Hosiery Hoes

The Zelda series spans multiple generations and crosses into completely separate timelines. This means that we are introduced to a new version of the eponymous princess in nearly every game. Zelda is sometimes depicted as a damsel in distress, but it’s not unusual to see her take on a more heroic role. In either regard, she is almost always decked out in elaborate dresses. (She is a member of Hyrule’s royal family, after all.) Breath of the Wild broke from convention in many ways. The game’s open-world environments and intuitive physics engine helped take the series in a bold new direction, and Zelda’s leggings were just as daring. Her top was covered in gold embroidery and she still looked regal, but her yoga pants helped accentuate her shapely figure and gave player’s an added incentive to save her. The girl was fit as fuck.

Morrigan and Lilith Aensland are powerful succubi who were born of the same spiritual energy. Morrigan lives for battle and enjoys a hedonistic lifestyle, while Lilith lacks life experience and is defined by her child-like naivety. They have different ways of looking at the world, but they have similar powers and abilities. They also have the exact same eye for fashion. Their standard outfits consist of leotards, boots, and tights with distinctive bat prints on them. (The bat decorations are especially appropriate, seeing as how the girls have bat-like wings.) Lilith has a smaller frame than Morrigan and obviously isn’t as developed, but the Aensland sisters have the same hip measurements and their in-game sprites are nearly identical below the waist. They could share their leggings with each other, so it’s only fair to mention them both on this list.

Dead or Alive is famous for its roster of hot girls, and Kasumi is one of the most popular characters in the series. The youthful ninja has been depicted as a compassionate and honorable fighter from the very beginning. Whether she’s avenging her brother in fighting tournaments or playing beach volleyball, she’s a fierce competitor who commands respect. Her eye-catching outfits are not ideal for a ninja who is supposed to be in hiding, but I’m not complaining. Kasumi has worn dozens of outfits over the years, but her blue side-tie dress is her trademark. She covers up her lower legs with a pair of thigh-high stockings, but she leaves her thighs exposed because she’s a obviously hero. This list wouldn’t be complete without a pair of white thigh-high, and there’s no better person to represent them on this list than Kasumi.

Quiet is a skilled assassin who works with a covert American intelligence agency. A strain of parasites kept her alive after she was severely burned in the field, and she was bestowed with superhuman strength, speed, and durability in the process. These supernatural abilities made her an ideal soldier, but the parasites also took away her ability to speak and made it necessary for her to breathe through her skin! In lieu of military fatigues, her attire basically consists of underwear and ripped nylons. Her clothing was criticized for being oversexualized, but the detractors clearly didn’t understand how serious her situation was. Quiet will literally suffocate if she covers too much skin, so she wears torn pantyhose out of necessity. Since breathability is of the utmost importance, her outfit is completely reasonable. Her critics should be ashamed.

Tharja is a dark mage with a brooding personality and a sardonic sense of humor. Her magic abilities make her a valuable asset to her army and her allies, but she’s just as likely to use her knowledge in a dubious manner. She’s more than willing to cast hexes on others in order to win their affection, and her dangerous jealous streak is apparent to all. She makes no effort to hide her motives, and she speaks candidly about her rebellious streak. A bodystocking is the perfect outfit for someone with her temperament. Although it technically covers her entire body, it also highlights her contours and accentuates her slim figure. It’s both concealing and revealing at the same time, and this is indicative of Tharja’s personality. She’s like an open book when it comes to her wants and desires, but there’s also an air of mystery about her.

YoRHa No.2 Type B (designated as 2B) is an android that was created to battle sentient machines that invaded the planet. She’s equipped with a multitude of weapons, and she moves around the battlefield with incredible poise. Her high-heel boots might look out-of-place at first, but they accentuate how elegant and well-balanced she is. She has the grace of a ballet dancer combined with the energy of a stripper, and she boasts one of the most legendary asses in gaming history. Her nylon stockings don’t get as much attention as her distinctive visor or her iconic leotard, but they’re an important part of her design. The stockings fit snugly enough to create an obvious “skindentation” effect, and they’re barely able to contain her shapely legs. One astute commentator identified her thighs as the place “where the boner is created.” 2B is thicc!

Velvet is a forest witch and the princess of a destroyed kingdom. She lived as an outcast for most of her life, and she retained a positive disposition despite her tragic past. She knows how to handle herself in battle, but I’ll concede that she doesn’t look like much of a fighter. Her fighting techniques resemble elegant dances, and her hips have a noticeable swagger when she moves. Her fashion sense is equal parts “belly dancer” and “gypsy whore,” and her sheer stockings only serve to highlight her incredible legs. The frilly ruffles draw attention to her exposed thighs, and her half-skirt leaves little to the imagination. The bare skin between her stockings and her skirt is an important hallmark of Japanese fashion known as “zettai ryōiki,” and the game takes every opportunity to showcase this aspect of Velvet’s stripperiffic outfit.

Anna Williams is a deadly assassin and the resident femme fatale of the Tekken series. She’s more flirtatious and sociable than her sister Nina, and her outfits reflect her playful nature. Anna has appeared in almost every game in the series, and she can usually be see in a body-hugging silk dress. Her offense relies heavily on kicks, so all of her dresses are invariably slit to her hip. Truth be told, Anna’s would probably want to show off some leg even if she wasn’t constantly kicking people in their faces. In fact, she goes out of her way to accentuate her legs by wearing high-heel shoes and nylons. Whether she’s wearing sheer pantyhose or elaborate fishnets, her legs are impossible to ignore. I’m not sure how practical her chosen attire is for fighting, but it emphasizes her seductive charms and highlights her come-hither personality.

Hundreds of video game characters were featured in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in the form of collectible “Spirits.” These Spirits could improve your stats or grant special abilities, and they were usually represented by official artwork from their respective games. Someone apparently decided that Mythra was showing too much skin, however, so her art was altered in order to hide her cleavage and to cover up her bare legs. Censorship is a disgusting practice, but a lot of fans actually approved of the change. The fanart community loved seeing Mythra in black leggings, and Monolith Soft even updated Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to add her leggings as an alternate outfit. The censors were trying to decrease Mythra’s sex appeal, and they failed spectacularly in that regard. That speaks volumes about how powerful leggings are on the right woman.

Fighting games are full of scantily-clad women, but Chun-Li shows less skin than most of her male counterparts. Her outfits are as traditional as they come, and she’s known for her conservative fashion sense. Mobility is paramount in the world of street fighting, and Chun-Li’s classic qipao doesn’t limit her flexibility. This is especially important, since her repertoire is largely comprised of kicks. Her powerful legs are the focal point of most of her fights, but they’re usually covered up with dark brown pantyhose. (She’s actually one of the first gaming characters to be depicted in hosiery.) Sheer nylons have no protective qualities whatsoever, so it’s safe to assume that she wears them in the name of modesty. Chun-Li was recognized elsewhere on this site as having the greatest legs in gaming, and her nylons are deserving of recognition in their own right.