Behind every great fighter is a great mother who raised them well. Most games see mothers as gentle and caring individuals who’d do anything to protect their children. In fighting games, mothers can put up their dukes and throw down with the rest of the cast when the need arises.
From clobbering skilled martial artists to taking down otherworldly threats with their combat prowess, these moms are more than capable of laying the smackdown on enemies. But who are the best maternal figures who can kick major butt across fighting games?
8 Nine (BlazBlue)
Originally known as Konoe Ayatsuki Mercury, she goes by the name Nine and Six Heroes and the Ten Sages in the BlazBlue series. Considered to be one of the most powerful mages, Nine is a master magician who uses her knowledge of the arcane, elements, and gravity to zone and demolishes opponents.
She is the mother of Kokonoe and was doting and loving before Nine lost her mind and went by the name Phantom. However, as Phantom, she is more brash and antagonistic to her allies and daughter. Even when she reverted to Nine and gained her memories back, she retained her arrogance and often showed some “tough love” to Kokonoe since she senses the latent power her daughter possesses.
7 Android 18 (Dragon Ball FighterZ)
A woman with a no-nonsense attitude, Android 18 is a formidable fighter who once was a villain but sided with Goku and the good guys following the Cell saga. She is married to Krillin and has a daughter named Marron.
In multiple Dragon Ball Z fighting games, Android 18 is depicted as an agile fighter who provides good support for her team. She often utilizes her Arm Breaker kick to disable opponents, as well as her various Buster Swings to toss them around before hitting them with Energy Wave or Accel Dance with her twin brother, Android 17.
6 Sonya Blade (Mortal Kombat 11)
Sonya Blade is a military general of the Earthrealm Special Forces who monitors the activities within Outworld and their nefarious warlords. She is a stern commander who is relentless when it comes to hunting down fugitives of the Black Dragon clan, especially Kano, its leader. In combat, Sonya’s military training and field experience makes her a formidable fighter. She uses high-tech weaponry to shoot out projectiles that incapacitate targets.
The recent Mortal Kombat games see her and Johnny Cage with a daughter, Cassie Cage. Cassie is part of Sonya’s military units and usually clashes with her when Sonya becomes too headstrong in her tactics in dealing with the Black Dragon clan.
5 C.Viper (Street Fighter 4)
Crimson Viper, also known as C. Viper, is an undercover CIA agent who is acting as a SIN agent in the Street Fightergames she is part of. She is ordered by the CIA to infiltrate and uncover the criminal organization Shadaloo Intimidation Network (S.I.N.) is up to. She is outfitted with a Battle Suit made by S.I.N. to ramp up her close-quarters combat prowess, especially when dealing with the various World Warriors in the Street Fighter tournament. C.
Viper is dangerous when crossing up opponents and uses electric currents on her gloves and jet propulsion in her boots to create blazing kicks. Even though she’s a secret agent who can kick major butt, her major goal is to give her daughter, Lauren, a good future. This is why she takes on any dangerous missions since it pays her lucratively.
4 Jun Kazama (Tekken)
Jun Kazama is one of the supporting characters in the first Tekken games, being the wife of then-protagonist Kazuya. She is a wildlife conservationist who is also a well-trained martial artist who raised and trained Jin away from Kazuya to keep him away from the Devil’s influence. Following the events of Tekken 3, Jun was nowhere to be found and was presumed to be killed by Ogre. In subsequent games, Jun is seen to appear to Jin in various visions, often clad in white light. She reappears in Tekken 8 and has seemingly acquired the power to cleanse evil.
As far as fighting skills, Jun uses the Kazama style which relies on evasion and using her opponents’ attacks against them via counters and deft dodging. She also employs swift yet heavy strikes to quickly incapacitate her enemy and end fights as quickly as possible.
3 Vanessa (King of Fighters)
Vanessa is a freelance mercenary who first appeared in King of Fighters ‘99 Evolution. She is an exceptional striker who utilizes a fast-paced boxing style to pepper her opponents with jabs and haymaker combinations. Her punches are strong enough to reflect projectiles to enemies, as well as take down bigger opponents, though using her Power Punch renders her immobile for a split second since she often hurts her hands when performing this move.
As a mother, Vanessa always keeps her mercenary business from her daughter. Her husband was also a former mercenary who perished following a mission, and this led Vanessa to pursue the same profession. She uses her charm on top of her espionage skills to get some information on the NESTS cartel for those she works for. But when not doing mercenary work, she is a dutiful housewife who treasures her daughter and keeps her happy.
2 Dizzy (Guilty Gear)
Dizzy is one of the main characters in the Guilty Gear games. She is a half-human, half-Gear hybrid who doesn’t want to fight. But her Gear nature often fights for her since she is accompanied by two guardians, Necro and Undine. Dizzy is compassionate and gentle to anyone she meets, and would rather avoid any conflict if given the option.
Necro and Undine are the manifestations of her violent tendencies and self-preservation instincts. They are sentient but do not stray far from Dizzy. She is married to Ky Kiske and has a son named Sin who trains with Sol Badguy. She deeply cares for Sin but understands that she has to keep him away from society because of humanity’s general disdain for Gears.
1 Sophitia (Soulcalibur)
Sophitia Alexandra is one of the main characters in the Soulcalibur games who wants to destroy the vile blade Soul Edge. She is a formidable fighter who wields a sword and shield with great dexterity and resolve. Her style involves mixing up her attacks to open up her enemy and overwhelm them with quick and decisive strikes.
After destroying the blade, shards of it got lodged in her, and when she gave birth to her daughter Phyrra, both of them became linked to the cursed blade. Sophitia decided to get rid of the shard to free Pyrrha from its influence, even though it meant costing her life in the process.