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The 16 Best Video Game Moms, Ranked By Gamers
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Video games have been around for decades, and while players often remember their favorite characters, one group isn't frequently considered. Many video games feature rich backstories that include a player character's mother, and in some cases, the player character is a mom.
Some exceptional characters from a variety of video games are also moms. This list looks at the many maternal characters players tend not to forget, making them the best of the best. If you find a video game mom you'd clean your room for, be sure to give them an upvote before you go!
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Yennefer Of Vengerberg - 'The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt'
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Her Story: Yennefer of Vengerberg is a powerful sorceress and the youngest member of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. She is also the lover of protagonist Geralt of Rivia, and while she doesn't have any biological children, she quickly becomes a mother figure to Ciri, Geralt's adoptive daughter. Despite almost always having her own thing going on, Yennefer stops at nothing to care for Ciri and demonstrates this numerous times.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: Yennefer sacrificed her ability to have children to become a powerful sorceress. She still regretted losing her fertility, though, so when Ciri showed up as a child in need of help, Yennefer showered her with motherly love. She not only protected Ciri on numerous occasions; she also taught her to use magic, transforming her into a strong and capable warrior.
Engaging mom? - 2
Joyce Price - 'Life is Strange'
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Her Story: Joyce Price is Chloe Price's mom in Life is Strange and has been a longtime resident of Arcadia Bay. She works at the Two Whales Diner and is considered by many to be an excellent cook. She appears in “Chrysalis” but doesn't get a proper introduction until “Out of Time,” where she's presented as a loving, strong mother - even though she and her daughter bicker sometimes.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: Despite her status as the town's permanent server at the diner, Joyce has a positive outlook on life and treats her daughter well. She doesn't hold a grudge against her friend Maxine “Max” Caulfield and steps in to help her fellow citizens whenever an opportunity arises. In many ways, Joyce is as real as any video game character can be, especially because she has flaws and preconceived notions just like anyone in the real world. This makes her a more relatable character.
Engaging mom? - 3
Ana Amari - 'Overwatch'
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Her Story: Ana Amari is one of the founding heroes of Overwatch and is considered by many to be the greatest sniper in the world. In addition to her marksmanship abilities, she's a dedicated leader capable of making difficult decisions on the fly. She's also the mother of Fareeha Amari, whom she raised among Overwatch's agents.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: Raising Fareeha amid a militaristic setting helped build her into a powerful fighter following in her mother's footsteps. She goes by the name Pharah and is a playable character (as well as one of the primary protagonists) in the game. Ana's skills as a fighter and her abilities as a mom apparently intertwined to turn her daughter into a capable warrior, so it's fair to say she did a good job raising her.
Engaging mom? Her Story: General Sonya A. Blade is the commander of all operations of the Outer World Investigation Agency, an Earthrealm Special Forces unit. She's also an excellent fighter and constant adversary of the Black Dragon and its leader, Kano, who killed her former partner. She married (and later divorced) Johnny Cage, with whom she shares a daughter, Cassandra Carlton Cage, who works alongside her mother in the OIA and is a formidable fighter in her own right.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: Despite being a formidable fighter and the leader of Earthrealm's defenses, Sonya is also a mom, and like any good parent, she puts the needs of her daughter above her own. Sonya ensured Cassie learned to fight and defend herself, and they often spar together. Sonya started in the franchise as a female archetype constantly needing rescue, but she's evolved well past that and became a military leader capable of great things.
Engaging mom?- 5
Toriel - 'Undertale'
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Her Story: In Undertale, the player assumes the persona of Frisk, the game's main protagonist. Toriel is the second character players meet. She saves them from Flowey (a misleadingly cute flower) and guides them through the Ruins. Her only interest is in teaching Frisk to survive the dangers of the Underground, but she's got an interesting backstory. Toriel is the former queen of the monsters and the mother of Asriel Dreemurr (the final boss of the game's True Pacifist Route).
