List of animated series with LGBTQ characters


This is a list of animated series with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, genderqueer, and pansexual characters, along with other characters. This list includes fictional characters in animated cartoons, adult animation, and anime. This page includes some, but not all of those on the list of crossdressing characters in animated series.
These lists only include recurring characters, otherwise known as supporting characters, which appear frequently from time to time during the series' run, often playing major roles in more than one episode, and those in the main cast are listed below. LGBTQ characters which are guest stars or one-off characters are listed on the pages focusing exclusively on gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, pansexual, asexual, non-binary, and intersex characters.
The entries on this page are organized alphanumerically by duration dates.

History

Gender has always been a component of animation, with scholars Harry Benshoff and Sean Griffin writing that animation has always "hint at the performative nature of gender." They specifically cite the example of Bugs Bunny wearing a wig and a dress, acting as a female rabbit in drag. Building off the early years of anime, from 1917 to the 1950s, starting in the 1960s, LGBTQ+ characters in animated series came to prominence first through Japanese anime and manga. For manga, this manifested in the yaoi genre that focuses on same-sex male relationships, and yuri, that focuses on relationships between women, with wide-ranging representation of gay, lesbian, and gender non-conforming characters and related themes. Some LGBT characters in animation are derived from graphic art works and video games. At the same time, some argued that the Walt Disney Company played with gender stereotypes in the past, featuring effeminate or "sissy" characters, or those coded as gay, which occurred while the characters were comedic and kept at arms length. From the 1960s to the 1980s, LGBTQ+ representation was mainly confined to Japanese animations. In the 1990s, Japanese anime favorites, like Revolutionary Girl Utena and Sailor Moon premiered while gay characters appeared in Western animations such as South Park, The Simpsons, and a few others. In the early 2000s, LGBTQ+ representation remained steady in anime, but increased in Western animation, culminating in GLAAD's "Where We Are in TV" report in 2005, even as representation in such animation was scattered and disparate. It would not be until the advent of shows like Steven Universe and Adventure Time in the 2010s, that LGBTQ+ characters in animation would gain more of a prominent role, leading to shows such as Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

