Hyper-Sexualization of Female Characters in Video Games: “Fan-service” and Character Design

By TFN Writer Mariah Cade

If you have ever ventured into the world of entertainment and mass-media, you have most likely heard the term “fan-service” thrown around. Whether it be applied to the latest movie installment to a billion dollar franchise, that K-pop boy group you really like, or the shonen anime you recently started watching. In nearly all forms of entertainment, fan-service exists to cater to and please a specific audience. Some forms of fan-service may be nostalgia-based, like a callback to beloved film or character, but I think the most prolific and common form is more suggestive in nature.

Fan-service is often used to appeal to the sexual desires of its intended audience, in which you might see scantily clad characters performing randomly suggestive acts coupled with not-so-subtle innuendos. And most of the time, such fan-service involves such depiction of female figures for the benefit of a primarily male audience. In the mainstream video-gaming industry such forms of fan-service have been used for decades, and have recently become a hot topic of discussion. 

Famous load screen of video game Grand Theft Auto V

When thinking of fan-service in popular video-games many things come to mind: Grand Theft Auto strippers, comically non-protective suits of armor for female characters, and Mortal Kombat. I’d like to narrow in on the latter specifically. The Mortal Kombat franchise serves as an excellent microcosm of the industry, demonstrating the use of fans-service and how this has evolved in response to public opinion. Mortal Kombat is an expansive fighting game franchise that began as an arcade game in 1992, and has since expanded to include several movie adaptations, comic series, and more. Two of the defining features of this franchise have been exaggeratedly explicit displays of gore and violence and sensual character design. From the beginning, Mortal Kombat has established a distinct sense of character; it’s camp. The game does not pretend that the gore is realistic, nor are the tiny outfits and skimpy character designs intended to reflect practicality. The character Mileena truly embodies these characteristics of the Mortal Kombat game. 

Introduced in the 1993 installment Mortal Kombat II, Mileena has become one of the iconic and beloved characters throughout the whole series. Mileena stands as the foremost sex symbol in the franchise, and embodies both beauty and beast in one character. Her voice lines often include sultry, suggestive double entendres with seductive body language to match. Her sensual nature is offset by her bloodlust and razor-sharp protruding teeth. She’s a man-eater, literally. Beyond her voice lines and animations, the hyper-sexualization that has characterized Mileena’s character is largely seen through skins and costumes.

Most of the female characters in the Mortal Kombat series are subject to pretty revealing outfits, but I think Mileena has seen the worst of it. I would go as far as to say, perhaps the most egregious example of fan-service brain-rot in character design is seen in the Flesh Pits skin from Mortal Kombat 9. In this skin, Mileena is only clad in very small amounts of bandages that leave very little to the imagination. Mortal Kombat is known for sexy and revealing outfits but this skin easily surpassed any other in shock-value. Considering this, Flesh Pits serves as the most extreme example from this installment, and probably the entirety of the Mortal Kombat franchise as well. However, other skins in Mortal Kombat 9 also serve as great examples of fan-service manifested in female character design. These include the base skins for Kitana and Jade. 

Base skin after receiving damage for Jade from Mortal Kombat 9

These examples of fan-service in video games and entertainment have been welcomed into popular culture. Fan-service has grown to fill a role in which it is viewed as an essential aspect of this kind of video gaming experience, especially with Mortal Kombat. In acknowledgement of this, there has been increased discussion surrounding the hyper-sexualition of women and its potential effects. Certain studies have found that such sexualization is not proven to result in negative self-perception from a female gamer. However, other studies have found that such emphasis on physical beauty and sexuality in women reinforces harmful gender stereotypes and normalizes objectification of women in video games. This study notes that such connections are still up to debate, and different studies have reached contradicting results. 

Considering that there are such inconclusive results, does this fan-service matter? Is it even a bad thing? In response, I say that these acts of fan-service and objectification may not definitively incite problematic behavior, they still serve as a concerning reflection of our culture. This fan-service reflects the misogyny that persists at large in society, and very deeply within some video game communities. They reinforce notions of the futility of women if they do not serve an aesthetic appeal. Personally, as someone who is a fan of the Mortal Kombat series I have mixed opinions towards the ever-present fan-service and sexualization of female characters. On one hand, this can be exasperating and a jarring reminder that I am not the intended audience (straight men). But I will admit, it’s pretty fun to play as a cunty assassin princess. 

I’d like to note that fan-service within the Mortal Kombat series has definitely undergone a significant change, and this is evidenced through the new character designs. In the three installments since Mortal Kombat 9, there is a marked difference in the female costume designs as they now seem to be pushing for less boob and more practicality. But an interesting thing to observe is the manner in which the franchise has attempted to maintain its campy, exaggerated sense of character amidst changing public opinion and culture. In Mortal Kombat 1, which was released in September of 2023, you can see these efforts clearly.

Mileena skin from Mortal Kombat 9 (left) compared to skin from Mortal Kombat 1 (right)

Mileena’s new base costume is still form-fitting, sensual, and feminine yet lacks the showy display of sexuality that was present in Mortal Kombat 9. There’s also a drastic difference in Mileena’s character and personality, this new design is accompanied by a flesh-out interpretation of her character that exhibits more independent aspirations and agency than her predecessors. I think that these changes are once again a reflection of society, specifically, our shifting cultural sensitivities and values. Of course these values are not held by everyone, as these changes in character design were met with backlash from some fans. And this is not an isolated incident, across the video-gaming community developers are met with criticism when they attempt to produce more realistic depictions of women in their games. A perfect example of this being Abby from The Last of Us 2.

In summary,  Mortal Kombat offers a great lens through which we can see the role that fan-

service and the sexualization of women occupies in the video game industry. This recent shift towards female characters that fulfill a greater role outside of aesthetic appeal in this franchise might be indicative of a new, progressive wave sweeping through the video game industry.