This is a list of fictional characters that either self-identify as gay or have been identified by outside parties to be gay, becoming part of gay media. Listed characters are either recurring characters, cameos, guest stars, or one-off characters. This article also includes include any characters in Japanese animation, otherwise known as anime. There are also corresponding lists of lesbian and bisexual animated characters.
For characters in other parts of the LGBTQ community, see the lists of lesbian, trans, bisexual, non-binary, pansexual, asexual, and intersex characters.
The names are organized alphabetically by surname, or by single name if the character does not have a surname. If more than two characters are in one entry, the last name of the first character is used.
| Characters | Show title | Character debut date | Notes | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace | The Ambiguously Gay Duo | These two superheroes, Ace and Gary, engage in acts of heroism which are "ambiguously homosexual".[1] | United States | |
| Big Gay Al | South Park | He is a stereotypical homosexual man known for his flamboyant and positive demeanor introduced in the episode "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride".[2] Big Gay Al openly displays his homosexuality and is an advocate for gay rights. He is married to Mr. Slave as shown in the episode "Follow That Egg!"[3] | United States | |
| Jack Barbarosa Bancoran | Patalliro! | He enjoys flirting with and seducing bishounen, having the name of "Bishounen Killer."[4] Women have shown interest in him and he shows no interest, though he did show mild interest in Pataliro's mother Etrange. | Japan | |
| General Blue | Dragon Ball | January 14, 1987 | A 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 |
| Bruce | Family Guy | Bruce often talks to his roommate Jeffrey. It is implied that Bruce is gay and that Jeffrey is his domestic partner, as in "Road to the North Pole" where he states in the song "All I Want for Christmas" that he wants a wedding ring from a guy named Jeffrey.[5] In "Meg's Wedding", Bruce briefly had a romantic relationship with Meg until they ended it on the wedding day after Bruce finally accepted himself as gay. Bruce finally got engaged to Jeffrey in a parking lot since the priest wouldn't allow them to marry in the church. | United States | |
| Daryl | Ai no Kusabi | Daryl is an eighteen year old castrated boy who served as Iason's furniture and Riki's caretaker.[6] He fell in love with Riki because of his pride and strong will. | Japan | |
| Fish-Eye | Sailor Moon | The villain Fish-Eye is an effeminate cross-dressing man who is romantically interested in men as first shown in the episode "Meeting of Destiny: The Night Pegasus Dances."[7] He was changed into a woman in the English dub. | Japan | |
| Herbert Garrison | South Park | Originally presented as a closeted homosexual, the storylines have featured Garrison coming out as a gay man, then having a gender reassignment surgery to become female (known as Janet Garrison), becoming a lesbian, and then changing back a man.[8] It is shown he still has feelings for his ex-boyfriend, Mr. Slave as shown in the episode "Follow That Egg!" | United States | |
| Fiore | Fiore was a distant childhood friend of Mamoru. When he saw that Mamoru was with Usagi, he decided to kidnap him for himself in fear that Usagi and her friends would abandon Mamoru like how him and Mamoru were abandoned in the past.[9] | Japan | ||
| Gary | The Ambiguously Gay Duo | An "ambiguously homosexual" superhero like his fellow superhero, Ace. | United States | |
| Guy | Ai no Kusabi | Guy was Riki's lover prior to his capture and Guy is determined to save Riki from Iason.[10] [11] | Japan | |
| Stein Heigar | Infinite Ryvius | Stein Heigar is a member of the group Zwei. Heigar is gay.[12] | Japan | |
| Eugene Horowitz | Hey Arnold! | On July 26, 2016, the show's creator Craig Bartlett stated that Eugene "is kind of 'proto-gay', so he's uncomfortable getting close to any girl" during an interview with BuzzFeed, though this was never explicitly stated during the series. Bartlett stated: "We always figured Eugene was kind of proto-gay. He's not gay yet, he just will be. He loves musical theater, and he's a wonderful guy."[13] | United States | |
| Saddam Hussein | South Park | Within the South Park series and film Saddam Hussein and Satan are presented as a gay couple.[14] | United States | |
| Iason | Ai no Kusabi | He is the most superior and powerful Blondie in Tanagura, and the head of the Syndicate, Tanagura's black market for pet trade. He is in love with his pet Riki, a mongrel from the slums, and later he begins to love Riki to the point of obsession.[15] | Japan | |
| Itsuki | Yu Yu Hakusho | Itsuki is Sensui's right hand and is interested in him as shown in episodes 85 and 86, for example.[16] | Japan | |
| John | The Simpsons | Owner of a collectibles shop. Character from an episode, "Homer's Phobia",[17] voiced by gay actor and director John Waters. This character was used as an example for issues with homosexuality and the show expressing thoughts and feelings for them. He is also the first LGBT character that the show used.[18] [19] [20] | United States | |
| Honjō Kamatari | Rurouni Kenshin | A crossdresser and member of the Juppongatana, they are gay and are in love with Shishio Makoto as shown in the episode "To Make a Miracle: The Battle at the Aoiya." They tend to dress as a woman but know they will never be as loved like the female Yumi or Shishio's right-hand man since Sojiro is far more skilled.[21] | Japan | |
| Kirie | Ai no Kusabi | A wild member of the Bison gang who is ambitious and sly. Riki hates him as he reminds him of his former rebellious self but Kirie himself is romantically obsessed with Riki. | Japan | |
| Kitsunezuka Ko'on-no-Kami / Seymour "The Big" Cheese | Kyatto Ninden Teyandee / Samurai Pizza Cats | February 1, 1990 | Kitsunezuka Ko'on-no-Kami (Seymour "The Big" Cheese) is the advisor to Tokugawa Iei Iei (Emperor Fred) who wants to overthrow Edoroplis (Little Tokyo). He is a flamboyantly gay fox who crossdresses and flirts with his male subordinates. Throughout the series, Ko'on-no-Kami is shown to be in love with Karasu Gennarisai (Jerry Atric), his elderly crow second-in-command and head of the Karakara Clan (Ninja Crows).[22] [23] In contrast with most 1990s English language dubs at the time, The Big Cheese's gender and sexuality were kept. The only change was his species as he was changed to a rat. His voice in the English dub is an imitation of Paul Lynde who was gay. | Japan |
| Dewey Largo | The Simpsons | Mr. Largo is the school's music teacher, whose last name is also an Italian word for a slow, broad, musical tempo.[24] 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.[25] | United States | |
| Larry | Crapston Villas | The boyfriend of Robbie in this series. | United Kingdom | |
| Lexington | Gargoyles | According to series creator Greg Weisman, Lexington is gay.[26] | United States | |
| Lokar | Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Lokar is a locust alien and member of the Council of Doom. He is Zorak's rival. Lokar, is the opposite of Zorak as in he is a cultured snob, as opposed to being a crude slob like Zorak. There are hints throughout the series that Lokar is gay. He has referred to male characters as either lover or darling and appeared to have romantic feelings for Moltar as shown in the episodes "Explode", "Surprise" and "Waiting for Edward".[27] [28] Supplementary material for the series had Lokar referred to himself as a Confirmed bachelor.[29] One article for Lokar's section in the official Cartoon Network website titled Lokar's Sumptuous Salute to Summer Frolic features a reference to a slang word for gay sex.[30] Lokar disappeared after the fifth season. His sexuality was confirmed in audio commentaries for the Space Ghost Coast to Coast Volume 2 DVD. It was also revealed that Lokar died at some point during the series.[31] [32] However this was eventually contradicted when Lokar returned in the Season 11 episode "Stephen" in where he is shown to be alive and well. Lokar also appeared in Space Ghost. | United States | |
| Fred Luo | Outlaw Star | February 12, 1998 | Fred is a 20-year-old camp weapons merchant who is known to be flamboyant and openly gay,[33] as first shown in the episode "The Beautiful Assassin." He has a strong infatuation for the series' main protagonist, Gene Starwind, whom he supplies arms to. Some criticized the character as representing harmful gay stereotypes.[34] | Japan |
| Maraich | Patalliro! | May 13, 1982 | Ex-assassin bishounen who becomes Bancoran's lover later in the series. | Japan |
