Game Gush Gamer

When it comes to memorable video game characters, moms often get overlooked. However, there are a number of fantastic motherly figures in gaming who have left a lasting impression on players. These characters not only add depth to their respective games, but they also serve as role models, confidants, and sources of inspiration. From fierce warriors to kind-hearted nurturers, the following 10 video game moms have stolen our hearts with their strength, love, and unwavering dedication to their children.

1. Edith Finch – What Remains of Edith Finch

What Remains of Edith Finch is about experiencing short stories involving the family members of the Finch’s ancestry tree. The entire storyline is told through Edith Finch’s diary. We assume Edith is the one reading to the player while she’s on a ferry boat crossing a ravine. The diary talks about Edith’s childhood and how she learned of the Finch family curse. A belief that all but one child of each generation die, leaving a sole child to continue the family gene.

At the end of the game, it’s revealed the character on the ferry boat is not Edith. She died during childbirth but left behind her diary. In this way, she still connected with her child that she would never meet. With a revelation, we find out the character is actually Edith’s son, Christopher. He rode on the ferry boat to visit Edith’s grave at her childhood home. It was a sad and emotional ending to a beautiful gaming journey for one of the best video game mom characters. Edith’s love for her unborn child was already made prominent by some of her last quotes in her diary.

“The journal was supposed to be for you. But now I hope you’ll never see it. I just want to meet you. And tell you all these stories myself. But I guess if you’re reading this now… things didn’t work out that way.”

Edith Finch

2. Mad Moxxi – Borderlands | Best Video Game Moms

Moxxi isn’t exactly what you would call a stable video game character, or mom, for that matter. But then again, nobody is on Pandora! She led a troubled life with the Hodunk clan, opened various bars on Pandora, hosted the famous Underdome arena, and is involved with anything that includes violence. Formerly married to several different partners (now divorced and single), she birthed a total of four children. Players only witness two in the series: her daughter, Ellie, and her son, Scooter.

Despite the hectic life of booze, sex, and combat, Moxxi cares a lot about her children. Scooter was a fan favorite in the Borderlands series using his signature calling card, “Catch-a-Riiide!” Sadly, he died a hero by riding a rocket in space to save Pandora. Moxxi and Ellie designed a memorial ramp in his name. Ellie now runs the Catch-a-Ride stations across Pandora. Moxxi now runs a bar on Sanctuary III. Above all else, she will protect Ellie with everything she has left in her old bones.

3. Rio Morales – Spiderman: Miles Morales

Rio Morales is kind and caring. She obviously loves science. She helps others and remains empathetic toward anyone in need, even at the cost of her grief. Players who played the previous Spiderman game will know a little bit more detail about the death of her husband and Miles’ father, Jefferson Davis. In Spiderman: Miles Morales, their grief is a background element to the story. Rio continues to offer her support to Miles with the understanding that pain and loss are hard to overcome. Emotions are complicated and irrational, which I feel are captured well in the game. Rio Morales believes wholeheartedly in her son and always remains an amazing video game mom!

4. Seth Balmore – Lost Odyssey | Best Video Game Moms

As a woman who’s been alive for over 1,000 years, Seth Balmore is complicated. She’s an immortal like Kaim, but she doesn’t know the reason behind her immortality. Along with living forever, all memories of her past have faded away. All she has now is the trait of fearlessness. Long ago, Seth was a fearless and ruthless high-seas pirate. She wasn’t one to fall under the assumption of dead men tell no tales. Although she was successful in piracy, she doesn’t dwell on her victories or exploits due to her memory loss.

Seth has a son named Sed, and they were separated after Seth lost her memories. Thankfully, the two do reunite later on in the game’s story, and it is SOOOO emotional! At the same time, the scene is heartbreaking because Seth is immortal and youthful. Whereas her son is now physically older than her and will mortally die of old age soon. Seth is often overlooked on a typical list about video game moms, and she will always be one of the best characters in Lost Odyssey.

5. Freya – God of War | Best Video Game Moms

Freya loved her son, Baldur, and she learned of a prophecy foretelling his death would be an unnecessary one. Induced by fear, Freya placed a powerful spell on Baldur, granting him the ability of invulnerability. She had hoped the spell would spare him from the wrath of Odin and other Aesir, and that it would protect herself from losing her son. Although her spell did work, Baldur was unable to physically feel anything at all, including taste and other pleasures.

Baldur wanted the spell to be removed, but Freya couldn’t allow her son to eventually perish. She lied and said she couldn’t reverse the spell. Baldur was furious and told her he would never forgive her and he would hate her forever. Blinded by love and fear, Frey set out to destroy Mistletoe, as that was the plant that would set her son free.

During the events of God of War, Kratos and Atreus indirectly release the spell by shooting Baldur with a Mistletoe arrow. He ends up dying as the prophecy foretold. Freya swelters in a reckless pit of emotion. Freya and Baldur’s fated paths are truly sad. A mother’s love for her child requires great sacrifice and determination, thus beholden of the title of best video game mom character.

