| Nessa | |
|---|---|
| Pokémon character | |
 Nessa fromPokémon Sword andShield | |
| First appearance | Pokémon Sword andShield (2019) |
| Designed by | Take Oekaki[1] |
| Voiced by |
|
Nessa, known in Japan asRurina (Japanese:ルリナ), is a fictional character inNintendo andGame Freak'sPokémon franchise. Designed by illustrator Take Oekaki and introduced in the 2019 video gamesPokémon Sword andShield, she is a model that also acts as a Gym Leader, specializing in Water-type Pokémon. Since her initial appearance she has appeared in additional media related to the franchise, includingPokémon Masters EX and animePokémon: Twilight Wings. In Japanese she is voiced bySora Amamiya, while in English she has been voiced byAnairis Quinones and Tiana Camacho.
Debuting atE3 2019'sNintendo Direct, she was immediately popular, with several pieces of fan art andcosplay appearing on social media outlets, and various publications offering their own praise. A significant amount of praise came from her representation of diversity within the series as a woman with dark-skin amongst a predominantly white cast, with some seeing her as an example of a strong black character in video games. Controversy arose however after artists were criticized on social media for how they depicted her skin color, with some claiming it to bewhitewashing, which further escalated wheninternet trolls created racist depictions or mods in response. This led online publications to examine the backlash, while discussing the importance of skin color in character portrayal.
Developed byGame Freak and published byNintendo, thePokémon franchise began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video gamesPokémon Red andBlue for theGame Boy.[6] In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, both in the wild as well as those used by other Trainers.[7] Created for the 2019 sequelsPokémon Sword andShield, Nessa is a "Gym Leader", a type of Trainer that acts as aboss players must defeat to proceed.[8]
Designed by illustrator Take Oekaki,[1] Nessa is a dark skinned woman with long black hair that has blue streaks in it, and a spherical pin in the back. Her outfit consists of a wetsuit top, femininehot pants, and sandals with smalllife preservers on the sides. She wears black eyeliner with blue eye shadow and a variety of jewelry, including hoop earrings, arm bracelets, and a glass choker around her neck.[9] Nessa's uniform number is "049", which can be read in Japanesegoroawase foroyogu (泳ぐ; lit. "to swim").[10] While Nessa's name is a reference toScotland'sLoch Ness lake, her Japanese name Rurina is a combination of "ruri", the Japanese name for blue gemstonelapis lazuli, and "marina".[8]
As introduced inPokémon Sword andShield, Nessa is amodel, and acts as the game's second Gym Leader. Specializing in Water-type Pokémon, she notably utilizes aDrednaw amongst her lineup.[11][12] She also appears in the mobile gamePokémon Masters EX paired with Drednaw, as well as on several cards for thePokémon Trading Card Game.[5][13][14] While she was unvoiced in the original game, forPokémon Masters EX she is voiced bySora Amamiya in Japanese, and Tiana Camacho in English.[5][3]
Outside of games, Nessa has appeared in the fourth episode oforiginal net animationanime seriesPokémon: Twilight Wings. In it, Nessa is faced with a choice whether or not to pursue her modelling career full time, at the cost of giving up on Pokémon training. While reminiscing about aFeebas Pokémon she met in the past, a group of Water-type Pokémon approach the ship she's currently doing a photo shoot on. She dives in the water to see them, and sees aMilotic, recognizing it evolved from the Feebas she knew. Reinvigorated, she decides to continue pursuing both careers.[15] While Amamiya reprised her role in Japan forTwilight Wings, in English she was voiced byAnairis Quiñones.[4][2]
In literature, she appears in serial mangaPokémon Adventures's adaptation ofSword andShield.[16]
Nessa was first unveiled at theNintendo Direct forE3 2019, highlighted in footage showcasingPokémon Sword andShield.[17] She was later featured in a playable demo, acting as its final boss and showcasing the title's new features.[18] Several pieces of merchandise have also been released, including a plush toy and a statue, the latter of which was released as part ofBandai's "Bandai Spirits" toyline and featured a separateDrednaw statue alongside her.[19][20] In 2020, a Nessa-themed boxed set was released for thePokémon Trading Card Game, featuring the character's image on the included card holder and sleeve protectors.[13]
Since her debut, the character has been met with positive reception. She quickly became the subject of numerous pieces offan art on social media websites, and was featured in several examples ofcosplay such as that byprofessional wrestlerZelina Vega.[21][22][23][24] Ana Diaz ofPolygon praised how well her design elements worked together, calling it "fire", while also stressing how important she felt it was for the game to showcase a dark-skinned character amongst a predominantly white cast.[17] Echoing the last sentiment,Junkee writer Amanda Yeo also praised the character's sense of style, and described her as "beautiful, self-assured and powerful enough to kick the arses of you and your entire extended family", feeling both elements contributed to her popularity with fans.[25]Kotaku's Gita Jackson meanwhile cited how her athletic attire helped emphasize the game's themes of the series maturing, illustrating Pokémon battling as a competitive sport.[26] While her appearance inTwilight Wings also received praise, Tom Steel ofComic Book Resources expressed disappointment in Nessa's absence from thePokémon anime.[27][28]
Despite not being stated as such by Game Freak, several media outlets have examined Nessa as an example of a black character in video games.Eurogamer's Calypso Mellor described Nintendo's highlighting of her in theSword andShield demo at E3 was "fantastic", and felt it was a positive step in diversity for the series.[29] Junae Benne ofGame Industry News described her as "gentle, tough, competitive, and a good sport", and cited her as an example of black representation she wanted to see more of in gaming.[30] Princess Weekes ofThe Mary Sue stated she was excited by the diversity Nessa brought to the game's world, emphasizing what it meant to her in terms of representation while citing fan excitement on social media at seeing such a character.[31]
In 2019, a controversy arose where fan artists received backlash and accusations ofwhitewashing for depicting her with a lighter skin tone.[32] While some arguments claimed Nessa was actually tan, others countered with discussions of how to properly illustrate darker skin colors, which many fans saw instead as attempts at "policing" art. Others tried to argue it instead as an example of "racebending".Internet trolls escalated matters further, depicting her as aracial stereotype of a monkey in artwork,[33] or changing her to be white in amod forSword andShield, using the argument that she was actually just "very tan".[34][31]
Several media outlets examined the event, with Kiara Halls ofComic Book Resources arguing that cultural depictions of tan and black characters may differ between countries, but also the lack of representation in gaming may play a role in how such characters are perceived.[32] Meanwhile,The Mary Sue's Weekes felt that historically negative perceptions regarding race may play a factor in how some visualized or depicted characters like Nessa, and felt that even if unintentional, the lightening of Nessa's skin color sends a message that "darker women aren’t as beautiful".[31] Anthony Gramuglia in an article forComic Book Resources questioned what enjoyment could be gained from such mods that remove a character's racial identity, feeling it existed solely to attack perceived "social justice warriors" and was "evidence of an unwillingness to accept people exist outside of a bubble you craft for yourself and choose [...] where you won't encounter people different from yourself."[34]
