Remember: Guitar Hero 5 world record attempt today. Chris will be there from 6 so if you're there come and say hi! http://tinyurl.com/lyd5vx

	A Boy And His Blob ^WII Preview: So cute it's got a 'hug' button!
	Layton: Pandora's Box ^{DS, DSI} Preview: Last train to puzzleville
	Leading Ladies Your top 10 greatest female characters ever!
	Mini Ninjas ^WII Review: Hitman creators go cutesy

Login

Not a member yet? Click here to register!

Nintendo Features

10 Mario Secrets

Features Index

Feature

Leading Ladies

12-Sep-2009 The 10 greatest female characters ever! As voted for by you!

29 Comments

In honour of the return of Samus in Metroid Prime Trilogy, we asked our forum members to vote for their favourite female characters of all time. The rules were simple: you could vote for any female character you liked as long as they had appeared in a game on a Nintendo console. So you could have voted for Lara Croft, for example. You didn't, but some of you did vote for Birdo. Isn't (s)he a man?! Who knows...

Tetra

8 = Tetra
Those who know their Zelda will be aware that Tetra appears twice in this list. How can that be? Spoiler alert! At the end of The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker, Tetra is revealed to be none other than Princess Zelda. However, seeing as the young pirate played a starring role in both Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass she deserves her place in the list in her own right.

You say: "Like Zelda (well she is Zelda) but with more attitude and slightly less useless. Oh, and she's a pirate! Gotta like pirates." - Darkman2300

Kazooie (with Banjo!)

8 = Kazooie
This large red female bird - a Red-Crested Breegull - formed one of the greatest duos in the history of Nintendo gaming with her companion Banjo. After Mario 64, this was the cartoon adventure that every N64 fan had to own and the pair have been sorely missed since they departed from the Nintendo console scene after Banjo Tooie (although they did appear on GBA). Of the pair, it was Kazooie who stood out thanks to her sarcastic, rude personality.

You say: "A wise-cracking bird that's rude, can fly you places and has a best friend that's a bear. What's not to like?" - Sheikah-link

Birdo

8 = Birdo
Birdo is called Catherine in Japan yet is described as a man. We're confused already! So why do people think Birdo may be a woman? Well, it might have something to do with the pink bow. However, in Mario sports games Birdo is listed as a female while Nintendo's second best pink character is described as 'of indeterminate gender' in Smash Bros. We'll go with the latter option and put him/her in there because you voted for him/her. Still confused?

You say: "This cross-dressing dinosaur is awesome. - Iln

Zero-suit Samus

7. Zero-Suit Samus
Like Tetra, Samus is the second character to appear twice in this list. Yes, she's just Samus without her suit but you lot voted for her based on her appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. We wonder why? Could it be something to do with her looks when she's out of her work clothes. Forum members who voted for her did use the word 'fit' with alarming regularity. At least ShadowmongerZZ had the decency to mention her agility and strength.

You say: "Zero-Suit Samus has it all! She's the only girl fitter than my girlfriend!!" - cosmickid

Rosalina

6. Rosalina
After Peach was kidnapped for the umpteenth time by Bowser in Super Mario Galaxy, Mario was drawn to a new character named Rosalina. Well, she does look a bit like Princess Peach in a light blue nightie! Still, she obviously made a big impression on you because after one appearance (not counting Mario Kart) she has made the top ten.

You say: "She has a mysterious aura surrounding her and her past (which is revealed in parts throughout the game) made her instantly likeable." - BurplePurple

Midna

5. Midna
One of the great Zelda characters, Midna made her debut and only appearance to date in Twilight Princess and immediately won over the hearts of Nintendo gamers. With a history that has her being transformed from a royal leader to an imp, you couldn't help but warm to her but she proved her worth by helping Link learn certain abilities and attacks.

You say: "Cheeky, quirky, and enigmatic: is she on Link's side or just helping him for her own entertainment? Who cares? She's brilliant." - cornishblaze

Amaterasu

4. Amaterasu
Thanks to our rule allowing third-party characters, we fully expected Joanna Dark to be the highest placed female character. However, Perfect Dark's lead character didn't make the top ten and the sun goddess from Capcom's beautiful Wii adventure is only beaten by the three female Nintendo heavyweights. The fact that she takes the form of a dog only makes it more surprising. Still, considering Okami is one of the best Wii games ever, perhaps it shouldn't come as a shock.

You say: "She stared down the face of the ultimate evil, and didn't even so much as shudder or wince. That's what I call true bravery." - Funkymunkz

Princess Zelda

3. Princess Zelda
Unlike Peach, Zelda is more than a princess in distress. While initially portrayed as the guardian of the Triforce of Wisdom, she is a strong woman who, with her sword and bow and arrow, is capable of holding her own in a fight. Something she has proved in the Smash Bros. series. So good the Zelda series is even named after her.

You say: "Plays a much better role as a princess than Peach. Plus she has magical powers." - Oiram 07

Princess Peach

2. Princess Peach
So the battle of the big Nintendo princesses has been won by Mario's young lady, the Mushroom Kingdom's own bit of royalty. Seeing as she has been kidnapped by Bowser an almighty 16 times some might view her as being a bit useless but we'll let her off as rescuing her is always so much fun. Anyway, she redeems herself as a playable character in Super Mario Bros. 2 and she also has starring roles in Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., Mario Party and her own Super Princess Peach. Not bad for a useless princess.

You say: "We seriously need to thank her for a lot of things. Peach being captured forms the plot of most Mario games. Think of all the classics we'd have missed out on if she hadn't been captured so many times." - BADGERGAMER

Samus Aran

1. Samus
Surprised? Thought not. The fact that Samus got more than three times as many votes as Princess Peach tells its own story. Also, while Princesses Peach and Zelda aren't the leading stars of the Mario and Zelda games, Samus is the star of the Metroid games and Nintendo's number one leading lady. This bounty hunter has been kicking space pirate butt since 1986! From the beginning, her adventures have always been dark and challenging and, hidden under her huge robotic suit, she seems slightly mysterious. In fact, Nintendo were already partway through the development of Metroid when they decided Samus would be female, thinking it would be an interesting twist to reveal her as a woman at the end of the game. What a great decision.

You say: "As well as being one of the first female protagonists to feature in a game, she seems to be one of the only Nintendo females who can hold her own." - 91nintendo