How WILLOW Redefines The STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER Trope || Video Essay
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- čas přidán 13. 05. 2023
- The strong female character trope has been a source of a lot of controversy and discourse in recent years and obviously everyone's going to have their own interpretation. However, I would argue that characters like Willow from The Owl House really redefine the strong female character trope and force you to really think what this trope represents and how female characters can be presented as strong in modern media.
Willow Park is not a type of character who immediately makes you think of this trope, but I think it's actually what makes her arc all the more impactful. She grows and becomes stronger as the story progresses and we can experience this growth along with her and see how she overcomes various hardships.
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the thing that always makes obvious that Willow is strong is that she is the go to person,for a figth or for emotional support
Do you notice something that Willow and Camila are similar to each other because of the glasses
@@vanessasandoval96 not really, me and all my friends use glasses so i just imagine everyone uses too LOL, but yeah in a cartoon it makes sense. nice one
I feel like Willow is an underrated character sometimes
She tends to be a little overlooked compared to other characters, but she still has a pretty dedicated fanbase :)
@@golden-prism yeah!!🙂
Especially because she 100% earned what she has now! She grew and worked hard and I love her for that!
Oh ABSOLUTELY! 100%!
@@wackychu2401 You’re wrong. The show was cancelled in s1 (yes, s1. Not s2. S2 was a given since the show as greenlit for two seasons off the bat. The show was condensed in s2 and Dana fought for s3). Willow and Gus were 100% NOT the two boys from Star Vs., who were included to give Marco friends so he wouldn’t be some loser with no friends until his manic pixie dream girl came in.
Willow and Gus also exemplify the themes of the show, but just had to be cut out some cuz they weren’t extremely plot relevant. They’re important to Luz’s development and do serve a similar purpose in making Luz have some friends when she didn’t have friends prior so they’re more impt than how Star Vs. did things. The only character we know for sure was added in cuz they weren’t originally planned for the story prior was the collector. Not Gus or Willow.
And I find Gus and Willow far more interesting than Amity so I kiiiinda resent that statement lol
"Inner Willow is willing to destroy everything, even Willow herself, as long as it means punishing Amity for the years of bullying and abuse."
You always have wonderful one liners that really make me think - thank you!
Another thing worth mentioning is that Willow is still a “strong independent female character” even when….you know how some people complain on how “strong female character” means they have to be strong by never relying on anyone, especially never rely help from a man? Willows arc is literally her trying to be seen as strong and reliable and she has to learn to rely on her friends for help and it’s Hunter who saves her when she nearly entangles herself and Gus telling her to rely on others. And gets better by doing so. This shouldn’t be that hard Hollywood🙄
Agreed! Willow’s arc in s3 is basically all about how she has to let go of this idea that she has to do everything by herself and learn how to trust others and rely on them whenever she needs it. It has to be mutual. And there’s strength and maturity in allowing yourself to be vulnerable like this.
@@golden-prism I also want to say that Hunter saving Willow and assuring her from For the Future is like my second favorite scene from the show because of how sweet and awesome Hunter was? If that doesn’t scream “Best Boy!” I don’t know what does
I can relate to Willow. She was put in a class that really did nothing for her except make her suffer while everyone else (especially Amity) excelled. It was more than obvious that she needed to be in a different class.
Thankfully, Principal Bump saw her true potential and arranged for the transfer to the Plant classes, where she truly became a super star.
My mother wanted me to be an accountant, but it just wasn't for me. I finally landed a job in the art field as a photography assistant, and I couldn't be happier.
What a great example!
Putting someone ( a child nonetheless ) in a position that isn’t working for them nor to the position itself, that’s suffering from within themselves. Their strengths in another position is better; conformity isn’t something to consider nor is it the answer for everything.
Willow was forced to study and perform in a field she couldn’t excel; only to keep her in school so that Amity’s parents ( mostly Odalia ) couldn’t expel her based on prejudice.
