be in her shoes and play her after game chapters as she bravely goes around her kidnapping ground. She’s prepared to save herself while communicating back secrets to Mario that she’s sleuthed from the bad guys. In Super Mario 2 made her the pick of the lot with her awesome floating ability. And in the Smash Bros series she’s been my pick of the roster as she packs a heavy punch, all while looking cute and refined! So although she’s sometimes in the background, (but certainly not always!) Princess Peach is no damsel in distress.
8. Mia Fey from Phoenix Wright:Ace Attorney
A female lawyer’s on my list? Hell yeah! She owns her own firm which is pretty awesome to being with. She’s also the mentor to Phoenix Wright who’s adopted her moral code of being faithful and loyal to their clients by believing in them 100% even when they believe that they are undefendable. She also saved Phoenix from serious jail time when he was young which begins his admiration for her, and his later employment in her firm. She has 2 of her own chapters in the series of games while also being a lasting memory and mentor to Phoenix. She leaves a lasting impression on you that is not forgotten. A defender of the defenseless and a stylish successful woman? Yeah, she deserves to be on this list.
7. Bayonetta from Bayonetta
Why am I including her? There’s a lot of controversy surrounding her and her game that makes her out to be an object of sexual affection as she is over the top with her guns blazing and wears her hair that opts also as a large demon. But I’m going to be honest, I actually had a lot of fun playing her game and I think the sexuality is more of an after thought than the primary objective when you play the game (and who’s to say it’s bad to kickass and look good while doing it?). Her story is a revenge story that involves her recovering lost memories. She’s badass, takes no shit from anyone and is a single mother who holds a lot of affection for her child. I think her sexualization is more a degradation of the market, as there’s this perception that sex sells (and this game was kind of a flop in North America anyway, not selling that many copies). Although games like Metroid feature female protagonists without being sexualized you got to remember that Zero Suit Samus became a thing. I say let’s look past all that frivolous crap and actually examine her character which is strong, brave and independent, all the characteristics you’d want of the perfect femme fatale.
6. Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider Series
A well known character among all video game enthusiasts, Lara Croft needed to be on this list. Although her creation wasn’t all intentional as she was originally envisioned as a man looking more like an Indiana Jones rip-off, and he big bosom was an accident that stuck; if you look beyond this though you’ll see in her previous installations she’s kicked a lot of butt and looked good doing it too. In the latest installment of the series they opted for a more realistic and less boobastic take on Lara, making everyone take her a bit more seriously. The series is in the right direction making her less of a video game sex icon and more of a kickass chick who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Lara is definitely a necessary addition to this list.
5. Chun Li from Street Fighter
Let’s go back a few decades to Street Fighter 2, one of the best fighters of its time. There was a roster of different characters from different countries and then there was Chun Li. Yeah, she was a bit of the token female (being the only female character) but she was awesome with a list of cool moves and a sweet costume design that was tactful and featured those huge thighs which has made her remembered for her awesome muscles first. Why is Chun Li awesome? Because she can kick butt alongside the guys, and she isn’t one of those prettied up girl characters that were often a staple of the times she was coming from. She’s become an icon of the series and a fan favourite. Continually kicking butt since 1991 Chun Li is, and continues to be kickass.
4. GLaDOS from the Portal Series
There’s so much to like about GLaDOS it’s hard to find a place to start. She took over Apeture Labs and made it a place of reckoning in her own way. Her sarcastic and sadistic nature give her many awesome one liners that have had a lasting impression on anyone who’s played the Portal series. She’s smart and independent, and even though she’s a computer she’s not about to be your servant, the player becomes more of her play thing to entertain her in the years of loneliness she’s been dealing with in the abandoned laboratory. She’s a bit of a tragic figure but she’s not about to let you feel sorry for her because she’ll never like you. Her character contrasts the stoic Chell very nicely, and GLaDOS’ monotone sarcastic voice is really the highlight of the Portal series. Even as a potato in Portal 2 she’s fiesty and doesn’t lose her ego. For being strong, funny and bit of a sadist, GLaDOS is pretty kickass.
3. Princess Zelda
This princess has been quite prolific in the countless amount of games she’s been in. Every game is named after her legend. This ain’t no legend of Link, Zelda has a lot of history and importance behind her as her family guarded the Triforce. She is a necessary ruler to Hyrule as she is a guardian of the land. She has been a guide for Link, a romantic interest, and a mentor helping him along his quest. I think Ocarina of Time says it best when she disguises herself as a guy in order to help Link along to find all the temples and the five sages.When I first played Ocarina of Time I thought Sheik was a dude, Zelda had me convinced. And in Wind Waker she’s the fiesty pirate Tetra, and you don’t see that one coming either! This isn’t a princess who waits around to be saved, she holds a lot of power in her hands and is ready to fight alongside Link when possible. And let’s not forget how amazing Sheik was in Smash Bros Melee, she dominated the game! Any guy will admit that Princess Zelda is a force to be reckoned with, and that makes her one badass chick.
2. Lucina from Fire Emblem: Awakening
This character is a recent creation from the Fire Emblem who is also not shy to disguising herself (much like Zelda). She goes back in time to save her father and protect the kingdom (and is prepared to do this all by herself!). That’s pretty awesome. And she saves her father, aunt, and the protagonist on multiple occasions. She fights with a legendary blade that can beat the baddies pretty fiercely. She’s also charming and kind making her a refined princess as well as a fierce warrior. The Fire Emblem series is prolific for having female leads who kick butt, and that’s really awesome. But Lucina in particular stands out to me because of her devout sense of duty that she’s willing to give her life for, while also being a cheerful optimistic fighter. And with the cut scenes that are amazing in Awakening she’s given a lot of life making her a character you really latch on to. Lucina is a warrior first and princess second, that makes her extremely kickass.
1. Samus Aran from the Metroid Series
If you didn’t see this coming, then shame on you. I had to put Samus as my number 1. She defines a badass female. She was one of the very first female heroines that surprised everyone at the end of Metroid on the NES when she was revealed to be female. A stoic bounty hunter it was no surprise that everyone would take this news as a shocker because women were only prize pieces in that generation of gaming. Samus was pushing the boundaries then, and continues to be a leader in kickassery. Her gender wasn’t what made the games awesome, because pretty much every title she’s been in (save for Other M) has been an amazing gaming experience. She’s diplomatic and brave, and doesn’t need anyone but herself to make it out alive (which gave many Metroid games that sense of desolation, a unique characteristic that not many games capture proficiently). Although recent installments of Samus have made her more curvacious with her zero suit (taking away from what makes her really awesome) we won’t forget what suit shes iconic in. And she is an icon in gaming, she’s remembered for that first, curves last. Keep on kicking butt Samus.
Christina
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