alt="Male Female WoW " />

In World of Warcraft we can be exactly
who we want to be. In this realm of high fantasy, we can choose to be
a magic slinging Mage, a rough and tough Warrior, and more. We can
even choose to change our gender, This particular change happens so
frequently that you never quite know who you are talking to, until
you hear the person's voice.

Typically, we assume that it is mostly
male players choosing to play female characters. However, the fact of
the matter is, female players choose to play male characters as well.
Perhaps just as often as their male counterparts. You may be
wondering, as I did, what reason these players would have for
choosing a character of the the opposite gender in World of Warcraft.
After speaking to my wife and several female friends who prefer male
toons, I discovered many varied (and surprising) reasons for this
phenomenon. Check out five of these reasons below:

Aesthetics

It seems many female players play male
characters because they think they just look better. I know this is
difficult to believe, since male WoW characters are not considered to
be as visually appealing as female characters. However, this is the
response I received from several female players after asking why they
prefer male characters.

These girls aren't just playing the
delicate elven males either. In fact, race choice was all across the
board, from the huge Tauren males to the smaller Gnome males. For
whatever reason, these particular female players found the male
versions of these characters much better looking than their female
counterparts. Reasoning that coincides with one of the major reasons
male players choose female characters.

Privacy Screen Activated

From watching my wife's and other
female friends experiences in game, sometimes being a female player
isn't fun. Some will talk to you just because you are a girl, ask you
on dates, or tell you to get in the kitchen and make them a sammich.
To escape these trials, many female players choose to play male
characters.

While this doesn’t totally alleviate
the problem, it does quell some of it. When playing a male player,
other players automatically assume that there is a male behind the
screen. Most won't take the time to question otherwise, thus stemming
the flow of unwanted whispers and unwanted attention.

alt="Sammich" />

Escaping the “Girl Gamer” Label

Going hand in hand with the previous
reason, some female players choose male characters because they want
to escape the “girl gamer” label. Almost every female player I
have ever played with, my wife included, has only wanted one thing;
to play the game. They don't want extra recognition because they are
of the female gender, they just want to play and be treated like any
other player in the game.

This of course is not always the case.
Often times, when female players are discovered, the cat calls roll
in. Assumptions are made; the female player must be playing because
of her boyfriend/husband/whatever, she must be a flirt, she must be
trying to impress the men, she must be trying to get items and gold
for free. Behind the safe confines of a male character, these
assumptions are not made and the female player is able to do exactly
what most want to do; enjoy the game.

Dance Party

One of the most interesting
explanations for a female player choosing a male character is the one
above. While not a common claim, it seems that some choose the male
version of a character based solely on their dance abilities alone.
This may seem like a strange reason to choose a character, but when
you sit and think about it, it isn't so different than any other
reason you make that choice. Plus, just take a look at the male Gnome
dance and tell me that doesn't make you want to roll one immediately.

alt="Male Tauren Warrior" />

Role-playing

Wrapping up the list, some female
players choose male characters for the sole purpose of some good, old
fashioned role-playing action. Perhaps being a female character won't
fit into the detailed storyline they have laid out or they wish to be
someone totally different in the story they will be spinning. Either
way, role-playing seems to be a big reason why female players choose
characters of the opposite gender.

And why not? Role-playing is the perfect
place to choose to be exactly who you want to be, even if it totally
deviates from who you really are in real life.

That wraps up the top five reasons
female players choose male characters in World of Warcraft. Are you a
female playing rocking a male toon? Why did you choose to play a
character of the opposite gender? Or do you know a female player who
plays a male character? Share your thoughts and experiences with us
below!


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our World of Warcraft Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

About The Author

Amunet, also fondly known as Memtron, is an organic life form best known for its ongoing obsession with Blizzard Entertainment's numerous properties. To that end, Amu has authored hundreds (thousands?) of the most popular World of Warcraft guides, editorials, and Top 10 lists on the planet. When not gaming and writing, Amu is busy chasing after her three children in a perpetual loop of ongoing disaster.

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