| Randy Munchnik | Futurama | Often appearing in crowds and angry mobs, he is an "effeminate male" who may be gay.[35] He likes parts of the Bible, even once creating a Noah's Ark "filled with same sex pairings of each species," and is good friends with Fry.[36] He is later in a relationship with Soupy and both have a pet poodle together. | United States | |
| Professional beach bully | A one-time character, he is a bully which destroys Fry's sandcastle, assuming that Leela is his girlfriend, and when Leela asks him out he refuses, declaring that he is gay.[37] [38] | United States | ||
| Otokosuki | Dragon Ball Z | January 24, 1996 | A stereotypical gay participant in the 28th World Martial Arts Tournament, where he "freaks out Goten and Trunks with his flirtations," with his name translating literally to "man love." He also makes an appearance in Dragon Ball GT. | Japan |
| Mr. Nigel Ratburn | Arthur | Arthur's schoolteacher, Mr. Ratburn, and another man, Patrick, get married in the season 22 premiere, which aired on May 13, 2019.[39] As a result, he and his husband are the only LGBT characters in the series.[40] [41] | ||
| Canada | ||||
| Robbie | Crapston Villas | The series was one of the first animated series on British television to present openly gay characters, Robbie and Larry.[42] [43] | United Kingdom | |
| Kyouichi Saionji | Revolutionary Girl Utena | April 2, 1997 | Saionji is the vice-president of the Student Council and captain of the kendo team. Kyouichi is temperamental, egotistical, prone to angry rages, and often cruel. His lack of self-control stems from insecurity, a lifelong homoerotic rivalry against Touga from which he is always at the losing end. Its implied that he is closeted and tries to deny it by overperforming his masculinity. Kyouichi has feelings for Touga and has engaged in homoerotic activities with him as shown in episodes 36 and 37.[44] He is obsessed with Anthy not because he is in love with her but because he views the Rose Bride as a mindless doll who will never disobey him, and won't threaten his masculinity. | Japan |
| Satan | South Park | Satan is a boyfriend of Saddam Hussein in the series. | United States | |
| Mr. Robert Simmons | Hey Arnold! | On July 26, 2016, the show's creator Craig Bartlett confirmed that Mr. Simmons was indeed gay during an interview with BuzzFeed. Several episodes throughout the series hinted at Mr. Simmons' sexuality, including "Arnold's Thanksgiving", a Thanksgiving-themed episode which implies that one of his dinner guests is his boyfriend and that Simmons' mother wants him to date a female friend. However, it was never explicitly stated he was gay. | ||
| Skeleton | SuperTed | Skeleton is one of Texas Pete's two henchmen. He is a living skeleton who is cowardly and behaves in a campy and effeminate manner. Skeleton has the ability to put himself back together after falling apart. He was confirmed to be gay in a 2014 interview with series creator Mike Young.[45] [46] He also appears in The Further Adventures of SuperTed. | Wales | |
| Waylon Smithers | The Simpsons | Smithers is a semi-closeted gay man.[47] [48] Waylon Smithers and Patty Bouvier ride a float called "Stayin' in the Closet!" during Springfield's annual gay pride parade in a 2002 episode, "Jaws Wired Shut". In a 2016 episode, "The Burns Cage", Smithers officially come out as gay.[49] In "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire", Smithers had a new boyfriend named Michael de Graaf, voiced by gay actor Victor Garber.[50] | United States | |
| Sparky and the animals in Big Gay Al's Big Gay Animal Sanctuary | South Park | In one episode, Stan's dog Sparky is shown to be gay, and Big Gay Al is the owner of Big Gay Al's Big Gay Animal Sanctuary, a sanctuary for gay animals, including horses, rabbits, fish, a lion, etc.[51] | United States | |
| Craig Tucker | Craig and Tweek are seen frequently throughout the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first seasons holding hands and hanging out with each other, shown in episodes such as "Tweek x Craig" and "Put It Down". It is confirmed by the official website and blog that they are in a relationship, and that they became an official couple in the episode "Tweek X Craig".[52] [53] Craig also had an unnamed girlfriend before he realized he was gay, and dumped her. | United States | ||
| Tweek Tweak | ||||
| Tomo | Fushigi Yûgi | Tomo is one of the celestial warriors of Seiryuu and fights only for the sake of his love, Nakago, as shown in episodes like "Bewitched Warmth."[54] | Japan | |
| Yukito Tsukishiro | Cardcaptor Sakura | He is in a romantic relationship with Touya, with the official website calling him Touya's "best friend."[55] As a result, Yukito rejects Sakura's feelings for him because he is in love with Touya.[56] In February 2000, Owkawa said that "such a warm, gentle character like Yukito" is uncommon in CLAMP works, repeating the same in a 2004 interview.[57] Yukito's alternate form is Yue. He also appears in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, as a High Priest, and Toya as a king, of the Clow Kingdom.[58] | Japan | |
| Touya Kinomoto | ||||
| Daley Wong | Bubblegum Crisis | Daley is a sympathetically presented gay character.[59] | Japan | |
| Yue | Cardcaptor Sakura | May 25, 1999 | He loves Clow Reed and embarrassed when Sakura points this out, making him realize that his life is worth living. At the same time, scholars state that Yue is intersex because he is "biologically sexless." | Japan |
| Zoisite | Sailor Moon | Zoisite and Kunzite, both powerful generals who work under Queen Beryl from the Dark Kingdom are an openly gay couple in the 90s anime series. Though, in some dubs in other countries, Zoisite's gender was changed to female for his feminine appearance and to make them a heterosexual couple instead; and in other dubs, they are changed into brotherly figures because of the closeness of their relationship.[60] | Japan | |
| Kunzite |
| Characters | Show title | Character debut date | Notes | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ritsuka Aoyagi | Loveless | April 6, 2005 | Soubi, who has an attraction to young boys, often flirts with Ritsuka, much to his discomfort from the show's first episode.[61] The two slowly grow feelings for each other. Writer and poet T.A. Noonan describes their love affair in the manga as falling into "both orthodox heterosexual and subversive homosexual contexts," as Ritsuka treats Soubi as an adult/[62] In an interview with Yun Kōga, she said that while she doesn't consider the manga yaoi, but her fans do.[63] | Japan | |
| Soubi Agatsuma | |||||
| The Alchemist | The Venture Bros. | September 3, 2006 | The Alchemist and Shore Leave are in an on-again, off-again relationship. According to the show creators, The Alchemist is gay in a way that is "just incidental" while Shore Leave is a very "openly swishy queer proud guy."[64] | United States | |
| Steve Ball | July 10, 2007 | During the series, the gay couple Rick, a Filipino-American, and Steve have a baby with the lesbian couple Dana and Kirsten.[65] [66] | United States | ||
| Rick Brocka | Canada | ||||
| Terry Bates | American Dad! | May 1, 2005 | Greg and Terry have a penchant for minor bickering, flirting, and working on stereotypical "couples' issues" on the set or in other scenes of the show. Greg is a member of the Log Cabin Republicans. He is presented as being very culturally sophisticated, at one point causing Stan to choose him over Francine as his guest to get into Avery Bullock's high-end party. Greg and Terry have a surrogate baby daughter, Liberty Belle. | United States | |
| Greg Corbin | |||||
| The Booty Warrior | The Boondocks | June 27, 2010 | A one-time character and main antagonist in an episode of the third season. He is a serial rapist who one time raped To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen which lead to his incarceration in prison.[67] He also almost tried to rape Tom Dubois during a prison riot but ended up beaten by Tom. | United States | |
| Bradley | South Park | March 20, 2007 | In one episode, "Cartman Sucks", Bradley becomes Butters' "accountabili-buddy" at the gay conversion camp. When camp authorities find Bradley's 1979 male underwear catalog they are both punished. After Bradley realizes that he has a crush on Butters, he comes to the conclusion that he is beyond hope and decides to end his life, ultimately convinced to come back down to safety by Butters.[68] | United States | |
| Charlie | What It's Like Being Alone | June 26, 2006 | Charlie is a literally flaming gay boy.[69] | Canada | |
| Clarence | Code Monkeys | July 11, 2007 | Clarence is the audio designer for GameaVision. He is flamboyantly gay.[70] | United States | |
| Colin | Colin | June 17, 2007 | Colin is a middle-aged anthropomorphic Guinea Pig who is going through a midlife crisis and dealing with everyday problems as a single gay man.[71] | The Netherlands | |
