Summary
The RPG genre has featured princesses in them just as much as platformers have. They are a go-to archetype for heroes to save, such as Princess Peach in theMarioseries. However, unlike most princesses, Peach has become playable over the years through mainline games likeSuper Mario Bros. 2and spinoffs likeMario Golf.
She will always be the poster child for video game royalty, but there are plenty of other princess characters that can be played out there. This includes the aforementioned RPG genre. From turn-based classics to action games, here are the badass femme fatales of some amazing RPGs.
Garnet begins as a typical princess in the game until she gets kidnapped by Zidane, the protagonist, and his fellow troop of sky pirates/actors. Garnet wanted to leave home anyway, as she disagreed with her mother’s war-hungry motives. Slowly, Garnet let her prim and proper guard down and even gave herself the nickname Dagger as a disguise. She’s one of thestrongest characters inFinal Fantasy 9, as she can use Summons like Shiva, Ifrit, and Ramuh. Of the many playable characters, she perhaps shows the most growth in the adventure.
Gloria is one of the main heroes inBravely Default 2. By the time the game begins, her kingdom has fallen to a group of dastardly soldiers trying to steal the Crystals of the world. Like in manyFinal Fantasygames, these Crystals have elemental properties along with the power to grant characters classes, although they are typically won in boss fights. Gloria has sworn an oath to her kingdom and comrades to stop this villainy through any means necessary. She isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty either, which is refreshing to see from an RPG princess.
Jade follows the trope of being a secret princess, which isn’t revealed until late intoDragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age. When she and her companion, Rab,join the party, she seems like a skilled martial artist who excels at spear work. She certainly doesn’t talk or move like a typical princess.
It’s weird when she is shown in frilly princess clothes because it looks so unbefitting for a warrior like Jade. It leads to some funny moments in the game which is already full of silly jokes asDragon Questgames are typically more whimsical than their counterpart,Final Fantasy.
Lucina is another secret princess example as she first comes onto the scene as the masked vigilante, Marth, which is a nod to the series’ first hero. Lucina is a future princess fromFire Emblem Awakening, which requires some explaining. There is a portal that will unlock later in the game wherein time babies can come out of it. There is a romance mechanic in the game wherein two characters can create a child who will age up via this portal. The main character, Chrom, will always be Lucina’s father, while the mother can change depending on his romantic partner. It’s odd, but it helped create the memorable badass that is Lucina.
Marle doesn’t get to hide her princess status for long, but she first bumps into Crono inChrono Triggerunder normal circumstances. They enjoy a festival together, which ends with Marle being thrown through a time portal. The inventor, Lucca, and Crono had to jump in and save her. Thankfully, this damsel in distress plot doesn’t last long as they rescue her successfully and the princess secret comes out. Marle is a master of ice magic and healing, making her an invaluable member of the team.
Monica is yet another character who ends up in an RPG through time travel. She came from the future and bumped into Max during the beginning events ofDark Cloud 2. She has to stop an evil fiend from destroying time, and Max goes along for the ride as the only other playable character.
Both heroes have unique powers and weapons. Monica, for example, can use swords as her melee weapons, and then she shoots magic as a projectile. She can also copy monsters and transform into them, sort of like a Japanese version of Animorphs.
Even Peach got to be in an RPG and one of thebest on the SNES, coincidentally.Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Starswas groundbreaking for many reasons, not just because it involves Peach beyond a captive role. Players could time their attacks or defenses during turn-based battles to get bonuses. It was innovative at the time and many RPGs copied the idea includingSea of Starswhich also felt like an homage toChrono Trigger.Super Mario RPGwas even remade recently for the Switch, giving fans more ways to enjoy Peach throwing bombs or thwarting baddies with frying pans.
Zelda has been playable in fewer games than Peach, so fans have to savor them as much as possible. One of the best is a roguelike with the wild name ofCadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer FeaturingThe Legend of Zelda. It’s not a straight RPG but it does have RPG elements as a roguelike such as health and various other stat-boosting upgrades. Instead of a typical dungeon-crawler gameplay, this roguelike is rhythm-based, so players have to move to the beat. The original cast of playable heroes includes Zelda, Link, and the titular Cadence from the predecessor,Crypt of the NecroDancer.
