Over the years the Unmatched series has pulled from stories around the world, utilizing a wide variety of characters to enter the battle. Whether they’re in the forefront or a supporting sidekick, there are many women that don’t get their stories told. Inclusiveness and representation is always on our mind as we design games and support our community. There are so many fierce and unique women out there, we’re always excited to add them to our games!
Inclusion is important everyday, but for International Women’s Day we want to zoom in on the Unmatched series and highlight three formidable women.
Bess Houdini
When thinking of magicians, Harry Houdini is often one of the first names to come up. Behind this man of mystery and magic was his wife Bess, an integral part of his performances and overall success.
Bess was working at Coney Island in a song and dance act called The Floral Sisters in 1894. She at first caught the eye of the younger Houdini, Theo, but love blossomed between her and Harry instead. After a quick three week courtship, they tied the knot. Their partnership was one of mutual respect and deep affection with Harry leaving regular love letters to Bess around the house. At first they worked onstage together, creating their signature trick Metamorphosis, but once Harry hit it big as The Handcuff King, Bess let the spotlight shine on him as she stepped into the background.
Bess was the unsung hero, the crucial element in his success. She often stepped back into the spotlight to assist Houdini in his acts on stage. Behind the scenes she managed the logistics, making costumes, arranging travel, and handling business deals. She helped shape his public image, amplifying the mystique and persona that he became famous for. Through it all her unwavering support and love and belief in his abilities created a confidence and drive in Houdini, making him the famous magician we still talk about today.
Though she is the sidekick in the Unmatched game, she was very much the hero in real life.
Annie Christmas
An American legend, Annie Christmas was one of the first original heroines in African-American folklore. Many tales described Annie Christmas as an almost 7 foot tall, supernaturally strong African-American keelboat captain. Similar to John Henry, tales of her greatness may have been based on a real person. Either way, her character is inspiring, defying traditional gender hierarchies and rules and expectations for female behavior.
Folklore is an important piece of history, giving us lessons to learn, characters to look up to, and the history of a community. Often oral histories, though now many are written down, folklore was passed down from generation to generation to preserve culture and traditions.
Many folktales place Annie at the frontier of the Mississippi River where she challenged the male-dominated industry to become a respectful keeler captain. Annie was tough, beating up bullies and cheats. She wore a pearl necklace as a symbol of authority and strength. Each pearl was a tribute paid by someone that challenged her and was bested. It was rumored to be 30 feet long!
We knew we had to pay tribute to Annie’s legendary trophy – so her ability in Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze is called “Necklace of Pearls” and shows that even when she’s down you can never count her out.
Tomoe Gozen
Tomoe Gozen was the most widely known onna-musha, a female warrior and member of the Samurai class in pre-modern Japan. As one of the few female Samurai warriors, she holds a unique place in martial arts history. She is the only female warrior described in detail in the Japanese epic book The Tale of the Heike, which recounts the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans in the Genpei War. Aside from Tomoe’s beauty, she was an expert in horsemanship, showed great bravery in battle, and had exceptional skills in archery. She was “a powerful fighter, the equal of a thousand, capable of dealing even with demons or gods.”
She is credited with many incredible feats, including collecting the heads of seven mounted warriors at the 1181 Battle of Yokotagawara. Three years later, at the Battle of Awazu, Minamoto no Yoshinaka, her lord, knew they were about to be defeated by the Taira clan and ordered Tomoe to retreat. But before doing so, Tomoe rode directly into a pack of 30 Taira warriors and beheaded one of their most powerful fighters, famed strongman Onda no Hachiro, securing her honor and reputation as a fearsome warrior.
Tomoe Gozen‘s story has become a legend, inspiring numerous works of art, literature, and popular culture, solidifying her place as a symbol of female strength and courage in Japanese history.
We wanted to make sure Tomoe Gozen’s deck reflected her fierceness and willingness to fight to the end. Whether you’re playing Five Against Thousands or Witness My Last Battle, she is always a threat on the board.
