Asellus in SaGa Frontier

Gina meeting Asellus for the first time, Image credit: http://lparchive.org/SaGa-Frontier/Update%2028/

Gina meeting Asellus for the first time,
Image credit: http://lparchive.org/SaGa-Frontier/Update%2028/

Asellus is one of the seven protagonists in SaGa Frontier (she is the one with the green hair in the image above). Many players suggest she is meant to be read as a lesbian character, though some descriptions suggest the attraction others feel for her stems fromLord Orlogue’s mystic blood, which he used to bring her back to life after running over her with a carriage.

There are two NPCs in particular with which she is described as having a possibly romantic relationship. One is White Rose, who Lord Orlouge tasks with her care of her (Lord Orlouge plans on one day making Asellus one of his brides). Asellus runs away from the realm with White Rose. According to one source, the explanation of the relationship between Asellus and White Rose was cut from the English translation of the game, but several sites suggest that their relationship has some lesbian subtext (see here, here, here, and here). A screenshot of an English translation of the game includes the following conversation about White Rose between Asellus and another character:

Zozma: Because she knew you loved her.

Asellus: …Yes, as a sister and friend.

Zozma: Didn’t White Rose just tell you to live in freedom? Maybe it’s time for you to come out with it. Deny it all you want, but I’m telling you it’s not healthy.

The other character with whom Asellus has a potentially romantic relationship is Gina, who tailors Asellus’s outfits and discusses having a deep attraction to her, an example of which can be seen in the image above.

Asellus’s storyline has three possible endings. Her “fully human” ending results in her getting married and having kids. In her “half-mystic” ending, Gina is an old woman Asellus regularly visits with other friends, including White Rose. In her “bad ending,” Asellus becomes a full mystic, takes the place of Lord Orlogue, and marries Gina and several other women. An image of this scene appears below, and all of the endings can be found in this walkthrough.

Asellus takes Gina as her princess in the "bad" Mystic ending. Image credit http://lparchive.org/SaGa-Frontier/Update%2033/

Asellus takes Gina as her princess in the “bad” Mystic ending.
Image credit http://lparchive.org/SaGa-Frontier/Update%2033/

Citations:

  1. Asellus. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://saga.wikia.com/wiki/Asellus
  2. Asellus. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.giantbomb.com/asellus/3005-5579/
  3. Aseullus Lesbian. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/198537-saga-frontier/53702651
  4. Choosing the Gay Option- LGBT Themes in Video Games. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.talking-time.net/showthread.php?t=14049&page=2
  5. Lesbian Gamers. (n.d.). Asellus in SaGa Frontier- Lesbianism on PS1. Retrieved from http://lesbiangamers.com/2007/12/asellus-in-saga-frontier-lesbianism-on-ps1/
  6. LGBT characters in video games. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_characters_in_video_games
  7. Media portrayal of lesbianism. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://lgbt.wikia.com/wiki/Media_portrayal_of_lesbianism
  8. RedBoot. (2007, June 8). Let’s Play SaGa Frontier. Let’s Play Archive. http://lparchive.org/SaGa-Frontier/
  9. SaGa Frontier. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SaGa_Frontier
  10. SaGa Frontier- Alternate Versions. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://polish.imdb.com/title/tt0207072/alternateversions
  11. The Girl In the Machine. (2007, October 5). The Quest for Humanity. http://girlinthemachine.blogspot.com/2007/10/quest-for-humanity.html