By Maria-Nefeli Andredaki,
With the release of the second and final season of Arcane, a big conversation has resurfaced regarding the way in which the female characters of the show are written and presented. The popular League of Legends series is full of women who are part of the original game, and aims to tell each of their stories in an accurate manner. While I cannot speak on that, as I am not as familiar with the game as I would want to, I can definitely comment –and admire– the way in which the Arcane women are portrayed.
First things first, the female/female-presenting characters of the show dominate positions of power, which would, stereotypically, be taken over by men: Ambessa is the leader of a war-nation, Sevike is a bodyguard and Cassandra Kiramman is the matriarch of her house. In addition to that, many of the women who are placed in male-dominated positions are actually masculine-presenting in their appearance as well; tall and large, well-sculpted and domineering bodies with prominent face-scars. This, along with their aggressive, unabashed attitude makes for a refreshing take on female leaders, who are not dictated by the male gaze to be considered successful.
On the other hand, Arcane shows that female leaders can be both feminine and powerful. Caitlin Kiramman and Mel Medarda are both stereotypically attractive characters who maintain their femininity and still rise to power, able to change the course of the show’s events through their choices and decisions. Arcane manages to strike a balance between the characters’ feminine attractiveness and their autonomy from the male gaze.
What actually exists in the core of the portrayal of Arcane female characters, that makes it so successful, is consistent, unrestrained agency. Agency is the ability to make choices that change the course of events and the exercise of that ability. A female character may be physically strong, talented, intelligent, and in any position of power, but if her decisions or the plot are controlled by the male characters of the show, these characteristics are just for decoration. They push for war or peace, depending on their interests, they go after their goals, attack their enemies while leading at the forefront of battle, they change the course of their own lives and everyone else’s based on their identity, taking advantage of the physical and mental weapons at their disposal.
I cannot finish this article without mentioning the queer aspect of the characters. Many of the most significant Arcane characters are presented as explicitly queer, while many secondary characters are genderqueer or queer-coded. Cait and Vi finally having the relationship everyone was rooting for, Jace and Viktor’s “entanglement” hinting at something greater and Lest’s quick but significant appearance are all pieces of a puzzle that steadily dismantle the fantasy of Arcane and LoL being a stereotypically male-dominated space.
If you are looking for a show full of surprises and plot-twists, action that has you hanging from the edge of your seat, gut-wrenching scenes and glorious battle-wins, I would highly recommend this show. It is a series that combines all of the above, while respecting its female characters and giving them the voice and story they deserve.
References
- Arcane: How The Netflix Series Tackles Masculinity. GameRant. Available here
- How ARCANE writes women. Youtube. Available here
- Lest. Arcane Wiki. Available here
