For today's segment, we'll be taking a closer look at various works of fiction and observing which characters are my favorites. More specifically, I'll be analyzing those who lack a "Y" chromosome - in other words: the females.
Now, keep in mind that there will most likely be spoilers - especially if the character in question goes through some scary things in the plot. Don't say I didn't warn you...
Fictional Females
Street Fighter franchise
Starting off today's Top Ten list with a
A quick history with me: when my friends finally were able to get me to play (and eventually like) a Street Fighter game, it took me a while to get to a decent skill level (read: where I could somewhat stand up against my semi-pro friends). Now, during the majority of my training, I had been using Chun-Li. My preferred playstyle with fighting and role-playing games will usually call on me using the agile characters - the ones that look like they're cherry-tapping the opponent at first, but when you see how fast they strike you know you're going to be frakked in a bit. At the time, Chun-Li was the only widely-known Street Fighter that fit the bill perfectly, so it was no surprise that I began my Street Fighter indoctrination with her.
Now, there was a problem with this. No, it's not due to me not liking the Chinese Interpol agent - it was the fact that I sucked with her. For those of you knowledgeable in Street Fighter terms, my friends did not inform me of the difference between "command" characters (where you perform a movement with the control stick and hit a punch/kick button, and then you do something) and "charge" characters (where the control stick has to be held back in a certain direction before performing a movement). Chun-Li is a charge character, but I had been training with her as if she was a command character. *facepalm* Go, me.
Anyway, after trying to play Chun-Li properly, I got fed up (not only was I not proficient with charging, but I was a tad too impatient to wait before doing something) and decided to try a new character. After several recommendations, I settled on Cammy. I realized that she was also an agile fighter. Her only weakness was that she had no projectile attacks - just ranged kicks that would suddenly sweep her into melee range. Despite that, I used her like crazy and ended up becoming somewhat decent (although my friends still kicked my ass).
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| "Target acquired. Beginning mission!" |
As such, I felt that she deserved to open up this list. After all, if it weren't for me learning how to play Cammy, I may not have gotten to where I am in Street Fighter today.
Oh, and another plus: she likes cats. I like cats. (I like dogs too, but the feeling's never mutual.) You thought crazy cat ladies love their cats? Just ask any knowledgeable Street Fighter fan how much Cammmy loves cats, and they'll make that crazy cat lady story look pathetic in comparison.
Battlestar Galactica
(portrayed by Grace Park)
Out of all the Cylons in existence in Battlestar Galactica, one particular skinjob was able to maneuver her way into my "favorite characters from the series" list without me realizing it. The top three of that looks something like this:
- Saul Tigh
- Karl "Helo" Agathon & Sharon "Athena" Agathon
- William Adama
This particular Number Eight makes the ninth place entry because of her sheer loyalty to the Colonial Fleet. While most Eights tend to switch sides at a moment's notice to suit their own ends, Sharon Agathon surprised most of the other Cylons by showing an almost-zealous fanaticism against eliminating the other skinjob toasters. Call it compensation for her model's chronic backstabbing disorder or her strong desire to prove that she is not like her non-human comrades, but... I think it helped me to respect her a bit more.
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| "You're only alive because I've kept you [Helo] alive. If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead by now. So, whether you like it or not, I'm your only hope of getting off this planet. So, if I were you, I would take that tough guy attitude of yours and shove it up your ass." |
That was pretty much my initial reaction to her. And with the way her character got developed, it's no surprise how she ended up on this list.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
(voiced by Grey DeLisle)
Quite possibly the most sadistic, psychopathic, twisted magnificent bastard I've ever seen. And strangely, I find that to be pretty hot. (Pun wholly intended - after all, she is a firebender.)