| Djambi | Futurama | August 10, 2003 | The valet of Hedonismbot[72] who may have been in romantic relationship with that robot and it is unclear if their relationship continued. | United States | |
| Duo | Legend of DUO | April 21, 2005 | Vampire Duo discloses the secret of purana, an essence of living force, to humans so they may be able to survive past extinction as shown in multiple episodes. Duo is punished and his friend Zeig is sent to punish him, as they have an ongoing conversation about the importance of human existence throughout the series, as shown in episodes 3 and 6. Their relationship is not just platonic friendship and the two show a continuing attraction to each other,[73] with Zeig carrying Duo to a future life in the final episode. Afterwards, the narrator describes Duo and Zeig as vampires "in love." | Japan | |
| Zeig | |||||
| Adam Seymour Duckstein | Queer Duck | October 11, 2000 | Adam is the main character of the series. He is presented as a stereotypical gay duck[74] and has been a victim of gay bashing.[75] However, in the series finale, he wakes up to discover that he had sex with a woman. Queer Duck is voiced by gay actor and comedian, Jim J. Bullock.[76] | United States | |
| Gus Duncz | Mission Hill | June 25, 2000 | Gus and Wally are an elderly gay couple in their late 60s as shown in the episode "Andy and Kevin Make a Friend (or One Bang for Two Brothers)."[77] | United States | |
| Richie Foley / Gear | Static Shock | September 23, 2000 | Richie Foley is based on the Milestone Media character Rick Stone, who is gay. According to creator Dwayne McDuffie, Richie is also gay, though broadcasting standards of the time meant that this could not be shown in the show itself and only implied.[78] | United States | |
| Enos Fry | Futurama | December 9, 2001 | In one episode, "Roswell That Ends Well", Philip J. Fry travels to the past and meets his grandparents Enos and Mildred in their youth. Philip encourages Enos to marry Mildred and have children, to which he replies: "Yeah, folks say that. But did you ever get the feeling you're only going with girls 'cause you're supposed to?" Enos does not show any interest in a pin-up calendar featuring a girl in skimpy clothing, but he flips some pages and happily stares at the picture of a shirtless man, meaning he is gay or bisexual.[79] [80] [81] Eventually, Enos is incinerated in an atomic bomb test,[82] without having any children and Philip unknowingly impregnates Mildred, thus becoming his own grandfather.[83] | United States | |
| Gangstalicious | The Boondocks | December 11, 2005 | A supporting character, he is a closeted homosexual and goes to great lengths to keep this secret from the public.[84] [85] He was formerly involved in a secret homosexual affair with a gangster named Lincoln who attempts to kill Gangstalicious for betraying their love while on tour, and at some point assaulted a record label executive and rapped about it on TRL only to be arrested later. He was also involved in a relationship with a hip-hop video vixen named Jessica Ethelberg, who later wrote a book revealing he was gay (despite the fact that there were already countless obvious clues to the fact beforehand) in the episode "The Story of Gangstalicious". | United States | |
| Garfiel | Fullmetal Alchemist | July 12, 2009 | A skilled automail engineer and the proprietor of Atelier Garfiel in the town of Rush Valley. He is rather effeminate and appears to prefer the company of men,[86] which results in his acting largely as a source of comic relief in scenes that involve him, including his mentee, Winry.[87] | Japan | |
| Steven Arlo Gator | Queer Duck | October 11, 2000 | Steven is Queer Duck's significant other. He is shy and insecure and is usually the voice of reason whenever Queer Duck gets himself or anyone else in trouble. He marries Queer Duck in a Jewish wedding in Vermont in one episode, "Wedding Bell Blues" (although they are often seen as having an open relationship); a moose was the rabbi. | United States | |
| King Gorilla | The Venture Bros. | October 30, 2004 | A talking gorilla super-villain and member of the Guild of Calamitous Intent. While in prison, he was attracted to the Monarch, another villain.[88] | United States | |
| Grady | The Simpsons | April 13, 2003 | They 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 | |
| Bug Gribble | King of the Hill | April 28, 2002 | In one of the episodes, "My Own Private Rodeo", Dale's father Bug has come out and participates in the gay rodeo circuit. Bug is married to Juan Pedro. | United States | |
| Paul Guaye | Superjail! | September 28, 2008 | He is the partner of fellow inmate Jean Baptiste Le Ghei. He was described, by the show's creators, as more feminine and intelligent than his partner, who was called a "bad boy." | United States | |
| Sori Hashiba | Sukisho | January 8, 2005 | This anime follows the story of Sora, who falls off a four-story building, waking up Sunao, and none of his former memories, not remembering Sunao is one of his dear friends. Both Sori and Sunao have alternate personalities, named Yuru and Ran respectfully, which form "a romantic and passionate bond." | Japan | |
| Sunao Fujimori | |||||
| John Herbert | Family Guy | November 15, 2001 | Herbert is an elderly man. He has an ephebophiliac and hebephiliac attraction to young boys, and harbors unrequited love for underage teenager Chris Griffin, though most other citizens of Quahog are oblivious to his sexuality. His voice actor Mike Henry defines Herbert as a pedophile.[89] | United States | |
| Keita Itō | Gakuen Heaven | April 1, 2006 | Keita gets enrolled into Bell Liberty Academy despite the school being for the best of the best and Keita himself being average in this boy's love anime, based on a manga with similar themes.[90] [91] His first friend is Endo who cares for him and Keita realizes Endo is a childhood friend of his and is the reason why Keita was admitted to Bell Liberty Academy.[92] By the end of the anime, the two realize and confess their feelings for each other, becoming a couple as a result. | Japan | |
| Endō Kazuki | |||||
| Kyousuke Iwaki | Embracing Love | March 31, 2005 | Iwaki comes from a conservative, traditionalist family while Katou comes from an open and accepting family. Despite this, Katou ultimately wins Iwaki's love, as shown in the first OVA, "Haru wo Daiteita," and shown in the series as a whole.[93] | Japan | |
| Youji Katou | |||||
| Jakotsu | Inuyasha | February 24, 2003 | Jakotsu is a member of the Jakotsutō, a criminal band of seven assassins. He is shown as being flamboyant and having a strong preference for men, complimenting Koga's loin cloth, flirting with Inuyasha and Miroku, and complimenting Sesshomaru's appearance as shown in the episode "The Band of Seven, Resurrected!"[94] In addition, he admits he likes cute boys but that seeing cute boys makes him want to chop them up, indicated in The "Enter Bankotsu, The Leader of the Band of Seven" episode. | Japan | |
| Jasper | Family Guy | July 12, 2000 | Jasper is a dog who is Brian Griffin's gay cousin. Jasper marries his partner Ricardo in "You May Now Kiss the... Uh... Guy Who Receives".[95] | United States | |
| Winston Jerome | The Boondocks | June 20, 2010 | A one-time character who appeared in the third-season episode "Pause." He is a playwright stage actor who is also a cult leader who founded a theatrical cult for the purpose of having sex with men.[96] [97] | United States | |
| Mark "Dion" Jones | Braceface | September 8, 2002 | Canon gay male character. In the episode "Game, Set-up and Match," Sharon even tried to set Dion up for a date but it didn't work out.[98] | Canada | |
| Julio | The Simpsons | April 13, 2003 | Once in a relationship with Grady, he later breaks up with hi, marries Thad, and is Marge's recurring hairdresser. | United States | |
| Hiroki Kamijou | Junjou Romantica | April 10, 2008 | Hiroki used to be in love with Akihiko Usami,[99] as shown in the episode "Knock and it shall be opened unto you," but later falls in love with and enters a relationship with Nowaki Kusama. | Japan | |
| Nowaki Kusama | |||||
| Kevin | 6teen | December 21, 2006 | Co-worker of Caitlin at the Big Squeeze who appears in the episode "Bicker Me Not," and implied to be gay.[100] | Canada | |
| Yuichi Kudo | Doki Doki School Hours | April 4, 2004 | A male honor student who is gay and in love with Suetake, clear from the show's first episode.[101] He is seen having fantasies about Suetake, and not much else. | Japan | |
| Wally Langford | Mission Hill | June 25, 2000 | Wally is the partner of Gus, who is also in his late 60s. | United States | |
