A character duality is when two characters share similar features; be it in physical resemblance, personal attributes, or even story purposes. The term can sometimes apply when two characters are on opposite sides of a cast – one is a villain, the other a hero, but they are both so closely interconnected and have more in common than the game will at first reveal.

This kind of dual-relationship lends itself extremely well in the character development of both, and is often a common theme in many RPGs. In the following list, I will count down my Top 7 favorite female character dualities.

#7: Nina and…Nina (Breath of Fire Series)

I’ll start this list off with easily the most unique character duality of the 7. The character that is Nina is a recurring presence in every single Breath of Fire game, likewise reprising her role as the Princess of Wyndia/Winlan Kingdom. While her character model varies slightly, her role is more often than not exactly the same.

#6: Kairi and Naminé (Kingdom Hearts)

Naminé made her first appearance in the portable sequel to the first Kingdom Hearts entitled Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Her role was to alter Sora’s memories so that he would think of her as a close friend from Destiny Islands, essentially replacing the real memories of Kairi.

It’s only later revealed in Kingdom Hearts II that Naminé was a special kind of “Nobody,” an altered Heartless born from Kairi’s heart when it left Sora’s body. Both of these female characters are literally born from the same heart, a connection truly worthy of this list.

#5: Samus and Dark Samus (Metroid Prime)

Dark Samus came into existence following the defeat of Metroid Prime; in a desperate movie, the parasitic Metroid absorbed Samus’s Phazon Suit and subsequently exploded. Using this suit as a shell, and the remains of Metroid Prime, Dark Samus was born. The two female bounty hunters are on complete equal ground when it comes to combat abilities. There is just one thing the imitation lacks – an actual body.

#4: Tifa and Aeris (Final Fantasy VII)

Two of the most famous female characters ever, Tifa and Aeris are a unique duality. One being Cloud’s childhood friend, and the other being the girlfriend of Cloud’s former partner in Zack, both of these females are thrust into the thick of battle when they are dragged into Cloud’s unfolding madness.

The player is frequently given options to increase his relationship with either of these two females (among other characters, but let’s not get into that…), resulting in a gondola ride during their first visit to the Gold Saucer. Both of these characters are the two most probable and likely options, making them viable candidates for a juicy love triangle.

#3: KOS-MOS and T-elos (Xenosaga Episode III)

T-elos is as close to being a complete replica of KOS-MOS, and as far away from being exactly like her. She is the designated T-weapon modeled after KOS-MOS’s very image but inherited with a far greater power than her predecessor.

She makes her first – and likewise last – appearance in the final game of this RPG trilogy, and squares off against her weaker counterpart several times throughout the course of the story. In fact, their vicious battles are more than just fights to prove superiority; there is a greater hand of destiny at work, one who possesses a twisted vision of the future.

#2: Polka and Chopin’s Sister (Eternal Sonata)

There is something about light-hearted RPGs that just strikes a chord in my body and makes me fall in love with them. Perhaps it’s that they rarely take themselves seriously, a refreshing change from the stale overly-melodramatic RPGs that flood the market. This is quite possibly the most light-hearted RPG that has ever been created, while at the same time containing a rich and heartfelt storyline that delves deep into the real life of former musical composer Frédéric François Chopin.

Polka plays the role as the game’s primary protagonist, but in the larger scheme of the story, serves a much greater purpose. To explore it entirely here would take up too much time and space, but simply; she is the envisioned dream of Chopin’s real sister. The entire world of Eternal Sonata is a recurring dream, one Chopin must face while on his deathbed. In an effort to remember his sister, who had previously died, he creates Polka – the very replica of his lost sibling.

#1: Harle and Kid (Chrono Cross)

Harle is quite possibly my favorite female character in a game – ever. There is a strange, endearing charisma about her that easily lends itself to the supportive anti-hero character that she fulfills in the game. She plays the role of the villain’s subject early on, but in the end, like in every RPG, her true motives are revealed.

Her counterpart, Kid, has been argued to be the opposite-world representation of Harle; the two share strikingly similar facial structures, their personalities are closely related (they both speak with foreign lingustics; Kid’s with a bit of Scottish twang to it, and Harle with a French accent). As well, neither of them follow the traditional “villain” or “hero” role.

They are both extremely independent and ambiguous characters, and likewise, each have an equally-intense but varied relationship with the main antagonist, Lynx. Kid wants him dead, Harle is secretly manipulating him. While no official confirmation has been given related to the connections of these two characters, it is almost universally agreed upon that somehow, in someway, Harle and Kid are likely the same person.