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Parvati Holcomb
Parvati Holcomb
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Parvati Holcomb
The Outer Worlds character
A screenshot of Parvati from The Outer Worlds
Parvati Holcomb in The Outer Worlds
First appearanceThe Outer Worlds (2019)
Created by
  • Chris L'Etoile (concept)
  • Kate Dollarhyde
Voiced byAshly Burch

Parvati Holcomb is a character in the 2019 video game The Outer Worlds. She is one of the companion characters that can accompany the player-character, recruited on the first planet as an engineer for their spaceship. She is romantically attracted to the character Junlei Tennyson, though she grapples with her asexuality and anxieties around pursuing Junlei, with the player-character being able to help her work through her issues. She was initially conceived by Chris L'Etoile for Obsidian Entertainment before duties were taken over by Kate Dollarhyde. She is voiced by Ashly Burch, who was chosen for the role after she auditioned and was picked by Dollarhyde for how well she evoked the character. She was originally designed to be asexual by L'Etoile, while Dollarhyde expanded upon this with her own experiences as an asexual person.

Parvati is considered a standout character in The Outer Worlds, identified as one of the best characters of the 2010s by Polygon due to her personality, quest involving Junlei, and Burch's performance. The depiction of her sexuality was also praised by critics, both in terms of her asexuality and homosexuality. Multiple critics identified her as one of the most important characters as far as LGBTQ+ representation, with one critic stating that she sees themselves in Parvati due to her asexuality and queer romance, and another feeling she is one of the most important video game characters because of these elements.

Concept and creation

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Parvati Holcomb was conceived by writer Chris L'Etoile for the 2019 role-playing game The Outer Worlds, created by Obsidian Entertainment, who later left development of the game.[1] She is an Indian engineer who wears goggles and overalls, and is one of the companions that can join the player in their quest in The Outer Worlds.[2][3][4] He drew inspiration from the character Kaylee Frye from the television series Firefly, and was also the favorite character of the Obsidian staff due to her being "so likeable" and having a "very strong moral center."[1] He aimed for her to be an "empathetic moral center" for the main cast, and wrote her to be "a little more naive, but very sweet" and caring.[5] When L'Etoile left the project, the duties for designing her were given to narrative designer Kate Dollarhyde, who was given a "very long concept" document with an unusual amount of detail in it, including dialogue for her. In an interview with Vice, Dollarhyde stated it was unusual for the project to have this much information for a character, as well as to have multiple writers be in charge of a companion for the game.[6] Other people involved in the creation of Parvati include concept artist Hannah Kennedy who helped design her model, and quality assurance tester Ariana Tavantzis who provided "a lot of" feedback.[5] Senior narrative designer Megan Starks noted Parvati's personality as a contrast against another compansion, Ellie; where Parvati wants to help people, Ellie is more selfish.[7]

Parvati is asexual, a detail given to her by L'Etoile. Dollarhyde, who is also asexual, gave Parvati a more "personal voice", and described feeling "lucky" that she was able to "inherit" the writing duties for this character.[5] One line in particular, where Parvati talks about how others treat her as a robot, mirrored Dollarhyde's own personal experiences.[6] Dollarhyde put herself into the writing by making Parvati similarly apprehensive about speaking to the person she likes. When writing the romantic elements of Parvati's story, Dollarhyde approached this with the perspective of a friend giving advice and "facilitating good experiences" to those they care about.[5] The details of Dollarhyde's sexuality became more widely known as a result of interviews due to Parvati (and by extension Dollarhyde's) popularity, which she outed herself during. When Parvati reveals her asexuality to the player, Dollarhyde intentionally excluded dialogue options to behave bigoted towards the character, so players who related to Parvati would not have the "rug [pulled] out from under them."[6] Parvati was chosen as the first companion in the game in order for her to be the "voice of surprise and delight and horror" for the player as they both see what the world is like, neither being very familiar with it.[5]

Parvati is voiced by Ashly Burch, who gives her a southern drawl.[4][6] Burch was given the role years after the character was first conceived, and as such, Dollarhyde had to work with either no spoken dialogue or dialogue spoken by a speech synthesizer while writing, which she found to be an obstacle due to not being able to properly hear her writing out loud by a person.[6] When casting began, Dollarhyde was shown an audition for Parvati by Burch, and felt she fit how she imagined Parvati to sound. When discussing what she saw in Parvati, Burch explained that it was her ability to find "beauty and wonder in a bleak world" that stood out to her.[6]

