Відео

No book examples? Hm. Well, I can give a few: Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter, from The Deed of Paksenarrion (1988); Nancy Whitman, main viewpoint character of the first book in Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series; and Padmini Prakesh, from the Great Cities books by N. K. Jemisin. (Sorry, I just read a lot more than I watch, so that's the ones in my head.)

Monkey D Luffy (my beloved) is aro/ace as far as I remember. Now, no one calls him that (as far as I remember, I didn't finish fishman island), but I think that showing no interest in the woman who makes other male characters get hearts for eyes is proof enough.

I think that Owl House is definitely the golden standard for nonbinary representation. (Spoilers ahead) Of course, there’s the main rep in Raine, a “masc” presenting older enby who plays a *huge* role in the show’s narrative, right down to being the only person alongside the main owl crew to finally kill Emperor Belos. Them’s The Breaks Kid also gives us insight into a younger Raine with a higher-pitched voice, nevertheless whose identity is respected by their peers (and even people they’re directly competing against which is very important too, you don’t “earn” the right to be called your pronouns, that’s a default) But also, I found Masha super important as a contrast to Raine’s representation. Unlike Raine who is never outspokenly seen as nonbinary, Masha directly identifies themselves as nonbinary (the nails and name tag). This is because the Boiling Isles doesn’t have the concept of queerness, but the human realm does. While Masha only gets about 5 minutes of screen time, they use their screen time very wisely. *Every* scene Masha is in they’re doing something important to foreshadowing or advancing the plot. When we first meet them, they give Vee a tarot reading foreshadowing what’s going to go down with Luz for the rest of the show. When we meet them again, they help the Hexsquad start the hunt for Titan’s Blood in the human realm. And, at the hay ride, it is Masha specifically who gives us the story of the Wittebanes and formally introduce Caleb and Evelyn to the viewers, two figures long shrouded in mystery and speculation by fans up until that point. Everyone always talks about Raine, but I think a lot of credit should be given to Masha as well. Of course, there’s also Collector using he/they and genderfucky Papa Titan/Monarch implied to be bigender. Luz also is implied to be some form of genderqueer/perhaps bigender. The nonbinary representation in this show is varied and very rarely relegated to side characters. The nonbinary characters are front and center and cover a lot of ground in the different types of expression they encompass

I think the part that bothers me the most with the Alastor thing is the weird cope that people who do it have around it. I don't think there's anything wrong with this sort of fan content being made of fictional characters. It's ok to make self gratifying fan works and explore yourself. The problem is they don't accept it as purely non-canon self-gratifying work. They try to jump through hoops to say "actually maybe he's grey ace" or "actually maybe he's not aro". They are actively trying to undermine the canon for the sake of their fanfics and that's what bothers me. Recognize that the canonical character IS aro/ace and that your fanfiction is just fanfiction. It's not that hard.

you've articulated well a lot of things I've been feeling but couldn't quite express ♥ thanks and well done!

as tired as i am of the only asexual and or nonbinary characters being robots and or aliens, their designs Slap 9 times out of 10. i will die clutching murderbot of murderbot diaries in my cold cold hands, and shapeshifters are awesome. (a concept of cisgender shapeshifter or robot doesn’t even compute to me, how would that work, the gender queer is baked in) would sure be cool to see Literally just any other archetype used tho

