Over the years, there has been no shortage of articles about “the best female characters in video games”. The problem is, what they’ve usually meant is “the sexiest female characters in video games”, which has made for some very repetitive and occasionally rather creepy reading.
For this alternative selection, three women games writers have chosen 30 interesting and complex examples, who have more to offer than either looking good in an armoured bikini or fulfilling the “strong female character” archetype. And as Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft has dominated every discussion about women in games for the last 20 years, she’s been respectfully jettisoned too.
There will, of course, be other omissions, but our aim is to generate discussion and get readers to suggest their own favourites. Who have we missed? Who has inspired you? We want to know.
Anyway, here we go with part one. Oh, and spoilers. Obviously.
Midna (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, 2006)
Twilight Princess is Midna’s story. Yes, Link is a necessary component, but it’s really all about this brazen imp, whose weird gibberish language (actually scrambled English words voiced by Japanese actor Akiko Kōmoto) and desperation to save her world make her one of the most memorable companions in any Zelda game. The conclusion to her story will leave many fans with a single dramatic tear rolling down their cheek.
Wynne (Dragon Age: Origins, 2009)
Wynne is a very rare example of an older lady who is neither a helpless nurturing grandma nor a scary wizened old crone. She is older, knowing and caring, but she also refuses to stand idly by while the world crumbles around her. Behind the wisdom lies a past that involves illicit romance and a child taken from her at birth. She also has an in depth knowledge of fine ales. Would make a delightful addition to any dinner party guest list.
Amaterasu (Okami, 2006)
Sun goddess, primordial mother and origin of all that is good, Amaterasu (or Ammy to her friends) is an unforgettable protagonist. Taking the form of a wolf, she reveals her personality through a variety of lupine expressions, tilted head, wagging tail , turning her head away in disdain. Despite being a lady, when she performs the move “Golden Fury”, she pees with her leg raised, a style more commonly associated with male dogs. Amaterasu then: breaking gender norms since 2006.
Jade (Beyond Good and Evil, 2003)
An inquisitive photojournalist, Jade is competent, brave and driven by a desire to help those around her. Through the long process of designing the character (if you look at the photographs on the ceiling of Jade’s room you will see they show her in the early development stages), the game’s director Michel Ancel was determined to create a rounded hero. “When we started [Beyond Good and Evil] the first thing we said was, if this project is different it’s because it’s a female character who is driving the story,” he said. “She’s not like other characters who look like women but act like men ... Most women in games are cliches.”
Ada Wong (Resident Evil series, 1996-)
A mysterious spy working for an unknown company, Ada Wong appears at random points throughout the survival horror adventure, sometimes helping the protagonist but always looking out for her own interests first. Extremely intelligent and often numerous steps ahead of everyone else, she is never short of a sarcastic comment at the expense of slower characters. Although she officially first appears in Resident Evil 2, eagle-eyed players will notice that Ada is mentioned in the Researcher’s Letter file in the original game and her name is the password to a crucial computer terminal. From the very beginning she has lurked in the background of this series, with her own intriguing agenda.
Bonnie MacFarlane (Red Dead Redemption, 2010)
A rancher trying to hold her family business together in a predominantly male environment, Bonnie is tough but caring, helping the protagonist John Marston on a number of occasions. If you want to know how hard her life’s been, go to Coot’s Chapel where you’ll find the graves of her five brothers. The tombstone for one of them reads: “Never milk a bull.” Wise words we can all live by.
Tetra (The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, 2002; Phantom Hourglass, 2007)
Leader of a gang of pirates, despite her young age, Tetra demands respect and gets it. There are numerous theories about the inspiration behind her name. It could allude to the tropical fish of the same name; it could be a tongue-in-cheek reference to terra, the Latin word for land, or perhaps it’s short for tetrahedron, in reference to the famous Triforce. Whatever it means, with crossed arms and a wink, she cuts a sassy figure.
Cass (Fallout: New Vegas, 2010)
Tough, smart, but down on her luck, Cass drinks what she wants, sleeps with who she wants and generally does what she wants – hence her hatred for slave owners and those who take away freedom. Fans of Fallout 2 will recognise her as the daughter of John Cassidy, a potential companion. Both Cass and John suffer from the same hereditary heart condition, meaning they avoid chems – although it doesn’t put them off the booze. New Vegas director Josh Sawyer originally planned a sequence in which the game’s protagonist could get drunk with Cass, the two later waking up to discover they’ve been married by an Elvis impersonator. That’s our kind of video game romance.
Red (Transistor, 2014)
A young singer trapped in a decaying digital world, Red has lost her voice so we experience the game through the mysterious Transistor who acts as a narrator and guide. Red often goes against his wishes, though, putting her own safety at risk for what she believes is the best course of action. Learning about this character almost entirely through her actions is a fascinating way to experience a protagonist.
Brigid Tenenbaum (Bioshock, 2007)
A disturbing study in motherhood, creation and amorality, Brigid is the scientific genius responsible for Bioshock’s eerie, genetically modified Little Sisters. Diagnosed with high-functioning autism, she was raised by a Jewish family, then interned at Auschwitz where she helped Josef Mengele with his experiments, viewing the Holocaust with indifference. During the game, however, she realises the extent of her evil, simultaneously caring for the Little Sisters and regretting her part in their genesis.
Aveline de Grandpré (Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, 2012)
Born to an African slave mother in 18th-century New Orleans, Aveline is motivated by the injustice of slavery, despite being raised by her wealthy French father and stepmother. While tracking the templars across America, her ability to change her appearance, thereby altering how others treat her, is apt for the series’ first woman protagonist. Ubisoft may have run into trouble for its attitude to female characters, but at least it didn’t make Aveline a mere love interest to Assassin’s Creed III lead, Connor.
Ellie (The Last of Us, 2013)
For most of Naughty Dog’s apocalyptic adventure, Ellie is seen through the eyes of Joel, the father figure gradually growing to love her. That’s why the Winter chapter (where we gain control over her as she saves his life) is so effective, the ending so grating, and the DLC prequel so welcome. But she’s very much her own person throughout: a believably stubborn teenage girl who fluctuates between childish humour and adult decisions, swears like a sailor, and has a crush on her best friend.
Clementine (The Walking Dead, 2012)
Notable for the vast number of survivors she manages to outlive, Clementine is an incredibly capable young girl, maturing amid the madness of the zombie armageddon. At first she’s another daughter figure who needs protection; the developers even adjusted her race so that she could be mistaken for lead character Lee’s biological daughter. But by season two she knows how – and importantly when – to use a gun, how to stitch up a wound, and how to deal with both the living and the undead.
Vella Tartine (Broken Age, 2014)
Selected as a human sacrifice to save her village from a monster, Vella exists among that class of protagonists who provide the only sense in a world of lovable fools. She demonstrates incredible patience and resilience in the quest to escape her determined role and save others in the process. Certainly more interesting than her sheltered companion Shay Volta.
Faith Connors (Mirror’s Edge, 2008)
We’ll get a new look at sci-fi city courier Faith in the upcoming Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, but we already know that she’s a survivor who, despite losing her mother in a riot and running away from home, still risks her life saving her sister. The character was apparently designed to express the sleek minimalism of the game, combining style and practicality into an iconic look that is also perfectly in tune with both narrative and environment. Her reliance on evasion and melee combat rather than guns separates her from a mass of first-person heroes.
Part two tomorrow!
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