It doesn’t end with Arcane
Like everyone else in the world, I finished watching Arcane, Netflix and Riot Games’ show tied to the League of Legends universe. Admittedly, I don’t really enjoy playing League, but, like with most games, I still really enjoy the lore. So despite not having an especially personal connection to the source material, I found the star relationship of Arcane, the now undeniably canon one between Vi and her sister Jinx, to be compelling.
I have a sister (our relationship involves 100% less bombings than Vi’s), and seeing Arcane take an emotional look at this sometimes infuriating, mostly fulfilling familial bond that girls have was a nice surprise from games media. It made me think, though, that most game siblings are brothers or brother and sister. And often, when sisters are depicted, they’re presented as ultra-sexy rivals , something that League the game does, too, which is undoubtedly more about gameplay (and appealing to male eyes!) than sisters themselves.
So, I came up with four of my favorite sisters in video games that provide alternatives to those conventions with lore or less conventional gameplay. Let me know your favorite video game siblings in the comments!
Quelaag and Quelaag’s Sister, Dark Souls
Quelaag and Quelaag’s Sister are probably my favorite video game sisters — their story makes me so sad! Blind and sick, Quelaag’s Sister is only able to talk to fellow Daughter of Chaos Quelaag, who provides her comfort and care despite their disagreements over how to rule. Their sisterhood is more core to them than any disagreement.
Giana and Maria, The Great Giana Sisters
Although this 1987 game was an obvious Super Mario Bros. knockoff (and the loading screen is so insanely, unnecessarily sexual “lol”) , I think the story is sweet. Little sleeping Giana ends up in a dangerous dreamworld and fights her way through it to return to Maria. It’s nice to have girls looking out for girls in games, and Nintendo eventually got over the whole copyright infringement thing.
Furies, Hades
The Furies are technically more a Greek mythology landmark than beacons in video game history, but they make for a fun boss fight. I like the idea of these three sisters sticking together to try to pummel your ass, and although not necessarily central to the game’s lore, the Furies’ inclusion as a boss is a nice alternative to games that put sisters on the sidelines.
Witch Sisters, Witch Sisters’ Sugary Dreams
Okay, I mainly picked this arcade-style game because it’s incredibly cute, but sisterhood can be cute, too! This game is about tiny witch sisters, Keet and Kat, who team up for a noble quest: regaining their stolen candy. I highly recommend playing with a younger sister, especially if she’s not typically into video games, but usually into candy.
