33 best female video game characters: iconic fictional women
The world of video games boasts plenty of iconic female characters who have left a lasting impression on gamers worldwide with their strength, complexity, and compelling narratives. Discover some of the best female video game characters who have shaped the gaming world.
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While there are more male characters in video games than female characters, the ladies have significantly impacted the gaming world. These strong and independent women have entertained and inspired gamers of all ages and genders. Here are ten of the most iconic female characters in video games.
Best female video game characters
Female video game characters have taken centre stage as the main playable characters in many games. They are memorable, iconic figures not to be underestimated. Below is a list of the best female video game characters that are inspired by both fictional characters and real people. Note that the list is not based on any particular order.
In coming up with this list, many factors have been considered, such as data analysis from game sales, reviews, commercial success and social media mentions. Other factors, including gameplay contribution and their lasting influence within gaming culture, have also played pivotal roles in determining their placement on the list.
1. Lara Croft
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Lara Croft is one of the most influential and popular female video game characters ever. She is the lead character of the video game franchise Tomb Raider. She is portrayed as an intelligent and athletic English archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs worldwide.
2. Chun-Li
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Chun-Li is a fictional character in Capcom's Street Fighter video game series. She first appeared in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior in 1991. She is one of the first playable female characters in fighting games and has become an iconic figure in gaming history. She is a skilled martial artist and Interpol officer.
3. Samus Aran
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Samus Aran is the protagonist of Metroid by Nintendo. She was created by the Japanese video game designer Makoto Kano. She is an ex-soldier of the Galactic Federation who became a galactic bounty hunter. She is known for her swiftness, impeccable fighting skills, and exploration prowess worldwide and in space environments.
4. Tifa Lockhart
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Tifa Lockhart is a major recurring character in the Final Fantasy VII series. She has also starred as a playable fighter in Ehrgeiz and the Dissidia Final Fantasy series. Since 2005, she has appeared in sequels and spin-offs of the Final Fantasy VII series, including Advent Children and the Final Fantasy VII remake.
5. Jill Valentine
Jill Valentine is one of the main protagonists of the Resident Evil franchise. She is an American Special Operations Agent of the BSAA. Jill is the protagonist of numerous Resident Evil games, novelizations, and films and has also been featured in-game series such as Project X Zone, Teppen, and Dead by Daylight.
6. Princess Zelda
Princess Zelda is an iconic titular character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto for the original 1986 game The Legend of Zelda. She has been featured in every subsequent game in various series of incarnations.
7. Cortana
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Cortana is a fictional character from the Halo Universe. She is an Artificial Intelligence, often seen alongside Master Chief. She has also been featured in Halo: Combat Evolved and its sequels, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Infinite.
8. Bayonetta
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Bayonetta is the titular character and main protagonist of the Bayonetta series developed by PlatinumGames. She is a coquettish and mysterious Umbra Witch. She possesses a remarkable talent for Bullet Arts and possesses the Left Eye of Darkness.
9. Aloy
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Aloy is a fictional character and protagonist of the 2017 video game Horizon Zero Dawn and its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. She is a brave Nora who spent the first 18 years of her life as a 'motherless outcast' raised by her guardian, Rost. She is a minor character in the 2023 spin-off virtual reality game Horizon Call of the Mountain.
10. Kitana
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Kitana is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat series by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. She made her debut in MKII. She was originally a royal from the fictional realm of Edenia. Her main weapon is a pair of steel fans, which she uses for most of her special attacks.
11. Alyx Vance
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Alyx Vance is a fictional character featured in Valve's Half-Life video game series. Initially introduced as a non-playable supporting character in Half-Life 2 (2004), she accompanies Gordon Freeman, the player's character, for a significant portion of the game.
12. Rayne
Rayne, also known as Agent BloodRayne or the Dhampir, is a fictional character in the BloodRayne series. She is one of the main characters in the series, starring in both games and later extended media, such as comic books and films related to the series. She was created by Terminal Reality.
13. Ivy Valentine
Isabella Valentine, popularly known as Ivy, is a character in the Soulcalibur series. She first appeared in the original Soulcalibur and its subsequent sequels. She was created by Namco's Project Soul division and is known for her distinctive sword, a whip-like weapon called Valentine, and her acrobatic fighting style.
14. Sarah Kerrigan
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Sarah Louise Kerrigan, the self-styled Queen of Blades, is a character in Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft franchise. She is one of the main characters in the series and has since received acclaim from video game critics for her depth and believability. She often appears in lists of the top video game women, villains and characters.
15. Ada Wong
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Ada Wong is a character in the survival horror series Resident Evil by Capcom. She appeared as a supporting character in Resident Evil 2 (1998) and became a playable character in Resident Evil 4 (2005). She is a mysterious, ambiguous spy who works for villains but often aids the series' lead character, Leon S. Kennedy, in dire situations.
