Diversity in characters and Campbell's hero's journey

In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of the need for better representation of women and diverse cultural backgrounds in games and media. While progress has been made, there are still many examples of female characters being sexualized or relegated to secondary roles, and estereotypical representation of diverse cultures. This article will explore the development of female and culturally diverse characters in games and media, taking into consideration Joseph Campbell's concept of the hero's journey. I don’t intend to talk about culture and diversity every week, but as I was writing last week’s article, this theme popped into my mind and I thought it would be worth adressing it. For future articles, I intend to talk about other aspects of creativity and creation.

To be very clear and direct: if you are producing a game about life on the beach in South America, I would expect your characters to have tiny bikinis, as you would see if you were on a beach in Brazil. I have no issues with that. But if you are creating a sword fighting battle game, giving your female characters armours that hardly cover their private parts seem counter productive and unsafe, not to mention unrealistic. The same goes for diverse representation. If your game or media is depicting a certain culture, no matter which, be fair and respectful, research and be truthful about it. I am not a fan of forced diversity and inclusion, as I mentioned in my previous article. But I am a huge fan of freedom and flexibility of creativity, as long as common sense comes at play. I don’t believe diversity needs to be dictated and policed, but it should be learnt and respected whenever possible. With that out of the way, let’s jump into the topic at hand.

Joseph Campbell's concept of the hero's journey is a narrative structure that has been used in storytelling for centuries. It is a pattern that can be seen in many stories, including myths and legends, and it involves a protagonist who goes on a journey of self-discovery and transformation. If you are unfamiliar with Campbell’s concept, it is a very interesting read and I highly recommend it. You will be able to see many loved stories fitting into it perfectly, including Star Wars and Harry Potter. The hero's journey has been used in many games and media, but it has often been applied more to male characters than female ones.

One reason for this is that female characters have historically been portrayed as passive and in need of rescue, rather than as active participants in their own stories. This has been changing in recent years, with more female characters taking on leading roles and going on their own hero's journeys.

One example of this is Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider franchise. In the earlier games, Lara was often portrayed as a sexualized object rather than a fully-realized character. However, in the more recent games, Lara has been given a more nuanced and complex personality, and her story has focused on her own journey of self-discovery and growth.

Another example is Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn. Aloy is a strong and capable character who goes on a journey to uncover the truth about her past and the world around her. Her story is about more than just defeating enemies; it is about her own personal growth and development. Yet another example of character development in games is the evolution of Chun-Li in the "Street Fighter" series. Chun-Li was originally introduced as a highly sexualized character, with her revealing clothing and suggestive poses. However, in more recent iterations of the game, she has been given a more practical and less sexualized outfit, as well as a more complex backstory and personality. This shows that it is possible to change the portrayal of characters and move away from harmful stereotypes.

While there have been positive developments in the representation of female characters in games and media, there are still many examples of female characters being sexualized or objectified. This can be seen in many video games, where female characters are often designed with exaggerated physical features and clothing that is impractical for combat or exploration.

This sexualization of female characters can have a negative impact on players, particularly young women and girls who may feel that they are only valued for their physical appearance. It can also contribute to a culture where women are viewed primarily as objects rather than as individuals with their own thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. This might seem like an old discussion, but unfortunately it is still pretty much the reality. If we use the recently launched movie "Fall" as an example, as two girls climb an old tower and get stranded, the fact that they are both wearing revealing tank tops and that the character who has a social media channel emphasize that she chose push up bra and revealing clothes to boost her viewership. “T—s for clicks,” she proclaims. So not hard to see we didn’t get that far with the media. It was very hard for me to take the narrative seriously, when all I could think was ‘you will climb a rusted structure, full of nails and sharp edges, in the middle of the desert, in bright sunlight and you cover nothing, you protect nothing?’. Hard to connect.

On the misrepresentation side of the discussion, a blatant example is the controversy surrounding Matt Damon's portrayal of Genghis Khan in the 2017 film "The Great Wall." Many criticized the casting of a white actor to play a Mongol leader and the film's overall lack of representation of Mongolian culture. This is just one example of the ongoing problem of whitewashing in Hollywood and the need for more accurate and respectful representation of diverse cultures. Unfortunately, the way Hollywood combats that is by inserting diverse characters in known parts, creating even more controversy and confusion, instead of creating and promoting new, interesting and fully fledged diverse characters for the narratives.

Additionally, when using the hero's journey to develop diverse characters, it is important to recognize that not all cultures have the same myths and legends as the Western tradition that Campbell drew from. It is essential to research and respect the myths and stories of different cultures and incorporate them into character development. By doing so, we can create more inclusive and authentic representations of diverse characters in games and media.

In conclusion, the development of female characters and minorities in games and media is a complex and ongoing issue. While progress has been made, there is still a long way to go. The hero's journey can be used as a framework for character development, but it is important to recognize and respect the myths and stories of different cultures. The sexualization of female characters and misrepresentation of diverse cultures must also be addressed in order to create more inclusive and authentic representations in games and media. And we can do so by showing respect and interest, moving away from forced diversity and inclusion.