There are a lot of franchises out there that rely on iconic characters to lead their games. While there have been plenty of Mario spinoffs, Mario has never been replaced in a major way. Then, there are game series that are more like anthologies. These franchises like to change their protagonist from game to game, or sometimes change protagonists after several entries. Final Fantasy and Silent Hill are two prime examples.
In 2025, there seems to be a big trend of sequels releasing with female protagonists taking over for men. That may not lead to further sequels with female characters, but it’s worth noting. So, let’s get into some of the best game sequels where women replaced male leads.
Ghost Of Yotei
A Vengeful Spirit
Ghost of Yotei is one of the most recent examples of 2025. Atsu replaced Jin from Ghost of Tsushima, and the two follow completely different eras and stories, even though they share a bond through revenge. Through defeating the Yotei 6, Atsu can finally find peace at the cost of her family’s lives. Players can gallop across beautiful biomes and cut through hundreds of wandering ronin and ninjas in a satisfying open-world samurai experience.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Nail In The Coffin
Hornet appeared as an enemy in the first game, but replaced The Knight as the protagonist in Hollow Knight: Silksong. There is debate among fans about whether Hornet has a gender, even though everyone refers to Hornet as female in the game. The lore of the Hollow Knight universe runs deep, and Team Cherry keeps things vague for fan interpretation, which is great. That said, going along with what the game calls her, Hornet is a big upgrade from The Knight. She can talk, is faster, and is genuinely stronger, since she has to be to face the many trials in her solo Metroidvania adventure.
Hades 2
Death To Chronos
Hades 2 is the first direct sequel that Supergiant has ever made. Instead of following Zagreus in his trials to escape the Underworld, Hades 2 follows his sister Melinoe, who vows to kill Chronos for torturing her kin.
She not only fights within the Underworld, but also gets to go to the surface and fight through Olympian trials. It’s a big departure for the series, but what didn’t change was the deep story and addictive roguelike gameplay. Even upon death, Melinoe’s story will deepen after each run.
The Last Of Us Part 2
Joel Takes A Back Seat
The Last of Us Part 2 picks up a few years after the original game, with Ellie and Joel making a place for themselves in Jackson, Wyoming. The playable roles are reversed in this sequel, as Ellie has grown into a fine hunter instead of being a more fragile girl like in the original game. With Joel taking a backseat in this post-apocalyptic adventure, Ellie has to sneak through human and Clicker territory mostly on her own. If fans thought the first game was brutal and gut-wrenching, then they were surely unprepared to see the vile acts of this sequel.
SteamWorld Dig 2
Looking For Rusty
SteamWorld Dig 2 takes place in the same world as the original, but a younger female robot, Dorothy, steps in for Rusty. He’s gone missing, and Dorothy is determined to find him. Most of the gameplay remains the same as players will dig through rubble, collect materials, and then go back to town to upgrade Dorothy. However, a core aspect of the game was more Metroidvania-like in nature, with different abilities to help Dorothy explore dangerous underground biomes in her pursuit of Rusty.
Spelunky 2
Where’s My Dad?
Spelunky 2 is a game like Steamworld Dig 2, about searching for missing persons. Ana is the daughter of the first game’s protagonist, who has gone missing along with his wife while exploring on the moon.
Ana dives into the moon-based dungeon to help track her parents down in one of the most difficult roguelike games to date. Progression always resets between runs, meaning players have to get good with Ana to help make her dreams come true, from getting accustomed to whipping snakes to dodging traps.
Axiom Verge 2
An Alternate Reality
Axiom Verge 2 is unconnected to the first game for the most part, without revealing too much. It’s a different take on the original Metroidvania game with this sequel starring a famous scientist, Indra, who winds up in a new universe. Instead of gun-based gameplay, there is an emphasis on Indra’s boomerang to do most of the talking during combat, but there are other weapons and powers too. It’s also a more open-ended Metroidvania game with huge biomes compared to the more cramped spaces of the original.
Alan Wake 2
The FBI Enters
Alan Wake 2 is split between the first game’s protagonist, the titular Alan Wake, and Saga, an FBI Agent. While players will switch between them during the campaign, more time is spent with Saga as the lead, and on how she connects to everything. Her sections are more engaging, as players get to go inside her mind to deduce puzzles and figure out various cases. Also, the surface world Saga gets to explore is more interesting compared to Alan’s more abstract book world. This is definitely Saga’s game, and it will be interesting to see where the third game goes.
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