When it comes to sci-fi video games, Samus Aran is widely regarded as the first female protagonist in the genre. Not only that, but she is also an icon for all video game heroines.
Her debut in Metroid on the NES was also the big twist of the game. To think that this strong, noble warrior was a girl all along—it must have spun the heads of little boys the world over! It also proved—or at least helped to prove—that women could kick butt in video games, too. What other sci-fi heroines can stand toe to toe with Samus?
10 Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn, 89)
The world in Horizon Zero Dawn isn’t so bad as far as post-apocalypses go. Sure, people live in fear of robotic dinosaurs and other robotic animals, but at least the Earth still looks clean. That’s the case for Colorado, at least. One has to have a cunning mind in order to survive these encounters, and few are as strong and cunning as the title's protagonist, Aloy.
9 2B (NieR: Automata - Game of the YoRHa Edition, 91)
Speaking of post-apocalypses involving robots, NieR: Automata has a much worse off Earth than Horizon Zero Dawn. The very last dregs of humanity are hiding in space, and humanoid robots like 2B are sent to Earth to gather supplies and to eliminate as much of the rebel robot threat as possible. She doesn’t say much, but, when one can fight as cleanly as she does blindfolded and in heels, well, her actions do most of the talking.
8 Mercy (Overwatch, 91)
Overwatch is practically overflowing with great female characters. There is Tracer, Mei, Widowmaker, and the list goes on.
We think any female character on the overflowing Overwatch roster could make this list, Mercy was chosen because she’s a good character for newcomers to settle into the game with. She’s a focused healer, so supporting the team may be easier than trying to aim for kills.Â
7 Bayonetta (Bayonetta 2, 92)
Another warrior vixen that can fight in heels is Bayonetta. Of course, in her case, her heels are literal guns—2B isn’t that lucky. From her gun shoes to her hair magic, Bayonetta might actually be the strongest femme fatale on this list. No matter the game, she has plenty of tricks to throw around and a witty remark to add insult to injury.
6 Alyx (Half-Life Alyx, 93)
Speaking of getting inpatient for threequels, where is Half-Life 3? While this spinoff game doesn’t push the narrative forward as much as fans would have wanted, it does push the concept of VR ahead of its competition. There is nothing quite like it. Alyx was a great side character before, but she’s now surpassed Gordon Freeman as the star of this franchise. Plus, she actually speaks, which is a big help.Â
5 Chell (Portal 2, 95)
Another great female heroine from Valve is Chell from the Portal games. True, she may not talk like Alyx. All dialogue in this game is delivered by robot companions and antagonists. A better pick for this list may be GLaDOS, then, since, even as a potato, she keeps her wits about her. That said, even without saying anything, Chell has remained an enduring female presence despite never uttering a single syllable.
4 Commander Shepard (Mass Effect 2, 96)
The Mass Effect series is sci-fi as heck and perhaps best represents this article. It’s like Star Trek, but with more action. Among the four core titles, this is the highest-ranked on Metacritic and is almost universally considered to be the best by fans, too. Both versions of Commander Shepard are great, but one can’t help but fall in love with FemShep.Â
3 Cortana (Halo: Combat Evolved, 97)
Cortana is a better character than Master Chief. Period. While not completely silent, Master Chief is a man of few words, and his character arc isn’t that mesmerizing. Cortana, on the other, hand goes through a lot. Currently, she’s the villain, which no one saw coming, but he point is that she was a great companion in the first Halo, even if she isn’t playable.
2 Joanna Dark (Perfect Dark, 97)
GoldenEye is considered to be a benchmark for the N64, console shooters, and licensed games in general. What followed was not a sequel based on James Bond, but Perfect Dark.
It was everything fans loved about GoldenEye, but with a female spy, Joanna Dark. Since it wasn’t a movie, Rare was allowed to give her more character, which makes both her and her game better than GoldenEye in the end.Â
1 Samus Aran (Metroid Prime, 97)
The toughest heroine of them all is also one of gaming’s firsts, Samus Aran. It was a complete shock when that helmet came off in the original Metroid on NES. That’s right, kids, this was a girl all along. Shocked? That seemed to be the message of the day, but it was more than just a twist for the sake of being twisty. Samus continued to kick butt all the way into her 3D debut with Metroid Prime. Where is that collection for Switch, Nintendo?