Why Breath of the Wilds Princess Zelda isn't a Damsel in Distress

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Warning: This article will contain Spoilers for the Story of Breath of the Wild

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild breaks many conventions of the Zelda series. It's completely open design philosophy allows the player to experience the game completely at his own pace. Wherever you want to go you can go, only hindered by your own abilities and preparation. But as much as some things have changed some stayed the same. The Story is such a foundation. It's basically the same in every Zelda game, and I'm happy about that fact. And while some details may change the overarching plot of good versus evil and the trifecta of the TriForce is always the same.

And this is a good thing. The basic plot will always give you a feeling of familiarity, while the details can change to keep things fresh. The Legend of Zelda with it's different timelines and incarnations of Link, Zelda and Ganon is perfect for such an approach to storytelling.

Breath of the Wild is no exception to this. But with its completely open design the developers faced the problem of portraying the story properly. After all you could easily miss important parts simply by heading in the ''wrong'' direction.

All Open World Games have a problem with linear storytelling. If you're supposed to reach different places in a specific order to not mess up the story progression the game can't be completely open. Twilight Princess and it's semi Open World come to mind. While Hyrule in that game was huge for the time it only opened up piece by piece. So while you had kind of an open World it was segregated by the story progression.

On the other Hand you have games like Skyrim, where you can go anywhere anytime, but because of that the Main Story lacks any urgency. ''Oh no Alduin is back and feasts on the souls of Sovengarde... well first let explore this dwarfen ruin and after that maybe I will...''

Breath of the Wild solved this Problem by putting most of the Story in the past. It is not a perfect solution and the game has definitely some flaws in that department (the weak characterization of Ganon comes to mind), but overall this allows the player to explore the Story at his own pace and leisure and in the end still have a cohesive Story arc.

Well I have writtne a lot already, so let us finally come to todays topic. Amongst the critical praise for the Game one critique did catch my eye. 

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Some of you may be sick and tired of the topic, but I think it's worthy to discuss. Feminist Frequency called out the the fact that once again Zelda needs to be saved by link. They lamented the use of this tired trope. Once again Zelda is nothing more than a Damsel in Distress. Well that is simply not true. But before I talk about the power dynamic between Zelda and Link and why she isn't a Damsel, but a very capable Hero in her own right, let us take a look at her Character Arc in Breath of the Wild. Oh and once again this will contain Spoilers.

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Struggling with herself:

As mentioned earlier most of Breath of the Wilds Story plays in the past. You'll experience this by visiting specific places in the World and unlocking Links lost memories. These cutscenes play 100 Years in the past, shortly before Ganons devastating attack. Via these memories we get to know the four champions of Hyurles races and Princess Zelda. For me this portrayal of Zelda is one of the best and most fleshed out in the entire series. We learn that she is plagued by self doubt. While Link ascended the ranks, became the youngest Royal Knight in the History of Hyrule and drew the Master Sword out of it's socket, she still has to awaken her powers. Zelda can't even hear the voice of the Master Sword. When exploring Hyrule Caslte you can stumble across Zeldas and the Kings diary, which delve deeper in this subject.

We learn that Zelda lost her Mother at the young age of six. This robbed the young princess of her teacher, and even though the King noted that she never cried or faltered during the funeral, it left a huge hole in Zeldas life. Torn between her duty and her inability to awaken her powers Zelda would've needed the guidance of her Mother more than ever. Because of this the young Princess focused on studying the ancient technology of the Shiekah.

This is never outright stated in the game, but I believe this was because of Zeldas fear that she would not be able to awaken her sealing powers. Instead she hoped that the Divine Beasts and Guardians would be able to defeat Ganon instead. This self doubt also shows itself whenever Zelda lashes out at Link. He fulfilled his destiny. He wields the Master Sword. Every time she looks at him he reminds her of her own failure. Through this we get to know a Zelda, who seems much more relatable and human than her previous incarnations.

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Over the course of the story we also see that Zelda grows to care for Link. We see her grow as a person and finally, in her most desperate hour, she manages to manifest her powers to protect the one, who has always protected her. After Link is put to sleep in the Shrine, she then brings the Master Swort back to it's pedestal in front of the Deku Tree. At this time Zelda knows what she has to do. If Ganon is left unchecked he would destroy Hyrule. But she also knows that she alone can't hope to defeat the Calamity. This is clear, when she asks the Deku Tree to convey her message to Link. But when the Deku Tree stops her, telling the princess that she herself should talk to Link, the young women takes heart from this words. Determined she steps into Hyrule Castle alone to fight Ganon. And for one Hundred years she has just done that.

