Summary
- Disney Dreamlight Valley lacks more diverse representation due to Disney's limited canon.
- The game's recent additions, like Mulan and Mirabel, show the potential for more diverse characters.
- Gameloft can promote POC characters by adding them and celebrating their backgrounds, strengthening the game's overall tone of unity and friendship.
The best part of Disney Dreamlight Valley is getting to see all the iconic Disney and Pixar characters interact with each other and build friendships I never imagined. Who would have thought that the Beast and WALL-E could be good friends, or that Donald Duck and St🧔itch would form a rivalry? But despite the wide cast of Disney characters, there’s something missing: diversity.
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This isn’t Gameloft’s fault, necessarily. There’s more representation in lower stakes media, like TV shows and direct to Disney+ content than there is in the big-budget films exclusively released in theaters. The problem is a result of the lack of diversity in Disney canon. Out of all the official Disney Princesses, only a handful are women of color. It also doesn꧃’t help that women like Moana, Pocahontas, and Raya aren’t even technically princesses. Instead, they have specific honorifics that denote their importance, but the distinction speaks volumes.
The larger issue at hand translates to poor representation within Disney Dreamlight Valley. If Gameloft can only work with what characters are available, then it was inevitable that the cast of characters in the village would be predominantly white. There’s nothing wrong with empowering female characters like Belle and Ariel, or even sinister villains like Ursula and Mother Gothel who exude con🔯fidence, but the Lucky Dragon update adds Mulan and Mushu into the mix, bringing Chinese culture to the forefront of an otherwise European-centric environment.
Accompanied by the Majesty and Magnolias Star Path, it’s a breath of fresh air. While each path is inspired by a different movie or character, the lack of diversity creates an unfortunately stale catalog of decor and fashion. I’ll haꦯppily dump my Moonstones into Beauty and the Beast items, but having the option to add a pop of color and something different to my viꦚllage is encouraging.
As opposed to the standard jackets and dresses you can unlock, you’ll earn rewards based off of Mulan’s movie, including traditional attire and magnolia-adorned furniture. Paper lanterns and kites can be redeemed to decorate the village and give it so🉐me flair, all while bringing the community of your valley together. By building relationships with Mulan and Mushu, you’ll unlock more items like fireworks that can be launched across the night sky.
With the confirmation of Princess Tia🎀na coming later this summer, there’s hope for a more diverse and culturally enhanced valley. After all, the message in Dreamlight Valley is unity, which involves finding a place for everyone. What better way to share that than to combine cultural aspects of each character? Within a matter of steps, you can walk from the frozen mountains to a lush forest and a dry desert. If Vanellope von Schweetz can have a candy biome to make her feel at home, then it stands to reason that characters from more diverse backgrounds should have a place to call their own as well.
The A Rift In Time expansion reveals Ancient&rsquᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚo;s Landing, and a recent replica of Milo Thatch’s outfit appeared in the Premium Shop, which hints towards characters from Atlantis one day making an appearance in-game. However, these hints are more of a tease, leaving us wondering when we’ll see more characters we love – and whether or not we’ll ever see other characters of color in the villℱage, like Esmeralda, Aladdin, Asha, or the rest of the Madrigals.
Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to hear the talented Jennifer Hale as Cinderella in my village, and I’m excited for Aurora to make an appearance. However, unlike some disgruntled fans, I’m willing to wait. Making space for ✱more diversity should come first, as it sends a message more important than getting to frolic with your favorite characters in your free time. By embracing these differences, the overall tone in the game is strengthened. Everyone works together to make the village more beautiful and harmonious, even with the villains lurking on the outskirts.
As much as I want more classic characters that I grew up with to make their Dreamlight Valley debut, I also want to see Asha working with the Fairy Godmother or Raya roaming the vilꦰlage and asking Mushu about what it means to be a Dragon Guardian. While Disney needs to address the lack of diversity in their canon lineup, Gameloft has the opportunity to promote POC characters by adding them too, and celebrating their background.
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