Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Prime Day Deals
  • Superman
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Switch 2 stock
Recommended reading
Resident Evil Village
Games The 25 best video game villains you just love to hate
Mass Effect 2 - Garrus
Adventure Games The 25 best video game stories to play right now
The best zombie games
Action Games The 10 best zombie games that will munch your brain
The best survival horror games: a screenshot from Resident Evil 7.
Survival Horror Games The 10 best survival horror games to test your endurance skills
Best horror games - Resident Evil 7: Biohazard screenshot of Ethan shooting a mutamycete monster
Horror Games The 25 best horror games to play right now
Elden Ring Nightreign characters classes Revenant woman with lyre
Roguelike Games FromSoftware reveals mysterious Elden Ring Nightreign character hours before the game comes out, singlehandedly ending the parrying debate with undead knights who do all the work for you
The Last of Us 2
Games The 25 best video game soundtracks of all time
  1. Games

The best dead wives in video games (and what they'd say if they were alive)

Features
By David Houghton published 3 February 2015

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Behind every great man...

Behind every great man...

...is a great woman. That's how the old axiom goes, and it's no more true anywhere than in video games. Yes, the medium might have a reputation for poorly representing female characters, while promoting dull-headed, overly stoic masculinity as its major protagonist trope, but is any of that really true? Of course not! Games are nothing but a bastion of ultra-modern, equality-focused storytelling, you big idiot!

Just think about how important women are to the biggest action game plots. Without them, nothing happens. Okay, so they might be dead, or die during the course of the story, but that doesn't mean that they're not every bit as respected, well-rounded and meaningful as their related men-folk. There's no tokenistic objectification here. No lazy character motivation, or adherence to dated cliche. No, dead female characters (I'm extending the definition to both girlfriends and ambiguous romantic interests, because this is a healthily eclectic group of characters, not limited by simplistic definitions of matrimony) are just as important as anyone else in video games. BECAUSE THIS IS SERIOUS, MATURE, WELL WRITTEN ART, Y'ALL. So let's have a word with them, shall we?

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of 9
Dom Santiago's dead wife

Dom Santiago's dead wife

Killed in: Gears of War 2, by Dom, as a mercy-killing.

Would probably say: "Okay, so I was kidnapped by a race of inhuman monsters, kept underground, hidden away from daylight and all I held dear for years, and eventually tortured into a twisted, mindless husk, residing in a tiny metal coffin before eventually being released only to gasp my first breath of fresh(ish) air in God knows how long immediately before having my brains blown out. But lets face it, the really sad part about all of this is how it caused a few mild problems in Doms friendship with his meat-headed military buddy. Causing frictions in masculine, male friendships. Thats the true tragedy wrought by the Locust.

"Dont worry about me. I was barely even in the story to begin with."

Page 2 of 9
Page 2 of 9
Billy and Jimmy Lee's shared girlfriend

Billy and Jimmy Lee's shared girlfriend

Killed in: Double Dragon 2, right at the start.

Would probably say: "So I get kidnapped. Billy and Jimmy mount a rescue attempt. That was kind of cool of them. But what happens when they arrive? Do they call the police? An ambulance? Even check Im alright? No, they stick their idiot chests out and have a fight to see who gets me. Nice. I mean I only have a couple of cracked ribs, and I dont think there's any internal bleeding, so you guys carry on. Not like I need any say in who I end up with anyway.

"Well, it's not like I get any say in anything any more, seeing as how I got shot dead pretty soon afterwards. It's almost like I'm not actually a real person at all, and more a cheap excuse for Billy and Jimmy to beat people up. "

Page 3 of 9
Page 3 of 9
That flower-girl Cloud liked for a bit

That flower-girl Cloud liked for a bit

Killed in: Final Fantasy 7, by Sephiroth

Would probably say: "Wow, that sword came out of nowhere. Totally unexpected. I mean I know Sephiroth was a bit of a dick, but that was entirely unwarranted. Come on, Id barely even done anything. Seriously, try to remember anything significant Id said or done at that point. Recall a single line of my dialogue. I was completely inoffensive. Hell, if I was going to get meta about this, Id say it was almost as if I was a barely sketched up clich of submissive, victimised femininity, designed only to elicit sympathetic, protective feelings from male onlookers.

