Gamers slammed for ‘misogynistic’ Final Fantasy 16 Jill comments
A small minority of gamers and one site have been called out for seemingly 'misogynistic' views on Final Fantasy 16's Jill, as others try to back her up.
03rd Jul 2023 11:50
Images via Square Enix
Gamers slammed for ‘misogynistic’ Final Fantasy 16 Jill comments
A small minority of gamers and one site have been called out for seemingly 'misogynistic' views on Final Fantasy 16's Jill, as others try to back her up.
03rd Jul 2023 11:50
Images via Square Enix
Oh great, we're back on the discourse of women in video games and their attractiveness. This time, it's Square Enix's Final Fantasy 16 that's caught in the crossfire of rampant misogyny as gamers call out the character of Jill. Worryingly, it's not just casual fans fuelling the fire, but media outlets as well.
While Clive Rosfield is Final Fantasy 16's MVP, he's joined by Jil Warrick - a skilled swordswoman and loyal companion. Jill has quickly gained a cult status and landed on many fans' waifu list, but for others, she's just a pretty face. Tell us you haven't played FFXVI without telling us you haven't played FFXVI.
Kotaku call out Final Fantasy 16's Jill
An op-ed from Kotaku has been doing the rounds, comparing Jill to a silent Hello Kitty. Although the author presumably didn't mean to dunk on her quite as much, it feels unfair to call Jill a one-dimensional character and even draw comparisons with the infamously bland Ashley Graham from Resident Evil 4.
Thankfully, there was plenty of pushback, with many asking why the site thought it was okay to publish such a scathing review of a character based on their attractiveness. After all, does this affect playing the game? Was anyone put off the Shrek games because the main character isn't exactly a looker?
One critic raged, "Bruh Kotaku sucks Jill is one of the best characters with a ton of growth, badass moments, and screen time?? How about we try actually playing the game before we write up garbage clickbait articles." Another added, "That's crazy maybe y’all should shut the f**k up."
A third concluded, "Jill serves her purpose perfectly, this is Clive's story and how the cast revolves around and helps him with his ideals, goals, dreams, with Jill being one of his biggest support pillars in achieving his goal. But hey, keep farming those engagements, might land you a real job."
The problem with women in video games
Across the board, female video characters are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Forspoken wasn't a particularly great game but was largely overshadowed by uncomfortable allegations of racism because a black female protagonist was a target for some gamers.
Elsewhere, the Horizon games were marred by anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments and that bizarre incident where players complained that Aloy had a 'hairy' face. You'll also remember Ada Wong actor Lily Gao deactivated her social media when people turned against her following the Resident Evil 4 remake.
Most recently, Fable stirred the pot. The comments to the reveal trailer turned into a dumpster fire, as an ignorant minority demanded the player character needed to be more attractive. It seems to have gone over their heads that character customisation is a huge part of the Fable franchise.
Most agree Square Enix did an amazing job with Jill, and alongside Cive, they're some of the best characters to join this universe in years. If they'd designed her like Abby from The Last of Us, we guarantee there would be comments about her appearance. It seems that this hot take is taking off for all the wrong reasons.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
