July 8, 2009 -

The world of videogames is dominated by tough as nails male characters, and women usually find themselves reduced to helpless flowers in need of saving. Or worse, they're handed a crossbow and a leather bra and pushed to the background.

But that doesn't mean there aren't bright spots in gaming that turn that notion upside-down, and that's exactly what we're celebrating in today's Wednesday 10. This week, we present you with the 10 best heroines in videogames. These ladies are not necessarily the deadliest with a pistol, and they don't always pack the most devastating punch. Rather, these virtual women are the strongest in character, stand up under pressure and just make us smile when we play as (or next to) them.

Lara Croft – Tomb Raider Series

Say what you will about her proportions and the lens that most gamers view her through, but Lara Croft helped redefined gender in games. In 1996, Croft burst onto the scene as a female who could shoot, scale walls, and be as badass as any Indy-esque explorer could be. And that meant that the millions of kids playing games suddenly had a different interpretation of what women could do. Just because a lady's a lady doesn't mean she has to wait for a man to come save her. She can live in the big mansion, she can be the educated globetrotter, and she can be the star of her own videogame. That's how you make an impact.

Chun-Li – Street Fighter Series

Street Fighter is filled with buff dudes who can throw fireballs, uppercut like madmen, and do all sorts of crazy crap, but there are a handful of ladies who aren't afraid to step into the ring and clean a few clocks. Chun-Li is one of those women. For nearly two decades, fighting fans have been mastering the lightning fast kicks of Chun-Li and using them to decimate friends, family, and foes. She's an honorary member of the X-Men, she's got moves such as the Kakukyakuraku and the Rear Spin Kick, and she's become synonymous with strong females. Chun-Li has earned her place on this list through brute force and grace on the battlefield.

Jade – Beyond Good & Evil

Jade, the protagonist of Ubisoft's beloved adventure game Beyond Good & Evil, is not your typical game character and certainly not your standard female one. She's inquisitive, smart, brave and is even fully clothed, with nary a side-boob in sight. A futuristic investigative journo and sometimes martial arts practitioner, Jade finds herself ensnared in a global conspiracy and must use her wits and strength to get to the bottom of the mystery (and stay alive). It's pretty standard stuff for a videogame with a male character at the center of the action, but Jade is anything but typical. We can't wait to see how Ubisoft re-imagines Jade in the upcoming sequel, Beyond Good & Evil 2.

Lady – Devil May Cry 3

At first glance, a heroine with the simple name "Lady" might not seem like a skilled fighter or a layered character, but Lady is both. Making her first appearance in Devil May Cry 3, Lady not only helps push the entire game narrative forward but flexes her muscles as one of the strongest human characters in the franchise. Lady is unbelievably adept at close-quarters combat as well as the use of firearms. She also has enough style to make Dante sweat, and the confrontation she has with Arkham at the game's conclusion will not be soon forgotten. Considering how she carries the massive Kalina-Ann cannon on her back without so much as a gasp of exertion, she's an easy choice for our list.

Chell - Portal

You may have only been able to catch a quick glimpse of her by way of a couple properly-placed portals, but Chell stands out as one of the most resourceful heroines on our list. She managed to get through GLaDOS' tests and come out alive, or so it seems, and even solved the riddle of the promised cake. Using unproven technology to bend space itself isn't for your everyday working-class lady, but Chell managed to overcome all odds and prove that Einstein didn't know everything. It's hard to overstate our satisfaction with Chell. We're making a note here: huge success.

Tifa Lockhart – Final Fantasy VII

Fans of the unquestionably classic Final Fantasy VII will always be torn as to which heroine is their favorite: Tifa or Aerith. These two female characters will long be remembered as having fundamental roles in the plot of the game and the development of their fellow heroes, but we decided to give special recognition to Tifa, as her prowess in battle -- and her continued support of Cloud after Aerith's tragic passing -- make her an amazing heroine. Tifa's original design was certainly meant to highlight her physical beauty, but her awe-inspiring strength, complex background, strong will and her attachment to Cloud make her much more than just an eye-catching woman. Tifa is, without a doubt, a legendary heroine of the Final Fantasy universe.

Elena Fisher – Uncharted

It would've been easy to pair Nathan Drake with a piece of eye candy to constantly be his damsel in distress, but Naughty Dog went the other way in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and gave Nate a woman every bit his equal. As Drake and Sully try to figure out a way to score the ultimate treasure, Elena Fisher's trying to score the ultimate story. She won't let the camera stop rolling, she won't take Drake's crap, and she's not afraid to throw a punch. When you're pinned down by enemy fire, Elena will cap the bad guys for you. When Drake's trapped in the enemy camp, Elena will rip walls down to save her friend. When you're in need of a solid, fleshed-out character, Elena's there as a prime example.

Faith Connors – Mirror's Edge

One of the strongest women in the modern gaming landscape, Faith doesn't have much in the way of extraordinary powers. Instead, this cunning Runner uses her raw physical strength and incredible reflexes to survive in a dystopian world where her beloved sister's life hangs in the balance. Faith not only has a powerful, beautiful design (her eye-catching tattoos being of special note), but her attitude and voice make her an all-around likeable character that the player can look up to. We don't think Mirror's Edge would be the same experience without Faith bravely leaping from the rooftops and dodging bullets without making a single shriek of fear.

Samus Aran – Metroid Series

When it comes to mopping up alien hordes and space pirates, no one does it better than Samus Aran, and in her case, actions speak much louder than words. The almost-always masked leading lady of the Metroid series first toyed with our expectations when she removed her helmet after defeating Mother Brain at the end of the first game and revealed that she is, in fact, a person of the womanly variety. Since then, she's hopped around the galaxy, traveled between light and dark and even befriended a baby Metroid. The one thing that we still can't figure out is how she can manage to contort her body into a ball so quickly, over and over again, but that's all part of her charm.

Alyx Vance – Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 redefined a lot of things about the first-person shooter genre, but one thing that it did better than any game before it was introduce a supporting character who packs both emotional and physical punch. Alyx Vance not only built a giant robotic pet from scratch and helped push back the Combine invasion, but she also touched our hearts with her honest and realistic dialogue. Yes, she's saved Gordan's ass more than a few times, but it was the "hand on the glass" moment when you rode away from her in a lift that cemented her place atop this list.