When it comes to horror genre, women have men beat. That is the case for movies at least. Still, for video games, there are actually quite a few female protagonists in them. The ratio is probably more split, but men probably do still outnumber the women.
Anyway, there is a reason why the term “Scream Queen” was invented so it should be no surprise that there is sort of bleed over effect from films. While some of these girls may show signs of fear, they are also tough enough to fight through the darkness. From games dating all the way back to the PS1 to modern consoles, these girls have survived it all. These scores are all based on the highest value given from PC to consoles to portables.
10 Aya Brea (Parasite Eve, 81)
The first Parasite Eve isn’t exactly a straight survival horror game. It’s more like a horror RPG. Still, it has enough elements to count it in the list. Anyway, Aya Brea’s cool demeanor in the face of monsters breeding all over New York City is a trait that not all cops could claim. It probably helps that she too grows powers to fight evil.
9 Amanda Ripley (Alien: Isolation, 83)
Most video game adaptations of the Alien franchise are poor. They rarely feature horror elements and are instead more like straight up shooters or action games.
While this too has action, it’s better balanced. This game knows exactly what made those films so great and framing it around Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, was a nice touch to further deepen the homage.
8 Hana Tsu-Vachel (Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix 84)
Hana Tsu-Vachel is a mouthful of a name. All players need to know is that she is the lead of the Fear Effect franchise. It has everything one would expect from a survival horror game from the PS1 era. There are tank controls, varied camera angles, and plenty to get the blood pumping. What makes it unique is the health system that runs on, well, fear along with the spy motif.
7 Mio And Mayu Amakura (Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Director's Cut, 84)
This game, and overall series, can be seen as heavily inspired by films like The Ring, The Grudge, and Japanese mythology and folk tales as a whole. Armed with a camera, players will need to take pictures of spirits to trap their souls. Despite the ghosts, because these two sisters are so young, it makes the experience feel more real and thus more intense. One cannot choose who is better as Mio and Mayu are a team.
6 Heather Mason (Silent Hill 3, 85)
Another young schoolgirl protagonist is Heather Mason from Silent Hill 3. While not as celebrated as its predecessor, the game is still well regarded enough. Plus it ties in better to the original, upping the stakes for players. Heather definitely does not want to be in this world, but despite that, she toughens through it. Not many kids could do that.
5 Regina (Dino Crisis 2, 86)
While not as enclosed as the first game, Dino Crisis 2 still has some spooky bits that will make players jump. Regina returns for more dinosaur slaying action. This is a Capcom franchise fans have been dying to see again. With Resident Evil at the top now, who knows if it ever will. Even if it never comes back, fans of the genre really should check out both of these PS1 classics and rightly skip the third entry on the original Xbox.
4 Madison Paige (Heavy Rain, 87)
Heavy Rain isn’t technically a horror game either. It’s more of a modern take on the adventure game genre. It’s themed around a killer and is thus more of a mystery.
That said, the character of Madison has a lot of the more horrific scenes in the game from thugs breaking into her apartment to almost being drilled, literally, by a crazy doctor. She fits the role of a “Scream Queen” well and is capable of fighting back.
3 Alexandra Roivas (Eternal Darkness, 92)
With the remaster of Super Mario Sunshine now out, it’s hard not to think about other GameCube classics trapped on the system. Eternal Darkness was way ahead of its time thanks to it messing with the player’s head. The game is framed around Alexandra as she explores this mansion as the game time travels to other eras and characters to deepen the lore of this family and house. There’s nothing quite like it.
2 Claire Redfield (Resident Evil 2 Remake, 93)
The first Resident Evil certainly wasn't the originator of this genre, but Capcom did seemingly perfect it. They created a wave of clones after that. This list of course has captured some of the more unique, better takes. While, Claire Redfield may not be as iconic to the series as Jill Valentine, the remake of Resident Evil 2 is higher than the first. Also, Claire is just as capable to defend herself from zombie hordes.
1 Ellie (The Last of Us Part II, 94)
It seems blasphemous for this list not to end on a Resident Evil title, since this genre may not exist as proudly without it. Beaten by one point, The Last of Us Part II is number one. In many ways it is an evolution of both that series and the genre as whole. Ammo is more scarce, environments are more open, and enemies are way more of a threat than anything in those games. Plus the narrative is dramatically stronger and not as laughably cheesy. Ellie would do unspeakable things to Claire if she had to. It’s a brutal world.