Gaming has grown over the decades, and with it, so has the role of female video game characters. From early damsels in distress to fully developed heroes, gaming has reinvigorated these once docile characters. Even originally generic personalities like Princess Peach have evolved over the years. From damsel to party member and even a stand-out character in the recent Super Mario Bros movie, this icon has become much more than she was.
As their roles and personalities were given room to grow, so too has the space they’ve come to occupy in the medium. From gun-totting masters of combat to mages to everyday people trying to understand their loneliness, women have stood at the center of some of gaming’s most remarkable stories, battles, and moments. Tortured warriors like Kaine or compassionate companions like Aerith have left their mark on their audience, as have many others.
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Now, with decades of gaming behind us, we look at some of the stand-out female video game characters produced by the medium. There are too many great female video game characters to fit them all here, but we wanted to acknowledge some of the best we have come to love, in no particular order.
10) Tracer
First Appearance: Overwatch (2016)
From the first time this plucky female lead graced screens, her shining smile and positive energy made her an instant hit. Arguably the most recognizable new video game character of the last decade, Tracer (Cara Theobold, Elden Ring) stood at the tip of the spear Overwatch thrust through the gaming community’s conscience and is an easy enough pick to add to this awesome lineup of female video game characters.
While her enthusiasm and fun playstyle drew people in, her hopefulness and belief in tomorrow gave her a lasting presence. Lines like “The world could always use more heroes” impressed upon her audience a need for improvement. But her joy and hope come with a layer of peril that makes the gameplay much richer than it might’ve been.
At first glance, it feels like it should’ve been easy to be hopeful when you are a character that can undo their mistakes. A quick jump into the past and failure becomes a memory. However, Tracer’s gift brings a curse. If the time-stabilization unit she wears on her chest gets damaged, she becomes unstuck in time without getting back in synch.
With this knowledge, no one would blame the upbeat British pilot for locking herself in her room out of fear of that eventuality. But rather than letting fear rule her, she straps on her trademark goggles to stop whatever Talon has planned with a smile.
9) Edith Finch
Appearance: What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)
I can’t think of a surer sign of a character’s power than being able to etch themselves into people’s minds despite never showing their faces. But Edith Finch manages to do just that. Making our list of female video game characters, Edith guides you through her ancestral home and provides insights and commentaries. More than a mere tour guide, though, her thoughts and feelings about her family and its many misfortunes deeply color the narratives that play out.
With so little visual presence for this lead character, her voice becomes all the more critical. Voice actor Valerie Rose Lohman (Tower of God) delivers a superb job bringing Edith’s melancholy words to life. Her sorrow and strength shine through the game’s harshest moments equally, but none more so than in the game’s closing scenes.
As the final moments play out in What Remains of Edith Finch, it is revealed that Edith has returned to her home to record her family for her unborn son. Fearing that whatever curse claimed her family would come for her before she could tell him properly, Edith went through this emotional journey to provide her child with the knowledge and history she may not be able to give him.
This bittersweet motivation grants Edith’s character sympathy and admiration. Most struggle to even think about dying, let alone so thoroughly prepare for it as she does. But through her courage, her family history will not be lost, and perhaps her son will have a firmer foundation to build on, understanding what came before him and how much his mother loved him.
8) Kait
First Appearance: Gears of War 4 (2016)
While I’ve loved the Gears of War franchise since its inception on the Xbox 360, until I got to play Gears 5, I never would’ve thought one of its female video game characters would get a feature on this list. But for once, I got to be surprised in a good way.
Stepping onto center stage in the series’ latest entry, Kait’s (Laura Bailey, The Legend of Vox Machina) journey of discovery creates a memorable lead who showcases tenacity and strength. Her ability to confront external threats passed by The Horde and the psychological instabilities warping her mind make her a great central character for the game.
The discoveries about her lineage and connection to the Horde Queen create a compelling problem that shakes Kait’s core. Learning where she came from and what she’s connected to puts the lead on extremely shaky ground, making it so she must question even herself at times. The writers at The Coalition utilize these revelations to not only test her strength but to further develop the character, diving into another critical element of her character, her vulnerability.
Despite her fierce determination to overcome the obstacles of both her past and present, this female lead still falters sometimes. When this happens, she can turn to her companion and friend, Del (Eugene Byrd, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man). The support Del gives her allows her to be vulnerable and further process the trauma she experiences, providing the means for her to endure. Blending vulnerability with strength in Kait’s character makes her feel grounded and real.
