Summary
Strong Female heroes in games are abundant, but what aboutFemale Villains? Here’s where we separate simple sidekicks from real life-threatening entities that are considered some of the most dangerous beings in the gaming universe. Some of them prefer a more subtle approach, while others represent the embodiment of feminity and power,stepping over the male protagonistsas if they were mere toys to play with.
This ranked list spotlights thestrongestFemale Villains in Video Games, from one character that will make players think “the devil is the least expected one,” to a dangerous AI-empowered remnant of a genius scientist obsessed with creatures of the past, that was about to endanger the whole world for the sake of completing her main protocol. Let’s take a look at these femme fatales.
11Harle (Chrono Cross)
It’s Always The One You Least Expect
Harle is the most tragic, complex, and powerful female villain in the history of video games. Her inner duality and that of her role in the story ofChrono Crossdrove players to the brink of madness, trying to understand her motivations, reason to be, and also her exotic charm.
In her human form, she looks like a more benign version of Kefka Palazzo, with some airs of Aerith fromFinal Fantasy 7.There’s no point in denying that the developers absolutely nailed her “humanoid” persona to be both appealing, mysterious, and innocuous enough to make players lower their guard. But, as things end up, she is also the embodiment of the Time Devourer, sent to end all timelines destroying everything in her wake.
10Ultimecia (Final Fantasy 8)
The Most Powerful Witch, With The Ability To Manipulate Time Itself
An ancient being able to manipulate souls and the flow of time itself, Ultimecia is a true menace to the world ofFinal Fantasy 8.At first, she manipulated Edea Krammer into becoming a witch and also shattered the memories of her children to ensure they wouldn’t be a nuisance in the future.
She is manipulative, smart at a dangerous level, and above all else: resourceful. She is such a complex villain that has always been 4 or 5 steps in front of the heroes of the Gardens, and one capable of erasing all timelines if she saw a chance to gain absolute control over the universe. But thankfully,she is not such a dangerous existence, since she knows her limits despite all, and that very same thing was her undoing. Otherwise, who knows? MaybeFinal Fantasy 8’sending would have been even more tragic.
9EVE (Parasite Eve)
The Embodiment Of Existential Horror
A being with unlimited control over humans at a sub-cellular level, with the ambition to overthrow the current world order, and no distinction between what’s right or wrong. Limitless, powerful, and dangerous, EVE is the representation of the existential threat that lingers in the borders of our conscience: are humans obsolete and should evolution replace us to bring about a better world?
Parasite Evewouldn’t be such a great horror game without the female antagonist that marked a before and after in the history of survival horror video games. With epic encounters and a nearly convincing philosophical point of view, her agenda threatened the worldbefore Aya Brea managed to put a halt to her folly.
8Lady Dimitrescu (Resident Evil: Village)
A Giant, Classy, And Dangerous Lady
Lady Dimitrescu’s reign of terror has shaken up the ranks ofthe best female villain all across the board. With a mixture of Elizabeth Báthory, Freddy Krueger, and Morticia Addams, this noble (and wardrobe-sized) lady stepped hard into the Resident Evil fandom, revolutionizing the very concept of female villainess.
And she is powerful, there’s no doubt about it. Her incredible strength, ability to cut through metal as if it were paper, and brutal (yet motherlike) attitude have made her into an iconic character. And with her final form revealed, she is even more powerful and sinister than the whole rooster of formerResident Evilvillains combined. Yes, even worse than Wesker.
7GLaDOS (Portal)
A Psycho AI Gone Rogue
A complex villain for sure: GLaDOS, from thePortalseries, is part-time comic relief and part-time master manipulator, capable of huge levels of evil that will torture players throughout their journey in this wacky Sci-Fi adventure. The most interesting part about this Rogue AI is that at first, she doesn’t look like such an obvious threat.
But as the story progresses and players are privy to her true origins, they discover yet another facet of this complex and intimidating being. Like an overseer in Berthran’s Panopticon, always on the lookout for chances to make players' lives miserable. Truly a dangerous existence.
6Kerrigan (Starcraft)
Abandoning Her Was Their Worst Mistake
Sarah Kerrigan, also known as The Queen of Blades is perhaps the most iconic villain from theStarcraftuniverse. Abandoned to her fate by the people she trusted the most, Sarah was turned into a human-zerg hybrid. She is initially bent to the will of the Zerg Overmind, but later frees herself and becomes a threat like humanity has never seen before.
Her desire for revenge and her new nature, combined with her powerful psionic abilities and her dominion over the swarm make her a formidable foe. Ironically, this female villain was created by the alleged “good guys” who discarded Sarah when there was still a chance to save her. Now, only The Queen of Blades remains, and she will make them pay.
5Alma Wade (F.E.A.R.)
A Powerful Psychic, Players Might Even Sympathize With Her Motivation
A walking disaster in the form of an innocent young girl, Alma Wade is fear-incarnated. Capable of bending the minds of everyone around her, with powerful psychic abilities, and the capacity of warping reality at will, she is definitely one of the most powerful female villains in video games.
The threat of her existence defines the whole series and has madeF.E.A.R.one of the most impactful survival horrors ever created. In her wake, no one or anything is safe, as long as her existence is not erased. However, her motives to seek revenge on those who wanted to misuse her powers are absolutely understandable, and players might find that she is one of the few villains that is “right” to do what she does. Perhaps, that’s another of the things that makes her one of the most dangerous female villains.
4Dark Samus (Metroid Prime)
A Relentless And Powerful Antagonist
A dark and powerfulalternate version of Samus Aran: Dark Samus is one of the most dangerous beings in the universe. Created after Metroid Prime absorbed Samus’s suit and DNA, merging these factors into the ultimate antagonist of the franchise: a being of pure greed and a relentless hunter.
This Phazon-fueled evil twin of the heroine will stop at nothing to get in her way. Later, she (or more precisely, they) become an even bigger threat, corrupting an entire pirate fleet with Phazon. Then, her next goal is to spread corruption at a galactic level using the Leviathans (giant asteroids), so her threat evolves with the plot, one of the things that has made Dark Samus the pinnacle of the villains in the Metroid series.
3Dahlia Hawthorne (Ace Attorney)
There Are Powerful Villainesses, Then There’s Dahlia
Dahlia is the epitome of a classic Villainess: beautiful, toxic, psychopathic, manipulative, and many other characteristicsthat are not safe to put into words. With cruelty as her prime motivator, she conducted a series of heinous crimes which included manipulating others into committing murder, and a spree of bloodthirsty crimes that can only be compared to those of Countess Bathory.
She is an evil mastermind and the Moriarty for the respectable investigator and lawyer Phoenix Wright. Most of the fans of the series agree that she is one of the best and most dangerous villains who have ever crossed paths with theAce Attorney.
2Lusamine (Pokemon Sun & Moon)
Worst Mother Ever, No Doubt About It
The President of the Aether Foundation, and mother to one of the friends of the maincharacter inPokemon Sun & Moon, she is perhaps the most dangerous, deranged, and cruel villain in the whole series. Yes, even more cruel than Giovanni and Gechis. She did not only appear benevolent and caring but manipulated her own daughter to accomplish her selfish goals, then discarded her like a piece of trash.
Her descent into madness is one of the best plot twists that has ever been made for aPokemongame, and her dialogue lines are seriously chilling and harsh. She is not only a powerful and hard-to-beat final boss, but the most dangerous Female Villain in the history of thePokemonseries.
