Originally written for Bikini Armor Battle Damage.
Okay, I covered the stuff in Baldur’s Gate 3 is mixed and complicated. Let’s talk about an objectively well executed character and visually designed – Minthara.
From a general writing perspective, she’s exactly what I mean when I say it’s not enough to support, women’s rights – we need to support their wrongs. She is complicated, ruthless and villainous in a way we rarely get to see female characters – and every aspect of her design supports and conveys it.
Spoilers below the cut.
We are first introduced to her in here scheming:
And then when you get to meet her in game, the vibes are immaculate. No notes.
The armor design here is genuinely AAA grade. Multiple layers of protection, intimidation through jagged designs without endangering the wearer. Decorative pauldrons to convey power, materials indicating her fantastic background.
But she has camp gear and even underwear that expresses additional elements of her character and personality.
Check out her majesty… then compare it to her camp clothes, and her underwear.
What I really like about this is the general trend that is consistent upon key character traits of Minthara’s: she is pragmatic in the field, a dreamer in private and determined to live, love or die on her own terms.
Her camp attire is sexy, but in a way that conveys her domineering and confident attitude. Her underwear is sex, but not uncomfortable or or any sort of indicator of that she feels her gender also demands submissiveness.
And, without going into the details – the writing makes her a unicorn evil woman character who is uninterested in changing her ways, but as complicated and feeling as her more moral peers.
Now, all we need is for society to evolve to where she can also be the kind of buff muscle mommy you expect to rush into combat dual wielding maces with perfect confidence.
(This still from Heart of Flames by Miracle of Sound with Karliene, footage created by Mispap1)