Leave all the talk at the door and enjoy the aesthetically pleasing cavalcade of heroines that follows.
The place of women in games has become something of a sensitive topic lately. With more and more strong, independent female characters making their way into the medium, it brings into question how women should be conceived. In a primarily male dominated industry, how are these women represented? Certainly most women that you find in video games are attractive. They have to be larger than life in a way to inspire that same feeling within their games. It’s the same with male characters, though for some reason they are often less scrutinized by critics over their equally ostentatious designs. But back to women, what makes a good female character?
Obviously developers don’t just want to create eye candy for viewers to ogle – as much as some would like you to believe that narrative. Most women in games today are as strong as their male counterparts. The fact that they have the same delicate and attractive features as certain Greek Goddesses is just a reality of the industry. So with this list we’ve chosen to celebrate those beautiful women instead of chastise them. Leave all the talk at the door and enjoy the aesthetically pleasing cavalcade of heroines that follows. These are the 15 sexiest women in gaming. Enjoy.
15 Rayne – BloodRayne
The fiery protagonist of the BloodRayne series, Rayne has one of the most tragic backstories on this list. Orphaned after her Vampire father murdered her mother, Rayne took up the profession of vampire hunting. Like so many badass babes within her profession, Rayne can handle herself well in a fight. But don’t let her lethal play fool you, Rayne is a stunner. This half-human/half-vampire beauty leaves nothing to be desired in the looks department. Despite her hands on profession, Rayne knows how to clean up and let’s be honest here, be it in her combat suit or that stunning dress she wears at the beginning of BloodRayne 2, she looks good in just about anything. We don’t get that many redheads in gaming. but when we do you can bet that they’re going to look fantastic. Case and point.
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14 Jill Valentine – Resident Evil
Zombies, blood and gore. That’s what people think of when you mention the Resident Evil series. Oh, and jump scares too. Lots and lots of jump scares. But other than the morbid and outright terrifying, Resident Evil has also given fans some decent eye candy over the years. Apart from being a total badass, Jill Valentine is also the ultimate girl next door. At least she’s the girl you’d most likely want to have living next door in the event of a zombie apocalypse. While the whole zombie fad continues to drag it’s corpse along the pop culture landscape, one thing fans will never get tired of seeing is this beauty over and over again.
13 Chun Li – Street Fighter
The Street Fighter series has pumped out a ton of jacked male playable characters over the years, but it also has its share of female fighters on the roster. While each has their own unique charm, the most recognizable and by far attractive has to be Chun-Li. First introduced to fans back in 1996, Chun-Li has become synonymous with the series itself. Her blue qipao and brown leggings make her instantly recognizable, and it’s this look that has captured the hearts of many fans. We’ve come a long way from the somewhat pixilated character designs of the first Street Fighter game. Meaning fans can now enjoy Chun-Li’s beauty in glorious high definition. Sounds good to us.
12 Widowmaker – Overwatch
Overwatch has taken the gaming community by storm as one of the most entertaining first-person shooters on the market. Its cast of characters, each with their own unique traits and background, create a well fleshed out world which payers can immerse themselves in easily. Of course everyone has their favorite playable character, but one stands out as the game’s most attractive. Widowmaker is the ultimate femme fatale. With her cool demeanor and impressive kill list, Widow would make anyone’s heart melt. Sure, she looks a little blue – but that’s all part of her charm. She stands out among the rosters cuter characters like Tracer, D.Va and Mei as a more mature looking beauty. Love her or hate her on the battlefield, you can’t deny that this cold-blooded sniper is a heart stopper.
11 Catherine – Catherine
Not many games offer quite as unique a conundrum as Atlus’ puzzle platformer Catherine. Dealing with subjects such as marriage, infidelity and maturation – the game presents players with a relatable conflict often unexplored in most mainstream games. At the heart of that conflict is Catherine. The tantalizing succubus serves as main character Vincent Brooks’ tempest throughout the game, severally throwing his moral compass out of whack in the process. While the game ultimately asks you to choose between the flirty Catherine and Vincent’s girlfriend Katherine – there’s no questioning which of the two wins out in the looks department. Catherine is an absolute bombshell with a pixie kind of personality that makes this hard decision that much easier – especially on the eyes.
10 Cassie Cage – Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat is synonymous with gore and all things unseemly. But the franchise has offered fans something other than blood and guts. Though not common, the series has produced quite a few lookers. But those who aren’t trying to bite your face off are busy looking for an opportunity to rip out your spine. So the list of suitable ladies really narrows down when you take that into consideration. Although she’s a newcomer to the franchise, Cassie Cage has left a mark as its most beautiful woman. Daughter of Sonia Blade and Johnny Cage, Cassie has inherited the best of both her parents. With Sonia’s beauty and Johnny’s wit and sharp tongue, she’s not only incredibly good looking, but can hold her own as well.
9 Kasumi – Dead or Alive
With the first game having been released back in 1996, the Dead or Alive series has been around for over twenty years. In that time, Kasumi has become something of a mascot for the series. As one of the series’ main protagonists, she’s gained a loyal following and is without a doubt one of the most recognizable women the game has to offer. Her gentle demeanor, along with her kickass fighting skills, make her perfectly capable of putting a smile on your face or dropping you like a fly should the need arise. Of course, the Xtreme series has gained some attention due to its more… liberal dress code. With Kasumi making regular appearances in those games as well, it’d be hard for fans to find a reason not to like her.
