TOP 10 GIRLS OF GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE

 

The girls of Goddess of Victory: Nikke, a science fiction third-person shooter role-playing game, jiggled on to the scene when the game was released in November 2022.

And yes – they’ve spelt Nike, the usual translation of the name of the Greek goddess of victory, with an extra k.

As for the plot, it’s somewhat similar to the Nier Automata series – a far-future post-apocalyptic Earth, albeit one in which humanity is not extinct, but close to it as remnants that have retreated to a technologically advanced underground bunker known as the Ark. Retreated that is, from extraterrestrial robots known as Raptures.

Like Nier Automata, humanity is fighting back with Nikkes- combat-ready androids in the form of beautiful women, a curious design choice but one obviously chosen by someone similar to me because that’s exactly how I’d design them, or how I’d design anything really. The androids fight in teams led by human commanders which I understand to be essentially the gameplay.

To paraphrase Zoolander, Nikke is so hot right now, the third of the big three gacha games – Azur Lane, Blue Archive and Nikke – that between them just keep pumping out new characters and new skins for their characters it’s hard to keep up. And of the three of them, Nikke is by far the most prolific.

I also note which entries have a summer or swimsuit skin because those things are important.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

But first a note on the visual images used in this top ten. Given the copyright in such images, I only use a visual image as fair use for the purposes of comment and review in each entry – an iconic feature image to identify the character, usually from their game profile image releases.

I also include a special section in each entry under the subtitle of art and cosplay where it is prolific enough – not for any actual art and cosplay as such but instead where I nominate my favorite artists and cosplay models depicting the character, which you can look up for yourself. For art, I award a special ranking for any art by my two favorite artists – the two freelance digital artists Sciamano and Dandonfuga. For cosplay, I award a special ranking for any cosplay by my holy trinity of models – my favorite model Yummychiyo with her insane figure in top spot, followed by Hane Ame and Helly Valentine.

As for the iconic feature image I’ve chosen for the page itself, it’s from one of the game’s own promotional release images and I believe one of its first, featuring its original girl gang. Except…what’s that male character doing there?! (I believe that’s actually meant to be the player).

 

S-TIER (GODDESS-TIER)

 

 

 

 

(1) RAPI – ELYSION: COUNTERS

(SUMMER)

 

Top Nikke is Rapi, the iconic poster girl of the game and hence fifth place entry in my top ten who has featured heavily in their promotion as well as fan art and cosplay – in a design seemingly resembling some sort of Red Army fetish girl in stockings.

Rapi is also distinctive as the only Nikke with enough game skins for her own top ten list – my Top 10 Nikke Skins, including a summer skin!

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

What better than the game’s own promotional character profile art (in firing position) as iconic both of Rapi and the game itself?

Otherwise I’ve featured her art and cosplay in her entry in my Top 10 Girls of Video Games.

 

B-TIER (HIGH TIER)

 

 

 

(2) HELM – ELYSION: AEGIS

(SUMMER)

 

The Aegis squad may be arguably the most useless Nikke squad within the game – as a naval unit in an underground complex but somehow it ends up with my second top Nikke of the game with Helm.

And her top skin is her Aquamarine skin – certainly in art and cosplay – which essentially is her default naval uniform as a wet t-shirt contest over a bikini.

 

 

 

 

Speaking of her default naval uniform, it’s like a little Azur Lane within the game – and I rank it as her second top skin accordingly.

 

 

 

 

However, all of Helm’s skins are consistently good – with her Chandelier skin (essentially evening cocktail dress) in her third place and her Post-Shower Moment skin (pretty much what it says on the tin) in fourth place.

 

ART & COSPLAY (HANE)

 

No art by my favorite artists but her Chandelier skin scores a Hane ranking for Hane Ame’s cosplay of it.

By0ru has done cosplay both of her Chandelier skin and of her Aquamarine skin. Fufukowa and Tako also have standout cosplay of Helm’s Aquamarine skin.

 

 

 

 

(3) RED HOOD – PILGRIM: GODDESS

 

Yes – this character shoots up (heh) to third place in my Top 10 Girls of Nikke, for a design that has proved popular among fans.

In-universe, the original prototype Nikkes with fairy tale motifs that have become the stuff of legend. Canonically, Red Hood has become linked with top girl Rapi – hence all the Rapi Red Hood skins. I think one was programmed into the other – look, I don’t play the game, I just list the girls in a top ten!

 

ART & COSPLAY (DANDONFUGA)

 

Whoa – what’s this? Red Hood scores a Dandonfuga ranking? Why, yes she does. Also art by Magion02.

As for cosplay, there’s cosplay by Lupinus Rando (among others).

 

 

 

And I have to feature her variant cocktail dress Nonsense Red skin.

 

 

 

 

 

(4) ANIS – TETRA LINE: COUNTERS

(SUMMER)

 

Yes – like Helm, it’s her summer skin that earns her place in my top ten entry as well as a popular choice for cosplayers.

Anis is part of the OG Nikke squad that includes our top girl Rapi and one of the most voluptuous parts at that.

