The King’s Quest and the Bechdel Test Part 1: Character Execution

For my first gaming research category post, I decided to write a piece about something that is dear to my heart. Feminism.

Feminism is defined as the belief and desire for the social, political and economic equality of the sexes. This is something I really want to emphasize because often times people mistake feminism for being just a woman’s movement. It’s more than that because not only do women need the support of men to have social, political and economic equality, but men are affected as well by women’s inequity and gender stereotyping. The stereotypes effecting men that perpetuate men to be unemotional, competitive and uncooperative make it difficult for the opposite qualities in women to be perceived as a normal part of humanity. These opposite qualities are considered weak, and anti-femininity has become the very definition of masculinity. The result? A world full of people less true to themselves, dictated by socially acceptable behavior for their gender rather than people living fully to their own needs, interests, and desires.

Feminism, as my personal definition, I like to define as the notion that women are people. Often times, women are seen as less human in the way that their qualities conflict with a masculine mindset. Born from this problem, there are many stereotypes and problems associated with sexism that keep us from seeing women as people. This is all to do with not only the perpetuated biases in households, but also through the media's representation of women as shallow, sexualized beings. Often times, in movies and video games, remarkable, three-dimensional female characters are often replaced with female characters that are lacking in character development and whose only purpose is to enhance the sexual appeal of the game to appeal to the male gaze.

Many feminist writers and researchers of women's studies have tried to define what makes media inclusive for both males and females. Again, its not about taking away media consumption for men, its about giving women and men media that can represent masculinity and femininity equally.

One of the most interesting ways to define the inclusion of women in the media is the Bechdel Test. This term, coined by Alison Bechdel, is used to determine the meaningful presence of women in movies. In order to determine whether a movie passes the Bechdel Test, it has to fulfill the following three criteria:

1. It has to have at least two women with names

2. These women have to talk to each other

3. These women have to talk to each other about something other than a man

It is surprising how many movies and other forms of media do not pass this test; however, a breath of fresh air in the inclusion of female characters in games is the most recent revamp of the classic game The King's Quest from Sierra and The Odd Gentlemen.

The King's Quest

The most recent production of the King's Quest is easily one of the most incredible games I have played. Not only is the gameplay entertaining and the design of the game stunning, the story and character development are unmatched. The most notable quality of the game is the charming, witty and heartfelt character interactions.

The game has been released in chapters, and so far only the first three chapters of the game have been released. Each chapter of the game follows Graham, a young citizen of Daventry that aspires to be a knight, and eventually becomes the King. In this article, I will discuss the character execution for each character and how the characters of the game are written in a way that makes the game inclusive for both men and women.

Stay tuned for the second part of the article for an overview about how each chapters of the game have feminist themes, the love interests of Graham, and how each chapter fulfills the Bechdel Test.

This article is full of spoilers, please play the game first if you care about spoiling the game.

Character Execution

Main Characters

King Graham

The main protagonist of the King's Quest, Graham, is the unlikely hero. Not only is he young at heart, he is built tall and skinny; hardly the picture of a future king, according to the tropes related to the genre. He is eager and immature, but he has true heart; a quality that they emphasize makes Graham special. Not only that, but Graham is true to himself. True to himself and his quirks; he doesn't strive to portray himself as something that he is not. At one critical point in the game, Graham asserts himself in a faceoff with Manny, one of his fellow knights; in that moment he says “Just as the battle isn't always claimed by the strong, and the race isn't always won by the swift, sometimes the intelligent falter, and I think now is my chance. Now is my time.” Throughout the game, players choose between the virtues of bravery, wit or compassion in their interactions, shaping Graham's identity. In this quote, Graham emphasizes that his inner strength is more important than being strong, swift or intelligent. That those three qualities do not necessarily make a great knight or a great man. This is very contrary to the values of knighthood demonstrated in many fantasy genres and to some extent, contrary to societal norms.

Gwendolyn

The granddaughter of King Graham, Gwendolyn is a strong example of a well fleshed out female character. For any young woman or even little girl playing this game, it is incredible to see Gwendolyn’s spunky and energetic nature as well as her desire for adventure, when she interacts with King Graham. A young girl eager to hear her grandfather's stories, she is inspired by his tenacity and inner strength. Gwendolyn and King Graham's relationship is very equal; no place in the game does he mention to Gwendolyn that she is not able to experience her own adventures and be who she wants to be. He encourages her to dream endlessly and supports her dreams. As a strong influence in her life, Gwendolyn and King Graham's relationship is incredibly unique, as the bond she has with her grandfather is stronger than the bond her cousin, Gart, has with his grandfather. Gwendolyn is fleshed out in such a way that she would make a better leader and heir to the throne than Gart her cousin because she is passionate about her grandfather’s role as king and his stories of Daventry.