10:20 Venture probably wasn’t the best example here because personally I find their voice to be pretty feminine, and so does like 99% of the Overwatch community 😅 it’s why they seemingly can’t stop misgendering them Edit: and Clove I don’t think follows approach 1 AT ALL, idk how they’re getting thing “masc/fem balance” because they seem 100% feminine in all aspects to me including their voice (no hate obviously as I am a 100% masc nonbinary person lol) Also I thought about Blizzard not wanting to gender Venture at all but in hindsight after the Toph (? idk how to spell it I never watched the show) skin it seems that wasn’t the problem since they made Venture cosplay a female character and gave them longer hair (in a bun thing) My theory for why Venture hardly gets anything is because they were forced to make a nonbinary character by whoever, but most if not all of the people who design the skins are transphobic and will only do the absolute bare minimum for Venture (I’m excited for the next skin in November 2025) Edit 2: and the part after that, it really sounded like you were saying that nonbinary people never transition like how a binary trans person does, and that’s not true. Source: me. Even when I first figured out I wasn’t cis and identified as agender for years, I always had the intention of going on a full dose of T and getting surgeries. Some of us do transition in the same way binary trans people do, it’s not just “present as birth sex” or “low dose hrt and potentially some procedures”. So far I’ve been ok T for almost 3 years and have had top surgery (which is different than a mastectomy since those don’t have the goal of masculinizing the chest) However I think all of part 3 was put very well

I can absolutely relate to the othering feeling of masculine nonbinary people despite being AFAB (and intersex but still legally f) because I 100% pass as male due to T and top surgery and my beard doing a lot of heavy lifting (other trans people at a trans people only meeting didn’t know I was transmasc, they thought I was AMAB transneutral or something) and I present completely masculine all the time. In college I was part of the alliance and even during the trans-people-only meetings I felt like the others would always leave me out or pretend like I wasn’t there, and everyone else was either feminine presenting, androgynous presenting, or trying to be masculine presenting but not passing (due to no hrt) ultimately making them androgynous. I’m not saying that’s definitely why they would ignore me but it sure felt like it. No one else was “AMAB passing” and anyone who was AMAB was transfem. And in online spaces (with different people) I DEFINITELY know it’s happening because they will often openly say shitty things. There’s also things I’ve seen online where it will say “women & nonbinary” spaces/clubs/etc and I hate that shit so much. Why do nonbinary people get lumped in with women? I just KNOW they would not accept me there because I look masculine despite me being nonbinary. I kinda want to “try” to join an irl one that I know would call me “just a man trying to invade queer spaces” and drop the bomb on them I am AFAB LMAOO. I mean I am a man but I’m nonbinary too 🤷‍♂️ I’ve heard some people say “it’s because only women and nonbinary people are able to understand the certain experiences that happen to them” and then reference things like periods. Like dawg. So are trans women not welcome but nonbinary people are? Trans men aren’t welcome because…..??? They assume all nonbinary people are just “cis women that you have to call ‘they’” and don’t even try to hide it. I just wish no one would separate people based on something as inconsequential and uncontrollable as gender. In media there’s sometimes very feminine nonbinary people, but NEVER “very” masculine (at least not that I’ve seen). Like I wanna see a nonbinary character with a beard and short hair only wears “men’s” clothes and no makeup or long nails or lots of jewelry, someone like me! Someone who looks like your average Joe but is nonbinary. They/them pronouns not needed (I don’t use they/them, I use he/it and some neopronouns) I’ve yet to see that anywhere. I guess the closest I’ve seen is a nonbinary character in the game ikenfell who uses he/him but emphasizes he’s still nonbinary. Also YES YOU GO WRITE THAT READER X CANON FANFIC DON’T FEEL BAD /gen

as a nonbinary person, my personal favorite representation is in the game gnosia. it's a sci-fi social deduction game/visual novel based around the game mafia/werewolf where you play a bunch of rounds of that through time loops to figure out a greater mystery. if has two nonbinary characters, and you can also choose the player character to be nonbinary. the two nonbinary characters present very differently, and they both explicitly talk about their gender. one of them has a whole spiel about how their body has nothing to do with their gender, and the other one has to deal with an annoying guy constantly hitting on them and misgendering them, and they get so fed up with him that in some loops they just kill him (lol). it's also getting an anime adaptation next year! i highly recommend checking it out, it made me so happy to play and both the enby characters remain some of my all time favorites. it's just a super fun game in general!