Zelda is a strong personality in this game, not because of that, but because we saw her growth first hand. At least if you collect all the memories. The player can understand her struggle and even if she is somewhat bratty in some scenes, it is all understandable. She is a young women, who has always struggled to fulfill her destiny. But finally she does just that and bravely steps up to defend her land against the Calamity. So where is she a damsel? Let's talk about that.

The definition of Strength:

On first glance nothing has changed to older titles in the series. Zelda is trapped inside the castle with Ganon and Link has to safe her. So she still is a Damsel in Distress? Yes, but only if you don't care to look any further than that. Only with a very superficial view on the game and the Story you could come to the conclusion that Zelda is a Damsel.

First of all the Dynamic has completely shifted. Not Zelda is being held captured by Ganon, but the exact opposite is the case. Zelda is keeping Ganon contained within the Castle, so that he can't destroy the rest of Hyrule. She is there as of her own free will. Sacrificing her own freedom to keep her beloved country safe. This far from Damsel behavior, which is often characterized by the Damsel having no own agency. She only exists to be saved by the Hero.

With Zelda we have a completely different picture. Not only does she has her own Story arc and character development via the Memories, but she also is the one to safe Link and all of Hyrule first. Without her Link would have perished one hundred years ago and the whole land would be destroyed by Ganon by now.

But she still needs to be saved by Link in the end I hear critics cry. Yes that is the truth, but so what? Zelda is no Damsel, but she isn't a Mary Sue either. She has limits. She is not a fighter. Link represents Courage. She represents Wisdom. Link fights Ganon and she banishes him. Both need each other to triumph.

If you're not convinced lets take a look at the situation without Zelda in the Picture. First of Link would've found a completely different Hyrule. Most likely everything would have been covered by Malice and most, if not all, of the Land would be dead. Certainly all other Races would've perished, which means Link would've been truly alone in this destroyed and hostile world. Ganon would've been able to take on his full powered form. Also Link wouldn't have the Light Arrows to fight the monster.

Now lets say despite all this Link manages to defeat Ganon. Without Zelda he would not be able to banish him. Ganon would simply regenerate and attack again until he finally overpowers the Hero.

You see Links and Zeldas relationship is co-dependent. One can't succeed without the other. Link may be able to defeat Ganon in combat, but he can't deal the final blow. Zelda may be able to keep the Beast in Check, but she can't damage it. None of the two is all powerful.

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Zelda is no Damsel in Distress in Breath of the Wild because she is portrayed having her own agency. She has her own story and path. She chooses to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to make Links victory possible.

And lastly I want to mention the true ending. This cutscene is one of the best pieces of Storytelling in recent memories. It only plays when you manage to collect all memories first. In that scene we learn that keeping Ganon in check for 100 years and then finally banishing him has completely depleted Zelda of her powers. She can't hear the voice of the Master Sword any more, nor does she have her sealing powers. But she is ok with that. She has finally come to terms with herself. And she is already looking forward. She and Link will rebuild Hyrule. And now she can finally research the Shiekah technology without any pressure. Even though she fulfilled her destiny there is still a lot more to do. Simply said Zelda isn't defined by her role as incarnation of the Goddess.

Calling this Zelda a Damsel in Distress only shows that you have a very limited understanding of Tropes and Storytelling and/or haven't truly played the game. Either way it is a pretty stupid complaint.

Like I said earlier Breath of the Wild has some weaknesses and is by no means a perfect game (even though it comes very, very close), but its incarnation of Zelda is one of the strongest and best developed female characters in the franchises history. It's just that the game doesn't hand these facts to you on a silver platter, but you'll have to work for it.  

Women in Games

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Women in Video Games is a polarizing topic. Often discussions about it end in claims of misogyny or being a femnazi. All to often, when trying to discuss this topic, it devolves into a shit flinging contest. I think that this is quite a shame, because it deserves better.

Women in Videogames is an interesting topic for many reasons. And while I personally am more a fan of talking about general character building in games, without putting the gender into the equation, today I will, as in the past with these Women in Games post, focus solely on the female side of things.

My main problem with this debate is that all the big players participating, like them or not, are looking at it from a negative angle. I will try to explain this via the example of Rosalina from the Super Mario Galaxy series. Also I'll try to take you to my viewpoint of things, so that you hopefully understand why I don't have a problem with such characters.

Lastly, before we start, let me say that I don't have a problem with sexy characters. I don't think everything is sexiest, everything is racist and everything is misogynistic. I try to look at this Topic from a positive angle, and I hope that you do the same.