Amaya Blackstone

Tough and gritty, Amaya the blacksmith represents the virtue of bravery and strength. Hardly a typical quality afforded to a woman, Amaya is a bold woman of action. She values people who take action and is known for her toughness, her blacksmith skill, and her savvy nature. When Graham chooses bravery as his virtue, his relationship with Amaya takes hold, and she influences him to take action and be the man he wants to be. She encourages him that if he wants to be king he just has to make it happen.

Chester and Muriel

Intelligent and sarcastic, Chester and Muriel the potion shop owners represent the virtue of wit and sharp thinking. In their wise old age, Chester and Muriel favor the most intelligent and smart way of achieving a means to an end. They are logical and they support Graham’s need to be innovative and to have keen solutions to his problems. When Graham chooses intelligence as his virtue, his relationship with Chester and Muriel shapes and they encourage him to always think through the best course of action. Chester and Muriel encourage him to put his head in the game and to find the most intelligent way to rise to the top.

Wente

Warm and inviting, Wente the baker represents the virtue of compassion and heart. He emphasizes to Graham that having heart makes you a strong person. This already is a very interesting concept because having compassion is considered a very feminine trait. Wente supports Graham to be compassionate and understanding when interacting with others, to win enemies to his side with communication rather than wit or bravery. When Graham chooses compassion as his virtue, his relationship with Wente flourishes and he is encouraged to always follow his heart. Wente encourages him to think compassionately and do what his heart tells him.

Side Characters

Each of the male side characters represent a stereotype of masculinity that, as their character develops, you see them overcome.

Acorn

Acorn represents brute strength as a masculine trait. Within the game, his family forces him to be a knight when really he wants to open his own knitting shop. His best friend is a pet squirrel named Princess Madeline of Avalon and he enjoys knitting. Embarrassed by his hobby, Graham reveals Acorn’s hobby to everyone in order to win the challenge of strength. and Graham makes a laughing stock of Acorn. Later, Graham tells Acorn that he can be anything he wants and Acorn learns to walk his own path instead of becoming a knight.

Achaka

Achaka represents sacrifice and fellowship as a masculine trait. Within the game, Achaka is a foreigner and has entered the contest to become a knight. He is the most likely candidate to receive knighthood as he is fierce, able-bodied and skilled in combat. However, regardless of his ability and likelihood of becoming the knight chosen, Achaka sacrifices his life to allow Graham to continue living. Achaka faces the dragon boldly and allows Graham to escape with his life. Achaka’s death allows Graham to realize the gravity of his dreams to become a knight and the sacrifices and dangers that lie ahead for him.

Manny

The antagonist of the King’s Quest, Manny represents the stereotype of intelligence and logic as a masculine trait. Within the game, Manny is the most cunning and manipulative. He uses these traits to befriend Graham while trying to beat Graham to the top. His small stature, and lack of height make him the least likely candidate. But Manny makes it to the last part of the competition and drugs Graham to try and beat him in the battle of wits. Manny will choose the smartest and most cunning choice to get what he wants, regardless of whether it is ethical or not.

Whisper

Whisper represents the stereotype of swiftness, physical fitness and narcissism as a masculine trait. He is incredibly full of himself, and he invites people to dote upon him. He craves other’s attention and he is overconfident in all of his abilities. This character flaw is where Graham was able to overcome him in the test of speed. His motto, “Whisper can do it” is the hallmark of his masculine trait.

Gart

The older cousin of Gwendolyn and the nephew of King Graham, it is apparent that Gart doesn’t really care to learn about King Graham’s journey. Gart is not interested in his grandfather’s stories and often refers to him as getting old and a rambling old man. Gart may possibly be the heir to the throne, but that it is not discussed.

Conclusion

The King’s Quest provides an excellent example of symbolism within their character execution and character development. Each character symbolizes a quality of humanity that defines either masculinity or femininity. The game is a very inclusive choice for both males and females to play.

Stay tuned for part two of this post! Tweet at the blog’s Twitter for any comments on this post and feminism in gaming at @Indiellect

For now indiellectuals, over and out!