The Color Purple

When Athena made her debut in 1986, she became one of gaming’s first leading ladies. Unfortunately, the scantily-clad warrior princess was pushed to the sidelines the following year after another Athena burst onto the scene. Psycho Soldier followed the exploits of an aspiring pop idol named Athena Asamiya who was said to be a descendant of the original Athena. While the peppy teen was used as SNK’s mascot and given a prominent role in The King of Fighters, her ditzy ancestor had to settle for the occasional background role. I have nothing against sexy schoolgirls, but it’s hard to compare to a literal goddess. Although Ms. Asimiya looks cute in her sailor scout outfit, the OG Athena is pure sex in her micro-bikini. I’d happily list them both if not for the pesky “one Athena per countdown” rule.

Scáthach is the immortal warrior queen from the Land of Shadows. As a prodigy of spearmanship and rune magecraft, she has trained many warriors over the years. Unfortunately, her life lacks excitement and she’s perpetually bored. She’s constantly looking for battles that will interest her, but she never finds what she’s looking for due to her inability to die. It’s ironic that Scáthach is unable to find excitement, given how much excitement she causes in others. Her bodysuit highlights her curves in the most spectacular way, and it might as well have been painted on. This is likely a nod to Celtic warriors who rode into battle wearing nothing but body paint, but I’m guessing that most warriors looked nothing like Scáthach. She doesn’t realize how hot she is and often hides her face behind a mask, but her beauty is apparent to everyone else.

Hyperdimension Neptunia is a series of RPGs inspired by the real-world console wars. Its characters represent major players in the gaming industry, and Neptune is the personification of 1990s Sega. Her totally rad speech patterns wouldn’t be out of place in a Sega ad campaign, and her careless attitude mirrors Sega’s decision-making process. She’ll jump head-first into dangerous situations without thinking, and this is the sort of thing that ultimately led to the company’s downfall. Neptune is way too young for this list, but all bets are off when she takes the form of a busty goddess named Purple Heart. Purple Heart is basically an aged-up version of Neptune who has the confidence (and body) of an adult. She retains her airheaded personality and unbridled enthusiasm, however, and that’s why we love her!

Judith is introduced as a mysterious “dragon freak” who flies around destroying infrastructure for undisclosed reasons. Although she makes an effort to conceal her identity, she makes no such effort to conceal her body in her daily life. Her outfits are remarkably skimpy, and Judith actively welcomes the male gaze. She flirts with all of the men in her party, and she’s easily able to seduce guards if the situation calls for it. Her boobs are a frequent topic of conversation, and she’s labelled “Miss Bouncy-Bouncy” for obvious reasons. Judith could probably coast through life on her looks alone, but she’s a powerful warrior who hates being excluded from battle. She genuinely enjoys fighting, and she almost seems disappointed by the 200-man melee she partakes in. I guess it’s gonna take a lot more than 200 men to satisfy her…

Shantae is a perfect example of a girl who’s effortlessly sexy. Whether she’s wearing parachute pants, chainmail bikinis, or a simple pair of pajamas, the half-genie hero is the picture of grace and beauty. As the on-again, off-again guardian of Scuttle Town, Shantae works tirelessly to fend off zombies, demons, and a nefarious pirate-lady. Although she struggles with self-doubt from time to time, she’s usually upbeat and energetic. I’m captivated by the way she uses her gorgeous mane as a whip, and her magical belly dances are downright mesmerizing. You can sense the enthusiasm behind every move she makes, and she even looks jaunty when she’s standing still. Her biggest liability is her absentmindedness, but she comes upon it honestly. As a matter of fact, I think she’s at her most adorable when she’s making a fool of herself.

Angela is the princess of the Kingdom of Alterna, but she was forced to leave home to avoid being used in a ritual sacrifice. After inadvertently teleporting to safety, she sets out on a journey of self-improvement. Angela learns to unlock her innate magic abilities, and she winds up being way smarter than anyone imagined. In fairness, she never had a need to use magic in the past since she could simply use her sex appeal to get what she wanted. Angela’s clothes are completely inappropriate for someone who lives in frozen kingdom, but her plunging necklines and shapely legs help her seduce guards and distract her enemies. She even teases one of her traveling companions by flashing her bare ass at him! Her promiscuity was toned down in the 2020 remake, but her shapely figure looked amazing as ever. Those boobs were begging for a 3D makeover.

Jade appears to have jet-black hair from a distance, but you’ll see an unmistakable purple hue if you look more closely. In any regard, there was no way she was going to be left off of this list. The warrior princess never fails to impress me with her flashy martial arts maneuvers, and she can beat the crap out of basically everyone she meets. She’s the only party member in Dragon Quest XI who doesn’t use magic, but her powerful legs more than make up for this deficiency. Jade also knows how to exploit her sex appeal, and she has several combat skills dedicated to seducing the enemy. She might be a little too charming, as one monster is so enthralled that he brainwashes her and turns her into a demonic Playboy bunny. If only he realized that Jade was willing to dress like a floozy without being coerced…

When Ayane made her debut in the PlayStation port of Dead or Alive, she stood out for a number of reasons. The busty 16-year-old was the youngest (and smallest) fighter on the roster at that point in time, and her unnatural hair color made her look like she belonged in an anime. She was depicted as one of the most capable fighters in the series, however, and her guest role in the Ninja Gaiden games helped establish her as a serious threat. Sadly, Ayane lives in the shadow of her older sister, Kasumi, and has wrestled with feelings of inadequacy for her entire life. On the flip side, she’d probably be willing to do a lot of things that her sister wouldn’t just to get some attention! Ayane’s deadly fighting style earned her the nickname “Female Tengu,” but I’ll always think of her as “that purple-haired slut with big tits.”

Morrigan is one of gaming’s most legendary babes, so Lilith’s appearance on this list shouldn’t be surprising. She’s the manifestation of Morrigan’s excess energy, after all, and they share many abilities and physical characteristics. Some people mistake Lilith for a child due to her flat chest and misguided naivete, but her massive ass tells a different story and she’s nearly identical to Morrigan from the waist down. (She’s actually taller than many of the gals on this list too, since she’s basically a pallet swap of Morrigan.) The lilac-haired cutie is more playful than her “sister,” and I’ll concede that she’s largely defined by youthful exuberance. She’s still a succubus at the end of the day, however, and she’s just as salacious as Morrigan ever was. Some of her suggestive tendencies fly under the radar, but her hips don’t lie.

As the eldest daughter of the Nohr royal family, Camilla acts as a protective motherly figure to her siblings. At the same time, the elegant princess is downright merciless when the occasion calls for it. She calmly establishes her desire to kill anyone who messes with her family, and you can never be sure if she’s composed or unhinged. She looks serene when she flies into battle on her wyvern, and she somehow maintains her grace even as she’s tearing into enemies with her battle axe. Camilla looks like a dominatrix with her thigh-high stilettos and armored corset, and she even threatens to spank her opponents on occasion. If her panties-baring outfit wasn’t enough indication, Camilla is a bit of a tease. She playfully reminds people not to stare at her tits, but that certainly doesn’t stop her from flaunting them.