Last entry, I talked about how the Damsel in Distress can be used wrong in gaming by showing how Joe and Mack used the trope as their back story. I argued that they used the trope wrong because they turned their female characters into precisely what feminists claim is wrong with the trope: objects to move the story along, trophies to be collected. This is wrong because the Damsel in Distress is part of a Heroic Narrative, of the hero risking life and limb for someone else. But as I said before, the trope is a tool for story telling, and just as it can be used wrong, it can also be used right. Today, we look at a game that made great use of the Damsel in Distress trope: Lunar.
A man with long, white hair, piercing red eyes, pale skin, and an obviously snobby voice could not POSSIBLY be a villain in an RPG! Why, that's inconceivable!
The third of five different versions, and in the eyes of many, the best.
The story of Lunar is a true classic, even if the remakes do tend to, in one way or another, add or remove some details. For the sake of simplicity, I'll be following the Playstation version of the tale.
In the tiny village of Burg is a boy named Alex, who dreams of travelling the world and becoming a Dragonmaster, a special type of Knight who directly serves the Goddess of Lunar, Althena, while wielding the power of the Four Dragons. Every day he visits the grave of his hero, the previous Dragonmaster, Dyne. One day, his best friend, Rammus, goes to him and tells him of a plan: go to the local Dragon Cave and get a huge Dragon Diamond, worth quite a fortune. Alex agrees. His girlfriend, Luna, insists on coming with them, to keep the two boys out of trouble.
Alex, Rammus and Luna find the diamond after meeting the White Dragon, Quark. The trio decides to head back to Burg to sell the diamond, but find that no store in the entire village could afford such a jewel. In order to sell the diamond, the trio would have to go to Meribia, richest city in the world, and find a merchant that could afford the rock. Rammus, Alex and Luna recognize the opportunity for what it is: a chance for Alex to travel the world and become the Dragonmaster.
The trio travel to the port city of Saith, where they will take a ship to Meribia. Sadly, the captain of the ship lost his key, and so the trio must get it back. So the trio travel towards the Witch's Forest, meet a magician named Nash (who was caught under the dumbest trap ever), get the key, and bring it back to the Captain. Luna wishes to stay behind and return to her quiet life in Burg, but her eyes betray her true wishes- to be with Alex during his journey. As soon as the ship departs, in what can only be called one of the best scenes I've seen in a video game, Alex races across the deck, begging Luna to come with him, because without her by his side, his adventure, his dream, mean NOTHING. Luna agrees to go with him, leaps towards the ship and grabs Alex's hand.
In the PS1 version this was a wasted opportunity, because the scene was done using the in game sprites. They should have made an animated cut-scene for this moment, because of how fantastic it is.
The trio head to Meribia, and after some wild hi-jinks, they manage to sell the Diamond in exchange for a store. Rammus decides to stay behind and tend to the store, justifying himself by saying he would only hinder Alex in his journey. Rammus bids his three friends farewell, while Nash leads Alex and Luna towards the floating city of Vane to meet the Premier of Vane, Ghaleon.
A man with long, white hair, piercing red eyes, pale skin, and an obviously snobby voice could not POSSIBLY be a villain in an RPG! Why, that's inconceivable!
Ghaleon sends Alex and Luna to investigate claims of a new Dragonmaster, which turn out to be fake. On the way, they meet and befriend Jessica, daughter of the ruler of Meribia. Upon returning to Vayne, Alex is accused by Lemia Ausa, leader of the Magic Guild of Vane, of conspiring to destroy the Goddess Althena. Thrown in jail, Alex meets two people: Mia Ausa, Lemia's daughter, and a mysterious masked woman who has the same body and facial structure as Lemia Ausa. Mia breaks Alex out of jail, and the two go find Luna, who was about to be sacrificed by Lemia Ausa. But it turns out that Lemia Ausa was actually Xenobia, an evil witch that works for the Vile Tribe, enemies of Althena!
With the knowledge that now there exists a group that intends to destroy the Goddess, the real Lemia asks Ghaleon to become the Dragonmaster. Ghaleon asks Alex to take him to Quark, the one dragon whose location is currently confirmed. When Alex and Luna take Ghaleon to Quark, Ghaleon captures the dragon, and reveals himself to be the enemy of Lunar, the Magic Emperor!
