Not all women in games are human. Some are animals, like Epona from The Legend of Zelda series, and others still are gods in a mortal form. Today we’re looking at Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, from Capcom’s incredible game Okami.
She Came To Save Humanity
Amaterasu is an amazing goddess, but she didn’t return to the mortal plain for just any reason. She came to restore light, banish darkness, and save humanity. Throughout the course of Okami she goes through a number of battles on behalf of all humans, ensuring that great evils don’t return to the world. She faces off against an eight-headed dragon, a nine-tailed fox, and a giant shark too. She is one of the most powerful women in games who doesn’t take the form of a human female, but she’s no less impressive.
Part of Amaterasu’s mission in our plain is also to restore light to the world. Trees and plants have been dying, and everyone is shrouded by an evil darkness that they can’t perceive. Without us even knowing it, Amaterasu battles the demons that surround us, and restores the world with the power of the sun. Once her work is done, humans feel much better, and they can finally see her as well.
In this way, Amaterasu is a metaphor for the greatest women in our lives. They’re always present, always working behind the scenes for our own good, and they completely banish darkness. For some of us, those great women may not be around anymore, but just like the sun, their presence can still be felt long after they’re gone. A lesson learned when you were young, a habit you developed from your mum, or just some advice that you heed because you were told to. All of these women have an effect on us that spans tens of years, and Amaterasu is no different.
For International Women’s Day this year we’ve delved into a few women from gaming over the course of the week. If you enjoyed this look at Amaterasu, then check out our other articles in the series here. Please let us know in the comments if you liked reading this series, it’s definitely something we’d like to revisit next year.