Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish the game (bummer) in the two weeks I was home. Maybe I could have, but that would pretty much defeat the purpose of being in close proximity with my friends and family. Anyway, upon returning to school, one of my close friends mentioned that he had the game. So this weekend, with the concept of female representation on my mind, I began my journey over again into the Twilight realm.
One of the very first, and very prominent, female characters that you meet in the game is the elvish twilight figure:
Midna
Sarcastic, witty, and passionate, Midna is a refreshing character in the world of video games. Because of her elvish state, it also makes it more difficult for her to be sexualized. She calls upon Link to help her save the Twilight Realm and eventually the kingdom of Hyrule. Her sharp-tongued manner and compassion towards her people and those effected by the evil around them creates a very complex character. On top of being a strong voice and having an important job, she is also incredibly powerful and the only one that can transport link through the different realms and help him defeat important enemies. If only more games contained the strong female representation as reflected through the sharp-tongued Midna.
Appearing only a couple of times throughout the game, but still having an important part, is:
Princess Zelda
Having a more mysterious air about her in this game than in others, Princess Zelda is still an important figure holding important authority. She gives power to Midna and eventually helps Link defeat Ganondorf with light arrows. While she doesn't she show up very often throughout the game, she still holds a position as a powerful ruler, instead of simply standing by or being a pretty face.
Other characters show up throughout the game: a pregnant villager in Ordon Village, a busty bartender named Telma, a young girl friend of Links....
It is east to point out problematic issues in anything, but I would conclude that overall, the female representation and lack of sexualization present in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is admirable, as it shows female character with great power and important tasks.
I love that you decided to focus on the representation and sexualization of women in video games. All too often women are desensitized to the harmful portrayals of the female sex in media and television. It is interesting that you bring up the medium of video games. There are very few video games that feature strong women in prominent roles. When video games come to mind, I would venture to guess that most people think first of games like Call of Duty, Halo, or maybe even Super Mario Bros. As is typical of most video games, none of these games portray strong, important women. Of course there's Princess Peach but she's just a damsel to be continually saved, which doesn't do much to further the progress of gender equality.
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