Yuko Takao (from Sin Megami Tensei: Nocturne)
A long time ago there was this post, on some site which I can't find anymore, about good female game characters. This started a bit of a discussion between some of us, most notably myself and Nick, about how the list was just cursory at best. So we had the brilliant idea of making a real list of good video game characters.
We wanted to show examples of what we thought were positive characters. By "positive" I think we meant multi-dimensional, dynamic, and non-stereotypical. And by "I think" I mean that we ourselves weren't too clear on what that meant exactly. What we did know, however, was that the girls from DOA: Xtreme Beach Volleyball would not be on that list.
This quest was further fueled by an experience Nick had at work, which made him think about "why [there are] so few genuinely interesting female characters in games.” Months later he finally posted an actual list of his picks, but at that point I think the enthusiasm had waned. Even though I tried to corral our other friends to get me their choices, such as Sarah, Joe, and Matt, everyone was probably just too busy. So basically it never really happened. Now all of their blogs are deserted wastelands.
I don't know why exactly I thought I'd finally finish this, save for my own sense of closure. Or maybe because of the upcoming GameFaqs character battle which got me thinking about this. For whatever it's worth, I still think those friends' opinions important enough to post them here I guess. Such as they are, these are the characters that we all picked, in no particular order.
Amaterasu (from Okami)
My Picks: Yuna (FFX, X-2), Terra Branford (FFVI), Freya Crescent (FFIX), Quistis Trepe (FFVIII), Dr. Janice Polito (System Shock 2), Yuko Takao (SMT: Nocturne), Maya (Septerra Core), Amaterasu (Okami), Orta (Panzer Dragoon Orta), Xianghua (Soul Calibur).
Xelha (from Baten Kaitos)
Nikki's Picks: Yuna (FFX, X-2), Xelha (Baten Kaitos), Elena (Grandia II), Mist (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance), Empress Sanaki (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance).
Samus Aran (from Metroid)
Misty's Picks: Samus Aran (Metroid), Yuna (FFX, X-2).
Jade (from Beyond Good and Evil)
Joe's Picks: Samus Aran (Metroid), Lara Croft (Tomb Raider), Jade (Beyond Good and Evil), Amaterasu (Okami).
Silmeria (from Valkyrie Profile 2)
Nick's Picks: Sonia (Dragon Blaze), Fumiko Odette Van Stein (Castle Shikigami), Marie Delacroix (System Shock 2), Silmeria (Valkyrie Profile 2), Alicia (Valkyrie Profile 2).
Meryl Silverburgh (from Metal Gear Solid)
Matt's Picks: Meryl Silverburgh (Metal Gear Solid), Sheik (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time), Tetra (Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker), Midna (Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess).
Yuna (from FFX and FFX-2)
Out of all of these characters, the one to have come up the most seems to be Yuna. She's a strong, yet sensitive character who always tries to do what is good. Beyond that, she's one of the most likable female game characters out there, and is well developed to give you a real sense of her dynamic personality.
And there you have it. It's nice to think about these again actually, though it's too bad we didn't spend more time on this project, and provide reasoning behind our choices. Oh well. At least I put up links, and most of those have all of that info. Gotta love Wikipedia. That's all folks!