| Larry 3000 | Time Squad | June 8, 2001 | Larry 3000's voice actor, Mark Hamill, implied[102] Larry could easily have been interpreted as gay in the cartoon, due to his femininity and presentation as the "gay best friend" to Cleopatra in "Shop like an Egyptian", although Larry has stated on multiple occasions he dislikes humans in general. However, this show never stated his sexuality, although Hamill described him as fierce and flamboyant.[103] | United States | |
| Leeron Littner | Gurren Lagann | April 8, 2007 | Leeron is a flamboyant homosexual and flirts with Kamina, Simon, Gimmy and Viral as shown in episodes like "Said I'm Gonna Pilot That Thing! | " | Japan |
| Jean Baptiste Le Ghei | Superjail! | September 28, 2008 | The inmates Jean Baptiste Le Ghei and Paul Guaye are a recurring couple as shown in the episode "Superbar" and others. In an interview with the creators of the show, co-creator Christy Karacas called them well-rounded characters, who are a couple, with Paul as more feminine and intelligent than Jean who is "the bad boy".[104] | United States | |
| Chuck Masters | July 10, 2007 | Chuck Masters and Evan Martinez are a male gay couple as indicated in episodes like "Mom Fight", with Chuck helping Evan with his drug addiction.[105] [106] | United States | ||
| Evan Martinez | Canada | ||||
| Bobby Margot | Macross Frontier | April 3, 2008 | He is the flamboyant helmsman of the Macross Quarter and close friends with Ozma Lee, whom he has unrequited feelings for.[107] | Japan | |
| Akira Nikaido | Monochrome Factor | April 7, 2008 | While in the manga neither Akira Nikaido nor Shirogane have romantic interest in each other, in the anime Shirogane often flirts with Akira, a 16-year-old high school student who hates school, and cooperates with Shirogane.[108] [109] While Akira is initially disturbed by this, he does become jealous when he sees Shirogane on what appears to be a date with Lulu and later reciprocates his feelings with a kiss.[110] | Japan | |
| Shirogane | |||||
| Masumi Okuyama | Nodame Cantabile | January 25, 2007 | Masumi, timpanist, is homosexual, and an okama. He loves Shinichi Chiaki as indicated in episodes like "Lesson 3: Queen of Percussion," seeing Nodome as a "rival for Chiaki's affections."[111] | Japan | |
| Yusuko Ono | Antique Bakery | July 3, 2008 | A famed chef named Yusuko Ono, often out of job because "he is irresistible to men," leading coworkers to fight for his affection, works at a pastry shop headed by Keisuke Tachibana whose childhood drama makes him detest cake, a former top boxing champion, Eiji Kanda, and the childhood friend of Keisuke, Chikage Kobayakawa. The latter has a short affair with Yusuko. | Japan | |
| Paul | The Cleveland Show | October 18, 2009 | Terry, Cleveland's co-worker, marries his husband Paul in one episode, "Terry Unmarried." In the same episode, Cleveland asks if Terry is gay; Terry answers no, much to Cleveland's cheer. But Terry replies he's attracted to both genders, much to Cleveland's dismay. | United States | |
| Juan Pedro | King of the Hill | April 28, 2002 | He is married to Bug Gribble. | United States | |
| Porilyn | Glass Maiden | April 8, 2008 | Porilyn is an effeminate detective who works as a mediator for the more difficult jobs at the agency. He is openly gay and works as a drag queen.[112] [113] | Japan | |
| Rico | Life's a Zoo | September 1, 2008 | Rico is a stereotypically gay American crocodile with a Latino swish.[114] [115] In the episode "Truth or Consequences", it's revealed that Rico's accent is fake and he's actually from the United States. It is also revealed Rico was just a regular person who happen to be gay but was told to "gay it up" by the producers of the series. | Canada | |
| Roy | Colin | June 17, 2007 | Roy is Colin's ex-boyfriend. They both agree it was better if they were just friends.[116] | The Netherlands | |
| Shore Leave | The Venture Bros. | June 25, 2008 | The series creators called him an "openly swishy queer proud guy." | United States | |
| Shuichi Shindo | Gravitation | Shuichi Shindo falls in love with Eiri Yuki beginning in the first episode. Over the course of the series manages to melt the cold heart of Eiri and the two become a couple. In one episode, "Winding Road," it is revealed that Eiri has a financee named Ayaka, but she backs away after seeing the love between Shuichi and Eiri.[117] | Japan | ||
| Mr. Slave | South Park | November 20, 2002 | Mr. Slave was Mrs. Garrison's boyfriend until she made the transition into a female in the episode "Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina".[118] He is now married to Big Gay Al, as of the episode, "Follow That Egg". | United States | |
| Subaru Sumeragi | X | November 28, 2001 | Subaru tries to hunt and kill Seishirō for killing his sister and when he succeeds, he states he has killed the one he loves most.[119] Their past is elaborated in the manga, Tokyo Babylon, where it was shown Seishirō would often flirt with and tried to seduce Subaru as part of a bet: if Subaru could make him fall in love with him, he wouldn't kill him. While Subaru did grow to love Seishirō, Seishirō couldn't reciprocate but killed Subaru's sister Hotaru in his stead per her request, and as Seishirō dies, he confesses "I also.." before dying.[120] | Japan | |
| Seishirō Sakurazuka | |||||
| Sweden | January 24, 2009 | Sweden is gay but "only for Finland." | Japan | ||
| Misaki Takahashi | Junjou Romantica | April 10, 2008 | Akihiko, a 28-year-old, had been in an unrequited love with Takahiro for years and even entered a temporary sexual relationship with Hiroki Kamijou to forget him, but failed. He later falls for Misaki Takahashi, Takahiro's younger brother. Misaki loves Akihiko from the beginning of the series but is embarrassed to admit so. | Japan | |
| Akihiko Usami | |||||
| Asato Tsuzuki | Descendants of Darkness | Asato and Hisoka begin to fall in love with each other, beginning from the show's first episode.[121] | Japan | ||
| Wolfram von Bielefeld | Kyo Kara Maoh! | April 3, 2004 | In another dimension called Shin Makoku, love between the same gender is not rare at all. Wolfram became Shibuya Yuuri's accidental fiancé after Yuuri slaps him on his left cheek for insulting his mother which actually is a traditional proposal amongst the nobles in Shin Makoku as shown in the show's second episode.[122] Although he did not approve of being the Maoh's fiancé at first, he changes his mind when Yuuri's demon side kicks his butt in battle. He soon grows very protective over Yuuri, yelling at anyone who comes too close to him, indicates in the third OVA, "Dry Wind," and is especially jealous of Konrad, his own brother. | Japan | |
| Xandir P. Wifflebottom | Drawn Together | October 27, 2004 | Xandir, a "young video game warrior",[123] is labeled as a "totally gay video game adventurer" during the show's first episode,[124] and on a never-ending quest to save his girlfriend. In a later episode, "Gay Bash", he comes to terms with his homosexuality after having his arm bitten off by the Wood Beast, a creature that determines a person's sexuality by biting off the arms of homosexuals and keeping the arms of heterosexuals intact.[125] In another episode, "Xandir and Tim, Sitting in a Tree", Xandir has an affair with Captain Hero's gay alter ego, Tim Tommerson. | United States | |
| Woodhouse | Archer | September 17, 2009 | Woodhouse, Archer's personal valet,[126] is of ambiguous sexuality. He had a romantic and sexual attraction to another man, Reggie, during the First World War, but it has not been specified whether he has ever had any sexual feelings for anyone since Reggie's death.[127] After his voice actor, George Coe, passed away, the show did a tribute to Woodhouse,[128] who later had a funeral, becoming a plot thread followed up on in the show's eighth season.[129] | United States |
| Characters | Show title | Character debut date | Notes | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam | The Hollow | One of the protagonists of the series, Adam, a Hispanic boy, is revealed to be gay in season 2. In episode 2 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."[130] [131] Prior to this, in the trailer for Season 2 the LGBT pride flag was seen in his room, and in the first episode of that season, leading some fans to speculate he was gay. In the first season, he also shown no interest in Mira when she kissed him.[132] | Canada | ||
| Aiden | Big Mouth | Aiden is Matthew's boyfriend who was introduced in the Valentine's Day special. | United States | ||
| Alexander | Big City Greens | In Tumblr, series creator Chris Houghton confirmed that Alexander and Terry are a couple,[133] although protagonist Cricket Green does not seem to realize that they are gay throughout the series. Alexander is loud, rather effeminate and bossy, and Terry is silent and an introvert. They both appear to be hanging out with each other in episodes such as "Gridlocked", "Fill Bill", "Barry Cuda", and "Trailer Trouble". They are shown to be living together in the episode "Spaghetti Theory." Alexander is voiced by John Early, a gay actor. | United States | ||