Ghaleon then does the unthinkable: kidnap Luna! Alex tries to defend Luna, but Ghaleon easily overpowers him. Awakening in Burg a few days later, Alex knows what he must do: rescue Luna and stop the Magic Emperor. To do so, he'll need to become the Dragonmaster. Setting off on his journey once more, this time more determined than ever, Alex sets his sights on a simple goal: the safety of the love of his life.
Alex goes far and wide, recruiting friends to help him: Nash, Mia, Jessica and her boyfriend, the bandit chief Kyle. Alex traverses volcanoes, underwater caverns, and ancient ruins to gather the powers of the Four Dragons. Upon finding the Black Dragon, however, Alex learns a painful truth: Ghaleon kidnapped Luna because she is the Goddess Althena, turned human! And not just that, he plans to use her to bring a new world order to Lunar: HIS world order!
Having gained the powers of the four Dragons, Alex achieves his lifelong ambition: becoming a Dragonmaster. He sets his sights on the lands of the Vile Tribe, the realm untouched by Althena's blessing: the Frontier.
In the Frontier, the group witnesses Ghaleon's ultimate weapon: a mobile fortress called the Grindery, with which he intends to destroy the city of Vane. Much too late to stop him, Alex and his friends race to Vane to defend it from Ghaleon's attack. Although the city is saved thanks to Mia's magic, the city falls from the sky, plummeting to the ground. This causes the resurgence of Althena's Palace, which had been resting on a mountain until that moment. Slowly, life erodes away from Lunar, turning the once lush landscape into a dead zone. Luna has been brainwashed by Ghaleon, and he is using her to bring an end to the world.
Undaunted, Alex and friends head off to Althena's Palace, to rescue Luna and bring an end to Ghaleon. They kill Xenobia, who was laying her life on the line for Ghaleon. They defeat Ghaleon in one of the best boss fights ever to be seen in an RPG. And finally, atop a crystal throne, is Luna, brainwashed by Ghaleon. Alex slowly walks up to her, playing on his Ocarina their song, the song they both shared in their hearts. With the spell Ghaleon put on her vanquished, Luna returns to normal, and surrenders her divinity so she can live a normal, mortal life with Alex, the only man she had ever loved.
Lunar is one of those RPG's that really defined what the genre could do, not just in terms of gameplay, but in terms of story telling as well. The story is a modern day classic that mixes the best of the Epic Fantasy with the Romance genres, creating an experience unlike anything the gaming world had seen before. So good is the story that it STILL holds up to this day! Why?
There are many reasons, but the one I am most concerned with is also the reason why I consider this game the BEST use of the Damsel in Distress trope in gaming: characterization. Basically, the heroes AND villains are all three dimensional characters, with varying personalities, histories, motivations, and goals. These characters are extremely well written, and even today their charm still holds up.
The Damsel in Distress trope requires a minimum of three characters to work: the Hero, the Damsel, and the Villain. Invariably, the Villain kidnaps the Damsel and endangers her (sometimes it's a guy, but they are rare), so it is up to the Hero to rescue the Damsel and defeat the Villain. This is the bare bones plot, and often some elements are added to spice up the plot. But what truly makes it work are the characters themselves: if at least one of these isn't likable, then the entire plot disintegrates. If the hero isn't likable, then the audience isn't going to care if he/she rescues the Damsel or not. If the Damsel isn't likable, then the audience won't give a rat's behind if she/he gets rescued or not. The characters, more than whatever twist and turn the plot can make, determine how the story will resonate with the viewer.
The main Hero of the game, Alex, is a nice guy, and not nice as in "meek and spineless in hopes of getting laid" but nice as in "will give you a piece of his dessert if you asked him nicely". He is approachable, he is kind, he is a little shy every now and then, but inside beats the heart of a true hero. Alex demonstrates, time and again, a willingness to help others. His entire journey STARTS because he agrees to help his friend, Rammus, enter a dangerous cave to collect a valuable diamond! Alex is extremely loyal to his friends, his family, and most importantly, his girlfriend, Luna. Alex may get flustered when a pretty girl talks to him, and he may appreciate a cute girl giving him a well deserved compliment, but he has eyes only for Luna. Alex is, above all, a regular guy! He's not some hero with a mysterious destiny, or some waif with an ancient relic left behind by his missing parents, he's a regular guy with a dream! He's polite, he never raises his voice, he's humble, he never uses sarcasm, but he also has a backbone and will NOT let himself be humiliated, taunted, or used. The guy is easy to like, and that's what makes him easy to root for.
