Reviews by Kyle Ellis

First appearance: Kid Icarus (1986)

Pit’s boss – and closest ally – is a kind, wise, and empowered woman who cares for humankind and protects them from other immortals like her.

She believes human affairs should be solved by humans – though she’s been known to intervene in favor of humanity on more than one occasion.

I guess she’s too kind to follow her own rules!

That said, she’s also way goofier than her role as a Goddess of Light allows her to reveal. She loves puns, and she doesn’t appreciate being called “ma’am” despite being immortal and unaging.

First appearance: Fire Emblem: Awakening (2012)

No, that’s not Marth from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.

It’s Lucina, a descendant who conveniently happens to look just like him.

While a lot of fans would have loved to meet Marth again in Fire Emblem: Awakening, the addition of this powerful female fencer was also a hit – and her popularity even earned her [Link removed - login to see].

She’s strong, independent, and persistent – enough to risk her life by traveling to the past to stop Grima from destroying the world and killing her parents.

The contrast between that and her more childish, eccentric side makes her endearing beyond measure.

First appearance: Telltale’s The Walking Dead (2012)

Known as “Clem” by most of her companions, this young survivor is the soul of Telltale’s incredible The Walking Dead series.

The games follow her since she’s an 8-year-old kid to the ripe old age of 16.

Her story shows how growing up in extreme conditions shapes you, but reminds us that trauma doesn’t have to make us into monsters.

She lost many people along the way, so she’s much more jaded by the time she’s 16. But she remains the same kind girl deep inside her heart.

First appearance: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2005)

Maya has grown to become the head of the Fey clan and the Master of the Kurain Spirit Channeling Technique, but she wasn’t half as put together in the original Ace Attorney.

At first, she was your average 17-year-old gal.

Sure, she was already a medium at the time – but otherwise, she was just a normal girl.

Her bright personality and lighthearted approach to things made her the perfect assistant to the eccentric Phoenix Wright. She was a bit of a klutz, but in a very adorable way.

She’s no longer Phoenix’s assistant. But she remained his trusted counselor for life.

First appearance: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (2017)

Hellblade isn’t the most well-known game out there. But it’s still a fantastic game.

And that has a lot to do with its remarkable story and the incredibly well-written Senua.

This Pictish warrior from medieval Scotland has psychosis and schizophrenia.

She believes a dark entity pushes her forward to rescue her lover’s soul from Helheim and sees signs of their dark influence everywhere.

Despite carrying so much darkness and trauma within her, Senua continues to push forward. She’s resolute and reminds us of the human element of mental illness.

First appearance: Donkey Kong (1981)

Way before Princess Toadstool was born, Mario was already rescuing cute gals from evil villains.

Specifically, he was saving Pauline.

After her run-in with Donkey Kong in the game that kick-started the Mario franchise, she dropped off the map for a fair amount of time.

She used this time to become an accomplished songstress and politician, as we see in Super Mario Odyssey.

She’s now the mayor of New Donk City, bringing hope and cheer to her citizens with her beautiful voice.

First appearance: Parasite Eve (1998)

Parasite Eve is one of those series that rose to challenge giants like Resident Evil and Final Fantasy VII, but slowly fell off the map as a series.

Still, main character Aya Brea remains an icon of 3D gaming’s first steps.

This American police officer’s cells have mutated mitochondria, allowing her to remain in control even when Mitochondria Eve turns the cell’s powerhouse against its hosts.

It also gives her superhuman abilities once awakened, becoming a thorn in the antagonist’s side.

Her cold and brooding demeanor are a staple of “cool” characters of the late 1990s and early 2000s, but Aya wears it better.

First appearance: Fatal Fury 2 (1992)

I can’t think of a game character that matches the “sex symbol” description better than Mai Shiranui.

This modern female ninja rose to fame as the first female character in an SNK fighter game – but also thanks to her incredible sex appeal.

Since arcade gaming was a male-dominated field at the time, this was simply the logical thing to do.

That said, it’s not only men that like Mai.

She’s ridiculously popular as a cosplay character among girls. Bumping into a half-naked ninja in the subway on your way to a gaming convention is as common as it is surreal.

First appearance: Catherine (2011)

Katherine is probably the better choice for Vincent’s long-term happiness, but the mysterious Catherine is simply unforgettable.

As a demon, she shows herself to her victims in the shape they’d desire the most.

Vincent’s is a younger, feisty version of his girlfriend Katherine that regularly dresses like a cabaret dancer.

Catherine’s pixie personality and banging body represent the pure, unadulterated fun of life without responsibilities.

It’s easy to see how Vincent ended up cheating.

A girl like this would put any of us in trouble.

First appearance: BloodRayne (2002)

The Nazi-killing dhampir Rayne was one of the first video game characters to transcend the medium and make it into mainstream publications.

Specifically, [Link removed - login to see] back in 2004.

It may sound silly now. But it was still a momentous occasion back in the day.

It took video games decades to be taken seriously by the public at large, and these kinds of experiments were vital in achieving gaming’s current status as a widely respected art form.

Rayne used to be a trendy cosplay character, showcasing her popularity among both male and female gamers.