Making Waves

Like most of the ladies on this list, Irenes can survive under the sea or above the surface. Even though mermaids are known for their beauty, they’re also surrounded by intolerance. In the world of Chrono Cross, demi-humans are defined by an assortment of physical abnormalities that distinguish them from typical humans. There are many different variations of demi-humans, but they all face a certain degree of prejudice. After her demi-human brethren are driven from their homes and forced to work on a cruise ship against their will, Irenes sets out to restore her town and return her people to their land. As a powerful magic user with astonishing water-based spells, she can hold her own in a fight. Her siren song can cause huge waves to crash down onto her enemies, but she’d rather live in a world where humans and demi-humans can coexist.

The anatomy of the Dracoian race is confusing. They are able to survive on land and in water, and they are shown to be part fish and part human. Although some Draconians have fish-like appendages, most of them merely wear scales as clothing. In the case of Otohime, however, her fins are a part of who she is. Otohime lives in the underwater Dragon Palace and resides over the Draconians as their queen. When a vicious water dragon begins attacking a nearby coast, Queen Oto springs into action and travels inside the beast. After she retrieves the sacred “Dragon Orb” from its stomach, it’s revealed that her husband had been the water dragon the entire time. Incidentally, the entire royal family can turn into water dragons — including Oto herself. Mermaids are usually viewed as fish-human hybrids, but it’s even cooler to be half dragon!

Under most circumstances, Wakasagihime is a timid yokai mermaid who lives a quiet life in Misty Lake. She enjoys singing songs and picking up rocks, but she usually keeps a low profile and the locals barely notice her. She’s so unassuming that she’s sometimes mistaken for a fish. (One of the main characters even tries to eat her on one occasion!) Everything changes after she gets her hands on the Miracle Mallet, however. The legendary artifact allows her to grow in size and transforms her into a ferocious being. Her power is further amplified when she’s in the water, but she isn’t too much of a threat. She serves as the first boss in Double Dealing Character, after all, so she goes down pretty easy. Fortunately, Wakasagihime reverts to her normal self after she’s defeated. She’s a lot more likable when she’s not trying to kill you.

Mermaids have shown up in a few Dragon Quest games, but none have played a bigger role than Queen Marina. Although she resides under the sea, her clairvoyance allows her to keep tabs on what’s happening on land. (She can also float above the surface in a magic bubble when the situation calls for it!) She provides valuable guidance to her guests, and she sounds remarkably eloquent when she speaks in rhyme. You really have to admire her hands-on approach as queen. She’s on the front lines when her kingdom is invaded, for instance, and she’s willing to sacrifice herself to save others. Her protective nature is also apparent when she turns a human into a flounder to prevent him from drowning. Marina is so intrigued by humans that she spent years looking for a way for to extend their lifespans so they could live as long as mermaids do.

After washing up on the shore, Leia was rescued by a local scientist named Daryl. Daryl helped nurse the injured mermaid back to health and allowed her to recover in a large bathtub in his basement. If the player befriends Daryl, they will have the opportunity to get to know Leia too. Her kindness is immediately apparent, and she tries to repay Daryl by cooking and cleaning for him. If you play your cards right, she’ll start to cook for you as well! Leia’s mother compels her to return to the sea and worries that the bathtub is too small for her, but you can still visit her at the beach if you’re so inclined. Many well-known mermaid stories involve an element of romance, so it shouldn’t be surprising that you’ll have the option of marrying Leia. If you decide to get hitched, she’ll move to the farm and live in your pond. It beats a bathtub, if nothing else.

Sheba is a weaponized life form known as a “Blade” that can endow individuals with special abilities. Most of her techniques involve water, and she’s able to use the element in a number of ways. When she’s not blasting her enemies with ether cannons, she’s likely splashing around in bathtubs that appear out of nowhere. (Who needs the ocean when you can conjure up bathroom fixtures out of thin air?) Sheba is an extravagant woman with a taste for luxury and expensive things. She has never met a man who can live up to her ridiculously high standards, but she enjoys holding classy tea parties with entourages of women. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has a lot of fine-ass bitches, and I can’t blame her for surrounding herself with them. The vast majority of mermaids are female, so it’s surprising that there aren’t more lesbians on this list.

Splash Woman might sound like the name of a girl you’d find on PornHub, but she’s actually a pioneer who shattered the glass ceiling of the Mega Man franchise. It took nine games over the span of twenty-one years before Mega Man faced off against a female Robot Master! Splash Woman is apparently fond of karaoke bars, but she usually hangs out in her underwater lair. She is almost always surrounded by robotic fish, and she uses her siren songs to bend them to her will. When she’s not letting her minions do her dirty work, Splash Woman uses her trusty laser trident to damage her enemies directly. She’s strong enough to destroy concrete blocks, and she’s easily one of the most dangerous foes in Mega Man 9! Splash Woman’s initial purpose was to rescue victims of shipwrecks, but she’s more likely to cause one.

Cuphead is a loving tribute to 1930s cartoons, and its characters are a reflection of the era’s subversive qualities. The gameplay largely revolves around epic boss fights, and each battle is more thrilling than the last. Cala Maria looks like a typical mermaid at first glance — albeit a large one — but she becomes more and more hideous as the battle progresses. You won’t have time to admire her slender figure after she morphs into a gorgon-like monster. She’s flirty and vivacious when she first emerges from their ocean, but she behaves more like Medusa than Betty Boop by the time the fight is over. Cala Maria has an assortment of aquatic minions at her command, so you’ll have to contend with everything from seahorses to electrified dolphins. She can even enlist help from ghost pirates!

Shantae encounters many mermaids during her adventures. They typically attack with tridents and water bubbles, and they’ll sometimes blow kisses at her for good measure. Some of the mermaids she meets are regular humans who were partially swallowed by fish. (The fanart community has developed creative theories as to how the fish stay attached, but that’s a story for another time.) I’m specifically recognizing the aptly-named Giga Mermaid on this list for a number of reasons. Not only is she considerably larger than the other mermaids, but she also serves as their queen. She’s usually friendly, but she becomes hostile after she falls victim to a mind control scheme. The poor gal is literally in chains when you first encounter her. In any regard, the Giga Mermaid makes a lasting impression and I’m rather fond of her giga boobs.

The mermaid leader of a pirate gang, Anne Sirena captains her ship from the underwater world of Varna Kanai. She has amassed an impressive trove of treasures and rare items from the ocean floor, but she seems especially proud of her “treasure chest” and makes a point of mentioning that it hasn’t even reached its full potential yet. I’m surprised she’s able to stay under water with those things, but I digress. Captain Anne spends a lot of her time in ocean country, and her knowledge of the world under the sea is almost unrivaled. Despite living beneath the surface, her head is often in the clouds. Anne doesn’t always plan things out carefully, but she puts the “bomb” in bombshell and attempts to blow things up with cannons every time something doesn’t go her way. She should seriously consider enrolling in anger management classes.