Top 10 Toughest Females in Gaming
By Nick Akerman
A
countdown of the memorable women in video games
With Bayonetta strutting
into stores this week, it’s time to take a look at the toughest female
characters gaming has provided gaming with over the years. We’re talking ladies
of steel; the kind that don’t need to be suffering with hormonal pains to rip
your head off. Gone is the insistent need to shop and the power to chat your
body into a vacant boredom – these girls have far more pressing matters to get
on with. By ‘pressing,’ we mean they are out saving the world or imprinting
their high-heels into the faces of cowering men everywhere.
Before we get started, there
is a simple rule for our countdown: only one female character per series is
allowed on the list.
10. Jill Valentine
(Resident Evil series):
Despite her romantic
surname, Jill’s resilience to the threat of the undead is no love lost. Trapped
inside a mansion with hordes of slithering, groaning men, she’s able to pop a
bullet into slumping brains before they close in on her. Jill’s legend stretches
far past being able to dispatch a pack of bloodthirsty dogs or a giant spider
before death arrives, she’s also one hell of a puzzle solver. So much so, fellow
STARS member Barry Burton described her as the “master of unlocking” in her
original adventure.
Despite many men hoping he
was referring to the key to their heart, he of course meant she is rather useful
with a lock pick – something every tough women needs to ensure their dutiful
quest isn’t hindered by a simple door. Even when Jill faces adversary that
cannot be shot down – a crushing ceiling for example – her adeptness at making
it out alive immediately puts her into our top 10.
9. Chun-Li (Street Fighter
series):
As the only female character
on the original Street Fighter II roster, Chun-Li had her work cut out for her.
Combining a deceivingly cute Chinese figure with explosive power, her
disproportioned thighs have long been in the hearts of many male gamers across
the world. Dressed to impress with classily modified outfits, Chun-Li has always
outshone other female members of the roster who were added at a later date. In
fact, her lightning kicks are so formidable that not even her innocent squeaks
and grunts are enough to ease the pain once she’s finally done with you.
In the hands of an expert
player, Chun-Li’s extreme pace and deadly mixed martial arts combos are more
than a match for the obvious threat of Ryu and Sagat. She’s tackled a hulking
Russian wrestler, a clawed Spanish cage fighter and even the psychotic M. Bison
for nearly 20 years, but Chun-Li still heads Street Fighter’s appeal on the
female front.
8. Joanna Dark (Perfect Dark
series):
Miss Dark makes it onto the
list for many reasons. Firstly, she appears in the future, and has almost
definitely outlived the global warming apocalypse we will have all succumbed to
by 2016. Secondly, as a spiritual successor to James Bond’s legendary GoldenEye
007, she’s been crafted with an air of calm slickness just like Ian Fleming’s
revered agent. She is also the first female on our list to utilize stealth and
high-tech gadgets to get the job done. Whether she is setting explosives up to
turn her enemies into pulp, or using the trusty Locktopus to surpass a bolted
door, her arsenal is varied enough to overcome anything evil corporation
dataDyne can throw at her. Joanna’s auburn tainted hair should act as a window
to her soul for any potential foes: quick-thinking, tactically astute and ready
for all hell to break loose, her fiery personality and leather-clad costumes
should be admired from a distance only.
7. Faith (Mirror’s Edge):
She’s only been with us for
a little more than a year, but Faith’s mark in the last 12 months shouldn’t be
doubted. As a child, she witnessed the death of her mother during a political
riot and that kick-started the urge to revolt. As oppression grew, so did her
ability to wreak havoc on those punching the city forward with an iron-fist. By
16, Faith took to the streets as a petty thief – the beginnings of what would
become a gutsy rebellion against ‘the cause.’ On a typical night out, Faith made
herself useful by utilizing her ability to break into apartments and grab the
loot before getting caught.
Her life as a free spirit
came to a sudden end when Mercury converted her to a Runner, after her attempt
to burgle his apartment backfired. Now an adult, Faith’s ability to live on the
edge often involves heart-stopping moments of sheer insanity; any woman with the
agility and guts to outrun armed police deserves to be recognized as physically
tough. As the revolution continues, Faith’s determination to escape unharmed
against all odds without the need of weaponry makes her one tough cookie.
6. Sonya Blade (Mortal
Kombat series):
Much like Chun-Li, Sonya
Blade was the first playable female character in a monster beat ‘em up series.
Her appearance may be less innocent than her Street Fighter counterpart, but
that doesn’t mean she hasn’t broken hearts all over the world. She represents
everything a 21st century women should be capable of: mentally
focused, intelligent and mean enough to hand a stern-beating to any man that
steps out of line.
