A Goth's Perspective on Sable Ward

It wasn't a question of if we were going to get the goth girl archetype, it was when. Adding Sable would've always been a money printer regardless. Whether it be from the people who drool over goth women or people who like the allure of the goth aesthetic. It's nice to get some actual representation that is, for once, a real goth. Too often we get one that's more akin to emo or y2k pintrest boards. But I think Sable genuinely fits the bill.

Although, I do have mixed opinions on her. Both good and bad ofc. Some are more nitpicky and others are valid.

First off: Aesthetics

Most goths would crucify you if you said something like "I'm goth aesthetically but I don't like the music". That's because it is a music subculture and not an aesthetic. BUT, aesthetics do play a role in the genre and overall stylistic choices. I.e Victorian reminiscent clothing, catholic/egyptian symbolism and such. I know BHVR generally stays away from those sorts of things (religion) unless they're related to the overall theme and setting of a chapter. Which is good. It's smart for business. I won't lie and say every time goths have done this it's been tasteful. But that's aside from the point.

Sable's outfits (so far) have been a good blend of flashy and casual. Such as the skeleton print shirt and striped pants. That's very accurate to what one of us would actually wear on a day to day basis. But she's already going down the feng pipeline where she's getting overly complicated cosmetics. Like the gargoyle outfit, or bikini one. I have 0 issues with selling a few sexy/flashy skins. But I'd like to see other forms of goth represented as well as some more down to earth designs. I could say this is a problem for most female survivors at this point. Something like a traditional look, cyber, or even a business look could work. The most believable part about Sable's designs is that she adds her own flair to mundanity. This is part of her character.

There's a lot you can do to make her outfits casual and still gothy. One thing I usually do is cut out the collars in my shirts. Small things like that which take nothing to add flair. A bit of damage or wear can change the entire vibe of an outfit.

I would say something like mall goth as well, but I feel like her default skin has a nice touch of that. Speaking of which, I don't entirely love it but I do think for a default skin it's very well made. It tells a lot about her sense of fashion and overall personality.

Here's the nitpicky part: I do not like her lobby music. I really wish they would've gone for something darkwave-ish or somber guitar tones. Her lobby theme fits the Unknown better than herself. Basically a non issue though as survivor que's are almost never long anymore.

Second: Characterization

This is the really mixed bag along with her lore. We don't get much of Sable's life or relationship with Mikaela. Not even her parents. I think there's a real story to be told there. One about a sense of belonging while being an outlier. I think goth is a great way to explore this theme. It's about finding not only your sense of self, but embracing and pushing against the things society refuses to acknowledge. There's bits of that inside her lore already. Many people mocked it as "not like the other girls" which is fair honestly. But I do think it does well to illustrate that Sable is kind of a strange person. The world around her wanted to push her into being a girly girl. Which is why it makes a point of the mudclod fights or interest in bugs and frogs. She doesn't fit into the suburbia of Springwood. Think of Edward Scissor hands. Because of the way she presents herself, because she's uncompromising in the way she views the world, she's somewhat excluded from the pack. I think how she needed Mikalea to help her get a job at the cafe, "Probably the only place that would hire her", highlights this. This also makes Mikalea an anchor of sorts for Sable. She's like an intermediary for her. Mikeala is different enough to understand Sable, but also blends in well enough to navigate the world without any hitches.

I stress this because people do legitimately treat you differently based on how you present yourself. I've had people yell things at me as they drive by, or been told I'm weird by people I barely know. I've been told I won't be able to work at certain places over small things. Like painted nails, long hair, eyeliner. It's little things like that which seem inconsequential, but also hamper your ability to navigate the world.

At first I thought Dredge would be a better killer thematically. But I think Unknown fits so much better. The parrellel between Sable and Unknown is they're both put into boxes. People try to define them as one thing, but that doesn't apply to either. Both fight against this in some way. Unknown just murders, so like, you go girl! But Sable does this by carving her own path forward. Through All Things Wicked This Night, she finds a way not only to bond with her friends, but find like-minded people who share the same interests. This is a good thing for her. One she made without murder. Yay!

I think her decision to find Mikaela also carries much more weight than initially assumed. Sable does actually learn quite a bit before coming to the realm. She could've turned her back on it after learning where Mikeala went. She got her answers. But she goes in, sarcastically telling herself "I can't let her have all the fun". Sable has the resolve to follow through, and loyalty to back. She is a good friend who would repay the kindness Mikalea gave her with no hesitation.

Even though the story doesn't tell too much of her personality, I think it shows through her voicelines. She's very sarcastic, probably using humor to cope. I think people misread it as her being girl bossy, but there is genuine terror in her voice if you listen for it. Sable is a corny weirdo, which is good. Goth itself is honestly pretty corny, but that doesn't make it bad. Just because you like something doesn't mean it has to be the coolest ######### in the universe.

Sable is authentic, and overall I think she is some of the better goth representation despite her flaws. A lot of this is inferrence, so maybe the tome will make this post age like milk in the hot sun. But I do think there is a case to be made that she does have good characterization and some genuine bits of lore. I wrote this because I saw the pixel bush video and was like "aww :(", but reading it for myself and giving it some thought I came to this conclusion.