25 Greatest Female Video Game Characters Ever

Posted by , Updated on March 21, 2024

It’s well-known that the majority of dedicated video game players are males ranging in age from six to fifty. A significant number of video games are developed by men and targeted at a male audience, which is one reason why female characters are not as common in this sphere. Nonetheless, there have been a good number of female characters that the majority of male gamers respect and admire, even more so than some renowned male video game characters like Nathan Drake from Uncharted, Raiden from Metal Gear, and Solid Snake also from Metal Gear, to list some examples. Although this might be an overstatement, here are 25 female video game characters that a typical gamer would tip their hat to for varying reasons.

Video
play-rounded-fill

25

Meryl Silverburgh, Metal Gear Solid

Meryl Silverburgh Metal Gear Solid

Meryl Silverburgh first appeared in the original Metal Gear Solid, voiced by Debi Mae West, and her character is based on the character of the same name from Hideo Kojima’s earlier game Policenauts. She’s a career soldier and Snake’s partner in many missions and operations where he usually saves her. We still love her for some strange, unexplained reason though.

24

Bayonetta, Bayonetta

BayonettaHero_vf3

Whoever has played this game probably has the same question: What kind of magical shampoo does Bayonetta use to make her hair such a powerful weapon? Yep, Bayonetta’s hair is her most fearsome weapon, and trust us when we say she kicks ass with it!

23

Elena Fisher, Uncharted

Elena Fisher Uncharted

The fact that a lady has such a significant role in one of the best videogame series ever as Uncharted, is certainly enough to include her on this list but Elena is an incredibly talented woman, too. A brave reporter and foreign correspondent, Elena accompanies Drake on his adventures and can do anything he does and probably even better. I know what you’re probably thinking—she sounds a lot like the crew of Man vs. Wild hosted by Bear Grylls, right? They do what he does and have to hold the camera, food, and other stuff, too!

22

Bonnie MacFarlane, Red Dead Redemption

Bonnie MacFarlane

Bonnie isn’t the main character here but whoever has played Red Dead Redemption at least once will definitely remember this Wild West badass. Yep, she’s the one who saves Marston’s life at some point and gives hell to every guy who messes with her and her family.

21

Rayne, Bloodrayne

Blood Rayne

Let’s make it clear here that Rayne is far from a heroine but then again this is a list with the best female videogame characters overall, not the most moral ones. Rayne is a bloodthirsty vampire who kills for blood and is the main character of the Bloodrayne series, and yes we love her just as much as we love the games themselves.

20

Kitana, Mortal Kombat

mortal_kombat_kitana

Anyone who follows the legendary Mortal Kombat series (which also became a movie) knows who Kitana is. Princess Kitana made her debut in Mortal Kombat II and captured fans’ hearts with her amazing outfit, reminiscent of the awesome outfits the bad guys wore in John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China, and wicked fighting skills.

19

Lulu, Final Fantasy X, X-2

Lulu Final Fantasy

Lulu first appeared in Final Fantasy X (and later in Final Fantasy X-2) as a non-player character and one of Yuna’s guardians. Nonetheless, Lulu’s huge impact on every gamer’s “digital life” is unquestionable, and she’s the only female character to use black magic so effectively—by using various dolls to help cast powerful spells—in videogame history.

18

Aveline de Grandpré, Assassin’s Creed: Liberation

Aveline-de-Grandpre

First off, this game was such a flop and let down pretty much every gamer around the world who expected a more adventurous, engaging story, but Aveline de Grandpré is undoubtedly the greatest thing about Assassin’s Creed: Liberation. In a world of bossy white males, Aveline, a gorgeous, sexy black woman with a killer French accent, seduces everybody and frees slaves . Très magnifique!

17

Cortana, Halo

Cortana-in-Halo-4-HD-Wallpaper

Cortana is and will always be the favorite female videogame character of every sci-fi geek, especially hard-core Blade Runner fans. Why? See, Cortana is heavily inspired by the female clones in the film, Pris and Zhora, and just like them she’s a smart artificial intelligence clone who played a significant role in the Human-Covenant war.

16

Anya Stroud, Gears of War 3

Anya Stroud Gears of War 3

This amazing Scandinavian-looking beauty went totally unnoticed in the first two Gears of War games, but she eventually became the series’ first female playable character in the third installment when the game’s developers wisely decided to give her a more energetic role. The result? Anya is now widely considered by most avid gamers one of the baddest, most intimidating female videogame characters ever. Mission accomplished.

15

Sam, Gray Matter

Sam Gray Matter

Okay, just think about all the magic tricks Criss Angel does in his Las Vegas shows but performed by a sexier and more beautiful (from a guy’s point of view) female videogame character. We just love Sam and no, we don’t care that she’s a fictional digital character.

