Female Video Game Characters – Game History

Female Video Game Characters – History Introduction

The history of female video game characters inside games and game servers has evolved drastically over the years. In the early portrayals of female characters, players would often see damsels in distress. As time progressed though, more complex and empowered female roles have been developed into games such as The Last of Us. Below, we will explore a brief history of the many wondrous female characters in video games and how you can celebrate them with your own server!

Early Female Video Game Characters

During the early 1980s and 1990s, female characters were typically looked at as secondary roles or were shown needing to be rescued. An example of this can be seen in Donkey Kong in 1981, where the female character Pauline is stuck in distress, awaiting rescue from the game’s hero, Mario. Similarly, popular series such as Final Fantasy portrayed female characters as weak or fragile, with limited abilities compared to the male characters. As time progressed, though, some much-needed improvements toward equality for female video game characters have been made.

The Evolution of Female Characters

Gaming continued to evolve throughout the 80s and 90s and with it, it brought about better portrayals of female characters. This included introducing characters like Samus Aran in Metroid and Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. With these characters, gamers could play as female protagonists that were both strong and independent, with abilities equal to and even surpassing those of male characters within the games. These were seen as significant turning points in the representation of female characters in gaming.

More Complex and Diverse Female Protagonists

In recent years, female video game characters have continued to evolve to become more diverse and complex. These characters can be seen in games including The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Control. Each game features a strong female character developed with a rich backstory and a compelling motivation that often grows throughout the game.

Inside The Last of Us, Ellie is a young survivor in a post-apocalyptic world. Well-rounded with her wits about her, she showcases a range of emotions and experiences that make her relatable and engaging as you journey through the danger-filled world you’re in. She never really had an opportunity to experience a normal childhood, which becomes visible in the more serious parts of the game, where Ellie shows rather mature behavior for her age. The combination of her childlike behavior with the harsh reality of the world makes her character one of the most memorable modern female video game characters.

With Horizon Zero Dawn, another great female character is Aloy. In the game, she is a skilled hunter and archer who lives in a world where humans are no longer the dominant species. Throughout the game, she is a strong and independent character with a deep backstory where she engages in complex relationships with other characters. Treated as an outcast since birth, because of pure superstition, Aloy was despised and ignored by other people. Instead of submitting to the stigma, she faces challenges head-on and overcomes every obstacle. In a world full of tradition and faith, Aloy values logic above all else which makes her an admirable and intelligent character. She continuously proves herself throughout the game, not for the approval of others, but for herself.

In our last example with Control, the female protagonist goes by the name of Jesse Faden. She has supernatural powers and using them, she must navigate a mysterious and dangerous government building. Jesse is a complex and relatable character with a compelling backstory that unfolds as you play throughout the game. Players can relate to Jesse due to her behavior and reactions to other people. As a child, she witnessed strange phenomena that couldn’t be explained by reason or logic. She’s suddenly given a load of responsibility that she didn’t ask for and every person has high expectations of her. Jesse feels like a person that’s overcome (burdened/stressed) with her new obligation and doesn’t know how to handle it all, which makes her feel somewhat real and relatable. Regardless she faces her obstacles with her newfound abilities. Her inner dialogue gives players a deeper understanding of her thoughts and character. She fits the weird scenario of Control perfectly.

Celebrate Female Game Characters with a Server

These characters you can experience are just the start, as you can also discover more powerful female protagonists on a game server. One of the best-known female characters from the servers we host include Helena Walker in ARK: Survival Evolved, the survivor on the game’s cover, who had to use her wits and skills to survive on the ARKs originally. She is an experienced biologist and paleontologist, that tries to see the best in people with her cheery personality. Helena is open-minded and tries to help whenever and whoever she can. She is a prime example of a well-written female video game character. Learn more about her story on an ARK: Survival Evolved server or create your own female character in one of our many other game servers! In addition, you can choose to play as a female character in exciting game servers like a Valheim server, a Conan Exiles server, and a Rust server. Celebrate female game characters and female empowerment with your friends inside adventures on your own game server!