Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’ presents a convoluted mystery that stands on the foundation of complex scientific concepts. It weaves into the fabric of the plot, and a lot of times, the show doesn’t directly answer the questions the viewers may have. While proper reasoning is dropped into a scene or a line in a dialogue, it is left to the audience to use that information and extrapolate it to understand other questions that might be plaguing them. This especially holds true for questions related to the video game, which is one of the most important plot points in the story.
Each time a level is unlocked, a woman with a sword appears in front of the players and updates them about their progress. Considering that nothing in ‘3 Body Problem’ is without a purpose, one is bound to wonder who the woman is and what her role is in the bigger picture. SPOILERS AHEAD
The Woman in the Game is a Face for Sophons
To understand the identity and the purpose of the woman in the video game, we have to look towards the alien race that is on its way to invade the Earth. The aliens, referred to as San-Ti Ren due to their trisolar system, are desperate to leave their planet and find a home for themselves somewhere that is much more favorable, where they will not be plagued by the unpredictable Chaotic and Stable Eras, and they won’t have to fear things like syzygy that can destroy entire civilizations in a matter of moments.
After a lot of effort and with some help from Ye Wenjie, the aliens discover Earth, and it appears to be just the thing they’d been looking for. However, once they start to find out more about humans, they discover that humans have made giant leaps in very small intervals. The time between these leaps has not only helped them evolve but also helped them survive and made them quite formidable. They got to atomic energy in a matter of a century following their last giant leap, and considering how they are progressing, the aliens worry that humans will surpass their tech by the time they arrive on Earth.
Luckily for them, the San-Ti are already quite advanced and are decades, if not centuries, ahead of the tech that humans have. This allows them to create Sophons, which act as a quantum device that allows the aliens to keep track of humans in real-time. Moreover, the Sophons also have the power to bend reality and make the humans see whatever the aliens want them to see. This is where things like the countdown, the universe winking, and the video game come into play.
The San-Ti created the video game, modeled on their world but with some changes that make it more familiar to the people on Earth and to recruit people who could help them invade the Earth. If the San-Ti had the brightest minds on Earth in their corner, humanity would have no chance against them. Having observed humans for so long, the San-Ti also know that it is better to start with something more familiar to humans to get their trust and then slowly unveil the deeper secrets of the San-Ti. This is why, in the video game, we see the woman with the sword.
The woman is not real, not just in the sense that she only exists in the video game, but even outside the game. It is something that the Sophons whipped up to build better communication with the players, who would feel more comfortable seeing someone while talking to them rather than hearing some ominous voice with no face. The woman’s presence adds a sense of corporeality to Sophons, which makes it easier for the humans (in the show as well as the ones watching the show) to grasp their existence.
The woman’s purpose is to let the players know when they’ve cracked a level and are ready to move on to the next one. Apart from this, she also makes sure that no one plays the game without an invitation. If you play the game when it is not meant for you, then you will be killed, at least in the game. This not only keeps the unwanted people out but also makes them more curious and more invested in the “3 body problem,” which is exactly what the Sophons and the San-Ti want.
Read More: The Character of Follower in 3 Body Problem, Explained
