Madeline (Celeste)

Madeline is a fictional character in the 2018 video game Celeste. She serves as the protagonist of the game, where she is climbing the titular Mount Celeste, all the while dealing with anxiety and other issues.

Madeline
Celeste character
Madeline, as she appears in Celeste
First appearanceCeleste (2018)
Created byMatt Makes Games
Designed byMaddy Thorson

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. They cite 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 they did not know how it would be framed. Thorson came to understand how to frame the scene better once they came to better manage their own anxiety. They note 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 they wanted to make players aware that she was still grappling with an internal conflict at the end of the story.[1]

The music of Celeste was designed by Lena Raine, 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.[2]

Appearances

Madeline appears in Celeste, where she serves as the game's protagonist. She is climbing Mount Celeste, 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.[3]

Reception

Madeline has received generally positive reception for her appearance in Celeste. Emily Heller of Polygon commented that she related to Madeline and how she struggles with mental illness.[4] 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.[5] Fellow Polygon contributor Jeff Ramos felt similarly, finding it inspiring how Madeline uses her challenges to help herself.[6] Kyle LeClair of Hardcore Gamer praised Madeline's growth in Celeste, calling her "snarky but lovable."[7] Tom Marks of IGN felt the mixture of Celeste's gameplay and story helped him better connect with Madeline.[8] Jenna of Autostraddle found her story relatable, also noting that the way she speaks when scared or hurt "hurt [her] heart." She also praised how she grew through the journey.[9] Matt Gerardi of The A.V. Club was thankful to see the game handle Celeste's mental illness in a "more respectful, frank way."[10]

Since the release of the Chapter 9: Farewell downloadable content, whether Madeline is transgender or not has been the subject of discussion since the downloadable content showed Madeline's bedroom has a trans flag, a childhood photo of her with very short hair and a prescription bottle.[11] People in the LGBTQ community were enthused by her potential status as a trans woman, due to the popularity of Celeste and "a sense of marginalization in both society and mass media."[11] It was also the subject of controversy for some people, politically and religiously, with some hateful messages aimed at the game and character.[11] 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.[12] Kat Bailey of USGamer suggested that the game may be suggesting Madeline to be transgender while also noting that it's only one part of her identity.[13] Maddy Thorson has since confirmed that she is transgender.[14]

References
  1. Grayson, Nathan (April 16, 2018). "Celeste Taught Fans And Its Own Creator To Take Better Care Of Themselves". Kotaku. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  2. Couture, Joel (March 7, 2018). "Road to the IGF: Matt Makes Games' Celeste". Gamasutra. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  3. Goslin, Austen (August 28, 2018). "TowerFall arrives on Nintendo Switch this September". Polygon. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  4. Heller, Emily (December 17, 2018). "GOTY 2018: #5 Celeste". Polygon. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  5. Heller, Emily (November 27, 2019). "The 70 best video game characters of the decade". Polygon (website). Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  6. Ramos, Jeff (February 8, 2018). "Celeste stresses me out, and that calms me down". Polygon. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  7. LeClair, Kyle (February 1, 2018). "Review: Celeste". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  8. Marks, Tom (January 25, 2018). "Celeste Review". IGN. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  9. Jenna (April 12, 2018). ""Celeste" Is a Very Difficult Video Game for People Who Know What It's Like to Have Something to Prove". Autostraddle. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  10. Gerardi, Matt (January 31, 2018). "Celeste is out to prove video games can be hard without being jerks about it". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  11. Marrujo, Robert (September 15, 2019). "Editorial: Analyzing the Celeste Controversy". Nintendojo. Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  12. Jones, Ali. "Celeste's final chapter offers a new interpretation of Madeline's story". PC Games N. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  13. Bailey, Kat (September 10, 2019). "New Celeste DLC Includes an Affecting Revelation About Madeline That Casts Her Story in a New Light". USGamer. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  14. Thorson, Maddy (November 6, 2020). "Is Madeline Canonically Trans?". Medium. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
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