Summary
Over the many years that thesurvival horrorgenre has been around, there have been a plethora of female protagonists who have managed to face their nightmarish situations head-on as part of these games. Of course,survival horrorgames are first and foremost about making the players themselves scared, but having a believable protagonist who can also realistically react to a game’s unnerving monsters andcreepy atmospherealso adds a lot to the overall experience, rather than just having a mute main character.
Thankfully, there have been plenty of very memorable female survival horror protagonists throughout the years, some of whom have been so beloved by fans that they’ve gone down as some of the most iconic video game characters in history. Now that survival horror is experiencing a boom period after all these years, it seems like the perfect time to reflect on the genre’s leading ladies who helped to make their respective games all the more enjoyable to play.
After receiving a mysterious letter fromthe Wildberger Hospitalwith a creepy photo of two young girls, the young and plucky Caroline decides to check out the area for herself to see what exactly is going on, and why it was her that received the picture in the first place. Not long after she starts her investigation though, Caroline loses consciousness and finds herself strapped up to a bathtub with one of her eyes missing, which is certainly one way to kick off the game.
Throughout much ofTormented Souls, Caroline is torn between her underlying fear of the terrifying scenario she finds herself in, and her conviction to find the truth about the two young girls who had seemingly gone missing in the hospital a long time ago. Though she doesn’t get too many voice lines in the game, Caroline still makes it very clear that she’s far from a push-over and is constantly questioning other people’s motives, making her very believable and much more than simply a protagonist who reacts to everything going on around them.
It’s crystal clear just from the first few moments ofAlien: Isolationthat Amanda is most definitely the daughter of Ripley from the movie. While she retains the wit and charisma of her mother, she’s also been proven to be a little more tech-savvy, though also much more naive, which only helps to make the gameplay of this survival horror classiceven more immersiveas a result.
Amanda goes through a massive personal arc throughoutAlien: Isolation, starting off as an ill-prepared mechanic who’s terrified of what could happen, before gradually turning into a complete badass by the end of the game after she’s had a few run-ins with the Alien. She’s also not afraid to hold other characters' feet to the fire if she feels that they’re lying to her, and though she clearly is a very kind and considerate person deep down, she’s also more than capable of taking on other humans and even automatons if it means securing her own survival.
Considering that Capcom has seemingly all butforgotten thatDino Crisiseven exists, it’s unfortunate that fans probably won’t get to see Regina in action in a new game, especially considering just how lovable she is as a protagonist. Despite being surrounded by literal dinosaurs that are running rampant across the facility, Regina manages to always remain cool, calm, and collected while coming face to face with these flesh-hungry beasts. In fact, she even throws out a few one-liners here and there when she’s got the upper hand over her enemy, such as when she’s about to blow a T-Rex sky-high, but not before saying “End of the line for you, handsome!”.
Shinji Mikami has always been credited for his character writing, especially for his protagonists, who are often very charismatic and a little tongue-in-cheek at times, and Regina is a prime example of this.Dino Crisisis already a pretty scary game as it is, but Regina’s witty dialogue and sarcasm keep the story from ever getting too dark or serious, and that’s a testament to just how great she is in the leading role.
As Fiona makes her way through a gigantic and mysterious castle which she randomly wakes up in after a car accident, she is relentlessly stalked by a myriad of unnerving monsters throughoutHaunting Ground, with nothing more thanher loyal canine companion Hewieto help her. Fiona may not get much development before the story officially begins, but what really makes her such an amazing character is how realistic she feels to play as, and in turn, how that impacts the core gameplay.
She’s not a tough special agent or an experienced soldier, but instead, Fiona is just a young girl who simply wants to escape the nightmare she’s found herself in, and the game emphasizes this by not allowing her to use any weapons throughout the entire game. She even has a Panic Meter which will make her movements very hard to control if an enemy gets too close, adding a whole extra layer of immersion and terror to the experience while also highlighting the vulnerability she feels while wandering around her environments.
It’s fair to say that Ellie goes throughone hell of an emotional rollercoasterover the course of the twoLast Of Usgames. Despite being the only person in the world who’s immune to the infection, Ellie doesn’t really have any time to celebrate as she’s constantly losing people around her, especially those that she cares most about. Seeing the growth of Ellie from a young and innocent kid to a hardened teenager who is more than willing to take out anyone standing in her way has been one of the most interesting developments of a protagonist in recent years.
This is especially true in the second game where Ellie, still only 19 years old, can be seen trying to contain her emotions after the sudden death of her mentor and father figure, Joel. Ellie goes down a pretty dark road for a lot of the game’s story, but despite all of this, she’s still shown to have a good heart and ultimately has good intentions, it’s just that the world around her is forcing her to commit acts she otherwise would never even think of.
Although Jill has admittedly gone through a few iterations over the years, she’s always retained her core characteristics of being a smart, witty, and highly-valued member of her team who’s experienced her fair share of horrific scenarios over the years. Whether it’s escaping the clutches of the Crimson Heads in the originalResident Evil, or desperately trying to avoidthe merciless Nemesiswho hunts her down throughoutResident Evil 3, she’s proven time and time again that no matter what monstrosities are thrown her way, she’ll always be able to overcome these hurdles with enough dedication.
With that being said though, Jill is still a very well-rounded character who also shows a lot of emotion throughout the series, ensuring that she isn’t just portrayed as an always-stoic soldier, but instead, someone that feels more realistic and sympathetic. This is especially the case duringResident Evil 3where she’s constantly losing friends and being betrayed by fellow “allies”, but still manages to press on in the hopes that she can at least do her part to make the world a safer place by revealing the evil schemes of the Umbrella Corporation.
There may be a large cast of memorable characters that have come out ofSilent Hill 3, but the game is clearly primarily centered around Heather, and more specifically, her anxiety of being a teenage girl. Throughout the course ofSilent Hill 3, the game places a big focus on Heather’s deepest insecurities, which a lot of teenagers often feel at that age, and it’s gone a long way in making her a very relatable protagonist for manypeople who were brave enough to playSilent Hill 3all the way to the end.
Another reason Heather has become such an icon within the industry is simply how varied she is as a character, constantly switching between emotions to fit the situation, and even showing off her slightly goofier side now and again to try and avoid things from getting too dark or depressing. Her appearance, which is clearly inspired by the charming fashion sense of the early 2000s, has also seen Heather become somewhat of a fashion icon over the years, becoming one of the most cosplayed characters in the world of gaming.Silent Hill 3is already an outstanding survival horror game, but Heather as a character really elevates it to a whole new level thanks to her charm and relatability.
