It’s not uncommon for video games to be praised for stories as much as they are for gameplay reasons, and this can often be due to how powerful some characters are. 2023 is no exception when it comes to female leads and NPCs, with some offering much-needed representation and others bringing something unique to the industry. With the recentGTA 6trailer’s Luciataking the internet by storm as the first real playable female protagonist in the series, and with the origins of female characters in gaming titles going all the way back to the 1980s and later cemented with Samus Aran and Lara Croft, female characters in modern titles have a lot to live up to.
2023 is widely considered one of the best years for video games ever thanks to the sheer quality and quantity of releases, with there being even controversies aboutThe Game Awards snubbing some big names, which in some cases is simply due to the limited number of nominees per category. These are thebest female characters of 2023, listed in alphabetical order by their names.
Karlach (Baldur’s Gate 3)
Arguably one of the most empowering female characters in modern games, let alone from 2023,Karlach inBaldur’s Gate 3is passionate about many things as much as she just loves life. She is a Zariel Tiefling who was stuck fighting in the Blood War, only managing to escape onBG3’s Nautiloid, but fearing her life will be cut short because of Zariel’s hunters, the tadpole parasite, or her failing infernal engine. Still, Karlach proves to be ever joyful, only breaking down once the burden of it all truly becomes too much. A loyal and dedicated companion or even lover, if players want to romance her, Karlach can deliver powerful, deep lines when chatting with some characters - like her interactions with Astarion, with both of them being trauma-ridden.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
Lilith (Diablo 4)
Lilith is a complex character, in the sense that she is seen as the Mother of Sanctuary while simultaneously wreaking havoc and condemning the souls of people everywhere to follow her own plan, which is to defeat the Prime Evils and her father Mephisto to absorb their powers. However, Lilith’s origins play a huge part in the plot ofDiablo 4and what could happen inD4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion- or even further down the line.
Diablo 4’s Lilithis not only a force to reckon with in terms of battle, with her getting the Uber Boss treatment and becoming even more powerful, but she is instrumental to the whole series' lore and future. Her defeat, with players trapping Mephisto in a Soulstone, means that now Prime Evils can come back safely to Sanctuary, and the player character even has a vision of Diablo himself, which could be foreshadowing his return at some point. A flawed mother, but a mother nonetheless, Lilith is one of the best female characters of the year by a long shot.
Diablo 4
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
Mary Jane (Spider-Man 2)
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2was praised for many reasons upon release, and one of them is how it managed to land a great single-player adventure that respects players' time by being on the shorter end. Still, in a world of superheroes who fight for their reasons, turning cities into playgrounds where innocents can be swept away, Mary Jane stands out as one of the most empowering female characters in gaming. InMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s story, Mary Jane is not only a supportive character, but she has her own gameplay sections where she gets to become the hero. Her own issues, knowing she is surrounded by heroes, come to the fore, and she manages to overcome them, setting a benchmark for all.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Spider-Men Peter Parker and Miles Morales face the ultimate test of strength inside and outside the mask as they fight to save the city, each other and the ones they love, from the monstrous Venom and the dangerous new symbiote threat.Explore an expansive Marvel’s New York with faster web-swinging and the all-new Web Wings, quickly switching between Peter and Miles to experience different stories, epic new abilities and high-tech gear.Wield Peter’s symbiote abilities and Miles’ explosive bio-electric powers in battle against new and iconic Marvel Super Villains – including an original take on a symbiote-infused Venom, the ruthless Kraven the Hunter, the volatile Lizard, and more from the Marvel Rogues’ Gallery.
Merrin (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderintroduced players to Merrin, but it’sJedi: Survivorthat sees her truly become who she is. Learning about the galaxy beyond her planet, Merrin returns to Cal’s side a strong, more powerful, and more knowing woman. Not to mention, everyone loves a star-crossed lover story. Although the two had feelings for each other for a while,Star Wars Jedi: Survivorfinally let both Cal Kestis and Merrin express them. With Merrin also being canonically pansexual, her presence in the franchise and video game series can be a source of positive representation for many players.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
The story of Cal Kestis continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor™, a third person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. This narratively-driven, single player title picks up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™ and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness. Pushed to the edges of the galaxy by the Empire, Cal will find himself surrounded by threats new and familiar. As one of the last surviving Jedi Knights, Cal is driven to make a stand during the galaxy’s darkest times - but how far is he willing to go to protect himself, his crew, and the legacy of the Jedi Order?Explore an Untamed Galaxy – Discover new planets and familiar frontiers in the Star Wars galaxy, each with unique biomes, challenges, and enemies. Master new skills, equipment, and abilities that will augment the ways you explore, fight, and roam. With larger areas to explore and more to discover off the beaten path, players who adventure beyond the horizon will find hidden rewards.
Peppermint (Hi-Fi Rush)
Praised as one of the best music-based games in recent times, with the titlewinning the Best Audio Design Award at TGAto boot,Hi-Fi Rushis one of the most successful games of the year - and it was shadow-dropped after its reveal. Its cast helps the game’s story and gameplay shine even more, as some characters can be summoned as Assists to provide unique skills in combat. Among these characters is Peppermint, who can be as snarky as she is intelligent and kind.
