Caroline Vegter
Nov 4 · 3 min read

Tex’s Contribution To The Strong Female Image

Red vs. Blue, a series created by the entertainment company Rooster Teeth, is a show made up of predominantly male characters. In the form of various colored Halo soldiers, these characters are written to bring an element of comedy to the popular video game through clever dialogue and often crude humor. Although the show is overwhelmingly more comedic than dramatic, at least initially, one storyline that brings intensity as well as a major cultural transmission is that of Agent Texas, a female freelancer that is introduced during the initial seasons of Red vs. Blue, “The Blood Gulch Chronicles”. As viewers follow Tex through the extensive seasons of Red vs. Blue, her actions and personality traits make it plain that she is setting a new example of the power a woman can possess. Tex is an especially pivotal character of the series during season 8, made up of episodes in increments of about 5 minutes. Considering each season to be one large episode allows for better analyzation of her character altogether. This is important when understanding just how impactful she is on the perception of the female gender. Tex is a remarkable glimmer of change in the way women are portrayed in the media, whether it be on a fictional mission through the Halo galaxy or in a more realistic situation.

The first we see of Agent Texas in Season 8 is her legendary fight with the Reds and Blues, as she successfully breaches security and proceeds to pummel each and every male character on their respective teams; aside from taking care of Caboose, the lovable dark blue soldier in the control room who attempts to distract Tex and fails, she dominates the fight without so much as a scratch on her armor. It is important to note that Texas is widely known as the most efficient, dangerous, and skilled agent in the show, surpassing all male characters by a landslide. The only agent who can possibly compare skill-wise is Carolina, another female character in Red vs. Blue. Rewarding the female leads with grit, sensibility, and strength is a relatively new concept in the media and reflects the changing times. Women don’t have to be weak and powerless any longer, let alone forbidden from the battlefield. Red vs. Blue showcases that they can actually prove to be useful in a fight, both mentally and physically. Even more importantly, that fact stands whether they’re contending with men or not. Agent Texas’ dialogue is also worth addressing. Tex and her “boyfriend” (it’s complicated), Church/the Epsilon unit, are discussing why she beat up all of the guys that have just woken her up. She reacts to the question by sarcastically commenting, “Ohh what are they gonna do, cry? … They just got in my way, it’s not my fault they can’t fight”. This is just one example of the way Tex communicates with her fellow comrades. Giving her that hard exterior and determination conveys the message to the audience that she can not only make jokes at the expense of her own gender, but she can also hang with the boys. Tex makes it possible for people to see a woman who is more authoritative than any man, and encourages them to get comfortable with a female in a control.

Agent Texas is more than just a girl in a sea of guys in Red vs. Blue. Her and others like her have the ability to transcend their gender’s role in the media. They have the ability to open the minds of those watching and help them get better acquainted with strong female figures. They have the ability to encourage women to come forward in our reality, to take a page from their book, and dominate as they do. And if the creation of a character in a show based off of Halo is one step of many towards that reality, I’m all for it.

#knightsmediaanalysis #redvsblue #femaleempowerment #bowchickawowow

    Caroline Vegter

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