1960–1980s

For further historical context on the below characters in animated series, please see following sections of the History of LGBTQ+ characters in animated series page: "", "" and "Anime renewal and U.S. television in the 1980s".
DurationShow titleCharacter debut dateCharactersIdentityNotesCountry
1967–1968Princess KnightPrincess SapphireGenderqueerPrincess Sapphire is raised as a boy by their father since women are not eligible to inherit the throne. In addition, they are born with both a male and female heart but refuses to give up their boy heart as they need it to vanquish evil. Nonetheless, they fall in love with and marry Prince Frank.Japan
1979–1980The Rose of VersaillesQueen Marie AntoinetteBisexualMarie enters a political marriage with King Louis XVI of France but falls in love with Count von Fersen. She is considered a love interest of Oscar, a genderqueer woman. though their relationship never quite goes beyond master and servant.Japan
1979–1980The Rose of VersaillesRosalie LamorlièreBisexualShe is the adopted daughter of Nicole Lamorlière, attempting prostitution at one point to get money, as shown in the episode "A Beautiful Devil" and swears to kill her mother's murderer in the episodes "The Secret of the Angel" and "Farewell, My Sister!" She tries to kill Oscar's mother but Oscar stops her and soon takes her as an apprentice, earning Rosalie's admiration and love, as she opens his eyes. She later ends up marrying Oscar's friend, Bernard Chatelet in the episode "A Funeral Bell Tolls in the Twilight."Japan
1979–1980The Rose of VersaillesOscar François de JarjayesGenderqueerA young woman raised as a soldier, dressing and behaving as a man, whose love interest is one of the series protagonists, Marie Antoinette. He also has a relationship with Andre, a childhood friend, but is only able to share one passionate night with Oscar.Japan
1981–1986Urusei YatsuraRyuunosuke FujinamiLesbian or BisexualRyūnosuke is a tomboyish girl and a protagonist of the anime. In one episode, "Ran-chan's Great Date Plan!," she goes out on a date with an alien girl Ran, who thinks that Ryūnosuke is a lesbian after she says she has no interest in boys, and in another, "The Muco Flower's Name is Ryunosuke," the series villains try to turn her into a boy. In other episodes, like "Shine! The Blessed Bra!!," she is backmailed into going on a date with Shinobu, and becomes good friends with Benten, who acknowledges her femininity without making a joke in episodes such as "Benten & Ryunosuke - Run Toward Tomorrow!" and "Ryunosuke VS Benten! Great Fruitless Amorousness Duel" In the OVA, titled "Nagisa's Fiance," Nagisa Shiowatari becomes her fiancé, a guy who was raised as a girl, meaning he behaves and crossdresses as a girl, implying that she may be bisexual. Her character was later used as a prototype for Ukyo Kuonji in Ranma ½.Japan
1982–1983Patalliro!Jack Barbarosa BancoranGayHe enjoys flirting with and seducing young boys, having the name of "Young Boy Killer." Women have shown interest in him and he shows no interest, though he did show mild interest in Pataliro's mother Etrange.Japan
1983–1984Stop!! Hibari-kun!Hibari ŌzoraTrans womanAssigned male at birth, Hibari looks and behaves as a girl, expresses interest in having breasts, and has become more feminine after Kōsaku starts living at her household. She has demonstrated romantic interest in Kōsaku and is implied to have zero interest in women.Japan
1985–1987Fight! Iczer OneCobalt
Sepia		LesbianCobalt and Sepia are also depicted as lovers, occasionally kissing.Japan
1985–1987Fight! Iczer OneIczer-1
Nagisa Kanou		LesbianIczer-1 and Nagisa are displayed as being in a romantic and intimate relationship throughout the series.Japan
1986-1989Dragon BallJanuary 14, 1987General BlueGayA canon gay character and Nazi, who is series antagonist, having an entire saga focused on him. He also makes an appearance in Dragon Ball GT.Japan
1987–1991Bubblegum CrisisDaley WongGayDaley is a sympathetically presented gay character.Japan
1989Ranma 1/2Ranma SaotomeTrans womanRanma, protagonist of this anime, is cursed to transform from a boy into a girl whenever dowsed with cold water, and back into a boy when dowsed with hot water. Ranma is attracted to Akane Tendo in the anime, despite a rocky start to their relationship. Despite turning biologically female, Ranma considers himself male. Ranma is also attracted to Akane in the manga the series was based on.Japan
1989Ranma 1/2Akane TendoPossibly BisexualDespite a rocky start to their relationship, Akane is attracted to the anime's protagonist, Ranma, seemingly in both his male and female forms, though her only other romantic interests are male. Also, she is attracted to Ranma in the manga the series was based on.Japan
1989–presentThe SimpsonsPatty BouvierLesbianPatty officially came out in a 2005 episode, "There's Something About Marrying" which was one of the episodes that carried the occasional warning of content that might be unsuitable for children. Like Dewey & Smithers, she is a recurring gay character. In "Livin La Pura Vida" Patty had a new girlfriend named Evelyn.United States
1989–presentThe SimpsonsDewey LargoGayMr. Largo is the school's music teacher, whose last name is also an Italian word for a slow, broad, musical tempo. A recurring gag in episodes such as "See Homer Run", are allusions that Largo is gay. A later episode, "Flaming Moe," confirmed that Largo is gay and in a relationship with an older man, also named Dewey.United States
1989–presentThe SimpsonsJanuary 21, 1990Waylon SmithersGay". In a 2016 episode, "The Burns Cage," Smithers officially come out as gay.United States
1989–presentThe SimpsonsNovember 21, 2001Brunella PommelhorstTransgenderMrs. Pommelhorst is the gym teacher who announced his intention to take time off and return as "Mr. Pommelhorst, the shop teacher" in the episode "My Fair Laddy" although she later returned as the same.United States
1989–presentThe SimpsonsApril 13, 2003Grady and JulioGayThey are a stereotypical gay couple, who later break up, with Julio later married to Thad, shown in episodes such as "Three Gays of the Condo." Julio is known in later seasons for being Marge's recurring hairdresser.United States
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1990s

