12 Trans characters in video games
It’s Trans Awareness Week! A time where we raise awareness of trans representation to build genuine understanding, acceptance, empathy, and respect for our beloved trans folks. What better way to play our part than to highlight 12 trans characters in video games from across the ages?!
Some you’ll know, some you might have heard of, some you might be discovering for the first time, and that’s OK too!
Which characters did we miss? Drop them in the comments and show them some love.
Bazz – Concord
Bazz made history, albeit briefly before Concord was taken offline, as the first playable Black trans woman in a AAA video game. Additionally, Bazz was authentically voiced by Black trans woman, Mila Jam.
Birdo – Super Mario Bros 2.
Birdo is widely considered to be one of the first transgender characters in video games. Text in the first edition manual for the North American release of Super Mario Bros. 2 stated that Birdo would “rather be called ‘Birdetta'” and “he thinks he is a girl”.
Claire Russell – Cyberpunk 2077
Claire Russell is an openly trans character in Cyberpunk 2077. According to her backstory, Claire was close friends with a man named Dean Russell, who supported Claire through her transition from male to female, bringing her daffodils as she was recovering from the surgery. Eventually, their close friendship became even closer, with the pair tying the knot as husband and wife.
Hainly Abrams – Mass Effect: Andromeda
Abrams is an NPC players can meet along their journey in Mass Effect: Andromeda who reveals to Ryder her pre-transition name unprompted for that specific information, a trait some players have said does not accurately reflect the experience for all trans people, especially as she appears uncomfortable about her former name.
Krem – Dragon Age: Inquisition & various
Krem is the first transgender character to appear in a BioWare game. In a conversation with Iron Bull, he says that Krem fits the Qunari concept of “Aqun-Athlok”, which translates in Qunlat as “born as one gender but living like another.” Krem asks Iron Bull if Qunari treat them any different than others, to which Iron Bull replies “they are treated like the men they are.”
Lev – The Last of Us Part II
Lev is the first trans character to be introduced into The Last of Us series and is voiced by trans actor Ian Alexander (Star Trek: Discovery). Lev had a rough introduction with a specific scene causing a lot of controversy at the time. The scene in question is part of the latter half of the game where players take the role of Abby and, during a fight with Lev’s people – a religious group called The Seraphites – that Lev gets deadnamed, which felt like a poor show for a lot of LGBTQ+ fans.
Lor – Borderlands 3 & New Tales from the Borderlands
Players first meet Lor on Promethea in Borderlands 3 where they are an NPC working at a coffee shop going by their past name. A year later, we meet up with him again in New Tales from the Borderlands. We get to see he has finally transitioned and is now going by the name “Lor”. Lor is voiced by Ciarán Strange and the character won Best LGBTQ Character at the 2023 Gayming Awards.
Madeline – Celeste
Madeline is the main protagonist of Celeste, created by Maddy Thorson. Madeline was revealed to be a trans woman in 2020 with the release of DLC Farewell, though Thorson did not initially design her to be transgender. The discussion about Madeline’s identity helped Thorson both figure out Madeline’s gender identity as well as be public with her own.
Ned Wynert – Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Ned Wynert is a minor character in Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. He’s a London based businessman who gives quests to the Frye twins. His background as a trans man doesn’t really come up in-game but he does discuss how he spent much of his childhood secretly dressing as a boy and getting involved in the underground world of organized theft.
Nocturne – Baldur’s Gate 3
Nocturne acts as quartermaster in the Cloister of Sombre Embrace in Baldur’s Gate 3. Nocturne is a trans woman who explains how Shadowheart used to be teased about her name and attacked for who she was which helped Nocturne understand more about herself, and that she was not happy with who she was. Shadowheart’s courage to keep fighting gave Nocturne the strength to find herself and eventually change her name from Renald to Nocturne.
Paolo de la Vega – Far Cry 6
Paolo de la Vega is a DJ, ex-soldier, and one half of rap duo Maximas Matanzas. Paolo’s fight goes beyond his efforts with the Libertad rebels — he is also grappling with a personal revolution. After being expelled from the military for being transgender, Paolo teams up with Talia Benevidez to form Maximas Matanzas and provide a voice for the outcasts of Yara. Ubisoft Toronto stated in a tweet that LGBTQ2S+ ERG & actor Xavier Lopez were valued consultants during the process of creating Paolo De La Vega’s character.
Tyler Ronan – Tell Me Why
Tell Me Why from DONTNOD made history as the first game from a major studio to feature a transgender protagonist, Tyler Ronan. Tyler is voiced by August Aiden Black, who also is a trans man. To ensure that Tyler’s character would resonate with a wide and diverse audience of trans people, the Tell Me Why team worked closely with GLAAD and August made significant contributions to the game’s dialogue.
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