 

ART & COSPLAY (YUMMYCHIYO & HANE)

 

I have to give a shout-out to the official game promotional poster art. Also to Magion02’s art of her.

However it’s in cosplay she really shines, scoring both Yummychiyo and Hane ranking for their cosplay of her – also Biya, By0ru, Rissoft and Takoyamuyuyi.

 

 

 

Here she is in her standard or default skin.

 

 

 

 

(5) VIPER – TETRA LINE: EXOTIC

(SUMMER)

 

Tetra Line’s Exotic is “a Nikke squad composed of ruffians from the slums at the outskirts of the Ark, the Outer Rim. As a contingency plan, all members must wear a choker that will self-destruct if deemed necessary.”

Well that seems a little extreme.

Anyway, Viper is one of the femme fatales of the game – and in a game known for fanservice, stands out from the pack.

 

 

 

I rank her default skin but it was a close call with her Playboy bunny or Toxic: Rabbit skin in second place.

 

 

 

Coming in third place is her Shine of Love skin, which essentially seems to be her summer swimsuit skin (for her modelling in the Beauty Full shot game module).

 

ART & COSPLAY (YUMMYCHIYO & HANE)

 

Again no art by my favorite artists but she does score Yummychiyo and Hane rankings for their cosplay of her default skin.

Other cosplay of her default skin by my favorite models include that by By0ru, Fufukowa, Miu, and Azami (who also did her Playboy bunny skin).

 

 

 

 

 

(6) MIHARA – MISSILIS INDUSTRY: WARDRESS

 

Wardress is “a special squad established for the sake of capturing Raptures” – the game antagonist – “they venture onto the surface to capture Raptures alive and have them sent back to the research labs in the Ark.”

She doesn’t do summer but she does as skimpy in BDSM gear. The twist is that she’s the sub to her squad member Yuni’s dom – not sure what that has to do with gameplay. Not surprisingly her variant skins seem to be similarly themed – her Bonding Chain and Pain Eater skins. And whoa – they go pretty hard!

 

ART & COSPLAY (YUMMYCHIYO)

 

She scores the top cosplay Yummychiyo ranking for Yummychiyo’s cosplay of her in her standard or default skin.

 

 

 

 

(7) ALICE – TETRA LINE: UNLIMITED

 

What can I say? I can’t pass up a girl in sensual spandex – particularly when that girl is an allusion to Alice in Wonderland. It’s not just the name – in-game it is also her favorite book, she calls the Commander (you as player) Rabbity, and she thinks she’s on a heroic quest to defeat the Queen of Hearts (the antagonist Rapture Queen – although surely Red Queen would have been better).

 

 

 

 

Not surprisingly she has a bunny girl skin – Wonderland Bunny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8) DOROTHY – PILGRIM:GODDESS / INHERIT

(SUMMER)

 

Her Doro meme character has become something of a mascot for the game but it’s her actual game skins that earn her place here in my Top 10 Girls of Nikke.

Like most of the Pilgrim Nikkes, Dorothy is named as an allusion to fairy tales or children’s literature – in her case Dorothy Gale, the protagonist of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, although I understand Dorothy in Nikke is more like the Wicked Witch under the guise of Dorothy.

 

 

 

 

She has variant alternate skins, both as variants of her standard default skin and as two variants of her Nostalgia skin.

 

 

 

 

And of course she has a summer or swimsuit skin – her Serendipity skin.

 

 

 

 

(9) MAST- ELYSION: AEGIS

(SUMMER)

 

Okay, okay – I just can’t resist a pink pirate bikini so I shuffled Mast in to the top ten. I’m not made of stone.

Like Helm, Mast is a member of the Aegis squad, which I repeat is arguably the most useless Nikke squad within the game as a naval unit in an underground complex – but somehow ends up with not one but two of the top ten Nikkes, including Helm as second top Nikke.

And like Helm, her top skin is her summer skin – that aforementioned pirate pink bikini.

 

 

 

Her standard default skin is reminiscent of Helm’s dress white naval uniform – and both are reminiscent of Azur Lane.

 

 

 

Apart from her red hair as opposed to Helm’s blue hair, her other distinctive feature from Helm is the pirate theme she has adopted for herself – hence her pink pirate bikini but also her Romantic Maid skin. She also has a diver’s suit skin.

 

 

X-TIER (WILD TIER)

 

 

 

 

 

(10) CENTI – MISSILIS INDUSTRY: MIGHTY TOOLS

(SUMMER)

 

Perhaps not the best name for a Nikke squad, the Mighty Tools squad is a construction support unit within the Ark.

Centi rose to prominence as wildcard tenth place entry in my top ten Nikkes not so much for her standard default skin, but for her recent summer skin or Ocean Repair skin – albeit she arguably has two summer skins with her Supreme Holiday skin.

 

 

 

 

And I do like her standard default skin.

 

ART & COSPLAY

 

Her Ocean Repair and Supreme Holiday skins see cosplay from Lupinus Rando and Fufukowa.