Jane Prendergast 

For decades video games and film have played a hand in the misrepresentation of women through the depiction of female characters and roles played by them that we see on our screens. Character designs of women and the depth of their character has often fallen short in comparison to their male counterparts. The old and notorious tale of the traditionally attractive, high value but physically weak Princess in desperate need of rescue by a handsome and brave Prince springs to mind, but is there still a place for those stories in the future or even the present? Does visual media play an influential role in women’s behaviours based on the behaviours and design of the characters that represent them? The design for female characters, such as their clothes or lack of clothes, their hair, body proportions and overall beauty is largely what makes these characters valuable or worth caring about to the player or viewer, however that is not necessarily the case for male characters. This has been linked to negative effects, such as lowering body confidence and perceived self-worth. This thesis discusses the various ways, throughout multiple films, and video games, where women are underestimated, hyper-sexualized, objectified or misrepresented through female characters in visual media and explore the weaker roles traditionally placed upon women as well as the design choices made for said characters.