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: While Toriel isn't Frisk's mother, she certainly acts like it, and is a mother-figure to all within the Underworld. She demonstrates an apparent love and affection for the Frisk - granted, it's a tough love, but it gets the job done. She loves all children, and was happy to welcome Asriel into the world, as well as her adoptive child, the Underworld's first human. Her guidance is vital in navigating the game, so she has a commanding and necessary presence as the “mom.”
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Her Story: In Dragon Age: Inquisition, Morrigan is a legendary witch of the wild whom her mother Flameth raised to follow in her footsteps. She grew up in isolation and doesn't trust other people, so she turned to nature for comfort and companionship. Her son Kieran may carry the soul of the dead Old God Urthemiel, but his existence is dependent upon the player.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: Because the storyline hangs on the player's many choices throughout gameplay, Morrigan may or may not become a mother. If the player chooses for Morrigan to begin a romantic relationship, she'll give birth to Kieran, but she'll be childless if they choose another path. You don't see much of her mothering skills in the game, but given her power, she's probably taken good care of the kid.
Engaging mom?- 7
Anling - 'Undying'
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Her Story: In Undying, the player character is Anling, the mother of Cody. She is bitten by a zombie and knows her end is near, so she spends most of her time teaching her son how to survive by himself after she turns. She also searches for a safe place Cody can call home.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: The entire story of Undying centers around Anling's love for Cody. Her only purpose in the game is to prepare her son to survive on his own. While that's typical maternal behavior, it's not easy, and the challenge for the player is making Anling's goals a reality.
Engaging mom? - 8
Leandra Amell - 'Dragon Age II'
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Her Story: In Dragon Age II, Leandra Amell is the daughter of a wealthy family in Kirkwall. As a child, she was betrothed to a powerful lord, but she fell in love with a mage and eventually became pregnant. This led to her family disowning her, so she moved out to start her own family. Leandra and the apostate mage Malcolm Hawke had three children together: Hawke, and twins Bethany and Carver.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: She's willing to do whatever is necessary to raise her children and keep them safe. This proves difficult, thanks to the constant hounding of the Templars, who force the family to move often, but she manages regardless. After her husband passes, Leandra continues to work tirelessly to raise her children and give them a good life.
Engaging mom? - 9
Elmyra Gainsborough - 'Final Fantasy VII'
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Her Story: Elmyra Gainsborough is the mother of Aerith Gainsborough in Final Fantasy VII and its related titles and releases. She owns and operates the Gainsborough house in the Sector 5 slums of Midgar and is a minor character in the game. While she doesn't have any biological children, Elmyra adopted Aerith after finding her at a train station.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: She chose to adopt Aerith almost immediately after finding her - that alone makes Elmyra pretty magnificent. In addition, she works hard to keep Aerith safe, doing whatever is necessary to keep her hidden, while also making her into a fully functioning member of the family and the family business.
Engaging mom? - 10
Mother Badger - 'Shelter'
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Her Story: In Shelter, Mother Badger is pretty much what her name describes. She has five cubs, and like any good mom, she'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Fortunately, she's quite adept at hunting and can catch everything from frogs and moles to foxes. She's also incredibly fast and agile, capable of leaping great distances.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: The game centers around Mother Badger and her little family, challenging the player to keep the cubs alive. It isn't easy, but it demonstrates the natural drive for an animal to care for its young. The entire game focuses on this simple reality. If that doesn't make her a magnificent mom, what does?
Engaging mom? - 11
Dina - 'The Last of Us Part II'
Her Story: Dina is Ellie Williams's closest friend in The Last of Us Part II and helps in her quest to avenge her father Joel's death. Dina previously dated Jesse, but they broke up shortly before she joined Ellie on her quest. While adventuring with Ellie, Dina discovers she's pregnant. The two eventually make their home on a farm, raising Dina's son JJ together.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: After Dina gives birth to JJ and settles down with Ellie, her life is pretty much set. It's upended, however, when Tommy comes by, trying to get the women to restart their quest to find and eliminate Abby for killing Joel. They disagree, causing Tommy to leave, but Ellie sets out on her mission the next morning. Dina doesn't follow this time, preferring to remain behind and care for JJ. Later, Ellie returns to the farm, but Dina and JJ had left sometime earlier, so Dina wins the Mom of the Apocalypse award for not endangering her son when she was called to action.
