Video games are known for their core concepts, gameplay, and memorable protagonists. With International Women’s Day gracing our calendars on March 8, we felt like it’d be more than appropriate to spotlight some of our favorite female protagonists in video games.
While creating this list, we were surprised at how quickly it all came together. We tried our best to keep it short and easy to follow, but with so many incredible options to choose from, it felt nearly impossible to do anything other than fit all 15 of our favorites on this list. This is the way.
Without further ado, here’s a closer look at 15 of our favorite female video game protagonists!
Our favorite female protagonists in video games
© Crystal Dynamics
1. Lara Croft
Let’s start with one of the most obvious choices when it comes to badass female protagonists, Lara Croft.
While a series like Tomb Raider could easily have found itself buried beneath the sands of time due to its general similarities to concepts like Indiana Jones, Lara Croft’s persona helped elevate the franchise and give it an identity of its own.
Now, you can’t think of Tomb Raider without first visualizing Lara Croft. That’s how powerful her presence really is. Is there anything Lara Croft can't do at this point? The answer is no, probably not.
2. Samus Aran
Similar to Lara Croft, Samus Aran is on just about everyone’s list of top female video game characters, and for good reason.
When Metroid first released, the true identity of Samus was kept hidden, allowing gamers to cultivate a love for the character based on her individual merits rather than appearance, and there are a lot of merits.
She’s not just strong, she’s also compassionate and empathetic as emphasized by her actions towards a little Metroid hatchling in Metroid II. It takes a lot to blast through enemies, but even more to know when to put your weapon down and do the right thing.
3. Bayonetta
The world would be a much darker place if we didn’t have Bayonetta. While the first thing most people notice is how relentlessly sexy she is, there’s a lot more to Bayonetta than sexiness alone.
Like Samus and her compassion towards an innocent Metroid hatchling, Bayonetta shows a motherly sense of responsibility as well after stumbling across a child by the name of Cereza.
We won’t spoil the rest, but the story gets weird. Really weird.
Yes, Bayonetta is over-the-top powerful, sexy, and cool. That much is obvious. If you look past her sexy surface, you'll see that she’s also a multidimensional character with a wealth of depth and personality.
4. Aloy
Aloy’s childhood was far from easy due to her status as an outcast. Rather than let it beat her down, she uses it as motivation to get stronger. At first, Aloy wants nothing more than to win the Proving for a chance to become an official Nora.
However, after the Proving is sabotaged by rogue cultists, she pivots and embarks on an epic quest for the truth. Along the way, Aloy has to face off against enemies both human and of the robot dino variety.
No matter the challenge or risk, she never wavers or lets herself become intimidated.
Aloy is a shining example of a character with indomitable inner strength and a strong moral compass and we’re all better off for knowing her. Speaking of knowing her, we’d really love a Horizon Zero Dawn sequel. Pretty please, Guerrilla Games?
5. Jill Valentine - Resident Evil
It takes a lot to be a woman in a field largely dominated by men and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of expectations placed on you to prove yourself. Jill Valentine never lets this sway her.
Jill is not only able to hold her own no matter what’s thrown at her, she possesses a phenomenal sense of determination that helps keep her alive and makes her a valuable asset to those around her.
In the Resident Evil series, it genuinely feels as though there’s nothing Jill can’t do, and we respect the hell out of that. She’s beauty, she’s grace, she shoots zombies in the face.
6. Ellie
Speaking of zombie games, we can’t not mention Ellie from The Last of Us. Despite her young age in the first game (we’ll get to the upcoming sequel in a moment), she’s remarkably balanced and mature.
At 14, Ellie enters the story only having ever known a post-apocalyptic world overrun by fungal monstrosities and human beings with questionable intentions and a desire to survive at all costs.
Despite this, she never allows herself to fall into despair or cynicism, allowing her to retain a wonderful sense of curiosity and spirit. At first glance, it’s easy to underestimate Ellie in combat scenarios, but she’s more than capable of holding her own.
Based on the trailers for The Last of Us Part II, we fully expect to see Ellie’s ability to fend for herself expand even more and we’re absolutely here for it. Kick all the ass, Ellie. All of it!
7. FemShep
When it comes to the Mass Effect series FemShep is our favorite, though it’s worth noting we love both versions of Commander Shepherd. How could we not?
Rather than make her strikingly different from male Shepherd, BioWare allowed FemShep to retain the same sense of honor, diplomacy – and most importantly – sheer badassery.
FemShep is a fan favorite likely because BioWare avoided giving FemShep a gratuitous “female” flair to set her apart. It wouldn’t have made sense to do this given FemShep’s history as an established war veteran and hero.
She doesn’t need to prove herself to anyone or go out of her way to make you like and respect her. She commands that respect naturally. Like male Shepherd, FemShep doesn’t have to bow down or apologize to anyone.
She’s just beautifully, unapologetically herself.
8. Chell
Chell has that Link from The Legend of Zelda thing going on where she doesn't need pages of dialogue to take center stage as one of the most memorable elements of the game series she inhabits.
You can’t think of Portal and not also think of Chell. It’s just not possible. One of the many noteworthy qualities about Chell is her persistence. She’s famously stubborn and refuses to give up on anything, even if it may be in her favor to do so.
Once she sets her sights on something, she sees it through to the very end. Because of this, she’s the perfect person to put GLaDOS in her place and there’s a rewarding push and pull between the two, as well as some nice growth and a fitting resolution at the end of Portal 2.