I was homeschooled because of my autism (not listening and not correctly answering questions; especially when a teacher wasn’t patient and twisted my arm) but after attending Pelham Road Elementary School, and the best teachers for autistic and the neurodivergent, I’m finished with school and figured out myself more effectively than before.
I like Willow and her moxie, so I can relate with her and her traumas
I had forgotten that Willow was the one to teach Gus that counting destressing technique, I still use that myself thanks to this show. While it was a side-arc that we struggled to have time for in the final season I'm really glad Willow got more development for her arc. She's strong and reliable, but reliable people need people to rely on as well. I think she reminds me the most of Luisa from Encanto in that way.
I think what I find most memorable about her is the show making it clear that forgiveness can take time and people process it in different ways. Amity changes her ways, but it takes Willow a while to feel comfortable around her again and you can subtly see the effort she puts in towards that with scenes like the hair braiding.
It reminds me of another strong woman and role model, Katara from Avatar:TLA, making the distinction between ending a grudge with someone to move on and completely forgiving someone to the point of being able to like them. She's also been a role model in my life with how, even if no one's _killed my mother,_ I've been wronged by people in ways that weren't as simple to patch over as an apology.
I really like that in _Laberynth Runners_ Willow showed Amity she didn't need her to be a protector she needed a friend, an equal who saw her as that, and Amity changed gears immediately after to the point that Amity fought alongside Willow, both on _King's Tide_ and _Thanks to them_
@@olleselin After that, yes.
@@olleselin I think Amity trusted her long before that, but not to be able to protect herself. In _Understanding Willow_ it is shown that Amity was the strong one with the powers, and in this episode, Amity keeps putting herself between the coven scouts and Willow.
@@olleselin I think that Willow did come to trust Amity once more before that the Laberynth episode.
In regards to the flashbacks, yes Willow did have some powers but she really didn't had control on the spells or the output of magic energy
@@olleselin From what I can see, Amity's expression are in order awkward, worried, teasing, sad and worried, relieved.
When Amity arrives she looks awkward standing in Willow's bedroom door for the first time in probably years if not a decade. Their friendship might not have been fully restored or Amity was worried she's overstepping by going there with no warning. The implication is that Amity had gone to her house before their fallout, which also means digging up uncomfortable memories.
We then learn the reason for the visit: Amity sense that Luz is lying but doesn't want to invade her gf's privacy (like her parents most likely did until she stood up to them). She needs someone who she can trust, has a strong moral compass and who also has a good relationship with her parents: Willow.
Amity is then teasing when Willow is just like "I mean you could watch this and find out" because she wants but, is her friend actually saying you should, should they do it toguether or is she suggesting another thing.
However, Willow takes a stern and even a little agressive demeanor, and even calls her Blight instead of Amity. This makes Amity fear she just said or did something wrong and has set them back. But is relieved when Willow asks her to just braid her hair.
Willow does look a bit sad when Amity says _I'm glad we can be like this again_ because she probably wishes they never stopped
@@olleselin I think so too, Amity might have just been nervous about being back at Willow's or causing another rift, even when Willow was in a much better place since switching to the Plant track
I relate to Willow so much. Not only as a woman with her body type, but also as someone who struggled with self-esteem and confidence in herself. I really hope we get more female characters like her in the future 👍💕
I think Boscha had an arc that's usually reserved for male characters - this feeling of wanting attention, even if it's negative; craving validation and comraderie, even if it's toxic; because SOMETHING is better than NOTHING. And when Amity pursues a healthier relationship for herself, after Boscha lost what had been her one constant (her Grudgby team), Boscha had a lot of questioning to do with not a lot of guidance or support. In fact, she was being fed lies and hurtful perspectives from Kiki-Miki. We see that Boscha ends up kind of in the neutral zone - not necessarily this sweet, amazing, integral part of the Owl House friends and family, but not singling people out to hurt them either. Morton waves at her with a smile in the credits. I think she realized, "Hey, I am way too competitive for my friendships to be anything other than rivalries, but I'm learning that those rivalries don't have to be harmful." They can be helpful, like Pokemon rivals are technically best friends.