The Core Problem:

I think the core problem with the criticism about oversexualization in Video Games stems from this, honestly quite childish, thought that games have to grow up. Well Games have already grown up. Never has the gaming landscape been more diverse. You have a wide arrange of games and genres to choose from. And that is where the problem comes from. The criticism is often generalized between all of these genres, but you can't hold a game like Street Fighter to the same standards than a game like Uncharted. One game strives for realism, while the other clearly doesn't. When taking a look at sexualization in games you have to consider the theme of the game. The way it's portrayed. They frame it's put in. That is something often overlooked, when discussing this topic. So let me explain this with two examples.

At first let's examine the realistic came.

For that we'll take a look at Uncharteds Elena Fisher.

Source:Uncharted 4

Does this look oversexualized to you? Of course not. Just like Nathan isn't.

Source: Uncharted 4

Of course both are beautiful people, but this is a broader phenomena. People like beautiful people as their protagonists. Also you have to realize that Nathan and Elena aren't Avatars for your player. They are their own characters and not a proxy for you to insert yourself into the gameworld.

Games that are build on that idea most of the time offer a character builder, so that you can create your dream hero. No matter how he looks.

I think the simple truth behind beautiful heroes and heroines in any kind of fictional work is that we lust like to see beautiful people. Even if we don't live up to those standards ourselves. In the end they are just fictional characters. Every feature on their bodies has been handcrafted, so it shouldn't devalue how you feel about yourself.

The next argument is that people like Lara Croft or Nathan Drake don't have ordinary bodies. Of course they don't have the body of an ordinary person. Because they aren't ordinary persons. Especially these two spend their lives exploring old ruins, fighting and climbing crumbling stone structures. That's not easy to do, when you are obese. Their lifestyle simply doesn't allow them to be fat.

Never forget that games like Uncharted strive for realism. In games like Overwatch it doesn't matter when a character like Roadhog runs and jumps around effortlessly, but in games like Uncharted it would just seem unbelievable. It would destroy the immersion.

Games not only differ in their genre, but also in the way they try to suck you in.

So in games like Uncharted it absolutely makes sense to have a group of fit and capable people as your protagonists. Anything else would be stupid.

Then what about games like Street Fighter. Because this is clearly sexualized.

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Yes it is, just like this.

Source: Street Fighter 5

You see Street Fighter is a series that doesn't strife for realism. And that is an important factor to consider, when talking about it's sexualization. This games put everything over the top, so of course their characters, male just as female, are over the top as well. It simply fits the mood the game creates.

So is this hurtful? I would say no. First of it's just a videogame and second it's not even a realistic video game. Street Fighter is too far detached from a realistic world.

But, and that is important, everything in this game fits together. Men and Women are pretty sexualized. They don't clash against eachother. And that is why I don't have a problem with Street Fighters characters. Everything in this game is unrealistic. The look and personality of the characters, the physics, etc. The sexuality is woven directly into the core of the game itself, it's theme and frame.

So is the sexualization of women hurtful? Generally no. With characters like Bayonetta, where it is a cornerstone of their personality, I don't see any problem. I also don't have a problem with characters like R. Mika, where the whole game is build as an over the top experience.

And lastly I don't see Characters like Lara Croft and Elena Fisher as sexualized. Yes they are fit and beautiful women, but given their circumstances it makes sense.

That doesn't mean that there aren't hurtful sexualiziations in video game, but they are very few. It's not running rampant, as some people may want you to believe.

So when taking a look at a female character never forget the framing of their game, and never forget that women can have flaws too.

No for the second part of this post, let us take a look at a character from a Nintendo game. And let us take a look at her from a positive and a negative angle.

Princess Rosalina:

Princess Rosalina was introduced to us in 2007 when Super Mario Galaxy released. In that game she took the role of a guide. At least sort of. She watched over the hub world and opened up net areas, when Mario had collected enough power stars. She instantly became a favorite among fans and, while to a lesser extend than Peach, also attracted some criticism. She was just another damsel in distress Princess that needed Mario to save her and her space ship.

Without him she would never get back the Power Stars, which power the Comet Observatory. Of course there is more to it, but for now let us take a look at her from two different angles.

What I want to do now is take a look at different aspects of Rosalina character. Once with a negative mindset and once more with a positive one. So let's start:

Rosalinas Past:

Source: Super Mario Galaxy

Rosalinas backstory is one of the best pieces of Story telling in any Mario game. And I include the RPGs in that statement. It's told over the course of the adventure by Rosalina himself. She reads the Story to her Luma children. All is presented in the style of a childrens book and, to be honest, quite charming.

