Video Gaming Mamas, We Salute You
WE HONOR THE STRONG, KICKASS MOTHERS YOU ARE BY RECOGNIZING VIDEO GAME MOMS!
May 13, 2018, was, perhaps one of the most special days of the year. It's Mother's Day. It's the one day moms all across the world have all to themselves, recognized for every single thing they have had to endure and put up with as a mother. Of course, we appreciate and recognize mothers every day of the year. But Mother's Day is different. It's Mom's day to relax and just be. And as more women become or admit to being gamers, the number of mommy gamers rise. And we salute you!
From Leviathan
Mother's Day did not begin as a holiday. Mother's Day came to fruition due to a few non-connected women in the United States calling for unity and peace. In 1870, abolitionist Julia Howard Howe wrote a 'Mother's Day Proclamation' declaring June 2 to be "Mother's Peace Day". In the mid 19th century, Ann Reeves Jarvis started "Mother's Day Work Clubs" across West Virginia, teaching local women how to take care of their children. In 1868, Jarvis organized "Mother's Friendship Day", uniting former Union and Confederate soldiers. But it was Jarvis' daughter, Anna Jarvis who, in 1905 was responsible for having Mother's Day recognized nationally to commemorate the sacrifices mothers made for their children.
Mothers are pretty darn important, shaping many aspects of our lives, from personality to goals to how we express our love. Unfortunately, video game developers, for the most part, kind of overlook the inclusion of mother characters, their possible contributions and influence they could have on story development. But there are some. So, for Mother's Day, we honor the sacrifices of, not only our real life gaming mothers, but four of the most bad ass mothers in video games who shaped story development. These fictional mamas deserve a little recognition.
Here are 3 badass moms in the video gaming world.
Sindel - Mortal Kombat
Mother of Kitana
Sindel debuted in Mortal Kombat 3. She was the captive bride of the evil emperor Shao Khan.Shao Khan killed her husband, adopted her daughter, Kitana as his own and made Sindel watch as he enslaved her people. Sindel could not bare to endure being Shao Khan's wife and committed suicide.
Shao Khan had Shang Tsung resurrect her and effectively brainwashed her. She pledged her loyalty to Shao Khan. Luckily, Kitana learned of her mother's resurrection, succeeded in getting an audience with her and convinced her of her past. As Sindel believed her daughter, she vowed to oppose Shao Khan, effectively defeating him and regaining her rightful place on the throne of Edenia.
Your Survivor Woman - Fallout 4
Mother of Shaun
In the year 2077, Sole Survivor Woman is a lawyer who lives in Sanctuary Hills with her husband, baby son named Shaun and a robot butler named Codsworth. She's approached by a Vault-Tec representative who presented her with pre-approved papers that ensured their reservation in Vault 111 fallout bunker.
They were cryogenically sealed in Vault 111, but somehow, she was thawed early, just in time to watch people murder her husband and take her baby son. Still captured in the cryogenic pod, she was powerless to stop them and was, re-frozen. She reawakens in 2277 and searches the wasteland high and low to find her son, saving settlements and settling scores along the way.
Ana Amari - Overwatch
Mother of Pharah
Ana Amari is one of the founding members of Overwatch. Revered by her colleagues, she's one of the deadliest snipers in the world. She was believed to have been killed by Widowmaker during an anti-Talon mission, but she survived, though, having lost sight in her right eye.
While recovering from her near death, she contemplated leaving the life of combat after Overwatch had crumbled. But she couldn't let her city and her people become victims of the rising corruption. She explained her disappearance to her daughter, Pharah in a letter, becoming a hooded vigilante still fighting for justice.
Draka - Warcraft 1 / World of Warcraft
Mother of Thrall
Draka was an Orc warrior woman. Loyal, honorable and strong, her badassery knew no bounds. She was born sickly in the Frostwolf clan and was ridiculed from infancy into childhood. But she was determined to become stronger. As a teenager, Mother Kashur sent Draka on a lone hunt, for ingredients for a potion to cure her of her sickness. Draka had never been allowed to go on a hunt because she was sickly, so she had to learn on her own.
She was tasked with killing a windroc for its feather, a talbuk for its horn and a clefthoof for its fur. Draka, though sickly, succeeded in killing the windroc, talbuk and clefthoof and returned to Mother Kashur with the ingredients for the potion. But it was then Mother Kashur revealed that there was no potion. The cure for being sickly was the hunt. The Frostwolf clan celebrated Draka's hunt and it was there she met Durotan.
Durotan asked her out on a courtship hunt, but she declined, as she was too young. But they soon began going on non-dating hunts. But when she was of age, she let Durotan know that she was, indeed ready. And she made her move, kissing him. After that, she stood by Durotan and supported decisions as leader of the Frostwolf clan. And, in the Year 1, gave birth to Thrall, future war chief of The Horde. Thrall named the Horde warship, Draka's Fury, in honor of his mother.
Without mothers, we would not be here. It's time we had more mothers in video games. For better or worse, mothers are interesting and vital pieces of our existence and the mommy gamers are the magic that continues to illuminate our lives. What are some of your favorite video game moms? Let us know in our discussions and join us on our Facebook page, or Twitter!
