Originally known as terrifying creatures who used their sensual songs to lure sailors to their deaths, mermaids are now recognized as one of the many mythical creatures along with fairies and unicorns to attract women small to buy more doll accessories.
That’s part of what makes mermaids so interesting! They can range from beloved childhood icons, like Ariel from The Little Mermaid, to terrifying creatures that will shoot blood out of their blowholes like in Cabin in the Woods. But either way, the mermaids on this list are totally memorable, and worthy of your attention.
9 Trixie (ToeJam and Earl)
ToeJam and Earl is, surprisingly, one of the earliest examples of a roguelike. Wandering around the Earth, the titular heroes need to find the pieces of their spaceship in order to return to the planet Funkotron. This may interest you : The 8 saddest games I’ve played during my gaming career. When they do, they are greeted by family and friends. One of these friends, if you wander enough, is Trixie.
Originally seen hanging out on an island in the first game, Trixie can be seen in almost every ToeJam game and Earl in secret areas. Sometimes she gives up power, other times she exists. More importantly, she’s chill, and just a pleasure to be around. Also, she is one of the few plus size mermaids, something that is much rarer than it should be.
8 Diane (Vampire Night)
The House of the Dead series is known for its truly terrifying monsters and locations, as well as terribly funny voice acting. Vampire Night lives in the same universe, except instead of zombies it has, believe it or not, vampires. To see also : 10 video games that have made an impact outside of the industry. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned from the Underworld series, it’s that you have to combine it with another to make a really cool monster. Diane is Vampire Night’s version of that.
Diane is a vampire-mermaid hybrid, and she is truly terrifying. Originally seen as a tall, blonde French woman, Diane transforms into a monstrous undead mermaid for her boss’ battle. He really has a lasting impact, and is one of the most memorable bosses in the House of the Dead universe.
7 Leia (Harvest Moon DS)
From Gothic horror to something much more wholesome. Harvest Moon DS is a farming simulator in which you need to save the Harvest Goddess, after the Witch Princess loves her with a curse. Read also : 10 Foods That Look Mainly In Video Games. Despite the weirdly gruesome setup, all you really do is farm, get to know the locals, and get married. One of your future brides could be Leia.
You first meet Leia in Daryl’s basement, where she is stored in a tub. Don’t worry – she’s injured, he’s helping her, and all she wants to do is roam the seas free once more. Eventually, you can help her, and even marry her… after which she is left to live in a small pond in front of your house. A witch’s curse and a mermaid trapped in a tub? Maybe this series isn’t so healthy after all…
6 Splash Woman (Mega Man 9)
One of the great things about Mega Man is all of the robot masters. All of these menacing machinations are meant to stand in Mega Man’s way in his efforts to stop Dr. Wily, and all of them have surprising personalities. Oddly enough, only one of these robot masters is a mistress, and that is Splash Woman.
Going against the history of mermaids, Splash Woman was programmed to save swimmers from sinking ships. Plus, she has a lovely singing voice and enjoys karaoke, a trait she shares with Guts Man (I totally ship them by the way, pun intended), but she won’t pursue that’s because she’s afraid of crowds. Most importantly, Splash Woman has a great design and is a lot of fun to fight, making her appearance on this list an absolute necessity.
5 Esna (Ever Oasis)
Ever Oasis is an RPG about a young seedling from the Great Tree, trying to save their brother and create an oasis in the middle of the vast desert. In order to do that, they need help from a water element called Esna.
Esna cannot leave the well that is part of the oasis, but she is able to communicate with the main character as they go on their journey, as they carry a drop of water from the river with Sarab they travel with her.
She is kind, sweet, and wants to do as much as possible to help the residents of her new oasis, even if it means her own life. She’s an absolute delight throughout the entire game, so it’s a shame the game didn’t sell better. But she appeared as a ghost in Smash Bros., so there’s that.
4 Giga Mermaid (Shantae: Half-Genie Hero)
The Shantae series is full of mermaids, so it seemed only a matter of time until they introduced a mermaid that was worthy of discussion. And when it arrived, it had a huge impact.
Giga Mermaid is the queen of all mermaids, which is obvious based on her size alone. She is chained to masts and forced to attack Shantae, because the Techno Baron is controlling her mind. After she is freed she continues to fight, until Shantae defeats her. Although she is very interesting and a fun boss fight, she has become better known for the fan art made of her by the Shantae community. Either way, she has made her mark in the minds of gamers everywhere.
3 Irenes (Chrono Cross)
Chrono Cross is a game that players either love or hate, with no room for umpires. But one thing everyone can agree on is that Irenes is a great character. Demi-humans in the Chrono Cross universe are considered less than human, and many of them are forced to work on a cruise ship against their will. All Irenes wants to do is save them all and be treated equally.
She is very useful in combat, too. She focuses on water magic, and can use her siren song to summon waves to shatter her opponents. But despite her impressive abilities in battle, she would rather see everyone living in harmony. What’s more beautiful than that?
2 Cala Maria (Cuphead)
Cuphead is one of the most beautiful games ever made due to its beautiful hand drawn classic cartoon style. This results in each boss battle feeling unique and memorable. And one that has become a fan favorite is the giant Cala Maria mermaid.
Cala Maria has three stages to her battle. The first is a plain old cute mermaid with an octopus for her hair, and various sea creatures helping her. The second stage sees her killed by electric eels, becoming a medusa-like creature surrounded by the above electric eels. Finally, her body turns to ash, and she becomes just a gorgon’s head flying around trying to kill you. This fight really throws you for a loop, and it’s a ton of fun, making it the best boss fight on this list.
1 Michelle (Dragon Quest 11)
Much like Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, Dragon Quest 11 has a major mermaid queen: Queen Marina. However, there is another mermaid that had a more emotional impact. Her name is Michelle, and she longs for a lost love, Kainoa. Unbeknownst to her, Kainoa died a long time ago, but she refuses to move on until she hears from him.
At this point the player has an option: tell her the truth, or lie to her. Lying advances the story and takes you to Nautica, home of the mermaids, and the game continues. Telling the truth takes you both on an emotional journey to the fishing town of Lonalulu, so she can see the truth for herself. It’s incredibly sad, but also really emotional. This depth is what makes Michelle stand out from all the other mermaids on this list.
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