Highlights
- The New Kid in South Park RPGs breaks traditional gender roles, bridging the gap between boys and girls in the series' dynamics.
- The character is adored by both boys and girls, recruiting the girls for their cause and breaking the typical rivalry dynamic featured in South Park.
- The New Kid's ability to communicate across gender lines could continue in the upcoming game Snow Day, further pushing the boundaries in South Park's gender dynamics.
The New Kid is all the rage in the town of South Park. The main character in South Park's RPG's is coveted and respected by many of the girl characters. This is a major break from the South Park world’s dynamics, and it will be interesting to see if the character continues to break franchise expectations within South Park: Snow Day.
Fans of South Park are well aware of the gender roles at play in both the games and television series. For over twenty-five years, South Park’s children have mostly remained staunchly divided along gender lines. The boys are the boys, the girls are the girls, and the adults are helplessly trying to keep up with the shenanigans that ensue. This speaks to the decidedly male perspective throughout the South Park franchise. While the girls can often take part in episode arcs, they are mostly displayed in conflict with the boys, as opposed to being integrated into the boys' schemes, plots, and world. In almost every episode, season, special, and game, the girls are seen as rivals.
10 Years Later, South Park Games Are Still Catching Up to Stick of Truth
South Park: The Stick of Truth released 10 years ago, and the phenomenal game set a very high bar for all of its follow-ups to clear.
However, the character of the New Kid in the last several South Park games breaks this mold in several ways. Introduced in The Stick of Truth in 2014, the New Kid is adored by (and needed by) both girls and boys. The silent player character is promoted throughout the game-play by Cartman and his band of Humans in an attempt to thwart the Elves. While the girls are often seen as a totally separate entity, the New Kid manages to recruit the girls for their cause.
The Kid With No Name
This results in a multi-clique coalition that bolsters Cartman's Humans. This isn't the only reminder of the New Kid's cross-gender communication skills in The Stick of Truth. The New Kid must pose as Bebe's boyfriend in an attempt to further solidify the boys' and girls' alliance. While this might sound like a classic South Park schtick, the boy characters rarely jump through so many hoops to win the approval of the girls, and the girls rarely reciprocate positively. This makes the New Kid's gender dynamic-breaking all the more pronounced.
In 2017’s The Fractured But Whole, the gender divide might be a bit more extreme, but that doesn’t mean that the New Kid’s abilities to reach across the aisle are diminished. While the New Kid has to fend off the temptations of the Raisins Girls, the Call Girl goes out of her way to help them. Bebe remarks on the New Kid’s attractiveness, solidifying the New Kid’s status as the typical handsome, silent hero.
The New Kid has to pose for selfies with Bebe and several other girls, again making him an unlikely non-partisan ally. This is also exemplified in one of The Fractured But Whole's most unhinged chapters: the gendering. Early on in the game, Mr. Mackey explains gender fluidity, and encourages the New Kid to explore their sexuality. Needless to say, this is all encouraged by PC Principal. The ability to assign one's own gender is one of the many examples of the New Kid breaking this odd franchise tradition, while keeping the gameplay grounded in the world that South Park established.
Out of the Panderverse, Into the Fire
In the series and also in the games, South Park’s boys and girls are frequently at odds. South Park's friendships and relationships are fluid, abrasive, and often short-lived (even for nine-year-olds.) Yet the New Kid’s ability to break this odd franchise tradition underscores the importance of the character to the world. These abilities make the New Kid all the more exciting to play.
The New Kid will return in the upcoming South Park game Snow Day. While many details have yet to be seen, the New Kid’s power to communicate with the girls is sure to remain. Just how far the game will go in pushing the boundaries of South Park's gender dynamics is to be determined, though hopefully the New Kid continues to delightfully defy expectations.
