From the most cartoony to the most realistic settings, plenty of games exist with prominent female characters. They may be leaders, main characters, valuable supporting cast, or opponents that make the game we’re playing worthwhile. Whether they be obstacles or someone to help us overcome them, there are plenty of iconic females in video games that make the title much more enjoyable. Most of these games wouldn’t be the same without them, so here are our best female characters from all across the gaming landscape.
20. Isabelle from Animal Crossing
With Isabelle, it would be easier to run any island or town very efficiently. While most gamers today may know her as a helping paw that assists in Animal Crossing New Horizons, you may also know her from the 3DS, where she first appeared in New Leaf. She was as helpful and dear as she currently is in New Horizons and actually had a lot more mechanics resting on her shoulders back during New Leaf.
Related: Best Female Pokemon Heroes From The Video Games & Why They Are Amazing
19. Miss Pauling from Team Fortress 2
Miss Pauling is the middle-woman for contracts in TF2 if you care for those sorts of things. If not, she’s a notable character in the comics and in the numerous animations that TF2 has officially bound to its name. She’s a somewhat titular character, always busy arranging and cleaning up after the affairs of Team Red as the voice of reason.
More or less, Miss Pauling is the handler for this gaggle of mercenaries, having to keep them in line to make sure they don’t kill the wrong guys while out on missions. She’s also a love interest for Scout, something that’s been in development for many years, in both animations and in the comics. There is no confession or strides yet, but that’s what slow burn means.
18. Jessie from Pokemon Yellow
The Pokemon show wouldn’t be the same without Jessie, James, and Meowth, that’s for sure. Despite their popularity in the anime, though, they only have two significant appearances in the games for whatever reason. Still, it’s enough to make waves because in what world would Jessie and James not get noticed? They appear briefly in Pokemon Yellow and Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee; being Trainers, you can fight on your adventure. Her attitude and iconic look firmly place her as one of the most recognizable women in the Pokemon series, which is saying something.
17. Cynthia from Pokemon Platinum
Cynthia is another woman in the Pokemon series that’s no doubt recognizable, especially if you’ve played Pokemon Platinum. Garachomp is an ace to be feared, especially if you have any Dragon types in your roster. Defensive Pokemon beware because her Pokemon all pack a punch, one so notable that some fans still regard her as one of the toughest Trainers to face in the entire series. Even seeing her just chilling in an area as an overworld sprite gives some people chills.
16. Celebi from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
If you’ve played Explorers of Sky, you know that Celebi is one of the main characters that’s from the future. She is a companion to Grovyle and one of the few people always in his corner, even after the Pokemon from the past rejected him concerning the fate of the world. For being a legendary Pokemon in a dying world, she’s a unique character in the series, helping Grovyle travel back in time to steal the Time Gears and help prevent a fated end of the world. She’s also shiny, the only one you ever meet in the series.
15. Bianca from Pokemon Black
Bianca is the well-mannered young Trainer you meet in the beginning of Pokemon Black and White. At first, appearing quite clumsy and ditzy, Bianca is the easier out of the two rivals that you have, between her and Cheren. However, she’s no pushover, progressively getting stronger along with you as the game marches on. Depending on which starter you choose, she has great starter Pokemon and hard hitters like Chandelure and Stoutland.
14. Uthgerd the Unbroken from Skyrim
While Lydia is certainly a useful companion, the ones you earn along the way tend to be way cooler. One of the most hearty companions you can recruit comes from a simple exchange. If you beat Uthgerd in a fistfight, she’ll join you to travel the world. Earning her respect remains an iconic moment in Skyrim for many players, and she’s more fun to have around than someone whose job it is to be your companion. With Uthgerd, you’re actually companions out on the road.
13. The Handler from Monster Hunter World
Like Miss Pauling, great mercenaries require great handlers to ensure they don’t get killed. The one from Monster Hunter World is a crowd favorite, with a sunshine-filled personality that matches her concern for you and your hunts. She always makes sure you have your gear, quests, and objectives in order, being a character that’s around from the beginning of the game to the end, no matter what big, world-ending, monster-shaped threats pop up along the way.
12. Sadie Adler from Red Dead Redemption 2
Sadie Adler is one of the most resilient characters you meet in Red Dead Redemption 2. When you first meet her, she has just experienced the loss of her husband and is devastated. Throughout the story, from that point on, you watch her transform from her wounded state into a confident bounty hunter, the difference eventually being like night and day.
