10 Fictional LGBTQ+ Characters Who Changed Our Lives
Our top picks from anime, comic books, and mangas that have created powerful queer spaces.
Remember the times when you were sitting in front of the TV, or reading a comic after school, being totally captivated by your favorite heroes every time they appeared? Those were the good days. We previously talked about comic book characters that represent the queer community, which sparked a passionate discussion between our colleagues in Uncultured Schwein. It seems that everyone has that one special LGBTQ+ character they look up to.
Today we are paying tribute to the characters that influenced our colleagues the most throughout their lives; to dive deeper into how they felt with these characters. We took the time to interview some of our teammates, and asked them — “Which LGBTQ+ comic, manga, or anime character inspired you or meant something to you, and what makes them meaningful?”. We received some great responses that we are excited to share. Our company has people from all around the world currently working on a special comic with relevance to the real world. As a company that aims for diversity, LGBTQ+ representation really matters to us.
With this article, we continue our appreciation for the LGBTQ+ characters that have made a drastic shift in how the community is perceived, including personal anecdotes from our very own Uncultured Schwein team. Moreover, we hope the LGBTQ+ characters mentioned can become a big inspiration for anyone, especially fellow story creators in their future work.
Without further ado, here are ten influential LGBTQ+ characters nominated by our lovely colleagues.
1. Poison Ivy — Batman
Kelsey: Poison Ivy was one of the first LGBTQ+ characters I had come across in mainstream comics and it had a huge impact on me. Before her canon bisexuality, I was a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and did my best to be inclusive to those in the community. Seeing this powerful, independent, woman who could hold her own against Batman (one of my favorite guilty pleasure heroes) was a moment of clarity. If a character I respected and loved could be LGBT and still be herself, then I could do the same. I knew it was okay for other people to not be heteronormative, but it was not until I saw Poison Ivy kissing Harley Quinn, that I felt it was okay for me to be who I was.
Poison Ivy is a female Batman Villain, and recently a protagonist in the DC show Harley Quinn.
2. Saki x Maria — Shinsekai Yori (From the New World)
Alessandra: All of the characters of Shinsekai Yori, Saki, Satoru, Maria, Mamoru, and Shun are inspiring to me. The story is so inspiring for both the mood and feel of the world, as well as the ideas behind it. Without giving away any spoilers, I will just say that it’s about a utopian society based on the behavior of bonobos — a society based on love and without any sort of violence.
Story aside, which is complex and fascinating, I find all of the characters very interesting. They are all very different but they relate to each other without any sort of prejudice. They have a broader vision of their relationships as their society does not allow any sort of taboo or stigma when it comes to love, so as they grow they relate to each other in different ways without ever feeling wrong about it. I find the concept very interesting. The simple question “what if we related to each other without the need of defining ourselves?”; if we just accepted our feelings without considering sex, age, or the definition of any kind of sexuality, because there would be no need to put a label on it.
They are part of the ruling society in their utopian society, people with the “God power” of telekinesis that, after a series of events, go look for the truth of their world and the nature of their society and of humanity itself.
3. Yuri x Viktor — Yuri!!! on Ice
Alice: Yuri on Ice was an anime I really loved. I’m not the biggest fan of the sports genre, so discovering it and its characters was really exciting for me. I quickly got to learn about the basic tropes of the genre — striving to be the best you can be and battling an intense rival. But I also quickly found out that the focus on Yuri’s journey in becoming the best was the anime’s best attribute. The way the relationship between Yuri who is a fan of Viktor, and Viktor (who becomes his coach) develops, felt right to me, and it was really endearing watching it develop. I was glad to see Viktor kiss Yuri as a confidence boost. I was also really happy to see them have such a natural development of their relationship from the beginning. Considering that the boy’s love genre needed a little revamping, I think Yuri on Ice does a good job of keeping basic genre tropes, and reframing relationships to feel progressive in their simplicity.
4. Ryo Asuka — Devilman: Crybaby
Calvin: A character that I really fell in love with was Ryo Asuka from Devilman: Crybaby. Although the original series has the same characters, the Netflix adaptation included broader representation and more interesting ways of portraying the LGBT community throughout it. Ryo Asuka appears male throughout most of the series, and it’s obvious there is some kind of admiration or obsession over the main character Akira Fudo. When it’s revealed that Ryo is in fact Satan itself, the anime shows him clearly displaying his feelings of love to Akira. I liked how the seemingly gay character is also more genderless too since he’s an angel, his form appearing much more androgynous in the last few episodes. Usually, LGBT characters are represented in a very negative way (weak, overly sexualized), but Ryo ends up being a powerful and destructive force that rules over others.
5. HIM — Powerpuff Girls
Riyad: HIM from The Powerpuff Girls is my favorite, I remember the first time seeing him and thinking to myself “Oh wow this guy is different! He’s feminine and is not scared to show it”. It was refreshing to see a representation of that kind portrayed in a regularly recurring character. Even as a villain, I was fascinated by him and would anticipate his appearance as a kid. It was a constant reminder for me to be proud to be different and embrace my authentic self. I may not wear thigh-high boots or put a tutu on, but I know it is OK if I did and that’s thanks to HIM and his fabulousness!