6. Arecia Al-Rashia – Final Fantasy Type-0

Dr. Arecia Al-Rashia, Class Zero’s adoptive mother, is secretly an immortal deity-like figure in video game, Final Fantasy Type-0. She has been trying to cultivate a soul that could open Etro’s gate to the Unseen Realm. To open the gate, she used Rubrum’s Crystal to repeat a time spiral—an endless cycle of life and death. She kept the infinite time spiral active until Class Zero was able to fulfill the prophecy. Friends and gamers, this took over 600 million cycles. Yes, you read that correctly. Arecia has performed this cycle more than 600 MILLION TIMES!

The Love of an Adoptive Mother

However, Arecia grew a bond with Class Zero since becoming their mother. She knew each of their personalities, their pain, their hardships, and their relationships. In the final ending, Class Zero unanimously agrees they don’t want to be reborn after the defeat of Cid Aulstyne, the immortal prophesized to end the world. After listening to her children’s aching souls, Arecia dismisses her search to open the Unseen Realm. She reluctantly allowed her children to take a long eternal slumber. Arecia Al-Rashia isn’t the greatest mom, no doubt. However, she grew a bond of love that cuts too deep and chose to honor her children’s wishes.

In the secret ending, fans have a lot more closure. Arecia removes the Crystals from the world of Orience and disappears, never to be seen again. The next scenes that follow show all 14 members of Class Zero living a good life at the magic academy. They all live happily in peace… without the threat of war or hostility or violent prophecies. No matter which ending is played out, Arecia is a flawed adoptive mother who ultimately tried to do the right thing for her children.

7. Rosa – Bayonetta 2 | Best Video Game Moms

Rosa is Bayonetta’s mom in this beautiful video game. She is a super powerful and skilled Umbran Witch. It was against the Umbran laws to fall in love. But she had fallen in love with a Lumen Sage, Balder. She was caught and imprisoned for her shame, and the following events led to the Clan Wars. Bayonetta (known as Cereza as a child) was able to reconcile with Rosa during the events of Bayonetta 2. Due to time travel, Bayonetta traveled back before her mother had been killed. Rosa took one glance and immediately recognized her daughter from the future. It was an oddly sweet moment for an over-the-top thrill ride like Bayonetta, but we caught a glimpse of Rosa’s motherly love!

8. Iden Versio – Star Wars: Battlefront II | Best Video Game Moms

Iden Versio’s legacy started in the Imperial service since her father was a commander for the Empire. She fought in the Battle of Yavin and piloted Empire aircraft at the same time as Luke Skywalker blowing the Death Star II to smithereens! Later being promoted to the Commander of Inferno Squad, she led an elite and small squadron for secret missions handed down by Lord Vader and the Emperor. As events unfold, Iden eventually defects to the rebellion after seeing the Empire’s “kind” mercy of killing all innocent civilians on a planet in order to stay in control. Iden and Del Meeko (original Inferno Squad member) help the New Republic fight off Empire invasions across the galaxy and save Han Solo!

Iden later married Del Meeko and had a daughter, Zay. 29 years later, Kylo Ren and Hask (original member and adversary of Inferno Squad) find Del and used his death to lure Iden out to obtain a map of Luke Skywalker’s hideout. Iden and Zay learned of Del’s death and vowed to find who did it. They gained vengeance for Del by killing Hask, keeping Luke Skywalker’s hideout a secret, and obtained the schematics for a First Order dreadnaught for Leia Organa. Versio then reveals she was wounded by Hask’s blaster rifle and dies in Zay’s arms. Iden was a strong warrior and champion for the New Republic. Star Wars fan will forever put Iden Versio as one of the best video game characters and moms in gaming history. Iden will be missed.

9. Joyce Madsen (Joyce Price) – Life is Strange | Best Video Game Moms

Joyce Price has some issues going on in her life. Former widow, currently married, Joyce works hard at a local diner to stay afloat and do what she can for her daughter, Chloe. She is a bit of a worrywart and wants to protect her daughter a little bit too much sometimes. She’s kind, hardworking, complicated, and will slap you upside the head if you’re causing trouble at the diner.

Many moms around the world are very relatable to Joyce because they understand what taking care of a curious teenager entails, and it’s not as easy as people would expect. Life is Strange does a great job of capturing realistic moments of average daily life and using that to build upon a fantastic story arc. Joyce is a caring video game mom that I know we will all appreciate for a long time as one of the best characters.

10. Anya Oliwa-Blazkowicz – Wolfenstein: Youngblood | Best Video Game Moms

Fans of the Wolfenstein series know Anya, the loveable and compassionate woman who also hunted Nazis as a literal serial killer hiding in plain sight. She’s intelligent, resourceful, responsible, communicative, and dependable! B.J. Blazkowicz, the main Wolfenstein series protagonist, and Anya conceived two twin daughters, Jessica and Sophia.

As a mother, Anya is extremely strict on her daughters, training them to the tip-top limit of their abilities to represent the famous Blazkowicz name. She knows it’s tough but cares too much for her daughters. The reason behind the rigorous training is because she knows allies of the Nazi regime will always come looking for them. Anya navigates her family through Europe during the course of the Youngblood game and stays consistently caring and loyal. Anya Oliwa will always be one of the best video game mom characters!