Also, AHHH the significance of scrapbooking for Willow!! I never even considered that!! WOW. Thanks for talking about it
That's definitely an interesting perspective and something to think about! I think my confusion about her arc stems from the fact that I'm torn between wishing that she had a less integral part in For the Future and also being kinda disappointed that she didn't get more screentime because what we got in this episode felt a bit lacking. She definitely was a person who craved control above anything else, though, and it took her a while to realize that while being in control or being admired for her skills feels good, she won't go far if she doesn't make any meaningful connections with others.
@@golden-prism oh definitely - she had too much of a role to *not* get elaborated on, and also too little of a role to justify how much influence she had in the final series. Buuut this is prime soil for fanfictions to grow from XD guess we'll see the fanon!
Also Willow feeling she must be strong for everyone and that showing emotion is a weakness is a problem males historically have had to deal with
@@kevinmorris3200 Yess - TOH did a wonderful job flipping gender expectations
I hadn't considered scrapbooking Willow's significance either. I love looking back on those pictures and seeing that they're _messy_ memories. The awkward photo when Amity wasn't ready, the chaotic bee incident, even one they took of her while she was sleeping at what looks like a picnic. They're not selected for perfect angles or quality, just capturing the memories as they are. Beautiful.
This video is basically describing why I love Willow. I loved her ever since she first appeared in season 1.
i think willow it's a perfect base to define a realistic portal of strong woman by strong i mean healty (at the end of the show of course), by showing that certain aspect of life lead people to act certain ways but that doesn't necessarily lead them to make them act the stereotypical "STRONG WOMAN Who needs no man archetipe" that at this point it's not only a tired trope that it's used to spread a mean spirited "to be strong you have to suppress the mans around you and stomp on them to achieve anything"
Willow on the other hand showed strength trough compassion and care for the others and also showing how "being the Shoulder to cry on"it's a really difficult task and that could lead to bad tough pattern of "If im not helping im usless "wich i felt hitting very close to home . i really like her and i really like she ending up with hunter .
also unrelated to the topic your accent it's really cute lol.
I see Willow's strength being very similar to that of G1 Optimus Prime. As stated in an interview about auditioning for the role, Peter Cullen said that he based his read of the lines on advice his brother have him about being a character thats strong enough to be kind. Its easy to use your power to bully others or oppress them, but to use your power to lift others up and protect them when they need it is on a whole other level
I really liked you extended "out of sight, out of mind" analogy. It did not occur to me.
I think one thing I really liked for her character design and story arch was that they had her be strong and athletic while still being fat. They didn’t make her skinny when she started playing sports. Showing representation that being fat/having a fat body type doesn’t mean you are unhealthy or not fit.
Given the wide range of body types among female olympians, for example, it’s clear this is real and that a wide range of people can be fit, even if they don’t fit in a fat-shaming stereotype of fitness.
I call her body, “thick-boned, yet strong and beautiful.”
12:00 Boscha and Willow just feels like another one of those things we could've gotten in an extended season unfortunately. The line they leave off on of "don't think I'm finished with you!" implies to me that we would've gone in a direction of Willow and Boscha eventually finding some understanding in competitiveness, both being captains of sports teams, and, if not friends, at least a begrudging respect enough for each other's skills to be friendly rivals.
Maybe an episode where Boscha challenges Willow to a game of Flyer Derby, _loses,_ and recognizes that Willow has grown to be strong, confident, and skilled, just in different ways than her.
I could see such an episode in my head and I agree that they could have made it work even as they rebuild the boiling isles.
