SD) Parvati Holcomb (The Outer Worlds)

Art by Viavaly Art

"I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying you're not right either.

But I do want to know what it's like to be on the side of right."

Introduced in 2019's The Outer Worlds, Parvati is likely the first companion most players will encounter in the game. With some rather obvious inspiration from the character Kaylee Frye for the short lived series Firefly, she quickly became the favorite character among Obsidian staff due in large part to her likability and her strong moral center. She's strongly empathetic, sweet, and caring, though more than a little naive. She serves as the "voice of surprise and delight and horror" for the player, as her somewhat sheltered upbringing mirrors the player character's unfamiliarity with the world.

Of note, Parvati is one of the most prominent asexual characters in the video game landscape. Kate Dollarhyde, herself asexual, took over writing duties for the character after creator Chris L'Etoile left the project, described feeling "lucky" to have inherited writing duties for the character, as she was able to put a lot of her own voice and experiences into the character. A particular line about how others treat Parvati as a robot strongly mirrors Dollarhyde's personal experiences, as does Parvati's apprehension in speaking to someone she likes. Parvati's voice actress, Ashley Burch, explained that the thing that stood out most to her was Parvati's ability to "find beauty and wonder in a bleak world." Burch was initially surprised with the popularity of the character, though added that in retrospect it made since as Parvati represented people who are rarely addressed in media.

Parvati's asexuality, and how the game handles it, has drawn a lot of praise from both critics and players. The game never treats it as strange or as a twist, and showing that, while asexual, she still has a strong interest in romance has helped to dispel the notion that asexual people are inherently aromantic. As an asexual myself, I find her portrayal to be a breath of fresh air, as her warm and bubbly personality stands in stark contrast to the cold and clinical way that asexuals are usually portrayed. She stands out as a person first, with all the same anxieties and fears as anyone else, with her sexuality being shown as just one facet of who she is.

Parvati's role in The Outer Worlds is as a mechanic and chief engineer of The Unreliable, the player character's ship in the game. When in the player's party, she gives bonuses to lockpicking and engineering, as one would expect with her background, but also a bonus to persuasion, likely referencing her friendly nature and desire to defuse situations before they become hostile. While able to use any weapon in the game, she has a particular affinity for science based weapons, such as the Shrink Ray, but also with her Impact Hammer when in close quarters. Her special ability, Overload, sees her slamming her hammer, creating a shockwave that stuns and damages enemies, being especially potent against mechanical enemies.

Her role in Shattered Destinies would largely reflect he mechanical expertise, allowing her to do more damage to mechanical enemies as well as giving her the ability to pick locks and hack computers. She would also serve to repair weapons and equipment, with her ability to use what's available to jury-rig items in a pinch. While she might find herself at a disadvantage dealing with some of the more fantasy based threats, her mechanical knowledge and experience travelling to different worlds will make her invaluable when facing more science based enemies.

In addition, her empathetic nature and her bubbly attitude will help her to serve as a stabilizing force within the party. When other characters with conflicting ideals and bigger personalities inevitably find themselves at odds, she'd make a great arbitrator, working to find a middle ground or to help the others remember to focus on the bigger picture. While she would be hesitant to resort to violence, she has no problem stepping up to help others, especially those in need. Her naivete and optimism, while sometimes an obstacle, are invaluable traits when attempting to repair both a fractured party and a broken multiverse.