11. Susie from Deltarune
Susie is a lizard character that appears not in Undertale but in Deltarune exclusively. In the Dark world, she wields an axe that matches her fiery personality. Susie is tough, relatively unforgiving, and sometimes rash to make decisions when emotionally pointed in the right direction. At first, she seems to be an antagonist, not joining the team for real until the very end of Chapter 1. However, after that, she’s a fast friend who will venture into the Dark world with Kris as often as she can for the adventure and thrill of it.
10. Toriel from Undertale
Toriel is the loving goat mom that you meet at the beginning of Undertale. Her name is meant to sound like ‘tutorial,’ which is a handy pun since she provides the tutorial for the game. She’s a caring character who wants nothing more than for the main character, you, to stay safe. She’ll even fight you over the ordeal, which is apparent at the end of the tutorial, and, depending on your motives, will either become a character you meet later or one that you leave in the dust.
9. Amy Rose from Sonic the Hedgehog
Amy Rose is the cute, pink hedgehog member of the core four, the other three being Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. She’s a hedgehog full of positivity and love, mainly for Sonic. There are many games where Amy Rose is playable, but in most of the titles where she appears, she acts as a significant support role for the adventures of Sonic. More often than not, she’s the heart of the group, bringing in the voice of reason to help accommodate Sonic’s reckless behavior.
8. Beatrix Lebeau from Slime Rancher
Beatrix Lebeau is the main character of Slime Rancher, a resilient woman who goes out into the depths of space for new fortune. She’s a wrangler of slimes, one that builds a slime farm and decorates it as they see fit. According to her character information via letters, she almost had a relationship back on Earth before she left for the Far Far Range. If that relationship continued, though, it’d have to be long distance. Really, really long distance.
7. Marina from Splatoon 2
Marina is the second member of Off the Hook, a prominent band in Splatoon 2 responsible for the Inkopolis News. She’s a co-host alongside her band partner, Pearl, and provides much of the background work for processing and editing their songs together. She’s a technological wiz, having once been an Octarian soldier that worked on defense mechanisms for their cause. Since hearing the Calimari Inkantation by Marie and Callie however, she has emerged a changed ceph, one that no longer believes in war between the two peoples.
6. Meemee from Super Monkey Ball
Meemee is the counterpart to AiAi in Super Monkey Ball. She’s one of the few female characters you can play in the game. She shares a lot of parallels with Amy from Sonic the Hedgehog, being a voice of reason throughout the story mode, keeping AiAI out of trouble, and helping ensure that the big bad guy, Doctor Bad Boon, doesn’t win.
5. Asuka the Swordswoman from Shiren the Wanderer Gaiden
Asuka the Swordswoman is the main character from Shiren the Wanderer Gaiden. The game stars a female protagonist for the first time, one that is like Shiren in almost every way aside from gender. She shares Shiren’s skills, being an excellent swordswoman, wanderer, and adventurer. Going wherever the wind takes her, she’s a free spirit, wandering around and getting stronger as she solves locals’ problems as she runs into them. She’s resilient and skilled, being Shiren’s equal in every way, even though these two never meet in canon.
4. Frye from Splatoon 3
Frye is a character introduced in Splatoon 3, the only squid member of Deep Cut. She’s a sprightly squid, sporting yellow tentacles and cute but sharp fangs. As a member of Deep Cut, she’s a bandit, just like the rest of them. She also boasts a great singing voice, one that she uses as part of the band.
3. Harley Quinn from Arkham Asylum
Harley Quinn is the lover of the Joker, one who helps in his infamous escape from Arkham Asylum. Throughout the Arkham games where she appears, she undergoes many versions of her design, all of which are themed surrounding her own harlequin style. Her love for the Joker seems to know no bounds, as she is willing to sacrifice life, limb, and even sanity for his cause. She’s a dedicated character, one who is useful for the Joker’s notions and needs, right down to the traps and obstacles she sets for Batman to overcome.
2. Lyn from Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade
Lyn is the main character in Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade. She’s an excellent swordswoman, being one of the most capable units in the game aside from just a few others that you can obtain down the line. Main character armor has no place with Lyn, as she comes across plenty of dangers that can take her out of your game if you make the wrong decisions. In-universe, she’s a strong character who is capable of making quick decisions for the betterment of her allies, being one of the few to successfully take down a dragon in the main story.
1. Mirai from Tangledeep
Mirai is the main protagonist of Tangledeep. An adventurer at heart, Mirai is capable of performing under many classes, one that you choose at the beginning of the game. She can be a rogue, a fighter, a wizard, or whatever else you choose to represent your run at the start of the game. Her backstory, however, is always the same: she is a curious adventurer who will stop at nothing to see what rests at the bottom of Tangledeep.
