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The pansexual pride flag.

Pansexual people have a sexual, romantic or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their biological sex or gender identity.[1][2] While pansexuality is at times viewed as a sexual orientation in its own right, at other times it's viewed as a branch of bisexuality, to indicate an alternative sexual identity.[2][3][4] This page examines pansexual characters in fictional works as a whole, focusing on characters and tropes over time.

For more information about fictional characters in other parts of the LGBTQ community, see the lists of lesbian (with sub-pages for characters in anime and animation), bisexual (with sub-sections for characters in anime and animation), gay, trans, and intersex characters. See the corresponding pages about intersex characters in fiction and asexual characters in fiction.

Pansexual characters and tropes

Although pansexual characters are not often characters in mass media, they have appeared in various films, TV series, video games, graphic art, and webcomics.

Most prominently, Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars films, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi(1983), Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), is pansexual.[5] Lando, a gambler, con artist, playboy, mining engineer, and businessman who administered Cloud City, was confirmed as pansexual, and having fluidity in his sexuality, by a co-writer of Solo, Jonathan Kasdan. Some took this to be a "deeply regressive" move by suggesting this to fans without delivering on it, even as Donald Glover supported the interpretation.[6] Other fans pointed out possible flirting between Han and Lando, shipping them since the 1980s, with shipping expanding in the 1990s. Glover also described Lando as a character who "doesn't have hard and fast boundaries about everything" when it comes to sexual attraction.[7] Apart from Lando, Mal in the Descendants franchise was confirmed as pansexual by her voice actor, Dove Cameron.[8] Additionally, Niko Terho in the 2020 film The Thing About Harry is pansexual,[9] as is Wade Wilson / Deadpool in the films Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018).[10] While Tim Miller, director of the first film, described Deadpool as pansexual, this is never explicitly portrayed on-screen.[11][12] As with the first film, Deadpool 2 (2018) also doesn't explicitly portray his sexuality, with the character's interest in men being used as the source of humor.[13]

Live-action TV series from the 1990s onward featured various pansexual characters. For instance, in the 1990s, the Paramount Domestic Television show, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine featured two pansexual characters: Jadzia Dax and Elim Garak[14][15] In the 2000s, pansexual characters appeared in soap operas, dramas, and other shows. This included Kristina Davis in General Hospital,[16] Edward as a character in an episode of Will & Grace,[17] and Jack Harkness in the series Doctor Who and Torchwood.[18] These live-action series were not alone. Carlton Lassiter in Psych[19] Captain John Hart in Torchwood,[20] Eric Northman in True Blood,[21] and Crowley in Supernatural[22] have all been confirmed as pansexual characters in their respective series. Additionally, Sammy Lieberman in Dance Academy,[23] Franky Fitzgerald in Skins [24] and Imogen Moreno in Degrassi: The Next Generation[25] were pansexual as well. While shows like House of Lies, Doctors, and In the Flesh had pansexual characters[26] [27][28] A few series stood out from the rest. The popular series, Game of Thrones had two pansexual characters (Yara Greyjoy and Oberyn Martell)[29][30] while one of the protagonists of House of Cards, Frank Underwood, was pansexual[31] as were two characters in Lucifer: Mazikeen and Lucifer Morningstar.[32][33] Various other characters, who were pansexual, appeared in series such as Star-Crossed,[34] Penny Dreadful,[35] and Orange Is the New Black,[36] among others.[a]

Animated series and video games had their own pansexual characters. In the series American Dad!, Roger is specifically referred to as "omnisexual"[37] while Rick Sanchez in Rick and Morty has been described as pansexual.[38] Furthermore, Big Mouth has a pansexual character named Ali. However, the co-creators of the show apologized for their portrayal of pansexuality in October 2019.[39] More positively, Rose Quartz in Steven Universe and Steven Universe Future is a coded as pansexual as she "experiments with romances with Pearl and human men and women alike."[40] When it comes to video games,Iron Bull in Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mae in Night in the Woods, and Finn in Life is Strange 2 have been confirmed as pansexual.[41][42][43]

