Over the last couple of years, the video game industry has been making monumental strides in creating games that are more inclusive and representative than ever before. One of the results of this is that female characters are no longer just typecast as sidekicks, waiting for the male protagonist to save them.
Instead, we have a plethora of badass and memorable female leads who are nothing short of impactful and powerful. While there are far too many amazing and resilient women from games to have in one list, these are a few of our personal favourites.
But today is International Woman’s Day and the list doesn’t end here, after reading the post, we want to ask you to leave a comment down below telling us which female character stands out for you. Whether it’s Senna from League of Legends or D. Va. from Overwatch, we want to know who your favourite women in video games are.
Aloy
What can be said about Aloy that reviewers haven’t said time and time again? The Horizon games are some of the best around and that is in no small part thanks to Aloy, the badass protagonist of the games.
Aloy is everything I strive to be. She is unshakable but not hardened. She is a survivor but not a victim and throughout the games, Aloy displays so much depth of personality and vulnerability, but this only adds to her strength and resilience.
Amicia
Amicia is one of the strongest yet most sensitive characters in video games and it’s hard to truly encapsulate her spirit outside of playing the games for yourself. Amicia is a character that’s loyal to a fault and has this unwavering courage that is unmatched.
One of my favourite things about Amicia is how the character never tries to downplay the horrors and heartbreak that she has to face, only instead of letting her fears consume her she lets it fuel her seemingly endless drive forward.
Bayonetta
Bayonetta might not have such a heavy focus on her inner workings or personality as the other characters on this list but that doesn’t mean she’s a character that is any less of a badass. As a character Bayonetta is depicted as being overtly sexy with a skin-tight suit but don’t let her appearance fool you, she is basically the female version of Dante from Devil May Cry.
Throughout the games Bayonetta wealds everything from handguns to shotguns while defeating all who dare stand in her way, and trust me, you don’t want to be in her way.
Chloe Price
I think it’s important to have Chloe Price on this list. Where many of the other women mentioned her are badass fighters, wielding guns and killing zombies, Chloe is the type of badass that doesn’t need a video game setting to exist.
Chloe is your everyday angsty teenager and the battles she has to fight are the ones many of us can relate to from relationship troubles to family problems and struggle to find her place in society.
Chloe is a true rebel without a cause throughout the games and goes through the same traumas and heartbreaks that many of us do but what makes her a badass is how she never gives up and never stops fighting for what’s right and what she believes in.
Ellie
Of course, Ellie would be on this list. One of my favourite things about the new Last of Us TV Show is that more people, outside of the gaming space now have a chance to experience her character in all its glory. Whereas some of the characters on this list are strong because they don’t allow their circumstances to define them, Ellie gets her strength through her struggles.
In the games, Ellie is strong and capable but she is also complex, which is something we don’t get to see all the time. And while Ellie undoubtedly changes throughout the games her heart and wit never take second place.
Ellie is a character that is unapologetic about who she is, and even while surviving in a world almost entirely devoid of humanity she manages to hold on to hers – cementing her as one of the most badass women around.
Heather Mason
Heather Mason is a character that made childhood Arielle fall in love with her. There is just something about Heather that feels so refreshing when it comes to video game characters. She’s not perfect, or put together and she doesn’t even have a good grasp on her emotions most of the time but that’s what makes her feel so real and so genuine.
While Heather goes through her time in Silent Hill with a tough exterior it’s her formidable spirit that truly cements her as a badass. Heather is the type of character to kill a god and then for good measure kick it a few times while it’s on the ground, which is exactly what she did.
Heather is one of the angriest characters on this list but she has reason to be and she never allows that anger to hold her back, which is something truly admirable.
Jill Valentine
Look, you don’t make it in the world of Resident Evil without being a badass. I think we can all agree on that. Jill spends her time fighting a seeminly endless onslaught of zombies but she does so in a way that makes it look and feel easy. Jill is also a character that doesn’t feel the need to go at it alone.
With the help of another famous Resident Evil protagonist, Chris Redfield, Jill fights the Umbrella Corporation with a level of determination and spirit that is impossible not to love.
Lara Croft
A character that needs no introduction is Lara Croft. Tomb Raider became a household name and a beloved female character long before the industry started to acknowledge that women can be more than just backup characters. As the Tomb Raider, Lara is a character that never needs someone to save her and instead takes on everything from puzzles to combat like a seasoned veteran.
If I had to describe Lara in a word it would be capable. There is nothing she can’t do and no fear she isn’t willing to face. While her character has faced many changes over the years the one thing that has never changed is her undying sense of adventure and her survival spirit which makes her one of the most badass characters in video game history.
Senua
I can’t imagine talking about powerful female characters and not mentioning Senua. She is a character in constant turmoil having to battle with inner demons that threaten constant emotional collapse and yet through her almost inevitable collapse she never gives in and never gives up.
Senua is a Norse warrior who is constantly at odds with the foes she must vanquish both in the world and in her mind. All too often female characters are depicted as peaceful and serine, two words that would never be used to describe Senua but that’s what makes her so unique and evocative.
Senua is troubled and on the brink of collapse constantly but through it all, she manages to be the warrior she was born to be and holds everything together even through the chaos within.
Tifa Lockhart
Tifa Lockhart was one of the first female characters I ever encountered that made me step back and go, wow. She’s cool. Throughout Final Fantasy VII Tifa is depicted as being shy and reserved. Much more so than the other characters I’ve mentioned but don’t get me wrong, she is every bit as badass and impressive as they are.
Tifa’s true power lies in her unwavering love for those in her life. While she comes across as innocent and almost timid, that soon changes when she risks everything, including herself to stand up and protect those who she loves. Tifa is a great character and a true badass in every sense of the word.