Sophitia Alexandra
Sophitia Alexandra | |
---|---|
Soulcalibur character | |
First game | Soul Edge (1995) |
Designed by | Aya Takemura and Takuji Kawano[1] |
Voiced by |
|
In-universe information | |
Weapon | Xiphos and shield |
Origin | Athens, Greece |
Nationality | Greek |
Sophitia Alexandra (
Originally voiced by Michiko Neya, Sophitia's designs focused heavily on her beauty typically with outfits reflecting Greek themes, however the emphasis on making her beautiful led to the development team trying to find a balance between a "sacred" and "vulgar" appearance for her character. In later entries in the series she has been one of the first characters to be implemented into the game, and served as a benchmark for other later characters to test against as they were implemented. While her gameplay has evoked mixed reactions, the character herself has received positive reception. While her beauty was often praised by the media, she has also commonly been cited in scholarly literature as an example of oversexualization in video game women.
Conception and design
As a character introduced in Soul Edge, Sophitia's weaponry, a
During her creation, designers focused on maintaining an innocent appearance for her face, to give the character a sense of feeling fresh and young. Freedom of movement between the sword and shield were emphasized, with the intention to allow for the blade to rotate around the shield for cyclonic attacks. An alternate character named Azola (アゾーラ, Azōra), a brunette clad in asymmetrical armor, was conceived during the development of Sophitia's secondary outfit in Soul Edge, but was abandoned.
Designed with a Greek holy warrior motif in mind,[13] Sophitia is a blonde woman dressed in a white and brown frock, with boots extending up her thighs and armor plating on her shoulders and chest. As the series progressed, more of her skin became exposed and armor removed, with her outfit taking on a primarily blue appearance starting in Soulcalibur and then completely white by Soulcalibur III.[14] In Soul Edge two variants of the characters were added as unlockable fighters: "Sophitia!", which featured a more revealing constume, and "Sophitia!!", who fought in a one-piece swimsuit. Both were otherwise identical to the original character, with a developer comment in the official fan book for Soul Edge stating they "may not be able to do this again" in regards to the swimsuit.[15][16] The PlayStation version of Soul Edge added another outfit option consisting of a plaid skirt, blue jacket with cleavage, red scarf, and a jeweled ornate pill box hat. Unlike her other designs, this was not done by the development team but was instead a contest submission for a Japanese PlayStation-themed magazine, and according to the fan book was intended to display an "India" cultural theme.[17][16]
When asked in an interview if changes to her character design focused primarily on sex appeal for the benefit of a male audience, former series producer Motohiro Okubo responded "We weren’t necessarily going out to try and intentionally make something sexy for the purpose of being sexy."[18] However in the artbook Legend of Soulcalibur, the design team noted the changes to her outfit in Soulcalibur to expose more of her breasts was done "for male fans", with an additional note expressing disdain for the change. In the same book, another design proposal for the game was noted to draw attention to the area of "her belt to the thick peach", the latter being a euphemism for a woman's behind. Developer notes instructed the team to find a balance between "sacred" and "vulgar" in response to their proposals.[19]
Appearances and gameplay
Sophitia was introduced in the 1996 video game Soul Edge as a simple baker from
She has since has appeared in almost every entry in the Soulcalibur series, with the exception being Soulcalibur V and the arcade release of Soulcalibur II, but included in home ports of the latter due to fan outcry.