If anything I think Any Sport in a storm should’ve been Boscha competing against Willow in flyer derby only to lose against her
I think that would’ve helped Willows arc come to full circle and be able to redeem herself from the grudgby game, settling the score, and it could’ve been the episode where Willow and Boscha called a truce
Though I think for that to work, the Lumity plot should be cut from the episode all together
@@oprimedo you think Any Sport in a Storm should’ve cut Lumity from the episode all together?
I love Luz, Amity, etc. but Willow was criminally underused. Like "Understanding Willow" was a more Amity x Luz centered episode where Amity goes through more character development while Willow is the plot device.
I unfortunately agree. Gus was criminally underused as well. In The Looking Glass Ruins, Gus gets some great screentime but it’s overshadowed by Lumity and the Lumity kiss. While both Understanding Willow and In The Looking Glass Ruins are awesome episodes and I love the development of Lumity, I wish that Willow and Gus weren’t sidelined…
Willow is my favorite character from the show, because I relate to her and she's an inspiration.
This video really helped me both understand/sympathize with Willow, and help me continue working on…for lack of a better term…sympathize with myself, as I never knew just how much I related to Willow’s character arc, even after watching the whole series, until watching your video!
It almost made me tear up with how much you brought to light about Willow and how believable her struggles were, and again, this is AFTER I watched the show and mostly understood her character! (I think it’s probably partially due to having large gaps in the series, not rewatching the full thing start to finish yet, and you showcasing clips from the whole series which helped jog my memory!)
Thank you so much for this and all your Owl House videos so far! I hope you’re doing well, and I’m excited to see whatever you make next, Owl House or not!
(Also, I don’t think I had my wisdom teeth removed, but I have had some intense work done on my teeth and mouth in general, sometimes even surgeries if necessary! I can understand the pain! 😖)
I’m happy to hear that, glad that it resonated with you so much ♥️ I definitely recommend rewatching the whole series now that it’s over, even with the cancellation and everything it’s clear that the writers did their best to keep everything as consistent as possible!
And thank you, the support really means the world to me!
(From my experience having anything teeth-related done is honestly the worst, sorry you had to go through that!)
Omg I never even considered how Boscha felt jealous of Willow's friendship with Amity that explains so much
I've never really liked the typical associations that come with being a "strong female character". Largely because it was co-opted by right wing commentators to over criticise female protagonists in modern media and call everyone a Mary-Sue to the point where it lost meaning. Sure, some of these characters can be critiqued but it was always much harsher on the female characters than the male ones with the exact same problems. It usually ends in complimenting an 80s movie protagonist (eg: Ripley or Sarah Connor) or a totally not sexist supporting character.
Another thing that bothered me is how most of them are written to be what men see as impressive for a woman rather than something that's impressive for anyone to anyone. They are physically strong and able to compete with men (who are perceived as stronger). They often are played by super conventionally attractive size 2 actresses but are still able to lift heavy guns and do things they really should have muscles for, or someone who is less feminine or muscular who recieves constant harassment for the role (or creative decision if it's animated). They can either be really strong and despised (Captain Marvel breaks her fragile universe) or a supporting character (MHA I'm looking at you). They are praised for doing the bear minimum because women aren't supposed to do cool things, which feels infantalising.
I enjoy Vi as a character, but I hate hearing her described as a Strong Female Character because the attachment to gender is something so explicitly stated and the character is strong. This implicates that most female characters aren't strong, while male characters are assumed to be by default.
Though Willow is technically a strong female character by definition, I personally like to think of her as an interesting exploration of weakness vs strength and how vulnerability is important to everyone. And also a sign of how the heart of a group can suffer from being the emotion crutch. But calling her a strong female character feels like a reinforcement of the literary issues that I've dont my best to escape.
This isn't an attack on you as a creator, I understand why you used the term, but I just wanted to share my thoughts on this whole discussion.