The Story is that one day a young girl met a lost star child inside a chrashed space ship. The child was looking for his mother, who traveled the stars on a comet. At first the young girl waited with the Luma, but after several years she decided that if the comet wouldn't come, then they had to look for it. Together they fixed the space ship and started their search.

After a while the two of them encountered a comet made of ice and starbits. Lumas mother was nowhere to be found, but the two decided to use this comet as their means of travel from now on.

One night the young girl dreamed of her own mother, and when she awoke her face was wet with tears.

The two searched for a long time, but they couldn't find the Lumas mother. The Star child cried bitter tears, but the little girl said: I'll take care of you. With that a warm spark lit up in the Girls heart.

More time passed and the Girl and the Luma build a house on the comet. It was an awfully big house for only two inhabitants.

Then one day the comet encountered a small planet. And from this planet a Luma emerged. The two Luma started dancing and calling the little Girl Mama. The scene was quite funny to watch and so the Girl started to laugh loudly. At that exact moment many more Luma came forth from the small planet and started dancing around the girl.

After visiting over a hundred comets the girl one day thought to herself if her own planet was still as blue as she remembered. She looked into her fathers telescope and after some searching she found a small blue dot. As she zoomed in, she started to remember things.

She remembered rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she followed her father up the hill to look at the stars...

She remembered how she and her brother would sled down that hill...

She remembered having picnics with her mother on that hill on bright and windy days... And...

The young girl begins to cry, because she feels incredibly homesick. She wants to go home and see her mother, but she knows that she is not there. She isn't out there in the stars either. It's because the girls mother was, from the very beginning, sleeping under the tree on the hill.

More time passed but the sadness of the girl wouldn't go away. That is when the Luma, the first one she met and took in as her child, came to her and said: I will transform into a soaring comet, that can carry you all on this journey.

The Girl watched in amazement as exactly that happened. All of the other Lumas gathered around her and told the Girl that this was their destiny. They would grow up and become Stars, Comets or Planets.

And with that the Girls tears dried up and upon the newly born comet they set out to journey to the girls home planet.

And so the new family of the young Girl continued to grow. She would care for the Star children and once they were ready to leave she would send them out with a smile. And with that the young girl became a Mother of her own.

''But once very hundred years'', she thought to herself, ''I'd like to return home and take a nap in my favorite sleeping nook.''

As you can see Rosalinas Backstory is a deeply emotional tale of a girl coming to terms with the death of her mother and finding a new lease on life. It is a beautiful story of new beginning. So now let us take a look at it.

• Starting with the negative side on things it is a classic tale of a women finding her reason to life in motherhood. It doesn't emancipate the young girl, but rather devalues her into the role a cosmic care taker. It implies that Rosalina isn't capable of dealing with the death of her mother and move on, but instead just becomes a mother of her own. She only finds her peace after accepting this fact. It is not even an active decision, but forced upon her when the Luma danced around Rosalina and called her mother. In the end this tale shows us one thing. You can travel around the galaxy on a comet. You can (probably) experience countless adventures. But you'll only become truly happy, when you become a mother.

• On the positive side of things Rosalinas Backstory is a tale of healing and acceptance. Yes she is a Mother, but she is the Mother of the Stars. It isn't so much a tale about motherhood, but about the strength that a family can provide. The Lumas and Rosalina form a strong bond. And while she clearly misses her old home, which is understandable and never devalued during the story, the company of her family, not her children but her family, is what gives her strength. To me this is a tale of a new start. A tale of letting the past go, without forgetting it.

Rosalinas Present:

Source: Super Mario Galaxy

In Super Mario Galaxy you meet Rosalina during a time of crisis. Bowser has stolen the Power Stars and the Comet Observatory has run out energy because of that. When Mario arrives she asks him to help her. Without the Power Stars they won't be able to travel through the Galaxy and that means Mario is unable to reach the Center of the Universe, where Bowser keeps Peach. Because of that the two form an alliance. Mario will venture out into the different Galaxies and take back the Power Stars and with their help Rosalina will be able to bring Mario to his beloved one. Now let us take a look at this from two angles.

• First of, if we want to look at Marios and Rosalinas relationship from a negative angle, then Rosalina is nothing more than a glorified Damsel in Distress. When you first meet her, the whole Comet Observatory has gone dark. Only through Marios action the light and hope returns. Through the whole adventure she only takes the role of a passive guide. We are told that she is this cosmic caretaker and mother of stars, but without Mario she wouldn't be able to protect her children. In the end Rosalina is nothing more than another damsel in distress without any independence.

