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Portal Chell

Chell, as she appears in the first Portal game.

Here is a list of female characters in video games. Feel free to add more characters and categories![]

(Characters whose names are bolded are characters that are/were protagonists or playable for most of at least one of the games they were featured in.)


Protagonists[]

These are the female characters who are protagonists or playable characters for the majority of the time.

(Characters whose names are bolded here are iconic characters)

Iconic Characters that are Non-playable or Non-protagonists[]

These are some of the other pioneering female characters in iconic video games. Some are notable for their representation of women as engaging and capable characters, and others are known for their sexualization and/or reduction of women to damsels in distress. They are not protagonists or unplayable, but are pioneering female characters.

Fighting Game Characters[]

These are female characters that originated from Fighting Games.

Positively Portrayed Characters[]

There are some female characters that are strong, confident and capable, all while lacking any overt hypersexualization. These women are not reduced to a status of love interest, damsel in distress, or sexualized protagonist.

Villains[]

Anti-Heroes and the Morally Ambiguous[]

Sexualized Characters[]

Damsels in Distress[]

Anthropomorphic/Non-Human Female Characters[]

  • Amaterasu from Ōkami
  • Inspector Carmelita from Sly Cooper series
  • Kazooie from Banjo-Kazooie series (first Nintendo and later also Microsoft platforms)
  • Krystal from StarFox franchise
  • Dixie Kong from Donkey Kong Country series
  • Lammy from Um Jammer Lammy
  • Mao from Shadow Hearts: From the New World
  • Rune from fault series
  • Vibri from Vib-Ribbon
  • Amy Rose, Cream the Rabbit, Blaze the Cat, Rouge the Bat, Wave the Swallow, Vanilla the Rabbit, Shade the Echidna, Tikal the Echidna, and Zeena from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. All but Vanilla and Zeena have been fully playable at some point.
  • Karen Erra (a Newman/elf-like creature) in Phantasy Star Universe Episode 1 (Not playable but is a possible NPC teammate and plays an integral role in the plot, she however gets demoted to extra from Episode 2 onward) (She is also notable for being played by Erin Cahill, who played leader-figure Jen Scotts in Power Rangers Time Force and the first female proganaist of Call of Duty franchise, Chloe "Karma" Lynch)
  • Laia Martinez from Phantasy Star Universe (Not playable but is a possible NPC teammate and plays an integral role in the plot from Episode 2 onwards, as well as being the central character on the boxart for the game's only paid expansion pack) [1]

Female Options for Free Play[]

