Over the years, Nintendo games have had some of the most well-known video game heroines.
When the video game market crashed in the early 1980s, Nintendo was born, and a whole new era of console games began. Nintendo didn’t just make the consoles; they also designed and made the games. By doing this, they were able to control the quality as a whole and help the industry get some much-needed standardization.
Nintendo made some great games, and in the process, they came up with some interesting stories and memorable characters. Some of the following heroines aren’t just important in the games where they show up, but they also represent Nintendo and video games in general.
Paula, Earthbound
When it came out in 1994, Earthbound, which was also called Mother, didn’t make a big splash in the gaming world. A few years later, though, the game was found again and is now one of the most popular old RPGs from Nintendo. Paula is the first person to join Ness on his quest, and her PSI, or psionic, abilities are her main weapons. She also shows up with him in most of the media about the game.
Pray, which Paula can do, is one of the most important abilities in the game. Ness, who is in a relationship with her, is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. She is also in the game, but only as a trophy that can be won.
Mio, Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Xenoblade is a much more niche game than The Legend of Zelda or Metroid. Still, the JRPG series has given Nintendo almost nothing but masterpieces, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will be one of them when it comes out in 2022. Noah starts out as the main character of the story, but Mio ends up taking over that role.
Noah and Mio come from countries that are sworn enemies, but they are so similar that they have to work together to get the best out of each other. Mio is likeable and easy to relate to, especially as she slowly lets her guard down and talks about her fears.
Mio is a better-known character, but Eunie is also a great one.
Palutena, Kid Icarus
Only three Kid Icarus games have been made in the last 35 years. Which is a shame because the series has a pretty good track record. Even though Kid Icarus: Uprising was a big return in 2012, the series has been quiet ever since. Even though Pit is the main character, Palutena has always been there since the first game. In fact, she has become so well-known that she has been added to Super Smash Bros.
In the games, the Goddess of Light usually sends Pit on his quest to defeat either Medusa or Orcos, and she sometimes gives him a hand. Palutena doesn’t do much in the stories. But her look is almost as much a part of Kid Icarus as Pit’s is.
Princess Rosalina, Super Mario Galaxy
Rosalina made her big debut in Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii. And players were impressed by her right away. Except for Super Mario Galaxy 2, she hasn’t really been involved in the plots of the main games, which doesn’t say much about how popular she is since these games don’t really focus on their stories. Rosalina, on the other hand, is a playable character in many games, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Party 10, Mario Tennis Ace, and Mario Kart 8.
Rosalina’s story is one of the most interesting in the Mario series. And it is slowly revealed as you play through Super Mario Galaxy. As a child, Rosalina met a Luma who was looking for her mother. Rosalina agreed to go on a trip around the universe with the Luma. They eventually found a place to live and built an observatory for the Lumas to live in. As Rosalina grew closer to her new family, she learned to deal with her grief over the death of her mother.
Pokemon’s Playable Characters
There are a lot of well-known characters in Pokemon, but most people’s favorites are from the first generation they played. You also can’t ignore the anime, which is why Misty is so popular even though she only plays a small role in the games.
The characters you can play as in Pokemon are just a step above blank slates. And they don’t have much personality outside of how they look. Even so, characters like Dawn, May, Rosa, and Akari are well-known heroines in their own right. And fans of their games will always remember them. Because of how popular their anime versions are, Dawn and May just beat out the other two.
Lucina, Fire Emblem Awakening
Lucina is a popular character with fans, and she also shows up in a lot of media and marketing for Happy Wheels game. She is a tritagonist of the story. Which means she is third in terms of how important she is to the plot. She first shows up in Fire Emblem Awakening disguised as a character named Marth.
This is a nod to Lucina’s family history and a reference to how long this franchise has been around. Marth was the main character in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & TheBlade of Light (1990) and Mystery of the Emblem (1994), and Lucina, who is his descendant, continues the story he started. She is the daughter of Chrom, the other main character in Fire Emblem Awakening. She has his unique weapon, the Falchion, and can use swords like he can.
Bayonetta
When it came out in 2009, Bayonetta was a relatively new video game compared to some other Nintendo brands. It got a lot of attention, both good and bad. When the first game came out, PlatinumGames’ series wasn’t just for Nintendo, but with the second game, that changed.
A lot of the fans are here because of the main character, Bayonetta, who is the last living Umbra Witch. The games follow her personal story as she looks for her past and gets better at what she can do now. Her overly feminine shape is different from the animation that is usually used for girls in video games.
Princess Peach, Mario Bros.
Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom is one of the characters that people think of when they hear the name Nintendo. She is also a symbol of the very popular Mario Bros. series. This was the princess who was always in a different castle, and Mario’s adventure started because she was in trouble.
She is often just called “Peach,” and she has been a playable character in the series more than once. She has also been the main character of her own games. Princess Peach was Princess Toadstool in the animated show because of copyright issues. But her face is so well-known that it didn’t matter. If a player is lucky enough to go to the Super Nintendo World part of Universal Studios Japan, they can, in a way, meet her in person.
Samus Aran, Metroid
Samus Aran is a girl. This used to be a secret only hard-core gamers who were determined enough to finish the old side-scroller knew, but now everyone knows it. Metroid has a good market share in part because of its main character, Samus. Samus has also been in comic books, manga, and movies that are part of the Metroid franchise.
Samus has been around longer than most of Nintendo’s famous heroines. Since 1986, when the first Metroid game came out, she has been beating up bad guys and calling them names. There is only one other Nintendo heroine who has been as popular for as long as she has been.
Princess Zelda, The Legend Of Zelda
Some people call the male main character of this series by her name because Zelda is so well-known. Princess Zelda, who rules not only the land of Hyrule but also the Nintendo company and the hearts of gamers everywhere, is mentioned in a lot of pop culture references.
When the first Legend of Zelda game came out in 1986, the princess was the typical damsel in distress, with Ganon holding her hostage and Link coming to save her. Since those early days, the games have changed a lot, and Zelda has changed a lot as well, taking on different roles and disguises and becoming more involved in the story.