• Now let us take a look at her with a positive mindset. On first glance it may seem as if Rosalina is nothing more than a Damsel in Distress, but then this could be applied to any character in any fictional work, who needed help ever. Yes it is true that Rosalina can't get the Power Stars without Marios help. But why is this bad? Mario has spend his life fighting against Bowser and his armies. He is the right man for the job. If you accept the help of someone more capable in a particular field, this doesn't make you weak. I think it makes Rosalina more relatable, that she isn't all powerful, despite being the Mother of the Stars. I wrote it many times before, when talking about Rosalina, but I really like the dynamic relationship between her and Mario. She can't get the Power Stars without him, and he can't travel the Universe without her. Both need eachother to achieve their goals. It doesn't make either of them weak, but instead shows that you'll always can count on your friends to cover your weaknesses. Only together Mario and Rosalina can save the Universe.

Rosalinas Future:

Source: Super Mario 3D World

Now we'll head into speculative territory. What does the future have in store for Rosalina? Well if you take a look at her appearance in Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros. I don't think she will go anywhere in the near future. It's clear that she has become an important part of the Mario Universe and is here to stay.

Maybe she'll even get her own game one day. From all Mario Side Characters I think she would be the one most suited for it.

Also I hope Nintendo keeps the same direction with her, than they did during Galaxy. Rosalina is one of the most fleshed out Nintendo Characters. She has clear strength and weaknesses and is a relatable character. Handled right she could be an inspiration for young girls, and a great character that even adult men enjoy playing as.

So in the end I think we should look at Rosalina from a positive angle. She is a great character and she deserves it.

This is a topic that always sparks some heated discussions. I would like to know your stance on all of this, and if we disagree, then please tell me your opinion. Hopefully it can lead to a good discussion. It's not often the case, but I remain optimistic.

And as always

thanks for reading

My Top 5 Female Nintendo Characters

Well it has been a long break hasn't it? I hope you all managed to regenerate from excessive Halloween Partys or extensive family dinners. I had both and so it took a while for me. After all I'm not the youngest anymore.

But anyways now that October is gone, and with it all the spooky stuff, we can refocus on other areas of the video game world. And with Nintendo Switch on the horizon and the new Pokemon games launching soon there is enough to talk about in the World of Nintendo. Which is why I will completely ignore these two topics for now and focus on something other this week.

For many Youtuber and Blogger November is their theme month. A time where they dedicate all their output to some specific area. Be it ZeldaMonth, Pokemonth or whatever. But I don't like the idea of dedicating a whole month to one specific topic, so instead I will do four theme weeks in November. This should keep the content on the blog reasonably fresh. Hopefully you'll agree.

As you can read in the title this week I'd like to talk about Women in Videogames... again. I'd like to focus on the positive things again, and because of that here is a list of the Top 5 female Nintendo Characters.

A quick reminder about the ruleset. Only one character per franchise. Also the women needs to actually have a character. So no Pokemon Trainers, even though they are great avatars, but only because they allow for the player to fill them with life. Also the chosen characters don't have to be playable. So without further ado let us jump right in.

5: Captain Syrup:

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Now this pic may surprise you because Syrup is neither a playable Character nor a Hero, but that is exactly why she is on this list. She is a great villain and through her appearances she has managed to build quite the character. Ok to be specific she managed to become a great character in Wario Land: The Shake Dimension. But let us start at the beginning. Captain Syrup was introduced in Mario Land 3: Wario Land as leader of the Black Sugar Gang, a group of pirates, which steal stuff, as pirates often do. When Wario lost his castle and riches (which he stole from Mario) at the end of Mario Land 2, he sets out to rebuild his fortune the only way he knows. Working hard and starting a honest and righteous life?
Of course not. Of course he intends to steal his way back to wealth. He sets his eyes onto the riches of the Black Sugar Gang stashed away at Kitchen Island. He manages to beat the leaders of the gang and finally Syrup and robs her of all her hard stolen money.

Of course she retaliates in the same way during Wario Land 2, but our greedy Anti-Hero manages to get everything back, leaving her broke once more.

And now we head to Wario Land: The Shake Dimension. Here she enlists Wario to save the Shake Dimension and promises and endless Coin Sack as reward. We get to know a completely new Captain Syrup. Flirty and sarcastic she manages to wrap Wario around her finger with ease. And in the end, when the Shake King is beaten, she snatches the endless coin sack away from under Warios nose. Because, as we all know, Heroes don't need payment. With this she proves several things. First and foremost she shows her ability to adapt and learn from her mistakes. After getting beaten in raw power by Wario two times already, she instead outwitted him this time. And while being just as self centered as Wario himself, she gets the spoils in the end, so you can't help but to admire her a little.