Appearances

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Parvati appears in 2019's The Outer Worlds. She is first met by the player-character in the town of Edgewater, where she is found speaking to the mayor Reed Tobson. He tasks the player-character with shutting down the power to stop striking workers and bringing them back to work for him, and the player can choose to bring Parvati with them. Once they make it to the rerouting terminal, they can either reroute the power to Edgewater or to the workers, depriving the other in the process.[8] After this quest, Parvati will ask to join the crew, and if accepted, will take on the role of engineer on the player's spaceship.[2] As the story progresses, the player can learn more about her, including her asexuality and romantic interest in the character Junlei Tennyson, whom the player can help Parvati pursue. Parvati struggles with her asexuality and other insecurities, and the player can help her overcome them and confess to Junlei. If done, Junlei reciprocates Parvati's feelings and goes on a date with her, which goes well, and they become romantic partners.[9][10] Otherwise, Parvati can accompany the player on various missions throughout the game.[11] She also appears as an available companion in two of The Outer Worlds' downloadable content campaigns, Peril on Gorgon and Murder on Eridanos.[12][13]

Reception

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Parvati has received generally positive reception and has been described as a fan favorite, with Dollarhyde receiving an outpouring of support for her work on Parvati.[6][14] Voice actress Ashly Burch was surprised by how popular Parvati was, though added in retrospect she felt it made sense, since Parvati represented groups of people rarely addressed in media, and was pleased that so many liked her.[15] She was ranked among the best video game characters of the 2010s by Polygon staff, with Charlie Hall praising her "painfully genuine" personality, her quest line, and Burch's performance.[16] Hirun Cryer of USgamer considered her definitively the best character in the game due to her personality and independence, saying that Parvati is what got him into the game.[17] GamesRadar+ writer Heather Wald expressed disappointment that she could not romance Parvati, citing her "caring personality" and awkwardness as the qualities that attracted her to her. However, she eventually grew to appreciate her status as a "friend and supporter" of Parvati in her own romantic pursuits.[18]

Parvati's sexuality has led to her being well-received, both by players and critics, with Peter Morics of Screen Rant called her a "champion for marginalized players" due to her asexuality. He felt it was rare to see a character who is both asexual and bisexual, and praised the game for how it never portrays her sexuality as "strange" or a "big twist."[19] Patrick Klepek for Vice regarded her as the standout character in The Outer Worlds and one of the best of 2019, noting her fan following derived from her sexuality. He also praised her writer and voice actor for helping make her feel "real."[6] Gita Jackson of Kotaku described her story as an "examination" of both the difficulties for certain people to fit into society as well as a "touching queer love story."[20] The Gamer's editor in chief Stacey Henley regarded her as "one of gaming's most important characters," praising her romantic pursuit for being well-written and for examining her anxieties about her asexuality, describing it as a real problem asexual people experience. She appreciated too that it depicted Parvati as someone interested in romance, noting how many believe that asexuality means aromantic as well, and voice further praise for how involved the player is with her romance.[10] GamePro writer Eleen Reinke stated Parvati as the first character they saw themselves in. They cited different elements, such as her asexuality, queer romanticism, and anxiety when confessing to Junlei. They also discussed the perception of asexual people being inherently aromantic, and how Parvati's depiction dispels that notion.[21]

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Parvati Holcomb is a companion character in the 2019 action The Outer Worlds, developed by . She functions as a recruitable ally for the , providing support in combat and skill bonuses, particularly +10 to for tasks involving tinkering and repairs. Her signature ability, Overload, involves slamming her hammer to generate a that damages enemies and stuns mechanical foes. Holcomb is depicted as an empathetic mechanic stationed in the company town of Edgewater on the planet Terra 2, where she maintains industrial equipment like the local cannery amid the Halcyon colony's corporate exploitation. Her personality blends infectious curiosity with naivety and optimism, contrasting the dystopian setting of resource scarcity and authoritarian control by corporations such as the Saltuna Board. In gameplay, recruiting her early unlocks personal quests that delve into her insecurities, including struggles with self-doubt and non-romantic interpersonal dynamics, culminating in choices that affirm her platonic affections and without pursuing sexual relationships. This characterization, drawn from writers' experiences including lead designer Chris L'Etoile's initial asexual concept expanded by designer Kate Dollarhyde, marks her as a notable figure for portraying asexual identity through narrative rather than explicit labeling.

