The top 5 female characters in gaming

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It is International Woman's Day today, where we celebrate powerful woman all over the world for their achievements, and just being awesome at everything they do. I on the other hand, want to celebrate woman in other worlds, our gaming worlds to be precise. Every now and then we have female characters in video games that come along, have a huge impact on the industry, and defy all gender boundaries. Here are my greatest female gaming characters of all time. 

Aloy – Horizon Zero Dawn

From the opening moments of Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy had my heart and soul. Seeing her as a baby, then as a child suffering from bullying due to her being an outcast and shunned from the tribe, and finally as a grown woman defying the odds in a world where she is not welcome. The entire journey with Aloy was something so rare and unique, that it will stay in my heart forever.

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Guerrilla Games successfully managed to create a new PlayStation mascot, in an industry filled with such strong personalities and characters. Aloy is an outcast, a fighter, and most of all she is a woman who never lets anything get in the way of what she wants. 

Bayonetta – Bayonetta

Although Bayonetta is the personification of sex appeal, she redefined sexy in a video game, and oh my did she do it well. I think most of my love for her comes from her awesome fashion, which I would totally wear if I could, but it also comes from her unique personality that merges that independent female persona with a touch of a hardcore “do not mess with me” heroine.

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She is bad-ass, and every moment she has on screen is filled with her unique battle style and of course her sex appeal. I have never seen anyone run around with rocket launcher boots, and look so sexy doing it. Her lips are always glossed, and her hair is always perfect, but underneath all that she is one of the most powerful female characters ever.

Ellie – The Last of Us

While we still have much to learn about Ellie in the Last of Us: Part II, what we have experienced from her so far in the first game, has earned the respect of every gamer I've met. Ellie was just a young girl who was burdened with the ability to fight off the Cordyceps Virus, which meant that she could have been the last ever hope for humanity.

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With the burden in her head, she loses all hope of life, knowing that in order to save mankind, she would ultimately sacrifice herself for science. Throughout The Last of Us, we fall in love with her child-like personality, but every time we saw the light in her eyes, the heartache of what is coming hits us. Then, she almost broke the internet when she had her girl kiss in the Left Behind DLC. Ellie has been through so much, and at such a young age too. I personally cannot wait to see how she grows even more in the years to come. 

Yuna – Final Fantasy X | X-2

Tasked with the role of defeating Sin and saving Spira, Yuna set off on what would have been her last ever journey. Knowing that she would have to sacrifice herself to save the people, it was a task that would end in tragedy on her part. Sure she met Tidus along the way and she survived thanks to the couple defying the odds, but no matter what Yuna was faced with, she always kept a positive attitude throughout the journey, and a smile on her face.

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I will never forget the heartbreaking moment when Yuna had to say goodbye to Tidus as he left the world. The two star-crossed lovers bidding each other farewell, and the power Yuna had to have inside her to pick up and carry on with life, as if nothing happened, resulted in her becoming a gaming icon for me. A truly a wonderful, strong woman.

Lara Croft – Tomb Raider Reboot 

As much as I loved the original Lara Croft, she was dull compared to the recent reboot of her character, and I am sure many people with agree. Back when the Lara Croft was the PlayStation mascot, she just had sex appeal, and nothing else going for her. If anything, she was a flat character. Enter the Tomb Raider we know and love today.

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Lara Croft has evolved from a mascot to a fully-fledged female lead, with layers of character growth, and an ever-increasing urge to find the truth about her family's past. All of this results in a strong female lead character that puts an emphasis on breaking boundaries in the gaming industry. Now tell me again why you would want the old Lara Croft back? 

There you have my top 5 female characters in gaming. Let us know who your favorites are in the comment section below.

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Marco is the owner and founder of GLITCHED. South Africa’s largest gaming and pop culture website. GLITCHED quickly established itself with tech and gaming enthusiasts with on-point opinions, quick coverage of breaking events and unbiased reviews across its website, social platforms, and YouTube channel.

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