I really like her as this kind of untrustworthy guide. With only a few short appearances Nintendo has managed to give her a well developed character. She is a smart and ruthless Pirate leader and quite manipulative. Nintendo needs more good villians like her.

Captain Syrup shows you don't need a dramatic or dark backstory and endless exposition to be a good villain. And that is why she is Number 5 on this list.

4: Palutena

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Another entry that owes her place on that list the most frequent game she appeared in. Palutena is the Goddess of Light and the rightful ruler of Angel Land. While she hardly ever engages in direct combat, she is the one that leads her army to victory against the Underworld and gives Pit the ability to fly. Again she isn't a playable character (outside of Smash Bros), but a very important support character and quite essential for Pits success. Without her he literally couldn't fight with his full potential. This becomes quite evident during the course of Kid Icarus: Uprising, when Palutena falls under the control of the Chaos King. Her missing guidance makes the quest to save her quite hard for Pit.

But the main reason, why she is on this list, is simply her great character and wits. It's quite the shame that Kid Icarus: Uprising is such a hard and fast game (not that there is anything inherently wrong with that), but because of that you'll going to miss a lot of the great conversations between Pit and her. If you are able to multitask, or play on a lower difficulty or simply watch them on Youtube, you'll see what I mean.

Despite her warmhearted nature, she often teases Pit and is quite mischievous. Also her play on words, or rather saying common phrases incorrectly, is quite charming. She manages to be a great guide, without becoming boring and one dimensional in the Process. And although Hades calls her Professor Palutena or ''Know-it-all'' Paluten, she never comes across as such. Her natural charm and warm attitude coupled with her playfulness make her a great and entertaining character. If this serves as the blueprint for the modernization of old property I hope Nintendo digs out some more games from the NES and gives them a sequel on an actual console.

3: Princess Rosalina

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From all the entries on this list Rosalina has the most engaging backstory. At least in my opinion. As a young Girl the later princess of the Stars found a young Luma inside a rusted starship. She took him in and together they rebuild the Starship to search for the Lumas mother. While traveling through the Universe she took even more young Luma under her protection and together their starship grew bigger and bigger. Their Home grew... But after countless of days spend in space, when Rosalina and her Comet Observatory pass her own homeplanet the Princess grows homesick. For a moment she forgets about the Lumas, she took under her protection. She forgets about being a mother to them. For a brief moment she just wants to return home... to her own mother.

But she can't return and finally Rosalina comes to terms with the fact that her mother is dead. She traveled space for hundreds of years. In this dark situation the Luma, which she found on Earth so long ago, comes to her and tells her that no matter what happens her mother will always be part of her, before transforming into a comet. This comet allows Rosalina to visit her home every hundreds of years.

I find her backstory really engaging. It shows how she became the cosmic entity that you met in Mario Galaxy, but it also provides a human side to her that everyone can relate too.

But not only her backstory makes her an engaging female character, but her powers and, yes, lack thereof. You see Rosalina and Mario are dependent on eachother. Neither can succeed without the other. I will delve more into this tomorrow, when I talk about her in detail. But for now let me say that the first Mario Galaxy is often regarded as the best Mario Game and Rosalina is a huge part of that.

Oh and she's also the best character in Super Mario 3D World. Prove me wrong. I dare you!

2: Samus Aran

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One of the first women in video games. A proven ass kicker, badass and overall great character. For years she was the epitome of the silent protagonist, allowing you to take in the great atmosphere of her games. And the only reason, why she is not Number One, is the sole game that broke with that tradition. Yes Other M has been lambasted enough over the last years, but it can't be said enough. This game dealt great damage to the character of Samus Aran. It's gameplay was great, but the Story was all over the place.

But let's not focus on the contradictory and bad characterization in Other M, but the great way they showed us Samus before. The Metriod games, bar Other M, are perfect examples of how you can create a strong character with minimalistic tools. From the groundbreaking reveal that Samus was a Women in Metroid, to the perfect step into the 3D space with Metroid Prime, Samus has evolved as a strong and independent women, without uttering a single word.

Especially during the Prime games Retro did a perfect job in characterizing Samus. Most of the time you spend the game in firs-person perspective, but the short moments, where you see your heroine from a third-person angle, they show her with a confident posture. She never hesitates, she never compromises. Her body language shows Samus as a women, who is in control. Even in the most hostile of environments. And that is the reason, why the people love her. So hopefully they return to that image of Samus Aran, which they were showing the last 24 years before Other M.

She deserves it.

1: Princess Zelda

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Of course it's not Peach.