Development

Concept and inspiration

Parvati Holcomb was conceived by writer Chris L'Etoile during the pre-production of , initially envisioned as an empathetic and naive mechanic to serve as the party's moral center. Drawing direct inspiration from Kaylee Frye in the television series Firefly, L'Etoile crafted her with strong mechanical aptitude and an unspoiled optimism, reflecting a sheltered upbringing in the corporatized confines of Edgewater, a controlled by Spacer's Choice. This foundational concept emphasized her personification of machinery and inherent kindness amid dystopian exploitation, aligning with the game's intent to portray individual resilience against systemic corporate overreach. L'Etoile developed an extensive concept document and early dialogue drafts for Parvati, covering interactions in the game's opening areas, the player's ship, and companion integration to highlight player-driven personal . After L'Etoile's departure from the project, narrative designer Kate Dollarhyde assumed responsibility, building on these drafts to deepen the character's exploration of isolation and within the colonies' stratified corporate hierarchy. This evolution reinforced Parvati's role as an early companion, intended to provide fresh perspectives on system's socio-economic dynamics and underscore themes of personal agency in a critiquing unchecked . Released on October 25, 2019, integrated Parvati's creation into its framework of mocking corporate absurdities, such as profit-driven decisions eroding community bonds, with her illustrating naivety forged by prolonged exposure to such structures rather than deriving primarily from standalone identity explorations. Developers aimed for companions like Parvati to embody varied human responses to corporatist pressures, prioritizing causal links between environmental conditioning and behavioral traits over abstracted representational agendas.

Design and voice acting

Parvati Holcomb's visual design draws inspiration from the mechanic Kaylee Frye in the television series Firefly, depicting her as a naive yet capable in practical, functional attire suited to the industrial setting of Edgewater. by Hannah Kennedy informed the final character model, emphasizing sturdy work clothing, tools, and a modest physique to prioritize mobility and realism in animations for repair tasks and combat maneuvers. This approach avoids stylized exaggerations, allowing her design to integrate seamlessly with gameplay mechanics focused on proficiency. The character is voiced by , selected late in development after narrative designer Kate Dollarhyde recommended her based on an audition heard at the Game Developers Conference. Prior to voicing, temporary generic audio placeholders were used, highlighting how Burch's performance added a layer of hesitant empathy and bouncy nervousness to Parvati's lines, particularly those addressing machinery with affectionate familiarity. Her delivery conveys subtle competence in technical dialogue, supporting interactions that demonstrate practical problem-solving without relying on overt emotional arcs. Development involved an iterative process across the narrative team, including writers like Chris L’Etoile, Kate Dollarhyde, and others, with input to refine animations and dialogue for balanced portrayal of alongside skill. This ensured her in-game presence facilitated causal, hands-on resolutions in quests through believable performative elements, such as tool-handling gestures and measured speech patterns.

In-game role

Background and personality

Parvati Holcomb resides in Edgewater, a on Terra-2 dominated by corporate oversight, where she functions as a tasked with upkeep of the Saltuna Cannery's equipment. This facility serves as Edgewater's principal employment hub, grappling with operational failures linked to resource diversions, such as those from Stellar Bay supplies. Her position underscores a self-reliant disposition honed in an environment of systemic shortages and managerial shortcomings, with narrative hints of familial connections, including to Bertie Holcomb, amid sparse details on her formative years. Holcomb's personality manifests as empathetic and optimistic, tempered by naivety derived from constrained social horizons in the insular corporate enclave. She retains curiosity and goodwill toward machinery and individuals alike, prioritizing hands-on competence to mitigate inefficiencies—evident in her readiness to intervene practically against breakdowns—over ideological posturing or wholesale corporate antagonism. This pragmatic bent aligns with a grounded in observable efficacy, favoring tangible repairs to sustain functionality amid broader institutional lapses.

