The Best Japanese Video Games With Strong Female Characters

The once male-dominated gamer industry is now flooding with not only female gamers, but tenacious female characters as well.

While it has never been unheard of to have female protagonists in anime and Japanese video games, more often than not, female characters were relegated to secondary or “damsel-in-distress” type roles or were hyper-sexualized, usually aimed at the male audience.

Nowadays, video game developers are more aware that the gaming landscape is more diverse. According to the ESA’s Power of Play report, nearly half of all gamers (48  percent) are women. However, the industry still has a long way to go with only about 20% of published games featuring protagonists from underrepresented groups, a number that will hopefully grow in the coming years.

So, let’s celebrate some of the best Japanese video games in recent memory that have the most resilient female characters.

1. Ghost of Yōtei

If you’re a gamer, there’s a good chance you saw Ghost of Yōtei making headlines last year when it revealed Atsu as the new protagonist instead of the original male lead, Jin Sakai. While some fans reacted negatively, demanding Jin’s return or simply denying the existence of women samurai, others praised the fresh perspective and strong storytelling.

The game didn’t actually officially launch until last month, in October 2025, but now that it’s out, you can finally play as Atsu. She’s a fierce, emotionally scarred bounty hunter roaming the 1603 wilderness near Mount Yōtei with her wolf companion. Atsu’s narrative is her own—she’s a fully realized, capable and compelling hero whose strength, intelligence and independence drive the game.

• Available on: PS5

2. Assassin’s Creed: Shadows

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows introduces Fujibayashi Naoe, a young female shinobi (ninja) assassin from the Iga Province navigating 16th-century Japan. Agile, clever and fiercely independent, Naoe uses stealth, parkour and combat to protect her home and people.

Sharing the spotlight with Yasuke, the powerful African samurai of historical legend, Naoe’s story is equally central and fully realized. Her motivations, moral choices and skills make her a standout lead, showing that a female character can carry an action-packed narrative with nuance and depth.

• Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Steam

3. Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land

Atelier Yumia centers on Yumia Liessfeldt, a young alchemist seeking to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death and the forbidden alchemy that led to it. Players explore a ruined continent, synthesize powerful items and grow Yumia’s skills while uncovering a profoundly personal story.

She is thoughtful, determined and capable, a modern JRPG heroine whose journey is as much about emotional growth as it is about exploration. Yumia proves that female protagonists can lead a story without falling into the sidekick or romanticized tropes so familiar in the genre.

• Available on: PS5, PC, Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One

4. Bayonetta 3

Bayonetta 3, released in 2022, continues the series’ over-the-top, stylish action and it is as unapologetically fun as ever. You play as Bayonetta, a confident witch with a flair for the dramatic and also get to control Viola, a new, younger protagonist with lightning-fast combat moves and clever parries. Both women carry the story through chaotic battles against otherworldly enemies, flipping the typical hero dynamics.

• Available on: Nintendo Switch

5. Needy Streamer Overload

Needy Streamer Overload, a denpa (surreal/unsettling)-style visual novel, places you in the shoes of a female livestreamer attempting to grow her audience while managing her mental health, relationships and personal well-being. The gameplay combines decision-making, dark humor and genuine emotional stakes, portraying the pressure modern women face online in a compelling and relatable way. The protagonist is funny, flawed and determined.

• Available on: Steam, Nintendo Switch

6. Nier: Automata

What made Nier: Automata such an overwhelming success is its post-apocalyptic theme and the big philosophical questions it poses about the nature of consciousness, love, purpose and the soul. The game is set in a strange, post-apocalyptic Earth that was ruined in a war between humanity and an invasion of alien machines. You play as 2B and her male companion, 9S. 2B is a female android sent to Earth to continue the fight against the machines in order to clear a path for the human resistance.

2B is such a compelling protagonist because of her stoicism in the face of these questions. It is her male comrade, 9S, who shows greater signs of affection and intimacy. 2B places a greater focus on the mission. The dialogue between these two is gripping and subverts the alpha male and meek female character tropes.

• Available on: PS4 exclusive

7. Octopath Traveler

What is so refreshing about this game, in particular, is how it harks back to the Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) of old, from the late 1980s and early 1990s, while also putting a modern twist on everything from combat mechanics to visuals. Octopath Traveler is a truly unique gameplay experience and one of the best in recent memory.

In terms of characters, it is immediately impressive that there is no one central protagonist. As the title suggests, there are eight equal protagonists with stories for you to explore and follow: four women and four men. Each one is a JRPG staple: warrior, mage, hunter, thief and so on. But it’s in the hunter where we see a real, capable female protagonist.

H’aanit is a woman hunter who speaks in a wonderful Shakespearean dialect. She is a standout character, arguably the strongest, toughest and bravest of the lot. A role that is almost always reserved for a man is instead given to a poetically spoken woman who will remind players of Princess Mononoke.

• Available on: Steam and Nintendo Switch

8. Dragon Quest XI

One of the finest and most beautiful JRPGs in modern memory is Dragon Quest XI. It is a simple game that includes the video game basics: a straightforward plot and combat system, a mute protagonist, and a mission to save the world. It follows many of the predictable JRPG beats, yet comes off as delightfully original due to the love and detail put into it. No less, into its female characters.

Within your party of heroes, you have two stand-out women: Veronica and Jade. Veronica has fallen under a curse that has trapped her in the body of a child. She’s a powerful black mage full of wisdom, wit, and a sharp tongue. She is perhaps the most enjoyable character in the entire game, carrying all the best story beats and delivering the most engaging dialogue.

Jade is an exiled princess and the fiercest fighter in the game. While the protagonist is a guy with a sword, Jade is a talented acrobatic warrior brandishing a spear. She’s feisty, tough and savvy. An inspirational princess to say the least, and a far cry from your typical Disney affair.

• Available on: PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS

9. Metroid Prime

We need to talk about the underrated woman of gaming: Samus Aran. Samus is the woman inside the orange suit whom players take control of in the Metroid video games. She is a (usually) mute bounty hunter equipped with weapons and gear that make her the ultimate explorer, hunter, researcher and fighter.

Samus conveys a great deal through her actions, voiceless decisions and aesthetic, which gives her a much more distinct personality than her mute male counterparts, such as Zelda’s Link or Mario from Super Mario. Samus has a purpose, a stoic attitude and a cool head. She’s so well-defined without ever speaking, adding a much-needed spin to the way women are often represented in video games.

• Available on: Nintendo Switch

10. Persona 5

Persona 5 is a majorly successful Japanese role-playing game released in 2017, in which you play as a group of high-schoolers who have the ability to invade the ‘hearts’ of crooked people and rewrite their evil urges. Essentially, you are purifying them. The team, dubbed the “Phantom Thieves”, goes after corrupt officials, mob bosses, thieves, charlatans and so on, in the hope of making the world a better place. Though you predominantly control the mute male protagonist through the story (codenamed Joker), it’s the female protagonists in the party who steal the show.

The women are by far the most three-dimensional characters in Persona 5. Futaba, for instance, is a young agoraphobe who torments herself over the death of her mother, suffering from PTSD and acute anxiety. As the story progresses, we witness the steps she takes to heal her mind, which is truly compelling. Futaba is just one of the many women in Persona 5 who make this such a meaningful and enjoyable video game.

• Available on: PS3/PS4

The rise of these strong, complex female protagonists in Japanese video games shows just how far the industry has come—and how much further it can go.

Which female-led game is your favorite, or which character inspires you the most? Let us know in the comments.

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This article has been updated for 2025.

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