12 Most Badass Female Video Game Characters

The gaming world is full of femme fatales of every kind. Some are cold-blooded assassins, others are agents of a special fighting squad, while others have a weird supernatural background. With more of them sprouting in many video games, gone are the days when fighting ladies hide behind the shadows of male protagonists. 

We came up with a collection of fan favorites and a few personal picks under female video game characters category. Apart from their looks, all of these ladies exhibit compelling internal motivations and complexly stratified personalities. Also, character depth helps build these two-dimensional figure vixens real folks desire. 

The unexplained inclinations of some people towards fishnet stockings and short skirts are an interesting niche. But when you add that twisted intent and these girls' ability to defend and destroy, all you get is a dream team of femme fatales.

Runners-Up

Before we reveal our top 10, here are some badass girls who gave us some good gaming time.

22. Rose (The Legend Of Dragoon)

21. Ivy Valentine (Soul Calibur)

20. Ada Wong (Resident Evil)

19. Rayne (Blood Rayne)

18. Faith Connor (Mirror’s Edge)

17. Widowmaker (Overwatch)

16. Morrigan Aensland (Darkstalkers)

15. Mitsuru Kirijo (Persona)

14. Cammy (Street Fighter)

13. 2B (NieR: Automata)

Badass Female Video Game Characters Of All Time (Top 12)

And now, we begin with revealing our top 12 list of tough females dominating the video game world. We start from #12 down to the most formidable femme fatale.

12 -  Princess Zelda (Legend Of Zelda)

Many people have mistaken that Zelda was a young lad who set off in an adventure to save a princess. But there are two mistakes in the earlier statement: the main protagonist of the game is Link and this princess in distress don't need any savin'.

Princess Zelda is not your typical princess imprisoned in another castle. She operates secretly and in disguise which means that she can defend herself well. Bowser better not be fooled by her helpless appearance.

11  - Jill Valentine (Resident Evil)

Another first lady on our list, every Resident Evil fan would agree that Jill Valentine deserves to be on this list. She endured a lot of mysteries and horror, with only her S.T.A.R.S. training, experience and comrades to rely on.

After surviving the horrific mansion in Resident Evil 1, and escaping the terror of Racoon City in the third installment of the same game, her popularity took off big time. From then on, Jill was regarded as one of the most iconic female videogame characters and fans waited patiently for any updates about her.

The wait is all worth it, as Jill did not just appear in other Resident Evil games, but in crossover games and other media as well. Some of those crossovers are Marvel vs. Capcom, Project X Zone, We Love Golf and Teppen. 

Everyone is still looking forward to more cameos, crossovers and official games where Jill Valentine would be included. Hopefully, we hear more about her soon. For now, she’s reserved a slot for herself in this list of sexy and badass females in the gaming world.

10 - Samus Aran (Metroid)

What's more charming than a space bounty hunter who destroys brain-sucking jellyfish by a laser cannon? Samus Aran is a girl of few words who makes up for her silence by kicking megatons of ass. Also, her main resistor comes in the form of a massive, robotic, bloodthirsty pterodactyl.

From the NES game Metroid, Samus wasn’t intended to be a female. But through the development, the majority voted for the game to push through with a female character. Samus Aran went through a weighty hiatus before she appeared in Super Smash Bros.

Samus Aran’s media reception sprouted out of her sex appeal. She’s like Elsa on fire with various suits. She resembles Nina Williams, Jill Valentine, and some other blondes wearing a pony. Think about what various DLC outfits can do to these beautiful ladies.

Infused with Chozo DNA, Samus was enhanced to withstand various conditions a regular human won’t be able to resist. She’s turned into an excellent athlete and marksman and can do things past what an ordinary human can do. Her ability to survive even without the Power Suit makes her one of a badass gaming character.

9. Miranda Lawson

One with an attractive Aussie accent and a body to match, Miranda Lawson is a military-grade Victoria's Secret model, capable of going toe-to-toe with the galaxy's worst, whereas taking breaks to fool around with the galaxy's best. 

Miranda exudes the same vibe you can always see from powerful and intellectual women. She was shown as cold and arrogant at the start. However, it was revealed that Miranda is a self-loathing individual who thinks she did not deserve credit for all of her achievements. 

It feels good to find the soft side of a woman beneath her frosty and uncaring facade. A reminder that even the toughest among us have their weaknesses and insecurities, and that’s what makes us human.

Out of many remarkable women in Mass Effect, Miranda shines above them all. And this earned her a spot in our list of tough and uncompromising ladies in the realm of gaming. 

8 - Psylocke (Marvel vs. Capcom 2 / X-men: Children of the Atom)

Arcade bystanders have surely encountered the mutant Psylocke and were impressed by her style of fighting in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Formerly known as Elizabeth “Betsy” Braddock, this heroine received significant critical praise due to her femme fatale aura, telepathic abilities and physical strength that can kick the ass of someone like Wolverine when the situation begs for it.

