Pixelated Prejudice: The Persistent Resistance to Brown and Black Skin in Video Games

Elden Ring's controversy proves: We must discuss the vibrant yet exclusionary worlds of video games and anime, deeply ingrained with white normativity

By Karim Bettache

The imaginative landscapes of video games, while often boundless in their creativity and scope, reflect a disturbingly narrow vision of humanity. The default protagonist in most role-playing titles remains a young white male, and increasingly white females as well, with alternatives offered only as token nods to diversity. The norm of whiteness permeates the aesthetics and assumptions of even the most extraordinary fantasy titles, betraying an inferiority complex among Japanese game creators towards Western archetypes.

This exclusionary trend came under sharp focus recently when calls for more diverse hairstyles in Elden Ring were met with a backlash. Players of color rightly pointed out the dearth of suitably textured hairstyles for their avatars, yet were accused of "historical inaccuracy" and dismissed for raising a "trivial" issue. The irony is that Elden Ring, like many similar games, draws from a variety of influences in its architecture, creatures, and weapons, easily debunking claims of realism.

To those privileged by the status quo, the call for broader representation may seem unnecessary or even threatening. But for marginalized groups, representation matters. It serves as a reminder that their identities are valued and acknowledged, rather than excluded or erased. The inability to empathize with this speaks volumes about the pervasive notion of whiteness as normative, influencing assumptions about who rightfully belongs in these imagined realms.

This problem isn't confined to the gaming world. Anime, a cornerstone of Japanese pop culture, often features characters with obvious Western characteristics—pale skin, large eyes, and a variety of often impossible hair colors. Yet, fans and creators alike argue these characters are 'racially ambiguous'. However, ask any child what these Anime characters look like, and few, if any, would say a person of color.

Japanese creators' historical fixation on appropriating Western tropes can be traced back to Japan's forced opening by the U.S. Navy in the 1850s and America's postwar military presence. In internalizing cultural inferiority, Japanese pop culture adopted white archetypes as a means of gaining legitimacy on the global stage. This trend persists today, with games like Elden Ring, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, Zelda and anime series fetishizing European aesthetics while erasing non-white cultures—an unfortunate tribute to internalized racism.

The lack of representation extends far beyond hair options. Character creators offer an opportunity for self-expression and fantasies of belonging for marginalized players within fictional realms that otherwise exclude them. The scarcity of suitably textured hairstyles serves as a painful reminder to players of color that even in the realm of fantasy, they are rendered invisible.

Inclusion failures are also seen in the portrayal of marginalized people in games and anime. They are often tokenized or caricatured rather than portrayed as fully realized characters. The restrictive aesthetics of character creators reflect cultural biases that render marginalized identities as "other". FromSoftware's own record on representation is dismal, with characters like Nepheli Loux portrayed as racialized stereotypes rather than multifaceted individuals.

Until game creators confront the unconscious biases informing their choices, these narrow visions of humanity will persist in the virtual landscapes they craft. Only when marginalized perspectives are actively included from the earliest stages of design can gaming and anime move past tokenism and accurately reflect the richness and diversity of human experience.

Resistance to such progress exposes the deep-rooted notions of white normativity within our most imaginative spaces. As gaming and anime expand their cultural influence, the call for inclusion from marginalized communities grows louder. Creators must either evolve their narrow imaginings or risk losing relevance in a world that increasingly recognizes the flaws in fantasies built on colonial exclusion. The dreamscapes of the future deserve broader visions of humanity, ones that see all people as rightfully belonging.