Gameplay functions and quests

Parvati Holcomb is recruitable as a companion during the early game quest "Comes Now the Power" in Edgewater on Terra 2, after assisting with the repair of machinery at the Saltuna Cannery and reporting to supervisor Reed Tobson. Once recruited, she serves as the Unreliable's engineer, providing passive skill bonuses of +10 to Engineering, which aids in hacking terminals, repairing equipment, and modifying weapons, alongside boosts to Lockpick and Persuade skills for improved access to locked areas and dialogue success rates. Her presence in the active party enhances tech-focused combat utility through increased engineering hacks and damage output against mechanical enemies. In , Parvati's tactical "Overload" deploys a slam that generates a shockwave, dealing area damage to organic foes and stunning automechanicals within range, rechargeable via kills or waiting. Advancing her affinity through shared quests and decisions scales these bonuses, unlocking higher-tier skill enhancements and personal perks that further amplify player progression in technical challenges. Parvati's companion quests begin with "Drinking Sapphire Wine," triggered by traveling to The Groundbreaker with her in the party, where dialogue with Junlei Tennyson initiates interactions yielding lore on Halcyon maintenance systems and minor affinity gains. This unlocks "Don't Bite the Sun," requiring player-facilitated conversations and choices on Groundbreaker and to resolve her arc, emphasizing dialogue options that build mutual understanding without romantic escalation, culminating in affinity rewards and potential skill buffs tied to expertise in colony operations. Completion provides tactical advantages in subsequent tech-heavy encounters and side quests involving corporate infrastructure.

Themes and analysis

Representation of asexuality

Parvati Holcomb's in The Outer Worlds is conveyed implicitly through her companion quest "Drinking Sapphire Wine," where she confides in the player about her romantic attraction to engineer Junlei Tennyson while expressing aversion to . Despite forming emotional bonds and past romantic relationships, Parvati notes that these connections dissolved due to her disinterest in sexual aspects, culminating in a committed platonic partnership with Junlei after the player encourages her confession. The game avoids explicit terminology like "asexual," instead illustrating her orientation via dialogues that highlight anxiety over relational expectations mismatched with her lack of . This portrayal achieves nuance by distinguishing romantic from sexual attraction, aligning with definitions of asexuality as absent while permitting biromantic feelings, as confirmed by developers including narrative designer Kate Dollarhyde, who drew from personal asexual experiences. It normalizes non-allosexual experiences without attributing them to trauma or , emphasizing innate traits amid her optimistic personality and technical expertise. However, the implicit approach has sparked on explicitness, with some analyses noting it risks underemphasizing spectrum variations in asexual libido or repulsion, potentially overlooking cases where individuals engage in sex for relational harmony despite low attraction. Critics of the representation argue it may inadvertently reinforce by depicting Parvati as shy, indecisive, and mechanically fixated—traits diverging from empirical diversity in asexual populations, where orientations span confident professionals to varied libidos untethered from social awkwardness or vocational stereotypes. Conversely, proponents praise avoidance of with , as her quest resolves in romantic commitment sans sex, countering erasure by showcasing viable platonic dynamics causally rooted in orientation rather than external fixes. Developer intent, originating from writer Chris L'Etoile and refined post-departure, prioritized authentic internal conflicts like relational fears, fostering identification among asexual players without didactic labeling.

Social and political context

Parvati Holcomb's role in is situated within Edgewater, a Spacer's Choice on Terra 2 that functions as a stark of corporatist mismanagement, where centralized corporate directives lead to resource shortages and operational breakdowns. As the primary for the Saltuna Cannery, Holcomb's hands-on repairs to aging —such as generators and processing lines—frequently reveal the fallout from top-down inefficiencies, including withheld maintenance budgets and misallocated power supplies that prioritize corporate quotas over functional sustainability. This setup mirrors broader in-game depictions of corporate colonies plagued by bureaucratic rigidity, where individual ingenuity like Holcomb's becomes essential to mitigate systemic failures in resource distribution. Holcomb's interpersonal dynamics further emphasize voluntary cooperation rooted in demonstrated competence rather than imposed affiliations. She elects to join the as a companion after observing their effectiveness in resolving local crises, forming a based on mutual utility and trust earned through action. Likewise, her connection with fellow Junlei Tennyson develops through collaborative of technical issues, highlighting competence-driven alliances that bypass corporate hierarchies or quota-driven mandates. These relationships contrast with Edgewater's enforced collectivism, where workers are bound by and directives, underscoring the game's portrayal of as a counter to corporatist dependency. While Holcomb embodies resilience through her self-reliant problem-solving amid corporate neglect—repairing vital without awaiting approval—player choices in Edgewater's central conflict can curtail such agency by dictating communal outcomes, such as reallocating power from the town to a research lab, which sidelines individual efforts like hers in favor of broader authoritative decisions. This reflects the game's of overreliance on external saviors or corporate overlords, where even competent actors like Holcomb may face constrained options if resolutions prioritize utilitarian calculus over personal initiative. In paths preserving the status quo, her contributions affirm adaptive ; in disruptive ones, they expose the risks of imposed externalities disrupting local self-sufficiency.