Luna, the Damsel, is another case. On the surface, she's the ideal woman: pretty, sweet, good natured, the perfect girlfriend. But beneath the surface, she's got some other qualities: She can be sarcastic, feisty, ill tempered when pushed too hard, jealous, but at the same time, she has her insecurities. She has a lovely singing voice and is widely considered the best singer in Burg, she enjoys knitting and cooking, but is by no means averse to going on an adventure or two with her friend, Rammus, and her lover, Alex. The SOLE reason she planned on staying behind in Burg when Alex left for Meribia was to take care of Alex's parents, and all she needed to change her mind was seeing Alex practically beg her to come with him. She wants, above all, to be with Alex, but even she has her insecurities about the future. She doesn't know where she comes from, or why her singing apparently has many magical abilities. She's also the Goddess Althena, but she never knew that.
Ghaleon is one of the best video game villains I've ever seen. His reasons for being evil? He believes humanity needs the guidance of the Goddess Althena, but he's angry that the Goddess had surrendered her divinity to live among humans. Above all, he is heartbroken because he lost his best friend, Dragonmaster Dyne, while protecting Althena from a previous threat. Ghaleon's twisted sorrow caused him to grow disgusted at humanity AND the Goddess, so he devised a plan to give humanity the God he felt they deserved. Ghaleon was once a hero, a protector of the Goddess Althena, and a man who'd give anything for his friends. But that man was no more by the time Alex arrived in Vane for the first time. Ghaleon had allied with the Vile Tribe, enemies of Althena, to bring an end to Lunar and create a new world. But at the same time, hidden beneath the poison of hate and sorrow, there is still the old Ghaleon, the one that cares for others, for the weak, the helpless. Ghaleon is much, much deeper than the average video game villain, and a future blog entry will be dedicated to analyzing him.
Lunar's use of the Damsel in Distress hits all the right notes. It asks, AND answers, the important questions: Who is the Damsel? Why is she kidnapped? What kind of person would kidnap her? What does the villain want? What's at stake? What is the hero willing to do for her safety? What does the hero risk while trying to save her? Why can't the damsel save herself?
More than that, however, is that Lunar also utterly devastates ANY criticism that could be thrown at it in regards to its use of Damsel in Distress: Luna is NEVER anything less than a full fledged character, she never loses importance to the plot upon getting kidnapped, she is kidnapped not just by a male character but by a female one as well, and it's not just a man who saves her, but he gets helped by two other guys and two other girls too.
Most importantly though, Lunar stays true and respectful to the real nature of the Damsel in Distress trope: the game is, when all is said and done, the story of a man willing to risk life and limb for his lady love. It is the story of a young country boy willing to climb the tallest mountains, cross the deepest valleys, the driest deserts, for the woman he loves. The only thing that's special about Alex is that he is willing to go the distance for Luna. He's what every guy hopes to be, and every girl wants (yes, lesbians too, though they'd rather have a girl Alex).
Lunar doesn't breathe new life into an old trope, it merely does it right. It makes us care for the characters. And therein lays the biggest reason for why Lunar is the best use of the Damsel in Distress trope in all gaming: because we CARE about what happens. We CARE about why Ghaleon wants to kidnap Luna, we CARE about what happens to Luna, and we CARE about Alex becoming the Dragonmaster. Yes, we KNOW he'll become the Dragonmaster, but that doesn't make his achievement any less satisfying!
Lunar succeeds where other video games fail by remembering that the Damsel in Distress is a story about people: about the dangers the Hero faces for the Damsel, about the plight of the Damsel herself, and about the Villain too. Lunar did this story twenty years ago, and since then the Damsel in Distress continues to be used in gaming, and NEVER to the effect that Lunar achieved. Many RPG's may try to imitate Lunar's success, but they can never duplicate it, because Lunar achieved perfection.