The characters of these games let players choose a female option

  • Sims from The Sims series
  • Commander Shepard from Mass Effect Trilogy
  • Hawke from Dragon Age II
  • Elven, human or dwarven background from Dragon Age: Origins
  • Every race in the five-part The Elder Scrolls series
  • Every race in World of Warcraft
  • Fallout series
  • Player Character from Pokemon games after 1999
    • Kris (Pokémon Crystal), May (Pokémon Ruby and Saphire, Pokémon Emerald, and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Saphire), Leaf (Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen), Dawn (Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Pokémon Platinum, and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl) etc.
  • Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns
  • Saints Row series (starting with episode 2)
  • Hero of Bower Lake from Fable II and Hero of Brightwall from Fable III
  • Kotone Shiomi from Persona 3 Portable
  • Terraria
  • Stardew Valley
  • Fate series
  • Jade Empire
  • LEGO Video Games
    • Customizable characters from the following LEGO video games (besides pre-built minifigures) allow players to choose female option
      • LEGO Batman video game series
        • LEGO Batman: The Video Game allows players to customize up to two characters. Once unlocked, players have access to these female characters during free play:
          • Batgirl, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Catwoman (Classic), Harley Quinn, and Freeze Girl
        • LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes up to ten customizable characters. These female characters are unlockable during free play:
          • Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Huntress, Batgirl, Supergirl, Black Canary, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Lois Lane, and Vicki Vale
          • Heroes DLC: Katana and Zatanna
        • LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham up to ten customizable characters. Unlockable female characters during free play:
          • Wonder Woman, Cheetah, Batgirl, Batgirl (1966), Black Canary, Bleez, Catwoman [w/ Catwoman (1966) and Catwoman (Pre-52)], Cheetah (Robin Disguise), Cheshire, Giganta, Harley Quinn, Hawkgirl, Indigo-1, Miss Martian, Poison Ivy, Stargirl, Star Sappire, Supergirl and Supergirl (Classic), Wonder Girl, Wonder Woman (Cheetah Disguise), Zamaron Warrior, and Zatanna
          • Man of Steel DLC: Faora and Lara Lor-Van
          • The Dark Knight DLC: Selina Kyle (Dark Knight Rises)
          • Batman of the Future DLC: Inque
          • Arrow DLC: Canary (Arrow), Felicity Smoak, and Huntress
          • The Squad DLC: Amanda Waller, Harley Quinn (The Squad), and Katana
          • Bizarro DLC: Bizarra
          • Heroines and Villainesses DLC: Batwoman, Killer Frost, Mera, Plastique, Power Girl, Raven, The Spoiler, Starfire, Terra, and Vixen
      • LEGO The Hobbit - up to eight customizable characters, unlockable female characters during free play:
        • Tauriel, Tauriel (Lake-town), Tilda, Sigrid, Galadriel, Rosie Cotton, and Mrs. Troll
      • LEGO Indiana Jones series
        • LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures - two customizable characters, once unlocked, players have access to these female characters during free play:
          • Marion, Marion (Cairo), Marion (Evening Dress), Marion (Night Gown), Willie, Willie (Evening Dress), Willie (Ceremony), Elsa, Dancing Girl, Willie (Dinner Suit), Willie (Pyjamas), Elsa (Officer), and Elsa (Desert)
          • Unlock "Secret Characters" parcel during gameplay: Dancing Girl 2 (only available during Shanghai Showdown level free play)
        • LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues - two customizable characters, unlockable female characters during free play:
          • Marion, Marion (Crystal Skull), Willie, Elsa, Dancing Girl, College Female, Mannequin Girl, Mannequin Woman, and Peru Nurse
      • LEGO The Lord of the Rings - up to ten customizable characters, unlockable female characters during free play:
        • Arwen Evenstar (Ranger), Éowyn (Dernhelm), Rosie, Galadriel, and Éowyn
      • LEGO Marvel Super Heroes - up to eight customizable characters, unlockable female characters during free playy:
        • Black Widow, Jean Grey and Phoenix, Storm, Invisible Woman and Invisible Woman (F.F.), Maria Hill, Aunt May, Black Cat, Elektra, Emma Frost, Gamora, Gwen Stacy, Liberty, Magneto Acolyte, Mary Jane Watson, Ms. Marvel, Mystique, Pepper Potts and Rescue, Polaris, Psylocke, She-Hulk, Spider-Woman, Squirrel Girl, Viper, and Wasp
        • Asgard DLC: Sif and Jane Foster
        • Super DLC: Dark Phoenix
      • The LEGO Movie Videogame - up to eight customizable characters, unlockable female characters during free play:
        • Gail, Wyldstyle, Wyldstyle (Hood), Wyldstyle (Old West), Wylestyle (Robot Disguise), Wyldstyle (Space), Unikitty, Queasy Kitty, Biznis Kitty, Astro Kitty, Wonder Woman, Cleopatra, FemBot, Witch, Lady Liberty, Mrs. Stratchen-Post, Cardio Carrie, Executive Ellen, Sharon Shoehorn, Ice Cream Jo, Calamity Drone, Ma Cop, and Velma Staplebot
        • Wild West DLC: Rootbeer Belle
        • using cheat code: Angry Kitty
    • LEGO Dimensions - The base game includes Wyldstyle (aka Lucy) from The LEGO Movie as one of the three main playable characters. Other female characters can be purchased separately to be used during gameplay:
      • DC Comics Universe: Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn
      • The LEGO Movie Universe: Unikitty
      • Portal 2 Universe: Chell
      • LEGO Ninjago Universe: Nya
      • Wizard of Oz Universe: The Wicked Witch of the West
      • LEGO Legends of Chima Universe: Eris
  • Minecraft
    • only available through customized character skins, one of them being Alex
  • Every race in Neverwinter Nights series
  • All four band members in Rock Band 2
  • Every clan race from Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
  • Player (aka Villager) from Animal Crossing series
  • SPARTAN-B312 (aka Noble Six) from Halo: Reach

Miscellaneous[]

Upcoming or Unconfirmed[]

  • an unidentified woman soldier from Titanfall
  • Sera, Cassandra Pentaghast, Vivienne, Josephine Montilyet, and Lelina  from Dragon Age: Inquisition (November 2014)