The depiction of LGBTQ characters in animated series in the 1990s changed significantly from those in previous decades. Some of the most prominent series during this decade which features LGBTQ+ characters were Sailor Moon, South Park, King of the Hill, Cardcaptor Sakura and Futurama. However, Revolutionary Girl Utena stood apart, with prominent LGBTQ+ characters, which some called one of the most important anime of the 1990s. It heavily influenced the creator of Steven Universe, Rebecca Sugar, calling a series which "plays with the semiotics of gender" which really stuck with her. Additionally, during this decade, Family Guy and SpongeBob SquarePants premiered, with LGBTQ+ protagonists in both shows.
For further historical context on LGBTQ+ animated characters in the 1990s, please see the page.

2000s

The depiction of LGBTQ characters in animated series in the 2000s changed significantly from the previous decade. In 1999, Simpsons and The Critic producer Mike Reiss who hoped to do something "good for the gay audience" produced Queer Duck, the first animated TV series with homosexuality as a predominant theme. The show became relatively influential after premiering online on Icebox.com, then later shown on Showtime starting in 2000, and was received well by some in the LGBTQ+ community. While LGBTQ+ characters appeared in shows such as The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Red vs. Blue, and The Boondocks, the ongoing show, American Dad, which premiered in 2005, had a pansexual character as a protagonist, Roger. While the gay news anchors Greg Corbin and Terry Bates were recurring characters in the show, Roger, a space alien who lives with the Smith family, has an ambiguous sexuality.
For further historical context on LGBTQ+ animated characters in the 2000s, please see the page.

2010s

The depiction of LGBTQ characters in animated series in the 2010s changed significantly from the previous decade; especially in Western animation. One of the shows cited as being the most influential for this change in representation is Steven Universe, created by Rebecca Sugar and aired on Cartoon Network. As GLAAD put it in their 2019-2020 report, the show continues to "go above and beyond when it comes to inclusive storytelling." The 2010s also brought with it shows such as Adventure Time and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, both of which had strong LGBTQ+ characters.
For further historical context on LGBTQ+ animated characters in the 2010s, please see the page.

