While continue our theme of Embracing Equity during Women’s History Month, our series celebrating women, femme-identifying, and non-binary people in the gaming vertical goes on as we shine a light on the power of representation as these gamers share their favorite characters.
We connected with gamers on Fandom’s staff and throughout the community as they shared their perspectives on the power of camaraderie, navigating the gaming community, and some key recommendations. If you missed the previous one, you can check it out here!
This blog features our very own Fandom Stars, Minnichi and LucyKuranSKYDOME!
Minnichi[]
How have games with strong female representation impacted you?
Since I was little, I've loved watching extremely powerful women kick butt in games where they are honestly respected just as much as the males. The impact on me was that I never had to stop and think about if they were being looked down upon or weaker than men and the thought wouldn't even cross my mind.
For instance, in many of the Final Fantasy games only a woman can be a summoner - the one who calls upon beings beyond your wildest imagination and you literally could not win without them. They were respected and regarded with awe and shoot, even I still want to be a summoner. But seeing that really inspired me to consider myself as someone who can be powerful, too
What female-led games or female characters deserve more love/recognition?
On a related note, I think the female fighters in Soulcalibur aren't given enough attention. Even though it is primarily a combat game that's popularly used for 2-player online matches, there is a lot of thought put into backstories and I've seen many guys actually pick some of the female fighters as their favorites because their abilities are THAT good. I remember Ivy being one that means doom if your opponent knows how to use her well. Seong Mi-na and Taki are also special mentions. I know this because my own butt has been kicked by them more times than I can count.
How have gaming communities impacted your experience as a gamer?
I love how you can search up how to get through difficult levels or labyrinths online and answers come up immediately from gamers who share their experiences. It is also wonderful to see how many people record their gameplay and post it on YouTube with this natural tendency to share how they beat levels and won the game. I never feel like I'm at it alone in a game because someone will have solved it already if I'm truly stuck.
Do you have a favorite gaming wiki on Fandom to visit and why?
The Final Fantasy wiki never runs out of amazing things to add about the franchise and highlights many of my favorite female game characters. There is such a wide range of stories and characters that you could spend all day learning about!
LucyKuranSKYDOME[]
How have games with strong female representation impacted you?
I find it fascinating when a strong female character can show how to be both feminine and badass. Games that have such characters have certainly influenced me in a good way because they have demonstrated that one does not have to be small and weak in the traditional sense- there is a lot to uncover that lies hidden beneath the fragile physique.
Women can compete and win, they can fight and defeat their enemies, and they can also be much more than just a pretty face. I believe it is important to know that being a woman does not define who you are, and- for example- if Commander Shepard from Mass Effect can be female and still beat aliens, we can too (not literally, of course). We can make progress at work, we can make our life the way we want it to be, and we can make the world a better place.
What female-led games or female characters deserve more love/recognition?
I also personally enjoyed Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy in the Batman games, and I think seeing more games that focus on them, their relationships with Joker and each other, would be great. I also really liked Mirabel Garlick (the Herbology Professor) from the recent game Hogwarts Legacy. I believe she definitely deserves more love and screen time.
How have gaming communities impacted your experience as a gamer?
Gaming communities are a very weird place. Most of them can be very toxic due to the competitive nature of gaming. However, they can also give the feeling of unity with other players that is sometimes crucial to your experience, at least in multiplayer games.
The communities have taught me how to be more thick-skinned towards toxicity and how to handle various problematic human interactions both in-game and in real life. Not being part of a community makes me feel like there is something missing while I am playing the game.
Do you have a favorite gaming wiki on Fandom to visit and why?
I am biased but I cannot avoid mentioning my Disney Speedstorm Wiki. I worked on it almost alone and still made it qualify to be an A+ wiki, so I am proud of it! But for wikis I am not a part of, I must say that the Hogwarts Legacy Wiki is one of the most beautiful wikis I have seen on the gaming side of Fandom. It is extremely authentic and full of necessary content, so I use it quite often while playing the game because I am curious to learn more, a bit faster!
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