Cosmoknights by Hannah Templer is the story of run-away mechanic Pan and her journey to find her friend Tara, the missing princess of their homeworld, who Pan helped escape years before. Pan teams up with Cosmoknights Cass and Bee, warriors for hire that compete in battle royals to win a princess’s hand in marriage. Instead of delivering the princess to their client though, Cass and Bee let the princess go to live her own life. Soon after teaming up with Pan, their group gains a fourth member in Kate, who proposes that simply spiriting the princesses away is not enough, and that the entire tradition of jousting must be eradicated for princesses to truly be free.
What effect does playing with gender roles have on world building?
By its mere definition, fiction is the realm of non-existent realities. Thus, by extension, fiction is the creation of new, unforeseen posibilities. As developed before on this blog, this range of fictional possibility varies greatly between creators due to differences in authorial intent. For instance, in one futuristic story, the language used could feature unique words or structures to reflect the ever-changing nature of lanaguge, but in another futuristic story, the language spoken remains unchanged from the cultural background that created it. It ultimately comes down to whether or not the creator considers a story element relevant to the text. The exploration of new possibilities is widely associated with the realm of science fiction and fantasy stories as the constructed microcosms can vary greatly from the creator’s reality. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that, regardless of a world’s adherence to real-life constructs, the text will always be about the real world in one way or another. No text is created in a bubble; it is a response to the reality that created it. As such, a story about rigid, alien depictions of gender roles could actually be closer to home than at first glance.
Credit: Hannah Templer
A six-panel page.
First panel: The queen is fussing over Cass’s hair and face as Cass’s holds her hands up to keep her away
Queen: Oh, look at you, your a mess! I swear, your father’s trying to raise me a fifth son
Class: Mommm! Sheesh.
Second panel: A shot of Cass from behind as she pulls off her tank top.
Third panel: Cass is stepping into a bathtub before a tall, paneled window framed with red curtains. A blindingly bright sun floods the room with white light.
Fourth panel: A close-up of Cass’s leg as she shaves.
Fifth panel: A shot of Cass from behind as she stands on a stool and two ladies-maids dress her in a long olive green gown.
Sixth panel: A close-up of the back of Cass’s gown as it’s being laced up.
In Cosmoknights, no other character embodies the ambivalence of gender roles more than Cass. At first, she challenges the reader’s expectations after revealing she is the true identity of the Bull, the hulking and powerful Cosmoknight, widely believed to be a man. Afterwards, she shatters expectations by revealing she is actually princess Cassar of planet Slone. To top it off, her background story perfectly encapsulates the gender dynamics of this world, represented by her mother and father. Cass and her father bond through physical training and sparring, which Cass excels in, yet he still expects her to fulfill her duty by marrying to continue the bloodline. It is interesting to note that at no point does her mother or any other character express any negativity towards Cass’s large, muscular body or her interest in physical training. Her mother’s chiding appears to be directed at Cass’s sloppiness than anything else. This acceptance of Cass’s body shape and interests appears to have no bearing on her femininity because her femininity stems entirely from her role as a princess. As such, she is required to look and play the part when required.
Credit: Hannah Templer
A three-panel page.
First panel: An interior shot of the Valk as Bee stands by the console looking at a long narrow platform in the distance.
Second panel: A viewing reticule zooms in on the far end of the platform. Three people are standing there.
Announcer (off-panel): Today, some of the finest fighters in the galaxy compete for the hand of the lovely Princess Cassar...
Third panel: The viewing reticule zooms in on Cass’s dour face. She is flanked by her haughty-looking parents. All three are dressed exuberantly.
Announcer (off-panel): ...and in turn, the honor of claiming the throne.
The expectations placed on Cass shed light on the interesting take that Cosmoknights has on royal linage. Regardless of her appearance and interests, a princess’s ultimate goal is to be married off to preserve the family linage. This is the prime example of how the exploration of gender roles forms the world building. It is based on the deeply-rooted role of the wife that women are widely expected to fulfill. It is strengthened by its representation of real noble families and noblewomen whose only purpose in life was to marry and give birth to an heir. However, in contrast to the actual, practiced belief of male primogeniture — where linage continues through the eldest male — Cosmoknights depicts female primogeniture: the royal line is passed down from mother to daughter. And yet, in spite of this reversal, the princess’s suitor is the one who becomes king and holds the power. The princess, encased in her throne with her favor, is simply proof of rule. In other words, the maternal line is exalted and revered but objectified nonetheless. The fantastic setting allows this ambivalence to be starkly highlighted, one that could often go amiss in a more realistic setting due to its familiarity.