The Most Influential Women in Your Favorite Video Games

We all have our go-to video game character that we trust for any type of battle. For some of us, we wouldn’t think of choosing anyone other than Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, or Link to fight in a virtual war, while others would opt for Chun-Li or Princess Zelda to bring them to victory.

However, let’s focus more on those female characters in honor of International Women’s Day, which we recently celebrated on March 8. To commemorate the occasion, a new study revealed the most influential female video game characters ever, and you might be surprised by which ones made the list.

CS gambling site Clash.gg gathered a list of famous female video game characters and analyzed Google search volume data in the U.S. to determine their level of popularity. Below are their findings, ranked from highest to lowest average monthly search volume.

Princess Peach

Princess Peach topped the list as fans’ favorite of all the female video game characters, accumulating 290,483 searches on average every month. With her fluffy pink dress and platinum blonde hair, Princess Peach often catches her opponents off guard as she portrays the damsel in distress but is really a skillful competitor.

Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, the character is the most searched for in 48 states, dominating the Super Mario franchise. She was also featured in the 2023 comedic film The Super Mario Bros. Movie, voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy.

Chun-Li

We mentioned that Chun-Li has a significant following, but her second place ranking on this list proves she’s one of the most iconic female characters. She hails from Capcom’s Street Fighter as an expert martial artist and Interpol officer with a strong desire for revenge.

Chun-Li has garnered 210,458 average monthly searches and is particularly favored in Hawaii. Fans watched the character reawaken in the 2009 film Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, with Kristin Kreuk portraying the fighting master.

Lara Croft

Next is Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, who’s ushered in 179,471 searches on average each month, the third highest of any other female character. She’s the lead of the franchise and is presented as a British archaeologist who isn’t afraid to venture into the scary unknown.

Massachusetts Googles her the most at 4,166 times per month, and she’s come to life numerous times in the movies. Perhaps the most notable portrayal of the video game star was by Angelina Jolie in the 2001 action/adventure Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Lilith

In fourth place is Lilith from the Darkstalkers series, Diablo 4. The 147,770 average monthly searches for the character reveal that many people love a villain, especially one wanting to destroy heaven and hell.

Those in Texas specifically gravitate toward Lilith, as 14,789 searches have come out of the Lone Star State. In 2024, the demon was reimagined for film in the action/sci-fi Borderlands, with Kate Blanchett portraying the titular antihero.

Bayonetta

Another massively popular virtual female character is Bayonetta from the game series of the same name. She is a powerful Umbra Witch with superhuman strength, speed, and agility, and she has an incredible talent for magic skills, which could be why she raked in 112,773 searches a month on average.

Particularly, gamers in California search for the fictional character, racking up 26,979 searches per month. In 2013, an anime film based on the video game was released titled Bayonetta: Bloody Fate, where she awoke from a 500-year slumber and had to face off against hordes of angels to recover her past.

Karlach

Video game enthusiasts have also gravitated toward the female character Karlach from Baldur’s Gate 3, as she ranks sixth in popularity. She’s described as a Tiefling Barbarian, particularly excelling in athletics and intimidation, and has impeccable survival skills.

There has been an average of 96,948 monthly searches for Karlach, with Washington and Oregon gamers looking her up the most.

Shadowheart

Also from Baldur’s Gate 3 is Shadowheart, a half-elf character loyal to the goddess Shar. She’s gathered 84,125 monthly searches on average, and fans have vied for Sigourney Weaver to play Shadowheart in a film adaptation, as per The Gamer.

However, the chatter appears to be just that, as a movie, or its possible cast hasn’t been announced.

Ada Wong

Coming in eighth place is Ada Wong, an antiheroine introduced in Resident Evil 2. She’s an industrial spy who follows her own path and rules.

Wong is popular in the video game world, especially in comparison with other female characters, with 75,252 monthly searches on average. She’s been reimagined for the big screen multiple in Resident Evil films, most recently in the 2021 horror/action Welcome to Raccoon City with Lily Gao portraying the character.

Tifa Lockhart

Tifa Lockhart debuted in 1997 in the video game Final Fantasy VII, and she’s still a widely searched-for character, with an average of 66,793 monthly searches. She’s a very relatable character, contributing to her likeability, and her martial arts moves and superhuman strength are added bonuses.

We haven’t seen much of her in movies, although she did appear in the 2005 film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, voiced by Ayumi Ito.

Kitana

Completing the Top 10 list of the most influential female video game characters is Kitana from Mortal Kombat, with 66,351 average monthly searches. The Princess of Edenia first appeared in Mortal Kombat II and has been a strong force with her impressive fighting moves, including her ability to create a small tornado with her wind magic.

There have been numerous movie and TV adaptations of Mortal Kombat over the years, lastly a 2021 film, although Kitana wasn’t featured. Based on CBR‘s April 2021 conversation with screenwriter Greg Russo, it’s suspected she’ll be included in a sequel if that happens.

Gabriele Asaro, Head of SEO and Research at Clash.gg shared his insight on their findings in a press release, noting the progression of female characters’ prominence in video games.

“These findings perfectly outline the evolution and scope of female characters in video games. From the adorable and cozy Princess Peach sitting at the top, down to tough and powerful fighters like Chun-Li and Kitana, the smart and ambitious Lara Croft, and evil villains like Lilith,” his statement began.

“In 2025, it is important that gamers are not faced with the same stereotype of women in video games. Now, the most influential female characters are not just sexualized romantic interests, but protagonists, villains, soldiers, and complex beings with their own personalities, origins, and quests separate from male characters, instead of just accessories or side characters.”