Named after her grandfather Fire Lord Azulon, the princess of the Fire Nation is a cunning firebending prodigy. Her sheer dedication and lack of emotion has allowed her natural talents to go beyond their original capabilities. As one of the few firebenders capable of lightning attacks and the only one whose firebending results in blue flames (which, if you remember your high school science classes, burns hotter than traditional orange/red fire), she is a deadly foe to encounter on the field of battle. Even without taking her firebending into account, she is shown to be an adept and fearsome combatant, using agility, deception, tactical wit, and psychological warfare to propel her way to victory.
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| "I'll show you lightning!" |
Now that I look at this list again, I'm kind of worried. Since Azula's not on the first-place slot on here, I'm expecting lightning or something to just hurl itself from the sky -
*zap*
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance / Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
If the Fire Emblem characters could speak in battle, Nephenee wouldn't say much - she's pretty shy (and mostly afraid of people making fun of her for her heavy country accent). But if she were brave enough to speak in public, she'd probably say something like "I'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum... and bubblegum doesn't exist in Fire Emblem!"
Nephenee earned her spot on this list primarily because she was the first "awesome" unit I was ever exposed to in a Fire Emblem game (while I beat Sacred Stones first, Path of Radiance was the first Fire Emblem I played). Take the description for Amelia's badassitude as a General that I described for you months ago ("a one-woman army of roving death"). Force her to use lances only, remove some of that defensive armor and replace it with more speed and luck (yes, even more than her already-impressive stats), and you get our green-haired country bumpkin.
In-game, her speed and defenses are pretty solid, and her offensive capabilities are great enough for you not to worry all that much if she gets surrounded. If that wasn't enough, she comes with a skill called "Wrath" that allows her chances of landing a critical hit to double whenever she less than half of her health. (Many players have noted that she has an unusually high crit rate to begin with...) Give her enough time, and you'll find that she can take on entire armies on her own (at least until her weapons break).
In Path of Radiance, Nephenee is one of the few characters on my "use her in the game or DIE" list. I might be experimenting with my army by rotating characters I've never used before (my current run features the debut of Astrid and Gatrie), but Nephenee always stays on the roster. (ALWAYS.) Her capabilities allow me to use her in a variety of situations, including (but not limited to):
- a frontline soldier to help take the fort
- a "tank" to hold the line in a chokepoint so I can tend to my wounded or retreat
- a diversion for tougher enemies to fight (especially if she's below half-health and/or has the skill "Provoke")
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| I don't know where I found this, but it's pretty cool art. |
- "Vantage," which allows her to always attack first even on an opponent's turn (barring enemies whose skills nullify other skills), and
- "Provoke," which basically taunts anyone in range to attack her first.
*the Crimean Liberation Army approaches a well-guarded fort*
RANDOM ARMY DUDE: Um... General Ike! About that general we want to kill... there's about a half-dozen heavily-armored guys protecting him! We're screwed! How do we proceed?
IKE: Everyone: hold here! *looks at Nephenee* Your show, Nephenee.
NEPHENEE: *has 10HP left* Yes, Sir. *blatantly walks inside the heavily-armored guys' attack range and adopts a loud and totally-obvious "fake" voice* Horsefeathers! I walked into y'all's attack range and I ain't the time t' heal m'self! I reckon y'all oughta kill me all quick-like!
HEAVILY-ARMORED GUY #4: Hey, look, guys! She's gravely wounded! KILL HER!
*all six heavily-armored guys bull-rush the girl*
NEPHENEE: *trollface* ...suckers. *STAB CRIT STABBITY STAB*
IKE: *looks at the random army dude* ...yeah, I don't think we're screwed anymore.
Yes, I know - this sounds like a highly dramatized exaggeration. While that may be so, if you ever decide to play Path of Radiance and choose Nephenee to be one of your permanent squad members, remember this conversation. You'll realize that if the characters could speak, this wouldn't be far from the truth. And Nephenee knows it.
