When it comes to horror movies, females are often some of the most compelling characters. They’ve taken on the moniker of Scream Queens over the years, and some of the most famous movie examples include Alice Hardy from Friday the 13th, Laurie Strode from Halloween, and Nancy Thompson from A Nightmare on Elm Street. While horror games are mostly dominated by male leads, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some good female protagonists, too.
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While not quite a horror series, Samus Aran is certainly iconic from the Metroid series. She doesn’t talk much, so it’s hard to nominate her over these other stellar Scream Queens of the gaming landscape. These will be ranked based on how well-defined the characters are and their actions. No spoilers will be included.
10
Alexandra Roivas
Just Looking Into Her Grandfather
Alexandra Roivas is the main protagonist of Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, one of the best horror games still trapped on the GameCube. Alexandra goes to her grandfather’s mansion to help look into his death, and what she finds astounds her as she can feel the spirits of people long since passed. The perspective shifts often to these characters, leaving Alexandra behind in wide shifts, but she’s still an integral part of the story. Her determination to find her grandfather’s killer is admirable, and she does not back down even when zombie creatures start to invade her mind within the mansion.
9
Amanda Ripley
Where’s Mommy
Amanda Ripley is the daughter of Ellen Ripley, one of the most famous characters in all of sci-fi cinema, as she originated in Alien. Amanda is the star of Alien: Isolation, a game that takes place after the first film and before the second, wherein she is looking for her mother. In her search, Amanda comes across a derelict ship, and inside she finds a lot of trouble from androids that no longer follow orders, to Xenomorphs stalking her. Despite her lack of combat training, Amanda is able to keep cool, like her mother, to make it out alive.
8
Selene Vassos
Something Doesn’t Feel Right
Selene Vassos is the lead in Returnal, which begins with her crashing into a foreign planet. The planet is teaming with life, all of which wants to kill her, but there’s much more to it. The planet constantly shifts, as this is a roguelike shooter, and inside these mazes, parts of her memories start to seep out. Why would her house be down inside the depths of a planet she has never been to before? It’s a psychological thriller with a finale that is incredibly dark, making many players wonder how Selene was able to keep it together for so long.
7
Hinako Shimizu
Pill Time
Hinako Shimizu is the lead in Silent Hill f, the first game in the series to be set in Japan, and it takes place in the past, within the 1960s. Hinako is a seemingly ordinary girl who gets in a fight with her parents in the intro, leaves to see her friends in town, and then gets thrown into a nightmare as one friend dies, and the town is taken over by a plant-like invader along with doll-like creatures.
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At first, Hinako doesn’t say much and is more or less not phased by the events, but as she keeps traversing into the shrine world, her personality starts to shift. It’s in these moments of great duress that she truly shines as a horror protagonist in an unsettling way.
6
Aya Brea
One Of Those Days
Aya Brea is from Parasite Eve, who appears as the protagonist in all three games. In this first adventure, she needs to investigate a series of paranormal attacks in New York City as a detective within the police department. Despite her fighting monsters for the first time and awakening psychic abilities, including the ability to shoot fire, Aya is able to keep calm in the line of duty. Even though this game lacks voices, players are still able to empathize with what Aya is going through, and that’s a powerful thing for a developer to convey through text.
5
Jesse Faden
Taking Command
Jesse Faden is the heroine of Control, who shows no signs of gifts or combat abilities when she first enters the Federal Bureau of Control to find her brother Dylan. Inside, she discovers an entity has taken over, and after being gifted a powerful gun that can shift forms, Jesse dives into the depths of the bureau to search for Dylan and rescue anyone else she can. It’s a true journey of discovery for her from her powers to becoming confident in herself to become a leader. It’s also one of those games wherein players can get more out of it if they wear headphones to hear Jesse and her surroundings better.
4
Claire Redfield
A Matured Survivor
Claire Redfield is one of the all-time great female protagonists in all of horror games, originating in Resident Evil 2. While there are many good games to name with her in it, Claire’s last playable entry, Resident Evil: Revelations 2, is the best as it shows a level of maturity within her. Stuck on a prison island, she uses her expertise to help guide her friend’s daughter, Moira, to safety. She’s able to fend off monsters mostly on her own while also being able to assure everything is going to be okay to Moira. It’s a motherly role for her, but the game never makes Claire out to be weak because of it.
3
Heather Mason
Not Amused
Heather Mason is the protagonist from Silent Hill 3, who is the daughter of Harry Mason, the protagonist from the first game. All Heather wants to do is go home, but she finds herself trapped in Silent Hill, which is constantly shifting between realities.
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Heather isn’t a small child, but even as a mature teen, it’s a lot for her to process emotionally. She never becomes a badass, but Heather does what she has to so that she can survive. Because she’s one of the more normal female protagonists in horror games, Heather ranks high as her portrayal is more realistic.
2
Ellie Williams
They Took Everything
Ellie Williams takes the lead in The Last of Us Part 2 instead of being a sidekick like in the original. To say she goes through some stuff throughout the campaign would be an understatement because life does not take itself easily on her. From raiders to Clickers, Ellie has to contend with a lot, all while trying to keep herself and her friends safe. It’s safe to say she ends worse than what she started with, giving players a truly dark look into what it means to become engulfed in vengeance.
1
Jill Valentine
Stronger Than Before
Jill Valentine is almost like the first Scream Queen of horror-based video games, as she first appeared in Resident Evil, which helped establish the survival horror genre. While that’s a good portrayal of her, Resident Evil 3, specifically the 2020 remake, has the best version of Jill so far. By making it out of the Spencer Mansion, Jill is trying to do whatever she can to shut Umbrella down for good, leading her back to Raccoon City. Besides zombies, Jill also has to contend with Nemesis, who does not leave her alone. It’s one of the most action-heavy entries in the series, and Jill certainly shows she has what it takes to be a badass flame fatale in a horror game.
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