Top 5: Leading Ladies of Gaming
Number 5: Jill Valentine
She is an elite member of the Special Tactics and Rescue Service team called STARS, and was charged with rescuing survivors, before getting trapped in a Zombie infested mansion in the survival horror masterpiece ‘Resident Evil.’ Despite being originally designed as a sexy, yet weaker alternative to the male character option, Jill struck a chord with gamers early on. From her ability to store two more items, better access to ammunition and ability to pick locks, this leading lady proved herself to be one tough chick in a terrifying crisis. She later returned as the civilian lead in ‘Resident Evil 3: Nemesis’, and in the case-files compilation “The Umbrella Chronicles”. Having already secured herself as one of gaming’s toughest leading ladies, she is not regarded as just another bimbo in a uniform, even though she’s easy on the eyes.
Number 4: Chun Li
Top 5 Choreographed Dances to Nicki Minaj's Chun-Li
Created by Capcom, this Chinese Interpol agent-turned fighter was the first lady to ever to duke it out in a tournament fighter. Appearing along side the muscle-clad dudes in “Street Fighter 2: The World Warrior”, she quickly excited arcade-faring gamers with her tale of revenge. Competing to exact street justice on her father’s killer, she worked her way up to the game’s final boss M. Bison. Using her signature lightning kick, Chun Li has subsequently appeared in every-iteration of the franchise, and led the way for women’s equality in the digital fighting space since her debut in 1991.
Number 3: Joanna Dark
She is the star of the critically acclaimed first-person shooter Perfect Dark. Debuting in Rare’s futuristic tale of a secret agent employed by the Carrington institute, she has fought in a secret war between two warring alien races, and established herself as the first major femme fatal of the first-person shooter genre. As deadly as James Bond, and just plain perfect all around, Joanna has been able to survive impossible odds with her cunning, and use of futuristic duel-function firearms. She may not be the first lady to fire a gun in a game, but in her wake gaming has seen a surge of ladies packing a pair of sub machine guns. And while that’s terrific, it’s just not the same as when Jo does it.
Number 2: Lara Croft
Why Do They Beat The Shit Out of Lara Croft?
Arguably the most scantly clad and well-endowed femme fatale on this list, Lara Croft has been pleasing adventure-seekers since 1996, and single-handedly skyrocketed the demand for more female leads in videogames. Over the years she has blazed a path of exploration around the globe, and this athletic archeologist from the Tomb Raider series has become one of the most well known, and beloved leading ladies of all time. She even has a Guinness World Record for being the most well known game heroine around the globe. And in the process of changing hands with several different developers over the years, she has slowly undergone several dramatic alterations since her debut. Love it or hate it, these updates have made her more realistic and respectable. These include her new sweeter personality, and the reduction of her outrageous Double D chest.
Number 1: Samus Aran
Origin Story of Samus - Metroid's Leading Lady
She’s been a leading lady since 1986, yet ironically the only people who knew that she was a chick were the players who managed to beat the game. Revealing herself as a highly capable blonde, this intergalactic bounty hunter has the distinction of never appearing in a less than A+ installment. Taking on a usually male-dominated role, this heroine tops this countdown for remaining an icon of game-design perfection, and for her major contribution to gender equality in gaming. Able to fire a variety of weapons from her arm, and morph into a ball to solve complex puzzles, Samus has continued to blast her way through the Space Pirate forces over the years with great success. Plus, she has done this all-while working alone in treacherous and foreboding alien environments.
Conclusion:
From Animation to Live-Action: How Disney Changed Its Leading Ladies
Today, female characters continue to become more and more numerous in game design, yet many continue to function as nothing but eye-candy. That’s why its nice to see that there are a group of elite ladies that have broke through the digital ceiling, and offered us impressive gaming adventures, all while standing toe-to-to with the men.
