From Mortal Kombat to Super Smash Bros, fighting games are known for the sometimes quirky, sometimes terrifying, but always brutal characters you can pick in a fight. Full of iconic characters, fighting games tend to be dominated by male characters, and they are often the ones we recall when talking about any given game.
Though fewer in number, the women included in fighting games range from cutesy and girly to absolutely knock 'em-dead violent. Due to their often male adversaries, these women are all strong and power-hitters - with or without supernatural or magical help.
Updated October 24, 2022, by Rebecca Timberlake: Finding more women to add to the short (but impressive!) list of ladies in fighting games is about comfortable controls and moves as much as style and aggression. Although a lot of the most famous characters that come to mind are from the same handful of games, there are some hidden gems to be found when branching out.
13 Sonya Blade - Mortal Kombat Series
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Sonya Blade was one of the initial characters introduced in 1992 with the first Mortal Kombat game. A take-charge, leave-no-prisoners member of the US military, Sonya earned the admiration of tons of girls worldwide with her ability to lead and stay calm in the face of gods and undead warriors throughout her run in the Netherrealm.
Sonya's wardrobe has always lent itself to her fighting - ranging from spandex sports bra and tights to her formal military garb. She's taken on the best of all the realms, too, from Kano to Shao Khan.
12 Valentine - Skullgirls
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Valentine, AKA Valerie, is a mysterious and somewhat self-centered character in Skullgirls. She likes drinking and can come across as cold and even calculating. Outwardly, her costume suggests the male fantasy of the sexy nurse, but that's just another way to catch her opponents off guard.
Her vicious fighting style is a mix of violent homages to Mortal Kombat characters, as well as various anime heroes, on top of her nurse-inspired scalpels and syringes to hack away at her enemies.
11 Morrigan Aensland - Darkstalkers
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Morrigan is a succubus in the world of Darkstalkers, and though succubi are often portrayed as monsters, Morrigan has been more of an antihero since her debut in Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors. She has bat-like wings and a figure-hugging outfit, fit for luring in her targets.
Her appearances in the Marvel vs Capcom series allow you to put her up against some of the toughest and most hardcore fighters across both universes - a task she is more than up for with her playful demeanor and razor-sharp wings.
10 Mai Shiranui - Fatal Fury Series
After debuting in Fatal Fury 2, Mai Shiranui appears in nearly all the series, as well as the spinoff series King of Fighters where she was a founding member of the Women Fighters Team. A pyrokinetic, Mai is skilled in ninjitsu fighting as well as fire-based damage, making her a fierce combatant.
Mai Shiranui also wears the stereotypical sexy garb often seen on women in games, though she uses it to her advantage. When facing male opponents, she can distract them with her revealing clothing, giving her time to use her powers and skills against them.
9 Ivy Valentine - Soulcalibur Series
Ivy Valentine appears in all Soulcalibur games, as well as the Soul Series of fighting games Namco made as an off-shoot of the original series. She’s presented as an anti-heroine throughout and has over a dozen weapons to choose from going into a fight.
Her style is that of a melee fighter, but Ivy is also a skilled magic wielder. Once her mind is set on something, she is ruthless in achieving it, which makes her a deadly adversary.
8 Kasumi - Dead or Alive Series
Kasumi has been in the Dead or Alive series since its origin in 1996 and has been a leading character in the series from very early on. A trained and skilled ninja, Kasumi has superhuman speed and strength and dabbles in fortune-telling on the side.
Chiefly focused on hand-to-hand combat, she’s actually a peaceful and family-oriented person, which means when Kasumi is engaging in a fight with you, you’re almost definitely going to lose.
7 Ronda Rousey - EA Sports UFC 4
Obviously based on the real UFC, and therefore the real fighters, UFC 4 brought Ronda Rousey to the game’s octagon with her stats from the height of her career. At this point, she had minimum losses, and the game features her grapple rate at one of the highest levels - a five - which only a few fighters in the game have, period - male or female.
With her signature Arm Bar move, Ronda proves in-game why she was the Bantamweight Women’s Champion.
6 Chyna - WWE 2K Series
Chyna was a real-life pioneer in the women’s wrestling world and brought tons of young girls to the WWE fandom. She was as stout and strong as she was attractive, and she was feared among the WWE fighters.
In the games, she was just as big of a presence, and one of the best to use in Royal Rumbles because of her stamina. Since her death, she’s been added to the Legends roster in the WWE games, solidifying her status in wrestling history.
5 Psylocke - Marvel Vs Capcom Series
A member of the X-Men, Psylocke wields her blades with precision and power. She also has some ninjitsu under her belt, among other melee techniques. Though she isn’t one of the more well-known or well-loved X-Men, Psylocke has one of - if not the most damaging aerial attacks.
If her assassin ways aren’t enough to lure you in, her sleek and sexy purple unitard will catch your eye. Though her looks won’t help you win, a stylish character is always welcome.
4 Zelda - Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Despite being a lightweight fighter with mostly long-range attacks, Zelda is magic-based, so her attacks tend to have KO power behind them. Her aerial attacks are also pretty handy, and her neutral attacks are decent for a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Zelda is a fan-favorite for her high-damaging assaults, and you’ll definitely want to snag her up if you want a quick knockout. Her simplistic fighting style is especially helpful when playing on the Switch with limited controls.
3 Anna Williams - Tekken Series
Anna is in a constant battle with her older sister Nina Williams throughout the Tekken series. She’s the wild and villainous of the two, and while Tekken fans debate which is really the better sister, Anna’s ruthless behavior makes her far more damaging.
She’s also ready and willing to flaunt her beauty and revealing outfits to distract men in fights, which only adds to her superiority during a fight, which she’ll win with her Aikido fight style.
2 Sindel - Mortal Kombat Series
Many will say Mileena or even Kitana is the best woman in the Mortal Kombat series, but that ignores Kitana’s canonical mother, Sindel. Though she doesn’t appear in all the games, Sindel is a welcome sight for fans when she does. She levitates and uses aerial assaults to her favor, and her hair lasso/whip move is a devastating blow whenever it’s used.
On top of raising Kitana, she’s married to Shao Khan which in itself is an accomplishment not for the faint of heart.
1 Chun-Li - Street Fighter Series
When it comes to women in fighting games - or games in general - the conversation isn’t over until you bring up Chun-Li in Street Fighter. Forever holding her place at number one simply by being the first playable female in any fighting game, Chun-Li is cute, fun, exciting, and a downright destroyer when it comes to a fight.
Her fighting style is traditional Martial Arts, though her proficiency makes it seem anything but traditional. She’s also an officer of the law, and is a true moral good, leading her to fight for justice and truth.