6. Touya x Yukito — Cardcaptor Sakura
Rosana: One of my favorite LGBTQ+ couples is Touya and Yukito, from Cardcaptor Sakura. Touya is Sakura’s brother, and Yukito (spoiler!) is the human form of Yue (an angel). They’re so cute together, mostly because their relationship is idyllic — both characters are surrounded by pain, tragic stories, family absences, but still, they support each other and rarely fight. They’re best friends, but they also love each other. And that’s funny, because Yukito is a literal angel, calm and kind, and Touya is exactly the opposite: active and a little badass. They make the best couple, and despite not having a protagonist role, they both have an important presence in the story. This was the first reference of love between men that I ever read and saw, even though this relationship isn’t that explicit in the anime version, and I’m glad I found this type of representation when I was little.
7. Fish Eye — Sailor Moon
Kaspar: “FOR LOVE AND JUSTICE!” My favorite character has to be from the Sailor Moon original anime series! This show means so much to me — it was the first time I saw powerful LGBTQ characters on TV. From the iconic relationship of Haruka and Michiru (Sailor Uranus and Neptune) to Zoisite and Kunzite’s sad love story to Sailor Starlights, who turned my understanding of gender upside down, the Sailor Moon series made me feel empowered for who I am. (I still rewatch it up to this day).
But one character in particular always stood out to me — a leading villain of the Amazon Trio — Fish Eye! Fish Eye was an openly gay villain, who also did not conform to gender norms. Besides chasing men for their dream mirrors — Fish Eye showed great depth embarking on a journey of finding himself and who he is! He has one of the most meaningful interactions with Sailor Moon and in the end, convinces the Amazon Trio to save Sailor Moon and Chibiusa from death. A stylish multi-faced villain with a love for cocktails! Who wouldn’t fall for this character?
Honorable mentions:
8. Team Rocket — Pokémon
Team Rocket definitely defied the odds of gender and sexuality. While it was never actually explicitly talked about, James and Jessie represent many queer elements. For instance, James states “It’s times like these that make me want to go straight”, and while it may refer to leading a more innocent lifestyle, it can also be an allusion to his sexuality.
In an episode of Pokemon, Jessie and James both dress up in drag, and James competes alongside Jessie in a bikini competition — with fake boobs. Misty confronts James and says “James! I thought you were male!” to which James replies “So what? As long as I’m beautiful, it doesn’t matter.” If you were an LGBTQ+ kid growing up in the 90s who lived and breathed Pokemon, Team Rocket offered that one bit of reassurance that it was okay to be different. Team Rocket pushes the boundaries of gender and sexuality, and who better to have as role models?
9. Nitori Shuichi and Takatsuki Yoshino — Wandering Son
Nitori Shuichi is a young transgender girl. Her friend, Takatsuki Yoshino, is a trans boy. The anime focuses on gender identity from the perspective of children growing up as trans and has trans representation that many other series do not. Addressing issues of body dysmorphia, masculine/feminine gender norms and societal pressure in schools is hugely important, and the series keeps a high level of emotional realism around these issues, despite the protagonists being young. That’s what makes the series so important for trans visibility — it can serve as model behavior and can be enlightening for children going through the same issues with gender growing up, and can also serve beneficial for adults to understand transgender identity. As both characters go through a journey of wanting to portray their true transgender selves, they tackle claiming one’s identity as one’s own and physical transition.
They also form a beautiful love story around the two main characters who are both trans, which is centered around a mutual understanding and intimacy with each other. The characters go through individual growth and understanding of their own identities, navigating relationships, as well as helping each other through this time.
10. Motoko — Ghost in the Shell
Last but not least, Ghost in the Shell’s Major Motoko Kusanagi is an honorable character because it sparks dialogue around the duality between body and mind. In the original manga, Motoko has multiple raunchy scenes with various women alluding to her sexuality. While the manga focuses more on Major Kusanagi’s sexuality, with one interpretation being bisexuality, the anime only hints at it with a focus on gender nonconformity as she switches cybernetic bodies. This is not uncommon in anime — the genre usually uses allegories or allusions to let audiences interpret for themselves.
While Ghost in the Shell may not be an exact depiction of a person undergoing physical transitioning, it definitely embodies some of the elements of struggling with gender identity and coming to terms with one’s own body. As an empowering character for a lot of people within the queer community, Major Mokoto’s connection with queer audiences stems from the metaphorical experiences that are specific to her living as, essentially, a cyborg.
In anime, manga, comic books, or whatever it may be — we love to see queer characters written as a reflection of reality. We love to see depictions that humanize and serve as progressive in the discourse towards the community — and most importantly, we value representation for all that it does. We give our thanks for all the creators of LGBTQ+ characters, giving life to queerness on screen and throughout the comic pages of history.