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| At first glance this looks to be official art... but it isn't. Nice, though, huh? (Image by "TonyToad22" and found on DeviantArt.) |
Mario franchise
Originally appearing as the princess of distant Sarasaland in Super Mario Land for the Game Boy, Princess Daisy can now be seen as a supporting character for some of the Mario games and as a playable character in others.
If you have ever played against me on a multiplayer Mario game from the GameCube up, there is a high chance that you have seen me select the fiery redhead as my character of choice. In the event that you've never played me in any of these games (it's probably higher if you've never hung out with me and an operating Nintendo console was less than 25 feet away), meet the woman who will forever taunt you to oblivion – especially if I win (not to brag, but I am pretty damn good).
So, why did Daisy end up on this list? Well, there's two reasons I'm going to cite.
1.) Most of my friends for some reason hate her. To this day I've yet to find out exactly what they have against the tomboy princess. They've pejoratively coined the nickname "Fire-Crotch" for her and will use the name at least once in conversation if she somehow ends up as a discussion topic. As a supporter for the underdogs and lesser-played characters, I started playing Daisy much to the chagrin of my friends. However, selecting her became an innate habit, and as such I've been associated as the token Daisy player of whatever group I'm in. From Mario Kart to Mario Party, if I'm playing, Daisy is pretty much automatically reserved for me. (It's been said that if I'm not playing as Daisy, either something's wrong with me... or I know something about the game that they don't. Either way, it's a scary sign.)
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| Her competitive nature gives "flower power" a new meaning. |
For the most part, unless it's a game that I've publicly declared my main as someone other than the tomboy princess, play in fear if I select Daisy. The redhead means business during competitive play, and so do I.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
(voiced by Andrea Libman)
It kind of figured that I'd throw a pony on this list (considering that the majority of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic cast is female). The problem I had with that was that I found it somewhat difficult to select a character from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. As a recent fan, I knew I was going to put somepony from the show on here... but who? Between the mane six and the others in Ponyville (and let's not forget everyone's favorite troll of a princess and her socially-awkward sister), it was kind of hard to choose. I like all of 'em, but even though I have a few favorites, I couldn't simply choose one.
After a while, I realized that the pony who deserves a spot on this list shouldn't be based on who I like the most (because like I said, I keep jumping from pony to pony), but rather the one whose personality and mannerisms got me to join the herd in the first place. That being said, most new bronies and pegasisters will usually cite one of two ponies:
- Fluttershy, the resident shrinking violet who really needs to be more assertive sometimes (Well... she tried...)
- Pinkie Pie, the show's hyperactive fourth-wall breaker (and potentially the most psychotic of the bunch)
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| Apparently, this is the best rodeo show Pinkie Pie's ever seen. |
The Internet has pretty much agreed that Pinkie Pie is on par with Deadpool, Marvel Comics' own fourth wall-breaker. Both characters have toyed with the physics and limits of their universe and on occasion have shattered the wall (with hilarity ensuing). There is an unstable streak within each of them, but although it's readily apparent with the "Merc with a Mouth," it's not-so-obvious within the pony (at least until the psychosis begins haunting your nightmares). "Scholars" everywhere have theorized that if the two were ever to meet, it would spell doom for both the Internet and the fourth wall. (That hasn't stopped artists on deviantArt from trying to warp reality anyway...)
That being said, I'd like to stress once again that Pinkie Pie is not "the best pony" (one does not simply choose a best pony), but she is indeed one of my favorite characters among the bunch. Just Pinkie promise me that you won't break a Pinkie promise, alright?
Avatar: The Last Airbender
(voiced by Jessie Flower)
See this little girl to your left? Her name is Toph, because it sounds like "tough" - and that's just what she is. If you didn't know that, then I highly suggest you stop what you're doing and watch the damn show RIGHT FRAKKING NOW. No, seriously. *points outside* Go do it and don't finish reading this entry until you do. She may be 12 and blind, but she can kick your ass into next Thursday without breaking a sweat - and if you've yet to watch the show, she probably will, too.
