Is "The Stranger" female?

[Furious Fuzzle]

Right... uhm... first of alle - sorry if anyone before has posted anything like this before me

The thing is -
Though there is no obious proof, I think there are a few things in the Strangers Wrath game that point towards the main character being female or... somehow different from the other steef in the game.

A few points:
1. The steef are horned like an angry mutated mountain goat with little or no sense of... uhm... hornicure... anerway, i'm aware that the Stranger might have had his/hers removed, BUT what about Sekto's horns. Sekto is also largely hornless, but though he is not VERY horny, he still has to pretty big stumps coming out of his forehead.
It seems to me that, though the stranger is also a lot hairier than Sekto, he/she would still have trouble hiding his/hers stumps.

2. "... He seems pretty scrawny for a steef..." is said by one of the little lizard thingies (sorry, don't 'member their name) after the "de-pantsing" sequence. Though i first regarded this as a simple joke, i later came to wonder: what if it isn't - what if the Stranger really IS scrawny for a steef, cuz he, is a she.
The lizard thingies seem clever enough to notice a difference in size, but stupid, naive and awestruck by the might of the steef race, NOT to know the difference between male and female.

3. This is even more speculation than the previous two points, but: I think the behaviour and situation of the Stranger seems different from the other steefs introduced in the game. Furthermore, this difference corresponds [in my humble opinion] to a masculine vs. feminine way of life:

Sekto:
Sekto sits in his mighty office surrounded by steef heads - presumably rivals or otherwise enemies. He is obviously a leader of the Sekto Springs Production Facility, and though the ending animation points toward Sekto being just a pawn in the larger scheme of Oddworld Industrialization, he MUST be responsible for his own position as a wealthy and powerful businessman.

Fitting Sekto into the role as a masculine archetype, I point to the fact that he has eradicated his enemies with extreme prejudice. He has prioritized earning money and acquiring power higher than... well... anything, probably including his values and love for the environment which gave him life. He has built and managed Sekto Springs as a centralized and top-down controlled facility - another typical male way of organizing a social or work structure, just look at the army.
All put together Sekto is just one hell of a masculine presence.

The Stranger:
Is less straightforward. (to ease the reading and writing of the following, the Stranger will be referred to as a "she") She is obviously a violent and fearsome creature, but we find out that she fights only to survive. Her home is the unspoiled nature in which she utilizes the life around her, in the form of "live ammo". Furthermore: she, unlike the steef's on the wall in Sekto's office, is alive.
To make the assumption that she is alive because she was less territorial and violent than most other steef's might not be that far fetched. Her role as a native creature kicking ass on behalf of nature, is undeniable and familiar to Oddworld gamers - but her role as a caretaker for both nature and the lizard thingies could be viewed as a matriarchal theme.
So adding the fact that she is alive, together with her fighting for survival instead of profit AND her role as a champion for nature and those without a strong leader adds up to form a matriarchal picture of her character and role in the game.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:
I'm not making any definitive conclusions, i'm just raising the issue. I, personally would think it ROCKED massively if the creators of Strangers Wrath caved in and "admitted" to their main character being a rather masculine female.
My argument isn't bullet proof, and no final evidence is likely turn up by fans discussing it back and forth, but that doesn't mean we can't argue just for the heck of it.

[Furious Fuzzle]

Great chunks of faeces in a galeforce storm! The Octogi had taken over the steef, so Sekto ain't steefy he's octogi'fy. My mistake. Some of my points still remain valid though, and it would still kick ass if he was female.

[Taskmaster]

Oke lets see now.So menny flaming so little time.
For starters:No horns hmm?
I have never seen a female steef but im pretty sure that those would have horns to.Lets have a little roleplay shall we?
Stranger walks into town with 2 big ass horns on his head.Hello,can ya direct me to da bounty store?Ohh my gawd a steef!!!KILL IT!!!OR ITLL EAT US!!!
That he cut of horns is the same reason he strapped his legs together and push em in them pants.Steefs are seen as horrible,brutal monsters that eat clakkz and kill everything in there rage(wonder what gave em that idea)
Besides Sekto had a big bounty on a steef head.Its a mater of survival.
The reason he cut of his horrns till ya couldnt even see stumps is becouse even a small proof of his horns could blow his cover.

