Best Video Game Moms

This Mother's Day we wanted to mix things up a bit from the usual "Top X" lists that seem to crop up every year around this time. While everyone loves a good list, that you can either agree or have fun disagreeing with, we thought to push it a bit further and write a bit about each choice and why we chose who we listed for our 'Best Video Game Moms' list. But before we get to that let's lay down a few ground rules.

First, there won't be any returning characters from last year's top mother's list that some of you may remember from our Instagram Stories. Second, biological or not, we won't be including or excluding mothers based on whether or not they directly bore their offspring. And lastly, we will be including characters who have exemplified traditional motherly attributes regardless of age, gender, race, or otherwise. Some of these attributes include but are not limited to putting others before themselves, being an all-around great parent or at the very least learning how to be a great parent, and knowing when to push and when to nurture.

We believe that mothers come in all shapes and sizes and to exclude those who have gone above and beyond for their children or those dependent on them would be a disservice to all individuals who love and care for others in such a way. By the way, there will be some minor spoilers so if you see a character from a game you don't want spoiled, feel free to skip ahead to the next one! With that being said, let's get into it!

Naru from Ori and the Blind Forest

Naru is a soft and warm being seemingly made out to be the embodiment of what many would think of as the perfect mother. Loving embraces and overwhelming nurturing tendencies, Naru is introduced to us early as she cares for Ori and nurses him back to health right at the beginning of the game. Afterward, we are treated to some wonderfully wholesome visuals of the two sharing food and playing together. But not soon after, tragedy strikes their home, and Naru gives up the last of their food so that Ori can survive while not caring for her own needs. By the time Ori realizes what has happened, it is too late. Naru, in her haste and love, put her child first when things became dire. It is because of these actions that Naru makes our list.

You can check out our play-through of Ori And The Blind Forest below:

Yoshi from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Truth be told we don't know much about yoshies or their culture outside of their being different variants of yoshies and their love of fruit. While Yoshi is usually portrayed as a cross between a noble steed and a sidekick of Mario, in this game, Yoshi is given a bit more in the form of Baby Mario's caretaker. Yoshi stumbles upon a lone baby and takes it upon themselves to care for him and return him to his brother despite the dangers ahead. Many monsters stand in their way not to mention the treacherous terrains they must traverse to reach their goal. Through it all, Yoshi never falters and remains steadfast that Baby Mario stays safe to the end. The sheer determination is admirable to say the least.

You can check out our play-through of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island below:

Impa from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Yes, last year we did shoutout Impa from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. However, in the Zelda universe and across several games in the series, Impa is traditionally portrayed as a strong and independent warrior and motherly figure. Impa in the Ocarina of Time entry is steadfast, stoic, and deliberate. She guards Princess Zelda with her life and with no presence of Zelda's biological mother, we can safely assume that Impa took on more roles in Zelda's life beyond mentor and protector. Not only that, but with the events playing out as they do in the game, Zelda certainly spent many more formative years with Impa away from her father and possibly any other close family. It is from Impa, that Zelda learns strength and wisdom.

Mom from Animal Crossing New Horizons

If you've played Animal Crossing New Horizons, you may have noticed receiving mail from a particular parent; this of course being your mom. Early in the game, you are solely tasked with the complete and total development of an uninhabited island. Quite a tall order for any individual to be sure. The idea that you have gone on your own with no friends or family anywhere near you and with no way to easily contact them seems frightening and isolating. However, as you progress, you receive letters periodically while on your adventure and some of these are from your dear mom. Mom is an interesting gal. She a sort of stylistic writing not unlike poems and always has a quick quip to add to the end of every letter giving her a more rounded and interesting personality. It would be easy to just write her off as a fill-in character but it's these two contrasting elements that give her the much-needed depth we need. It's always a joy to receive letters from mom.

You can check out a playlist of all of our Animal Crossing New Horizons live streams below:

Well there you have it. Maybe we'll revisit other moms we've mentioned in the past and flesh out our reasoning but hopefully we've given enough reason and enough justification for any one of these mothers deserving enough to be remembered.

That being said, we’d love to hear you thoughts on some of your favorite video game moms! Feel free to comment below & Happy Mother's Day!