Looking for a JRPG with black characters? If you have a dark-skinned protagonist, you might want to get that concept out of your head. In a world as diverse as ours, why don’t more games reflect reality in their fantasy worlds? This approach to game design remains common in the genre, but His JRPG of the part makes the scene more comprehensive.
Without getting into an argument with people who don’t know the difference between race and ethnicity, to summarize: Basically, there’s always the argument that JRPGs don’t include black people because black people aren’t prevalent in Japan. But games like Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth prove that argument to be nonsense.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth surpasses the original, but loses subtlety
There are many great moments in Rebirth, but low-key melancholy is nowhere to be found.
Of course, there’s more to it than just unconscious bias, concerns about sales, and a general backlash against black characters leading the game. A case in point is the complaint that Forspoken was treated unfairly because it had a black female lead. Jay-Ann Lopez of Black Girl Gamers notes that some of the complaints about the game stemmed specifically from the fact that Frey was black. With some audiences turning against black characters in games, how do games like Final Fantasy 7 change that perception?
I’ll cover all of this to clarify the cause-and-effect relationship, before explaining how some games slowly started to find a solution. For example, Final Fantasy has an interesting way of creating parties of characters that appeal to a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. For example, when seeing Cloud, Tidus, Zidane, or Squall for the first time, Western gamers will likely associate them with being white and having a different ethnicity. Still, it is designed so that Eastern gamers can also identify with the same characters, and the traits and character designs include enough detail to fall well within the range of several group expressions. .
This comfortable design has worked for years, but it doesn’t work for most Black and Brown people who want to express themselves in one of their favorite genres. Of course, there are outliers like Fran from Final Fantasy 12 and Barret from Final Fantasy 7 (I woke up to the fact that there was actually an option to have a black character in a JRPG), but in recent years there have been a lot of people who have gone above and beyond to praise them. We offer the games you deserve. Miles when it comes to representation and inclusion of black characters.
The argument that JRPGs don’t include black characters because they aren’t in Japan and therefore outside of their jurisdiction is a natural argument, without pointing out how great that inclusivity is. It continues to be weakened by the presence of modern JRPGs that embrace diversity. teeth. This isn’t the Overwatch model of distracting fans with new characters who are ostracized for some reason, but rather organic worldbuilding, with a fully fleshed out world populated by a diverse group of people. It’s a natural understanding.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake made me realize for the first time that the argument that JRPGs don’t include black people is a travesty. Cloud and Aerith have a specific mission where they have to save two children from danger and escort them to the safety of the orphanage where they were born. From the outside looking in, most players may not even understand the importance of these two children, but for someone who has spent most of their lives feeling alienated or excluded from her JRPG, Aerith It’s a special moment to see a black girl being escorted by Cloud. When you look at her adorable ponytail, you realize how important the emotion it contains is, even if it just fleshes out her world and normalizes her existence.
Final Fantasy 16 could have (and should have) done the same, but Naoki Yoshida says that historical accuracy exclusions limit the scope of understanding that particular team and its decisions. This is just an example of what is happening.
Jumping to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the team proves once again that diversity is important. Not everything has to be explicit, and inclusion can have a greater impact when normalizing the daily lives of people on Gaia. I played the demo in Nibelheim and was surprised to find that it was even better than Rebirth.
This time, the black characters have more black-centric hairstyles, giving them more personality and individuality. A black boy with curly hair in a mohawk, a black woman with loose hair, and a black girl with the adorable bun ponytail that every black girl recognizes. All of this exists just by walking around Nibelheim. If you haven’t noticed before, it’s worth taking a second look to admire the diversity of people in Rebirth.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is another example of JRPGs increasing their variety as they progress. I fell in love with Ichiban Kasuga and his staff in my first Yakuza title, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, but my biggest complaint was the representation of black characters. I wasn’t expecting to see black people walking the streets of Yokohama, but every interaction with the black characters is like an enemy thug with a bandana over his mouth pointing a gun sideways at a gangster. And since it was such an outrageous caricature, I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows.
With Infinite Wealth, Like A Dragon improved Black representation. Of course, this is due to the fact that Like a Dragon was set in Hawaii, but from Chitose Buster Holmes, a strong black woman who can kick any man’s ass, to just living their lives in the background. Even the black people there are a breath of fresh air. The atmosphere will be expressed in more ways than just the typical thugs of past titles.
You can also check out Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. Blueberry Academy has a lot of black students, and if you had told me that I would have the option of getting a fade Pokemon haircut with a pokeball in it, I never would have believed you. Fades that embrace the creativity and versatility of Black barbers, Bantu knots and protective styles that make others feel seen, and the diversity of an inclusive world all encourage more companies to hire It’s further proof that it’s time to pay attention to how barbershops operate. Diversity and inclusion can be addressed and players can feel seen and understood.
We should applaud games that go the extra mile for inclusion and representation, even if it’s in the background. Especially if it’s in the background. In some cases, inclusion in the background can create a better sense of identity and inclusivity than foregrounding Black characters in the background. Queer representation in Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth is a perfect example of this same sentiment, working better than Final Fantasy 16, bringing gay romance to the forefront, but the characters involved It’s of no use. Ah, that’s a topic for another time. For now, we need to celebrate the victories. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a huge win.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is never afraid to make its characters cry
There are a lot of tears shed in Rebirth, and they all help to make the characters feel more human.
