Samus: Metroid and Tomboys and Permission

All hail Samus Aran, patron saint of the bait-and-switch. By now, over 30 after Metroid’s debut, we all know that Samus Aran is a woman, but in 1986 when all the players saw was a badass in a Power Suit (and Arm Cannon) fighting the Mother Brain, no one questioned that she was a dude. Of course she was a guy. Exhibit A: Badass. Exhibit B: Fighter. Exhibit C: [slide show of Exhibits A and B on loop]

So when the reveal came, when Samus “becomes” a woman instead of remaining the very capable man that we assume her to be [we don’t have time to unpack this misogyny and internalized misogyny right now, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t explore it in the future], it’s supposed to be a huge moment for the gamer. OMG! I’ve been a girl all along! Aw shucks! [cue the introspective “well I’ve learned something today” music]. And I get it. I see how important it was in 1986. I see why it was shocking. I understand the context: a woman action hero who was not a damsel in need of rescuing! These are the things the world needed to redefine what a hero was and what a woman could be. This is the video game version of those god-awful shoulder pads and dress suits that women were donning to be taken seriously in male-dominated fields. This is Working Girl and 9-to-5 and Aliens all rolled into one. For me though, I already knew what I woman could be. My mother never needed rescuing. Or, at least not the kind of rescuing that needed to be provided by a guy. My mom only ever needed the kind of re…