Engaging mom? - 12
Daisy - 'Breath of Fire II'
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Her Story: In Breath of Fire II, Daisy is a member of the Shell Clan and the mother of Rand. She's a non-playable character, and like many moms in the real world, she has a habit of embarrassing her son. Daisy first appears in the game when Rand returns home to FarmTown with his friend Ryu, and Daisy quickly puts everyone to work plowing her land. Later, she goes missing, leading to a quest to find her and determine why she left her land to St. Eva Church.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: Daisy is taken against her will by the villainous Habaruku, the high priest of St. Eva, leading Rand on a quest to rescue her. He's successful, but as he later attempts to save the rescue party from a trap, he fails - so Daisy steps in. She willingly sacrifices herself so her son can live, which definitely qualifies her as a magnificent mom in the video game world.
Engaging mom? - 13
Koudelka Iasant - 'Shadow Hearts'
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Her Story: Koudelka Iasant possesses preternatural powers like telepathy, telekinesis, healing, pyromancy, precognition, and speaking with the deceased. She's the player character and eponymous protagonist of Koudelka, but beyond that game, she has an important role in its spinoff, Shadow Hearts. At the beginning of that title, she becomes pregnant and gives birth to her son, Halley, who inherits some of her abilities. She raises him by herself, but spends much of the game tortured by Albert Simon at Calios Mental Hospital.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: After she's captured and tortured, Koudelka is in a position that endangers everyone, including her son. She's more than willing to sacrifice herself to take out her enemy and keep Halley safe when push comes to shove. Fortunately, it doesn't come to that, and she's saved at the end of the game. This leads to Koudelka and her son traveling to the US to hopefully find Edward Plunkett, a character from Koudelka (and Halley's father).
Engaging mom? - 14
Béatrice De Rune - 'A Plague Tale: Innocence'
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Her Story: In A Plague Tale: Innocence, Béatrice de Rune is a noblewoman and wife of Lord Robert de Rune. She's also the mother of Amicia and Hugo, and a practiced alchemist. Her skills come in handy when she detects an ancient blood curse alive and well within Hugo, so she spends most of her time working to cure his condition, which spurned the Inquisition to hunt him down.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: Hugo's “sickness” came to the attention of the Inquisitors, who wanted to wield the power it brought instead of curing it. This leads to an attack on the family homestead, where Béatrice seemingly sacrifices herself so her children can get away to safety. She's not actually killed, but is captured and tortured. This leads Hugo to turn himself in, but he then escapes and finds his mother, only for them to be captured once more, as Béatrice desperately tries to keep her son safe.
Engaging mom? - 15
Miranda - 'Grandia III'
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Her Story: In Grandia III, players meet Yuki's mother, Miranda. Yuki addresses her by her first name, and she knows him about as well as anyone possibly can. Miranda joins Yuki and Alfina on their travels to the mainland, where she recklessly crashes their plane. Despite her aloof mannerisms, Miranda is a loving, caring mother to Yuki and supports him no matter what. Later, she joins Alonso on his mission to complete his map of the world.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: Miranda isn't your average video game mom who sits at home while her teenage kid runs about the world fighting monsters. She's more than capable of wielding daggers in combat, and has decent magical skills to boot. While you can only use her as a player character for the game's first half, she packs a considerable punch during that time via her special moves.
Engaging mom? - 16
Haruka Hikari - 'Mega Man Battle Network'
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Her Story: In Mega Man Battle Network, Haruka Hikari is the mother of Lan Hikari and wife of scientist Yuichiro Hikari. In addition, she works as the operator of a NormalNavi, a mobile AI computer program with a humanoid appearance.
Why She’s A Magnificent Mom: Haruka is a devoted mother to Lan and is very concerned about his well-being, so she's a good mom in that regard. She tends to nag him a bit, especially regarding homework, but what mother doesn't from time to time? She often asks her son to help delete viruses around the house, most of which find their way into her kitchen. Seeing as she's a skilled cook, this is a constant concern for Lan, and anyone else hoping to enjoy Haruka's cooking.
Engaging mom?
