Heroic Villainess: Legretta the Quick
June 2008 Issue
Features
- From the Editors
- Craft Check: T-Shirt Patch Jacket
Interviews
- Industry Interview: Sara Girard [Marketing Lead, D&D]
- Blogger Interview: Monique [Girls Don’t Game]
Articles
- Gender & Live-Action Role Play: Into Monster Camp, Part II
Author: Samara Hayley Steele
- Heroic Villainess
Author: Melissa Velte
- Capes and Consoles at WisCon 32
Author: Robyn Fleming
- Guest Star Villainy
Author: Brendan Davis
In this ongoing series, Samara shares her experiences as a female LARPer in a male-dominated LARP organization.
Melissa breaks down dichotomy between good and evil, hero and villain, with her piece on the complex motivations of Legretta the Quick.
Robyn regales us with tales of her adventures at this year's WisCon.
Brendan talks about how a "guest star" villain can add the necessary threat to motivate players without wiping them out before they can get started.
Gamer Stories
Reviews
Odds 'n Ends
Many RPGs follow heroes into battle against villains with a clear, nefarious agenda. The Tales of series has frequently deviated, blurring the lines between good and evil. Legretta the Quick of Tales of the Abyss represents such non-standard opposition and brings a strong feminine presence to the game’s antagonists.
Abyss takes place on a world called Auldrant, divided into two warring nations, Malkuth and Kimlaska, and a neutral city, Daath. Daath seeks to preserve peace between the two rival nations, and often intervenes in wars. The Order of Lorelei, headquartered in Daath, presides over religious customs based on a massive prophecy called the Score. The Score accurately predicts the future of the world, and of every person’s life from birth to death. To “uphold” the Score, citizens adjust lives to match it while nations adjust their tactics.
The Oracle Knights, lead by six God-Generals, act as Daath’s military. As one of the God-Generals, Legretta holds great authority within the Order. Both the Knights and the God-Generals are commanded by Dorian General Van Grants (also titled Commandant), who first inspired Legretta. She seeks not vengeance, war, or power, but to find a way to free the world and its peoples from predetermined fate set by the Score. After learning her brother’s death was part of this “destiny,” Legretta has devoted her life to the promotion of free will.
Although they are quickly established as the game’s villains, each of the God-Generals has a personal connection to one of the main characters. Most members of either side do not want to battle, but they must, in order to protect their goals. The God-Generals believe strongly in what they pursue, and their words and actions constantly cause the protagonists to doubt themselves.
The antagonists of Abyss share the typical RPG heroes’ goal: saving the world. Legretta and the God-Generals simply confront the Score from a different angle. Van developed a plan to mend the world, one that Legretta believes strongly enough to sacrifice her life: “People don’t just lay down their lives for nothing. At least…I didn’t…”
Complexity of Character
Legretta is not a minion, sex symbol, pawn, or assassin. She shares equal command, renown, skill, and screen-time with her male comrades. Wielding dual pistols and powerful light based magic, her attacks are devastating, and as dangerous as any of her colleagues’. She does not engage the main characters wantonly, but first attempts to persuade them with words, a common tactic used by “do-good” heroes.
An optional side quest reveals Legretta’s past friendship with Tear, the lead female protagonist. Flashbacks to training sessions reveal that their relationship was more than instructor/student. Tear idolizes and confides in her mentor. When Tear expresses her desire to become strong like Legretta, Legretta instructs, “Stand on your own. Think for yourself.” These teachings have shaped Tear into the strong soldier she is when players first meet her. Typically, tough and seasoned warriors are males. That Legretta and Tear appear as such changes the roles of female characters.
Although Legretta sports a stereotypical video game miniskirt and thigh-high boots, she does not dress as outrageously as Yunalesca (FFX) or Pronyma (Tales of Symphonia). She’s thin and busty, yet not obnoxiously so. A sleeveless top leaves her shoulders and arms bare, but that’s all the flesh that is visible. Her clothes do not detract from her femininity or demeanor, and are more combat-practical than many female characters’ wardrobes. Voiced by Cindy Robinson, Legretta sounds as strong and authoritative as she is–yet the fact that her voice softens when the situation calls for it allows her to maintain a caring side, providing balance to her combative air.
Heroism and Villainy
Villains are typically portrayed as male, amoral, tyrannical, and perhaps sadistic. Legretta’s paradoxical role rends clichés and forges a path for new, more complex villains. Her past connections cause Tear to hesitate during each confrontation, leading players to realize that the heroes do not oppose a standard evil, nor a villain’s mistress, but a good person, someone passionate and worthy of respect, who simply happens to be traveling a different path.
The protagonists mistakenly view Legretta and the God-Generals as mere pawns, and as the game progresses, their free will is defined. Tear challenges Legretta to exercise free will and deviate from Van’s path. Legretta remains steadfast, answering, “My will shall bring about the Commandant’s reformation.”
Players (and characters) are more likely to consider the views and goals of the antagonists when their actions are not overtly destructive. Sympathetic feelings created by a shared goal allow comparisons between sides, provoking thought beyond standard power-hungry villains. By avoiding the black and white nature of typical antagonists, Abyss raises questions of morality and motivation, a gray area of uncertainty.
As the game progresses, each confrontation with the God-Generals reveals more of their relationships with the protagonists. The heroes foresee a life-or-death battle, and they dread its coming. They feel nothing but sadness at the demise of the God-Generals, even when they triumph at the game’s end. Tear finds a final letter from Legretta, explaining her reasons for following Van. In this somber moment, Tear fully comprehends Legretta’s motive and dedication.
Female antagonists are rare, and typically function as a mere sidekick or supporting character to the game’s “real” bad guy. Legretta does not act as the primary villain; however, she thinks independently, and has a strong influence on both her enemies. Though Legretta opposes the main characters, her story is one of honor and integrity. Physically capable and mentally strong, her respectable character adds another dimension to the term “video game villainess.”
