No Right Answer: Strongest Female Video Game Lead Ever

Firefilm

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Strongest Female Video Game Lead Ever

With women more and more admitting they like video games, and game publishers realizing women have spending dollars too, females are being better and better represented in games. So who is the current poster child?

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Realitycrash

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Honestly? Neither of those mentioned.
Because the strongest lead is Sarah Kerrigan.
(Despite the fact that they gave her evolved form a thong and high-heels..)

Though I really can't comment on Last of Us or Bioshock: Infinite, because I have played neither of them. Still, even if I had, I doubt I would change my mind. Sarah has a nice story-arc, character-growth throughout the games, and very much stands out from the scenery compared with every other character in the Starcraft-series.
 

Easton Dark

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It was Samus until Other M happened.

Now though yeah I'd say it's Kerrigan. She's the queen ***** of the universe.
 

franksands

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I really like what they did to Ellie and she's never powerless or in need of rescue and that is awesome. I would like to mention Elika from Prince of Persia 2008, although you don't play with her, she helps you the whole game, she rescues you when you fall and she saves the whole country in the end (ignoring the horrible plot twist at the very end).
 

Firefilm

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hmm Nope..

Out of the two selected.. I suppose I'd pick Ellie, although she finally folds to Joel's will, but only after he folds to her will. She always seems resourceful and capable, although I'd argument that her independence comes from her youthful stubbornness, and a lot of the conflict comes from the fact that although she wants to be capable, she really is quite powerless (along with everyone else in the game tbh).

Although Elizabeth does turn into a more independent character when she is not in booker's company ( and ends up being an almighty multidimensional overlord-ess ), she is just a damsel in distress through most of the game. All you really do is run around saving her, even if she can never really get attacked by enemies.

In any case.... neither of them are BEST EVUR.. if you forget OTHER M
strongest lead would be Samus Aran... Although her skills are a bit too traditionally action hero.

Better anyway are Chell from Portal. And Jade from Beyond good and evil. Even Yuna from FF10 is better, as silly as that plot ends up being.


About Sarah Kerrigan... hmmmm
I don't know.. shes under the influence of the hive mind most of the time... yeah she's supposed to be in control... but its quite clear that shes always being controlled. Her independence comes more from her alien-hood than her womanhood... and before being the queen of blades she didn't really have the most noteworthy of personalities either... Also, as with all things blizzard, they are starting to convolute the plot to unsustainably ridiculous proportions, so it's almost impossible to draw a line whee character personalities make sense.
 
Dec 14, 2009
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Gotta go with Ellie.

Not only is she a female, but she's also a child.

To have such a well written character that encompasses two traits that usually fall flat on their face, is a godsend.

Although, I'd throw Clementine into that list too.
 

SoulChaserJ

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Neither of these characters are "lead" characters. Jade from BGE is a lead, obviously Lara Croft, Bayonetta, Ecco the dolphin, Samus, etc... Those are leads. Ellie and Elizabeth are both supporting characters.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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Well, if we're talkin' totally awesome badass women, I bring Kreia from KOTOR 2 to the table.


You want someone badass, you can't do much better than Kreia.
 

plugav

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Maybe I'm being unfair, but it seems a bit lazy and/or misguided to nominate supporting NPCs for the title of best lead in a game, instead of researching some playable female characters that also happen to be well written.

I admit, I haven't played many games that qualify, but so far my money's on April Ryan from The Longest Journey.
 

matell

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j-e-f-f-e-r-s said:
Erm... why isn't this Samus vs Lara Croft?

The only reason I ask is because the premise here is 'strongest female video game lead character.'

Neither Ellie nor Elizabeth are lead characters. They're support characters. They support the main character of their respective games, which in both cases is a grizzled, stubbly, cynical middle aged man.

Samus and Lara are both the protagonists of their respective franchises, and both play support role to no man. Sure, you can comment on how Samus was treated in the last Metroid game, or on Lara's virtues as a character versus her rather sexualised appearance, but at the end of the day, they are both female leads who have been the faces of their respective franchises for decades, and who have acted as the conduit through which players can kick all sorts of ass.

I mean, I don't mean to sound snarky, but it's just a little worrying when the go-to example and definition of strongest female leads in a nerd community such as this is two female characters defined by the way they support the male characters in-game, rather than two female characters who are actually independent and strong with nary a man in sight.
I know right? It's like the only eligible games were those less than 6 months old... why?
 

Mikeyfell

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Aug 24, 2010
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Dear No Right Answer:

Please learn what a "lead character" is.
Ellie and Elizabeth are both supporting rolls,

Their participation in the plot is either passive or forced upon them.
Ellie is the lead for two chapters of Last of Us.
But for the most part it's Joel and Booker actively driving the plot while Ellie and Elizabeth follow and provide...Support.