nightshade from transformers: earthspark also explained their gender in simple "he or she don't fit me" terms. it seems to only be something nonbinary characters in kids/teens media do, which is crazy to me. i explain what being bigender is probably once a month, it isn't like it's something nonbinary people don't talk about. really something that i feel like is missed out on in a lot of media because it's viewed as TOO simple, perhaps? but a little bit of explaining is just par for the course for a nonbinary person, i don't see why characters should be different

Im agender and tbh i dont really think of myself as nonbinary becuase that kinda feels like a gender and i just... Dont have one. Im just me. But i guess i am under that umbrella. Which is funny becuase discussion about nonbinary and trans representation is so confusing for me becuase i still cant quite grasp the concept of gender. I just dont get it lol. Even though im technically a type of nonbinary. Agender is a type of nonbinary and nonbinary is a type of transgender but im not trans becuase i dont feel like theres really any transition going on, i still use she/her in addition to they/them and i dont get much dysphoria about being afab or anything. (Although i really dont like being called a girl or a boy but its not abt my body so idk) this vid was very interesting tho

From about 4:30 to 5:00 I'll give you a great example of what you're talking about: I'm also an AMAB Agender person. And although I can relate to feminine gendering being less annoying, I define my identity as purely a lack of gender and in a nonchalant way. So although I find masculine gendering to be annoying, I don't care either way. Even though you and I share the same identity and even the same gender assigned at birth, our experiences are quite different. Which just goes to show how each and every NB really does experience life as their gender identity differently.

Someone misgendering nb in media and being corrected is actually a really genius way to add that characterization in a natural way. Even better might be not misgendering them to their face, but a new character they just met is talking with nb’s friend and they refer to them as he or she, and the friend gently corrects them, without it being a huge deal, but a sign of immense respect and solidarity for their friend without nb character being directly involved. It’s realistic that people will assume he/she and they would need to be told otherwise. And then people just move on and use the correct pronouns in the future.

As a genderfluid lesbian, I really loved this video. I totally agree that we as nonbinary people never get to see characters that present more fem or masc but still identify as nonbinary. Lately I've been talking to more binary people and I've come to the realization that they see me as more feminine (while I feel more agender or masc) because I'm a lesbian and am AFAB. I think a big part of that stems from the androgyny issue and the lack of other characters. This video really helped me put my thoughts into words and realize how I've been feeling lately. Thank you for this!

This video was actually so helpful! I’m not nonbinary myself, but I’m working on a story with nonbinary characters, and this really gives me more ideas to flesh them out and make them feel real, so thank you!

there are some good nonbinary characters in a game that just released, Chordioid! you should check it out asdkfjsgdh

Good NB media? Houseki No Kuni. Please if you don't know THIS MASTERPIECE!!!

damn i really needed to hear that other enby/agender people also especially don't enjoy being seen/referred to as their agab. i feel seen thanks! on with the vid

overwatch has a homophobic and transphobic playerbase? its like the one game i play where i find a queer person every match (especially because of the free pride flag pfps). im sorry but this just reeks of having no knowledge or experience. i mean basically all the bigots angrily left overwatch for being too woke. basically every other pvp shooter i can think of is FAR more toxic here. im certainly not claiming overwatch is free of bigots. definitely there, even common. but like... i wouldnt say its full of them

Honestly I feel like this video encapsulates why I’m so frustrated with nb characters in media. For the longest time, it felt like the only presentation was Woman Lite™️ and gave the idea that nb people were only androgynous afab people, and as a nb afab myself it would always make me feel so bad about myself. My partner has similar feelings being very very feminine as a nb afab person because everyone just reads them as being cis, and it helped finding nb content creators with super feminine gender expressions, but as someone who is trans masc, it’s been so so hard for me to find a nb character that’s relatable, especially regarding gender expression. I feel like people are so hard pressed to using only they/them for nb characters, but they/them makes me dysphoric lol and I just wanna see a very masculine looking character with long hair using he/him pronouns or even she/her. Idk, I described my peak gender presentation as being “I want people to look at me and think that I’m a girl but then realize I’m a boy” and it’d be nice to see that in media. Low key wish they’d show venture having a very masculine body because I feel like that would be so epic and make me feel so seen

Im glad Im not the only being that's cursed with the knowledge of Inescapable's existence.