In Marvel vs Capcom 2, Psylocke is high-mid tier gifted with top-notch assists, decent combo and a bucket of important magic / normal moves. She’s a versatile character in the game and incredibly fearsome that she’s used to countering strong opponents like Sentinel.

Psylocke began as a headstrong girl who got torn down by depression after she lost her sight. When she joined the X-men, she was able to recover but remained to be silent, reserved and secretive.

Although seen as an underrated X-men character, Psylocke topped many polls and went neck to neck with other comic book and gaming babes like Emma Frost, Black Cat, and even the ever-popular Lara Croft. 

7 - Kitana (Mortal Kombat)

For a woman who's 10,000 years old, Kitana's age is not showing. Coupling the looks of a twenty-year-old with the fighting skills of an immortal, Kitana is one of Mortal Kombat's deadliest femme fatales.

She's able to go head-to-head with any opponent, like old rival Mileena or the bug-queen D'Vorah. Equipped with razor-sharp fans and a propensity to command the wind, she's a strength to be considered with.

Kitana’s popularity did not just materialize from her appearance and fatalities. The drastic change that occurred after she learned the truth about her origins, garnered the sympathy and admiration of many.

Kitana easily became a sex symbol, and at some point described as the “manifestation of orientalist fetishes”. The princess appeared on top of different polls ever since her debut, and we don’t see why we shouldn’t include her in this list of badass female video gaming characters as well.

6 - Chun-Li (Street Fighter)

The Batman of the Street Fighter universe, Chun-Li is actuated by 2 things: an urge to defend the innocent, and a must to serve justice to ne'er-do-wells. She's ready for these responsibilities with years of martial arts coaching, and she has the thighs to prove it.

Chun-Li worked like hell and made preparations to match everyone. She's frequently gone toe-to-toe with a number of the fighters of the series, including the ultra-powerful Akuma and M. Bison. 

As the female face of Street Fighter, Chun-Li has become a mainstay and an important character of the gaming series. Working as the strongest martial artist for Interpol, she continues to battle the bad guys while waiting for the right time to avenge her father’s death at the hands of the antagonist M. Bison.

Sporting a qipao and ox-horns, gamers easily remembered this Chinese girl and every anime or gaming character who wore the same looks is expected to kick ass big time. Her upside-down spinning kick and lightning legs are literally, to die for.

Chun-Li appeared in many universes outside of Street Fighter. Some of Chun-Li’s crossover games include Marvel vs. Capcom, Street Fighter x Megaman, Street Fighter x Tekken, Granblue Fantasy, Shadowverse and Power Rangers Legacy Wars.

The first lady of fighting games is not just about heroic acts and muscles. Like other girls in this list, Chun-Li also has that sex appeal and is one of the girls, humanity has fantasied in the ’90s. With her overwhelming success, it’s impossible for Chun-Li to not make it on a badass list like this.

5 - Kasumi (Dead Or Alive)

Another 90’s angel, Kasumi has been the face of Dead Or Alive series from the very beginning. Although Kasumi was known to be soft and compassionate, she never lets herself get dominated upon. In DOA 6, she became a more mature fighter and no longer have the reluctance to fight.

How can someone who tries to avoid confrontation almost every time, wound up in a list of badass females? Beneath the kind-spirited aura, Kasumi is one hell of a fighter and martial arts master. Her motivation to defeat Raidou, the guy responsible for her brother’s dire and unrecoverable state, made her the winner of the first tournament.

Throughout years, Kasumi ranked at the top of the polls for “Top Ten Xbox Babes”, “Top Video Game Hotties”, “Hottest Video Game Babes”, and a lot more. Games where Kasumi appeared outside the Dead Or Alive universe:

• Queen’s Blade
• Monster Rancher
• Warriors All-Stars
• Bijin Tokei
• Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate
• Nobunyaga no Yabou: Cat or Alive
• Hyakuman-nin no Ninja Gaiden
• King of Fighters XIV
• Destiny Child
• Dead Fantasy

4 - Tifa Lockheart (Final Fantasy)

With her character design and personality, Tifa Lockhart is an instant favorite and has become the ultimate fantasy for many years. Although she and Cloud Strife are of the same age, Tifa exudes a motherly nature which is very noticeable in the film, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

Unlike other characters in the game, Tifa bravely battles powerful opponents with her fists. Although she does make use of anything as projectiles or shield, it’s still an admirable feat to confidently fight without mastery of a weapon.

Tifa is a cosplay convention favorite and topped many popularity charts. She was ranked as the 19th most popular video game character in Japan. She also appeared in other games outside the Final Fantasy world such as Kingdom Hearts, Itadaki Street, Ergheiz: God Bless The Ring and Puzzle & Dragons.

While perceived as immensely strong, Tifa is an emphatic and shy individual. But when it’s necessary, she becomes serious all of a sudden which means it’s gonna be a good kickass time.

