Heroines in gaming are a strange thing aren’t they? Through my own experience I have seen two types: a) a damsel in distress who can’t seem to do much apart form getting abducted by the game’s antagonist and b) some tough chick sexed up to the fact that they will shoot the balls off any bloke who as so much says hello.
But I don’t buy to any of that rubbish. I prefer to see things not in black and white but in shades of grey. So today, I present a list of gaming heroines who for some reason or another left an impression on me. All of these heroines I like but for different reasons: Some look gorgeous and some have strength of character whilst others, in my eyes, set benchmarks for other heroines to follow.
Furthermore, I want to set a personal challenge: Make a list of gaming heroines without mentioning the star of the Tomb Raider games (Geez, you think she was the only gaming heroine in town).
So let’s get going: This is my favourite gaming heroines.
11. Jill Valentine (Resident Evil series)
When you’re running from a zombie horde you’d most certainly want someone watching your back. Someone who’s hardened from experience and knows exactly what to do. And looking good whilst doing it doesn’t hurt either.
I have enjoyed Jill’s progression throughout the Resident Evil series, seeing her go from a rookie police officer and becoming more battle hardened with each encounter. She displays some noble virtues (as befit her profession) as well as confidence, intelligence, the usage of handguns and concern for the welfare of the people around her.
But I can’t pretend: As Resident Evil 3 pointed out, Jill has the looks to kill. Sure some people may hold up Tomb Raider as being an inspiration for this but Jill has a degree of drop-dead gorgeousness all her own. How she manages to survive such a nasty situation whilst in a tube top, mini skirt and knee high boots is beyond me. Maybe the clothes give her zombie resistant powers? I don't know.
But taste in clothes aside, if you ever wanted someone to watch your back in a zombie apocalypse, I will take Jill any day. And if many female gamers can find inspiration in this character then something must have worked.
10. Morrigan Aensland (Darkstalkers series)
I have a soft spot for Morrigan: If anything, she was the first crush I had on a fictional character. In a stunning example of sex selling, I played the arcade game and selected her character through that her presence in the attract sequence that lingers longer than what one would consider to be healthy (keep in mind I was thirteen at the time).
And how could one refuse? Morrigan is a triumph in character design, boasting a figure to die for, anime eyes and hair, and sexiness oozing from every pore. A succubus by nature, her intentions are made clear right from the start that you’d have to wonder why you’d want to resist.
However, once you reach adulthood, you realise that once upon a time you were young and dumb: You see, I realised that once you get past Morrigan’s figure there’s really not much to her. Her character is quite unremarkable coming across more as a bratty teenager, eschewing responsibility in favour of going out and having fun (I thought about inserting a Paris Hilton joke here but felt it too obvious). For this reason, Morrigan has been regulated to the bottom end of this list.
But there’s no denying it: In terms of sexy characters, Morrigan comes out on top – I mean why settle for natural beauty when unnatural/demonic beauty has so much to offer?
9. Mrs Pacman (Mrs Pacman)
This may seem an unusual choice in this list. Sure Mrs Pacman may not have much going on in the looks department but she more than makes up for it in the strength of her character – a flipside to Morrigan if you will. Indeed, there is a lot to admire in Mrs Pacman’s character with her being a devoted wife, a loving mother and being courageous enough to head into areas more dangerous than the one’s her husband visited. Such noble qualities certainly don’t appear often in female characters in more recent games – but maybe they don’t need to because Mrs. Pacman got it right the first time around. She was the first icon the female gamers could cheer for and a true inspiration – even to the point of using her status to promote breast cancer awareness.
8. Samus Aran (Metroid series)
The courageous bounty hunter herself. She may not be as sexualised as a lot of her contemporaries but in my eyes that makes her all the better for it.
Strong and independent with a sense of adventure and a degree of compassion strong enough to compel her to rescue yellow rodents that shoot out electrical bolts (if Super Smash Brothers Brawl is to be believed). Much like Jill, Samus is definitely someone who you’d want watching your back. But, unlike Jill, Samus has a more practical dress sense. And a gun for an arm - How can you see no to that?!
But the reason I like Samus is that she provides a connection: Playing Super Metroid, the sense of atmosphere provides a sense that you, the player, are all alone on a planet that is trying to stop this intruder called Samus. You really feel that you want to survive this hostile environment. You really feel you want to find the next upgrade that will open new places to explore. You really want Samus to find the Metroid and stop Ridley, and get off this freaky planet!
And all of this accomplished without showing an inch of bare skin! See? It can be done!
7. Ada Wong (Resident Evil series)
Much like Morrigan, Ada certainly has the sexiness down pat. And like Jill, she maintains the RE tradition of having a female character who can look great and kick some serious arse whilst doing so.
