11. Clementine
Similar to Ellie from The Last of Us, Clementine is a young character that’s easy to underestimate. You wouldn’t expect such strength and bravery from a child, and yet, Clementine is undoubtedly one of the strongest elements in Telltale’s The Walking Dead.
Despite losing countless people she cares about right in front of her eyes, Clem never lets her warmth and morality waver. Well, mostly... older Clem can be cold when she has to be. And is that wrong? No. She continues to defend those she loves with unbreakable spirit.
She also never fails to stand up for what she believes in. As she grows into a teenager over the course of the series, she does take on more of a hardened edge.
That said, this is based largely on the difficulties she’s had to navigate through as a child in a harsh world full of broken trust. She does what she has to do to survive, even when those actions are incredibly painful, and we respect her all the more for it.
12. Faith Connors
Faith can run circles around her enemies, literally. Mirror’s Edge is a game with a smorgasbord of running, jumping, and general parkour action. Given the first-person perspective, it’s easy to put yourself in Faith’s shoes although her relatability also helps.
She’s got a strong familial loyalty, helping her sister despite how difficult this is, especially towards the end. Faith always maintains a fearless, stubborn, and unwavering edge when it comes to what and who she believes in.
If that’s not enough, Faith also earns cool points for pulling off some truly dangerous physical maneuvers and making it look easy. We wish we could do half of what Faith is able to do in Mirror’s Edge, but sadly, we're not cut out to be Runners. We'll leave that to pros like Faith.
13. Max Caulfield and Chloe Price
Yes, we’ve included two characters from Life is Strange, but both are essential to one another. You could say that Max and Chloe are the yin to each other’s yangs, and they play off one another wonderfully.
Max is caring, compassionate, and level-headed. Meanwhile, Chloe is blunt, realistic, and encouraging.
We also get a bit more backstory about Chloe in the prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm that adds to her inclusion alongside Max here, even though Max is the one who drives the story forward with her ability to turn back time.
Even without supernatural powers, Chloe's phenomenal qualities and memorable presence make her a key element of Life is Strange. It simply wouldn’t be the amazing game that it is without both Max and Chloe.
14. Mae Borowski
We realize this may seem like an odd choice at first, but hear us out. Mae from Night in the Woods starts the game as disillusioned and discontent. She’s at a crossroads in her life and is uncertain where to go or what to do.
She returns to her small hometown and reconnects with her old friends, all of whom have their own issues they’re working through. Night in the Woods is a slow burn, but by the end, you see Mae blossom and come into her own in subtle ways.
She’s less introverted and more certain of who she is. She also begins to recognize that she has more value than she initially gave herself credit for. Mae’s story is surprisingly human, especially for a character that takes the form of a cat with red “nightmare” eyes.
Mae’s strength to grow and change and open herself up to new life experiences more than warrants her inclusion on this list.
15. Aveline de Grandpre
Last, but certainly not least, we have Aveline de Grandpre from Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation. Any list of female protagonists would be woefully complete without Aveline.
Not only is she the first playable female protagonist in Assassin’s Creed and one whose story doesn’t require the use of an Animus, she’s also a complex character with a heart of gold.
Recruited to the Assassin Brotherhood by Agate, Aveline works to disrupt and unravel the seedy underbelly of a slave trafficking operation in New Orleans.
Driven by life experiences and an unshakeable moral compass, Aveline’s adventures in Assassin’s Creed are among our favorites. If you haven’t played Liberation, we highly recommend it!
The 15 female protagonists are just a small taste of what can be found in the realm of video games. If we missed any of your favorites, we’d love for you to share them with us down in the comments below!