Reception and impact

Critical reception

Parvati Holcomb's depiction in garnered praise from reviewers for the depth of her companion questline, which delves into her social anxieties and self-discovery through player-facilitated interactions, providing emotional authenticity rare in RPG side content. Critics such as those at Geek Girl Authority described her as a "complex and well-written person," emphasizing how her expertise and optimistic demeanor integrate into mechanics like skill bonuses for tech-focused builds, enhancing tactical variety without overshadowing the main narrative. Ashly Burch's voice acting as Holcomb was a particular highlight, earning a nomination for Best Performance at alongside roles from major titles like Control and Gears 5. This recognition underscored her delivery of relatable vulnerability amid the game's corporate , with outlets like Fanbyte deeming Holcomb the strongest character overall for bolstering player immersion via dialogue-driven dilemmas. Such elements contributed to the title's aggregate score of 85, where companion dynamics were frequently cited as a narrative strength offsetting combat and exploration shortcomings.

Fan and community responses

Fans in online communities, particularly on Reddit's r/theouterworlds subreddit, have expressed widespread affection for Parvati Holcomb's wholesome personality, often comparing her to the optimistic engineer Kaylee Frye from Firefly due to her earnest demeanor and mechanical expertise. Users frequently cite her as a favorite companion for providing emotional support and comic relief, with one declaring her "my favorite video game character of all time" for embodying aspirational traits like resilience and kindness. Her utility in gameplay is praised for bonuses that enhance companion synergy in , such as boosting tech skills for hacking and repairs during missions, and her quests are valued for offering satisfying non-violent resolutions, like facilitating personal growth without mandatory romantic elements. Community discussions also feature debates on her relationship dynamics, with some players attributing obsessive traits to unresolved paternal influences, interpreting her attachment to figures like Junlei Tennyson as stemming from "severe daddy issues" that complicate her asexual identity and lead to unconventional relational behaviors. This perspective challenges more idealized views by emphasizing psychological realism, as fans note her quests reveal dependencies that feel "weird and obsessive" rather than purely platonic. Criticisms include perceptions of her dialogue as preachy, particularly around anxiety and , with players frustrated by the absence of options to dismiss her concerns, viewing it as forced exposition that disrupts immersion. Others lament missed opportunities for deeper lore integration of her mechanical background, arguing her arc prioritizes emotional introspection over expanded gameplay mechanics like custom ship upgrades tied to her skills. Despite these flaws, enthusiasm persists for her non-romantic storyline, which allows player agency in supporting platonic bonds, appealing to those preferring character-driven narratives over romantic tropes.

Legacy in media representation

Parvati Holcomb's portrayal in The Outer Worlds (2019) marked an early instance of mainstream video game media featuring a canonically asexual companion character, at a time when such representations were scarce. This has contributed to sustained discourse on non-normative sexual orientations in gaming, with analyses as recent as 2025 highlighting her as a foundational example that expanded narrative possibilities beyond heteronormative defaults. Her integration into the game's corporate satire emphasized competence and relational depth without reliance on trauma-driven arcs, offering a counterpoint to media tropes that often frame through deficit or victimhood lenses. This approach has been credited with demonstrating how player-driven interactions can causally foreground identity elements, influencing calls for more nuanced handling in subsequent media. However, the decision not to explicitly name her in dialogue—opting instead for experiential cues—has been noted to constrain its universality, potentially reducing emulation in later titles where direct labeling aids recognition. Post-2019 developments show limited direct replication, with remaining underrepresented relative to other identities; for instance, while characters like those in Borderlands predate or coincide, broader gaming media continues to cite as a benchmark amid ongoing rarity. Critiques of potential arise from her alignment with the game's class commentary over isolated identity focus, though sources attribute this more to satirical intent than superficial inclusion. Her enduring optimism has indirectly challenged media norms favoring grievance-based narratives, fostering discussions on positive, agency-driven depictions by 2024-2025.

References

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