Again, we don’t want to spoil anything if you haven’t played Portal 1 and 2. All we’ll say – and this is very important – is that the cake is a lie.
9. Amanda Ripley
If a woman has “Ripley” in her name, you better watch out. Well, if you’re an alien at least. Playing upon the established foundation put in place by Ellen Ripley in the famous film series, Alien, is Amanda Ripley in Alien: Isolation.
As the child of the famous Ellen Ripley, there’s a lot riding on Amanda’s shoulders. Fortunately, Creative Assembly did an expert job in crafting a character who’s smart, strong, and independent. Amanda truly is her mother's daughter.
Despite all of the dangers she faces both human and alien, Amanda Ripley keeps calm and carries on. What’s more, Amanda’s tough as nails character was approved by Ellen Ripley herself, Sigourney Weaver.
Having Sigourney Weaver give a thumbs up is high praise for a character that’s definitely more than deserving of it.
10. Senua
Other characters on this list may seem as though they’re perfect and free of flaws, but not Senua. In Hellblade, Senua wears her internal struggle on her sleeve.
Rather than letting the difficult hand she’s been dealt drag her down, she keeps going. No matter what, she always keeps going. In addition to Senua's persistence, we feel it’s important to talk about mental health openly and honestly, and characters like Senua do this beautifully.
Through it all – the voices, the memories, the visual distortion – Senua never wavers in what she’s set out to do. In the end, she is able to overcome her grief and when she stands up and looks out at the horizon at the end of the game, you see a very different version of Senua.
One that projects a sense of untouchability, which makes sense. If she can overcome everything she’s been through over the course of the game, we have no doubt she can overcome just about anything.
11. Clementine
Similar to Ellie from The Last of Us, Clementine is a young character that’s easy to underestimate. You wouldn’t expect such strength and bravery from a child, and yet, Clementine is undoubtedly one of the strongest elements in Telltale’s The Walking Dead.
Despite losing countless people she cares about right in front of her eyes, Clem never lets her warmth and morality waver. Well, mostly... older Clem can be cold when she has to be. And is that wrong? No. She continues to defend those she loves with unbreakable spirit.
She also never fails to stand up for what she believes in. As she grows into a teenager over the course of the series, she does take on more of a hardened edge.
That said, this is based largely on the difficulties she’s had to navigate through as a child in a harsh world full of broken trust. She does what she has to do to survive, even when those actions are incredibly painful, and we respect her all the more for it.
12. Faith Connors
Faith can run circles around her enemies, literally. Mirror’s Edge is a game with a smorgasbord of running, jumping, and general parkour action. Given the first-person perspective, it’s easy to put yourself in Faith’s shoes although her relatability also helps.
She’s got a strong familial loyalty, helping her sister despite how difficult this is, especially towards the end. Faith always maintains a fearless, stubborn, and unwavering edge when it comes to what and who she believes in.
If that’s not enough, Faith also earns cool points for pulling off some truly dangerous physical maneuvers and making it look easy. We wish we could do half of what Faith is able to do in Mirror’s Edge, but sadly, we're not cut out to be Runners. We'll leave that to pros like Faith.
13. Max Caulfield and Chloe Price
Yes, we’ve included two characters from Life is Strange, but both are essential to one another. You could say that Max and Chloe are the yin to each other’s yangs, and they play off one another wonderfully.
Max is caring, compassionate, and level-headed. Meanwhile, Chloe is blunt, realistic, and encouraging.
We also get a bit more backstory about Chloe in the prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm that adds to her inclusion alongside Max here, even though Max is the one who drives the story forward with her ability to turn back time.
Even without supernatural powers, Chloe's phenomenal qualities and memorable presence make her a key element of Life is Strange. It simply wouldn’t be the amazing game that it is without both Max and Chloe.
14. Mae Borowski
We realize this may seem like an odd choice at first, but hear us out. Mae from Night in the Woods starts the game as disillusioned and discontent. She’s at a crossroads in her life and is uncertain where to go or what to do.
She returns to her small hometown and reconnects with her old friends, all of whom have their own issues they’re working through. Night in the Woods is a slow burn, but by the end, you see Mae blossom and come into her own in subtle ways.
She’s less introverted and more certain of who she is. She also begins to recognize that she has more value than she initially gave herself credit for. Mae’s story is surprisingly human, especially for a character that takes the form of a cat with red “nightmare” eyes.
Mae’s strength to grow and change and open herself up to new life experiences more than warrants her inclusion on this list.
15. Aveline de Grandpre
Last, but certainly not least, we have Aveline de Grandpre from Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation. Any list of female protagonists would be woefully complete without Aveline.
Not only is she the first playable female protagonist in Assassin’s Creed and one whose story doesn’t require the use of an Animus, she’s also a complex character with a heart of gold.
Recruited to the Assassin Brotherhood by Agate, Aveline works to disrupt and unravel the seedy underbelly of a slave trafficking operation in New Orleans.
Driven by life experiences and an unshakeable moral compass, Aveline’s adventures in Assassin’s Creed are among our favorites. If you haven’t played Liberation, we highly recommend it!
The 15 female protagonists are just a small taste of what can be found in the realm of video games. If we missed any of your favorites, we’d love for you to share them with us down in the comments below!