Top 5 Women Characters in Video Games

Dark Arcanine | September 07, 2008 | Top List | PC Playstation 2 Mobile Gaming Tech/Hardware

This is a list of the top 5 girls of all time from video games. They are NOT picked for how sexually attractive they are, rather they've been picked for their story (how they've overcome obstacles) and how they help the main character.

What struck me strange was that they say help to main character, could they not have picked a female main character? Discuss.

Women, just like in real life you, can’t do without them in video games.

26 comments | go to source (www.gamercenteronline.net) | Add to favorites!

favourite this article |

send to friend |

add alt source

303	Top 5 Most Cinematic Video Games (You WILL be surprised) (19) November 7, 2008
129	Independent: Top 5 Video Games List (14) September 21, 2008
360	The Top 10 Most Overrated Video Games (23) September 19, 2008
289	Top 10 signs you might play too many video games (17) October 5, 2008
239	Top 10 Problems with Modern Video Games (22) October 3, 2008

Comments

4 thumbs!
Gothic Girl | September 08, 2008

That's a pretty awful list. No Aerith, Lara Croft, Samus, or even Meryl?

Some of the girls (Chun Li and Eva mostly) are well-known, but aren't a big enough impact to be on a "Top 5 Women in video games" list. And the rest are just *meh*
0 thumbs!
Seeker X | September 08, 2008

EVA? Where the hell is Alyx Vance? And hasn't there been too many lists concerning video game women?
2 thumbs!
tallteen86 | September 08, 2008

Lora Croft? Well, not a big fan of Lara Croft, so I dn't care...

But ummm yeah, even though they say 'help the main character', two are clearly the main character (Joanna Dark, and Nariko). And depending on how you view it, Chun-Li is on Equal (or nearly so) standing with Ryu/Ken....

Samus is one I think should be on the list (never really played any metroid games, aside from the DS demo).....

Aerith? She may be many a Squeenix fanboy's wet dream, but she isn't 'all that', from what I remember. Clearly just a supporting character (though special, considering her background....But often in RPGs, at least one female and/or male character in the main party is special like that.....

(And yes, I know FFVII was from before the Square-Enix merger).....
- 1 thumbs!
  Gothic Girl | September 08, 2008
  
  Both Aerith and Lara Croft are defining female characters in gaming. They had a huge impact on gaming back in the PSone era, so they deserve to be on the list. (and Aerith is a little more than just a supporting character).
  - 1 thumbs!
    tallteen86 | September 09, 2008
    
    Don't really care that much about her being a huge character (Aerith). What experiences I remember from her, didn't see much different from many other female characters in RPGs. Yes, she died, and her death troubled Cloud. She has been immortalized for it.
    
    Sure she had impact, every FFVII fanboy sobs into their pillow about her, but as I said, I don't find her much different from many other female RPG characters. The game was mega popular, so yeah, there would be more people who give a crap about her.
    
    No, I never finished FFVII, so I know I don't have the complete story, but I played a couple of disks I think?
    
    Never mind me, I'm not a FFVII fanboy, so yeah.....
  - 0 thumbs!
    Final Blade | September 09, 2008
    
    _{I totally disagree with the Aerith statment. She didn't do nearly as much as Chun Li, she was around before the PSone era she was around since the begining of the NES era. She did more for gaming then Aeris ever did. I love FF7, and Aeris but im not blind enough to say that she deserved to be on that list. Maybe Tifa, but even then thats a stretch. In the end tastes becomes a difference.
    Though I have to agree with Tallteen here.
    I pretty much liked all of them, Nariko was an interesting choice, but I still agree with it. I think she defied the odds and did something that was supposed to be a mans job. Even though she knew she wasn't going to live at the end.}
    - 1 thumbs!
      Gothic Girl | September 09, 2008
      
      quote
      I love FF7, and Aeris but im not blind enough to say that she deserved to be on that list.
      ... and this is a fine example as to why the thumbs-down system needs to be brought back. There are nicer ways to say you disagree with someone - isulting them isn't one of them.
      
      If you honestly believe that saying Aerith should be on the list makes a person "blind", then you are the blind one. You'd have to be blind to not see that Aerith is one of the biggest and most well-known female characters in gaming. Or were you just asleep during the mid 90s? (or the last few years, when Squeenix decided to whore her off a little more?)
    - 0 thumbs!
      Final Blade | September 10, 2008
      
      _{Oh right, I should be thumbed down cause in all honestly one of the biggest FF7 fans practically on this site says Aerith didn't do anything worthy of being on that list.
      
      Please seriously GG list and tell everyone what she honestly did that has more impact then anyone else and why she deserves to be on that list?
      