As long-term admirer and
Outworld thug Kano should know, any male that hears the words “Finish Him” after
a brief tussle should not get excited.
5. Nariko (Heavenly Sword):
If Kratos were ever to settle down,
it would surely be with the PS3’s toughest heroine. Beautifully barbaric and
merciless, her elegant combat inspired many to pick up the console in 2007.
Similar to Mr. God of War, Nariko possesses the ability to wield legendary
weapons with devastating effect. Backed up by an honorable clan, her handling of
the ‘Heavenly Sword’ had many jaws hitting the floor on launch day.
Besides, if her ranging attack style
and ballerina-like fluidity didn’t impress, her long flowing red hair and pin-up
good looks instantly made her a fan-favorite. As tough as Kratos but lacking the
demonically sinister looks, we can only imagine their relationship would come to
an untimely QTE-based end when she receives Facebook pokes from admirers.
4. Rubi Malone (WET):
It’s a testament to Rubi’s strength
as a character that she makes it to number four, especially after starring in
arguably the weakest game on the list. Not afraid to do the dirty work, Rubi has
forced hordes of men to meet their maker via her time-slowing skills. Her
uncanny likeness to Quentin Tarantino’s ‘The Bride’ from the Kill Bill franchise
should be condoned, but at least creators Artificial Mind and Movement had the
initiative to produce a whisky-slugging, sword wielding female for us to get to
grips with.
As the title suggests, Rubi is at
her most dangerous when splattered with blood as the taste of the enemy’s
crimson catapults her into a ferocious rage. Her proficiency with dual-pistols,
a blade, and even heart-splintering crossbows have literally made men disappear
on impact – something every woman this side of Pluto dreams of.
3. Blaze Fielding (Streets
of Rage series)
Long forgotten by many gamers, Blaze
Fielding’s adventures as a thug-jobbing, street-cleaning activist were
remarkably vicious. Every attack she unleashes is met with one of the most
satisfying sounds in gaming – the Streets of Rage crunch of impact. Strolling
along the town to an unforgettable soundtrack, Blaze’s appearance indicated she
was heading straight to the disco once the bully beating was done.
Her toughness doesn’t stop at
hand-to-hand combat, though; she’s an expert swordswomen and knows how to swing
a metal pole towards an opponent’s cranium. Her true talent comes from her
digestive skills however, as picking out binned apples and roast turkeys
(including the plate) and swallowing them whole is more than enough to propel
her towards the summit of the list.
2. Samus Aran (Metroid
series)
Not instantly attractive like many
of the mistresses on this list, Samus Aran is unlike any other female gaming
character. The Power Suit she spends most of her time in doesn’t hide the fact
that she’s one of the toughest gaming characters ever. After being orphaned and
raised by alien beings, Samus took on the might of bad guys across the galaxy
single-handedly, firing them into the solar system with a range of futuristic
beams and cannon blasts.
As a ruthless bounty hunter, the
first time many of us took control of Samus there was little indication her suit
wasn’t running on testosterone. When the revelation immerged that she was in
fact a woman, her dominance over a traditionally male role paved the way for
other strong female characters. Only now can we sit back and revel in the fact
that, when off duty, she’s preparing to audition for the next Legally Blonde
film.
1. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider
series)
There was never any doubt. Lara’s
strength, intelligence, agility and fearless attitude have made her much more
than the toughest female in gaming – she’s a cultural icon. Her “well-rounded”
figure and Indiana Jones style escapades are known beyond the realms of gaming,
and have been brought to Hollywood via superstar actress Angelina Jolie.
Despite a wilt in critical success
for the Tomb Raider series as of late, Lara has always been at the top when it
comes to gunplay. Her ability to quick-draw two pistols has helped defeat
humans, tigers, and many other ghastly beasts, and backed up her
straight-talking British accent all over the world with firepower. Lara’s search
for mythical artifacts across three generations of consoles are full of
bullet-evading somersaults, rolls, and last second ledge grabs that immortalized
her as a global superstar. Throw in the fact she loves to ride motorcycles, and
can lock her butler in the freezer whenever she wants, and you have yourself the
toughest female superstar gaming has ever produced.
Honorable Mentions:
Misty (Pokemon series), The Boss (Metal Gear Solid 3), Nina Williams (Tekken
series), Claire Redfield (Resident Evil series), Cammy (Street Fighter series),
Sakura (Street Fighter series), Kasumi (Dead or Alive series), Luger (Killzone).