| Prince Andrew | The Bravest Knight | The husband of Sir Cedric, and father of Nia. | United States | ||
| Nick Army | OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes | Ian Jones-Quartey confirmed that Nick Army and Joff are a couple on Twitter.[134] They marry in the show's final episode, "Thank You for Watching the Show". | United States | ||
| Ryo Asuka | Devilman Crybaby | January 5, 2018 | Ryo Asuka is a genderless angel who is Akira Fudo's best friend, while Akira is the protagonist. Akira was the first person to show him kindness, causing him to become deeply attached.[135] Near the end, Ryo remembers he is Satan, an intersex fallen angel who fell out of favor with God when he challenged God's authority for killing the demons and replacing them with humans.[136] Satan set out to start a war between humans and demons and was reborn as a male. He fell in love with Akira and subconsciously had him turned into a devilman (a demon human hybrid) to ensure he would survive the war and be by his side. By the end of the series, Satan realizes he loves Akira despite having previously believed love did not exist and cries and mourns Akira's death.[137] | Japan | |
| Yū Asuka | Stars Align | Yū, formerly known as Yuta, is a kind and mild-mannered person, who Touma thinks of them as nice, even though he is unaware Yu has a crush on him, as noted in the second episode. | Japan | ||
| Bayani | 16 Hudson | The adopted father of Luc and the partner of Paul. | Canada | ||
| Beefhouse | Twelve Forever | The partner of Mack, living in the fantasy world of Endless Island. | United States | ||
| Sheriff Blubs | Gravity Falls | In the series finale, the Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland publicly express their love for each other, confirming their romantic relationship.[138] | United States | ||
| Aslan (Ash) Callenreese | Banana Fish | Ash and Eiji are in love with each other, spending much of their time together after meeting and even living together in an apartment for months on end. They share the same room, emotionally support each other, and kiss at one point in the media. Their relationship, despite not being inherently sexual due to Ash's CSA trauma,[139] has greatly impacted the BL genre of both manga and anime.[140] After Ash's death, Eiji does not marry or date anyone else. | Japan | ||
| Eiji Okumura | |||||
| Sir Cedric | The Bravest Knight | This series tells the story of Cedric, his husband Andrew, and their adopted 10-year-old daughter, Nia, who wants to become a brave knight like Cedric.[141] Cedric and Andrew are voiced by openly gay actors T. R. Knight and Wilson Cruz respectively. | United States | ||
| Chozen | Chozen | Chozen is a white, gay, aspiring rap superstar. He is in a relationship with fratboy-type Hunter.[142] | United States | ||
| Mr. John Crab | Hey Duggee | Mr. John Crab and his mute husband Nigel Crab first appeared in the series 1 episode "The Sandcastle Badge".[143] [144] | United Kingdom | ||
| Nigel Crab | |||||
| Dalton Crespin | Bob's Burgers | He had a boyfriend whom he broke up with prior to the episode "The Bleakening" who is now dating another one of his ex-boyfriends.[145] | United States | ||
| Dads of Corporate Raider Jim | Danger & Eggs | In the season 1 finale, it is revealed that Corporate Raider Jim, a married business executive who often shouts orders to his assistant in his cell phone,[146] has two dads.[147] | United States | ||
| Zip "Frantic" Danger | The Awesomes | Frantic, who is a "crazy fast" reject from a circus show,[148] [149] is forcibly outed under media pressure in "The Awesomes' Awesome Show".[150] He later falls for Christopher, a member of villain team The Gay Mafia. | United States | ||
| Richard De Longpre | Allen Gregory | Richard is one of the fathers of the title character. Richard became one of Jeremy's, a former social worker who had a loving wife and family, clients. Richard was attracted to Jeremy to the point where he started stalking him and his family until Jeremy finally agreed to be his husband. Jeremy left his wife and children for Richard, who offered him an easy, no-maintenance life as his trophy husband | United States | ||
| Donizete | Super Drags | The series follows the adventures of Donizete, Patrick, and Ralph, three gay friends working in a department store,[151] who are also drag queen superheroes, named Scarlet Carmesim, Lemon Chifon, and Safira Cyan are the Super Drags, and are responsible for protecting the LGBTQ community.[152] | Brazil | ||
| El Dorado | Young Justice | He is a gay man who is dating Kid Flash, who was suggested to be gay by Greg Weisman, creator of the animated series. | United States | ||
| Deputy Durland | Gravity Falls | In the series finale, Deputy Durland expresses his love for Sheriff Blubs confirming their romantic relationship.[153] [154] | United States | ||
| Angel Dust | Hazbin Hotel | Angel Dust is a gay adult film star, the first patient at the Happy Hotel, and engages in advances toward Alastor, an asexual demon.[155] [156] | United States | ||
| Ethari | The Dragon Prince | He is married to leader of the assassins and father figure to Rayla. | United States | ||
| Falcon | She-Ra and the Princesses of Power | In the episode, "In Perils of Peekablue", Sea Hawk and Mermista hide behind a bar from some people who Sea Hawk has upset by setting their ships on fire. These include Admiral Scurvy, his crew, other patrons, and Falcon, the latter who ND Stevenson confirmed as Seahawk's ex-boyfriend.[157] Mermista is implied to have an ex she is hiding from as well. | United States | ||
| Flix | Star Wars Resistance | He runs the Office of Acquisitions with Orka, and was confirmed as a couple by an executive producer for the series. | United States | ||
| Quentin Frowney | Steven Universe | He is in a long-time relationship with Harold Smiley. | United States | ||
| Galaxander | Twelve Forever | In the episode "Locals Forever," Galaxander shows a photo album to his friend, a fellow inhabitant of Endless Island, and comes across a photo and says, "Oh, that's my ex. How'd that get in there? Don't worry, I'm not in touch with him anymore."[158] | United States | ||
| The Gayfather | The Awesomes | The Gayfather is the leader of villain team The Gay Mafia, including members like Christopher and Steven, and makes his debut in "The Gayfather".[159] [160] Christopher falls for Frantic immediately upon meeting him, and sabotages his team's efforts as a result. | United States | ||
| George | She-Ra and the Princesses of Power | It was revealed at New York Comic Con on October 4, 2018,[161] by Aimee Carrero (voice of Princess Adora / She-Ra)[162] that main character Bow has two dads,[163] George and Lance. They first appear in the season two finale, "Reunion", where it is revealed that they are historians, living in a library in the Whispering Woods. They are initially unaware that Bow has been helping in the Rebellion. They make a brief appearance in episode "Return to the Fright Zone" in the show's final season. | United States | ||
| Ray Gillette | Archer | Ray is an openly gay secret agent, and a former Olympic medalist in skiing.[164] | United States | ||
| Yamagi Gilmerton | He's in love with another male, Norba Shino, claiming he'd rather die together with his love than to live without him.[165] | Japan | |||
| Ghost Dad Kent | Summer Camp Island | Ghost the Boy, a ghost and Betsy's ex-boyfriend, has two dads as his parents.[166] The characters returned in the Betsy and Ghost arc which takes place before "Ghost Boy". It is also revealed that they are based on Susie's memories of her dad. | United States | ||
| Ghost Dad Cole | |||||
| Yuzuki "Yuki" Giou (Sakurai) | The Betrayal Knows My Name | Yuzuki's previous incarnation was a woman named Yuki, who was in love with a man named Luka.[167] In the present, Yuki, now in a male form, is highly protective of Luka, and vice versa, with both highly protective of each other, with implied romantic ties between them. | Japan | ||
| Gobber | DreamWorks Dragons | The blacksmith of Berk, Stoick's closest friend, and Hiccup's mentor. Later he is seen riding a Hotburple named Grump. He is also gay and appears in the films of the How to Train Your Dragon and .[168] | United States | ||
| Ruka Gojou | Nanbaka | Ruka Gojou loves beauty and refers to himself as a "queen" while stating he is different from Kiji who he deems an "okama" and denies he is queer.[169] He also seems to have some attraction towards men, as he blushed when Honey, a pretty boy, who complimented his looks in the episode "You are Weak." | Japan | ||
