This piece contains minor spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
When Apex Legends took the gaming world by storm with its surprise reveal and launch in February 2019, players fell in love with its six original playable characters – and one in particular, Bloodhound, becoming a fan favorite. At the same time, however, Bloodhound’s gender became a topic of community debate due to their androgynous appearance and the fact that they were referred to in a gender-neutral way. This led Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind Apex Legends, to reaffirm on social media that Bloodhound is indeed nonbinary, a fact that had already been stated in a developer interview on the game’s launch day. And yet, despite Bloodhound being one of the most well-known nonbinary video game characters of all time, many players today still do not realize that they are nonbinary.
I didn’t know Bloodhound was non-binary until very recently, as well as my friends who have played Apex for about 2-3 years now.
We all collectively thought that Bloodhound was male until we discovered they were NB.s https://t.co/4Sme1Cua2X— Spirit (@SpiritYuuki) March 29, 2024
Bloodhound is far from the only nonbinary character who is commonly assumed to be cisgender or whose gender is debated due to a lack of in-game clarification. When characters use gender-neutral pronouns and do not neatly fall into the traditional depictions of a man or a woman, those are often signals that a video game intends for them to be nonbinary, as seen with characters like Dennion from Star Wars Outlaws, Frisk from Undertale, and Blanche from Pokémon GO. But when looking past the visual cues and they/them pronouns, these games provide little narrative indication that the character is nonbinary.
Subtlety would not be an issue if nonbinary characters were more commonplace in mainstream video games, but when the few nonbinary characters that do exist are still frequently mistaken as cisgender by players, it undermines the impact of that much-needed representation. By contrast, transgender men and women in games are more commonly given space to talk about their gender and transition. Catalyst, a playable character added to Apex Legends in 2022, speaks openly about being transgender multiple times in her debut trailer. She also has a voice line players can acquire in the game that states, “I am the grim trans witch your parents warned you about.” Even in a game that isn’t narratively driven, Catalyst being a trans woman is unmistakable.
Similarly, many other well-known transgender characters – Lev from The Last of Us Part 2, Krem from Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Vivian from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, to name a few – have dialogue or integral story moments where they talk about being transgender. Players looking for representation of transgender men and women can often rely on canon in-game dialogue and supplementary material that confirms whether or not a character is indeed transgender. By making a character’s gender identity canon, developers provide trans players with clear, undeniable representation, helping them feel seen and understood. It affirms that the character isn’t just trans-coded or hinting at their identity – they are, in fact, a fully realized transgender character.
Several GLAAD-nominated video games feature nonbinary characters who talk unambiguously about their gender, including Sawyer and Rowan from Boyfriend Dungeon, Desta in Desta: The Memories Between, Nomi-Nomi in I was a Teenage Exocolonist, and Kim in Wylde Flowers – but it’s worth noting that all of these examples are indie games. The AAA video game space, on the other hand, rarely explores its nonbinary characters with much depth.
The lack of high-profile nonbinary characters perhaps explains why Taash’s storyline in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, released in October 2024, was so misunderstood. Part of their personal story is rooted in self-discovery as they try to understand why they feel uncomfortable being called a woman, ultimately realizing that they are nonbinary. Taash’s defensiveness and frustration are understandable given they belong to a culture with rigid gender roles and are grappling with their gender identity for the first time.
When asked if they liked being a woman, Taash scoffs and responds that “No one likes being a woman.” This line was woefully misconstrued by some players to mean that Dragon Age: The Veilguard was itself disavowing women or being a woman. Aside from the fact that a character expressing their feelings does not equal the opinion of the game itself, this line takes place during a scene where Taash is struggling with not feeling like a woman but being pressured by their mother to act like one. Taash is the youngest of the party, and their blunt immaturity causes them to assume that their worldview is the one that everyone shares. In the Dragon Age series – and in our world – being something other than a man or a woman often means lacking the vocabulary to accurately describe one’s feelings. Taash is ineloquent, but honest.
Later, when Taash finally has the word to describe their gender, their mother expresses confusion, and after questioning Taash about their reasoning for being nonbinary, she suggests a different label. For those who have never gone through the process of reflecting on their own identity and finally finding a word that feels empowering, Taash’s frustration in this scene might seem misplaced, as some interpret their mother’s response as a genuine attempt to understand. However, for those who have experienced figuring out their own sexual orientation and gender identity, this scene serves as a painful reminder that, no matter how much work one has done to find a label that fits, there will always be people who feel entitled to correct it, believing they know better than the person themselves. Giving Taash a voice to say “nonbinary” with conviction is one of Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s more important achievements – nonbinary characters deserve to talk about their gender rather than being subjected to perpetual community debate over their identity.
I really enjoyed Veilgaurd.
And just as an aside, the character of Taash. Nonbinary isn’t something I’ve had a lot of interaction with, and I was skeptical of it.
This character helped me see how it doesn’t matter if I don’t get it. It’s about what makes them feel right.
Thanks.
— Admiral Monke (@admiral-monke.bsky.social) January 18, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Bloodhound was Respawn Entertainment’s first foray into creating a major nonbinary character, and the studio has since learned how empowering it can be when a character’s identity is more explicitly acknowledged. Apex Legends remains one of the most LGBTQ-inclusive AAA games of all time, and its portrayal of Catalyst secured it a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Video Game. Catalyst’s clear depiction as a transgender woman allowed her to connect deeply with transgender players, an experience that nonbinary players deserve as well. AAA video games are ready for more major, canonically nonbinary characters like Taash whose gender is not expressed solely through androgyny and gender-neutral terminology. Fortunately, indie games already exist that show us what that can look like.
The aforementioned Desta in Desta: The Memories Between offers an insightful perspective on how nonbinary representation can be portrayed. When running into a friend named Lee that they had not seen for some time, Desta frets over the fact that they never had “the talk” with him about being nonbinary. What ensues is an awkward exchange of Lee unknowingly misgendering them, a scene that players can choose to opt out of, and Desta trying to find a way to explain their gender. When they do find the words, they are met with surprise and then support. “You’re still Desta,” Lee assures them. “I might say things wrong to begin with, though.” Lee’s acceptance is a relief for Desta to hear and they simply respond with, “As long as you’re trying, it’ll mean a lot to me.” Perhaps a lesson for the video game industry itself lies within this heartfelt interaction.
A January 2025 Pew report found that 28% of American teenagers personally know someone who is nonbinary. Like all players, teens are looking for games that resonate with their own lived experiences. When more than one out of four teenage players have nonbinary friends and family members, it is smart for games to reflect that reality. Despite this, AAA video games have long overlooked the opportunity to engage players looking for more gender diversity in the games they play. Though progress is being made with characters like Taash, canonical nonbinary representation should be more commonplace. Writing an authentic nonbinary character requires care and consideration, but the willingness to try is a crucial first step toward more meaningful and inclusive representation.