BEST GIRL

Previous Winner
2019: Marnie (Pokémon Sword and Shield)
2021: Reisalin Stout (Atelier Ryza 2)

The Best Girl category is always one of the most contested ones during our award voting, the 2022 oprainfall Awards are no exception. Everyone here has their favorite girl and they will defend them to the death!! Well, maybe not that far, but these girls have certainly left an impact on us during our time with them, and now it’s time to honor them.  Now, let’s see which girls of 2022 made our list, and which one came out on top.

Sophie Neuenmuller (Atelier Sophie 2)

NA Release Date: February 25th, 2022
Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
Review

Sophie Neuenmuller has always been one of my favorite alchemists in the Atelier franchise. Her upbeat personality and positive attitude are contagious. She is always willing to help her friends, since she wants to use alchemy to put smiles on people’s faces. Following in the footsteps of her grandmother with her best friend and mentor, Plachta, by her side, Sophie always puts her best foot forward in order to make her dreams, and those of her friends, a reality.

Tio Plato (Trails from Zero)

NA Release Date: September 27th, 2022
Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
Review

Since I’ve not gotten to Trails from Zero yet and I don’t want to be spoiled, I asked our editor Patrick for some help on this one. This is what he had to say about Tio:

“Cool, cute, and mysterious, the SSS’ resident genius, Tio Plato, takes a crack at the crown. She provides essential support to the SSS with her Orbal Arts expertise and knowledge of Orbal Technology. While she usually acts mature and keeps a cool demeanor, she goes bananas at anything Mishy related, showing that she can act her age from time to time. We loved watching her gradually come out of her shell as the story progressed, and when she finally opened up to the SSS, it was very heartwarming. She keeps moving forward no matter how tough life has been, and that is an admirable trait to have. She’s so cute that you want to protect her, but she’s capable enough to hold her own, Tio stakes her claim to the Best Girl title. Did she do enough to capture our hearts and take out the other competitors?”

Laeticia Aucerius (Star Ocean: The Divine Force)

NA Release Date: October 27th, 2022
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Review

Laeticia is a dedicated Knight Princess who goes on a quest to save her kingdom from the brink of war. She can seem a little naïve at times, but she thinks very carefully about any big decisions she makes. A very selfless girl, she is willing to give up her desires if it means protecting her friends or subjects against any odds. A very curious girl that accepts others and their strange ways without question, she is the genuine article, upbeat and an amazing gal through and through.

And this year’s queen is…

Sophie!

Sophie has beat out all of the other girls this to become oprainfall’s Best Girl of 2022. It was a very hard decision, but Sophie’s unwavering conviction and joyful personality pushed her over the top for the staff. If ever we needed someone that wanted to help our dreams come true and the world a better place, now is the time!

Special thanks to Brandon Rose for creating the featured images for the 2022 oprainfall Awards on short notice. You should check him and his works out over on Twitter.