| Shun Hanamori | He is Kojiro Shindo's coworker and roommate. He is clingy to Shindo and once has a conversation with Tsukai regarding her feelings for Shindo, during which he reveals his deep romantic feelings for Shindo but chooses to support Tsukai's feelings for Shindo.[170] | Japan | |||
| Shun Hashimoto | L'etranger de la Plage | Shun is explicitly mentioned to be gay in the book's summary, and the series delves into his struggles with his sexuality and relationships.[171] | Japan | ||
| Hollyhock's fathers | BoJack Horseman | Hollyhock, a female teenage horse and Bojack's sister, has eight adoptive fathers (Dashawn Manheim, Steve Mannheim, Jose Guerrero, Cupe Robinson III, Otto Zilberschlag, Arturo "Ice Man" Fonzerelli, Gregory Hsung, and Quackers McQuack) in a polyamorous gay relationship.[172] | United States | ||
| Hunter | Chozen | A fratboy who is in a relationship with rap star, Chozen. | United States | ||
| Enta Jinnai | Sarazanmai | Enta is in love with his best friend Kazuki, even sneaking a kiss with him while he naps, which is the first of his secrets to be revealed through the Sarazanmai sequence.[173] In the potential future shown in the final episode, he asks Kazuki out but is rejected by him. | Japan | ||
| Joff | OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes | The partner of Nick Army. He marries Nick Army in the show's final episode, "Thank You for Watching the Show". | United States | ||
| Ren Kaido | Super Lovers | Haru Kaido was formerly a player who dated numerous women, but eventually falls for his stepbrother Ren Kaido as shown in the episode "Forest Green."[174] Ren himself has been in love with Haru since he was young and has shown no interest in women. | Japan | ||
| Herb Kazzaz | BoJack Horseman | Herb's closeted homosexuality was first hinted at by Charlotte's statement: "I don't think I'm the person Herb's looking for," a mere scene before Herb steals a kiss from BoJack in the episode "The Telescope". He was later removed from the show after it was revealed that he was indeed gay.[175] Herb could possibly be bisexual, as he once dated Charlotte, although that could have been a cover to throw people off, or he was unsure of his sexuality. | United States | ||
| Shouta Kisa | The World's Greatest First Love | Shouta Kisa has a bad habit of falling for good looking men and falls for Kou, but is scared to pursue a relationship as he feels love doesn't really exist.[176] Kou dated women in the past but later falls in love with Shouta and the two develop a strong romantic relationship. | Japan | ||
| Louis Kisaragi | King of Prism | Louis is in love Shin Ichijo.[177] | Japan | ||
| Knock Out | Knock Out is a member of the Decepticons and acts as their medic. During BotCon 2011, it was suggested by the writers that Knock Out is gay, though they also argued that Cybertronians likely don't have designations for sexual orientation the way humans do, and the Decepticons follow a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.[178] | United States | |||
| You Keika | Spiritpact | You is a fortune-teller and Tanmoku is an exorcist. You dies in an accident but is contacted by Tanmoku; they develop an alliance to fight evil spirits together, and their relationship eventually develops into something deeper.[179] | China | ||
| Tanmoku Ki | |||||
| Kid Flash | Young Justice | Kid Flash (Bart Allen) has been suggested to be gay by Greg Weisman, creator of the animated series.[180] He is dating El Dorado (Ed Dorado Jr.), who was confirmed to be gay by Weisman.[181] | United States | ||
| Moyuru Koda | Devilman Crybaby | Moyuru is a track athlete and a devilman; Junichi is his boyfriend. As they have sex, Moyuru turns into a demon and kills Junichi, much to his grief.[182] | Japan | ||
| Junichi | |||||
| Kyle | She-Ra and the Princesses of Power | The partner of Rogelio, which was confirmed by showrunner ND Stevenson . | United States | ||
| Lance | She-Ra and the Princesses of Power | The partner of George and Dad of Bow, one of the series protagonists. | United States | ||
| Seung-Gil Lee | Yuri on Ice | In the official character information, as well as said by Kubo Mitsurou, Seung-Gil is described as not liking women even though he is a "handsome skater."[183] | Japan | ||
| Howard and Harold McBride | The Loud House | Howard and Harold are the adoptive fathers of Clyde McBride, who is the best friend of protagonist Lincoln Loud. Howard and Harold are overprotective of their son and shower Clyde with attention. They are the first pair of married male characters to be depicted on a Nickelodeon series.[184] [185] | United States | ||
| Mack | Twelve Forever | Mack and Beefhouse are a couple in the fantasy world of Endless Island.[186] They love each other, being bulky, to talk about their feelings and oolong tea. In Episode 7, "Mack and Beefhouse Forever," their relationship is tested after The Butt Witch tries to create friction between the two. | United States | ||
| Matthew MacDell | Big Mouth | Matthew is a flamboyantly gay student with a love of drama and spreading gossip. Aiden is Matthew's boyfriend introduced in the Valentine's Day special, "My Furry Valentine".[187] In one episode, "Smooch or Share", he kissed Jay Bilzerian, one of the series protagonists, during a game. | United States | ||
| Makoto Mikasa | Fuuka | He is a handsome man who is openly homosexual.[188] | Japan | ||
| Professor Muhly | Neo Yokio | Professor Muhly is a teacher at Easton Prep School who appears in the third episode "O, the Helenists...". He is shown to be gay and has a DJ boyfriend who does Gregorian chant remixes.[189] Professor Muhly is voiced by gay composer and arranger Nico Muhly and his appearance is modeled after him. | Japan | ||
| Reo Niiboshi | Sarazanmai | This iconic duo of cops is at odds with each other, as they "act as enforcers for a capitalistic empire" and are forbidden to show their love for each other.[190] Their sexuality is ambiguous to the world, but they are still very in love with each other, and they finally affirm their love later in the anime. | Japan | ||
| Mabu Akutsu | |||||
| Odval | Disenchantment | It is hinted that Odval and Sorcerio are secretly in a relationship in the Castle Party Massacre episode, as they secretly host a magic and sex cult when King Zøg is away. IndieWire reviewer Michael Schneider wrote that Sorcerio and Odval have been "a couple for a long time."[191] | United States | ||
| Orka | Star Wars Resistance | Orka and Flix run the Office of Acquisitions on the Colossus, with Orka doing the negotiations.[192] Justin Ridge, an executive producer for the show, said that it is safe to call them a couple, adding "They're absolutely a gay couple and we're proud of that" on the Coffee With Kenobi podcast.[193] [194] | United States | ||
| Patrick | Super Drags | A gay man working in a department store who is a drag queen superhero along with Donizete and Ralph. | Brazil | ||
| Paul | 16 Hudson | Main character Luc is adopted by Paul and Bayani, making 16 Hudson the first preschool show to feature a main character with two dads.[195] | Canada | ||
| Ralph | Super Drags | A gay man working in a department store who is a drag queen superhero along with Donizete and Patrick. | Brazil | ||
| Ray Razzle | Chip and Potato | A zebra family named the Razzles, Ray Razzle, his husband Roy Razzle, and their baby twins Ron and Ruby Razzle appeared in the episode "Chip's First Piano Exam".[196] | United Kingdom | ||
| Roy Razzle | Canada | ||||
| Rogelio | She-Ra and the Princesses of Power | Rogelio and Kyle are childhood friends who are part of Adora's team before she defected to the Rebellion. They later defected from the Horde, with Lonnie, at the end of Season 4. While show writers originally teased at their romantic relationship, with a locker even saying "R ❤ K" at the bottom, presumably Rogelo's locker, as shown in the episode "Moment of Truth", in the episode "Stranded", Scorpia tells Swift Wind that Kyle has a crush on Rogelio before cutting herself off. Showrunner ND Stevenson confirmed their relationship, adding that Lonnie is also part of it, implying a possible polyamorous relationship.[197] | United States | ||
| Runaan | The Dragon Prince | In the third season it is revealed that Runaan, the leader of the assassins and father figure to Rayla,[198] is married to a male elf named Ethari.[199] | United States | ||
| Takashi 'Shiro' Shirogane | Shiro and Adam were romantically involved before the start of the Kerberos mission, as shown in the episode "A Little Adventure" and others. However they broke up. Shiro went into space and several years later Adam dies fighting the Galra. However, the epilogue at the end of eighth and final season, shows Shiro being married to Curtis, a background character introduced in Season 7. The two shared an on-screen kiss in the episode "The End is the Beginning". | United States | |||