2020s

For further historical context on the below characters in animated series which appeared in the 2020s, please see the page.
DurationShow titleCharacter debut dateCharactersIdentityNotesCountry
2020Asteroid in LoveMira Konohata
Ao Manaka		LesbianMira and Ao are the series protagonists and want to discover an asteroid together. As the series progresses, their friendship slowly develops into one that is more romantic, as shown in episodes like "Memories Are Treasures! In the ninth episode, "True Feelings," Ao and Mira begin living together.Japan
2020If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would DieEripiyo
Maina Ichii		LesbianInitially a woman who leads a normal life, Eripiyo's life is changed when she watches a performance of ChamJam, a minor idol group, and becomes obsessed with one of the group's members, Maina Ichii, resulting in using almost all her money to buy Maina's merchandise. Throughout the series, they clearly have feelings for each other, with Eripiyo saying she loves Maina on multiple occasions, while Maina has feelings, but is more subdued in showing them.Japan
2020Interspecies ReviewersJanuary 11, 2020CrimvaelIntersexA well-endowed intersex angel with a broken halo, that has male and female genitalia, as noted throughout the series. Despite his feminine appearance, he chooses to identify as male upon meeting Stunk & Zel in the first episode, to avoid them trying anything perverted on him. He is hinted to be bisexual in Episode 3 and in the 9th episode the narrator uses the pronoun "they" to refer to Crim.Japan
2020Q-Force2020Q-Force membersTBAThe adult animated comedy series will focus on the adventures of a handsome secret agent and "his team of fellow LGBTQ super-spies".United States
2020Magical Girl Friendship Squad: OriginsJanuary 20, 2020DaisyLesbianDaisy, one of the magical girls, a pale-skinned "badass" superhero who works with her female medium-brown-skinned roommate, Alex, in the show, is a lesbian. She sleeps with a black woman in the show's second episode, "Superparty," who leaves after she sees Alex throwing up in a sink because she is drunk.United States
2020'February 18, 2020Iena MadarabaGenderfluid / IntersexIena Madaraba, also known as Yena, is a spotted hyena with male genitalia and is confused about her true gender & sexuality. Although she later finds out that she is biologically female, she still allows others to refer her with either gender pronoun in episodes such as "The Wild Habits of a Troubled Animal."Japan
2020–present'Y5AmbiguousA local in the Drift, who is a teenage scientist and rabbit, Y5 is given her name by BMO. One member of the show's crew stated on Twitter that they hope "Y5's story resonates with you and inspires you to be your authentic self," relating it to those who choose their own names like trans and non-binary individuals, an interpretation supported by voice actress Glory Curda.United States
2020–presentKipo and the Age of WonderbeastsBenson
Troy		GayIn the episode, "Ratland," after Kipo tells Benson that she likes him, he says that he does like her but in a platonic way and says the reason is because he's gay. In the episode "Beyond the Valley of the Dogs," he develops a crush on one of the boys who lives in the burrows named Troy. This is expanded in the show's second season, as in the episode, "Paw of the Jaguar," Troy kisses Benson on the cheek, and in a later episode, "Heroes on Fire," a song about falling in love plays as they lock eyes, indicating he clearly has a crush on Troy.United States
2020–presentKipo and the Age of WonderbeastsAsherNon-binaryWhen asked by a fan about the gender of Asher, series creator Radford "Rad" Sechrist said that Asher is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, which was later confirmed by Bill Wolkoff, co-screenwriter of Kipo.United States
2020–present'April 11, 2020Mary HuntLesbianShe develops romantic feelings toward the series protagonist, Catarina, differing from the script of the otome game, Fortune Lover, beginning in the second episode of the series, "A Prince Challenged Me To a Fight..." In the ninth episode, "Things Got Crazy at a Slumber Party...," Anne Shelley, Catarina's maid, observes that Mary loves Catarina so much that she concocted a "terrifying plan" of sorts to get them to stay together. In the same episode, Mary, in a sleepover with Catarina, Sophia, and Maria, admits she likes Catarina, saying she and someone she loved would trade dresses.Japan
2020–present'April 18, 2020Sophia AscartLesbianIn the eighth episode, when inside the book world, Sophia pins Catarina against a wall, confesses her love, and proposes they move in together. Although Catarina doesn't understand the ramifications of this confession, Maria and Mary, who also have crushes on Sophia, recognize it full well. In the ninth episode, "Things Got Crazy at a Slumber Party..." Anne Shelley observes that Sophia tries to get Catarina to realize that she has feelings for her, but to no avail.Japan
2020–presentApril 25, 2020Maria CampbellLesbianWhen Catarina saves Maria from bullies, in the episode "I Enrolled in the Magic Academy...," she steals a romantic event from Gordo, causing Maria to begin falling love with Catarina in the fourth episode of the series. In the following episode, Catarina steals a major romantic scene from Keith unintentionally, and they grow closer together. In a later episode, "Things Got Crazy at a Slumber Party...," Anne Shelley says that Maria shows her love for Catarina by sharing her sweets with her. In the episode "The Moment of My Doom Arrived... Part 1," Maria defends Catarina from false charges and says that Catarina means a lot to her. In the show's season one finale, Catarina asks her who she likes, and she says "the only one I love, admire, and want to be with for all time is you, Lady Catarina. So please allow me to stay by your side from now on."Japan
2020–presentThe HollowMay 8, 2020AdamGayOne of the protagonists of the series, Adam, a Hispanic boy, is revealed to be homosexual in the show's second season. In the second episode of that season, "Hollow Games," he comes out to Kai, another of the show's protagonists, explaining he is gay and that Mira, a female protagonist is "not his type." Prior to this, in the trailer for Season 2 the LGBT pride flag was seen in his room, leading some fans to speculate he was gay.Canada