As a Nonbinary person, the best NB character design trope is BIG DUDE IN BIGGER ARMOR. Can’t have dysphoria under two feet of space steel!

Non-binary characters have no place in media

I'm so glad you brought up how most enbies present "how we look". One of my biggest struggles as an AFAB enby has been that I am naturally fat and have larger breasts and fuller hips. It is impossible for me to look androgynous. When I was more fluid than I am now (I identified as gender fluid for 12 years, and recently started to consider myself more a gender, or gender apathetic at the least), it was thoroughly gutting that I could never embody the masculine energies I felt some days. Binders did not work, and that's the go to way for most folks. (And I was binding before it was actually affordable! My first binder was 70USD!) The double whammy of being fat and being nonbinary in a culture that hates both these things has been difficult. Community is the relief, and having safe people and places to return to helps get it through. But I also know I will never see a representative of my experiences in media ever. Lots of people would have to get cool with lots of things real quick haha.

Okay the comment on the crocs made me chuckle And the fact that I wear crocs on daily basis made it more funny

Idk if you know this character but Yao from Guild Wars 2 is agender and they are one of 3 characters you can take on a triple date. They also mention their gender in game during a big meta event.

double trouble is an excellent villain but terrible representation. i like them as a character and their role but they arent relatable at all. while its kinda cool to have villains that arent meant to be relatable like "i mean i see why they have the mentality they have". i just wish that character trait wasnt used on the sole non binary character in the show tho

15:28 one example i've seen of this recently that made me happy was in a webcomic called sleepless domain. it's essentially a dark magical girl story (that's the best I can explain it anyway) but basically you can only become a magical girl if you have "the dream" that awakens your powers, and it only happens to girls. one of the main-ish characters, zoe, had the dream before she came out as a girl, just the magic generally saying she'd been a girl all along, and everyone accepted it.

I think everything you said throughout this video is very well put and important - I'm also a very masc- presenting nonbinary person, and it means so much more to me when there are masculine enbies than when they're androgynous, especially when a lot of people see being nonbinary as Woman+, and only think that skinny, white, AFAB people can be nonbinary. I'm definitely not a man, but I like how I look when I'm more masculine, so I love seeing characters that are like me. Also, my chosen name is Rain, and i chose it long before The Owl House aired, but I agree that Raine is great representation and I think they're one of the coolest characters in the show

Oh boy🤦 I feel like I’ve sort of walked into one of these traps with a character I recently decided to make non-binary. See I wrote them as chemical based superhero with a gas mask first and then decided why not add to the mystery and shut-off personality of the character by making them non-binary. Although, that’s just their superhero identity, so their secret identity wears more expressive clothing. Plus, they’re not the only superhero on the team who covers themselves from head to toe and is mysterious.

Aro and ace folk could be such an interesting comedy duo

The androgyny thing is so real! It influenced my perception of how non-binary characters "should" be presented in media, and for a long time I (a fem-presenting enby, mind you) was confused as to why some non-binary characters *weren't* androgynous. It's not an issue for me anymore, but uhh... that was definitely ✨️a thing✨️

As a hobby writer who wants to include more queer people in my silly writing videos like these are a treasure. thanks for voicing your thoughts.

one of my favorite nonbinary characters at the moment is Darcy from heartstopper! in the books, which is what the shows based off, they arent.

