I’ve been having a great time playing Starcraft 2’s campaign this week – I was really bummed to only get one mission done last night but I had some trouble with it and had to restart. Sure, I’m playing easy mode but I still feel like I’m playing the game.
Anyway as we’re getting flashbacks and cinematics explaining who Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, is, and what’s she’s up to, little “this seems familiar” bells are going off. Powerful female warrior, risks everything in defense of her cause, then defeated, left to die – but no, it’s worse, instead she is transformed into what she most hates and becomes the embodiment and leader of it? Hmmm. Sylvanas, is that you?
Now some Forsaken loyalists may accuse me of being unfair with my further characterizations here but bear with me.
I’m a writer. I work on novels sometimes (like in November; plug for http://www.nanowrimo.org, National Novel Writing Month). I’m totally into characters and characterization, and I’m loving Starcraft for the amount of character interaction they put into each little cut scene. Each character is recognizable and different and the way Raynor interacts with everyone on his ship is great – each interaction is slightly different. He doesn’t talk to his old friend the way he talks to a new ally. It’s awesome.
So why, oh why, are the very few female roles so – well – weak? I’m not talking about how apparently women are medics or fly med transports (or, yes, the Banshees. Yeah.) Or the way the medics speak – dripping with innuendo even in innocent lines. Whatever. The Thor sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger; they’re not going for realism.
So far in Starcraft, I’ve encountered three females: one mercenary who I had a mission to pay off (she was creepy as hell and hasn’t been seen since), the aforementioned Queen of undead Blades, and a scientist chick who I had along for a while. Now, when it came time for her to leave, I had a choice of missions and I picked the one that lead to her [spoiler!] getting turned in a zerg and killed. So that doesn’t help my perception of the game so far.
Then look at World of Warcraft. I can think of precisely two female leader-hero type characters: Sylvanas and Jaina. Jaina may not be a victim-villain-bitch, but she’s not much to recommend her sex either. We’re talking about a character whose defining characteristic is “I used to date Arthas and I abandoned him at Stratholme and feel guilty as hell about it”. Realistic character? Maybe so; I think feeling guilty is reasonable and I liked Jaina just fine up until the Halls of Reflection, where she went all angsty -“No, I must know if he can be redeemed!” Since then, I’ve seen her once, showing up after we kill Saurfang and being Varian’s cheerleader-slash-mommy, simultaneously patronizing the leader of the Alliance and demeaning herself.
Where are the women with stories as complicated and interesting as Thrall, as Tirion Fordring, heck, even as compelling as Thassarian or Varian Wrynn?
My guess is it just doesn’t occur to the writers that there’s anything missing. Kerrigan, Sylvanas and Jaina are all powerful women. They lead factions or movements, wield power, stand toe-to-toe with male counterparts, yes – but as characters, they are ridiculous caricatures. And they don’t have to be. Blizzard does an awesome job creating stories in a medium that doesn’t lend itself to real character development. You’ll never confuse Thrall with Garrosh, Tirion Fordring with Darion Mograine – so could they take just a little of that ability, maybe talk to a woman or two, and create a woman who isn’t a victim?
Or am I just being overly critical?
Didn’t you know….all zerg’s are female? ;)
And I still think Jaina is hot…. :o
If the zerg are all female, that makes my case even more, thanks :0
Jaina is interesting, but I just want to tell her to grow up and graduate middle school already.
I believe its too soon to judge Kerrigan. For one… most of her story is told in SC 1 and brood war. You haven’t played through sc2 yet… so I won’t spoil the ending… but lets just say the next expansion for sc2 is going to be very VERY interesting and will revolve around kerrigan. I would be highly surprised if you feel the same way about her after the zerg expansion is done.
Having read the Arthas book… I love sylvanas’ story… while Jaina I still find annoying and this is coming from an alliance player.
Most of the other women in wow fall into some pretty harsh stereotypes as well They are either the root of all evil (lady vash, queen azshara, BQL) or intend to be good but make really really stupid choices; garona assassinating king wyrnn, Tyrande letting illidan free, medivh’s mother by facing sargeras alone and getting corrupted.
As far as the actual units in SC2… well I can see why they wouldn’t want to make a female marine, or firebat, etc. It might be construed a little gender biased but no more than our armed forces IRL. Most women in the military are pilots or support personnel and I believe are flat out excluded from becoming marines (due to physical constraints more so than gender).
Reversion’s sister, who was one of the first women to pilot jets for the marines, might disagree with you there ;-p Not totally disagreeing, but the stereotypes are silly. The thing is, stereotypes exist because there is some truth to them, but not necessarily the whole truth.
I’ve played through SC1 and parts of Brood Wars so I do know Kerrigan’s story is complex but the basic story – converted into what she hates – making her a victim as much as a villain – is the same as Sylvanas and both are a bit weak for my taste.
True… but Kerrigan’s story makes a big twist! I assure you… finish the game and you will see what I mean :D
But even with twists it is still the same basic framework as Sylvanas. I do hope they do more with her though. Thanks for not doing spoilers. I have been waiting to finish the campain until Analogue catches up with me. (though the artbook has mostly spoiled it for me)
I hope they have a good enough setup to give the second part of SC2 an instesting campaign. This first one was so rich in characters and story. I am having a hard time imagining how they can make a Zerg campaign as interesting. I know they will do it pretty well, but all the nuance and richness of the character interaction in this one… well that will be hard to match unless there are a good number of humaniod personalities in the zerg campaign. Overlords clicking and growling at each other will just not be as fun.
Any thoughts on Maiev Shadowsong or Tyrande?
Well, they’re in lore but haven’t been very present in this expansion. Maiev is, again, a woman defined entirely by her relationship with a man – Illidan in this case – and really not a particularly positive character. She comes off a bit like a parody of a man-hating lesbian. Tyrande is…. basically nonexistant, again defined by her relationship with Illidan and Malfurion. I’ll withold judgment til Cataclysm as I think her part will be beefed up a bit.
To be honest though, I always remember the female characters more than I remember the male ones. And I don’t even like boobies that much. I’m more enfatuated by women with power in the game as to me I’m like, “dude, she must be pretty serious to be in that position.” Men being in command is so bleh. I had no idea who the leader of the dwarves or humans was but I knew both Sylvanas and Tyrande (I didn’t play an undead either). I guess even if there are fewer women lore figures, I’m more likely to remember who they are and why they are important over another Captain McSquareface.
Blizzard does a really good job of making them memorable. I’m just not sure being memorable as “Arthas’s ex girlfriend” or “that undead bitch” is the most flattering description…
Okay, that made me laugh. He he, though I’m not sure I’d refer to Jaina as Arthas’ ex. I really do think of her as her own entity and her role in peacemaking with Orcs rather than her times with Arthas, she was good to dump the bag of bones, I was like, “Good for you Jaina! You can do better!” Ha ha. :P
Oh shizzle, infatuated with an “e”? Terribad.