16. Claire Redfield
Claire Redfield is a character in Resident Evil. She first appeared as a player in Resident Evil 2 (1998) alongside Leon S. Kennedy. Claire has starred in numerous Resident Evil games, novelizations and films and has been featured in various franchises, such as Dead by Daylight. She is the younger sister of fellow series character Chris Redfield.
17. Sonya Blade
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Sonya Blade is a fictional character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. She debuted in the original 1992 game as the roster's sole female fighter, a military officer with the Special Forces. She is a tough and determined fighter, often depicted as a capable martial artist and a skilled tactician.
18. Cammy
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Cammy is a fictional character appearing in the Street Fighter fighting game series by Capcom. She first appeared in 1993 as one of the four new characters in Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers. She has also starred in the Street Fighter Alpha games.
19. Aerith Gainsborough
Aerith Gainsborough is a playable character in the Final Fantasy VII series by Square Enix. She is one of the main characters of Final Fantasy VII. She is a young woman with a mysterious connection to the planet and its life force, the Lifestream.
20. Liara T'Soni
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Dr. Liara T'Soni is a fictional character in BioWare's Mass Effect franchise who serves as a party member in the original Mass Effect trilogy. A young Asari highly skilled in both research and biotics, Liara T'Soni is one of Commander Shepard's companions in the Mass Effect series and a potential love interest.
21. Morrigan Aensland
Morrigan Aensland is a fictional antiheroine character and the female protagonist in Capcom's Darkstalkers series. She made her first appearance in 1994's Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors and has since been featured in every game in the series and multiple video games outside the Darkstalkers line.
22. Chloe Frazer
Chloe Frazer is a fictional character in the Uncharted series. She was first introduced as a female protagonist in the 2009 video game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Frazer was designed to provide a darker counterpart to the series' protagonist, Nathan Drake, and highlight these facets of his personality.
23. Ciri
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Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon is one of the protagonists of the Witcher saga, around whom much of the plot is centred. Ciri is a descendant of Lara Dorren and has the Elder blood, which gives her access to powers that allow her to cross space and time.
24. Sakura
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Sakura Kasugano is a video game character from the Street Fighter series, first appearing in Street Fighter Alpha 2 in 1996. She is a young Japanese fighter who idolizes Ryu, by whom she wants to be trained. She has appeared in various crossover fighting games, such as the Marvel vs. Capcom and Capcom vs. SNK series.
25. Aya Brea
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Aya Brea is the central character and main protagonist of the Parasite Eve video game series. Aya is a determined American police officer who becomes involved in apocalyptic scenarios, fighting mutant biological monstrosities and horrific creatures to prevent human and animal extinction.
26. Commander Shepard
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Commander Shepard is the central character in the Mass Effect series by BioWare. She is a veteran soldier of the Systems Alliance Navy, an N7 graduate of the Interplanetary Combatives Training (ICT) military program, and the first human Citadel Council Spectre.
27. Clementine
Clementine is a fictional character in the The Walking Dead game series by Telltale Games. She is the series' main protagonist and one of the playable characters.
28. Elena Fisher
Elena Fisher is a fictional character in the Uncharted series, developed by Naughty Dog. She appears in four video games: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. She is a determined and skilled journalist.
29. Yennefer of Vengerberg
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Yennefer of Vengerberg is a fictional character in The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski. She first appeared in the collection of short stories, The Last Wish. Yennefer is a powerful sorceress known for her intelligence, strong will, and magical abilities.
30. Ms. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man is a classic video game character and the female counterpart to the iconic Pac-Man. Introduced in the early 1980s by Namco, she starred in her own game, Ms. Pac-Man. Like Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man navigates mazes while consuming pellets and avoiding ghosts.
31. Princess Peach
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Princess Peach is a main character in the Super Mario franchise and the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach first appeared in Super Mario Bros in 1985. She is one of the most popular female protagonists in video game history, with the most video game appearances of any female character.
32. 2B
2B is a fictional android from the 2017 video game Nier: Automata. As one of the series' main protagonists and player characters, 2B is a soldier for YoRHa, an android task force fighting a proxy war with alien-created Machine Lifeforms. She has also appeared in related media, such as the anime Nier: Automata Ver1.1a.
33. Yuna
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Yuna is a fictional character in the Final Fantasy video game series. She first appeared in Final Fantasy X as the game's female protagonist and one of the main playable characters of the 2001 role-playing video game Final Fantasy X.
The world of video games has given birth to iconic characters of both genders. Above are some of the best female video game characters with a cult following among fans. Some of them are the lead characters, whereas others shine in side roles.
Legit.ng recently published a list of funny cartoon characters that will definitely lift your spirits. Cartoon characters have always held a special place in many people's hearts, providing endless entertainment and laughter.
Funny cartoon characters have an extraordinary ability to transcend age barriers and tickle your funny bones. Discover some of the funny cartoon characters that will definitely lift your spirits.
Source: Legit.ng
