Arknights has a thing for cats. Big ones. Small ones. Ones that shoot lasers. But if you’ve spent any time on the Reddit boards or browsing fan art, you know the "lion girl" conversation usually starts and ends with one name: Siege. Or maybe Indra. Or, if you’re into the newer meta, maybe you’re looking at Horn and wondering if she counts (spoiler: she’s a lupine, but the vibe is close).
Honestly, the Aslan race in Arknights is tiny. Like, weirdly tiny given how much weight they carry in the lore. You have Siege, who basically sits on the throne of Victoria, and... that’s kind of the list for a long time. It makes sense though. Lions are symbols of royalty, and Hypergryph doesn't just hand out that "king of the jungle" aesthetic to every random three-star operator that rolls through the recruitment bag.
The Arknights Lion Girl Everyone Remembers
Verna. That's her real name. Most players just call her Siege. She was one of the "launch six-stars," which in many gacha games means she should be totally powercrept and useless by now. Yet, here we are years later, and she’s still the definitive Arknights lion girl.
Why? Because she’s simple. She hits things with a giant hammer.
Siege represents the Aslan race, a feline sub-species in the world of Terra that is literally synonymous with the Victorian monarchy. When you look at her design, it’s not just "ears and a tail." It’s the slouch. The lollipop. The "I’m too tired for this throne" energy that actually masks a Tier-1 combatant.
She isn't the only one though. Indra is the other big name here. Indra is a member of the Glasgow Gang, Siege’s loyal muscle. If Siege is the noble lion, Indra is the street-brawling lioness. She’s a brawler guard, meaning she punches fast and prays for RNG dodges. Getting her is a nightmare for some players because she’s locked behind recruitment tags. You can't just pull her on a standard banner. You need that lucky "Senior Operator" or "Indra/Vulcan" tag combination that feels like winning the lottery.
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What People Get Wrong About the Aslan Lore
People often confuse the Aslan with the Feline race. Technically, Aslans are a branch of Felines, but in the political landscape of Victoria, they are worlds apart. It’s a bit like the square and rectangle rule. Every Aslan is a Feline, but not every Feline is an Aslan.
There's this massive tension in the Arknights story—specifically the Victoria arc—between the Aslans and the Dracos (dragons like Reed and Talulah). The lion girls aren't just there for fanservice or cute ears. They are the literal center of a bloody, decades-long civil war. Siege isn't just a Vanguard who generates DP; she is a displaced heir living in exile with a bunch of street thugs.
The weight of this matters. When you use Siege’s "Skullcrusher" skill, you aren't just seeing a gameplay mechanic. You’re seeing a queen-to-be reclaiming her right to lead through brute force.
Why Siege Isn't Just "Bad Texas"
If you listen to the meta-chasers, they’ll tell you Siege is dead. They’ll say "Just use Texas the Omertosa" or "Flagpipe (Flagbearer + Bagpipe) is the only way to play."
They're wrong. Sorta.
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Sure, if you’re doing a Max Risk Contingency Contract, you probably aren't bringing a hammer-wielding lion. But for 95% of the game? Siege is a comfort pick. She’s tanky. She has an AoE (Area of Effect) stun on her third skill. Her second skill, Aerial Hammer, is basically an automated "clear the lane" button that triggers whenever an enemy gets close.
It’s about role compression. A lot of modern Vanguards are fragile. They generate points and then you have to retreat them before a dog sneezes on them. Siege? You can leave her there for the whole map. She’s a Guard disguised as a Vanguard. That’s the "lion" part of her kit—she doesn't move for anyone.
The Other "Lions" in the Room
We have to talk about Indra because she’s the soul of the Glasgow faction. While Siege is the stoic leader, Indra is the fire. Her kit is built around physical evasion and ignore-defense hits.
Is she good?
In the current state of Arknights, brawler guards have it rough. They have low defense and rely on high attack speed. If an enemy has high armor, Indra just dings off them like a pebble hitting a tank. But against low-armor mobs? She’s a blender. Plus, her relationship with Siege is one of the best written in the game. It’s a bond of loyalty that transcends the crown.
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Then there’s the "lion-adjacent" characters.
Sometimes people call Dagda a lion girl. She’s actually a Feline (specifically modeled after a cat, but with a heavy knight aesthetic). She works with Siege in the Glasgow gang too. If you’re building a "Lion/Victoria" themed team, you’re basically building the Glasgow Gang.
How to Actually Build a Team Around Your Lion Girls
If you want to make Siege or Indra work in 2026, you can't just throw them at a boss and hope. You need synergy.
- The Glasgow Buff: Siege has a talent called "Enforcer" (at Elite 2) that buffs the ATK and DEF of all Glasgow members. This includes Indra and Dagda.
- SP Batteries: Siege’s best skill (Skill 2) relies on charges. Pairing her with someone like Saria or Ptilopsis makes her "spin to win" much more frequent.
- The Module Factor: Do not skip the modules. Siege’s module gives her a massive boost to her DP generation and combat stats. It’s what keeps her relevant in a world of power-crept monsters.
Is there a new Lion Girl coming?
The community is always looking at the "Aslan" tag. In the lore, there are hints of other Royal Guards and distant relatives. But Hypergryph is stingy with this race. They want them to feel rare. When a new Aslan eventually drops, expect them to be a powerhouse. The game treats lions as the "Endgame" of the Feline evolution.
Right now, if you’re looking for that specific aesthetic, you’re looking at the Victorian specialists. The story has moved toward the "Steam Knights" and the messy politics of Londinium. Siege has finally started to embrace her role as a leader, and her newer skins reflect that. She’s gone from the "street punk with a hammer" to "the person who might actually save this country."
Actionable Steps for Players
If you just pulled Siege or Indra, or you're looking to maximize your "lion girl" roster, here is the play:
- Elite 2 Siege immediately. She doesn't really "start" until she gets her talent that grants her SP on enemy deaths. This is the engine that makes her work.
- Invest in the Level 3 Module for Siege. It significantly lowers her deployment cost and increases her damage. In the early game, those few seconds matter.
- Don't ignore Indra's Recruitment. If you see the "Guard" and "DPS" or "Senior Operator" tags, check the calculators. She’s rare for a reason, and she's a great niche pick for 1-on-1 duels against casters.
- Read the "What the Firelight Casts" and "Victoria" story arcs. If you want to understand why these characters are designed the way they are, the lore is essential. It changes them from just "units" to actual characters you want to protect.
The Aslan girls aren't just about high stats. They’re about the history of the game's world. Whether you're using Siege to lane-leak or Indra to shred a scout, you're playing a piece of Arknights royalty. Stick with them, invest in their modules, and they’ll carry you through most of the main story chapters without breaking a sweat.