I don't see Vi as "strong" per-say, but she is verry likable, and has some cool illution and abjuration abilitys.
i love your videos theyre the highlights of my week
Thank you ♥️ I’m very happy to hear that!
Willow was a very likable character right from the start and I liked your analysis on her character growth. would love to see your take on just about every character, even the side ones with little screen time and how they affected others, helping or hindering any development.
so glad you're back
Aww, me too ❤ And it's so good to see you in the comments, I always look forward to them!
@@golden-prism
Willow is one of my favourite characters! She the one I relate the most , it’s nice to see a video talking about this💕
I think strong characters are just characters who have their own wants and needs and drives.
I do like Willow but she's never been a character that I'd say is a favourite of mine, but this video has given me a better understanding and appreciation of her character. Great video!
Yeah Willow felt more like a plot device for characters like Amity and Hunter.
Gus falls in that same category as Willow.
Willow and Gus are nothing more than just mere plot devices which is pretty sad.
Forgive my cheesiness, words can't describe how much I love Willow. She's just so great
i really relate to willow and i am thankful that i was able to find this video
Thank you for this analysis. Willow was always my favorite TOH character. I really like to trope of a character understanding that they are stronger that they think they are. Willow is by no doubt a strong female character.
GREAT GOLDEN PRISM THE OWL HOUSE WILLOW CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
fantastic video gold
I think you're theory on Bocsha's motivations for her bullying Wilow definitely make a lot of sense and definitely tracks with what we know about her.
If anything I think Any Sport in a storm should’ve been Boscha competing against Willow in flyer derby only to lose against her
I think that would’ve helped Willows arc come to full circle and be able to redeem herself from the grudgby game, settling the score, and it could’ve been the episode where Willow and Boscha called a truce
Though I think for that to work, the Lumity plot should be cut from the episode all together
@kmmk5022 you make a good point though I think by that point Wilow like many of the Hexsqaud had moved past Boscha in terms of her effecting them. But it still would've worked well all the same.
@@williehughes1690To me I think I think my idea would work much better narratively to Willows character and to wrap things up with the whole Boscha conflict
Amity being the one to confront Boscha didn’t really make sense. To me, Willow would’ve worked way better than Amity. Besides Amity already had two big confrontation moments with both her parents so it’s only fair for Willow to have one too.
You have to remember, Boscha bullied Willow long before Amity. To me Willows arc feels more like proving Boscha and those who doubted her wrong rather than protecting her loved ones.
@@williehughes1690and I don’t wanna sound rude or anything and I apologize in advance if it does come across as that but you and other people need to set up higher expectations and higher standards for Willow’s character and expect better than what we got.
Like people are complaining Hunter didn’t confront Belos at the series finale and wasn’t there to help defeat him but people don’t give a crap about Willow not confronting Boscha? To me it’s hypocritical, and it doesn’t that if Belos is the main antagonist or not. Willow is just as much as an important character as any other character in the Hexsquad that deserves her own victory and own confrontation.
@@kmmk5022 You make a very good point.
Hello! Just going to put my thoughts on this here:
10:03 Personally, I disagree with the interpretation that boscha is in love with amity. I think that they were more likely just friends, and that connection is what boscha is yearning for in this moment.
We all love Luz, but her introduction to the bi did end up changing the daily lives of many of its inhabitants. For example, she is the one who helps Lilith switch sides, causing the ec to lose its coven head, and then goes back in time with her, (accidentally) giving belos access to the light glyph, which in turn is what allows belos to start the day of unity. The point that I’m trying to make here is that Luz and her arrival was the action that started the dominoes that led into the apocalypse, however inadvertently.
At the time for the future takes place, all the dominoes have fallen and the apocalypse has begun. Boscha is being forced into a position where she has to lead what she may believe to be the last remainder of people living on the bi, while making sure they don’t get turned into puppets, making sure they have food, and having to call the shots for everyone here - all while also grieving the loss of her two best friends. I’m not the biggest fan of boschas character, but let’s do keep in mind here that she is a literal CHILD who watched her two best friends for all intents and purposes die in front of her, and is now being put under an insane amount of pressure, stress, and fear. She’s letting kikimiki call the shots for her because she doesn’t want to herself. She just wants things to be normal.
