With Ubisoft in the news for a statement one of their executives allegedly made saying “women don’t sell” in regards to the idea that the next Assassin’s Creed game could feature a female lead character I figured it was a good time to write something showing them just how wrong they are.
This won’t be a definitive list of every awesome female video game character, just some of the ones that stand out to me personally and they are not in any ranked order of any kind just listing them as I think of them, anyways let’s get to it.
Metroid
One of the earliest games to feature a female protagonist just happens to be one of the most important games in gaming history. Right from the original Nintendo Entertainment System down to the Switch, Metroid has been part of every generation of Nintendo Systems except for the N64 and Wii U and has solidified itself as one of the great classics and you know what? The main character that you control, that bad ass space warrior…Her name is Samus and she’s a woman who seemingly does sell…The Metroid series has sold over 17 million copies worldwide..and that’s just the first of many Ubisoft.
Tomb Raider
The first Tomb Raider game was released in 1996 for PC, PlayStation and Sega Saturn and it would introduce Lara Croft to gamers everywhere, although it might have got attention for the wrong reasons, I mean we were 13 and there were boobs bouncing, give us a break…but Lara Croft has since become a video game icon and is partially credited with normalizing female protagonists somewhat. The Tomb Raider series has spawned a total of 23 games across multiple platforms and even got it’s own movie franchise starring Angelina Jolie and a reboot on top of that…women don’t sell huh Ubisoft? Millions and millions of copies sold and the first film adaptation grossed over $270 million.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Released in 2017 for Playstation and Windows to critical acclaim Horizon Zero Dawn features a complex multifaceted protagonist named Aloy who is voiced by voice actress Ashley Burch. The game was praised by critics and sold over 10 million copies by 2019, it also won numerous awards. It is one of the best selling PS4 games of all time and has a sequel slated to be released in 2021.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrafice
Released in 2017 on PS4 and Windows and then later on on Xbox and Switch Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrafice may not have sold quite as many as other games on this list but it was a work of art and a beautiful game and story. The game’s story is a methaphor for psychosis and you hear voices in Senua’s head as she journeys through the game. It may not be the top selling game of all time but not too many people had anything bad to say about it and it did sell over a million copies across all platforms and there’s a sequel on the way which was announced in 2019.
Bayonetta
Released in 2019 for pretty much every platform Bayonetta features one of the most bad ass, long legged , take no shit from anyone female characters out there. She’s great with guns, can kick your ass with her hair, has magical attacks and can shapeshift, you can’t really get more awesome. The game was nominated for a slew of accolades and has two sequels with one released in 2017 and the third one is in development for the Nintendo Switch. look at that Ubisoft yet another women who has sold over a million copies.
The Last Of Us 2
I would include the first game here as well except you really barely play as Ellie and she relies on Joel for so much it kind of defeats the point of this whole list but in the second game, which was just released recently you play as either Ellie or Abby through the whole game and they are both forces of nature when it comes to surviving, lots of people aren’t too keen on Abby because of what happens in the story line but you can’t deny that she’s a powerhouse and not some weak representation of women. Regardless of the controversy the game has been getting since release the sales don’t lie, it is one of the best selling PS4 games of all time and sold over 4 million copies in it’s opening weekend.
Resident Evil
Back in 1996 the survival horror genre was born with the release of Resident Evil and although the games do feature Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield it’s really Jill Valentine that is the true badass of the franchise. the series was praised for featuring a female character without sexualizing her in some way and portraying her as just as capable as her male counterparts if not more so. She is considered one of the most iconic video game characters of all time and is featured in numerous Resident Evil games as well as making guest appearances in games like Street fighter and Project X Zone.
The Walking Dead/Telltale Games
Although in the first game you rely mostly on Lee to get through the game the sequels all feature Clementine, a Young girl we got to see grow into a survivor and learn how to get by from her kind of surrogate dad Lee. She is a strong female character who has to make some very tough choices throughout the series. she may not be some space warrior or kung fu expert or anything but she is badass in her own way. If I was in a zombie apocalypse I would want someone as capable as her by my side. One of my favorite video game characters of all time.
I’m gonna stop here, I know I’ve loeft plenty out but I feel I’ve added enough to make my point, Ubisoft is wrong and women do sell games, even when you don’t sexualize them…That kind of thinking is just going to lose you business Ubisoft.
What are your thoughts? Who is your favorite Female video game character of all time?
Let us know in the comments 🙂
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The Listerzine 
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