Discussion Why aren't there many Old(er) Women as Playable Characters in JRPG / Video Games?

A Brief Look at the Structure of the Classic JRPG Party

@normal6483
Now I'm realizing how rare it is for the "old" character to be female. Having more games with a combat grandma would be cool
@LoneCourier
There's Camellia from Arc The Lad: Twilight of the Spirits. ..though that's somewhat lost by her turning into a significantly younger looking character halfway through the game.
@dracocrusher
Yeah, now that you mention it, it's not super common at all. Which is odd because in anime and manga it's not as uncommon to see a female character in some position of power or authority who has prior combat experience and acts in more of a mentor role to another character such as Tsunade, Yoruichi, Dr. Kureha, etc. They're usually not the MAIN teacher and often are a mentor figure for a side character or for just a single arc or so, but it's definitely an archetype that exists.
@Ephideltrance
@dracocrusher Partly because women are sexualized so you don't see many older women in parties. Look at the anime choices you selected as well...Tsunade, Yourichi both have age in their respective universes but look young and are sexualized. Of course there are exceptions....like Chiyo from Naruto who is actually a better example than Tsuande and a better character too....lol
@Emperorbart7
It's not a JRPG, but the AKIRA manga has Auntie Chiyoko, quite possibly the most badass 'combat grandma' I've ever seen.
@lylatfox4
Usually the "old" female characters are also the fanservice character because they are at the tender retirement home age of 29. they have "developed" bodies and tend to have huge knockers and child bearing hips
@rbrazil99
Having old female characters is even more rare in fighting games. Tekken and Soul Calibur are the worst offenders. T3: Nina and Anna went into "cyro freeze" while Michelle was replaced by Julia. SCV: Ivy was the only original female to return because her sword kept her young, lol.
@sophiethegreat9
Usarnavon not a game but I’ve always been a huge fan of Genkai from Yu Yu Hakusho. shes a badass little old lady and she actually joins the main crew a couple times as a fighter despite being the “‘mentor” character for yusuke and kuwabara, but people fawn over her younger form which is shown in the anime despite her beauty at youth vs her skill being an actual whole thing in the show , and thinking she’s all pretty as a young woman is honestly just antithetical to her character. but as an rpg character someone like her would be really damn cool, but only if the person writing her was trying to lay off the tropes and cliches and shit. sorry to ramble lol
@leshyaedawnfire
I'm writing a fanfic with a hidden "combat grandma" among the characters. She's older and wiser than the rest of the party, but no one realizes just how much older than them she is because she's got a sense of timelessness to her that throws off any and all calculations of her age. In reality, she's the many-times-great-grandma of two of the younger characters (16-year-old twins) who have no idea because they have never met her before.
@Bloodyscissor
I think a better name for the "Old' character would be the "Mentor". They're usually older yes, but that doesn't define the role they usually play as a sort of font of knowledge and a character who can also act as a gatekeeper to that same knowledge; only revealing key information as they deem the protagonist(s) ready to handle that revelation. This also goes more in line with the Hero's Journey style of creating a story many JRPGs adhere to.
@MechanicalPasta
I think there's a good reason for some of these roles from a game design standpoint: Best friend: Combat with one party member is usually pretty boring, so games want to introduce a second party member asap. In order for this to make sense they need someone the protagonist already knows and someone would it would make sense for to stick with him in the long run. Older Character: They are a great way to insert tutorials mid-game while making sense from a narrative point of view. They also often provide information that the main characters might not know and helps the flow of the game - EX: Characters are told to go to some ruins or whatever - old character knows where they are and you don't have to gather info as to where it is. Non-Human: helps to immerse the players in the world of the game by allowing them to connect with an element unique to the game's world. (Also probably a great way for designers to get to use their fictional creations and highlight them)
@Draginhikari
A lot of these tropes exist because they're somewhat related to storytelling convents such as the five man band. Which consists of the Leader, Lancer, Big Guy, Small Guy, and the Heart. It's true that a lot of JRPGs bend some of these conventions but it's why you often see similar roles like this in many forms of story writing. It's an easy structure that allows some a lot of variation in the story itself without having to reinvent the wheel with your party dynamic.
@BanditKing094
Maybe the "non-human character" could be referred to as the "alien" or "outsider" character. As its not so much a matter of race/species as relative perspective to the party. Like you have an RPG, theres a war going on between two kingdoms, most of the characters are from one kingdom - call it the "good" kingdom - and that other character is from the evil kingdom. They could all be human and still fit. Or maybe refer to the "old character" as "aged" or "experienced". Just cause, again, relative perspective. But thats all semantics I guess. Cool video, thumbs up. I think another reason these "roles" show up often is because it reflects what perspectives we value as a society as we govern ourselves. Our main ideals, our questioning or check on those ideals, our reasons to support those ideals, the need to respect and learn from elders, the need to bring up the young, and then how all of that compares to another society with a different culture.