| Takato Saijo | Dakaretai Otoko 1-i ni Odosarete Imasu. | Takato, an experienced actor, loses the "World's Sexiest Man" title to a new, and rising actor, named Junta Azumaya, both in "the center of a scandal" in this anime, based on a yaoi manga series of the same name. Soon Junta confesses that he has strong romantic feelings for Takato and coerces him into a sexual relationship against Takato's will.[200] Despite this, Takato finds himself moved by Junta's actions and persistence and has since established a genuine romantic relationship with him. | Japan | ||
| Juzo Sakakura | Juzo is the Future Foundation Branch Office 6 Director and the Former Ultimate Boxer. He is in love with the Future Foundation Vice-chairman, Kyousuke Munakata, and is also his right-hand man. His feelings get outed by Junko Enoshima, who blackmails him by threatening to let Kyousuke know about his love for him.[201] He ends up lying to Kyousuke in order to protect his sexuality. | Japan | |||
| Masahiro Setagawa | Hitorijime My Hero | July 8, 2017 | Masahiro Setagawa is rescued by Kousuke "Bear Killer" Ohshiba, while Kousuke saves Masahiro "from the thugs plaguing his life" and says he wants to protect him, while Kensuke meets his friend from childhood, Asaya Hasekura, who later kisses Kensuke and confesses his feelings, changing his feelings going forward.[202] | Japan | |
| Kousuke "Bear Killer" Ohshib | |||||
| Asaya Hasekura | |||||
| Kensuke | |||||
| Nathan Seymour | Tiger & Bunny | Nathan is a highly effeminate homosexual man[203] who identifies as genderqueer though they prefer to be identified as a woman at times, often spending more time with the female heroes while flirting with the male heroes.[204] | Japan | ||
| Shion | No. 6 | Nezumi breaks into the home of a privileged boy, Shion, and both explore the class divides in this society, later growing close and forming a romantic bond between the two of them.[205] | Japan | ||
| Nezumi | |||||
| Yūjirō Shiratori | The High School Life of a Fudanshi | Yūjirō is a gay effeminate crossdresser with a liking toward men,[206] as indicated in episodes such as "Everyone's Fun Times," with strong "female power."[207] | Japan | ||
| Harold Smiley | Steven Universe | Storyboard artist Raven Molisee confirmed that Mr. Smiley is gay[208] because of his longtime relationship with another comedian Mr. Frowney. In the book, Steven Universe: Art & Origins, episode concepts for "Future Boy Zoltron" note that Mr. Smiley and Mr. Frowney are in a relationship.[209] | United States | ||
| Sorcerio | Disenchantment | A long-time partner of Odval. | United States | ||
| Seiji Takamori | Super Lovers | Seiji, better known as Kiyoka, runs a bar/cafe with his high school classmate, Haru, dresses in woman's clothes and appears to prefer men.[210] He once confessed to Haru in the episode "Cloudy Sky," and been turned down. He also has transgender friends as shown in the episode "Marine Blue." | Japan | ||
| Kiyoka | |||||
| Masamune Takano | The World's Greatest First Love | March 12, 2011 | Ritsu and Masamune dated in their high school years as indicated in the OVA ("No love's like to the first") but due to a misunderstanding broke up on bad terms, causing Ritsu to state he would never fall in love again.[211] Ritsu dated other women in the past to forget but he later meets Masamune once more, with the two eventually rebuilding their relationship. | United States | |
| Ray Terrill ("The Ray") | Ray, a gay superhero, and John go to a bar where Ray fails to ask a man on a date.[212] As Ray struggles with his recent unemployment and avoids coming out to his conservative parents, the Ray from Earth-X[213] emerges through a breach and hands the cortex off to his Earth-1 counterpart, along with his powers, before succumbing to his injuries. In Episode 3, John and Ray go back to the bar and Ray strikes up a conversation with the man, Jacob, in which later becomes his lover. | United States | |||
| John Trujillo ("Black Condor") | Earth-X's Black Condor said to Ray that he likes dudes in episode 6 of season 2. | ||||
| Terry | Big City Greens | The partner of Alexander. | United States | ||
| Frodrick Toadstool | Amphibia | June 14, 2019 | Toadie is the personal assistant of Frodrick Toadstool, the mayor of Wartwood Swamp. Their roles are reversed in the finale. Their sexuality was confirmed by series creator Matt Braly in a tweet.[214] | United States | |
| Toadie | |||||
| Saika Totsuka | My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU | Saika is the president of the tennis club who has an androgynous appearance, but prefers others to not mistake his gender. He is one of the few people who truly wants to be closer friends with Hachiman, despite Hachiman's tendency to push others away. Furthermore, at the summer camp Saika is shown to have a crush on Hachiman, sometimes dreaming about him and mumbling Hachiman's name in his sleep. Despite knowing that Saika is a boy, Hachiman often times finds himself unwillingly attracted to him.[215] | Japan | ||
| Ritsuka Uenoyama | Given | July 11, 2019 | Ritsuka and Mafuyu are bandmates. Ritsuka gets tired of playing music, but his love for Mafuyu is instrumental to get him to enjoy playing again.[216] | Japan | |
| Mafuyu Satō | |||||
| White Knight | Generator Rex | The leader of Providence; During a Q&A at London Ontario Comic Con, series creator Duncan Rouleau confirmed that White Knight is gay and that he harbors romantic affection for Agent Six, his former combat partner and later chief subordinate. The subtext for it was always present but not vocalized due to Knight's internalized homophobia as an "uber white gay". He was willing to do anything for Six including turning on his own morals.[217] | United States | ||
| Wyynde | Young Justice | Wyynde is an Atlantean and in a relationship with Kaldur'ahm, otherwise known as Aquaman. Wynnde and Aquaman share a kiss in the episode "Quiet Conversations". Gregg Wiseman, a producer of Young Justice, said that Kaldur has been in love with Wynnde and Tula, his childhood friend and crush, while dating Rocket, the last two of which are women.[218] | United States | ||
| Wei Ying (Mo Xuanyu) | Mo Dao Zu Shi | Mo Xuanyu is an eccentric young man who faces ostracism from his family due to his homosexuality and the incestuous feelings he nurtures for his half-brother. Wei is the reincarnated spirit of a deceased aristocrat, who is reborn into the body of Mo after being summoned by him. He falls in love with Lan Zhan, who knew him since his previous life and loved him since then. This Chinese anime (or donghua) plays down the physical dimension of the men's relationship due to censorship, but the manhua (Chinese manga) is more daring in this respect. However, the two men are portrayed as living as a couple, and even raising the child together, across media.[219] | China | ||
| Lan Zhan | |||||
| Yūki Yoshida | Given | August 29, 2019 | Yūki is the first boyfriend of Mafuyu Satō; he succumbs to suicide, causing Mafuyu's depression. | Japan | |
| Yuri Katsuki | Yuri on Ice | May 26, 2017 | Yuri and Victor have a gay relationship in which they eventually get engaged. Although it is not explicitly stated, Yuri and Victor exchange gold rings, kiss during the show[220] and spend all their time together. At some points they are seen going on dates, sharing beds as well as providing emotional support. Victor and Yuri are also heavily individually queer coded. Victor truly loves Yuri and is very happy with him. Every time Victor sees Yuri he is always very enchanted with the ways Yuri moves. Even when they first met they fell in love. There is no doubt that they are truly in love with one another. | Japan | |
| Victor Nikiforov | |||||
| Yukikaze | Demon Lord, Retry! | July 25, 2019 | A B-rank adventurer who is accompanied with fellow adventurer Mikan. He is often been described as a "girlish boy" because of his feminine appearance, crossdressing as a girl in episodes such as "Yu Kirino."[221] He is deeply infatuated with the Demon Lord Kunai after being saved twice by him. | Japan | |
| Chiaki Yoshino | The World's Greatest First Love | Yoshiyuki has been friends with Chiaki for a long time and the two eventually start dating, as shown in the OVA, "The Case of Hatori Yoshiyuki." Hatori had a previous girlfriend in the past as shown in the episode "Delay in love is dangerous." | Japan |
| Characters | Show title | Character debut date | Notes | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnie Ambrose | Firebuds | September 23, 2022 | Arnie and AJ Ambrose are the fathers of Axl.[222] Arnie is voiced by gay actor Stephen Guarino. | United States | |
| AJ Ambrose | |||||
| King Barton Blueberry | Princess Power | January 30, 2023 | King Barton Blueberry and Sir Benedict Blueberry are Beatrice "Bea" Blueberry's fathers.[223] King Barton is voiced by gay actor Andrew Rannells and Sir Benedict is voiced by gay fashion designer and television personality Tan France.[224] | ||