Best female character, sure those are worthy choices, but they aren't lead.
Asides from two brief scenes Ellie doesn't drive the plot (Her condition does, but that's passive)

Clementine from Walking Dead is a better "Lead" character because her motivation is the only thing driving Lee to do the plot.

Joel and Booker would be doing this whether or not Ellie and Elizabeth had anything to do about it.
 

Ukomba

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You consider the Last of Us is more violent than Bioshock Infinite? I would say Bioshock Infinite is far more violent. The violence is The Last of Us might be more realistic, but Bioshock is more prevalent, gory, and even runs counter to the narrative.

Also, Elizabeth's downgrade from the bad ass girl in the original trailer to a Rapunzel ripoff really lowers her standing imo. I liked the active roll she had there, initiating things for Booker to exploit better than the passive, only perform an action if Booker tells her to roll she ended up with.
 

Saelune

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I didnt know antagonists count as leads. Cause to me they dont. (Kerrigan and Kreia are antagonists in the end).

Samus was mine along with many others the nnumber one choice. She is cool and actually the lead in her games. Chell, though cool, is essentially just the player, so I dont really count her.
 

Attercap

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Jun 22, 2012
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Personally, I cast my vote for Fem!Shep from Mass Effect. Because Fem!Shep can never get enough love... not even from Garrus.
 

Weaver

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I'd pick Bayonetta to be honest. I think there is a lot of depth and nuance which makes her a great character that's far more than just eyecandy and I appreciate Bayonetta's acceptance and control of her own sexuality. There are lots of other things I like about her character, but that's something we don't see in games very often.
 

deathbydeath

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matell said:
I know right? It's like the only eligible games were those less than 6 months old... why?
Speaking of that.... There's no Jade. What the fuck. She's actually a lead character; she's the most capable in the series (beating HH and Peyj, both males); and she has a character arc that establishes her female characteristics instead of being a man with boobs. I wish people would stop masturbating for ad revenue and start remembering good games.
 

RJ 17

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Delcast said:
Her independence comes more from her alien-hood than her womanhood.
This is why I don't get why people are saying she's a "strong female character". As you say, her "independence" comes from the fact that she's been zergified, not because she's a woman standing on her own. Her story arc would fit just as easily to a male as it would for a female. Character starts as a loyal soldier, character gets viciously betrayed and left to a horrific fate, character gains untold amounts of power, character uses that power to seek revenge on those that betrayed her. Upon getting said revenge, character fully embraces the darkness inherent in their power and decides she wants to become the evil overlord of the galaxy.

She doesn't change the Zerg when she takes over, she rather just fully embraces her role as the leader of the Zerg. Once the Overmind has been dealt with, she basically just wants to take its place as the ruler of the Zerg and go on to accomplish what the Overmind was already trying to do: consume and assimilate everything. As I said, you could just as easily stick a male into that role and the story wouldn't change at all. With a character like Ellie, you could stick a little boy into her role and suddenly it becomes an entirely different story. It goes from being a story of innocence lost to being a "how to become a man" story. Same thing with Elizabeth, if you slap a young man into her role, he'd likely be blasting away with a shotgun side-by-side with Booker as they try to break out of Columbia.

Kerrigan is only a "strong female character" in the sense that she's a female that's obscenely powerful. She doesn't really "advance the cause" in any way, shape, or form other than saying "Hey check it out! Our main bad-guy is actually a girl!" The concept of a powerful villainess, however, is certainly nothing new or unique to the universe of StarCraft.

As for the episode itself:
RIIIIIGGED! You just wanted Hermon to win because he was a guest on the show! You start out by giving him one sentence on his first turn resulting in no points, then give him two points in another turn in which he didn't even make two good points, then just edit out him drinking so that he gets to win the drinking round! I call shenanigans!
 

Sehnsucht Engel

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Neither of these are lead characters in the way that they are the character you play the most in the game, and they're definitely not the strongest either way. I can't tell if this is a joke or not, but I'm going to assume it is because you've actually made good episodes before. >_>

Even if you could only choose games from the last six months, Nilin beats Elizabeth without having to try. I haven't played The Last of Us, but I know you mostly play as a guy for the game. My pick would still be Nilin from the last six months of video gaming. Actually, the boss from Saints Row 4 if you make her female would make the three previous ones cry and beg for their mommies. I'm guessing she doesn't count though.

I'd go for Jade, Alice or Commander Sheppard if we were debating which was the strongest female lead ever. See, they're actually the lead of their game too. Amazing, isn't it.