With the knowledge that now there exists a group that intends to destroy the Goddess, the real Lemia asks Ghaleon to become the Dragonmaster. Ghaleon asks Alex to take him to Quark, the one dragon whose location is currently confirmed. When Alex and Luna take Ghaleon to Quark, Ghaleon captures the dragon, and reveals himself to be the enemy of Lunar, the Magic Emperor!
Ghaleon then does the unthinkable: kidnap Luna! Alex tries to defend Luna, but Ghaleon easily overpowers him. Awakening in Burg a few days later, Alex knows what he must do: rescue Luna and stop the Magic Emperor. To do so, he'll need to become the Dragonmaster. Setting off on his journey once more, this time more determined than ever, Alex sets his sights on a simple goal: the safety of the love of his life.
Alex goes far and wide, recruiting friends to help him: Nash, Mia, Jessica and her boyfriend, the bandit chief Kyle. Alex traverses volcanoes, underwater caverns, and ancient ruins to gather the powers of the Four Dragons. Upon finding the Black Dragon, however, Alex learns a painful truth: Ghaleon kidnapped Luna because she is the Goddess Althena, turned human! And not just that, he plans to use her to bring a new world order to Lunar: HIS world order!
Having gained the powers of the four Dragons, Alex achieves his lifelong ambition: becoming a Dragonmaster. He sets his sights on the lands of the Vile Tribe, the realm untouched by Althena's blessing: the Frontier.
In the Frontier, the group witnesses Ghaleon's ultimate weapon: a mobile fortress called the Grindery, with which he intends to destroy the city of Vane. Much too late to stop him, Alex and his friends race to Vane to defend it from Ghaleon's attack. Although the city is saved thanks to Mia's magic, the city falls from the sky, plummeting to the ground. This causes the resurgence of Althena's Palace, which had been resting on a mountain until that moment. Slowly, life erodes away from Lunar, turning the once lush landscape into a dead zone. Luna has been brainwashed by Ghaleon, and he is using her to bring an end to the world.
Undaunted, Alex and friends head off to Althena's Palace, to rescue Luna and bring an end to Ghaleon. They kill Xenobia, who was laying her life on the line for Ghaleon. They defeat Ghaleon in one of the best boss fights ever to be seen in an RPG. And finally, atop a crystal throne, is Luna, brainwashed by Ghaleon. Alex slowly walks up to her, playing on his Ocarina their song, the song they both shared in their hearts. With the spell Ghaleon put on her vanquished, Luna returns to normal, and surrenders her divinity so she can live a normal, mortal life with Alex, the only man she had ever loved.
Lunar is one of those RPG's that really defined what the genre could do, not just in terms of gameplay, but in terms of story telling as well. The story is a modern day classic that mixes the best of the Epic Fantasy with the Romance genres, creating an experience unlike anything the gaming world had seen before. So good is the story that it STILL holds up to this day! Why?
There are many reasons, but the one I am most concerned with is also the reason why I consider this game the BEST use of the Damsel in Distress trope in gaming: characterization. Basically, the heroes AND villains are all three dimensional characters, with varying personalities, histories, motivations, and goals. These characters are extremely well written, and even today their charm still holds up.
The Damsel in Distress trope requires a minimum of three characters to work: the Hero, the Damsel, and the Villain. Invariably, the Villain kidnaps the Damsel and endangers her (sometimes it's a guy, but they are rare), so it is up to the Hero to rescue the Damsel and defeat the Villain. This is the bare bones plot, and often some elements are added to spice up the plot. But what truly makes it work are the characters themselves: if at least one of these isn't likable, then the entire plot disintegrates. If the hero isn't likable, then the audience isn't going to care if he/she rescues the Damsel or not. If the Damsel isn't likable, then the audience won't give a rat's behind if she/he gets rescued or not. The characters, more than whatever twist and turn the plot can make, determine how the story will resonate with the viewer.
The main Hero of the game, Alex, is a nice guy, and not nice as in "meek and spineless in hopes of getting laid" but nice as in "will give you a piece of his dessert if you asked him nicely". He is approachable, he is kind, he is a little shy every now and then, but inside beats the heart of a true hero. Alex demonstrates, time and again, a willingness to help others. His entire journey STARTS because he agrees to help his friend, Rammus, enter a dangerous cave to collect a valuable diamond! Alex is extremely loyal to his friends, his family, and most importantly, his girlfriend, Luna. Alex may get flustered when a pretty girl talks to him, and he may appreciate a cute girl giving him a well deserved compliment, but he has eyes only for Luna. Alex is, above all, a regular guy! He's not some hero with a mysterious destiny, or some waif with an ancient relic left behind by his missing parents, he's a regular guy with a dream! He's polite, he never raises his voice, he's humble, he never uses sarcasm, but he also has a backbone and will NOT let himself be humiliated, taunted, or used. The guy is easy to like, and that's what makes him easy to root for.
