Many video game enthusiasts often identify with or draw inspiration from their favorite characters. Trying to emulate their courageous behaviors or striving to be as cool as these characters, a part of the gaming world often spills over into our daily lives. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a perfect example of a game filled with characters that can have this impact on players. All the game's companions and quest NPCs boast intricate personalities and impressive character designs - 'Shadowheart' for instance, is an admirable character many aspire to be.
But it isn’t just the heroic actions or cool personalities that players identify with. At times, characters from video games end up affirming traits that players already possess, helping them feel more comfortable and confident about themselves. One gamer shared his story on social media, discussing how Astarion, an origin character from Baldur’s Gate 3, became a positive representation for him – a character with a mop of curly silver hair.
The 50-somethings gamer shared that, due to societal pressure and the prevailing perception that curly hair is 'untidy,' he spent his life tying his hair at the back to suppress its texture. He also felt pulled towards dying his greying hair due to a widely held belief that 'white or grey hair isn’t appealing.'
Fortunately, after viewing the public's adoration for the character Astarion within the gaming community, the gamer found a new confidence in his own looks. He discussed how seeing people appreciating Astarion's unique curly, white-grey hairstyle encouraged him to embrace his hair's natural beauty.
Baldur’s Gate 3 and the embrace of textured hair
Another user reinforced the point by noting that Astarion represents a bigger picture - a widespread acceptance of curly hair, or as they put it, the advent of 'curleissance' in broader popular culture. Acknowledging one's natural curls as Astarion does is just the start of a larger narrative around embracing hair texture diversity. Anecdotes such as these highlight the valuable role Baldur's Gate 3 has played in challenging societal beauty norms.
The Natural Aging Process in Characters
But there's more to Astarion's appeal than just his silver curls. The character also shows signs of aging, which are often unseen in popular game figures. A user commented that, 'The sexiest characters in this game imo, have wrinkles, sun spots, and greying hair and that is so cool.'
There is backlash against 'de-aging' mods that aim to remove these aging details from game characters. One user even dubbed these mods as 'blasphemy', indicating a shift in perception towards embracing natural aging in beloved characters.
The conversation around Astarion and his silver curls has indeed been a turning point in helping players feel good about themselves, proving that beauty standards can be - or rather, should be - fluid and inclusive.
