War of the Sexes

by Wisdom

Original Editorial: Wanted: Leading Ladies

It would be unfair to say that female gamers have a plethora of games from which to choose. Being a market dominated by men, the industry caters to its consumer, and the end result is a body of games characterized with male character leads doing decidedly "male" things--that is, actively engaged in the destruction of something or another. As Temple Priestess noted, the RPG genre suffers from the same problem, but her identification of the problem itself is something I call into question. There is a noticeable lack of female "leads," but I do not feel this is what Temple Priestess is lamenting, nor many other female gamers with whom I've discussed the problem. Most female gamers do not want a "female" lead; they want a "male" lead in female form: that is, a woman who is stronger than all of the men in the game in all things that have hereto been defined as "male." (I.E. A female soldier who can kick the crap out of any male soldier, despite the ridicule she faces from the "male" counterparts.) To me, not only is that inherently insulting to the female sex, but it sets a dangerous precedent for any sort of progression in the genre as a whole, because it sets the two genders in opposition.

Before I go any further, let me draw a bit from the editorial in discussion to display my point. I quote:

"The 'main' female character is usually someone who is either a love interest to the male lead and/or has to be rescued (think Aerith, Rinoa, Garnet, Yuna). Wouldn't it be a nice change of pace to have the princess rescue the prince, so to speak?"

(I want to make note of the characters she mentions, namely Aerith and Yuna. I'll bring this point to fruition later, but I wanted to bring it to bear for a moment.) The last line of the quote in particular proves my point: we're not talking about a real change in the form and function of games; we're talking about role reversal. Let's make the prince the princess, and vice versa. How does that provide a female lead in any way, shape, or form? All we're doing is placing a "female" in a "male" role and calling it a change of pace; in essence, we're giving the "male" role breasts. Now, please understand that I realize her underlying point is that she is tired of seeing the female role in RPGs constantly reduced to love interests or creatures constantly in need of rescue. I do not call that point into question: it's a very valid one. But her alternative doesn't solve the problem of gender inequality in RPGs: if anything, it exacerbates it, by suggesting that the only way a woman can be a strong lead is if she imitates a man. What good is a female lead that does the exact same thing as a male lead? How can the inclusion of female genitalia on a character model incur a real change in the form of RPG leads, if all she's doing is filling a previously "male" role?

Now, for the specific instances Temple Priestess pointed out. (Aerith and Yuna.) I think these two characters are prime examples of female leads that have defined their own niches, although Aerith is much less developed than Yuna is. (Yuna is probably the strongest female lead I've seen yet.) First, it's necessary that you understand that in the games in question, FFVII and X, they are the main characters. The characters you control in-game--whose thoughts you are privy to--are the narrators, not the leads. Final Fantasy X is a story about Yuna: about her quest to become a summoner, and her struggle to defeat Sin, because she's the only one who can do it. (Or so she and everyone else believes). It's not about Tidus: he happens to be along for the ride and, like the other characters you control, plays a pivotal role in the development of the story. The same goes for Cloud: he's an important character, but the story is about Aerith. She's the reason the game begins at all: JENOVA's after her, ShinRa's after her, hell, the Lifestream is after her! So it's important to make a distinction here: Temple Priestess's rhetoric and the examples she provides present two conflicting arguments. One asks for more "female" leads, the other asks for more "female" narrators. Either are valid requests, but the way she characterizes her examples is totally unfair. I think Aerith and especially Yuna are fantastic examples of truly feminine characters who are distinct from their male companions and more admirable for it.

