In all media forms, long-running franchises evolve, be it as a reflection of cultural changes or simply to take the story in a fresh direction. While series like Tomb Raider and, naturally, Mario are too intrinsically tied to their icons for their mainline entries to completely move on, plenty of video game franchises have swapped protagonists over the decades. Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid, and Ninja Gaiden all relegated their cool-as-heck heroes to secondary or non-existent players.

In the last decade or so, we have seen a slight increase in male-led game series shifting to female MCs, and it seems set to continue with God of War Laufey and The Witcher 4. This trend isn't extremely common by any means, and it tends to occur after the original protagonist's story reaches a natural conclusion (for the time being). Although rarer, the reverse also occasionally happens, with Control Resonant being a current example.

Let's highlight a few major series that decided to give their men a rest and introduce a woman protagonist, even if the substitution just lasted for a game or two.

Pac-Man To Ms. Pac-Man

The Original Male For Female Switch

Yeah, this trend by no means started in the current century; in fact, the first big mascot-driven franchise gender-bended its protagonist for its very first sequel. Pac-Man's legacy is cemented in stone, paving the way for Ms. Pac-Man to perfect the formula. With smarter AI and less predictable mazes, the sequel helped broaden gaming's appeal in general, proving to be just as important as the first entry.

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Now, in truth, Ms. Pac-Man is just Pac-Man with a pink bow and lipstick, and they effectively play in the same way. Still, she became iconic in her own right, and she even starred in a few standalone games around the turn of the century. Pac-Man never really stopped being regarded as the franchise's primary mascot, but his wife's impact on gaming shouldn't be discounted.

The Walking Dead – Lee To Clementine

It Was Always Clementine's Story

The Walking Dead Tag Page Cover Art
The Walking Dead
Released
April 24, 2012

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

Developer(s)
Telltale Games
Genre(s)
Graphic Adventure, Horror
Platform(s)
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Mobile

Occasionally, these transitions can be a bit clunky, but the absolute best franchises seamlessly integrate the switch into their narratives. Telltale's definitive masterpiece, The Walking Dead, handled the passing of the torch better than any other game series, with Lee effectively dedicating all his time preparing Clementine for a future without him. Through season 1, Lee (and players) constantly make choices designed to shape her character and turn her into a true survivor, along with establishing a very strong emotional connection between the two leads.

By the time the switch happens, Clementine already feels like The Walking Dead's protagonist, and she more than succeeds in carrying the franchise for the next few seasons. We get to see this terrified 8-year-old girl become a hardened survivor, a journey spread over roughly a decade. Fantastic stuff.

The Last of Us – Joel To Ellie

Maybe The Most Famous Protagonist Switch In Gaming History

  • The Last of Us Tag Page Cover Art
    The Last of Us
    Action
    Adventure
    Systems
    Playstation Logo
    10/10
    Top Critic Avg: 94/100 Critics Rec: 99%
    Released
    June 14, 2013
    ESRB
    M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
    Developer(s)
    Naughty Dog
    Publisher(s)
    Sony

    WHERE TO PLAY

    DIGITAL
    PHYSICAL

    Genre(s)
    Action, Adventure
    Platform(s)
    PS3, PS4
  • the-last-of-us-part-2-cover-art
    The Last of Us Part 2
    Action
    Adventure
    Systems
    Playstation Logo
    10/10
    Released
    June 19, 2020
    ESRB
    M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
    Developer(s)
    Naughty Dog

    WHERE TO PLAY

    DIGITAL

    Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closur

    Genre(s)
    Action, Adventure

Essentially, The Last of Us followed The Walking Dead's blueprint as Joel stepped aside to let Ellie take charge. Famously, this transition proved to be a bit polarizing, but that's not really the point of this article. Even in the first game, Ellie is by far the most important character, with her existence serving as the inciting incident and, also, the reason behind Joel's gradual transformation. She even gets her own extended section, "Winter," which happens to be the best chapter in the series, along with starring in the brilliant "Left Behind" expansion.

The Last of Us tells maybe the most beloved surrogate father/daughter story in gaming history, and Part 2 explores the aftermath of that dynamic. From the sequel's reveal and marketing, Naughty Dog put Ellie front and center, showing that she would be stepping into the lead role. This shift translated to an improved combat system that emphasized agility and stealth over brute strength, with the latter being left for Abby's sections.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character? Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Dishonored – Emily & Corvo

Corvo Shares The Spotlight With Emily

Dishonored 2 Tag Page Cover Art
Dishonored 2
Released
November 11, 2016

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL

Developer(s)
Arkane Studios
Genre(s)
FPS, Action
Platform(s)
PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

OK, let's go with something a bit different here. Corvo doesn't disappear from the numbered Dishonored entries, and he serves as the sequel's dual protagonist with Emily. Early on, players decide whether to play the campaign as one or the other, and both come with fully developed, unique skill sets that grant endless freedom in how to approach scenarios.

Gameplay-wise, Corvo and Emily are both completely valid options; story-wise, the latter fits just a little bit better due to having a more personal dynamic with the main villain, Delilah. According to this 2016 Mashable article, Arkane Studios initially conceived Dishonored 2 as Emily's game, with Corvo acting as the secondary protagonist to anextent.

At this point, Dishonored 3 seems unlikely to happen, although there's always hope that another entry would materialize.

Silent Hill – Harry To Heather

Stepping Aside For His Daughter

  • Silent Hill Tag Page Cover Art
    Silent Hill
    Survival Horror
    Systems
    Playstation Logo
    Released
    January 31, 1999
    ESRB
    M For Mature 17+ Due To Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence
    Developer(s)
    Konami
    Publisher(s)
    Konami
    Engine
    Unreal Engine

    WHERE TO PLAY

    PHYSICAL

    Genre(s)
    Survival Horror
    Platform(s)
    PS1
  • Silent Hill 3 Tag Page Cover Art
    Silent Hill 3
    Survival Horror
    Systems
    PC-1 Playstation Logo Xbox-1
    Released
    August 6, 2003
    ESRB
    M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Violence
    Developer(s)
    Konami
    Publisher(s)
    Konami
    Engine
    unreal engine

    WHERE TO PLAY

    PHYSICAL

    Genre(s)
    Survival Horror
    Platform(s)
    PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360

For the most part, Silent Hill tells standalone stories that introduce new protagonists, with nearly all of them being male. Konami set Silent Hill 3 apart from the rest of the series in a couple of ways. Firstly, it is a direct sequel to the original game. Secondly, it moves away from the "everyman" protagonist archetype that grounded its predecessors. Finally, it is the only entry out of the first 7 to feature a female main character.

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As Harry's daughter, who was introduced at the end of Silent Hill, Heather stood out due to looking and acting like a relatively realistic 17-year-old girl, which also helped set her apart from Resident Evil​​​​​​'s famous female protagonists. Her vulnerability supercharged the horror, creating an incredibly intense psychological experience filled with incredible imagery.

Nier – Gestalt To 2B

Nier:Automata Made The Series Into A Household Name

Every franchise mentioned in this article was already very successful when they made the switch... except Nier. Don't get me wrong, Drakengard and the 2010 game had earned a cult following, but they certainly weren't anywhere close to being big hits.

Then, Nier:Automata arrived and instantly launched the series into relative superstardom. 2B became Nier's face, completely overshadowing the two former protagonists. In 2017, Automata had already sold more than 2 million copies, an absurd amount for what used to be an incredible niche IP. Obviously, that figure is much higher nowadays. The sequel's success even gave its predecessor a second chance at life courtesy of a remake.

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