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A Top 10 Mom's in Video Games List

Legendary Moms of Video Games having their day!

"Get Away From Her, You Bitch!"

Yes, that is the immortal quote of Ellen Ripley from Aliens (1986), probably the top mom in movies. In a medium dominated by dads (both sad and not so sad), this Mother's Day is the perfect time to recognize some of the most important mommas and mothers throughout video game history.

NB Some caveats: Being a team of one, I couldn't canvas the office and take a staff poll of who they think belongs on the list. Apologies in advance if I'm missing your favourite (Cooking) Mama! 🙏 I didn't want to feature any dead moms used as a plot device (such as Laufey from God of War), characters who become mothers in other media outside of video games (Mara Jade from Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith), and, much like Ripley becomes a surrogate mother to Newt in Aliens I have included spiritual and adoptive mothers in this list.

So, without further ado, here is a list informed by my personal lifetime of gaming:

10. Mom (The Binding of Isaac)

Mom's giant foot in the center of a dungeon, as little Isaac shoots tears at her. — Mom's Giant Foot.

"Isaac!" - Mom

One of the worst mothers on this list, Mom believes she hears a voice from 'God', she strips her son Isaac of his "sinful" possessions: toys and clothes, and ultimately locks him in her basement, ready to sacrifice him to the Almighty. Armed with his own tears, Isaac navigates dungeons fighting flies, poop monsters, and his own monstrous siblings, and has to eventually enter... Mom's ... ahem.. womb to destroy her heart. Special items include Mom's Knife, Mom's Coin Purse (which also contains pills), and Mom's Wig ("you feel itchy...").

9. Jenova (Final Fantasy VII)

Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie face off against Jenova∙DEATH. A towering alien creature. They fight surrounded by the ruins of the Forgotten City. — The Party vs Jenova∙DEATH

“Mother, I have come again.” - Sephiroth

Another bad momma, Jenova is best known as being FFVII villain Sephiroth's mother. She is, in fact, an alien life form that crashed to Midgard thousands of years ago. Shinra scientist Professor Hojo uses her tissue samples to create Sephiroth, the ultimate Soldier, and also injects her cells into protagonist Cloud, making him susceptible to Sephiroth's control. Boss fights with Jenova have one of the best tracks in the game!

8. Shodan (System Shock Series)

The digital face of SHODAN looking at the player ominously. — SHODAN!

"How can you challenge a perfect, immortal machine?" - SHODAN

SHODAN (Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network), the iconic antagonist of the System Shock series, is famous for her megalomania, her stuttering, multi-tonal voice, and her utter contempt for humanity. In the first game, SHODAN, having had her ethical restraints removed, takes control of the Citadel space station. A lone hacker has to navigate the station, battle against security systems, mutants, and finally enter cyberspace to destroy her. In System Shock 2, on an overrun ship floating in deep space, the Player is guided by a survivor, Dr. Janice Polito (voiced by Star Trek Voyager's Kate Mulgrew). In a plot twist years before BioShock's Atlas reveal, it turns out SHODAN was posing as the dead Dr. Polito. The Player and SHODAN form a temporary alliance to eliminate her "children", The Many, a biological hive mind she created in the first game.

7. Lady Dimitrescu (Resident Evil Village)

A tall vampire woman, Lady Dimitrescu, standing and similing ominously with her daughters in the background. — Lady Dimitrescu standing proudly with her daughters.

"My daughters are the pride of this castle. They have a refined palate, much like their mother." - Lady Dimitrescu

A classic MILF, her initial reveal sent shockwaves through the Internet. While she is a terrifying antagonist to the rest of the world, Alcina Dimitrescu is remarkably devoted to her three daughters—Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela. Unlike many villains who view their subordinates as disposable pawns, Alcina treats her daughters with genuine affection and maternal pride, referring to them as her "darling daughters" and maintaining a lavish, protective household for them. Her "good" qualities as a mother are most evident in her visceral grief; when Ethan Winters kills one of them, her composure shatters, and her subsequent hunt for him is fueled not just by duty to Mother Miranda, but by a raw, vengeful rage for her lost child. In her eyes, the preservation of her family is paramount, making her a fiercely loyal—if bloodthirsty—matriarch.