Webcomics and graphic art has included various pansexual characters, like other mediums. In 1962, Loki Laufeyson first appeared and was later confirmed to be pansexual.[44] Some years later, in 1980, Princess Koriand'r / Starfire appeared. Deriving from being raised on the culture of her homeworld Tamaran, where it's acceptable to have open marriage, Starfire's sex-positivism and free-thinking habits such as a fondness for practicing nudism, openness to polygamous relationships and acceptance of "open sex" and pansexual "free-love" with persons regardless of terrestrial species, race or gender, usually lead her into conflict with Earth's more reserved culture and customs, as argued by SYFY and ComicsAlliance commentators.[45][46] For Starfire, polyamory was a personal and cultural preference.[45] Some years later, Wade Wilson / Deadpool[11] and Sakura Kinomoto, the latter who appeared in Cardcaptor Sakura and Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card were shown to be pansexual. For Sakura, the creators have stated that she did not see gender as barrier for her romantic attraction.[47] Other webcomics had pansexual characters as well. In thr webcomic, Raison d'Etre, a drama, comedy, and coming-of-age story,[48] there are various LGBTQ characters, including a demifemale student named Nakamura Sachiko who is pansexual.[49] Additionally, in the webcomic Unknown Lands, where most of the cast has a queer sexual identity,[50] there is a character named Mischief, a 28-year-old pansexual man who was trained as a warrior but later became the head guardian of a bisexual woman named Inara. The comic also has environmental, feminist, and LGBTQ+ themes.[51] Furthermore, "Red" Kuznetsov is a pansexual human in the webcomic Sinners and St. Sebastian.[52] Two Webtoon webcomics which began in 2020 feature pansexual characters: Babe! and Love, Lila. In the first of these webcomics, Zoey Mercy is a pansexual and extroverted White woman in a relationship with a queer Asian woman named Liz.[53][54][55] Zoey, like Liz, originally appeared in the series She's a Keeper, another webcomic by the same author.[55][56] For the second webcomic, Lila Amanda Liberata is an 17-year-old Italian student and artist who likes dancing, art, and music,[57] who has growing romantic feelings for a 18-year-old Filipina girl in her school named Irene Manalo in this romantic drama[58] and was confirmed as pansexual.[57]

Notes

  1. ^ The List of fictional pansexual characters page notes pansexual characters in the following live-action series: How to Get Away with Murder, Scream Queens, Schitt's Creek, Descendants: Wicked World, Skam, No Tomorrow, Daytime Divas, The Mist, She's Gotta Have It, Ackley Bridge,