Fighting with a short sword and shield, Sophitia was designed as a character intended to be used by both long-time and brand new players.[10] Her moveset provides her a large amount of flexibility, allowing her to act as a close to mid-range fighter. To this end several of her attacks will launch an opponent into the air and then juggle them for additional hits.[29] However, as a slower character in the series many of her attacks can be sidestepped by the opponent, relying on her to either goad attacks or counterattack in order to be effective.[30] Several of her attacks serve multiple purposes such as hitting low before following up with an airborne slash, while others have more range than their appearance would suggest.[31] Due to her deceptive elements, she has been described as a technical character often favored by experienced players.[22]
Promotion and reception
Namco released a Sophitia key chain figurine and a standing clock in its 1996 Soul Edge line,[32][33] among other items such as window shades[34] and table mats.[35] Yujin released a four inch tall immobile figurine of Sophitia as part of their "Namco Girls Series #3" line of figurines for gashapon.[36] Other commercial items bearing Sophitia's likeness include a resin kit designed by Hiroshi Satou for manufacturer Kurushima.[37] Additionally, a 12-inch collectible statue of her was included with the special edition of Soulcalibur VI.[38] Her likeness was also used as the basis for a costume for Sackboy in LittleBigPlanet 3, as part of a Soulcalibur themed costume pack for the title.[39]
The character was very well received by the media and general public alike, especially amongst players in Japan.
Sophitia has been the subject of much academic discussion revolving around her design and sexualization. Forbes senior contributor Paul Tassi criticized her design and the changes to it as the Soulcalibur series progressed, stating "Over time her clothes have shrunk and her bust has grown...I'm not opposed to sexy female video game characters, but there is a line that crosses into pure ridiculousness, and fighting games [...] regularly step over it”.[14] The 2004 book Race, Gender, Media: Considering Diversity Across Audiences, Content, and Producers described Sophitia as oversexualized, with her outfit being the "micro mini version of the St. Pauli Girl frock", further adding that in her view Sophitia was designed for the viewing pleasure heterosexual boys and men.[46] In the paper Pretty Good for a Girl: A Feminist Content Analysis of Female Video Game Characters, and Interviews with Female Gamers, Elizabeth Munday stated Sophitia showed that the "real-world logic of protecting yourself during a fight was missing from the female character designs" in Soulcalibur, further noting that her outfit coupled with her large breasts and exposed thighs contributed to "an almost untouchable allure to the character", and emphasized the contrast between male and female characters in the series.[47] Game designer Celia Pearce cited her among other characters as an example of "kombat lingerie", claiming her attire was more about the male fantasy of watching women in battle instead of female empowerment.[48] University of Delaware professor Rachel Hutchinson described Sophitia as the developer's "ideal figure of the western woman", noting as the series progresses she her hair gradually becomes more blonde and her outfit incorporates more blue, suggesting the blonde hair/blue eyes combination as a trait associated with Western character. She also noted Sophitia's designs growing more intricate as the series progressed, calling them "far from practical, focusing on the beauty and sexuality of the image and the grace of the character's movement", and tying into the increased mythical nature of the games.[49]
References
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{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ a b c d "Sophitia Alexandra Voices (Soulcalibur)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2019-09-16. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of the title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ De Marco, Flynn (2007-09-20). "Tgs07: Soul Calibur Director Katsutoshi Sasaki on Weapons, Characters and Storyline". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2008-04-29. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
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- ^ "Interview with Yamashita-san". Project Soul. Namco Bandai. Archived from the original on 2001-07-09. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- ^ "Sophitia concept art". Project Soul (in Japanese). Namco Bandai. Archived from the original on 2005-03-27. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
- ^ a b BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe (2017-12-22), SOULCALIBUR VI - PS4/XB1/PC - Sophitia Showcase (Developer Diary) (subtitles available), archived from the original on 2019-06-21, retrieved 2018-10-20
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- ^ @soulcalibur (March 12, 2021). "Concept art for Sophitia, a refinement of SC1's blue-and-white design with an ancient Greek holy warrior motif. She was one of the earliest characters to be designed, having been created as a benchmark early in SC6 development.(1/2)" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2021-03-12 – via Twitter.
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- ^ "Soulcalibur: Lost Swords Adds Sophitia, Has Elemental Weapon System". Siliconera. 2013-09-19. Archived from the original on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
- ^ a b Chou, Che (April–May 2003). "Return of the King". XBN. No. 7. p. 71. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
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- ^ Spencer (August 2013). "Sophitia's Soul Burns Into Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
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External links
- Media related to Sophitia at Wikimedia Commons