The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, Half-Life and Resident Evil. Video game franchises can put us in the shoes of all kinds of characters, especially when it comes to media interactivity. We can experience being an orc one day, a fragile alien the next, and saving the world over and over again.
1. Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn)
The protagonist of Horizon Zero Dawn brings together many of the characteristics mentioned in the examples above. Aloy is strong, curious, determined and demonstrates an incredible evolution throughout the game. Despite being rejected by the matriarchal tribe to which she belonged, the warrior does not give up on discovering her origin and seeking salvation for that post-apocalyptic universe dominated by machines. Aloy is responsible for protecting and defending many of Horizon’s inhabitants, but, above that, she manages to overcome herself and respect her ideals in the face of adversity along the way. -Carol Costa
2. Alyx Vance (Half-Life)
Even after nearly a decade of Half-Life 2’s release, Alyx Vance is still one of the best female characters ever created in video games. It is in it that the voice of Gordon Freeman (the silent protagonist) is realized, in a deep and emotional way. However, believe me, Alyx has a history of her own: she is the leader of the resistance, and the character who has the most impact on the course of history (apart from Gordon, of course) and never loses her humanity.
3. Amanda Ripley (Alien Isolation)
One of the most important things about Amanda Ripley in Alien Isolation is that she has a profession that really impacts the game. As an engineer, she can use materials available from Sevastopol to try to escape the dreaded Alien. It is also notable that, by the survival horror nature of the game, Amanda will not save the world, but try to survive, through wits. It’s a shift that brings diversity to games inspired by the franchise.
4. Amaterasu (Okami)
Goddess of the Shinto pantheon, Amaterasu is the one who “shines and illuminates the sky”, the goddess of the sun. In Okami, she is exactly the same representation and must face a world of shadows, but incarnated in a wolf, who can use brush and ink to alter the universe. How not to love? Strolling through the scenery as a wolf is extremely fun, and so is discovering the potential of the Celestial Brush. Furthermore, Amaterasu represents a very different and captivating sample of the feminine.
5. Clementine (The Walking Dead)
In the first season of The Walking Dead, Clementine was already one of the main focuses of the series: we do what we need to take care of and guide the girl. More than that, she ends up saving Lee’s life several times. In season two, she’s a rock (not that she doesn’t have emotions, far from it) of survival. In both games, we follow the growth and maturation of Clementine, the toughest eight-year-old girl games have ever seen. Her young age even makes her use her brain more than her muscles.
6. Commander Shepard (Mass Effect)
In addition to her not having any mechanical, path, or strength differences with her male counterpart, the so-called “FemShepard” is built by the player, and does not have her choices defined by gender. Shepard is one (or one) of the great heroines of contemporary science fiction in her battle against the annihilation of all biological races. And for those of you who have never tried FemShepard, it’s also worth remembering that her voice actress, Jennifer Hale, is exceptional.
7. Ellie (The Last of Us)
Ellie is a survivor, and producer Naughty Dog was smart enough to grant her a role and a personality, as well as being a kind of daughter figure. She’s a realistic girl, not because that’s how we would act in the face of an apocalypse, but because she has lines that are very close to real-life dialogue. Ellie can be many things at once: a killer, a frightened girl, a protective warrior, a girl in awe of nature, a jokester.
8. Faith Connors (Mirror’s Edge)
The dystopian universe of Mirror’s Edge needs the strength of a rebellion as the totalitarian government needs to be overthrown. Faith Connors may be at the center of this insurrection, even if she began her journey as a simple thief. She doesn’t need firearms for that, she’s athletic and can make any barrel become a powerful weapon. With this aura of “Run, Lola, Run”, Faith’s future will still be defined in a future and long-awaited game scheduled for 2016.
9. Jade (Beyond Good and Evil)
Photographer Jade attempts to expose government corruption in Ubisoft’s dark classic Beyond Good and Evil. A smart and passionate protagonist (who also takes care of orphans), she has a personality that draws much more attention than her dress or the way she is made up. Jade shows that normal people can make a difference, especially when she discovers an alien conspiracy and faces it with only a camera in her hands and the faith she puts in others.
10. Jill Valentine (Resident Evil)
There are many interesting women in the Resident Evil series, and Jill Valentine is the original character (she appeared in the franchise’s first gamma, released in 1996) who possesses the traits that were later borrowed from other protagonists: brains, calm, skill, and weapons. In fact, who wouldn’t want to have half the cool head that Jill shows in the first game? Her determined attitude is what drives her through several incidents and helps her survive brainwashing.
11. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
Before the reboot, Lara Croft was a more controversial character: despite being the reason many women started playing video games, she was criticized for over- her “proportions”. The new Lara, however, can be charming and competent without needing micro-shorts and a size-86 bra: she is an adventurer on the way to becoming ruthless. And, let’s face it, despite the many injuries, it’s pretty cool to watch this transformation.
12. Lenneth (Valkyrie Profile)
Valkyries are tasked with taking the souls of warriors to the next world after they die. In the franchise, she inspires her soldiers and has pure empathy for others. In the midst of Ragnarok’s impending arrival, she has her body stolen, must deal with her memories of her time as a human, and yet discovers that she is in love. Lenneth’s love story is beautiful and full of nuances, and shows us that the real battle is always bigger than we imagine.
13. Red (Transistor)
Red is a silent protagonist for good reason: her voice has been stolen. She carries her lover trapped in a gun and must face a little one who begins to be possessed by an apocalyptic entity. The game offers links to Red’s past, and lets you focus on both the combat and her story, and it’s through these two installments (the gorgeous design helps) that the player starts to connect with the protagonist. A strong woman who does not allow herself to be assimilated by decadence.
14. Samus Aran (Metroid)
Perhaps Nintendo’s best secret was Samus’ gender, which was hidden for most of the first game. To know she’s a woman (and at the time, the way to do that was to show a bikini), you had to beat the game in pretty complicated conditions. Samus paved the way for the armored women to come, and showed that a bounty hunter can have a long career in gaming — even before Zelda and Peach gained more depth as characters.
15. Sarah Kerrigan (StarCraft)
When someone gets caught up in a horde of drooling Zerg, you’d think that someone died, right? For Sarah Kerrigan has become the Queen of Blades and one of the biggest threats that has passed through the world of StarCraft. Telepath, but full of confusion inside, it’s exactly the conflict and tragic nature of her story that makes her so cool. Between heroic woman and half-woman-half-alien-monster, Kerrigan continues to fascinate gamers and other characters in the franchise.
16. Sheik/Princesa Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)
Zelda pode ser uma princesa forte, que carrega a marca da sabedoria, mas muitas vezes ela acabava em um papel pequeno, às vezes aparecendo somente no final das aventuras. Foi a partir de Ocarina of Time — ue explicitou que nem sempre a princesa precisa ser salva — que ela diversificou sua participação: na pele de Sheik, ela batalhou as forças do mal, depois ainda pôde salvar Link como pirata e saber das coisas bem antes como em Skyward Sword.
17. IA: SHODAN (System Shock)/GLaDOS (Portal)
Por enquanto, as Inteligências Artificiais dos games tendem a aparecer como vilãs terríveis (apesar de divertidas, né, GLaDOS?). GLaDOS tem muito de sua ancestral: SHODAN: ambas são megalomaníacas, com certo complexo de Deus, para quem os humanos servem como experimento. E é exatamente esse desprezo que as transforma tanto em megaloucas como em superhumanas, uma coisa comum na escrita de Inteligências Artificiais. E sim, leia até o final, vai ter bolo.
18. Sylvanas Windrunner (Warcraft)
Sylvanas era um general dos Elfos e liderou a campanha contra o príncipe Arthas Menethil quando ele se tornou corrompido pelo exército dos mortos-vivos. Ela acabou torturada por Arthas, que a transformou naquilo que ela mais odiava: uma morta-viva. Você acha que ela desistiu? Nunca! Ela não pode ser controlada, ou escravizada. Agora, em World of Warcraft, ela está em controle de toda uma raça, e mesmo que tenha algumas táticas censuráveis, é certamente uma personagem que deu certo.
19. Terra Branford (Final Fantasy VI)
Sim, eu também amo Aeris ou Lightining, por exemplo. Final Fantasy tem ótimos exemplos de personagens femininas, mas Terra é quem capturou a posição na lista, por sua pluralidade. Acredito que ela seja uma das protagonistas mais complexas já vistas no mundo dos games. Ela pode ser, ao mesmo tempo, humana, Esper (um tipo de monstro mítico), escrava, mãe, líder, amante, guerreira e estilosa. Se pensarmos na totalidade de uma vida, é esse tipo de jornada que queremos ver.
20. The Boss (Metal Gear Solid)
Quem não adora a intersecção entre herói e vilão? A Boss de Metal Gear é exatamente as suas coisas, além de ser conhecida como a mãe das forças especiais. Ela detém um senso de honra admirável, que a leva tanto a mentorar novatos (como Big Boss) como a assumir o papel de antagonista por todo um jogo. Mesmo quando estava grávida, ela estava no campo de batalha liderando uma invasão. E quando tudo piora, ela permite que seja assassinada para evitar uma guerra. Respeito, Boss.
