Esther... The Girl Who Became Queen is the 14th episode in the VeggieTales animated series. Subtitled "A Lesson in Courage", it conveys the message that you do not need to be afraid to do what is right. The story is taken from the Book of Esther in the Old Testament, in which Esther becomes Queen and must tell King Xerxes that his prime minister Haman is plotting to commit genocide against the Jews. The violent undertones are, of course, removed for this VeggieTales production; murder is replaced by banishment to the "Island of Perpetual Tickling", and the intended victims are limited to Esther and her family without reference to their race or creed. The presentation of the story was inspired by The Godfather and Casablanca and has stylistic elements of a Film noir. The dramatic lighting, deep shadows, dark plot elements, and narrative voiceovers all contribute to the effect. The palace windows are even hung with Venetian blinds, an iconic element of the genre. This is one of a few episodes that spurn the usual VeggieTales format: there are no opening or closing countertop sequence with "VeggieTales Theme" and "What We Have Learned" songs, or Silly Songs with Larry. The video features the only appearance of the Esther Veggie character who was expensive to render, due to the complexity of her hair, and the character has not returned. This is also the only episode that is narrated by a non-VeggieTales character and is the only video in which Bob the Tomato does not appear.
