Long before our mothers and fathers, grandparents are the all-knowing, all-seeing ancestors that take us through our childhood and beyond. Whenever there comes a difficult decision to make, the older and wiser among us impart some of their wisdom onto us, so that we may prosper. Grandpa might be the fun-loving child at heart, but grandma has the sagacity to inspire and advise her grandchildren for generations to come.
However, that isn't always the case in the digital world. While some grandmothers live up to the stereotype, others completely deter from the kind, generous and over-protective portrayal. Then, there are grandmothers that aren't blood relatives, but rather act as maternal figures in the absence of a biological mother. Grandmas come in all shapes and sizes and their endearing little quirks, such as baking cookies and knitting sweaters, should be celebrated.
8 Granny (Granny)
Here, we have a prime example of an atypical grandmother. In the indie survival horror game Granny (2017), the titular antagonist locks the player inside her house, forcing them to complete puzzles to escape, all while Granny relentlessly pursues them, along with her sentient creepy crawlies.
Granny is the spin-off to the earlier Slendrina series, which makes Granny the mother of Slendrina's Mom, while Slendrina is the Easter egg character that primarily features in the Slendrina series but cameos in Granny. Needless to say, Granny isn't the sort to bake cookies and knit sweaters.
7 Grandma Baker/Eveline (Resident Evil 7: Biohazard)
While she isn't technically a grandmother, the premise of her existence allows for some bending of the rules. In Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Ethan is abducted by the Baker family while searching for his missing wife, Mia. The Baker family, infected with a genetically modified bioweapon known as Eveline or E-001, become violent, cannibalistic serial killers. All throughout the playthrough, players (as Ethan) will encounter Grandma Baker, the grandmother of Lucas Baker and Zoe Baker, and a seemingly ordinary but inanimate NPC. Occasionally, Grandma Baker will move from room to room, appearing in different locations randomly.
Gamer Visits Grandparents and Finds Them Playing Skyrim
Later, it is discovered that Grandma Baker was Eveline all along. Her wheelchair had been used by Eveline due to her accelerated aging, enabling her camouflage to observe Ethan and control the Bakers. In the climactic act of Resident Evil 7, Grandma Baker becomes a disfigured monster before evolving into Eveline's final form.
6 Ana Amari (Overwatch)
While Ana isn't a biological grandmother, she is the mother of Fareeha Amari (Pharah) and the maternal grandmother of several Overwatch characters, therefore she is more of an honorific grandmother than a literal one. Besides, given Ana's Egyptian heritage, it is customary for some cultures to affectionately refer to elders in such a way.
Ana is a Support hero and formerly Overwatch's second-in-command, armed with a biotic rifle capable of firing healing projectiles at her teammates. Interestingly, Ana was the 22 Hero in the Overwatch roster and also the first new hero to be added barring the original line-up. Ana's backstory parallels that of Horus from Egyptian mythology. During an altercation with Widowmaker, Ana lost her eye; similarly, Horus allegedly lost his left eye in a brawl over the inheritance of Osiris with Seth, an Ancient Egyptian god.
5 Kairi’s Grandma (Kingdom Hearts)
While it isn't technically her first appearance, Kairi's Grandma first appears chronically in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. She encounters Kairi after Aqua and Mickey had saved her from the Unversed. Kairi's Grandma residents in Radiant Garden, the homeworld of Kairi and Ansem the Wise. After the Heartless attacked Radiant Garden and reduced it to nothing more than a castle, it was renamed the Hollow Bastion.
In the first Kingdom Hearts, after the destruction of Destiny Islands, Kairi's heart is transplanted into Sora. As a result, Kairi's Grandma is featured briefly when Sora projects one of Kairi's memories, which happens to be a memory of Kairi's grandmother in Hollow Bastion's library retelling the origin tale about the Light and the Darkness that covets the light: essentially a variation of the Guardians of Light versus the Heartless.
4 Grandma Saldina (Undertale)
One might need to suspend disbelief once more as Grandma Saldina wasn't conceived by Toby Fox, but rather an Undertale fan known as Ninadroid. Grandma Saldina is an OC (Original Character) that has since been accepted into canon. She is the grandmother of the "Skelebros" Sans and Papyrus.
According to Ninadroid's description, "She is a skeleton monster who lives in a retirement center in New Home." Her biography states that while Papyrus is her most handsome grandson, Sans is her favorite. In fact, just like Sans, Grandma Saldina possess telekinetic powers, although her old age forbids her from using bone magic anymore. While it's a shame that Grandma Saldina doesn't appear in Undertale, it's endearing to know that Fox's admirers are passionate enough to craft their own characters.
3 Grandma Wilma (Pokémon)
Grandma Wilma appears in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver. In the first three games, she lives on Route 210 whereas in the latter two, she lives in Blackthorn City. Grandma Wilma is able to teach the move Draco Meteor to a Dragon-type Pokémon, but only if its friendship is maxed out.
In PokémonDiamond, Pearl, and Platinum, Wilma reminisces about living among famous Dragon Tamers until she moved to the Sinnoh region. Again, it isn't explicitly mentioned that Grandma Wilma is related to any specific character, but the affectionate term 'Grandma' likely stems from her genial reputation among the Sinnoh folk.
2 Tikal's Grandma (Sonic Adventure)
Although primarily featured in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, Grandma is mentioned in the Sonic Adventure video game as well as Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut. She is the grandmother of Tikal, the spirit of an anthropomorphic echidna from the Knuckles Clan and the only daughter of Pachacamac.
The since-deceased former leader of the Knuckles Clan, Grandma coined the traditional mantra used by echidnas to draw the full potential of the Master Emerald. It reads, "The servers are the 7 Chaos. Chaos is power... Power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos." Grandma instilled firm morals into her granddaughter, so unlike Pachacamac, who incited violence, Grandma held peaceful beliefs.
1 Gaia (God of War)
Gaia is the mother of the Titans and the grandmother of the Olympian Gods. Within the God of War series, Gaia has been the narrator, a deuteragonist, and a secondary antagonist. In Greek mythology, Gaia is a primordial being that personifies the Earth, also comparable to Terra in the Roman pantheon.
She appears as a humanoid adorned with moss, ferns, and miniature streams to resemble the many attributes of Mother Earth. Gaia also plays one of the biggest roles in Kratos' story, making her a vital character in the God of War lore.