Madeline (Celeste)
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Madeline is a fictional character who serves as the main protagonist of the
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
'' Celeste'' by Maddy Thorson. Throughout the game, she climbs the titular
Mount Celeste Mount Celeste is the unofficial name for a mountain located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It shares the name Celeste with two peaks in the Cariboo region of the BC Interior. Within the boundaries of Strathcona Provincial Park, this pea ...
, simultaneously dealing with
anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...
and other issues. The character is notable as one of the few transgender protagonist characters in the video game industry: her gender identity as a
trans woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and s ...
was confirmed by Thorson in 2020, after the release of ''Farewell'', a
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabli ...
expansion pack for ''Celeste'', which received significant media coverage.


Concept and creation

The concept of Badeline—a physical representation of Madeline's depression and anxiety, known as "Part of Me" in-game—as well as the premise of taking care of one's self, was based on creator Maddy Thorson's own experiences. She cites Madeline's dealings with the character Mr. Oshiro as an example, where she sacrifices her own self-care to care for someone else. Thorson wrote Madeline with the understanding that she would fall off the mountain and eventually climb her way back up, but she did not know how it would be framed. Thorson came to understand how to frame the scene better once she came to better manage her own anxiety. She notes how the story has Madeline initially trying to fight Badeline, and that over time she learns how to function with it. Thorson notes, however, that this is a part of a process, and that she wanted to make players aware that Madeline was still grappling with an internal conflict at the end of the story. The music of ''Celeste'' was designed by
Lena Raine Lena "Kuraine" Raine (born February 29, 1984), also known as Lena Chappelle, is an American-Canadian composer, producer, and video game developer. Raine is best known for her work on the soundtracks of ''Celeste (video game), Celeste'', ''Min ...
, who composed the music with the main intention of conveying Madeline's feelings, saying it's "almost 1:1 with her internal state." Raine discussed how Madeline's journey is one of "self-discovery and acceptance". She intended this to help players get into Madeline's state of mind.


Appearances

Madeline appears in ''Celeste'', where she serves as the game's protagonist. She is climbing
Mount Celeste Mount Celeste is the unofficial name for a mountain located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It shares the name Celeste with two peaks in the Cariboo region of the BC Interior. Within the boundaries of Strathcona Provincial Park, this pea ...
, all the while dealing with issues such as anxiety and depression. She meets several characters along the way, including an older woman who calls herself Granny, an explorer from Seattle called Theo, a part of herself called Badeline, and a spirit named Mr. Oshiro who owns a decrepit hotel. As she climbs the mountain, she runs into various obstacles, including Badeline, who attempts to deter her from climbing any further. Madeline helps Theo through Mr. Oshiro's hotel, and later Theo helps Madeline deal with an anxiety attack while riding a gondola that breaks down, telling her to imagine a feather floating up and down. She later attempts this method when Badeline is trying to discourage her further, causing Badeline to send her down. Madeline eventually makes up with Badeline, and they work together to reach the summit. After this, they return to the base, and Madeline makes a pie for all of the other characters. She and Badeline make an appearance in the Nintendo Switch version of '' TowerFall Ascension'', an earlier game by Maddy Thorson, as playable characters.


Reception

Madeline has received generally positive reception for her appearance in ''Celeste''. Emily Heller of ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two to ...
'' commented that she related to Madeline and how she struggles with mental illness. Heller went on to include her in the list of the best video game characters of the 2010s, calling her the "most relatable character of the decade" for people with anxiety and depression. Fellow ''Polygon'' contributor Jeff Ramos felt similarly, finding it inspiring how Madeline uses her challenges to help herself. Kyle LeClair of ''Hardcore Gamer'' praised Madeline's growth in ''Celeste'', calling her "snarky but lovable." Tom Marks of ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' felt the mixture of ''Celeste''s gameplay and story helped him better connect with Madeline. Jenna of Autostraddle found her story relatable, also noting that the way she speaks when scared or hurt "hurt erheart." She also praised how she grew through the journey. Matt Gerardi of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' was thankful to see the game handle Celeste's mental illness in a "more respectful, frank way." After the release of the Chapter 9: Farewell downloadable content, and prior to later confirmation, whether Madeline is
transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...
had been the subject of discussion, due to the downloadable content showing that Madeline's bedroom has a trans flag, a childhood photo of her with very short hair and a prescription bottle. People in the LGBTQ community were enthused by her potential status as a
trans woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and s ...
, due to the popularity of ''Celeste'' and "a sense of marginalization in both society and mass media." It was also the subject of controversy for some people, politically and religiously, with some hateful messages aimed at the game and character. Ali Jones of '' PCGamesN'' cited Madeline's body dysmorphia, her estrangement from family members, and her struggling with a "shadow version of herself" as reasons for why she might be transgender. Kat Bailey of ''
USGamer Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and oth ...
'' suggested that the game may be suggesting Madeline to be transgender while also noting that it is only one part of her identity. Maddy Thorson, the original game developer, has since confirmed that Madeline is canonically transgender. Thorson also came out as transgender herself in the same post, stating: "During ''Celeste''s development, I did not know that Madeline or myself were trans. During the ''Farewell'' DLC's development, I began to form a hunch. Post-development, I now know that we both are."


Further reading

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References

{{reflist, 2 Female characters in video games Fictional characters with major depressive disorder Video game characters introduced in 2018 Fictional transgender women LGBT characters in video games