Bayonetta is a series of action-adventure games developed by PlatinumGames. The series consist of 2 games so far with its 3rd coming out this late October. The game is centered on its main protagonist, Bayonetta who’s an umbra witch who fights angels for her own personal goals.
In the first game, the witch spent 20 years with amnesia due to her being sealed away for five hundred years, until awakened. Despite this, she battles against the Paradiso (also known as the ‘Dimension of the Angels’) and battles to end the Lumen Sages that threaten her as well as earth. The story then progresses into the second game in which she finds out her fellow clan members, as well as her friend Jeanne, have been taken into the realm of inferno due to a summoning gone awry. Once again, she is targeted by angels but also demons which leads to her discovering a deeper plot of a former half god who was conspiring to reclaim his lost power. This further unravels the truth behind the witch hunts which were responsible for the destruction of the Umbra Witch clan she belonged to.
The games appeal to audiences in many ways. For example, the games’ controls are fairly simplistic as they consist of mainly button mashing to defeat enemies. Although, this doesn’t mean that the series are easy to complete as combos and different moves are present which are tough to master for many. This type of gameplay allows the player to feel in control of Bayonetta the more experienced they are at remembering combos and techniques. Despite this type of gameplay not being something unique in the gaming industry, what really attracts players is the protagonist herself. Bayonetta appears nonchalant but also seems to enjoy violence, especially in a playful yet brutal manner with often ‘execution moves’ present that the player would trigger that led to the enemy’s gory death. At the same time, she uses witty banter whilst fighting her enemies often taunting them. Examples of her iconic one-liners consist of “don't f*** with a witch” and “let’s dance boys” plus many more that fits the PEGI 18+ rating.
There is one more element to Bayonetta that she is highly famous for within the gaming community and that is her sexuality. For example, the protagonist’s wordplay leans towards the constant use of sexual lingo to tease enemies as well as another character present within the games: Luka. Many combat techniques also consist of the character’s clothes being removed, due to her magical abilities, as well as her fighting leading into seductive poses and movements.
Now where would Van Zoonen’s feminist theory fit into this?
Well Van Zoonen’s representation theory can be simplified into 2 main ideas that apply to this product. The idea that gender is constructed through discourse and that meaning varies according to cultural & historical context. The display of women’s bodies as objects to be looked at is a core element of western patriarchal culture.
Looking into the cultural and histoircal context of Bayonetta instantly fits into Van Zoonen’s ideologies perfectly, As the series was created in Japan, this already can answer many questions regarding the sexualisation of the main character. Japan is notorious for their objectification of women throughout multimedia; whether that’s in the gaming, music or pop culture industry. Knowing this history of Japan affects how Bayonetta is perceived. Many in western countries would see the protagonist as a strong independent woman who isn’t afraid of her own sexuality. But since Japan commonly uses women’s bodies to attract audiences, it could be said this is just another example of patriarchal oppression reinforced in media. Although Van Zoonen’s theory framework can be applied this way, it could also be quite the opposite. Despite Bayonetta being sexualised, it can be said she isn’t objectified. Many could argue that Bayonetta is weaponising her sexuality in order to protect herself and defeat enemies. This could be an attempt for Japan to break away from their conventional portrayal of women in media as ‘pretty faces’ with ‘no personality’ especially with Bayonetta being presented as so domineering and not caring about what others think. The design of the protagonist was created by a woman herself which may reinforce the creator’s ideology to push towards a more progressive display of women in the Japanese media.
Van Zoonen herself would have a lot to say about Bayonetta, both good and bad. As historical and cultural context plays important roles in how this games series is perceived around the world, no one can truly say the true intention behind those who created the game. Personally, I believe that the game is one of empowerment of women as Bayonetta feels authentic and has major character growth like many male characters from other games. The use of sexuality within combat and dialogue can be pinned down more on the creators’ style of character creation. As the creators’ of Bayonetta also created the series Devil May Cry which feature the same type of combat and witty dialogue. Instead, the main characters are men who you can see Bayonetta acts similarly to. Though, the representation of women in those games can be questioned... Though that is up to further debate that is too long to get into.
Here's some gameplay footage to show the protagonist's combat style.
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