The Handler isn’t a fighter, but she still needs to be able to traverse the dangerous wilderness. The Hunter’s steadfast partner, known simply as The Handler, is also a woman well-built for survival in the New World.
This conscious choice to make women adhere to their real-life counterparts in Monster Hunter: World goes beyond the player character.
Factoring in that women will generally have more body fat than men due to hormone regulation, a powerful woman doesn’t need to be all chiselled muscle to be naturally strong. But the International Journal of Sports Medicine cites a study that says, if performing the same exercises, a woman’s strength grows at the same rate – if not greater – as a man’s. These women are built for survival and sculpted in a way that fits their roleĪ study in clinical endocrinology states that female athletes generally have 85% of the muscle mass as their male counterparts.
But it creates an odd disconnect between the strength and skills these characters are said to possess and their lithe yet busty appearances. Having big arms or war scars goes against creating a palatable and attractive character for the target demographic. These female bodies are a result of women being designed with the male gaze in mind. Think of the shape that Lara Croft’s body originally cut, the exaggerated lacy form of Ivy in Soulcalibur, and the stark breast-to-waist ratio of Sylvanas in World of Warcraft. Even when women in games are said to be powerful warriors they’re drawn petite. Tiny waists, big hips, and large breasts all emphasise the hourglass figure at often unattainable measurements. Many games portray strong women in a particular way. Many aspects of the Monster Hunter series fall clearly in the realm of fantasy, but one aspect of these games that is realistic is how women, and their bodies, are represented. After all, you’re fighting giant fantastical beasts with absurdly large weapons, all while your bipedal pet cat runs around in a fairy outfit. Monster Hunter: World can be described with many words but ‘realistic’ is not a prominent one.
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