7) 2B
First Appearance: NieR: Automata (2017)
The first of two female video game characters from developer Platinum Games on our list, 2B (Kira Buckland, Mononoke: The Phantom in the Rain), is often written off by people unfamiliar with her story. Focusing on her attire rather than who she is, many miss the point of 2B. The layers of depth to her character make her a noteworthy female lead in one of the most philosophically profound narratives gaming has yet produced.
Perhaps the most noteworthy element of the character is her contradictions. She espouses rejecting emotion, yet her first lines in the game talk about how she wants to kill God for locking everyone in an “unending cycle of life and death.” How she pushes against her mission and feelings is handled superbly well, helping craft her deep personality.
2B’s depth unfolds slowly throughout the game. This female lead character is so nuanced that some details about her are only recognizable after the final ending is reached and players go back through the game with a complete understanding of what transpires. Elements of her personality, like her inconsistent attitude towards her comrade 9S, initially seem like flaws in the writing that make no sense. But once all the facts are gathered, everything about the android becomes focused.
How far the story has to play out before the whole picture is given is a big part of what makes 2B’s character so memorable. Judgment is passed, and many assumptions are made about her, only to have it all flipped by key reveals as the story barrels towards its conclusion. This makes 2B’s true purpose and reasons for how she is far more impactful than if they were known from the start.
6) Bayonetta
First Appearance: Bayonetta (2009)
Perhaps even more surprising to some than the previous entry, Bayonetta (Hellena Taylor, Bayonetta 1,2/Jennifer Hale, Bayonetta 3) has been the center of many controversies since her first appearance 16 years ago. And while her suggestive gyrations and ample amounts of bare skin turn off many, to reduce this female lead to those things and nothing more does the character a grave injustice. Instead, like the female video game characters on this list, once you dive beyond the surface, you will see that she’s more than meets the eye.
As noticeable as her dance moves is the stunning amount of confidence the character wields. No legion of heaven or multiversal army can make this Umbra Witch lose her cool. Wielding her quad-pistols, Bayonetta is never at a loss for what to do next. Her confidence creates such a strong presence that no ridiculous circumstance or bizarre plan can make the character feel like she wins via plot armor. She wins because she doesn’t know how to lose.
But while a stylish fighter with loads of confidence is nothing new, she becomes much more than that when she is taken out of combat. How Bayonetta deals with the various cast members drawn into her orbit brings complexities to her. Her playful back-and-forth with Luka, her sisterly rivalry with Jeane, and her business dealings with Rodin all flesh out who she is.
But the most profound moments for Bayonetta come in her first game when she is confronted with a young girl, Cereza, who ends up being a forgotten piece of herself. How Bayonetta instinctively cares for the child, even though her words can be harsh at times, showcases a strength many leads fail to display. The will to overcome her innate response to a situation and force herself to grow into the person she needs to be is a talent we should all want to emulate.
5) Kay
Appearance: Sea of Solitude (2019)
As the only persistent presence throughout Sea of Solitude, Kay’s (Miriam Jud/Kaycie Chase in the director’s cut) personality takes center stage as few in gaming do. This female lead’s struggles with loneliness and the trauma of her past create a powerful narrative that presents the hardships of everyday life through a fantastical lens.
How she grows in light of these hardships is multi-faceted and complex. She is forced to confront her failings, accepting when she has let those important to her down. Furthermore, the final stretches of her journey force her to confront something that can be even harder to understand. Recognizing when the best thing we can do is to let go.
Accepting her limitations immediately after realizing how much more she can do creates a powerful back-and-forth for the character. Her desire to utilize what she’s recently learned about herself makes her eventual recognition of what she isn’t capable of all the more impressive and inspiring.
While she ultimately sheds the monstrous visage her loneliness creates by the end of her tale, it isn’t without a few stumbles. Kay’s setbacks help humanize her, creating a character that is easy to relate to, even as she crosses an endless ocean, pursued by the leviathan of her insecurities.
4) Max Caulfield
First Appearance: Life is Strange (2015)
It’s a classic setup for a power fantasy. Teen gets powers, teen uses powers, does great things, and their story ends happily. That’s how it goes, right? Well, not always. When Max gains the ability to rewind time, things get a little more complicated than that.
From her first experiences in Arcadia Bay to her most recent mishaps as an artist in residence at a Vermont college, Max understands that having power always comes with a cost—and that cost can be incredibly high. No one should have to choose between saving their hometown or their first love.
This female lead’s slow growth beyond the events of her first outing gives her a persistent and human feel. It deepens her personality, making her feel alive. How she matures and grows is one of the best elements of Deck Nine‘s delivery of Max’s second adventure.
Despite some hiccups with that story, Max as a character is so well-rounded and full of potential that one can only hope to see her take the lead in another game. There’s still plenty of room for the character to grow, and life isn’t getting any less strange. What isn’t strange, however, is the next addition to our list of female video game characters.
