Super and Spice and Everything Nice

None of the characters on this list exist in real life, but BlackRose technically doesn’t even exist in the games she appears in. The events of the .hack games take place within a fictional MMORPG called The World, and BlackRose is merely the online avatar of one of its many players. The player in question is an unassuming 16-year-old high school student, but BlackRose is a fierce warrior who is defined by her tough-as-nails persona. In spite of her confrontational attitude, BlackRose’s motives are pure. Her ultimate goal is to find a cure for a data bug that placed her brother in a coma. BlackRose is classified as a “Heavy Sword” and typically arms herself with oversized, two-handed weapons. She has a number of magic spells at her disposal, but her high strength stat makes her well-suited to physical attacks.

If based entirely on appearance, the Amazon from Dragon’s Crown would likely be considered the most powerful woman on this list. The game is famous for its exaggerated art style, and the Amazon seems especially absurd since she’s based on a archetype that was already hyperbolized. Her massive two-handed weapons cause incredible amounts of damage, and her thunderous legs are as deadly as they are ridiculous. (Her legs are thicker than her entire torso!) The Amazon is especially dangerous since she is able to deal lethal blows to multiple enemies at once. She’s lightly-armored so as to keep up her speed and agility, but this reduces her defensive qualities somewhat. She’s able to mow down her enemies so quickly that it barely matters. The Amazon knows no fear, and the two are unlikely to be meet anytime in the future.

When both of her parents were murdered by tyrannical forces, Tyris Flare set out on a quest for vengeance. She was accompanied by a hulking barbarian hero and a bearded dwarf, but Tyris was perfectly capable of looking after herself. Her chainmail bikini might not look very threatening, but the giant sword she wields lets you know how serious she is. Her fiery red hair is matched by her powerful fire-based magic spells, and she can even summon a giant, fire-breathing dragon to battle. Tyris was one of several playable characters in the early Golden Axe games, but she was the central character in the 2006 release, Golden Axe: Beast Rider. By this point, Tyris had a reputation for being a great warrior and defender, and her skills in combat and magic were almost unsurpassed. Beast Rider failed to impress, but Tyris was on form.

Valkyrie is a child of the gods who descends from the heavens to answer the desperate call of humans who have been invaded by demonic forces. Armed with only a simple shield and a short sword, Valkyrie vows to vanquish the evil forces, and her efforts ultimately allow the people of Marvel Land to live a peaceful and harmonious existence. Outside of the mainline Valkyrie games, the fledgling maiden has made dozens of cameos in other franchises and was prominently featured in Namco Super Wars, Namco x Capcom, and Project X Zone. She’s one of gaming’s mainstay heroines and was one of the medium’s first female protagonists. The Valkyrie series has never had a big following outside of Japan, but Valkyrie has still appeared in more games than anyone else on this list. Namco seems determined to honor her legacy.

SMITE is a multiplayer online battle arena game in which players assume the role of ancient gods or other mythological figures. Pantheons from Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Hindu, Mayan, and Roman mythology are all represented in the game, but none are better-suited for this list than the Norse Queen of the Valkyries. As a goddess associated with love, sexuality, and beauty, Freya does not seek destruction. When her hand is forced, however, she is uncompromising in battle and destroys her enemies with ruthless aggression and giant swords. Freya is the object of desire for every man and the envy of every woman. She’s so irresistibly desirable that the Frost Giants frequently devise elaborate plans to trick her into marriage. You can probably guess how well that works out for them.

Ayla hails from a prehistoric era, but her fighting abilities are the stuff of legend. In sharp contrast to most female RPG characters, Ayla was characterized by her brute strength. Her primitive attire and unarmed fighting style are not unusual for her time, but Ayla is anything but a typical warrior. As the chief of her village, Ayla leads her people in a war against a highly-evolved, intelligent race of reptiles. She understands that her life is on the line with every battle, but she’s fiercely courageous in all situations. After meeting up with a band of time travelers, Ayla finds herself in the company of robots, mutated frogs, and dark mages. While her friends are battling with legendary swords, futuristic lasers, and incredible magic spells, Ayla is content to bash her opponents with her fists. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

After her family lost their way during a treasure-seeking expedition, Nidalee watched her parents die before being left to fend for herself in an unforgiving jungle environment. Due to her innocent nature, Nidalee was taken in by a family of cougars and raised as one of their own. She was taught to fight by her feline family and evolved beyond her human physiology after she somehow developed the ability to absorb magic from her dense surroundings. This effectively gave her the ability to take on the form of a cougar herself. When Nidalee came across an area of the jungle that had been ravaged by woodcutters, she decided it was the right time to re-join civilization and entered the “League of Legends” as a means to defend her home against potential invaders. Known as the “Beastial Huntress,” Nidalee wants her rivals to fear the wild.

The wife of a Nanman king and the apparent daughter of the God of Fire, Zhurong leads her own group of soldiers called “Amazoness.” She is an aggressive warrior and has defeated multiple generals. Despite spending ample time on the battlefield, Zhurong also has a softer side and considered to be the mother of her tribe. She uses her beauty and ferocious temper as tools to coerce her husband into action against rival kingdoms. Zhurong might wear skimpy outfits, but she wears the proverbial pants in her relationship. Her husband basically acts like a bumbling fool, and Zhurong often punishes him by scolding him or even hitting him. She cares deeply for her husband, but often sees the need for a woman’s touch. Zhurong is happy to make misogynists eat their words if they question her place on the battlefield.

Sophitia’s life was changed forever when she learned of a cursed weapon called the Soul Edge. Sophitia was a regular teenager, but was chosen by the gods to be a warrior due to her benevolence and selflessness. Her life became defined by her search for the Soul Edge, and she dueled with deadly assassins, dread pirates, and demons during her quest to destroy it. She demonstrated impressive swordplay and face-sitting skills, but her bloodline was tainted after she was injured by the cursed weapon. Knowing that her daughter could not live if the Soul Edge was destroyed, she teamed up with her enemies to protect the sword. Eventually, Sophitia surrendered her own life when she removed a shard of the Soul Edge from her body and transplanted it into her daughter’s. This act allowed her daughter to live after the sword was destroyed.

Heavenly Sword is often compared to God of War, but Nariko is much more interesting than Kratos. Her flowing red hair makes her stand out immediately, and she’s easily one of the most powerful heroines in gaming. Prior to her arrival in the world, her clan had prophesied the birth of a great man who would wield the eponymous “Heavenly Sword” and defend their village from evil. Because Nariko was a girl, she was shunned by her tribe and blamed for their misfortunes. After training to be a warrior for her entire life, Nariko stepped forth to wield the legendary blade. Nariko’s unprecedented combat abilities allowed her to defeat entire armies and prevent the sword from falling into the wrong hands. She gave her life to protect the world, and she flashed her panties a bunch of times in the process. Now that’s the mark of a true hero!