One of my favourite non-binary characters in media is Juno Steel from The Penumbra Podcast. He’s a middle-aged black bisexual non-binary person who uses exclusively he/him pronouns and uses feminine terms like lady or dame. He’s also the protagonist and his character arc is based around finding himself and becoming a more empathetic person. The Penumbra Podcast has other non-binary characters too like the grumpy old police captain and the big bad evil mayor who uses they/them and wears high-heeled boots. The Penumbra Podcast is incredibly queer and since it’s set in the future, gender is a mushy nothing that everyone plays with. There are multiple trans characters who all present differently and I love it

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEE look into Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Without spoiling too much, there's a character in it whose arc has a lot to do with exploring their gender identity and how it affects their relationship with your party and their family. It may or may not have made me cry like I was my 17 year old self coming out to my parents again. 🙏🏽

Im sorry but my smooth brain cannot totally understand what being NB is like.... But I do understand about a good and a bad portray of NB you told. I actually made one before when I was quite little. With a face slightly fem but body and cloth slightly mas. Maybe, maybe I should find that character again.

I love double trouble! I wish they had like.. one other nonbinary person so them being a detached arse couldnt be attributed to enbys in general

31:57 infinity train did this really well

Are the Asari from Mass Effect Non-binary? On a surface level they are coded female. But you look at their Lore, Biology, Reproduction, Society, Religion and personalities. It's not as simple as that. Maybe genderfluid? Whatever the difference in those are.

I was born as Male and for the longest time I felt as though I was born as the wrong gender. As a kid I was into all the things considered feminine (Winx Club, Barbie, Bratz etc) I know now that it doesn’t matter what I like. But seeing characters like Raine helped me discover that I’m really Nonbinary. I still dress fairly masculine but I’ve been wanting to try other styles and clothes. 💖

I have never heard the slang ace of spades before, only aroace. I'm totally gonna use that for myself now, it sounds rad! There's a monster with the same name in Dragon Quest Monsters Joker so I'm now imagining them as a aspec icon, lol

if anyone is looking for a story with casual non-binary rep, I’d recommend horror fiction podcast The Silt Verses. It features multiple important characters who use they/them pronouns (Shrue, Vaughn, Gage, and Rane), who are written with the same depth as all of the others. It doesn’t have any overt discussions about gender identity and it’s unclear what kind of presentation they have (given that it is an audio only medium) but if you want a rich story that just happens to include several genderqueer characters, it’s great. In addition, half of the protagonists (2/4) are mentioned to be trans and are played by trans VAs. representation aside, it’s just an incredibly well written and compelling story with an ending that still haunts me. Check it out!

Thanks!

Oh also have you played Dragon Age Veilguard? Because there is a companion that goes on a gender journey. and its feels a bit gender 101 it is still really nice and i think mostly very well done. and there is a fun scene dealing with misgendering and other sweet aide talks between companions while on quests asking about pronouns.

As a feminine enby (i use she/they/it) this was an intresting video to watch. Tbh, despite them being terrible representation, i do enjoy double trouble as a character.

I like how Apex Legends does their non binary character Bloodhound. I don’t feel they went for androgyny, they went for full removal from the “spectrum” which I vibe with. You never see their face nor hear their non filtered through a mask voice. They stepped up to being a leader of their people by blending The Old Ways and using technology. They are currently in a Very cute relationship with Fuse, a disabled, pansexual, 55 year old space australian. People outside the game do constantly misgender them but I like the attempt of removing the oh well they sound female or well they Look male to me defaulting with pronouns. I don’t think every NB character should follow this but in a mix of characters I like this as an approach.

it makes me feel really.... really alot that im the only amab enby in my whole school out of like maybe 10 other afab enbies and i feel really bad pointing that out cus y'know we're enby it shouldn't matter, but i feel completely disconnected to them it just feels like trying to talk to girls in high school before my egg cracked not just because of how i see them but also how i feel they see me... :(

hellor! fellow agender here. ive been struggling with feeling like a man.. er like i cant get out of the mind set of doing man things. anyone else get what I'm saying? its been really making me feel blahh recently and i don't know how to get around it :\