Aside from the whole temptress thing she has going, what endeared me to Ada was her rather compelling characterization: When introduced in RE2, she teams up with Leon Kennedy - only to be revealed to be a spy trying to claim the G4 virus. She gets shot but manages to survive to make a return in RE4. Therein she again crosses paths with Leon whilst pursuing her own agenda, and subsequently alternates between being an ally and a potential adversary. Indeed, it is unfortunate that RE4 ended the way it did becuase I for one would like see what happens to her in the future and whether or not she will cross paths with Leon again....
Ultimately, I really Ada becuase she is courageous, independent and not afraid to back down from danger - yet such strengths are balanced out with a questionable honesty, a sense of loyalty that tends to change like the weather and instances where she needs to be rescued by Leon. Yep, a well-realized character who has the looks to match. Good for her!
Plus, how she is able to run from the zombies in those high heels is an achievement in itself.
6. Commander Shepard (Mass Effect)
Okay so I’m cheating a bit seeing as Commander Shepard can be a male character as well but ultimately I prefer Femshep. So why does she get the nod? Three reasons:
1. The beauty of Commander Shepard is seeing the evolution of a character: Throughout the course of the game(s) Commander Shepard is faced with various choices: Some may alter the course of the narrative whilst others reveal Shepard’s preferred way of solving problems. Such choices help define the character and it’s indeed pleasing to see the pay-off later in the game – whether through altering the universe permanently or seeing how the other characters react to Shepard’s reputation.
2. Unlike her male counterpart, there is something refreshing about seeing a woman don the power armour and having a go at saving the universe. Seeing as space marines in gaming are usually defined by scowling meataxes, usually with more balls than brains, it is a welcome change to see a woman step into the field. And strangely enough, where as the males would their actions written off as macho, the woman, who is doing the same things, suddenly comes across as more heroic and courageous. For this reason Femshep is special.
3. And a sterling performance from voice actor Jennifer Hale doesn’t hurt either.
5. Freya Crescent (Final Fantasy 9)
And here we have the very first Final Fantasy heroine to this list (but not the last I can assure you). Yep, when it comes to finding out compelling female heroines, you can't go past the Final Fantasy series. Sure some of the heroines throughout the series may come across as being helpless and unable to do things until the protagonist shows his mug but when Final Fantasy decides to present a heroine who does things differently, you can't help but sit up and take notice.
Which brings me to Freya. She may be an unusual choice to this list - she is after all a six foot rat - but appearances aside, she has to be, perhaps, the most well-realised heroine in the entire series. When other FF heroines/love interests seemed to following the same template, Freya represented a watershed: She is independent in spirit but noble in heart. She is efficient in combat but holds an aura of tragedy. She never needs rescuing but is seeking her lost lover. She is in love but never shows such interest in Zidane. She eventually finds her man but things don't look that good for the future. So I tip my hat off to Square for putting such a lot of thought into the character - it is such attention to detail that places Freya as my favorite knight in the entire series.
And if that isn't enough when I played FF9, I used Freya a lot due to her annoying habit of saving the day in the battles - seriously, I lost count how many times she dealt the killing blow when things were at their bleakest! In any case, you can't do better than that.
4. Jahiera (Baldur's Gate series)
So far in this list I have mentioned some faces that may come across as familiar to lists like these. So the inclusion of Jahiera from Baldur’s Gate may come across as something of a surprise. So why Jahiera? Well, much like Freya, it is little do with appearances but instead the way her character was realised through the progression of the game.
I will admit that when I was first introduced to Jahiera in Baldur’s Gate 1, I was unimpressed. To me she came across as a crabby, anti-authority crank who was just fighting for the sake of it. Additionally, she had an unusual choice of husband with Khalid who seemed far too timid to be hanging around Jahiera, let alone married to! (Maybe it was her acid-tongue that made him so jumpy?)
All of that changes however with the sequel: She is one of the first companions you come across but even then, the change is immediately evident: Through her voice, Jahiera, whilst still retaining the sexy Russian accent, now comes across as being a lot more mellow. But it isn’t long afterward that it is revealed that Khalid is dead – and thus begins a long journey where Jahiera has to overcome the death of her husband and gradually move on. It is through the romantic sub-plot that we see an emotional vulnerability hiding behind the brash exterior – and seeing as Jahiera’s romantic sub-plot is the longest and most complex of the three potential sub-plots, it thus becomes the most satisfying of them all. Indeed, it is compelling to see a grouch, slowly but surely, open up to reveal an emotional side one never thought possible.
That and anyone who can heal my warrior and transform into a bear in combat is fine by me.
3. Yuna (Final Fantasy X)
The face of Final Fantasy X also happens to be one of my favorite heroines. First impressions reveal a character who shows a lot of thoughtfulness going into her design: Her clothes are simple (when compared to the other people of Spira) but the white and blue kimono thing she has going is nice – I particularly love the subtle details like the floral design on the dress, the bead structure/earring and the chain beads that hang from her waist – coloured in a way that mirror the crystals from Final Fantasy 1. Also, I liked her different coloured eyes and I thought her short hair made her stand out from other gaming heroines.
