The portrayal of men and women in video games, as in other media, is a subject of research in gender studies and is discussed in the context of sexism in video gaming. Women in particular are significantly underrepresented as characters in mainstream games, and their portrayals often reflect traditional gender roles, sexual objectification or negative stereotypes, such as that of the "damsel in distress."

In "Resident Evil 4," we see a blatant lack of character development in female character Ashley Graham, who represents the damsel in distress stereotype often seen in video games. In the game, she is a powerless female character that requires a strong male protagonist to save her. Additionally, saving and protecting the damsel is the main objective, and upon rescue, the damsel rewards the hero with a kiss. Ashley is the U.S. President’s daughter who is kidnapped by a mysterious organization, and the goal of the game is for Leon to find and rescue her. An epitome of the damsel in distress, Ashley literally cannot go anywhere without Leon’s help.

Upon leaving her alone or walking too far away, she cries out, “Leon! Help me!” which is basically her catchphrase. Instead of feeling shocked or sad that she’s captured, the player mainly views her as an annoyance or hassle, only saving and helping her to further the plot. This results from a lack of character development as she represents the stereotypical helpless girl that needs rescuing and acts accordingly throughout the entire game, causing the player to be emotionally disconnected from her character.

However, Ashley is depicted not only as an incapable person but also as a sexual object through her outfits and dialogue. Although she is a 20-year-old adult, her costume is a plaid skirt, reducing her image to the "sexy but innocent school girl" trope and reinforcing how she needs protection. Lastly, during the final cut scene, she suggestively asks Leon to take her back to her place and “do some overtime,” indicating her sexual desire for him since he rescued her. This applies that it is acceptable to show appreciation through sexual favors or rewards. Ultimately, Ashley is depicted as both powerless and voluptuous, furthering the socialization of gender roles.

In stark contrast to Ashley, is Ellie from "The Last of Us." Ellie is a 14-year-old girl that the protagonist, Joel, is trying to smuggle across the country for his boss. While Ellie may seem weak and in a subordinate role at first, she gradually matures, growing stronger and more confident throughout the game, until she becomes a responsible, strong teenager who can take care of herself. Even though she does what she is told most of the time, especially in the beginning of the game, she is not a completely useless character, merely following the protagonist and hiding behind him for help like Ashley.

After getting caught by guards when sneaking out of the quarantine zone, she uses a knife to stab one in the knee, allowing Joel and Tess, his partner, to escape and kill the guards. Having her own personality and thoughts, she questions Joel’s actions later in the game, saying they should have saved Tess from being killed. Along their journey, she frequently makes sarcastic remarks or cracks a joke, and when she explores the outside world, she is constantly amazed by her surroundings. Although afraid of the Infected, she asks Joel for a weapon in order to help him defend against the zombies, which he initializes refuses. However, he later gives in by lending her a pistol, resulting in Ellie saving him in the future when she disobeys his orders and looks for him.

All of these characteristics contribute to her character development of becoming strong, independent women while still being a curious, stubborn teenager, adding to the realism of the game. Dressed in a normal attire, T-shirt and jeans, she resembles and acts like a typical teenager almost everybody can relate to. Without being sexualized at all, she is still regarded as being beautiful and attractive. During the second half of the game, the player controls Ellie who has to take care of the incapacitated Joel, obtaining food and killing enemies by herself. This demonstrates that Joel is not able to do everything himself but needs the help of Ellie who is fully capable of fending for herself and taking care of both of them. By not being pertaining to the submissive damsel in distress stereotype, Ellie exemplifies how women are supposed to be represented in video games, making the overall playing experience more entertaining and pleasurable.

Although the main reason for sexism in games is for advertisement purposes, "The Last of Us" proves that video games do not have to always include sexy, weak women or muscular, powerful men to become a best-selling game. This game reveals how great video games can be created without maintaining gender stereotypes or appealing to the sexual desires of male players. Hopefully, video games will continue in this direction of having an equal, realistic representation of male and female characters. Without putting an emphasis on characterization, video games will end up further the socialization of gender roles, which is detrimental how young players view the world.