"No, Im being paranoid now. That would make my very existence, and by association my death, only relevant in terms of creating artificial angst and narrative drive for the second part of the story, and thatd just be ridiculousThough I did die about halfway through Hmm... Hang the fuck on a minute"

Page 4 of 9
Page 4 of 9
Kratos' dead wife

Kratos' dead wife

Killed in: God of War, by Kratos, in an oblivious war rage.

Would probably say: "You know whats really frustrating about this whole thing? I was about to leave the bald-headed boar anyway. He was just such a tedious, one-dimensional, perpetually angry dickhead. No depth to him at all. Such a self-indulgent grunt. It was like his view of masculinity hadnt evolved since he was a teenager. No way I could raise a family with someone like that. By great Zeus beard, I bet my death was the most interesting thing that had ever happened to him. I mean how notable would he have been, really, if killing me and the kids hadnt set off that little tantrum of his?

"Never mind the plans I had for moving away and setting up my own business, or how excited the kids were about moving to the coast, just as long as Kratos got his foot on the career ladder and had an excuse to not grow the fuck up for another few years. Yeah, thats what we should be focusing on here. As ever."

Page 5 of 9
Page 5 of 9
Dante's dead wife

Dante's dead wife

Killed in: Dante's Inferno, by some middle-eastern assassin, off-camera, because she didn't really matter to the story until she died.

Would probably say: "I was a teacher in the village before I died. I also sat on the town council (while the men were away at the Crusades, naturally), was instrumental in sorting out the new water supply, helped several of the areas poor by creating new jobs through the farmland redevelopment programme I initiated, and was also a dogged environmentalist.

"Of course, all of that happened before Dantes story started, so you wont know any of it. All youll know is that I died with my tits out."

Page 6 of 9
Page 6 of 9
Gabriel Belmont's dead wife

Gabriel Belmont's dead wife

Killed in: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Would probably say: "You think hes a moping, disaffected dick now? Think about this. Pretending my death was reversible was the only way I could persuade him to carry on his quest to save the world. Seriously. Thats why he went all the way to take down Satan. I effectively had to give my life so that millions more could be saved, because he, supposed noble warrior of light, would not get his arse in gear otherwise.

"And he gets the credit. Brilliant."

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of 9
That bloke from Shadow of Mordor's dead wife

That bloke from Shadow of Mordor's dead wife

Killed in: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Would probably say: "This is bullshit. Seriously. What the fuck? I was nothing if not dutiful. Cartoonishly so, if you consider my offer to fess up for Talions crimes before I died. And that whole be brave, well be together in the next life schtick. And all that submissive bullshit when we were talking about moving away to build a better life for our son. Sweet crap, who the hell actually behaves like that? That's some just plain unbelievable idealistic bullshit there. I mean theres being selfless, and then theres not even existing except as an appendage of ones husband.

"Did any of those orcs even know my name before I died? Did anyone? Im pretty sure it didnt come up. Not that anyone asked. Like, at all. And its not like things improved afterwards, either. Did I get offered any glowy-eyed vengeance? Nope, thats all for Talion. Apparently this isn't about me. I can actually see why Beatrice - that's her name, by the way - thought about hooking up with Lucifer. Of course it's all about Dante, and Kratos, and Talion, and the rest of those moping pricks. Total horseshit."

Page 8 of 9
Page 8 of 9
Yeeeaahh...

Yeeeaahh...

See, ladies? See how good you have it video games these days? Hell, some of you even get to fire guns. Truly, we are living in the age of enlightenment.