Romancing Saga 3

Chrono Trigger

Chrono Cross

Final Fantasy VI

Final Fantasy X

Suikoden IV

Valkyrie Profile

Tales of Berseria

Xenogears

Xenosaga
Xenoblade Chronicle X

Dragon Quest 11

Granblue Fantasy

Persona 4 Golden

Unicorn Overlord

Mother 3

Mature Female Video Game Characters that I found so far:

• Chrono Cross - Macha (Age 38)
• Suikoden I - Hellion
• Chrono Cross - Macha (Age 38)
• Suikoden I - Hellion
• Suikoden V - Raja
• Etrian Odyssey 5 - Female Rover Grandma
• Fire Emblem VI - Niime
• Valkyria Chronicles 3 - Gloria Durrell (Age 62)
• Triangle Strategy - Grandma Groma
• Dragon Age Origins - Wynne
• Overwatch - Ana
• Returnal - Selene Vasso
• Astria Ascending - Alassia

Playable Female Human Characters over the age of 30:

• Edea - Final Fantasy 8 (Presumed to be in her 30s-40s)
• Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 - Brigid/Eyvel (Age 35)
• Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn - Titania (Age 33)
• Grania III - Miranda (34-Year-Old Mother of the Game Hero Protagonist)
• Grandia Xtreme - Carmyne (Age 21 (JAP) or Age 31 (EN))
• Last Remnant - Emma (Age 41)

Special mention:
Alys Brangwin - Phantasy Star + Julia Schwarz Trails in the Sky FC (Age Unknown)
Chrono Cross - Macha (Age 38)

Suikoden I - Hellion

Suikoden V - Raja

Etrian Odyssey 5 - Female Rover Grandma

Fire Emblem VI - Niime


Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 - Brigid/Eyvel (Age 35)

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn - Titania (Age 33)

Grania III - Miranda (34 Year Old Mother of the Game Hero Protagonist)

Last Remnant - Emma (Age 41)

Valkyria Chronicles 3 - Gloria Durrell (Age 62)

Triangle Strategy - Grandma Groma


Dragon Age Origins - Wynne (Not a JRPG but still...)


Overwatch - Ana (Age 62 + Also not a JRPG)

Returnal - Selene Vassos (Also not JRPG)

Astria Ascending - Alassia


'Old' Female Characters who don't really count:

• Camellia - Arc The Lad: Twilight of the Spirits
• Presea Combatir - Tales of Symphonia
• Raine - Tales of Symphonia
• Lailah - Tales of Zestiria
• Edna - Tales of Zestiria
• Magilou Mayvin - Tales of Berseria
• Anna & Nina Williams - Tekken
• Unei - FFIII
• Beatrix - FFIX
• Lulu - FFX
• Fran - FFXII
• Fang - FFXIII
• Fina - FFBE
• Katalina - Grandblue Fantasy
• Viki - Suikoden
• Jeane - Suikoden
• Junno - Binding Blade
• Morrigan - Cross Edge
• Rose - Legend of Dragoon
• Shurelia - Ar Tonelico
• Myuria - Star Ocean 4
• Ming Numara - Lost Odyssey
• Baiken - Guilty Gear
• Murata Himeko - Houkai Impact 3rd
• Lacrimosa Dana - YS VIII
• Nyx - Fire Emblem Fates

It's rare to see Adult Female Video Game Characters over the age of 30 who don't look like oversexualized (Loli) Teens or Dolls.
And you don't see that much Badass Grandma Characters in many Video Games................

Maybe you know any non-sexualized mature looking female video game characters (women of a certain age and who also look their age)...

 

Maybe:
Edea (FF 8)
Chun LI (Street Fighter. Technically, as a character & if we count her appearance from the first game come out, she's 36. But according to her bio for SF 6, she's 55 now)
Sonya Blade, Sindel, Kronika & Sheeva (Mortal Kombat. Not sure of their true age, though Sonya's probably 40-ish close to 50 in MK 11)

 

Many games audience target are now toward young/teen. So probably, they might add a bit of lores with some badass looking older people, men/women, but ultimately the marketing will be the deciding factor for those.

 

Though in some cases, being a classic heroines do help being chosen to reappear (ie: Chun LI & Camie from Street Fighter or Sonya Blade from Mortal Kombat)

 

I liked the mature depiction of Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat X.

But how come we see more often the Older Dude Types?
They are either parental or mentor figures or just being middle aged male characters.

 

Deltora Quest: The Seven Gems





It's more likely and common to see an old male warrior knight than an old female one in any Fantasy World.

 

Strange Horticulture

 

Unless she is an Elf.

 

I truly meant female characters over 30 years old who have wrinkles and don't look like young small cute girls forever.

 

Sprigg - Chrono Cross




Jaheira - Baldur's Gate 3

 

Dragon Age:
Aveline

Cassandra

Vivienne

 

GrandMa Badass - A Crazy Point and Click Adventure!

 

Masako Wakamiya, the Oldest App Developer in the World


After Learning to Code at 81, She Made a Game for Fellow Seniors

14.09.2020 #Coder
You’re never too old to learn how to code. Three years ago, Masako Wakamiya noticed the lack of fun game apps for senior citizens and created her own at the age of 81. It’s called Hinadan, and it’s inspired by a traditional Japanese doll festival. We met Wakamiya, now 84, in Kanagawa, Japan, and learned how this IT evangelist and digital creator is empowering other senior citizens to make the most of technology.

@o4_
This woman is the best representation of "Fine, I'll do it myself."
@duchi882
"I'm Old, not Obsolete" -Terminator
@JustADioWhosAHeroForFun
This proves old age doesn't stop anything
@decafforlife8797
Albert Einstein: “once you stop learning you start dying”
@ryangeromeposanso7455
THE FACT THAT SHE'S MAKING APPS AT THAT AGE MAKES ME HAPPY AND JEALOUS AT THE SAME TIME. ;>>>