14

Alicia Claus, Bullet Witch

Alicia Claus

Bullet Witch is a shooter video game that every female gamer (there are not many, unfortunately) has played at least once. Why? The protagonist is a stunning witch (a good one) who uses her powers and one of the coolest weapons in videogame history to fight evil demons. What’s there not to love?

13

Aya Brea, Parasite Eve

Wp_02_1280x720

Aya Brea has nothing unusual or special going on for her and this is the main reason she’s one of the most beloved female characters of the PlayStation generation, according to IGN and various other polls. Aya is an ordinary-looking girl who loves guns and kicks ass in one of the finest action-survival video games ever made.

12

Shanoa, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Shanoa CastlevaniaOrder of Ecclesia

Dark, mysterious, and beautiful, Shanoa is the lead character of this game’s group of characters who attempts to kill Dracula. Shanoa is a fearless chick who won’t let anyone intimidate her, not even the Lord of Darkness, and for that alone we became instant fans from the first time we played Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia.

11

Faith, Mirror’s Edge

Faith Mirror’s Edge

If you’ve watched the epic ‘90s German film Run Lola Run then you probably noticed the obvious influence Lola had on this game’s developers. Faith is dressed just like Lola (thank God she hasn’t dyed her hair red, too, though), she’s athletic and even though she started out as a thief she joined the good guys and now serves as a “Runner” who helps to keep law and order in the problematic society portrayed in Mirror’s Edge.

10

Nariko, Heavenly Sword

Nariko Heavenly Sword

Nariko is the definition of the term “female warrior.” She is a proud woman who fights for her life and the lives of others and her outfit and lovely hair will seduce any male player for sure. Did I mention she has the best hair in gaming history? Jennifer Aniston who?

9

Sarah Kerrigan, StarCraft

Sarah Kerrigan StarCraft

Sarah Kerrigan was a Terran Ghost before being captured by the Zerg on Tarsonis. After being infected and transformed into a twisted Zerg hybrid, she came to rule the terrifying Swarm as the self-styled Queen of Blades and with it gain an incredible amount of dedicated fans who worship her as though she’s a goddess.

8

Lightning, Final Fantasy

Lightning Final Fantasy

I have to be honest and confess that I never was a big fan of the Final Fantasy games just like I have never been a fan of Roger Federer but at the same time I can’t deny his greatness as a tennis player. Same goes with Lightning, also known as Claire Farron, who went from the narrator and a temporary playable character in Final Fantasy XIII-2 to the absolute boss and main character of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Respect!

7

Princess Zelda, The Legend of Zelda

zelda_by_princess_zelda_sheik-d35g22m

Princess Zelda isn’t a specific videogame character but the name for several female members of Hyrule’s Royal Family who play an essential role in the history of the kingdom. And no, Zelda isn’t a playable character but a “drama queen” who expects you to save her by commanding the playable character of poor Link to do so throughout the numerous versions of the series.

6

Sophitia, Soul Edge

sophitia

If you’ve played this instant classic from the ‘90s at least once then you definitely know whom Sophitia is. This Greek sex-bomb, from what is considered the first installment of the epic Soul series, is the closest we have seen to a female Leonidas, thus a badass female gladiator who kicks ass and seduces with her gorgeous face and massive cleavage.

5

Tifa Lockhart, Final Fantasy VII

Tifa Lockhart

They say that you never forget your teenage love and judging from the massive crush I had on Tifa when Final Fantasy VII first came out in 1997, it’s probably true. Simply put, she’s the kind of heroine who does it all and we’re talking in terms of gaming action, not what you’re probably thinking.

4

Jill Valentine, Resident Evil

Jill Valentine

This Eurasian beauty (of French and Japanese ancestry) is arguably one of the most likable female videogame characters of the Resident Evil series (and films), even though we still can’t forgive her for becoming a blondie in Resident Evil 5.

3

Samus Aran, Metroid

Samus Aran

Samus Aran, a woman with many nicknames, is a six-foot-three, 198-pound “amazon” who kicks ass as an intergalactic bounty hunter and the main protagonist of the Metroid series. Samus debuted in the gaming world in 1986’s Metroid and since then we have been dedicated fans.

2

Chun-Li, Street Fighter

Chun-Li

Chun-Li was the first female fighter in a fighting game and for that matter not any fighting game, but the iconic Street Fighter—this alone makes her an ultimate legend, period. She’s also known for one of the most popular cries in the history of video games, and of course we’re referring to the sound she makes every time she gets knocked out.

1

Lara Croft, Tomb Raider

lara-croft-tomb-raider-14753

Lara Croft, arguably the most famous female videogame character in history, is the “Amazonian” heroine of the Tomb Raider series of video games, movies, and graphic novels. Non-gamers probably know her from the two blockbuster films in which she is portrayed by the gorgeous Angelina Jolie. However, we still love her digital character more.