Nessa (Pokémon)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Anairis Quinones (Pokémon: Twilight Wings)[2]
Tiana Camacho (Pokémon Masters)[3]
| Nessa | |
|---|---|
| Pokémon character | |
 Nessa from Pokémon Sword and Shield | |
| First appearance | Pokémon Sword and Shield (2019) |
| Designed by | Take Oekaki[1] |
| Voiced by |
|
Nessa, known in Japan as Rurina (Japanese: ルリナ), is a fictional character in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Designed by illustrator Take Oekaki and introduced in the 2019 video games Pokémon Sword and Shield, she is a model that also acts as a Gym Leader, specializing in Water-type Pokémon. Since her initial appearance she has appeared in additional media related to the franchise, including Pokémon Masters EX and anime Pokémon: Twilight Wings. In Japanese she is voiced by Sora Amamiya, while in English she has been voiced by Anairis Quinones and Tiana Camacho.
Debuting at E3 2019's Nintendo Direct, she was immediately popular, with several pieces of fan art and cosplay appearing on social media outlets, and various publications offering their own praise. A significant amount of praise came from her representation of diversity within the series as a woman with dark-skin amongst a predominantly white cast, with some seeing her as an example of a strong black character in video games. Controversy arose however after artists were criticized on social media for how they depicted her skin color, with some claiming it to be whitewashing, which further escalated when internet trolls created racist depictions or mods in response. This led online publications to examine the backlash, while discussing the importance of skin color in character portrayal.
Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Pokémon franchise began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video games Pokémon Red and Blue for the Game Boy.[6] In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, both in the wild as well as those used by other Trainers.[7] Created for the 2019 sequels Pokémon Sword and Shield, Nessa is a "Gym Leader", a type of Trainer that acts as a boss players must defeat to proceed.[8]
Designed by illustrator Take Oekaki,[1] Nessa is a dark skinned woman with long black hair that has blue streaks in it, and a spherical pin in the back. Her outfit consists of a wetsuit top, feminine hot pants, and sandals with small life preservers on the sides. She wears black eyeliner with blue eye shadow and a variety of jewelry, including hoop earrings, arm bracelets, and a glass choker around her neck.[9] Nessa's uniform number is "049", which can be read in Japanese goroawase for oyogu (泳ぐ; lit. "to swim").[10] While Nessa's name is a reference to Scotland's Loch Ness lake, her Japanese name Rurina is a combination of "ruri", the Japanese name for blue gemstone lapis lazuli, and "marina".[8]
Appearances
As introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield, Nessa is a model, and acts as the game's second Gym Leader. Specializing in Water-type Pokémon, she notably utilizes a Drednaw amongst her lineup.[11][12] She also appears in the mobile game Pokémon Masters EX paired with Drednaw, as well as on several cards for the Pokémon Trading Card Game.[5][13][14] While she was unvoiced in the original game, for Pokémon Masters EX she is voiced by Sora Amamiya in Japanese, and Tiana Camacho in English.[5][3]
Outside of games, Nessa has appeared in the fourth episode of original net animation anime series Pokémon: Twilight Wings. In it, Nessa is faced with a choice whether or not to pursue her modelling career full time, at the cost of giving up on Pokémon training. While reminiscing about a Feebas Pokémon she met in the past, a group of Water-type Pokémon approach the ship she's currently doing a photo shoot on. She dives in the water to see them, and sees a Milotic, recognizing it evolved from the Feebas she knew. Reinvigorated, she decides to continue pursuing both careers.[15] While Amamiya reprised her role in Japan for Twilight Wings, in English she was voiced by Anairis Quiñones.[4][2]
In literature, she appears in serial manga Pokémon Adventures's adaptation of Sword and Shield.[16]