See also

References

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  2. ^ a b Sex and Society. Vol. 2. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish. 2010. p. 593. ISBN 978-0-7614-7907-9. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  3. ^ Firestein, Beth A. (2007). Becoming Visible: Counseling Bisexuals Across the Lifespan. New York City: Columbia University Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-231-13724-9. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  4. ^ Soble, Alan (2006). "Bisexuality". Sex from Plato to Paglia: a philosophical encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-313-32686-8. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  5. ^ Bradley, Bill (May 22, 2018). "'Star Wars' Writer Confirms Donald Glover's Character Is Pansexual In 'Solo'". HuffPost. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  6. ^ Romano, Aja (May 22, 2018). "What a pansexual Lando Calrissian reveals about the evolution of Star Wars". Vox. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  7. ^ Rao, Sonia (22 May 2018). "Donald Glover confirms Lando Calrissian is pansexual. But does this count as representation?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  8. ^ Cameron, Dove [@DoveCameron] (October 7, 2020). "mal is pan" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ Nilles, Billy (February 15, 2020). "Why The Thing About Harry Matters". E! Online. E!. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  10. ^ Robinson, Will (November 6, 2015). "Deadpool director says Marvel superhero is pansexual". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Gilbey, Ryan (February 11, 2016). "Deadpool: the pansexual superhero who has never had a non-heterosexual experience". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  12. ^ Miller, Tim (November 3, 2015). "'Deadpool': Ryan Reynolds and Tim Miller on Footage Leaks, 'Guardians' Anxiety and Hyper-Violence". Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
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  21. ^ Butler, Win (May 23, 2011). "Alexander Skarsgård". Interview. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
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  23. ^ Knox, David (August 21, 2010). "A kiss is just a kiss, even in teen TV". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
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  29. ^ Vincent, Alice (February 8, 2017). "From tap-dancing to Karen Matthews: everything you need to know about Game of Thrones star Gemma Whelan". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  30. ^ Jones, Nate (June 2, 2014). "An Obituary for the Game of Thrones Character Who Died Sunday Night". People. Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  31. ^ Hooton, Christopher (March 16, 2015). "House of Cards creator Beau Willimon clears up Frank Underwood's sexuality". The Independent. Independent Digital News & Media Ltd. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  32. ^ Brandt, Lesley-Ann [@LesleyAnnBrandt] (June 13, 2017). "Pansexual actually!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 12, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2020 – via Twitter.
  33. ^ Lucifer Writers Room [@LUCIFERwriters] (April 2, 2017). "@Ildymojo technically he's Pansexual" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020 – via Twitter.
  34. ^ Palencia, Brina [@BrinaPalencia] (March 18, 2014). ""@miistyday: do you know how Sophia identifies? Is she a lesbian/bisexual/pansexual?" Pansexual. She just loves who she loves #StarCrossed" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020 – via Twitter.
  35. ^ Juergens, Brian (June 3, 2014). "Is "Penny Dreadful" the Summer's Gayest Show?". NewNowNext. Logo TV. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
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  38. ^ Thielman, Sam (July 10, 2015). "Rick and Morty at Comic Con: Adult Swim cult favorite is back and in-joking". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  39. ^ Ferguson, LaToya (October 10, 2019). ""Big Mouth" co-creators apologize for inaccurate pansexuality scene". Salon. Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  40. ^ Cao, Caroline (July 13, 2018). "'Steven Universe': 5 Ways This Kids Show Was Queer Before Its Lesbian Kiss". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  41. ^ Parlock, Joe (February 24, 2016). "Why gaming's gay male representation needs to change". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
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  46. ^ Schenkel, Katie (June 24, 2016). "The Case For Pansexual Starfire [Pride Week]". ComicsAlliance. Townsquare Media. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  47. ^ Cardcaptor Sakura Memorial Book (in Japanese). Kodansha. February 2001. ISBN 978-4-06-324535-6.
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  49. ^ Funari (2020). "Cast". Raison d'Etre official website. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  50. ^ Rosi, Kämpe (September 11, 2015). "Cast". Unknown Lands the comic series. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  51. ^ otterchild (September 23, 2016). "Backstage Pass September: Rosi Kampe". The Strip Show, a Webcomic Revue. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
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  53. ^ Darunni (w, a), Zoey Medic (w). "Character Profile: Zoey" Babe!, no. 2 (March 24, 2020). Webtoon.
  54. ^ Darunni (w, a), Zoey Medic (w). "Character Profile: Liz" Babe!, no. 2 (March 24, 2020). Webtoon.
  55. ^ a b Darunni (w, a), Zoey Medic (w). "Q & A Special (1)" Babe!, no. 17 (May 10, 2020). Webtoon.
  56. ^ Darunni (w, a), Zoey Medic (w). "Zoey Marcy Part 7" She's a Keeper, no. 36 (March 24, 2020). Webcomics.. They also appeared in the issues "Zoey Mercy Part 6," "Zoey Mercy Part 5," "Zoey Mercy Part 4," "Zoey Mercy Part 3," "Zoey Mercy Part 2," and "Zoey Mercy Part 1." Also see Darunni's teaser titled "She's a Keeper: Zoey Mercy Special Episodes" on YouTube.
  57. ^ a b Yrezu (w, a). "QnA + Annoucement" Lova, Lila, no. 15 (August 23, 2020). Webtoon.
  58. ^ Yrezu (2020). "Love, Lila". Webtoon. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
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