3 - Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)

One of the most iconic and influential female characters in the gaming realm, Lara Croft and various versions of her story attained massive popularity. Toby Gard’s creation has remained an ideal integration of society's current customary of attraction.

From the low-poly days to the toughest girl as seen in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara is continually an ideal go-to once gamers ought to get their terrific heroine fix. Through the years, the game was reincarnated with several spin-offs, comic series and live-action movies — with Angelica Jolie’s becoming the face of Lara for most of its history.

What makes Lara an idol is a fact that she’s born from an aristocratic family but has no interest in soirees and extravagance. She finds the upper-class lifestyle boring and stifling. Instead, she chooses to seek answers to the world’s deepest secrets and is considered myths.

Her expeditions led to various discoveries such as powerful and dangerous artifacts that would be catastrophic if acquired by the wicked ones. Lara is always seen in a race with nefarious people after the same relics. Some of her rivals include mad scientists, greedy moguls, religious cults, and even gods.

Lara Croft uses a variety of weapons and is a skilled hand to hand combatant. Although she doesn’t belong to a superhuman race or is as strong as other lady fighters and assassins in this list, she can still defend herself and find a way to get out of imminent danger. 

The reputation Lara Croft gains after every successful voyage, and the fact that she comes out alive from deadly encounters and emerges victorious makes her one hell of a badass lady gaming character.

2 - Bayonetta (Bayonetta)

Bayonetta (real name Cereza in Time Displacement) in the video game named after her, is an attractive young lady with a sexy British accent. As the main protagonist, she spanks her satanic enemies and bounces on angelic adversaries with satisfaction. Bayonetta usually throws sexual banter to taunt and tease her enemies and allies. What can be more badass from a lady who turns sex into a weapon?

Throughout the game, you won’t be able to see Bayonetta’s face without her glasses. During her fight with Temperentia, she took them off, but her face remained off-camera. She seems to wear her glasses like her underwear — not letting anybody see her without it.

She’s brutally playful and likes to do the job alone like most cold-blooded females in this list. But as the story progresses, Bayonetta will be joined by others in her missions and adventures.

This more than 500-year-old Umbra Witch shows no sign of aging and weakness as it seems like she’s still at her peak. A master of bullet arts, with immense physical strength and powerful dark arts magic, she is indeed a force to be reckoned with.

Apart from her own game, Bayonetta also appeared in other media such as Super Smash Bros 4 and Ultimate. She, together with another witch Jeanne, made their way to the ATLUS game, Dx2 Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation as playable characters.

If you're a fan of games with female protagonists, Bayonetta is one of the most suitable games for you.

1 - Nina Williams (Tekken)

A cold-blooded assassin from the Tekken franchise, Nina Williams is one of the most popular characters in the game. She is also the only female character to appear in all Tekken games, which indicates her popularity among players and probably Katsuhiro Harada’s most adored female character he created. Maybe that’s why she was placed into cryosleep to preserve her youth, so she can still appear in the future Tekken game series.

In 2008, Nina was announced by Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition as the hottest fighting female character, and us who plays Tekken and knows a thing or two about her can easily tell why. Nina’s disinterest in men and professionalism makes her even more desirable and dangerous, in contrast to her ever-seductive younger sister and rival, Anna Williams.

Although she’s not picky when it comes to her clients, Nina’s assassination projects are mostly aligned for the good of the world. Nina appears to be silent and emotionless, but subtly showed her soft side when she saved Steve Fox from other assailants in Tekken 4, and when she activated Alisa Boskonovitch to give the robot and Ling Xiaoyu a fighting chance against Anna in Tekken: Blood Vengeance. 

Just don’t ask her if she has the intention to save them because she won’t admit it. We witnessed how Nina preferred to stay the same cold-blooded assassin that she is when she described Steve Fox, whom she gave birth to, a “thorn in her side” if he would tag along. 

Is that a cue for us that Nina Williams has thought about it too many times? Nina hates Steve, but of course, Steve likes his mother — is what’s happening right now in Tekken 7.

In the Tekken games, Nina was gifted a handy set of poking tools, quick recovery moves, and badass outfits like her notable purple jumpsuit and the black biker outfit she wore in Blood Vengeance and Tekken 7 story mode. 

She uses Aikido and Koppo fighting styles and utilizes a wide range of assassination techniques. Nina can wield a variety of weapons such as katanas, guns, explosives, combat knives, garrote wire, sniper’s rifle and more.

Nina is the star of her own game, Death By Degrees which also included her sister Anna Williams. 

Nina and Kazuya are the archrivals of Street Fighter main characters Ryu and Ken in the crossover game Street Fighter x Tekken. In the official trailer, we saw how she fought neck to neck with Ken and pawned the muscle guy Ryu. And this is the same fate you’ll face if you wound up in her kill list.

Truly, many of us prefer ladies like Nina — someone who can break our bones in ten places before we hit the ground. And that is why she’s one of the most badass lady characters in the gaming world.