International Women’s Day 2019 // Favourite Fictional Females

It’s that time of year again! Becky and I always make sure to post on this day and this year, we have decided to share some of our favourite female characters in books and games.

art by caleb

| Lara Croft,
Tomb Raider |

If you talk to me for longer than ten minutes, then I will probably bring Lara Croft up at least once. I grew up with this character and she really changed the game (har har) for female characters in video games. The Tomb Raider games have always focussed around Lara and her abilities, rather than introducing love interests and having other people save the day. She’s flawed but she’s excellent and there’s a reason she’s still as popular today as she was 20 years ago.

Lara Croft by drawingllamas

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| Aloy,
Horizon Zero Dawn |

A new female character in gaming but one that has definitely made a lasting impression. Aloy is a force to be reckoned with and despite being an outsider to her people, she manages to make a name for herself and figure out who she really is all at the same time. Her sarcasm and wit is evenly matched with her cunning and determination. Plus, she has the world’s coolest hair. What more could you want from a female character in gaming?

Aloy by jannasophia

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| Elizabeth Comstock,
Bioshock Infinite |

Despite not being the playable character in Infinite (although she is in Burial at Sea), Elizabeth still makes a lasting impression. Not only is she valuable in combat (I’ll never forget the times she saved my ass by throwing ammo), but she also brings the story to life with her innocence after being locked up all her life. She’s smart, incredibly caring and can also pick a lock or two. She grows as the story goes on and by the end, she is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Elizabeth Comstock by tophil0

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| Ellie,
The Last of Us |

Imagine creating this list and not including this girl. She has made such an impression on me that I have her tattoo on my arm and a lot of fans have done the same. Again, despite being a non-playable character for majority of the game, we grow to care for her and protect her through Joel, even though she can handle herself. She is sarcastic, swears like a trooper and takes zero shit but she’s innocent of the world and fears being alone. How could we not love her? Now (when the sequel is finally released) we get to play her as a teen. We love our queer apocalyptic queen.

Ellie by veae

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| Clementine,
The Walking Dead Game |

Speaking of apocalyptic queens, Clementine is another character I couldn’t leave out. We meet her when she is just eight years old and as Lee, we become her protector. That is until Season Two of the game when she becomes our protagonist and we go on a journey with her throughout the years. She is extremely intelligent for her age and adapts quickly to her dire surroundings, eventually becoming a protector herself and a character people turn to despite her age. A notable moment was her badass line after surviving a zombie attack and stitching up her own arm. ‘Still. Not. Bitten.’ 

Clementine by tazmynburt

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| Nina Zenik,
Six of Crows duology & King of Scars |

Oh Nina. Our waffle-loving, heart-crushing (literally and metaphorically) queen. First introduced in Six of Crows as a member of the misfit gang, The Dregs before becoming a POV character in King of Scars, Nina has managed to make a mark on us all. Nina is unapologetically herself – she owns being fat, she owns her sexuality and she owns how dangerous she is. Despite having the ability to kill people with a flick of her fingers, Nina is still incredibly caring, funny and smart.

Nina Zenik by ace-artemis-fanartist

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| Agnieszka,
Uprooted |

The hero in this fairytale, Agnieszka is a flawed and stubborn girl with a good heart who is willing to sacrifice everything for her people. She begins the story being self-conscious peasant girl but the spark hidden within her soon comes to the surface. She becomes a leader and a worthy protagonist. Not to mention her sometimes jovial personality and eccentric witch-like nature. Truly a realistic fairytale character.

Agnieszka of Dvernik by saessenach

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| Sansa Stark,
A Song of Ice and Fire |

There are two reasons why we wanted to include Sansa. Not only is she an incredible character with strength beyond words but also people SO many people (mostly men) have a problem with her. Why? Because she isn’t ‘physically’ strong, she doesn’t carry a sword like her sister and she started off being ‘whiny’ which is maybe something to do with the fact that she was 12 years when the story starts. In our opinion, Sansa has survived where others haven’t because she is emotionally and mentally strong as well as incredibly clever. We will also riot if she doesn’t become Queen in the North.

Sansa Stark by tonyloom

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| Vasilisa,
The Bear and the Nightingale |

In this Russian fairytale retelling, Vasya is the hero of the story. She was the perfect main character – she was elusive, brave and plucky, and as wild as the author made her out to be. Although most of her family accept her wild ways, the village sees her as different but Vasya instead spends her time making friends with the creatures only she can see and getting muddy in the forests around her home. Her relationships with her family are very heartwarming and overall, she is a very authentic and relatable character despite this being a fairytale-esque tale.

graphic by monstress

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| Inej Ghafa,
Six of Crows |

Although this is another character from Six of Crows, I couldn’t do this list without including Inej too. The Wraith is a highlight of Leigh Bardugo’s characters as she is both religious and an expert criminal. It’s refreshing to see a character who still has beliefs and applies them to her and her friend’s lives. She is also incredibly caring as we see with her relationships with her fellow Dregs and her heartbreaking backstory makes her a huge inspiration. I miss her a lot and hope she still isn’t taking Kaz’s shit.

Inej by shalizeh7

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Who is your favourite female character in either books, games or movies?
Let us know in the comments!
Lots of love,