Sex appeal isn't needed to create badass female characters

When a lot of people think of female protagonists, they often think of buxom babes like Lara Croft or skimpily dressed women like Quiet in Metal Gear Solid. Both of these women are still badasses in their own rights, but their sex appeal is, unfairly, intertwined with how cool their characters are.

But women protagonists don’t need to be sexy to be badass. In fact, it’s the female leads of the games community who don’t adhere to conventional beauty standards that stick out in our minds because they carve a path for themselves free from objectification and sexualisation. This isn’t to say strong female characters can’t or shouldn’t be sexy, but rather they don’t have to be for us to notice them.

We become drawn to them not because of their smashability, but because they’re presented as a fully fledged person rather than a sexualised ideal – they’re tangibly brilliant and markedly flawed, just as all humans are. Take The Last of Us Part II’s Abby, a female protagonist that shows such determination but also heart, her journey one filled with emotional and physical challenges.

To see one of these badass women in action, watch The Last of Us Part II Remastered trailer

Yet discourse is abound when it comes to her character, not least of all because of her looks. So-called fans remark about her build, saying “Her jawline, chin, constant constipated look (that signals that this is not an affectionate woman that can take care of my children) come together to create a look that the majority of men will find unattractive.”

Nowhere in the game does it say you need to find Abby sexy in order for her character to have an impact, yet she’s broken down to this base idea that she needs to be hot. Unfortunately, the same has happened in other franchises, like Aloy from Horizon.

The red headed protagonist has such a broad skill set, burdened with mammoth tasks that would make the most stout of men shrink back in fear, yet her legacy is this: “This is the ugliest character I've ever seen in a video game,” said one gamer. Of all the features of this character to comment on, it’s her appeal that’s discussed, yet it’s the least interesting thing about her.

Arguably, some of the criticism comes from people expecting main protagonists to look a certain way, especially if femme presenting. After all, for years the only format was big boobs and tiny waists. But what of the sidekicks, the NPCs we see eyeing us from the sidelines, what of them? Let’s start by looking at Cere from Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor.

Cere doesn’t adhere to the misconception that women need to be decorated with makeup, have flowing locks, or dress femininely. Instead, she goes her own way, battling her inner demons as she helps Cal along the way. In her unassuming looks is her strength, for she’s allowed to come into her own in spectacular fashion by Survivor’s finale unburdened by sexist ideologies.

Granted, Cere doesn’t remain simply an NPC in the final throes of the game, much to everyone’s shock at the time, thus she’s unique in being able to straddle the gap between main protagonist and NPC. Nonetheless, her badass credentials earn her a place amongst the handful of female leads who’ve challenged conformity and beauty standards by being unapologetically themselves.

These women, and others not mentioned, like Senua from Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and Yuna from Ghost of Tsushima, are memorable because they don’t blend in. They’re vibrantly defiant in who they are, which only adds to their appeal when attracting new players to the games they hail from.