6. Samus Aran (Metroid Series)

"...." - Samus

The famously taciturn space bounty hunter becomes a mother at the end of Metroid II: Return of Samus (and its remake, Samus Returns) when a newly hatched Metroid imprints on her as its mother. She chooses to spare the creature, leading directly into the events of Super Metroid, where the Space Pirate Ridley abducts the Metroid for his own experiments. The baby Metroid ultimately sacrifices itself to protect Samus from Mother Brain (Another Mum!). 😢 The baby's DNA will carry on being a plot point in the subsequent 2D games, all the way to Metroid Dread.

5. Saga Anderson (Alan Wake 2)

Saga Anderson co-protagonist of Alan Wake 2 stares with determination in her Mind Palace which resembles a lodge. — Saga in her Mind Palace.

"My life — my family — is just part of a book! Another white asshole deciding what I get to do, how I get to do it. I’ll never be free of this story!" - Saga

In Alan Wake 2, FBI Agent Saga Anderson, fights against a reality-warping story that claims her child Logan has drowned. Armed with a pistol, rifle, shotguns, and a crossbow, Saga utilises her mind palace powers in collaboration with trapped author, Alan Wake, to defeat the Dark Presence and create a "Masterpiece" ending.

4. Abby (The Last of Us Part II)

Muscular Abby pets a friendly german shepherd with Lev, a child. — Abby and Lev sharing a brief moment of joy together.

"You’re my people!" - Abby

Serving as a justifieable antagonist to Ellie after Abby murders Joel in revenge for his actions in The Last of Us Part I, she is also a co-protagonist for half of the game where she "adopts" the exiled Seraphite child Lev. Playing as Abby and seeing her as a full rounded person capable of empathy in addition to base emotions such as anger, and rage makes the finale of the game even more heartbreaking when the Player is forced to fight her to the death as Ellie.

3. The Boss (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater)

The Boss defiantly throws her poncho revealing a tight white sneaking suit. She is ready for combat in a majestic field of white flowers. — "I'm still in a dream, Snake Eater!"

"Look at this scar. This is proof that I was once a mother." - The Boss

Another heartbreaking final boss sequence. The Player playing as Snake is forced to combat his former ally, mentor, and mother figure. It is not an easy fight as she is a Master of Close Quarters Combat (CQC) and armed with The Patriot, a machine pistol with an infinity ammo drum. Before she dies, the Boss reveals she is a double agent, sacrificing herself to maintain an uneasy truce between the US and the Soviet Union, a true patriot, but branded forever as a traitor her death affects Snake deeply. Now crowned Big Boss, he creates Outer Heaven, a nation free from political control, where soldiers are not disposable political pawns leading to the event of the original Metal Gear. Oh, and she's Revolver Ocelot's mom (!).

2. Rosalina (Super Mario Galaxy)

Rosalina stands proudly with three of her children, the Lumas. She holds her star wand in her right hand. Two seagulls are next to them. — Rosalina and her baby Lumas.

"The Lumas are like my own children. They are born from the stars, and to the stars they shall eventually return." - Rosalina

Fresh from her appearance in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Rosalina stands out in the Mario universe as a figure of profound, chosen motherhood. After losing her own mother and drifting through the cosmos, she transformed her loneliness into a sanctuary for the Lumas, adopting them as her own children and building a celestial home for them. She doesn't just govern the Comet Observatory; she nurtures the Lumas, reading them bedtime stories and providing the emotional warmth they need before they eventually transform into stars and galaxies. Her motherhood is defined by selflessness—she recognizes that her children will eventually outgrow her and become something greater, and she supports that journey with a gentle, enduring grace that makes her the ultimate "Mother of the Cosmos."

1. Robin (Stardew Valley)

The player is in Robin's house. She is giving the player a blueprint. — Robin, ever the optimist!

"Building a house is easy. Keeping a family together? That’s the real hard work." - Robin

Robin is the backbone of her family, balancing a demanding career as Pelican Town’s sole carpenter, working tirelessly day and night (even through rainfall!), with a genuine, grounded commitment to her children’s happiness. Despite the starkly different personalities of her kids—the brooding, introverted Sebastian and the bubbly, social Maru—Robin consistently tries to bridge the emotional gaps in her household, showing an inclusive love that respects their individual quirks. Whether she’s worrying about Sebastian’s lack of sunlight or beaming with pride over Maru’s scientific achievements, she provides a stable, hardworking example of how to build a life from the ground up, proving that a "good mom" is someone who keeps the roof over your head while constantly trying to make the home inside warmer.

Happy Mother's Day!

So there you have it, a mom's list for 2026! Which digital mothers would you have added? And most importantly, will you be treating your mum to flowers this year?