Opal, what a sweetheart! This Ballonlea City Gym Leader effortlessly channels everyone’s favorite grandmother.
Opal Opal from Pokémon Sword and Shield – Game Freak / Nintendo / The Pokémon Company What this says about racial identity in gaming and in the Pokémon universe is a story for another time, but the fact that Sword and Shield featured a character who could stir this conversation at all is a bold achievement in its own right. Eventually, even a “White Nessa” skin mod surfaced, changing Nessa’s appearance in-game. However, along with that came a subset of fans who produced fan art re-imagining Nessa with white skin. She became incredibly popular when she was revealed because of her representation and her great character design. Unsurprisingly, Nessa is not without controversy. Nessa is just the third dark-skinned woman Gym Leader in the franchise’s 24 year-old history, coming in after Lenora and Iris from Pokémon Black and White. There’s a new Water type Gym Leader in town, and she’s ready to kick your butt. Nessa Nessa from Pokémon Sword and Shield – Game Freak / Nintendo / The Pokémon Company It was a refreshing switch up from the rivals I remembered who were notoriously ruthless, and just kind of rude. This racially ambiguous buddy was a delight to play alongside, from his disarming personality to his unabashed determination. Hop Hop from Pokémon Sword and Shield – Game Freak / Nintendo / The Pokémon CompanyĬan we take bets on Hop’s race? Is he Hispanic? Arab? Just really tan? Normally a name would give us a clue, but “Hop” isn’t particularly distinct.
To celebrate this new, improved, and inclusive cast, here are six of my favorite examples of character diversity in Pokémon Sword and Shield: 1. That’s about the time when I first put down my Poké Ball. It’s been a while since I played a Pokémon game, so I’m not sure if the Pokémon games have become more diverse gradually over time, but it certainly struck me as a pleasant surprise, at least since the more homogenous Ruby and Sapphire days.
Fanboy or not, my return to Galar for The Isle of Armor DLC reminded me of how impressed I was by Sword and Shield’s diverse cast of characters.
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