Zelda hat it quite easy in regards to her competitors because she isn't a single character. But to her defense I have to say that I like nearly each incarnation of Zelda in the last decade. She is a versatile character without limits. From the stoic ruler in Twilight Princess to the tomboyish Pirate in Wind Waker to the young Women following her own Path in Skyward Sword. Each iteration of Zelda has brought something special to the table.

And it doesn't matter that she ends up as damsel in distress at the end of nearly each game. It's a simple truth that there can only be one Hero in a classic story. And while I think Zelda is more than capable of being the Hero of her own story, and I would welcome a spinoff with her as the protagonist, in the end the role of hero falls to Link.

But just like with Rosalina and Mario, Link can't succeed without Zelda. In each and every game the Princess plays a vital role in preparing Link for his final battle with Ganon.  Like I said each Princess Zelda brings something new to the table, and each princess Zelda keeps the franchise fresh. And because Link will most likely always remain a blank slate for the player to reflect upon, the tough duty of carrying the Story of the Zelda series often falls to her. And so far she has carried that weight graciously.

Reducing Princess Zelda, any Princess Zelda, only on her role as damsel in distress doesn't do the character justice. There is so much more to her than that. And that is what we should focus on.

Agree with my choice? What female Nintendo characters do you enjoy the most? Let me know in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading

Women in Games: Sylvia Christel

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I thought I'd surprise you today with a topic I haven't talked about in a long while. While most of the buzz surrounding Women in Games has died down quite a bit, the clickbaity nature of this topic raises it's ugly head form time to time.

I consider myself to be part of the camp that values freedom of expression higher than any kind of political agenda and I can accept if a game is not meant for me. Sadly it seems that I'm the minority in this case. But I don't want to go on complaining about the more and more self centered nature of todays society.

Instead let us talk about something positive. There are many ways to approach the topic of women in video games. Many choose the route of complaining about things they don't like, which often ends in simple uninformed bashing of a character.

I want to talk about positive examples. Or at least examples, who I deem positive. Now you may disagree with me on this and that is your right to do so, but I hope we can keep this whole thing civil.

As I said with my post on Bayonetta and why she is a great character I'm pretty sex positive. That's why I don't have a problem with female characters, who openly live their sexuality. I don't think they are devaluing women nor harm the picture of women in any way. But I also think that such a behavior needs to fit the character. In other words I don't think that a shy girl should wear slutty clothing, even if it's an optional costume, but when Bayonetta rocks her High Heels I don't have a problem with it.

So in that light today I wanted to talk about another cool female character, who is great, interesting, sexy and integral to the games plot. So let's talk about Sylvia Christel from No More Heroes.

Unknown, Arrogant and Amazing: 

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For anyone who has never heard of No More Heroes before let me quickly recap the plot. One night after the brutal murder of his family Travis Touchdown is approached by the mysterious Sylvia Christel, who tells him a way out of his grief. She convinces Travis to try becoming the Number 1 Killer in Santa Destroy and then sweetens the deal by promising to sleep with him if he achieves that goal. What follows is a great and surreal Story about School Girl Assassins, Magicans, Irish Twin Brother and Killer Grandmas among others.

And tieing all this madness together is Sylvia Christel. She is your motivation. Your goal. And she is an awesome female character. If you only look at her appearance and don't delve deeper into her character, you'll probably get the impression that she is a standard fanservice character. I mean just look how she dresses. That's horrible and only serves to attract the male gaze. Am I right?

Of course not.

While there is no arguing that Sylvia is a very sexy character and is often seen in situation, where she serves as eye candy, she is also much more than that.

Yes Sylvias look is designed to appeal to horny men because that is exactly her goal. She knows that men like Travis are easily manipulated by a beautiful women. Her appearance is empowering, because she deliberately uses it to her advantage. She knows that men, who think with their penis, are easily controlled and she uses her looks to achieve that. That is also the reason the camera often pans over her jiggling breasts or ass. Travis is a pervert. A likeable pervert, but still a pervert, and as the games protagonist the camera mimics his gaze.

By criticizing Sylvia on the basis of her looks alone you remove her character from the equation and, in the end, only devalue her and reduce her to an object. Yes Sylvia is a very sexy and sexual character, but again there is nothing inherently wrong with that.

Another thin I truly like about Sylvia is that she is no saint. She lies, cheats and steals for her personal gain. Still she manages to remain likeable. I like such grey characters and find it refreshing if a women is allowed to have such a character. This still happens too rarely, which is a damn shame. As long as we don't stop labeling characters instead of looking at the whole picture this won't stop.