      Lara Croft, I'll agree there, but not Aeris. And a huge FF7 fan, I know exactly what she did. I played the game hundreds of times to know.}
  - 1 thumbs!
    Supernouva | September 09, 2008
    
    Maybe Lara Croft, but how the heck has Aerith made a huge impact on gaming? She didn't really do anything special. She died, fanboys cried, and that's basically the end of it.
  - 1 thumbs!
    RabidChinaGirl | September 10, 2008
    
    I didn't care much for Aeris/th either. She was such a typical J-RPG character who, instead of overcoming obstacles, let herself be a victim of circumstance. As for the other FF7 girls, they're all kind of pathetic. Tifa pines after Cloud who pines after a dead chick, Yuffie is hella annoying (thieving wench took mah materia!), and Elena....... well............ yeah, let's just say a lot of J-RPG females are defined solely by their male counterparts which is absolute shit. It doesn't make them strong, just in desperate need of a pep talk.
    
    I stand by my support for Heather Mason -- she survived Silent Hill, ffs!
    - 0 thumbs!
      Seeker X | September 10, 2008
      
      Her name's Alessa, damnit.
- 2 thumbs!
  Avalith | September 16, 2008
  
  Aerith was probably about as important to FF7's story as Cloud and Sephiroth. She was the major catalyst for the ending to occur the way it did. If Holy had never been summoned, there would have been no point to Cloud fighting Sephiroth other than personal vengeance before the world was destroyed. That is why she deserves to be on the list.
  - 0 thumbs!
    Final Blade | September 17, 2008
    
    _{She didn't do anything that these people did to be worthy on a list. Cloud was going to fight Sephiroth at the end whether or not holy was cast.
    
    And I wouldn't call her worth being on the list more than others.}
    - 2 thumbs!
      Avalith | September 18, 2008
      
      Yes, I know he would have fought Sephiroth either way, but my point is that regardless of the outcome the planet still would have been destroyed. She unwillingly sacrificed herself to save the planet from Meteor and made a lot of gamers cry when they first played through the game. How many characters up there can claim that?
    - 0 thumbs!
      Final Blade | September 19, 2008
      
      _{There's no proof of that anyway, in fact have anyone actually watched the ending, Holy did nothing, it was the Life Stream that stopped Meteor cause holy was too late. GG Avalith.}
    - 2 thumbs!
      Avalith | September 20, 2008
      
      The Life Stream was the Planet. If you paid attention to the game, Holy causes the Planet to eliminate all which is bad. The Planet deemed Meteor as bad, so when Holy alone wasn't enough, the Planet offered its own power to help in accomplishing Holy's purpose.
      
      Thus, it can logically be argued that the Life Stream was Holy. GG Final Blade.
    - 0 thumbs!
      Final Blade | September 20, 2008
      
      _{The life Stream wasn't holy Avalith, come on now, seriously. In fact had you watched the ending of the game Cloud I believe says "Its the life stream, holy was too late in stopping meteor". Two exact things. I'll look it up again later, but I do know it wasn't holy avalith, I've played the game 100s of times to know that much.
      
      Edit: Ok, it seems Holy was too late with stopping meteor and when it hit to stop it, it had the opposite effect and making it worse. The only thing that stopped it was the lifestream power that ended up stopping meteor and killing it once and for all. This was in the plot summary of the game.}
2 thumbs!
RabidChinaGirl | September 08, 2008

The creator claims to be doing this based on "back story" and hardships overcome. If so, I'm pretty sure Heather Mason should've been on that list.

Bottom line, even the comments for the original article mention how crap that list is.

(1) Character selections are shallow, reflecting little to no research done on the writer's part.
(2) The grammar is terribad. I could barely read it without compulsively wanting to beat the writer with his kindergarten diploma.
(3) Did I mention this article is crap?
0 thumbs!
Dark Arcanine | September 08, 2008

I agree on the Lara Croft and she's a protagonist which is what I was complaining about, not all females have to be in support roles.

Haven't head of Aerith though.
- 0 thumbs!
  kik36 | September 08, 2008
  
  quote
  Haven't heard of Aerith though.
  Play Final Fantasy VII. She was also known as Aeris in some versions.
0 thumbs!
AznLiquid | September 09, 2008

As everyone has said already, terrible list.
0 thumbs!
s0_ra | September 09, 2008

What is this list this is was a terrible list.I was think that this list was more good but what just the hell is this.I think Aerith or Tifa was better than some of women in the list.
0 thumbs!
Fkital | September 09, 2008

In my opinion, horrible list. They are not great in video games to be honest.
0 thumbs!
Shadow_Knight | September 13, 2008

Ah Chun Li. I remember her amazing punches in some of the street fighter games. Maybe they were kicks, I do not remember.

Chun Li was the only one who DESERVED to be on there. But truly, no Samus? No Zelda? No Peach? Why not?
0 thumbs!
Sunshade | September 16, 2008

that is strange I was exspecting Samus And Lara Croft to be on the list but at least my girl Nariko made it on
1 thumbs!
Breezy | October 12, 2008

What a shite list...not even half of the females that should be there are. Oh well.