8 Juliet Starling – Lollipop Chainsaw
Another zombie game heroine takes up the next spot on our list. But this one’s got a little crazy to go along with her insane looks. Suda51’s Lollipop Chainsaw takes the zombie horror genre to a stylized and absurd extreme. At the helm of it all is our “it” girl, Juliet Starling. Equipped with a magical chainsaw and the decapitated head of her boyfriend, Juliet goes to town on whatever unfortunate horde of undead she happens to come across. Wearing the typical cheerleader ensemble, she can definitely melt some hearts. Or tear, rip or gouge them. Either or. But all zombie hunting business aside, Juliet makes the case to be one of the most attractive women we’ve seen in gaming over the last decade.
7 Miranda Lawson – Mass Effect
The Mass Effect series offers players the chance to woo all kinds of women, from space marines to colonial alien species. Out of all of them though, Miranda Lawson is the most enticing. Coming off as a bit standoffish and somewhat patronizing, Miranda was first introduced in Mass Effect 2 and, despite her initial introduction, became a pretty enjoyable character. With the romance option available, it’s almost a no brainer to commit some time to exploring it – you won’t be disappointed should you choose to. Equipped with a skin-tight white and black combat suit that only adds to her charm, Miranda knows how to handle herself in a fight and is also a capable leader. With looks like those, you’d follow her anywhere.
6 Cidney Aurum – Final Fantasy XV
She might not be much of a major player within the game, but Cidney Aurum definitely proved to be one of the most memorable characters of the recently released Final Fantasy XV. The Final Fantasy series has its fair share of babes – as you’ll see further down the list – but this newbie has made her mark, establishing herself as one of its most beautiful. Despite her not being a central point in the game, you can tell that a lot of work went into Cidney’s character design. Everything from her curly hair, red hat, tight yellow jacket, jean shorts and leggings/boots combination scream style. The game designers made it extra hard for us to turn our attention away from this alluring grease monkey.
5 Samus Aran – Metroid
What’s under the mask? Is it a horribly disfigured face? An alien subspecies? Nope, it’s a beautiful woman. Imagine the surprise on most gamer’s faces when it was revealed at the end of the first Metroid game that the kickass bounty hunter they’d been playing as was actually a girl the whole time. The pixilated graphics might not have emphasized it, but she was a looker too. Samus Aran has been a mainstay in the gaming landscape for decades, establishing herself as one of its most dependable female standouts. It might be weird to think of someone who spends most of their time in a bulky metal suit to be attractive, but, in this case, looking at what’s underneath instead of what’s on the surface would benefit you greatly.
4 Triss Merigold – The Witcher
There is perhaps no character more selfish, yet compassionate than The Witcher’s Triss Merigold. Right off the bat, Triss is something of a suspicious character as her actions seem to be driven by ulterior motives. However as the series progresses, these get more and more diluted between her ambitions and her genuine feelings of compassion and kindness. She isn’t all bad. But she isn’t someone you should turn your back to for too long. To cut it short, she’s a perfect femme fatale. Her fiery red hair and pale skin accentuate her beauty, along with the subtle air of danger and deception that follow her around. With those kinds of looks, you know exactly what you’re getting and it’s completely worth it.
3 Tifa Lockheart – Final Fantasy VII
As we find our list winding down, we see another popular Final Fantasy heroine make her way into the rankings, this time it’s the ever loveable, tough natured Tifa Lockheart. Tifa is the ultimate childhood friend character. She grows up to be a bombshell and what’s better is that she’s a total badass. She owns a bar, can take on all sorts of enemies and unlike most characters in the Final Fantasy mythos fights with her bare hands. If that’s not a testament to how tough you are, then what is? With her long dark hair, fair facial features and gentle yet firm personality, Tifa has a special place in most fans hearts.
2 Lara Croft – Tomb Raider
The often defacto number one choice finders herself on the number two spot of our list. For years, Lara Croft has been revered as the most attractive woman gaming has to offer. She’s beautiful, smart, athletic and has a knack for the adventurous. It’s no wonder why she’s often who people think of first when discussing the most beautiful woman in gaming. While her appearance has changed over the years, it’s hasn’t strayed from what makes Lara such an enticing woman. In fact, her current iteration might be her best yet, as she continues to appeal to fans both new and old while continuously looking good in the process. At this point, there’s not too much to add to the character anymore. She’s great as she is.
1 Bayonetta – Bayonetta
And so here we are. Finally, the number one spot on our list. You can make a case for any of the previous fourteen women on this list as to why they should take the top spot, but ultimately it belongs to one woman and one woman alone. Yep, it’s Bayonetta. Where to start. The accent, the boots, the outfit? She definitely knows how to entice those around her. Personal tastes aside, it’s hard not to at least admit – even begrudgingly – that Bayonetta is a looker. With immense powers and a cool and collected personality, Bayonetta is one of the most awe inspiring heroines of the last decade. She’s got it all; the looks, the skills and the number one spot on our list.