"...he seems pretty scrawny for a steef..."
I think that was a joke.Its a fact hes not as muscular as other steefs are known to be but lets be honost:did he have any reason to be muscular?
The old steefs were guardians of the grubbs(the lizard things)and probebly trained there whole life for protecting them but stranger is a differant story.
He used his live ammo instead of rough fistfighting(that to though :P)
and another reason is:have you ever seen anything decently muscular in the industrial world of mongo river?all outlaws and clakkz are kinda fat,and seeing something very muscular would make the locals suspecious.

Oke next order of buisness:you said his lifestyle is much more based on survival then youd expect from a steef.WHAT YOU EXPECT FOR ODD SAKE!!
He thinks hes probebly the last of the steefs and what would you do?Try to stay alive is his main problem.He takes it save and easy to get his moolah and get the operation to get 2 legs removed.All that is to provent people from discovering hes a steef and have a normall life(or what other species think of 'normal')

And stranger lacks female features.His foice is to deep for a females and hed probebly have something to cover up at the torso(this is the most unperverted way i can put it)And if ya look at stranger it kinda looks like he has a beard.Im pretty convinced that hes a male steef.

[Esus]

1. The steef are horned like an angry mutated mountain goat with little or no sense of... uhm... hornicure... anerway, i'm aware that the Stranger might have had his/hers removed, BUT what about Sekto's horns. Sekto is also largely hornless, but though he is not VERY horny, he still has to pretty big stumps coming out of his forehead.
It seems to me that, though the stranger is also a lot hairier than Sekto, he/she would still have trouble hiding his/hers stumps.

It is suggested that young male steef are yet to grow horns and therefore use the helmets/armour that Stranger used in the game.

2. "... He seems pretty scrawny for a steef..." is said by one of the little lizard thingies (sorry, don't 'member their name) after the "de-pantsing" sequence. Though i first regarded this as a simple joke, i later came to wonder: what if it isn't - what if the Stranger really IS scrawny for a steef, cuz he, is a she.
The lizard thingies seem clever enough to notice a difference in size, but stupid, naive and awestruck by the might of the steef race, NOT to know the difference between male and female.

If Stranger was female, then the grubbs would recognise it and wouldn't comment on his srawniness. More likely that he is young and with a slightly more diminished physique due to attempting to conceal his identity for x years.

3. This is even more speculation than the previous two points, but: I think the behaviour and situation of the Stranger seems different from the other steefs introduced in the game. Furthermore, this difference corresponds [in my humble opinion] to a masculine vs. feminine way of life:

You've almost suggested that he in the only female. He's just an individual, who initially and selfishly strived for personal survival. He's just selfish (at first). Not all steef are the same.

Is less straightforward. (to ease the reading and writing of the following, the Stranger will be referred to as a "she") She is obviously a violent and fearsome creature, but we find out that she fights only to survive. Her home is the unspoiled nature in which she utilizes the life around her, in the form of "live ammo". Furthermore: she, unlike the steef's on the wall in Sekto's office, is alive.
To make the assumption that she is alive because she was less territorial and violent than most other steef's might not be that far fetched. Her role as a native creature kicking ass on behalf of nature, is undeniable and familiar to Oddworld gamers - but her role as a caretaker for both nature and the lizard thingies could be viewed as a matriarchal theme.
So adding the fact that she is alive, together with her fighting for survival instead of profit AND her role as a champion for nature and those without a strong leader adds up to form a matriarchal picture of her character and role in the game.

I'd just say his behaviour is evident of being a steef, rather than a female. Sekto is an Octigi. Both characters are highly masculine in nature.

I think it's obvious Stranger is a male (though we have no actual evidence of genertalia): He wears the horns on the helmet to increase his pose and how good he looks. Surely a female wouldn't need to try and imitate a male warrior? Surely a female warrior doesn't need horns? I think Stranger is a youth. The horns are used to show his position, his value and strength. I would find it strange that a female needs to somehow prove herself by trying to look like an adult male.
He also has a very masculine demeanor. He punches people in the game for no apparent reason; he has a no nonsense attitute; he steals money from the farm, etc. Women can do this, but it is in a masculine context.
His voice is low and gruff, he has traditionally masculine attitudes to the people he doesn't care about (the Clakkerz).
The Olden Steef at the end reaffirmed the fact that Steef are naturally caring of nature, animals, Grubbs, etc, and that it is not purely feminine attribute.