3) Edelgard
First Appearance: Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019)
You may see Edelgard’s name and think, “She’s not the lead character of Three Houses.” However, depending on the player’s choices, she is one of three possible leads. This game is one of the rare exceptions where the lead and player characters are different, making it a compelling gaming experience.
Many things craft Edelgard (Ai Kakuma, Romancing SaGa: Revenge of the Seven) into a compelling character. Her determination to overthrow a corrupt system makes her cause easy to get behind, but her methods can be another matter. With Rhea holding such a tight leash over everything, Edelgard is forced to make some unconventional allies, which leads her down dangerous paths.
Whether or not Edelgard is right to compromise her morals to see her battles won is an aspect of the character that makes her memorable. She doesn’t make such choices lightly, repeatedly seen carrying the destruction her campaigns have wrought with genuine sorrow. But she sees the pain she causes as momentary while allowing the church’s stranglehold to endure as unending.
The depth of this female lead’s choices grows with multiple playthroughs. When the player sides against Edelgard, she seems to be nothing but a villain. Experiencing only Edelgard’s wrath and losing the context that unleashes it creates a far different image of the character. This ability to view the character through numerous lenses helps players explore her, letting them make a fuller judgment for themselves.
Whether right or wrong, Edelgard’s convictions, strength, and willingness to face the harsh truths of her world solidify her place on this list of female video game characters.
2) Lara Croft
First Appearance: Tomb Raider (1996)
The first fully realized female video character to lead a series, Lady Lara Croft has been many things to many people. While controversy dogged her early days, Lara has been a benchmark for female protagonists. Her personality has been more fully explored than most, between an unending stream of games, movies, and even a recent animated series. As gaming’s depictions of its characters have evolved, so has this female lead.
In her most recent game outings, developer Crystal Dynamics sought to explore the early years of Lara’s adventures, before she became the confident tomb raider players know. While this grittier take on Lara wasn’t universally loved, it did deepen the character, making who she eventually becomes all the more powerful.
The depth the character is taken to its most powerful iteration in her last outing, Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Believing her close friend Jonah has been killed, Lara Croft slips into a fit of rage that sees her gun down scores of Unity troops and even a helicopter. When the silence finally settles, she scans the area, realizing what she has done. The ramifications of her violence settle in on her, allowing the character to explore an element of combat rarely acknowledged in video games: the trauma and remorse that follow.
This willingness to let Lara Croft feel the weight of what she has done, even questioning whether or not she’s simply making things worse, separates her from many of her contemporaries. Gaming narratives that follow sequences of brutal violence with scenes of quippy one-liners and bravado have often been criticized for their lack of tonal cohesion. And fairly so. Lara Croft does not get such an easy out. She confronts the hard truths and accepts what she has done. Making her eventual triumph all the more extraordinary, knowing that she is willing to carry that weight.
1) Yuna
First Appearance: Final Fantasy X (2001)
Yuna making it on our top list of female video game characters should be no surprise. The only child of High Summoner Braska, Yuna was destined to shoulder the weight of Spira on her back. However, she proves she has the strength to carry such expectations and can face much more. A wedding she doesn’t want and sacrifices she is loathe to make are all examples of how this character’s strength can endure all trials set before her. And yet, this strength isn’t her most significant trait. Her unending kindness and adaptability surpass it.
Despite the perpetual sorrow destined to culminate in her death, Yuna never fails to be kind to those around her. She cherishes life and wants her story to be filled with laughter. Her kindness reflects her certainty in who she is and what she does, which makes her final trait all the more commendable.
While her kindness is a central element, her adaptability takes her from being a well-rounded, excellently executed protagonist and rockets her to the top of this list. People can rarely face painful changes that throw everything they have loved and cared about into doubt and not flinch from what has to be done. Yuna manages to do just that.
When the religion her father gave his life for is shown to be a lie, Yuna doesn’t hesitate to discard it in favor of a new course that may save her world. Her willingness to embrace a harsh truth rather than cling to sweet lies makes her one of the most inspirational characters gaming has ever created.
Through painful setbacks and adverse challenges, Yuna always thinks of others first. Her virtues create an unequalled mix of steel-hard nerves and soft kindness in her. She stands out for what character can represent and inspire, calling us to be stronger and kinder so our world can weather the calamities it faces.
These female video game characters bring strength, determination, kindness, and honesty to their narratives. They challenge and inspire those who share their stories to grow and learn about themselves. And in the end, above all else, that is what makes them noteworthy.
Do you disagree with us? Do you have a recommendation that would be a perfect fit for this list? Let us know on Bluesky at @butwhytho.net.
