5 Powerful Female Leads in Video Games

It's true, once upon a time, the gaming industry favoured cliché male protagonists, along with all their associated personality traits and worn out dilemmas. Powerful female leads, on the other hand, had a rather tough time with finding a light bright enough to outline their booming talents.

Fortunately, the world started to open its eyes and became a whole lot more accepting after a while, which of course led to bigger characters and more inspiring milestones to conquer. And looking at the games industry today, it's a beautiful thing, seeing the number of powerful female leads there are in the business. But should we have to pick just a few for our post-apocalyptic A-team, however, then we'd have to choose these five, no questions asked.

5. Amicia (A Plague Tale)

Amicia was a born huntress at heart, with a sturdy sling and deadly aim to boot. Her head was in the right place, as was her heart, which always lingered towards loyalty and support for her younger brother, Hugo.

Her story, being encased within A Plague Tale: Innocence, was one of courage and strength, and had all the heartwarming elements to outline her vigorous spirit. Amicia de Rune, having faced some of the toughest challenges not only as a trying sister, but as a survivor, proved to be one of the strongest characters of the last decade in gaming. And honestly, I for one can't wait to watch her character unravel even further in the upcoming Requiem chapter.

4. Aloy (Horizon)

In ways, Aloy's strongest trait was that she was curious, in the sense that she would always locate worlds beyond her own just by straying off the beaten path. And of course, it managed to land her in trouble more times than she could count, though it always resulted in a generally positive outcomes.

Admittedly, when we first clocked the armies of mechanical beasts that roamed the four corners of the 31st century Colorado region, we doubted Aloy's choice in arsenal for countering such an enemy. Armed with just a bow and spear, it should've been a train wreck in motion. But it wasn't. Aloy, along with her courage and wit, proved to be one of the most powerful huntresses of the last generation.

3. Senua (Hellblade)

What started off a desperate soul hungry for redemption, slowly transpired into a hazardous heart on the brink of collapse. Following on from that, the Norse warrior known as Senua became something otherworldly; something without boundaries or a leash to hold back the ravenous warrior within.

Forever battling her inner demons and driving back her looming emotional collapse, Senua became one of the most conflicted protagonists we'd seen in years, with a sinister conclusion that seemed almost inevitable. But alas, the desperate warrior ended up being a true staple on the action-adventure genre, becoming an icon in the industry for years to come. And as for the upcoming Hellblade 2, well — the trailer speaks volumes for her character, to be fair.

2. Abby (The Last of Us)

After plunging through the post-apocalyptic world in search of a new life as Joel for the best part of fifteen hours, picking up from Abby's shoes in The Last of Us: Part II felt like we were being short-changed. That is, until we experienced the story first-hand and came to realise the true power that churned within the elite survivor. From there, it was evident why players favoured the strong-willed character, and why Ellie became more of a subplot than a torchbearer.

Contrary to what players wanted to see, Abby actually possessed a great deal of heart and soul. Although posing as the game's antagonist, her story actually sank a lot deeper than it originally let on, leaving us to second-guess her every action and thought. But as far as combat went, the iron veteran was possibly the strongest we had seen in years, and was arguably the greatest female lead in video game history. The fact that she did some unspeakable things, well — we can just about learn to forgive and forget.

1. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)

For a long time, Lara Croft was perceived as nothing more than a hyperactive sex symbol, with little to no depth outside of her iconic dual-wield pistols and knack for using gymnastics as a mode of transportation. Years down the line, when Square Enix rebooted the series, however, that very sex symbol somehow evolved into something much greater.

Tomb Raider told many, many stories during its action-heavy journey, though the main one revolved around Lara's awakening as a born survivor. With the whole world weighing down on her shoulders, the beloved hero had to transition into the icon we know and love today by acting on some of the harshest obstacles known to mankind. By the end, however, Croft had fortified her place among the greatest female leads in the gaming world. And the rest? Well, you know the story.

So, which female leads would you have in your team? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

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