With the ever-increasing discourse around inclusivity and representation in the gaming community, it seems that Bayonetta and its brand of empowerment could be the ideal foil to polarizing games like Hogwarts Legacy. Ever since its first game, the Bayonetta series has never shied away from amplifying its protagonist's sexual femininity as a sign of strength and confidence. Bayonetta's sexual empowerment should have seen it supposedly become a victim of cancel culture for objectifying women, and yet Bayonetta 3 was among the most anticipated games of 2022 for the Switch.

Between this and Hogwarts Legacy released just a few months later to calls for a boycott, the contrast in reception these two games received demonstrates that Bayonetta embodies a more positive message than what the wizarding world currently has to offer. But while Bayonetta has the chance to not just represent, but empower players of all genders and orientations, it has been exacerbated thanks to Hogwarts Legacy beleaguered by J.K. Rowling's problematic views and behavior. With a head start from Bayonetta 3's pushback on anti-trans sentiment thanks to a spotlight on its voice actors, the series could help lead a more inclusive and accepting future for gaming.

RELATED: Hogwarts Legacy's Controversies Are The Sign Every Future Harry Potter Game Needs to Distance Itself From J.K. Rowling

Why Bayonetta's Empowerment Works

Close up of Bayonetta in a Bayonetta 3 cutscene

Appearing at the surface level to be identical to other games with hyper-sexualized female characters, Bayonetta could have been no different as little more than a camp hack-and-slash. But through cutscenes focusing on Bayonetta's body or dialogue brimming with innuendo and flirting, Bayonetta fully embraces sexualization and pushes back against any expected tropes. In doing so, this hyper-sexualization is pushed away from the idea of it being purely for the player and towards it being for the characters, where Bayonetta's strength and resolve stem from self-confidence in her own identity.

This becomes more prescient given that throughout the Bayonetta series, all three games have dealt with various themes and ideas of identity, sex, and sexuality. From the first game uncovering Bayonetta's forgotten past to the mystery of Viola in Bayonetta 3, the series has maintained narratives of discovery and reclamation. But both before, during, and after the journey, the characters remain true to themselves, are affirmed in their chosen identities, and where how they behave, talk, or look is never admonished. Even Enzo's appearance as a sleazy unappealing loudmouth is directly contrasted by his being a caring family man.

Bayonetta's Empowerment Has Resurfaced Thanks to Pro-Trans Movements

Viola from Bayonetta 3

Aside from its most recent spin-off prequel, Bayonetta has seen three games in the main series already which begs the question as to why it has suddenly become a focus for players searching for inclusive games. Even before the release of Bayonetta 3, the series already had a fervent fanbase within queer communities who were drawn to Bayonetta as a character. But after Hellena Taylor caused controversy with calls to boycott the threequel over pay disputes, fans became more aware of Taylor's seemingly more conservative, with notable examples such as awkwardly avoiding letting Bayonetta promote support for trans rights.

Given how intertwined Taylor is considered to be with Bayonetta by both herself and the fans, the challenge faced is reclaiming what has grown to be an empowering icon to all from its source who did not share those same values. But as Taylor called for donations to anti-abortion charities as part of her boycott, it was Viola's voice actress Anna Brisbin who picked up the mantle of representing Bayonetta's fans with a charity live stream for Trans Lifeline. Almost symbolically, just as Viola seems to have taken on the legacy of Bayonetta, so too has Brisbin reclaimed Bayonetta's empowerment for all.

RELATED: Bayonetta 4 is Happening

The same could not be said for Hogwarts Legacy, however, as even in spite of efforts to separate the art and the artist it still has J.K. Rowling's notoriety on its fringes. Though defending players insist that Rowling has next to no involvement with Hogwarts Legacy, it hasn't stopped criticism revisiting Rowling's previous anti-trans statements about how she views the continued success of Harry Potter as implicit support for what many argue are transphobic views. So even though Hogwarts Legacy introduced its first trans character to the multimedia franchise, the transphobia looming over it has marred its public image, while Bayonetta has rallied fans with its empowering ethos.

How Bayonetta 4 Could Empower Fans Moving Forwards

bayonetta 3 overview trailer switch cereza viola

With a long future supposedly ahead of Bayonetta and the prospects of a protagonist for Bayonetta 4 still uncertain for the time being, there's never been a better time for the series to galvanize the support it has from its fans and maintain its renewed momentum. Between the Bayonetta that fans have been familiar with across three games and the mantle being passed to Viola at the conclusion of Bayonetta 3, it seems that the series will need to explore new ground to maintain the empowerment it offers. If Viola is to be Bayonetta 4's lead and beyond, then she'll need to overcome a mixed initial reception from players.

Except this is where Bayonetta could embrace the gaming community that has been divided over Hogwarts Legacy and the transphobia that's reared in its wake. Viola's own punk-inspired design already provides an easy connection to the punk community's spirit of rebellion and parallels the same challenges that the LGBTQ+ community faces in non-conformity. An extension to Viola's characterization should she lead Bayonetta 4's narrative could focus on her current inexperience as she tries to live up to the Bayonetta title, undergoing a conflict of identity until she develops the same self-assured confidence as her mother and ultimately reengages with Bayonetta's empowering message.

But to more directly counter the impact of Hogwarts Legacy on tolerance within the gaming community, the Bayonetta series may need to go further than this. Instead of implicitly coding Viola as a gay or bisexual character, Bayonetta could specifically introduce a trans character for the series. While it might be too obvious to make Viola herself trans - though the potential is there - a new character could fulfill a role just as Jeanne did for Bayonetta. For example, the creative possibilities in experimenting with the male-female exclusivity of Lumen Sages and Umbra Witches would lead to interesting conflicts for future Bayonetta games to explore.

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