9 of your favourite video game characters you probably never knew were non-binary
Respawn, EA
With the gaming world becoming more inclusive than ever before, there’s been a rise in non-binary video game characters taking centre stage and we couldn’t be happier.
Let’s be honest, the amount of queer representation in games isn’t good enough, but it is getting better. From The Last of Us Part II to CyberPunk 2077, as of recent, the gaming industry is making sure that if they get anything right, it’s the inclusion and proper representation for the LGBT+ community.
From having trans characters to same-sex relationships to genderfluidity, the gaming industry itself is starting to realise that being inclusive can improve sales.
Whether or not they are making changes to benefit all their users or for-profit, it’s a change that we love to see. In the past 10 years, there has been a number of non-binary characters that have been featured in several games across all platforms. From Bloodhound to FL4K, here are nine non-binary characters in video games you didn’t know existed until now.
Ash, Wandersong
Greg Lobanov, Humble Bundle
Upon Wandersong’s release back in 2018, one of its most popular characters Ash has become a non-binary icon. Referred to with they/them pronouns in-game, the game’s creator Greg Lobanov later confirmed via Twitter that they were meant as non-binary representation for the LGBT+ community.
He also went onto discuss in an interview with Dualshockers: “With Ash, it’s not very explicit. We never included that stuff to go, ‘Hey, this person’s non-binary!’ We want to make a game that was very inclusive and had all kinds of people in it and I think definitely the game really reflects just the kind of people that I know in my life.
“I know lots of non-binary people and honestly just felt really natural to include them in the world of this game. Not even as, oh, well I’ve got to check that mark off. It just seemed really normal. That character especially, just the way that they were conceived – yeah, they just were a non-binary person. It’s not the most important thing in their life. It’s just a fact about them.”
Alex Cyprin, Astoria: Fate’s Kiss
Voltage Inc
Released back in 2015, Astoria: Fate’s Kiss has become a fan favourite among the Japanese gaming market. One of its characters, known as Alex Cyprin, is not just the first and only non-binary video game character in mainstream romance visual novels, but they’re also one of the only canonically non-binary characters in the entire gaming world.
Using the singular they/them pronouns, Alex Crypin has become on of Astoria: Fate’s Kiss‘ most loved and adored characters to date.
Bloodhound, Apex Legends
Respawn, EA
In the popular first person shooter battle royale game Apex Legends, original legend and technological tracker Bloodhound is referred to as non-binary and uses singular they/them pronouns.
For some time, users around the globe speculated on Bloodhound’s gender, especially considering the way their story played out in the Stories for the Outlands series that follows each legend in the game, revealing the background story that led them to be characters. The game’s developers Respawn later confirmed via Twitter that Bloodhound is indeed non-binary. Things we love to see.
Bolt, Crypt of the NecroDancer
Brace Yourself Games
Crypt of the NecroDancer is a fearless roguelike game that involves the player controlling one of a selection of characters to explore several levels of an underground dungeon that are procedurally generated.
Their standout character, Bolt, is genderqueer, and according to Ted Martens, the artist behind the video game, “Bolt does not identify as fully as either male or female,” which he stated on Twitter.
Primordial Chaos, Hades
Supergiant Games
Hades, the roguelike action role-playing game, has been winning fans over since 2018. Its in-game character Primordial Chaos is referred to with they/them pronouns. This was confirmed when the official Chaos Update from the Supergiant Games’ Twitter revealed that Primordial Chaos should be referred to with the correct pronouns.
Fang, Goodbye Volcano High
KO_OP
Goodbye Volcano High is the upcoming cinematic narrative game about the end of an era, and the beginning of a love story releasing this year on PS4, PS5, and PC.
Set in a world of anthropomorphic dinosaur characters, the game is centred on VVorm Drama band members as they venture through the highs and lows of their final year as Volcano High seniors. Its main protagonist Fang is non-binary and uses singular they/them pronouns.
FL4K, Borderlands 3
FLK4 in Borderlands 3 is another canonically non-binary video game character, Gearbox Software
Voiced by SungWon Cho, the character FL4K was confirmed non-binary before the game’s release. As an emergent AI who has recently become self-aware and is on a journey of self-discovery, FL4K is referred to with singular they/them pronouns in the game. They also wear a non-binary Pride flag pin.
Floofty Fizzlebean, Bugsnax
Young Horses
When Young Horses released Bugsnax last year, they introduced their first major non-binary representation with Gastroentomologist and resident of Snaxburg, Floofty Fizzlebean. Referred to with they/them pronouns and by other characters in-games a “their sibling”, Bugsnax developer Sage Coffey confirmed via Twitter that they are intended to be a non-binary representation.
Frisk, Undertale
Toby Fox
As the main protagonist of Undertale, Frisk is the first and only non-binary character in the game. In an interview back in 2015, Toby Fox confirmed that Frisk is non-binary and even referred to exclusively with they/them pronouns in the game’s dialogue.
