Take Pride!

Sheba is the most audacious example of a lipstick lesbian on this countdown. She enjoys dressing up, shopping, and holding lavish tea parties with an entourage of beautiful ladies. She also talks about women being the “fairer sex,” and she plainly states that femininity is “the font of all cheer”… whatever that means. The extravagant mermaid is obsessed with wealth and luxury, but she believes that money should be spent on women. Men are merely a means to an end as far as she’s concerned, and she has never met one that can live up to her ridiculously high standards. Sheba is always on the lookout for talent, and she hits on nearly every woman she comes across. Even as she grows in power and majesty, she always has room for more women in her life. Sheba is an easy character to root for, and I applaud her efforts to create a lesbian harem.

Although some Fire Emblem games feature characters that can potentially engage in same-sex relationships, Heather’s orientation doesn’t change depending on the player’s choices. The wandering rogue is a lesbian who is exclusively attracted to women. She seems to dislike men, as a matter of fact, and she’s clever enough to trick them into surrendering their possessions to her. Heather scours the countryside for gold in order to pay for her ailing mother’s medical treatment, but she has other motives for joining the army. In a quote that was removed from the English versions of Radiant Dawn, Heather explicitly states that she joined the army because she wanted to meet all the pretty girls. Most Fire Emblem fans are fond of pretty girls too, so Heather’s motivations are easy to relate to.

The premise of the Variable Geo series revolves around female martial artists who are sponsored by family restaurants. (Naturally, the fighters are expected to work as waitresses when they’re not competing.) Ayako Yuuki is the star attraction at a rave-themed restaurant, and she dazzles customers with her flashy dance moves. While she initially enters the V.G. tournament to win money for charity, she becomes hopelessly infatuated by one of the other participants. Ayako dresses provocatively and tries to draw attention to herself, but her feelings are ultimately unrequited. Nevertheless, she continues to pursue her crush. The girls often strip after their matches, so Ayako’s continued involvement with the fighting tournament has more to do with her desire for eye candy than it does with her charitable aspirations.

Judy Alvarez is an intriguing woman who’s associated with the Moxes gang. Although the group is largely comprised of prostitutes and anarchists, Judy herself is a “braindance” technician who is respected for her creativity. Despite what her tattoos and delinquent hair might suggest, she’s one of the most brilliant techies in Night City. Judy is largely defined by her impulsive attitude, but you’ll have to play your cards right if you want to cozy up with her. She’s not interested in men, however, so you might be out of luck even if you say and do all of the right things. You can pursue as many relationships as you want in Cyberpunk 2077, but not everyone will be receptive to your advances. Judy has agency, and she decides who she wants to bang. Her unwavering tastes are a reminder that nobody is entitled to a relationship.

Mad Moxxi is a thrill-seeking woman who owns various bars on Pandora. Although she has a friendly demeanor, she’s also drawn to violence and bloodshed. She was a capable fighter when she was younger, and she gets her kicks by hosting colosseum death matches. Her sadistic qualities are always apparent, but they’re often overshadowed by her lascivious side. Her language is laced with innuendo, her mannerisms are salacious, and she puts a seductive spin on everything she does. She’s had multiple husbands and countless lovers, so it’s probably not surprising that she flirts with the player’s avatar. She doesn’t discriminate based on gender (or species) and she has an “anything that moves” mentality when it comes to sex. A brazen slut who’s driven by lust and lechery, Mad Moxxi is one of gaming’s quintessential get it girls.

Katsuragi is a vivacious school girl with a great appreciation of the female form. She’s especially fond of breasts, so it’s lucky for her that she attends an all-girls’ shinobi academy. Kat takes every opportunity to grope her classmates – often without warning – and she’s endlessly entertained by the way boobs jiggle. Her aggressive lesbianism is sometimes mistaken as a form of hazing, but her infatuation with women is ingrained into her very being. Groping boobs makes her feel free, and she often loses her mind in lewdness. To her credit, she eventually realizes that her single-minded devotion was preventing her from growing and evolving as a person. To that end, she starts groping other parts as well! She might be an indiscriminate pervert, but she truly believes that loving the female body is the greatest joy in life.

Hana Tsu-Vachel is a professional mercenary who can flirt her way out of almost any situation. She had a male love interest in the first Fear Effect game, but the prequel paired her with a female lover named Rain Qin. Hana and Rain’s apparent lesbian relationship was the focal point of the game’s marketing campaign, and the ads showed the promiscuous lovebirds straddling each other in their underwear! Although some critics took exception to them, the ads weren’t entirely off brand. Hana’s sex appeal was always a part of her character, after all. She wasn’t written as a bisexual until after she had already been established as a character, however, and this means that any preconceived notions we had about her sexual orientation were wrong. Ultimately, her compelling bisexual love triangle tells us a lot about who Hana is as a person.

When an incurable disease threatened humanity with extinction, an ambitious project was set in motion that effectively separated human souls from their bodies. After which, the souls would be attached to artificial “Replicant” bodies created from human genetic data. Kainé had been a woman in her previous life, but an error in the system caused her Replicant to be born intersex. She was ostracized as a result, and this informed her cynical personality. Kainé still identifies as a female, however, and she chooses clothing that emphasizes her feminine characteristics. (She’s one of gaming’s best-dressed women, and her skimpy negligee leaves most of her body exposed!) Kainé often hides behind a mask of shyness, but she’s prone to bouts of irrational anger. Her profanity-laced outbursts cause almost as much damage as the swords she wields!

Tracer is a British pilot who became an agent of Overwatch after her prototype jet somehow gave her the ability to manipulate time. Her unique skillset made her a popular character, and fans were also drawn in by her playful energy and adorable cockney accent. The Overwatch roster was filled with aspirational characters, and Tracer was the face of the franchise in many regards. Many fans were taken aback when she was quietly revealed to be a lesbian in a 2016 digital comic. Some viewed it as an afterthought, but the low-key approach was intentional. The folks at Blizzard wanted the revelation to play out in an organic fashion since Tracer’s sexuality was just one aspect of her character. Tracer was the game’s cover girl, so it was a bold move for the studio to tell the world that she was gay.

Poison was introduced in Final Fight as a disposable gang member. Capcom was concerned with how American activists would respond to a woman being depicted as a walking punching bag, so they said that Poison was a trans woman to shield themselves from potential backlash. Poison’s gender has been a topic of debate ever since. Concept art describes her as a “newhalf,” the Capcom Classics Collection suggests that she’s a crossdresser, and her card in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS plainly states that she’s a man. Her creator has clarified that Poison is a woman in his view, and I’m sure that’s how Poison views herself. Although the ambiguity pushed her into the limelight, I think we can all appreciate the delicious skank for who she is. Her gender is almost inconsequential at this point, but she’ll always be a woman in my eyes.