Amity was boschas best friend before Luz (and with her, the accidental apocalypse) came along, and though this wasn’t the best experience for amity, boscha genuinely enjoyed her company. So when amity appears in for the future, this must seem like a dream come true for boscha. She gets on her knees and begs to amity because she’s alone and afraid and can 1) have a friend she can trust again, 2) get a sense of normalcy, and 3) feel like her s1 self, someone who was confident and brave and practically owned hexside, and she wants to feel that strong again.
Thanks for reading, I hope this made any sense :)
"Imagine what a strong female character looks like"
Well, because it's a video about The Owl House, I first pictured Eda. Now, I picture Garnet from Steven Universe.
I’ve always loved Willow 😊 I like nice people
Wonderful video.
If anything I think Any Sport in a storm should’ve been Boscha competing against Willow in flyer derby only to lose against her
I think that would’ve helped Willows arc come to full circle and be able to redeem herself from the grudgby game, settling the score, and it could’ve been the episode where Willow and Boscha called a truce. I feel like it fits more to Willows arc narratively than what we got in for the future
Though I think for that to work, the Lumity plot should be cut from the episode all together
If there gonna have Boscha have a redemption arc, they should’ve done it within season 2 rather than close to the finale.
The lack of views and likes compared to other videos on the channel is a bit... sad. Willow deserves some justice.
I felt like willow and especially gus should've been given more focus alongside Luz and Amity.
I think the trouble is that some people interpret ‘strong female character’ as ‘acts tough like a man’, when really I feel it should be, ‘uses her strengths to hold her own’. While Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice doesn’t punch and kick at Darcy, she holds her ground and defends herself and so is a strong character
Hi, I really love everything about your videos, except one thing. and I mean this as constructive criticism, you should do vocal work in your prononciation because it often feels like the words aren't very clear, and I can barely understand what you say. I know that prononciation is hard for someone who English isn't their first language. I know. I just want to say that as me myself someone who recently learned English, the sloppy prononciation in your videos makes it hard to understand, personally. the automatic close-caption doesn't work very well, but i do what i can to understand your videos. They are very interesting
Willow was disapointing. She had her chance in season 1 but she was completly wasted in season 2, even Gus get more develoment than her
Questions why does it matter if she is a strong female character
It doesn't do anything for me
It is like women saying I make all this money, thinking like that's what men care about
Men are like, ok, cool, doesn't do anything for me
It's not what I find attractive about women
these kinds of characters are meant to be important for women, not for men. obviously men can also feel inspired by and love these female characters, but the main intention is for them to show the girls watching the show that they can be strong too
Why does it matter what men care about?
Who cares what you find attractive?
Women don't exist just for men, in case you didn't notice
@hellothere2464 but no one thinks women are weak, It's not what I think when I see female characters in movies, TV, cartoons, anime
But it is true that men are stronger than women in reality because that is just how men are built, It doesn't mean I think less of them
@@Scorpio4890 yeah i didn’t say that at all. i was just saying that many girls like seeing strong women on screen and that’s why it’s important to show that.
@hellothere2464 I know you don't say that, but what is the opposite of weak, strong. What's the opposite of less, a lot
+ Why is it important to women
All I see is a woman who started from A to B, bottom to top, who has changed in the story
I’ve heard that some people think Willow is fat/chubby. But from what I’m concerned, she’s more of a curvy, yet skinny individual.
I think on her own, she could look curvy skinny, but compared to the lankiness of other characters she does look more on the chubby side
@@weirdnerdygoatto me I think she’s muscular. She is a strong girl so I believe it’s all muscle
Hunter🟢 x Willow🟢😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