We have actually had this discussion before, and I'm sure some stronger arguments for the male side were posed.

[Dipstikk]

I think since Steef are mammals, the females would have mammary glands, as most mammals do.

I highly doubt Stranger's a female. Call it a gut instinct.

I'm going eith Esus.

[Dark Elite_H2]

Oooo....I do not think Stranger's a girl. Too many things that don't make him seem girlish. For starters, his voice. Waay too deep to be a girl. His arms, muscular and big. I don't think girl arms would be that big. Other girl characteristics would have to be by his personality. That's all I can say.

[Blisterz Booty]

There was even a special about X-Box on the Science Channel, that talked about several games. Halo 2, Oddworld: SW, et cetera. Lorne even refered to him as a male muscular creature who has a secret to hide, (Which you could tell was that he was a steef because he said at the end of the show {In the Spoilers Section}) and he hid the secret for his own protection.
Besides, isn't it kinda comon sense to most people that Stranger is a male?

[Leto]

This has been discussed over like, 5 pages I believe.

There is evidence within the game stating he is male. The grubbs call him 'he'. And wouldn't girls not have such a low voice? Those are for transvestites.

*cough*

[Furious Fuzzle]

Wow, "Esus" - you make a pretty convincing argument, there are a lot fewer holes than in my own theory. Though some of you're own propositions are a bit speculative in nature, i guess they're at least as valid as my own argument. You rock!

I still think it would be sweet if Oddworld Inhabitants had played a bit with the whole sex/gender issue (as for "Taskmaster", you might want to look up the difference between sex and gender, as well as a bit of animal anatomy to look for obvious mammary glands on a female furry cat) , and made their main character an in cognito female.
I still think the entire de-pantsing could be interpreted as a parrallel to the people in our world who are having a hard time finding out their own gender, and perhaps hiding it from the outside world. Not unlike some of the more uncomfortable scenes in the movie "Boys don't Cry".
I'm running out of solid arguments - fast - and i believe "Esus" when he says there are more logical and obvious arguments for the Stranger being male. He looks and sounds male that's for sure. He's rough and tumble violent as well as tougher than tanned wolwark hide - but that doesn't rule out the chance that "he" is actually a she.
Just look at some of the masculine women or feminine men in our society, it can be pretty hard to distinguish the true sex on the basis of persons attitude and habits or even appearance - if a thinking rationel being WANTS to become a male, he or she finds a way.

Until i hear a confirmation or denial from a credible game designer (which is unlikely, cuz i'm not gonna lift a finger to get them to talk) i will never know for certain - though i think i'm gonna call him male.

Stay odd!

[Furious Fuzzle]

Oh, and for the Grubbs (sorry i couldn't 'member their name) knowing the inner workings of the steef species and steef culture, i just wouldn't bet on it. I refer to my previous argument that they seem clever enough to adore and revere a species as mighty as the steef, but stupid enough not to wonder about exactly what they are adoring and revering.

[Esus]

I disagree about the Grubbs being stupid. They speak humourously, but invariably tell the truth and give good advice. For example, speak the Queen Grubb when you first discover their village as a steef, she is full of wisdom. Furthermore, their intelligent prophesies appear to come true: It was Grubbs who prophesised that the 'demon', Sekto, would steal their water, and then they would be rescued by another - Stranger. There are cave paintings depicting this pretty vividly. Furthering their intelligence are their towns - made out of brick, rock, with tools. They use weapons, wear clothing and appear to have a sense of beauty (with artistic facial adornments, hats, etc). They create marvellous statues and have a very secure religion, as suggested by the very large Grubb Temple you visit to rescue Eugene.
The Grubbs recognise the Olden Steef as soon as they see him. The Grubbs rescue Stranger is a very clever maneuvour from a pack of Outlaws who are on high guard. They give Stranger the armour, his new weaponry, and much more.
All I'm saying here is that the Grubbs are very intelligent, and that they appear to know a lot about goings-ons in the world - particularly concerning the Steef.

I still think the entire de-pantsing could be interpreted as a parrallel to the people in our world who are having a hard time finding out their own gender, and perhaps hiding it from the outside world. Not unlike some of the more uncomfortable scenes in the movie "Boys don't Cry".

