All the Single Ladies

The aptly-named Pink Monkey was the first female villain in the Ape Escape series and the only female in the Freaky Monkey Five. (You can tell that she’s a girl because she’s pink and prone to violent mood swings.) Pink is gentle and sweet in most cases, but her charming personality can change at a moment’s notice if she becomes upset for any reason. She takes the tsundere concept to ridiculous extremes, and her attack patterns change depending on whether she’s happy or enraged. Like many young women, Pink enjoys singing and dreams of becoming a pop star. She can’t stand it when people interrupt her performances, however. At the same time, she hates when people ignore her, and she’ll go out of her way to make others feel sorry for her. Basically, Pink really just wants attention.

Organization XIII is comprised of 13 powerful “Nobodies” who wish to reclaim their hearts in order to become whole again. Larxene is the group’s only female member, but she’s a strong woman with a domineering personality. The so-called “Savage Nymph” has a sadistic sense of humor and enjoys inflicting pain on others. At the same time, she’s known for her playful behavior and flirtatious demeanor. When she’s not busy attacking her enemies with electrified throwing knives, she can be seen laughing and giggling excessively. She occasionally tries to turn on the charm, but everyone knows she’s a total bitch. Unlike the other members of her organization, Larxene never really wanted her heart back. It’s implied that she was hurt emotionally in her former life, and this is likely why she wants to hurt others.

Ten martial artists were featured in Art of Fighting and a number of fighting disciplines were represented. King was the only female on the roster, but she didn’t stand out as much as you would think since she was disguised as a dude the entire time. None of the other fighters were knew her secret, and even the promotional materials used male pronounces in reference to her. Incidentally, King decided to present herself as a man in order to be taken seriously as a Muay Thai champion. If King is defeated by a special attack during the final round, however, her shirt will be damaged and her gender be revealed. King appeared alongside other women in subsequent games and stopped trying to conceal her identity, but she stood out in the first Art of Fighting game because she tried not to.

Left 4 Dead centers around a group of four survivors in the aftermath of a zombie pandemic. This group is comprised of three men and only one woman, and the sequel uses the same 3:1 ratio with a new group of survivors. An everyday college student named Zoey was the token female in the first game, while the sequel featured a sassy black woman named Rochelle. There’s a logical reason why both games use the same group dynamic, and it involves the virus that caused the outbreak. A recessive gene that’s resistant to the virus is apparently carried on the x-chromosome. Women need a copy of this gene on both of their x-chromosomes in order to be resistant, while men only have a single x-chromosome to worry about. Ergo, the 3:1 ratio used in both Left 4 Dead games is representative of the infected populations.

Sniper Wolf is the only female in the elite six-member FOXHOUND squad who engaged in a revolt against the United States in Metal Gear Solid. The Kurdish sharpshooter was born on a battlefield and lulled to sleep by gunfire and screams, so she’s generally unfazed by war. Sniper Wolf can stay on her target for weeks on end without moving, but she’s far from a perfect soldier. She forms emotional bonds with her targets, she’s too sentimental to harm women or children, and she leaves her cleavage exposed in sub-zero temperatures. These qualities make her desirable to the franchise’s resident beta male, but they don’t help her on the battlefield. Despite her shortcomings, she insists that women make better soldiers. After she throws in the towel, Sniper Wolf pretends that she wanted to lose the entire time.

The seven Koopalings (sometimes known as the Koopa Kids) were introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3. They were originally depicted as Bowser’s children, but they were later demoted to mere underlings. As the only female Koopaling, Wendy O. Koopa is defined by many common gender stereotypes. She wears a bow on her head, she has long lashes, and she walks around in high heel shoes. She also has a short temper and will flip out over trivial things. Some contend that these tropes are problematic and harmful, but it could be lot worse when you consider that Wendy O. Koopa was named after Wendy O. Williams. Dubbed the “Queen of Shock Rock,” Williams gained notoriety as a porn star and a punk rock singer before shooting herself in the head. I can only imagine the outrage if Wendy O. Koopa behaved like her namesake.

Black Orchid is a secret agent who was sent by an unknown group to investigate the mysterious disappearances surrounding the Killer Instinct tournament. Although her past is shrouded in secrecy, she has been an important figure in every Killer Instinct game. As the only human female featured in the first Killer Instinct, Orchid’s feminine features are accentuated in many ways. She fights in stilettos, her leotard looks like it’s painted on, and it sounds like she’s in the throes of passion anytime someone hits her. She also has a habit of flashing her breasts at her opponents. They’re obscured from the camera, but her boobs are so amazing that they’ll cause anyone who sees them to have a heart attack and die. This applies to robots, dinosaurs, werewolves, and even her own brother!

Mortal Kombat featured seven playable characters and ten fighters overall, but Sonya was the only woman among them. Late into development, the game’s creators came to the sudden realization that there weren’t any female fighters on the roster. To correct this oversight, they removed a riot cop named Kurtis Stryker from the roster and gave his position to Sonya Blade. It would be easy to suggest that Sonya only got her job because of hiring quotas, but she’s one of the most popular characters in the franchise. As a member of the Earthrealm’s Special Forces unit, Sonya can hold her own against any man. The fact that she looks great in spandex is just the icing on the cake. After shacking up with a struggling movie star, Sonya gives birth to a beautiful daughter. Let’s see a man try that!

It took nine games and 31 years, but Splash Woman finally broke the gender barrier to become the first female Robot Master in the Mega Man series. The mermaid-inspired robot was designed by Dr. Light to rescue swimmers lost at sea, but she predictably turned against humanity after she was reprogrammed by the evil Dr. Wily. Splash Woman summons schools of fish to assist her in battle and attacks Mega Man with a powerful laser trident, but the end credits paint her in a more friendly light. She’s known for her beautiful voice and photogenic smile, and it’s not surprising that she amassed a devoted fanbase on the Internet. Mega Man has fought dozens of Robot Masters, but Splash Woman is not likely to be forgotten anytime soon. Her place in gaming history is secure, despite her kinky name.

Street Fighter II featured a dozen warriors from around the globe, but Chun-Li was the only woman. Her appearance was even more significant when you consider that the original Street Fighter didn’t feature any women at all. Although Chun-Li describes herself as the strongest woman in the world, some questioned the plausibility of a woman holding her own in a street fight. The game’s producer (Yoshiki Okamoto) originally wanted to give Chun-Li a shorter power gauge since women are not as strong as men, but Capcom decided not to get hung up on realism. Blanka can electrify people with his body and Dhalsim’s limbs extend to inhuman lengths, so there’s no reason to reject the idea of a strong woman. Dozens of women have been featured in subsequent Street Fighter games, but you never forget your first.