Playing with the Boys

When it comes to Final Fantasy VII waifus, most of the focus is placed on a beautiful flowergirl named Aeris and a busty barmaid named Tifa. There’s a lot of talent in the Midgar slums, so poor Yuffie is largely overlooked. This works in her favor, however, since she doesn’t want to be noticed. She’s a cunning thief and a mystery ninja, and neither of these disciplines requires attention. (Her oversized shuriken probably don’t help in this regard.) Although she can blend into a crowd, she stands out from her female co-stars due to her boyish short hair and rummage sale fashion sense. The girl is largely defined by her rebellious streak and cocksure personality, and she straddles the line between confidence and arrogance. She’s driven by a desire to restore her homeland to its former glory, and her strong resolve helps offset her immaturity.

Although Reisalin Stout has become something of a sex symbol, she’s decidedly more sporty than typical Atelier protagonists. She’s described as an “ordinary girl” in-game, and she goes so far as to refer to herself as a “country bumpkin.” Ryza doesn’t even realize that she’s a babe, and this is likely due to her upbringing. She was raised on a farm in the middle of nowhere and her only childhood friends were boys. As such, there were few opportunities for her to do simple girly things. She’s more focused on adventure than she is on her appearance, but she looks good without even trying. The only reason she’s not ranked higher is because she makes an effort to embrace her feminine side after her social circle expands. She never really loses her wild personality, but her tomboyish mannerisms are offset by her weakness for cute things.

Ellie grew up as an orphan in a quarantine camp and attended a military preparatory school. She barely had a childhood, and her teenage years were even more of a struggle. After surviving a parasitic brain infection, she became the target of a militia group that wanted to use her as a lab rat. She’s forced to become self-reliant in order to survive, so she has no time to embrace her feminine side. Everything from her fashion to her personality is more in line with what you’d expect from a teenage boy. She’s an impulsive, foul-mouthed girl who can scrap with the best of them, and she’d rather read comic books than fashion magazines. She eventually devolves into a spiteful lesbian, but this is often the case with characters who don’t conform to normative gender roles. This notion feels tired and outdated, and it makes Ellie feel like more of a stereotype.

Combat sports are often seen as an expression of masculinity, so it’s no surprise that we’ve seen many Street Fighter tomboys over the years. Although Sakura would have been an obvious choice for this list, Makoto is a better fit. When she was first introduced in 3rd Strike, fans couldn’t tell if she was a boy or a girl! Her short hair and brash personality didn’t exactly accentuate her femininity, and there was nothing girly about her hard-hitting fighting style. She hates being mistaken for a boy, but she comes about it honestly. Incidentally, she grew up in rural Japan and learned to fight at her late father’s dojo. She’s determined to show the world how strong she is, and she has no time for superficial trivialities. Her female co-stars can’t kick their opponents without flashing their panties, but Makoto’s fashion sense is all about practicality.

The tomboy phase is prevalent in young girls, but Alyx Vance is an example of a woman who retains her tomboy traits well into adulthood. As an underground resistance fighter, she’s obviously not concerned with her appearance. She keeps her hair short, and it looks like she takes fashion advice from hobos. (Her clothes are literally held together by duct tape.) On a less superficial level, she’s naturally drawn to fields that are traditionally dominated by men. Not only is she an excellent mechanic and a skilled hacker, but she’s also proficient in hand-to-hand combat. She was raised by her father in a war-torn society, so her masculine tendencies are neither unusual or out of place. Alyx is just trying to persevere like everyone else, but that doesn’t make her any less of a tomboy. At the end of the day, we’re all products of our environment.

Makoto Kikuchi’s father always wanted a son, so he decided to raise her like a boy. This likely explains Makoto’s fascination with sports and her masculine speech patterns. She never paid attention to fashion trends growing up, and she didn’t even bother brushing her hair. She hated being mistaken for a boy, so she started to resent her upbringing. Eventually, she decided that the best way to embrace her femininity was to become an idol! Makoto grows out her hair and starts wearing frilly outfits, but her attempts to be more girly rarely succeed. She tries to make “cute” noises and starts calling herself Makorin, but her fans continue to refer to her as the “Pretty-boy Idol.” She’s still appreciates her fanbase, however, so she often embraces her boyish looks by wearing masculine clothes. Her tomboy traits are ingrained into her very being.

Chrono Trigger introduced us to several individuals that could be considered tomboys. Lucca is a genius inventor who loves tinkering with machines, Ayla is a chief of a prehistoric tribe, and Marle is a princess who runs away from home in search of adventure. Kid from Chrono Cross ventures even further into tomboy territory. The headstrong thief is outspoken to a fault, and she has no time for lady-like etiquette. Her messy hair looks like it has never seen a brush, and the only reason she wears revealing clothes is because she lives in a tropical climate. She’s largely defined by her brash personality, and this gets her into heaps of trouble. At various points, she’s kidnapped, stabbed, poisoned, and brainwashed. (Her mind is even trapped in the past!) Kid could save herself a lot of trouble by embracing her feminine side, but I digress.

In Dragon Quest V, the hero has the option of pursuing the elegant Princess Nera or wooing his childhood friend, Bianca Whitaker. Nera is surrounded by pomp and circumstance, and she carries herself like a proper noblewoman. Bianca, in contrast, is an innkeeper’s daughter who drapes herself in plain clothes. Although the decision is left up to the player, Bianca is clearly the correct choice. She’s an outdoorsy gal who’s up for anything. Whether she’s hunting ghost, beating up bullies, or befriending sabrecats, there’s no adventure she won’t partake in. The outspoken tomboy is as tough as nails, but I guess that comes with the territory when you grow up on a farming community that’s surrounded by monsters. She grows up to be a kind and gentle woman who’s renowned for her beauty, but she never loses her adventurous spirit.

Kumatora is the supposed Princess of Osohe Castle, but you’d never guess by looking at her. She covers herself in a full-sleeved hoodie, after all, and her boyish short hair is unbecoming of a noblewoman. (A kid even mistakes her for a boy at one point!) Kumatora is short-tempered and foul-mouthed, and she has no time to embrace her softer side. She’s arguably the most masculine member of her party despite being the only girl! There are rare occasions when she’s forced to act like a “normal” girl, however. At one point, she goes undercover as a waitress and has to doll herself up as part of the disguise. She wears a dress and grows her hair out to stay incognito, and she hates every moment of it. Most of the tomboys on this countdown merely embrace their masculine side, but Kumatora outright rejects her femininity.

Chie Satonaka is an energetic girl who ticks all of the tomboy boxes. She plays sports, she watches martial arts movies, and her diet consists almost entirely of meat. She doesn’t follow any fashion trends either, and her hairstyle has “low maintenance” written all over it. Chie has a natural desire to protect others, so she’s always looking for ways to become stronger. Although she’s eternally upbeat, she harbors resentment towards some of her classmates. Her best friend Yukiko is more popular with the boys, and Chie is somewhat envious of her femininity. She worries that her masculine interests will somehow make her less desirable, but her attempts at being more girly generally don’t pan out. She develops a bit of a complex, but that doesn’t make her any less attractive. In fact, her social awkwardness is one of her most endearing traits.