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Can Zelda: Wind Waker be considered racist?

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pulga

Banned
Something that's been bothering me through my replay of of WW:HD

tumblr_m2wd5pvzRB1qdrpdr.jpg


I don't think I need to explain much more, but why is it that as soon as Tetra becomes a princess she automatically becomes white? Can't darker skinned women be princesses too?

Sure, it's not like she's pulling a Michael Jackson, it seems as if she just lost her pirate tan. Still, it feels like Nintendo is relaying a very negative message here, though I doubt that was their intention.

The_Wind_Waker_Link_waves_goodbye.png


zelda_wind_waker_hd.jpg


Then again, what about the big, black bad guy?

Ganon_Render.png


Am I just looking too much into it, GAF? Or should Nintendo be reprimanded for their royal whitewashing?
 

Skelter

Banned
I think you should be reprimanded. If anything Ganon looks inspired by Middle Eastern culture not "big bad black guy" as you so eloquently put it you racist.
 
I know I'm guilty, but for anyone reading this, consider how worthy this op is of your time and space on the front page of GAF before hitting that reply button.


On topic no, tetra isn't black, and neither is ganon.
 

DryvBy

Member
Notice how she's darker when a law-breaking pirate? And when becoming law-abiding, she's white? Racism.
 

gerg

Member
I think it's clear that there's no overtly racist or discriminatory intention, but I think the connotation of the change is troubling: why does Zelda's skin colour change at all?
 

Kade

Member
WHy is the BLONDE WHITE ARYAN HERO the good guy but the DARK SKINNED guy is the bad guy? Why is Ganon portrayed as a PIG insome games and the Nazi's referred to Jewish people as pigs and Link is killing all the gerudos? Is Zelda really a series about ethnic cleansing and the rise of the Aryan Master Race?
 

moolamb

Member
I think it's skin colour within a race. Traditionally the princess ideal is pale and fair, and the 'working class' is tanned.

I guess you could link that in to race, but you need to tone that sensitivity down or you're doing more damage to fight against racism cause than good.
 
Dude she hada tan. She was not a different race. And if you want to accuse a Zelda game of racism it's going to be Orcarina. There is a race of brown-skin people who are thieves. It's probably why Ganondorf in later appearances has such an inhuman skin-color of like onyx.
 

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
Pretty sure tetra is tanned, not black. And Ganondorf also isn't black. You're looking way too into this.
 

Renzoku

Banned
I'm sure if we dig deep enough into faux outrage, we can turn anything into offensive tripe.

I personally don't see how on earth Wind Waker could be considered racist.
 

Teletraan1

Banned
Pirates are out in the sun all day getting tan. Princesses are in castles all day getting pale. Nothing more to it than that.
 
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