Introduced in the second season of the hit Nickelodeon show Avatar: The Last Airbender, Toph Beifong quickly became a popular character. Her tomboyish, uncompromising, and somewhat confrontational nature heavily contrasted with the other members of Team Avatar (compared to the freespirited Aang, motherly Katara, and comical Sokka). In a way, I'm kind of like that - I can be stubborn to the point of annoyance, especially when it comes to attempting to change my ways. She just wants to prove that she is capable of being self-sufficient, and that's where a decent amount of my personality comes from as well. (Geez; what's with me and comparing personality traits to all these characters?) Plus, when your debut episode involves an underground fighting tournament that you win, it's a big bonus - not only do you get to look good in it by taunting your soon-to-be-eliminated opponents, but it also helps develop your character traits.
Her combat abilities are top-notch and unique, as she developed her own personal style of earthbending by emulating the blind badgermoles she encountered at a young age (she uses a style based on Southern Praying Mantis as opposed to the Hung Gar style used by the average earthbender). She knows this, and she isn't afraid to show it - she loves fighting and proving she is one of the best out there. She even declares herself as "the greatest earthbender in the world," and after you watch her in combat, you'd be inclined to agree as well. I mean, she discovered metalbending. If that's not awesome, then I'm not sure what is.
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| "I am not Toph! I AM MELON LORD! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" |
If you find yourself still disagreeing over The Blind Bandit's placement on this list, then that probably means that you still haven't watched the show. WHAT THE FRAK ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
[voiced by Yui Horie (Japanese) and Tracey Rooney (English)]
It would only seem fitting for me to throw someone from Persona 4 on this list. I mean, if you've been keeping track of me lately, it's probably one of the few games that's been able to fully grab my attention. (Quite an accomplishment for an RPG to do so - very few of them have been able to do so.) I've said before that the two main factors for me to like a video game were the story and the music. While Persona 4 has both of those in spades, it gets bonus points by possessing solid characters that happen to grab my attention and go through some character development.
When it comes to the females to like from the series, it was a bit difficult to choose just one to throw on this list. While doing my analysis for each character, I had reasons to select each one as a contender for this list. After careful consideration I decided to choose Chie Satonaka over everyone else.
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| Social Link: Chariot Arcana |
Personality-wise, she possesses a sense of dedication to her peers and has a strong desire to protect those she cares about. She is usually upbeat and cheery, but possesses a bit of a short temper (usually obvious whenever Yosuke's around). Also, she's really into food (especially anything meaty) - so much that the Persona 4 comic flanderizes this like none other. Despite her love for food, she is a horrid cook, much to the chagrin of the male characters.
Me and personalities... what is it with that? I mean, it's not like she threatened to punt me into the sky if I didn't place her on this list! Hehehe... *gulps*
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
(voiced by Aya Hisakawa)
Story time! Yeah, I'm interrupting this Top Ten list to recant to you a story that will seemingly have nothing to do with said list at first. Pull up a chair and watch as this non sequitur somehow leads its way back to the fifth-place entrant!
As a kid growing up in the '90s in America, I was invariably exposed to the awesomeness that was Cartoon Network's Toonami block. I'd get home from school, unpack my bag, and begin working on homework, when the television interrupted my train of thought for at least two hours - Toonami was on! At the peak of its popularity (1999-2001 for our age block, at least... *looks at the 21-24-year-old readers*), the schedule looked something like this:
1600-1630: ReBoot / Sailor MoonIt was sheer awesome packed into three hours of televised goodness. I mean, take a look at that lineup - how could you not appreciate it? Anyway, back to the story. At around this time my cousins (both girls) were living with my family, and as such we shared the use of the television. Our parents were lenient with our studies and told us we could have the T.V. on so long as we were still doing our homework (this is probably why they invented commercials).