Sylvia Christel is a great character, she is intelligent, sometimes ruthless and always sexy. And she uses her looks to her full advantage. And yes she often wears revealing outfits, but it's justified via her character and the games story.

She is a great female character in video games and if you don't like her I would be happy to hear your arguments. But if it only boils down to big tits on a fictional character harm the self worth of women, then there is not much self worth to begin with.

And if you don't like such characters and feel like they hurt you in any way or form, the solution is simple. Don't buy games with big breasted women and instead let the rest of us ''perverts'' enjoy them.

While the ending maybe was a little harsh, I still would like to hear your opinions on Sylvia Christel or the topic in general.

And as always

thanks for reading

Women in Games: Bayonetta

Who wants to talk about women in games?

So Anita Sarkeesian released a new video some time ago. It's not part of her Tropes vs Women in Videogame series, which is two years overdue and still only halfway done, but instead it focuses on positive examples of females in video games. And her selection is... interesting. Sword and Sorcery is a retro styled indie game. I haven't played it so I can't say anything about it's quality, but I don't think it is a good example. To put it simple, a good female character can't have a character. Because that's what the main protagonist of the game is. It has no characterization. While this may be one way to approach a game, it isn't the one I prefer. Yes I'm a person who puts Gameplay above Story, but if I get a Story, I'd rather have a good and engaging one. Now this can also be achieved with a blank character, but it limits the possibilities. Men and Women can achieve the same things, but there are a lot of differences between the two genders. I simply would have preferred if a female protagonist with an actual character would have gotten the spotlight. Oh and to make things clear. I think this topic is interesting and worth a discussion. That's why I'm not a friend of Anitas way of approaching this topic and that's why I'm not a fan of every gaming outlet hanging on her every word. This topic deserves better.

But let's get to the main point of this post. Bayonetta. She's a great female character leading two great games. And I don't have the slightest problem with her sexual presentation. Because it's not sexist. But why don't I see this as sexist?

Because it fits Bayonetta. Everything about how she is portrayed and how we get to know her, tells us that she is a sexual person. Now if you think that her character is sexist then, I can't argue against that, but with that viewpoint you just say that sexuality is bad. Showing your sexuality and enjoying it is bad. And I don't agree with that. Bayonetta is portrayed as a strong, capable women, who just enjoys her sexuality. And I don't see a problem with that. It also doesn't matter, who designed her (it was a women by the way), but how her character interacts with the story and the gameplay. And in that regard there isn't any contradiction. Of course she could approach everything more toned back, but why should she?

Some people may argue that she was solely designed for males to enjoy, but I think that is the wrong way of approaching this. It certainly applies to many characters in videogames that they are designed to be eye pleasing, but whats wrong with that. Bayonetta was designed as a strong, capable women, who enjoys her sexuality and everything in the game is a consequence of this. And of course she is eye pleasing. Just like nearly every other protagonist in mass media. We like to see beautiful people and why should that be wrong?

Now if you think this is a problem, then I truly pity you, because you live in a society, which must make you puke every second. And Bayonetta should be your last worry.

I guess what I want to say with this post is that there is nothing wrong with fanservice and the portrayal of sexy women. If it fits with the story, game and characters. A girl, which is portrayed as rather shy and shut in, wouldn't work with skimpy clothing. Of course there is lots of that in media, but here I agree with critics. That is just dumb fanservice. Fanservice done right is, again, Bayonetta. Because it enhances her character, instead of degrade it. It doesn't seem out of character for her. And once again I can just say, that if you have a problem with this, then I guess you have a problem with sexuality in general. A strong confident women has many layers. She can kick ass and still be fashionable. She can be strong and still enjoy showing of her body and her sexuality. She can save the world, but still have flaws.

Everything in Bayonetta is over the top. The Action. The Scenery. And also the Sexuality.

I see nothing wrong with that. By making every women character a projection of all women, we severely limit the potential of a whole gender. The actions and portrayal of one women should never represent all. Especially when she is just a videogame character. Not all women are heroes. Some are villians. Some are cowards. Some enjoy their sexuality and some don't. They are straight, lesbian, transgender... They are diverse. But by trying to fit every character into the small window that some people deem to be acceptable, we don't do this industry any service.

And for that I hope that we continue to get awesome female characters like Kinzie Kensington (Saints Row), Bayonetta, Rosalina(Super Mario Galaxy), Samus(Metroid except Other M), Jade (Beyond Good and Evil), Seiren (The Last Story), Jill Valentine, (Resident Evil), Sylvia Kristel (No More Heroes), and many more.

So what's your thoughts on this topic? Let me know.

And as always

thanks for reading

Source of all pictures: Nintendo

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