I will start with Aerith, because I believe her to be the less developed of the two. She is the last of a race that has died out, living in a city that is dedicated to the destruction of the planet. Let's not forget that as Cetra, she not only is sworn to protect this planet that is dying, but she suffers with the planet as it is drained. Already Aerith has a generous helping of inner turmoil. Many criticize her for being to "airy," and playing into a stereotype that makes light of women. There's truth to this, I won't deny that, but how should she act? She knows the fate of the world rests solely on her shoulders and her ability to invoke Holy. Would it be more appropriate if she sagged with depression and angst for the duration of the game? Instead she meets the challenge bravely, and goes to the Temple of the Ancients alone, because she does not want to risk the lives of her friends. But because she is the weakest party member physically, and because she acts too "girly," many female gamers reject her outright. Because she's not a man in female form, she's not strong enough of a lead. I won't press this point too strongly, because in some ways Aerith is trivialized in Final Fantasy VII, and she's most certainly not the most ideal female lead. But she's a far cry ahead of most female characters in RPGs.

As far as Yuna is concerned, Temple Priestess makes a grave error. Yuna is the most impressive female character I've ever seen, one of the best leads I've seen in any video game, and second only to Auron in terms of in-game complexity. (Auron's a masterpiece of a character, but we won't go into that here.) Yuna's life is far from easy. She loses her father 10 years prior to the start of the game, when he sacrifices his life to provide ten years of peace to a world consumed by turmoil. She grows up believing her destiny is to sacrifice herself in like fashion, despite the protests of her closest friends. Take a minute to think about this. Yuna spends the entirety of her life preparing to die. She does nothing for herself, to the detriment of those that love her. Lulu and Wakka are infuriated when she decides to become a Summoner, but Yuna does it anyway, because she believes it's her duty. So what if she needs guardians to protect her? So did Braska; so did every Summoner before them! That's the nature of the path she walks. If her story were only that of a privileged girl who falls into the arms of her captors repeatedly and then awaits rescue, then Temple Priestess would have made a valid point. But that's not Yuna's situation at all. She is captured because her guardians are weak, not because she is, and she cares too much about them to risk their lives by defying Seymour. And she rescues herself from Seymour's grasp with her own powers once she realizes her friends are safe. Where is the weak "female" in desperate need of rescue? Again we see this double-standard rear its head, this paralyzing belief that a woman is not strong unless she imitates a man. Yuna is very female and stands on her own perfectly well. She does not need to wield a sword or best a man in hand-to-hand combat to assert her strength. She does not need to "rescue the prince" to prove herself: there doesn't need to be anything "male" about her for her to carry the storyline. It is painfully obvious, from the beginning of the game, that she is stronger than any of her companions. It is her will that sustains her guardians. And to say that she is merely Tidus's love interest is a gross understatement of what that relationship signifies. If anything, Tidus is Yuna's love interest, not the other way around! Yuna's decision to continue with her quest, rather than remain with Tidus, says so much more about her than it does about him. Arguing that Tidus rescues Yuna from the fate she's resigned herself to is naive: Yuna makes he choices of her own volition, and when an alternative presents itself, she is hesitant because she doesn't want to endanger those she loves. How could anyone possibly say these are the actions of a weak person? Yuna is a fantastic "female" lead, one gamers everywhere should be proud of because she's a startlingly well-developed character, and a testament to the telling power of the RPG genre.

I want to make sure that I've made one point clear: I am not attacking Temple Priestess's request for leading ladies. I'd be more than happy to see a thousand games with female leads or narrators. What I am wholeheartedly against is the idea that a woman must fit into a male role to be considered a valid character, because it implies that the only real strength is male strength and a woman's worth is measured in how well she can perform under male standards. So before any criticisms or rebuttals start flowing into mine and the Editor's mailbox, make sure you understand exactly what I'm arguing: I want female leads and narrators. This doesn't mean a female character shouldn't be combat-proficient or able to defend herself. Hell, the female can be the best warrior in the world! But if the game only focuses on reversing the roles--on presenting some "badass chick" who can kick any man's ass at their own games while touting "gurrrl power"--then all it's doing is reinforcing the idea that the only real form of strength in the world is that which men possess. In effect, you're not giving me a female character, you're just giving me another man, except this one has breasts.*

*: Not to imply anything derogatory about breasts.

Author's Note: I am currently in a foreign country, so my reply to any e-mails or flames may be delayed. Please do not think I'm ignoring you: it's insanely hard for me to get online for extended periods of time, so any responses I give will take time to get out there.