Luna, the Damsel, is another case. On the surface, she's the ideal woman: pretty, sweet, good natured, the perfect girlfriend. But beneath the surface, she's got some other qualities: She can be sarcastic, feisty, ill tempered when pushed too hard, jealous, but at the same time, she has her insecurities. She has a lovely singing voice and is widely considered the best singer in Burg, she enjoys knitting and cooking, but is by no means averse to going on an adventure or two with her friend, Rammus, and her lover, Alex. The SOLE reason she planned on staying behind in Burg when Alex left for Meribia was to take care of Alex's parents, and all she needed to change her mind was seeing Alex practically beg her to come with him. She wants, above all, to be with Alex, but even she has her insecurities about the future. She doesn't know where she comes from, or why her singing apparently has many magical abilities. She's also the Goddess Althena, but she never knew that.
Ghaleon is one of the best video game villains I've ever seen. His reasons for being evil? He believes humanity needs the guidance of the Goddess Althena, but he's angry that the Goddess had surrendered her divinity to live among humans. Above all, he is heartbroken because he lost his best friend, Dragonmaster Dyne, while protecting Althena from a previous threat. Ghaleon's twisted sorrow caused him to grow disgusted at humanity AND the Goddess, so he devised a plan to give humanity the God he felt they deserved. Ghaleon was once a hero, a protector of the Goddess Althena, and a man who'd give anything for his friends. But that man was no more by the time Alex arrived in Vane for the first time. Ghaleon had allied with the Vile Tribe, enemies of Althena, to bring an end to Lunar and create a new world. But at the same time, hidden beneath the poison of hate and sorrow, there is still the old Ghaleon, the one that cares for others, for the weak, the helpless. Ghaleon is much, much deeper than the average video game villain, and a future blog entry will be dedicated to analyzing him.
Lunar's use of the Damsel in Distress hits all the right notes. It asks, AND answers, the important questions: Who is the Damsel? Why is she kidnapped? What kind of person would kidnap her? What does the villain want? What's at stake? What is the hero willing to do for her safety? What does the hero risk while trying to save her? Why can't the damsel save herself?
More than that, however, is that Lunar also utterly devastates ANY criticism that could be thrown at it in regards to its use of Damsel in Distress: Luna is NEVER anything less than a full fledged character, she never loses importance to the plot upon getting kidnapped, she is kidnapped not just by a male character but by a female one as well, and it's not just a man who saves her, but he gets helped by two other guys and two other girls too.
Most importantly though, Lunar stays true and respectful to the real nature of the Damsel in Distress trope: the game is, when all is said and done, the story of a man willing to risk life and limb for his lady love. It is the story of a young country boy willing to climb the tallest mountains, cross the deepest valleys, the driest deserts, for the woman he loves. The only thing that's special about Alex is that he is willing to go the distance for Luna. He's what every guy hopes to be, and every girl wants (yes, lesbians too, though they'd rather have a girl Alex).
Lunar doesn't breathe new life into an old trope, it merely does it right. It makes us care for the characters. And therein lays the biggest reason for why Lunar is the best use of the Damsel in Distress trope in all gaming: because we CARE about what happens. We CARE about why Ghaleon wants to kidnap Luna, we CARE about what happens to Luna, and we CARE about Alex becoming the Dragonmaster. Yes, we KNOW he'll become the Dragonmaster, but that doesn't make his achievement any less satisfying!
Lunar succeeds where other video games fail by remembering that the Damsel in Distress is a story about people: about the dangers the Hero faces for the Damsel, about the plight of the Damsel herself, and about the Villain too. Lunar did this story twenty years ago, and since then the Damsel in Distress continues to be used in gaming, and NEVER to the effect that Lunar achieved. Many RPG's may try to imitate Lunar's success, but they can never duplicate it, because Lunar achieved perfection.
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