Very possible. However, I think a stronger argument is one for race. Stranger is hiding his race from the people of the world. When he is revealled as a steef, the townsfolk (Clakkerz) are in utter fear. They consider steef as beasts, animals who would eat them. This constrasts strongly with their high opinion of the bipedal 'Stranger'. This has some connotations of what the black people went through, especially in Southern America, where racism reigned strong and black people were seen as sub-human, to an extent.

However, I think Super Munch has the strongest point: The Grubbs call him a 'he' throughout, and I'm adamant that the Grubbs are fully aware of Stranger's sex.
They've lived with Steef for centuries.

[Leto]

One last thing, boys, Stranger has a beard. Quite a manly woman, if that be.

[Furious Fuzzle]

"Esus" I can't see how the argument of race is in any way superior to my own interpretation regarding sex and gender. I'm not saying it is any LESS valid than my own, but when it comes to interpretating a fenomenon which contains as much depth as an Oddworld game, the resulting theories have more in common with looking at a certain painting and discussing whether or not Mona Lisa looks happy or sad. None are definitely right, none are completely wrong - but that does not mean it cannot be discussed, with positive, though not finite, result.

As regards the Grubbs, i can see how the term "stupid" is somehow lacking. I used it because I think Oddworld is a carricature of our world more than anything else, for instance: the capitalist powers are portrayed as mind-numbingly evil and greedy. I see the Grubbs as primitive, weak and ignorant, because i think they are a carricature of just about every repressed native population on Earth [READ ON BEFORE YOU HAVE A COW].
On Earth, the native americans, for instance, could be regarded as primitive, because they were technologically LESS developed than their european counterparts. They were weak because they were unable to gather their forces when they COULD have made a difference by driving away their future oppressors, because they were spread too thin and segregated in rivalling tribes. Finally they were ignorant because they were unable to understand the scope or even what was happening around them, i.e. selling off Manhatten for a bead necklace or whatever. They were however a lot more NOBLE than the europeans who were just downright manipulative, violent and, yes, ignorant too. Both cultures had their own reasons for being this way.

To elaborate: The Grubbs, noble though they may be, are less technologically developed than their Octogi rivals. Grubbs were obviously a lot weaker than the Octogi, cuz they lost their water and were nearly eradicated. Finally, i STILL think they were ignorant, because they don't conquer the Sekto Springs facility or die trying - or thirdly adapt (though i can't see how). Furthermore the individual Grubb seems in a state of constant confusion, is surprised at every other word coming out of it's own mouth.
To reformulate my earlier argument that Grubbs are a bit clever and a bit stupid: Grubbs are seems to me like a species primitive, weak and ignorant enough to not know the difference between a male and a female steef - because the steef are regarded as semi-deities which are to be reverred, not wondered upon. While still clever enough to build, fight and follow a strong leader, not wondering about whether he is a she.

As regards to the argument of the bearded steef with no breasts and a deep booming voice: we are NOT talking humans, we are talking steef, a different species - perhaps even a different family of species. Telling a male cat from a female cat is pretty hard to the untrained eye. Nobody, to my knowledge, on this forum can call themselves experts on determining age OR sex on a steef.

Stay Odd!

[Dipstikk]

Why do you refer to Esus with quotations around his name?

There are a few basic rules of anatomy you're forgetting about as well, namely the shoulders being broader than the hips. The guy's got "masculinity" written all over him. I don't understand how anyone would mistake him for a her.

Look, if you want to believe that Stranger's a chick, go ahead. I'm going with what I believe to be true unless Oddworld tells me otherwise.

[Dark Elite_H2]

Definate common sense that Stranger IS a male.
I agree with Super Munch. Why would a woman have a beard? Quite unattractive if a boy saw that on a girl. >.<
A deep voice? Girls don't get such low voices. I remember they gettin' high-pictched voices.
Guys, it is purely obvious Stranger's a male. Look at him! He's not wearin' a dress, high-heels, wearin' make-up and perfume! He's wearin' tights (I believe), cowboy boots, strange armor, and overalls underneath his green shirt, with a cowboy hat over his head.
Believe, like Dipstik, what you want, but I'm sayin' Stranger's no feminem person.