Mayday (No Straight Roads)

The energetic, hyper, and outspoken-to-a-fault one-half of Bunk Bed Junction is part of the reason why people keep trucking on with No Straight Roads. Once she has her mind made up, there’s little that can stop her.

Aerith (Final Fantasy VII Remake)

This 2020 version of Aerith is the best version of a fantasy game archetype. She has spunk. She has her vulnerable moments. She helps Cloud out when he’s in a pickle. She’s great with kids. She even buddies up well with her supposed rival Tifa (who won by default back in 1997).

Faith (Mirror’s Edge)

Mirror’s Edge’s protagonist may only have a few words, she showcases her talent for being the universe’s version of package deliverers by doing a lot of death-defying parkour. She’s made to put down the corrupt government and sticks up for the weak.

Whichever version of the game you’re playing, be it the one in 2008 or the reboot in 2016, you’ll have a ball of a time living out the adventures of this acrobatic courier-slash-ass-kicker.

Samus Aran (Metroid series)

The biggest twist of the original Metroid on NES ended up being the most iconic female representation in gaming history. From there onwards, Samus ends up being the best at what she does in-game: navigating complex mazes, collecting power-ups that turn her into a ball to squeeze through tight spaces, shoot the everliving crap out of space pirates and aliens with her arm cannon, missiles, and Screw Attack.

She’s still kinda crap at her assigned job though. After all, aren’t bounty hunters suppose to keep their marks alive?

Cate Archer (No One Lives Forever series)

This one’s for you old-school PC gamers out there. No One Lives Forever lead Cate Archer proves that female leads don’t need to ditch their femininity to be taken seriously. She’s a hybrid between James Bond and Austin Powers main lead archetypes, meaning she can quite happily mix the light-hearted stuff with more serious terrorist-fragging.

By more modern gaming standards, No One Lives Forever is a little hammy. But really, that’s part of the series’ charm back then and even now, in a sea full of serious shooters that take themselves too seriously.

Elaine Marley (Monkey Island series)

The wife of Guybrush Threepwood is unlike her counterpart. She’s brave, she takes charge, and fights for injustice as a former governess. Heck, she never did see Guybrush as nothing more than a flight of fancy until about three games in. Even when she is supposedly kidnapped by antagonist ghost pirate LeChuck, she still gets out of a jam through her own accord and fights again.

In the early 90s when strong video game women were few and far between, she breaks the mould by being a resilient woman who just so happens to eventually fall for Guybrush’s goofy charms. Opposites do attract, that.

April Ryan (The Longest Journey, Dreamfall)

If you want another good example of great adventure game heroines, look no further than the talented April Ryan.

Her journey (heh) from young and inexperienced wannabe to an “Aragorn type” badass in her debut adventure games is the reason why Funcom got placed on the games industry map. While not as physically able like Lara Croft, she makes up for it with her psychological traits and her brains.

Aya (Assassin’s Creed Origin)

The better half of AC: Origin’s power couple. While Bayek has his adventures and stars in the game, it’s Aya who has a more interesting story to share.

It’s sad that they broke up due to their conviction to the mission (or lack thereof if we’re talking Bayek). But still, the test of marriage and how they deal with their personal loss is portrayed in the best light possible in the game. Even when you know Aya is leaving to form her own Order of Assassins, you buy into their chemistry from start to finish, though mostly it’s led by Aya.

Senua (Hellblade series)

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice makes you vulnerable, no matter how strong the main character Senua is. Her mind is always unravelling and we get to see her thoughts and everything that plagues and clouds her judgment. But we feel for her, and thus we go through her adventure/pilgrmage while trying to keep herself sane.

Senua is a window into living with a mental illness, and for that, she becomes a strong female character by overcoming her trials.

Chun-Li (Street Fighter series)

Capcom’s strongest woman Chun-Li in the world isn’t the first woman to grace fighting games. That honour goes to Yie Ar Kung Fu’s Star and Fan.

However, she is the first playable and most iconic of the lot. No other female pulls off a blue cheongsam and graceful kempo very well. Plus, she pulled off such a strong impression onto the crowd and fighting game fans, that she ends up cameo’ing in every Capcom game possible while also being whitelisted for guest crossover games like the Marvel Vs Capcom series and Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo.

Commander Shepard (Mass Effect series)

We’ve saved our cheat card for last. Whether Shepard is male or female, they both showcase strength and endurance amidst the face of adversity, bad press, betrayals, and deaths. He/she will just press on and not cower in the face of danger, and regardless of gender, Shepard is a proper game hero we can all look up to.

Having said that, FemShepard wins out because Jennifer Hale’s delivery and conviction for the role sealed the deal for us to play the trilogy through a badass woman’s perspective. Plus, even the most straight of us couldn’t resist the allure of alien ass like Garrus and Thane.

There are way too many strong independent women in gaming to list down here, so obviously, we can’t list ALL of them. If there’s a glaring omission, do tell us. Or talk about your favourite female character(s) in video games either here or on our Facebook page.