5 legendary video game moms to revisit this Mother’s Day

One of the strongest connections we have in our lives is with our parents. Moms, whether they be biological, adoptive, or a mother figure you chose, play a special role in most people’s lives, which makes it strange that so few games feature moms at all. Most of the time, you never hear or see any sign of your character’s parents — if you’re lucky, you might be on a quest for revenge regarding them, but that’s not exactly a great representation of moms. Speaking from experience, moms can be the coolest people in the world, so it’s time games caught up with the times and started highlighting them and their depth.

To get the ball rolling, I had to go deep into the library of games to pull out the best examples of cool moms we have. I’m not counting unnamed moms like the ones in Pokemon games where they are fine with sending out their ten-year-old child to wander the countryside catching and fighting monsters. These moms — or motherly figures — need to be more than just part of the background, a plot device, or defined only as a mother. Moms are people too, so I’m looking for depth and character work here.

Motherhood encompasses so many things that it is hard to nail down exactly what constitutes a good one except that, generally, I believe everyone knows one when they see one. Also, these aren’t necessarily the “best” moms either, but only because no mom is perfect… except mine.

1 Yennefer

Won’t let you get away with anything

Yennefer and Geralt aren’t Ciri’s biological parents, but they both have assumed parental roles over her for the majority of her life. If you haven’t played, read, or watched any Witcher content, Yennefer is a witch in that world, meaning she has access to some powerful magic, including the ability to change her appearance. Notably so, as despite her young appearance, she is over 90 years old in reality. So, she is more than experienced in the ways of the world. She starts out as Ciri’s magic teacher and transitions to her adoptive mother. When Ciri eventually gets wrapped up in trouble, I’d argue Yennefer, not Geralt, is the one to be afraid of most. She’s tough, passionate, and would do anything to protect her daughter.

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2 Toriel

A bitter-sweet relationship

Toriel is the first friendly character you encounter in Undertale as she saves you from the deceptively evil Flowey. From the moment she encounters you, a complete stranger, she is nothing but kind and supportive. She heals your wounds and guides you by the hand through some trap-filled ruins to take you back to her home. She gives you a phone and asks you questions to get to know you better, and then later gives you a room and starts baking you a pie. Of course, this is the beginning of the game, and you can’t simply live in peace with her forever. Just like in real life, you need to eventually leave the nest no matter how comfortable it might be. However, she doesn’t want to let you go, so you end up fighting her. She is the perfect example of how a mother’s love can sometimes go too far, but also that you shouldn’t punish her for it. As long as you don’t kill her in the fight, you experience a moment of acceptance from her — she understands that her adoptive child needs to move on.

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3 The Boss

What a thrill

Technically, The Boss is the real mother of Ocelot in the MGS series, even giving birth to him during the Normandy invasion, but is more of a mother to Snake than her actual child during the series. She earned her moniker for being the most skilled soldier in the world and eventually came to be a mentor to Snake. However, when she uncovers a much larger conspiracy, she appears to betray and abandon Snake and the US during a critical mission. Despite her apparent double-crossing, she never lets any true harm befall Snake while he struggles to fight against her. She sacrifices everything she has earned, and even her life, to pass on to Snake so that he can live on as the next great war hero while she dies labeled as a traitor despite avoiding a nuclear event.

The Boss is a mother willing to silently suffer and take all the blame to let her child shine and have a better future. She’s a tough mom who is more likely to teach you how to swim by throwing you in the pool than giving you lessons. She’s not perfect by any means, but she always tries to do what’s best.

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4 Ana

Watching over you

What role could better suit a mother than a combination of healer and sniper? Ana is the oldest member of Overwatch, but also the true mother of Pharah. Everything about her abilities and playstyle is motherly, from her ability to heal teammates with shots while simultaneously harm enemies to her buffs that let you perform at your best. Any squad with Ana on it feels like you have a kind motherly figure at your back ready to keep encouraging you and pushing you to do your best. At the same time, she isn’t perfect. In the game’s lore, Ana let her daughter believe she was dead after losing a sniper duel and has been attempting to make amends ever since. Despite that mistake, she raised Pharah with strong values that she carries with her even when estranged. She even has matching tattoos with Pharah of the Eye of Horus, which is believed to be a symbol of Protection. As I have said before, no mom is perfect, but the fact that she came back and is attempting to make amends despite her daughter pushing her away is something only a great mom could accomplish.

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5 Joyce Madsen

Motherhood is strange

I couldn’t go through this entire list only discussing super-powered or ultra-skilled moms. As cool as those are, Joyce Price is the perfect example of a real mom you might have or know. She’s the single mother to Chloe, the protagonist’s best friend, who is far from an easy child. She needs to juggle her job at the diner with raising a rebellious teenager still struggling with the death of her father, while also trying to build a new life by seeing someone new. No matter what trouble Chloe gets into — which is a lot — Joyce is never unfair or overly angry. She might impose rules and give punishment, but it is always done out of love. There are two factors that drive her status to top-tier levels. The first is when you see her in an alternate timeline caring for a paralyzed Chloe. She is completely dedicated to her daughter to the point of going bankrupt to make sure she gets the best care possible. The other is when she is presented with the choice between siding with Chloe or her new husband and, without question, believes her daughter. She might love her new husband, but even then there’s no question in her mind that she loves her daughter more.