Christ, I can't carry on with this. Shall we just move onto some links? Good. Have a look at 9 times I slacked off instead of being a hero in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and then read Why Sonic should be retired - by the last person who cared. Because why the hell not?

Page 9 of 9
Page 9 of 9
David Houghton
David Houghton
Long-time GR+ writer Dave has been gaming with immense dedication ever since he failed dismally at some '80s arcade racer on a childhood day at the seaside (due to being too small to reach the controls without help). These days he's an enigmatic blend of beard-stroking narrative discussion and hard-hitting Psycho Crushers.
See more Games Features
Read more
Resident Evil Village
The 25 best video game villains you just love to hate
Mass Effect 2 - Garrus
The 25 best video game stories to play right now
The best zombie games
The 10 best zombie games that will munch your brain
The best survival horror games: a screenshot from Resident Evil 7.
The 10 best survival horror games to test your endurance skills
Best horror games - Resident Evil 7: Biohazard screenshot of Ethan shooting a mutamycete monster
The 25 best horror games to play right now
Elden Ring Nightreign characters classes Revenant woman with lyre
FromSoftware reveals mysterious Elden Ring Nightreign character hours before the game comes out, singlehandedly ending the parrying debate with undead knights who do all the work for you
Latest in Games
A woman in a underwater machine waving during the cinematic teaser for Subnautica 2.
Krafton says the Subnautica 2 delay had nothing to do with money and was already being discussed before last week's leadership shakeup, and oh, here's a 90-second gameplay teaser
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle screenshot of Indiana
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle being a first-person only game "was a given" from the start because "if you're going to be Indiana Jones, you need to look through his eyes"
Screenshot from the Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom with the product image of the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle on top.
A freak GameStop accident left some Nintendo Switch 2 consoles stapled – that stapler, the first staple, and the repaired Switch 2 it damaged are now being auctioned to support children's hospitals
Old School RuneScape
"There isn't FOMO and your progress matters": An MMO migration turns to revelation for some, with a World of Warcraft horde becoming a wave of RuneScape enjoyers
A woman in an underwater suit receiving a danger warning during the trailer for Subnautica 2.
Subnautica 2 reportedly delayed to 2026 "against the wishes" of devs and ousted leaders who stood to receive a $250 million bonus from publisher Krafton if it came out this year
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 screenshot of Verso, a man with black hair with white streaks running through his fringe
BioShock creator says "audiences reward" single-player games that don't have "other methods of monetization," like Baldur's Gate 3, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Latest in Features
Superman kisses Lois Lane in James Gunn's Superman
After years of loveless Marvel and DC movies, I hope Superman and Fantastic Four prove romantic relationships are just as important as world-saving spectacle when it comes to superhero flicks
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gameplay running with the Switch 2 upgrade
I wanted to make a beeline for Tears of the Kingdom's ending, but Zelda's Switch 2 upgrade has forced me to slow down
Heroes 3 screenshot
The greatest strategy RPG ever is making a comeback with the publisher behind Manor Lords, and I'm ready to relive my Behemoth-collecting 2000s
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) screenshot showing Darth Vader walking through a hangar flanked by two stormtroopers
I've spent 11 hours fighting AI in EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2, and it's taking me back to the glory days of PS2 skirmish modes
Dollman is lost in thought in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
This is now a Dollman fan account: Death Stranding 2's puppet pal makes for my favorite PlayStation duo since Ratchet & Clank
Agent 47 on a mission in Hitman: World of Assassination
I'm loving Hitman: World of Assassination on Switch 2, but the game's always-online requirement is worse than ever
  1. A Gundam style mech in Mecha Break
    1
    Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy"
  2. 2
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  3. 3
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  4. 4
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  5. 5
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  1. David Corenswet as Superman inside the Fortress of Solitude in James Gunn's Superman.
    1
    Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU"
  2. 2
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  3. 3
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  4. 4
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  5. 5
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...