With the ever-increasing discourse around inclusivity and representation in the gaming community, it seems thatBayonettaand its brand of empowerment could be the ideal foil to polarizing games likeHogwarts Legacy. Ever since its first game, theBayonettaseries has never shied away from amplifying its protagonist’s sexual femininity as a sign of strength and confidence.Bayonetta’ssexual empowerment should have seen it supposedly become a victim of cancel culture for objectifying women, and yetBayonetta 3was among the most anticipated games of 2022 for the Switch.
Between this andHogwarts Legacyreleased just a few months later to calls for a boycott, the contrast in reception these two games received demonstrates thatBayonettaembodies a more positive message than what the wizarding world currently has to offer. But whileBayonettahas the chance to not just represent, but empower players of all genders and orientations, it has been exacerbated thanks toHogwarts Legacybeleaguered byJ.K. Rowling’s problematic views and behavior. With a head start fromBayonetta 3’spushback on anti-trans sentiment thanks to a spotlight on its voice actors, the series could help lead a more inclusive and accepting future for gaming.
RELATED:Hogwarts Legacy’s Controversies Are The Sign Every Future Harry Potter Game Needs to Distance Itself From J.K. Rowling
Why Bayonetta’s Empowerment Works
Appearing at the surface level to be identical to other games with hyper-sexualized female characters,Bayonettacould have been no different as little more than a camp hack-and-slash. But through cutscenes focusing on Bayonetta’s body or dialogue brimming with innuendo and flirting,Bayonettafullyembraces sexualizationand pushes back against any expected tropes. In doing so, this hyper-sexualization is pushed away from the idea of it being purely for the player and towards it being for the characters, where Bayonetta’s strength and resolve stem from self-confidence in her own identity.
This becomes more prescient given that throughout theBayonettaseries, all three games have dealt with various themes and ideas of identity, sex, and sexuality.From the first game uncovering Bayonetta’s forgotten past to the mystery ofViola inBayonetta 3, the series has maintained narratives of discovery and reclamation. But both before, during, and after the journey, the characters remain true to themselves, are affirmed in their chosen identities, and where how they behave, talk, or look is never admonished. Even Enzo’s appearance as a sleazy unappealing loudmouth is directly contrasted by his being a caring family man.
Bayonetta’s Empowerment Has Resurfaced Thanks to Pro-Trans Movements
Aside from its most recent spin-off prequel,Bayonettahas seen three games in the main series already which begs the question as to why it has suddenly become a focus for players searching for inclusive games. Even before the release ofBayonetta 3, the series already had a fervent fanbase within queer communities who were drawn to Bayonetta as a character. But afterHellena Taylor caused controversywith calls to boycott the threequel over pay disputes, fans became more aware of Taylor’s seemingly more conservative, with notable examples such as awkwardly avoiding letting Bayonetta promote support for trans rights.
Given how intertwined Taylor is considered to be with Bayonetta by both herself and the fans, the challenge faced is reclaiming what has grown to be an empowering icon to all from its source who did not share those same values. But as Taylor called for donations to anti-abortion charities as part of her boycott, it was Viola’s voice actress Anna Brisbin who picked up the mantle of representingBayonetta’sfans with a charity live stream for Trans Lifeline. Almost symbolically, just as Viola seems to have taken on the legacy of Bayonetta, so too has Brisbin reclaimedBayonetta’sempowerment for all.
RELATED:Bayonetta 4 is Happening
The same could not be said forHogwarts Legacy, however, as even in spite of efforts to separate the art and the artist it still has J.K. Rowling’s notoriety on its fringes. Though defending players insist that Rowling has next to no involvement withHogwarts Legacy, it hasn’t stopped criticism revisitingRowling’s previous anti-trans statementsabout how she views the continued success of Harry Potter as implicit support for what many argue are transphobic views. So even thoughHogwarts Legacyintroduced its first trans character to the multimedia franchise, the transphobia looming over it has marred its public image, whileBayonettahas rallied fans with its empowering ethos.
How Bayonetta 4 Could Empower Fans Moving Forwards
With a long future supposedly ahead ofBayonettaand the prospects of a protagonist forBayonetta 4still uncertainfor the time being, there’s never been a better time for the series to galvanize the support it has from its fans and maintain its renewed momentum. Between the Bayonetta that fans have been familiar with across three games and the mantle being passed to Viola at the conclusion ofBayonetta 3, it seems that the series will need to explore new ground to maintain the empowerment it offers. If Viola is to beBayonetta 4’slead and beyond, then she’ll need to overcome a mixed initial reception from players.
Except this is whereBayonettacould embrace the gaming community that has been divided overHogwarts Legacyand the transphobia that’s reared in its wake. Viola’s own punk-inspired design already provides an easy connection to the punk community’s spirit of rebellion and parallels the same challenges that the LGBTQ+ community faces in non-conformity. An extension to Viola’s characterization should she leadBayonetta 4’s narrativecould focus on her current inexperience as she tries to live up to the Bayonetta title, undergoing a conflict of identity until she develops the same self-assured confidence as her mother and ultimately reengages withBayonetta’sempowering message.
But to more directly counterthe impact ofHogwarts Legacyon tolerance within the gaming community, theBayonettaseries may need to go further than this. Instead of implicitly coding Viola as a gay or bisexual character,Bayonettacould specifically introduce a trans character for the series. While it might be too obvious to make Viola herself trans - though the potential is there - a new character could fulfill a role just as Jeanne did for Bayonetta. For example, the creative possibilities in experimenting with the male-female exclusivity of Lumen Sages and Umbra Witches would lead to interesting conflicts for futureBayonettagames to explore.
