Female characters in gaming

Women in video games is a sensible topic. I once wrote that I think the best way to spark a rational discussion about this topic, would be to show examples, good and bad, of women in video games and whats behind them.

And as a white, straight guy from the middle class, who would be better for that job.

First we need to find out what a strong female charakter is. Because strength has many different nuances. A loving mother caring for her family and securing the future by raising her children is just as strong as a female knight fighting for her country. It's just that not all the different faces of strength are immediately visible.

In the last couple of years we had some strong female characters. Ellie (The Last of Us), Elizabeth (Bioshock Infinte), Lara Croft (Tomb Raider 2013), Nilin (Remember Me), Chell (Portal). And that is just a selection from AAA games. But as a (primarily) nintendo gamer, let's talk about some of their characters.

Princess Peach:

Peach often is used a symbol figure of the damsel in distress trope and in general bad female characters. And it's true, but not because Peach is a bad female character, but because she is barely a character at all. No character in the main Mario games is more than a cardboard cutout. And they don't need to be. It doesn't matter if Mario needs to save Sprixies, Peach, Daisy, his castle or whatever. The Story in the Jump'n'Runs don't matter, because there is barely any story at all. Of course you can criticize this fact, but by doing so you entirely miss the point of the games.

If you want characterization you need to look for the Mario rpgs. And in them Peach isn't just the damsel, even if she often occupies this role there too. But here she often has an active role. In Super Paper Mario and Super Mario RPG she even becomes an active member of your party. Her talking down the smug chameleon in Super Paper Mario is one of the more hilarious video game moments. And if you truly want a great depiction of the princess you should check out the Super Mario comics from Nintendo Power. The nostalgia critic did a great episode about them.

So to make Peach a good character, she would first need to develop a character.

Princess Rosalina:

Now that is good example for a female character.

I know that many of you may now scratch your heads and ask: But doesn't she need to be saved in Super Mario Galaxy? That is true, but why does that make her weak or a bad character? Nobody can do everything on their own. That's why we have specialists for pretty much everything. Rosalina isn't a damsel in distress, but a supporting character. And a pretty great one given the circumstances of the game she comes from. She is the mother of stars. Guiding them while they are still Luma and watching over them. She controls the birth of new galaxies. That is pretty powerful if you ask me. It's true that without Mario she couldn't retrieve the Power Stars, but without her Mario could never reach the center of the universe. Both need each other. Does that make them weak or bad characters? I would say no!

Even her backstory, paints the picture of a strong women. Does she miss her home? Of course she does, but she chooses her new life. As mother of the lumas she holds the future of the galaxy in her hands.

In my eyes she is a pretty amazing character.

Samus (Other M):

This on the other hand is a pretty terrible female character, because she is the opposite of Rosalina. On the first glance Samus seems strong, but at her core she is shown as submissive and weak. I'm not saying that submissive characters are bad, although I wouldn't choose them as my main character, but the dissonance between how the creator wants us to see Samus and how we see her, makes this iteration of her a bad character. The game shows us that Samus, during her time in the galactic federation, was often singled out. Giving thumbs down instead of up and such things. Maybe we should think that this shows her strong spirit, who doesn't confirm to norms, but it just makes her look bratty. We also learn that she holds Adam Malkovich in high regards. Such high regards that she shuts down her own brain completely, when he is in charge.

The truly bad thing about this game is that Samus doesn't show any signs of initiative at all. She only reacts to the actions her male comrades perform. She never acts. But the game still wants us to believe that she is a strong, independent women, when everything it depicts shows in the other direction.

Princess Zelda:

Now Princess Zelda is not ''one'' character. She has many iterations. Some of the them better, some of them worse. My favorite is the one from Skyward Sword and on her I want to set my focus. In Skyward Sword Link and Zelda have a really close relationship. But, and that is the important part, they both have their tasks, which they couldn't complete without the other. Link may be the hero, but Zelda is just as important to defeat Demise. She gives you the time to grow by keeping the Imprisoned locked away. They both need to fulfill their destiny and they both need each other to accomplish that. Zelda in this game is a warm an cheerful character, who outgrows herself with time. Just like Link. They just have different progression paths.

Another good Zelda is the one from Spirit Tracks. Arguably the most ''active'' Zelda. Without her many tasks would be impossible. She accompanies you through the game. Supporting Link all the way till the end. And it doesn't end here. Twilight Princess Zelda is the ruler of her country, sacrificing herself for the best of her country, because she believes that Midna and Link can save Hyrule. In Ocarina of Time Zelda, disguised as Shiek, guides you through the tasks ahead of you. And in Wind Waker Tetra is a badass pirate captain.

Of course at the end of the most games the princess gets captured, and I also would enjoy a break away from this tired trope, but for me it doesn't devalue her character.

Also in the end of most games Zelda plays a pivotal role in defeating Ganon. Because Courage is nothing without wisdom.

This are just four pics from many, many female characters. The game industry grew tremendously in the last years. But it is still a young industry. With time changes will happen, but brute forcing it is not the way.

A game creator should be able to choose whichever character he sees most fitting for the narrative and purpose of his game. And we shouldn't be to quick to jump to conclusions. Just because a girl has big breasts, doesn't mean that she is a bad character.

TL;DR: Big tits ≠ bad character.

and as always

thanks for reading