Capable of shooting foes from afar, Peppermint acts as the ranged option forChai’s group inHi-Fi Rush, eventually helping take down Vandeley Technologies - her own family’s company, including her brother Kale. With Korsica being Peppermint’s love interest, she can be great representation both in terms of disabled (given her robotic leg) and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Saga Anderson (Alan Wake 2)
Saga Anderson is one of thetwo protagonists inAlan Wake 2, a change in the formula that benefited the game a great deal thanks to a more dynamic gameplay loop and an interesting story that sees Saga become much more than an FBI agent caught up in a strange case. She has supernatural abilities that allow players to use the Mind Place, which can be used to talk telepathically to other characters, such as Odin and Tor, as well as Alan himself. Saga plays an incredibly important role in the game, ending up as a co-author of the ending, rewriting reality and paving the way for a future installment where she comes back once more.
Alan Wake 2
A string of ritualistic murders threatens Bright Falls, a small-town community surrounded by Pacific Northwest wilderness. Saga Anderson, an accomplished FBI agent with a reputation for solving impossible cases arrives to investigate the murders. Anderson’s case spirals into a nightmare when she discovers pages of a horror story that starts to come true around her.Alan Wake, a lost writer trapped in a nightmare beyond our world, writes a dark story in an attempt to shape the reality around him and escape his prison. With a dark horror hunting him, Wake is trying to retain his sanity and beat the devil at his own game.Anderson and Wake are two heroes on two desperate journeys in two separate realities, connected at heart in ways neither of them can understand: reflecting each other, echoing each other, and affecting the worlds around them.Fueled by the horror story, supernatural darkness invades Bright Falls, corrupting the locals and threatening the loved ones of both Anderson and Wake. Light is their weapon—and their safe haven — against the darkness they face. Trapped in a sinister horror story where there are only victims and monsters, can they break out to be the heroes they need to be?
Sarah Morgan (Starfield)
Starfieldcomes with plenty of exploration opportunities for the player, and Sarah Morgan is one of the last in-universe space explorers, head of Constellation. Sarah is one of the most fleshed-out characters in the game, with players learning about her background, her whims, her desires, and more, and she can become one ofStarfield’s four romanceable companions. She is very skilled with plants and will often gift the players with a Botany-related item. While she is kind and empathetic, she is also quite capable in combat with Laser weapons - something she put to good use in her time as a military officer for the United Colonies.
Starfield
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
Shadowheart (Baldur’s Gate 3)
Shadowheart is one ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s Origin charactersas well as a companion and romance option, and she’s one of the most beloved characters in the entire game, even spawning multiple memes and fan art online. Shadowheart is one of the most versatile characters in terms of combat capabilities, as she is a Trickery Domani cleric of Shar, gaining several Illusion spells that can come in handy during a playthrough, as well as healing spells and tank or off-tank builds helping make her a great pick forBG3parties.
Her quest is called Daughter of Darkness, which depending on the player’s decision, ultimately sees her confront the woman who has traumatized her, stolen her memories, and torn her life apart or sees her become the Chosen of Shar. Either way, Shadowheart’s strength shines through - but in different ways. It won’t take long for players to break through her zealous, cold facade to see the beauty that lies beneath, a woman who is enamored with the world and who loves flowers - in particular, night orchids.Baldur’s Gate 3’s Shadowheart rewards those who show cunning and curiosity, making them great attributes in potential love interests.
Valere (Sea of Stars)
Valere is one of the two main characters and one ofsix playable characters inSea of Stars, an indie game that took the internet by storm with its retro graphics, great gameplay loop, and compelling story. Valere is a Lunar Monk and she was born on the Winter Solstice, complementing the other main character, Zale, well. Their story is one for the ages, and Valere is a champion among her colleagues.
Sea of Stars
Set in the same world as 2018’s The Messenger, Sabotage Studio’s Sea of Stars is an RPG that takes inspiration from Japanese classics like Chrono Trigger. Featuring a dynamic turn-based combat system and platforming-based exploration, Sea of Stars is an ambitious and gorgeous addition to the role-playing genre.
Zelda (Tears of the Kingdom)
A sequel to the ground-breakingLegend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,Tears of the Kingdomimmediately severs the connection between Zelda and Link with Ganondorf causing the Upheaval. While Link gathers theSages of Hyruleto help him on his quest, Zelda ends up on a journey of her own that limits her screentime. However, her role and dedication within the story is more than enough to justify her inclusion here. Combining various elements of the franchise and introducing a few new surprises, this Zelda is easily one of the most empowering versions of the character yet.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the beloved open-world adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This installment once again sees Link and Zelda battling to protect Hyrule from falling to Ganondorf. This new adventure takes place in the same land of Hyrule as Breath of the Wild but sees something called the Upheaval, which allows link to travel to Sky Islands, as well as deep into the Depths beneath Hyrule. Players can use special abilities to fuse together weapons, and build items to help them progress through the release.