1630-1700: ReBoot / Sailor Moon (whichever one didn't air yet)
1700-1730: Dragon Ball Z
1730-1800: Gundam Wing / The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
1800-1830: Tenchi Muyo! / Tenchi in Tokyo
1830-1900: Batman: The Animated Series
If you look at the schedule again, you'll notice that Sailor Moon was one of the first shows to run. Now, as a boy at the time, I obviously thought little of the magical girl series and preferred the much manlier filler pieces that were the Dragon Ball Z episodes. However, since my cousins had shared rights with the television, I had to endure one of two insufferable means of torture:
- Homework. Come on - we all hated it.
- Watch Sailor Moon and have its girliness suck the boy out of me.
Fast forward to about three years ago, where I was at work one night and a fellow worker/friend struck up a conversation involving childhood television shows we watched as kids. Now, as said friend is a girl, the topic sub-header invariably shifted to Sailor Moon. She talked about the show for... I can't remember exactly how long, but it definitely was a significant amount of time spent on one show compared to the other shows we mentioned.
Anyway, during part of that conversation, she was mentioning some kind of trivia about the only significant male character in the show and then realized how domineering she allowed the show to be in our chat. (I had been nodding along in agreement and "mm-hmming" occasionally, but didn't contribute much else to the topic.) Right before she switched shows, I interjected and corrected her about a fact she got wrong (she had said something about the Moonlight Knight being Mamoru Chiba, whereas in reality the Moonlight Knight was Mamoru's subconscious desire to protect Sailor Moon incarnate), and she froze in amazement over how I could know that. At the time, she knew I was pretty nerdy, but to actually know something from Sailor Moon, a show guys didn't watch? I explained my past and how I didn't watch the show while my cousins did, and we quickly deduced that I must have picked up information like this subconsciously.
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| Yeah, go ahead and blush, Ami. |
Anyway, that explains my backstory behind liking the magical girl series, but as for the aquatic Sailor Senshi? Well, I have my reasons - and a decent amount of them seem to stem from
One reason why Miss Ami Mizuno won
Also, she's got a bit of a geekish charm to her. As the resident brains of the group, Ami's intellect has been used to combat all sorts of things, from the monster of the week to that one cram test that everyone else seems to keep failing at. She says that computers are her strong point, and it shows in the series when she's given a scouter that can analyze a foe. She also enjoys chess, has a great appreciation for the arts, and (though she won't publicly admit it,) enjoys the occasional romance novel. (If you're trying to tie in Sailor Mercury's similarities to me, then yes - I have read my fair share of romantic fanfiction. Now stop laughing.)
And now you see why the magical girl is on here. Besides, who doesn't love magical girls?
Lucky Star
(voiced by Emiri Katou)
Anyone who's ever read/seen the slice-of-life comic-turned-anime series Lucky Star and learns that I'm a fan of it will usually guess that Konata Izumi is my favorite character of the series. While I do have a lot in common with the ahoge-haired otaku (between her nerdiness, her extreme apathy towards anything involving boredom and/or work, and her smart-yet-lazy lifestyle, it's a justifiable claim), there was something about the sarcastic, purple-haired fraternal twin named Kagami Hiiragi that drew my attention.
For starters, Kagami's personality is not unlike my own. She's easily irritated, (slightly) egotistical, and takes a twisted delight in making verbal jabs at some of her friends (specifically Konata). (That last one does apply to me, but not as much. Feel free to argue about how much of a lie "not as much" is. =P) This might make her seem like a bad character, but she's far from it. She has a strong sense of attachment to her friends and possesses a drive to take charge and get things done. The same goes with me - assuming I'm not emulating Konata's laziness.
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| Kagami says: If you disagree with Josh, (Image made by "MyCalamity-sixx6sixx" and found on DeviantArt.) |
I guess I'm just drawn to tsunderes and what not. It sounds cliché, but hey - it's probably the reason why she's on first here.
Well, that's the list! I hope you enjoyed reading it all! Until the 'morrow!
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