Respawn wants to introduce a transgender character in Apex Legends
Apex Legends sports a colourful cast of queer characters that represent a wide spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community – from Gibraltar to Bloodhound, to the recently added Valkyrie. However, Respawn’s associate quality designer Mackenzie Galbraith told us that they want to do more regarding transgender representation in Apex Legends.
“Trans and non-binary representation is a topic that is really important to me,” they opened, “While I’m really glad we have Bloodhound as non-binary representation, one character cannot encompass the wide array of experiences from across all trans people.”
Bloodhound is a non-binary, no-nonsense, kick-ass Legend, and that’s not us calling them legendary, even if they are. Rather, that’s the name given to the heroes of Apex Legends who sport their own voice lines, cosmetics, and abilities. Think the Champions of League of Legends or the quirky cast of dubious morality in Team Fortress 2.
Allegra Clark, known for roles such as Beidou in Genshin Impact, Dorothea in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Gwen Stacy in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, is the voice behind Bloodhound. However, their voice is given an effect through the mask, making them sound more like Kylo Ren. It’s nifty, and certainly adds to the alluring and intriguing mystery of their persona, but it mystifies who they are.
So far, that’s the extent of Apex Legends’ representation of trans people and it’s not quite as obvious as other LGBTQ+ Legends in the game, but with those at Respawn like Galbraith vying for more transgender characters that are more openly trans to boot, this could very well change.
“I’d like to see more trans and non-binary Legends, especially some who don’t have masks to hide their face or obscure their voice. Having a character being loudly, proudly trans, and having their face front and center of the Apex launch screen – that’s something I hope to see someday.”
It’s not like Respawn talks the talk but doesn’t walk the oh-so-important walk. Already, we’ve got Fuse, the pansexual deviant with a short… well, fuse. Then there’s Loba, a bisexual femme fatale who flaunts that she’ll break the hearts of men and women alike, while Gibraltar is, as stated earlier, gay, and he has been since the start. None of this is retro aftermath brownie point garnering. There’s comics, voice lines, and confirmation from the writers with all of these characters.
You’ve got Bloodhound as mentioned, Mirage who is questioning, and the latest – Valkyrie, a lesbian with wings. She’s drunk one too many red bulls. Legends are constantly being added, with so many of these being post-launch additions, and so many of the new characters are queer. Back to back, we’ve had Fuse and Valkyrie alone, so who knows what’s in store for the next outing?
Perhaps Galbraith will get their wish and we’ll get an openly trans Legend dominating the battlefield sooner rather than later. Maybe they’ll even come with some cool trans-flag themed cosmetics. At any rate, the latest season is oh-so purple and my inner bisexual is loving it.
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