Whilst Yuna looks great, her real strength comes from, once again, a well-realised complexity to her character. Indeed, when I was playing through FFX, it was indeed interesting to see Yuna, the driving force of nearly all of the game, through the eyes of someone else (that someone else being Tidus). As such, it made for a great perspective to see the character of Yuna evolve in the manner akin to a character study and more is gradually revealed of her as the game continues to moves forward. Who is Yuna? Why is she going on this pilgrimage? Indeed, it is that sense of mystique and the need to find out more that urges the player onward.
As the game progresses Yuna grows through a lot of personal growth, displaying a wide range of emotions – all of which is conveyed whilst hiding a dark side of her eventual fate and the acceptance of its inevitability. Indeed, it is credit to the game designers to have a character go through so much over such a long period of time and subsequently build up a substantial connection with the player.
So yes, Yuna may have won me over with the looks, but it was her personal growth that endeared me to her. And let us not forget, she does have a really good singing voice.
Also, having a powerful magic stat and the ability to summon aeons doesn’t hurt either.
2. Princess Zelda (Legend of Zelda series)
Perhaps the most enigmatic candidate in this list: She was introduced in the first Legend of Zelda game as a MacGuffin: It was her name appearing in the title and she only appeared at the very end of the game, but everything else happening in the game resting on Link’s stalwart shoulders. So what is the appeal of Princess Zelda when it’s Link’s fate that’s being guided by the player?
Easy: It’s what we don’t know.
Right from the beginning, Princess Zelda is established as being important to the game: It is her name in the title and she is a princess who has been captured by the persistent baddie Ganon/Ganondorf. Strangely enough, that is all the player needs to know: Zelda is important and there’s good enough reason to go rescue her. Aside from that, not much else is established about the princess but there’s no need. Indeed, it is the aura of mystery that the Princess herself holds that certainly makes the challenge of rescuing her one worth rising up to. One could say they want to rescue just because they want to know more about her! And as the series has progressed, that sense of mystery has manifested in interesting ways with Zelda being the embodiment of Triforce of Wisdom and the introduction of her alter ego Shiek. Indeed, the mystique is such a strong idea that a Zelda game without Zelda just …well……wouldn’t be Zelda.
In addition, there is indeed a lot to like about Princess Zelda: She looks gorgeous (particularly in her Wii incarnations), she is of royalty, she is powerful in magic as well as capable in using the sword and bow, and she’s intelligent, courageous & shown to be a wise ruler who is deeply concerned for the welfare of her subjects.
So in the end, is this a face worth travelling across an ocean of time for? HELL YES!
And my number one favorite video game heroine is.....
1. Aerith Gainsborough (Final Fantasy 7)
Cue the necrophilia jokes.
But seriously, I rank Aerith Gainsborough as my favourite gaming heroine. I have mentioned above characters that have won me over through looks, personality or a sense of mystique – but with Aerith, all of these elements come together to produce a compelling whole.
I think the most compelling aspect of the flower girl is that she is built on the idea of gentleness. A gentleness that is evident with her personality and her character design. Sure it may make her eventual fate all the more emotionally despairing but I honestly find the idea of gentleness a welcome one. In video gaming, we see female characters who are either sexed up, packing big guns, militaristic feminist or just being unable to do anything until the player character shows up. So in my mind, having a female character of a gentle nature is in a way refreshing.
The gentleness is pretty much in her design and Aerith looks nothing short of beautiful. She may not look like much in the original FF7 PS1 graphics but what she has gets enhanced tremendously in Advent Children and she looks wonderful. The hair looks great, the pink dress looks great and special mention must go to the most memorable aspect of Aerith: Her eyes. As indicated in the image above, she has the finest eyes CGI has ever produced.
Her multi-faceted personality is also a delight: Aerith accomplishes a lot in her time, through being a lonely soul, a positive influence, a source of cheerfulness, a courageous fighter, a damsel in distress, before being the only one who can make Cloud smile. She exhibits various emotions from angry, happy, witty, flirty, encouraging and brave. It is also interesting to see how a flower girl in the slums eventually becomes the key to saving the world. The healing-based limit breaks were also helpful too!
Okay so yes she may have a big hole in her chest (and may also be a bit wet) but Aerith certainly has a lot going for her – enough to secure her the number position in my list of favourite video game heroines.
It’s just a shame that she’s dead.
As well as being a fictional character. XD
Anyho, I hope you enjoyed this list of gaming heroines I like and how they made an impression on me. We all have our tastes - you just now know mine.
And no, you can't have the time spent reading this post back *maniacal laughter*