| Sir Benedict Blueberry | Canada | ||||
| Bowie | Total Drama | April 10, 2023 | Bowie is a flamboyant Black Canadian teen who introduces himself as the first openly gay contestant for Total Drama Island. He eventually gets into a relationship with Raj and shared an onscreen kiss.[225] | ||
| Sebastian Boyd (Makeup Boy) | February 23, 2022 | Makeup Boy (real name Sebastian Boyd) is a flamboyant internet personality who gives out makeup tips. In the season 2 episode "BeBe", Makeup Boy is confirmed to be gay as he and Michael are shown to be dating. Makeup Boy is voiced by gay internet personality Bretman Rock.[226] | United States | ||
| Brain | My Adventures with Superman | August 4, 2023 | Brain and Monsieur Mallah are a couple similar to their depiction in the comics.[227] It is the first time that they are openly depicted as a same-sex couple in animation. | United States | |
| Monsieur Mallah | |||||
| Crispin Cienfuegos | The Great North | January 3, 2021 | Crispin is a teen who works at a smoothie bar. Judy originally had a crush on him until "Pride & Prejudance Adventure" when it is revealed that Crispin is gay and is into Judy's brother Ham. He and Ham became a couple.[228] Crispin was originally voiced by gay actor Julio Torres from season 1-season 3 episode 18 and is currently voiced by bisexual actor Juan Castrano.[229] [230] | United States | |
| Michael Collins | February 23, 2022 | Debuted in the original animated series, Michael acts all flamboyant, revealing to be gay and gender non-conforming.[231] He is voiced by EJ Johnson, an openly gay television personality and Magic Johnson's son.[232] In the season 2 episode "BeBe", he starts dating Makeup Boy. | United States | ||
| Frank | Hailey's On It! | June 9, 2023 | Frank is Hailey's pet flamingo. In the episode "Frankly Fabulous", Frank is revealed to be gay and is in love with Petey, a peacock. In real life, there have been reported cases of homosexual behavior in flamingos.[233] | United States | |
| Fry | Kid Cosmic | February 2, 2021 | Fry is a man who works at Mo's Oasis Cafe and is usually seen together with Hamburg. He obtains the light pink elasticity Cosmic Stone of Power in the second season, which gives the user the ability to stretch his body. On February 3, 2022, the creator of Kid Cosmic, Craig McCracken, confirmed Fry and Hamburg as a gay couple.[234] | United States | |
| Geoff | The Ghost and Molly McGee | October 2, 2021 | Geoff is Scratch's ghost friend. He was his only friend before Molly and her family moved in. In the season two episode "The (After)life of the Party", Geoff is revealed to be gay and has been in a relationship with another ghost named Jeff for 100 years.[235] Geoff's sexuality and his romantic relationship with Jeff had already been confirmed in the Chibi Tiny Tales short "Molly, Scratch's Third Wheel", in which they were shown with the other couples.[236] | United States | |
| Isaac Goldberg-Calderon | Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur | February 11, 2023 | In the second episode "The Borough Bully", Casey is revealed to have two dads.[237] They are voiced by gay actors Andy Cohen and Wilson Cruz. | United States | |
| Antonio Goldberg-Calderon | |||||
| Greymoon | Pinecone & Pony | April 8, 2022 | Greymoon is the teacher for the Wiz Kids. He was confirmed to be gay by series writer Taneka Stotts.[238] Greymoon is voiced by gay actor Thom Allison. | United States | |
| Canada | |||||
| Barney Guttman | June 16, 2022 | In an interview on August 17, 2020, series creator Hamish Steele explained how the show changed from its original iteration on Cartoon Hangover in 2014, and the graphic novels that followed it,[239] stating that he is grateful for showrunners who fought for LGBTQ characters in their shows, adding that there was "absolutely no pushback from Netflix about representation," while describing Barney as a trans male character.[240] He also hoped that the show will help out "more trans creators getting their chance to tell their stories" while hinting at other LGBTQ characters in the show apart from Barney. Barney is in a same-sex relationship with Logs, a health and safety worker at Dead End.[241] [242] Barney is voiced by trans actor Zach Barack. Steele also said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that any possible future episodes would further explore the sexualities of Norma and Barney.[243] In the second season, it's revealed Logs' mother is unaware that he is gay. | United Kingdom | ||
| Logan "Logs" Nguyen | United States | ||||
| Hamburg | Kid Cosmic | February 2, 2021 | Hamburg, a guy who works at Mo's Oasis Cafe and is usually seen with Fry. He obtains the indigo multiple arms Cosmic Stone of Power in the second season. On February 3, 2022, the creator of Kid Cosmic, Craig McCracken, that Fry was Hamburg's boyfriend. | United States | |
| The Hipponoid Commander | Rock Paper Scissors | February 11, 2024 | In the episode Paper's Big Lie, he is shown to impress his unnamed boyfriend by becoming a warrior.[244] | United States | |
| Iago | Battle Kitty | April 19, 2022 | Iago is one of the warriors at Battle Island and Orc's love interest. He seems receptive to Orc's feelings. Iago accepts his feelings and starts a relationship with Orc. | United States | |
| Jeff | The Ghost and Molly McGee | March 5, 2022 | Jeff is a buff ghost. He is revealed to be Geoff's "Afterlife Partner" in the episode "The (After)life of the Party". Jeff is voiced by gay actor Vincent Rodriguez III. | United States | |
| Jiu Jitsu Joe | Ada Twist, Scientist | April 23, 2023 | Jiu Jitsu Joe gets married to Sensei Dave in the season four episode "Blue River Wedding".[245] Jiu Jitsu Joe is voiced by gay actor Guillermo Díaz. | United States | |
| Jonathan | Hailey's On It! | June 8, 2023 | Jonathan and Thad are an interracial same-sex couple. Jonathan and Thad are voiced by gay actors Nico Santos and Nik Dodani.[246] [247] | United States | |
| Thad | |||||
| Dolph Laserhawk | October 19, 2023 | Dolph Laserhawk is a supersoldier who was betrayed by his boyfriend and is sent to the Supermaxx.[248] [249] Dolph Laserhawk is voiced by queer actor Nathaniel Curtis. | France | ||
| Barry Leibowitz-Jenkins | February 23, 2022 | Barry the detective and Randall the loaner are the interracial gay couple and the adoptive fathers of twins Maya and KG Leibowitz-Jenkins. They are voiced by openly gay actors Zachary Quinto and Billy Porter respectively. | United States | ||
| Randall Leibowitz-Jenkins | |||||
| Xie Lian | Heaven Official's Blessing | October 31, 2020 | Xie is a prince who ascends to Heaven upon his death but is banished twice due to his rule-bending behavior. Upon returning a third time as a laughingstock, he meets Hua, a demon who rules the ghost realm and leads a war against Heaven but had been nurturing feelings for Xie for a long while. He flirts blatantly with a flustered Xie, and the two live together as a couple.[250] | China | |
| Hua Cheng | |||||
| Dr. Lime Pops | Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City | November 21, 2021 | Dr. Lime Pops and Fluffy Chiffon are Lime Chiffon's dads. They first appeared in the two-part Thanksgiving episode "Berry Bounty Banquet".[251] Fluffy Chiffon is a fashion designer as shown in the episodes "Bread's New BFF" and "The Fashion Show | ".[252] [253] | Canada |
| Fluffy Chiffon | |||||
| Mbita | Baymax! | June 29, 2022 | Mbita runs a fish truck despite developing an allergy to fish. He develops a romantic relationship with a man named Yukio.[254] Mbita is voiced by gay comedian Jaboukie Young-White.[255] | United States | |
| Yukio | |||||
| Benson Mekler | Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts | January 14, 2020 | In 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 is gay.[256] In the episode "Beyond the Valley of the Dogs", he develops a crush on one of the boys, Troy, who lives in the burrows. 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.[257] | United States | |
| Mika | Lycoris Recoil | July 2, 2022 | Mika is an Afro-Japanese man who is the manager at LyroReco. In the seventh episode "Time will tell", he is revealed to be gay with the main characters being aware of it.[258] The ninth episode "What's done is done" shows he was in a relationship with a man named Shinji.[259] | Japan | |
| Kōichi Mizuki | The Titan's Bride | July 6, 2020 | High school basketball player Kōichi Mizuki is suddenly summoned to a world populated by giants. He is met by Caius Lao Vistaille, the prince of the world, who immediately asks Kōichi to marry him.[260] | Japan | |
| Caius Lao Bistail | |||||
| Olrox | September 28, 2023 | Olrox is a vampire of Aztec descent. He is in a same-sex relationship with a knight, Mizrak.[261] | United States | ||
| Mizrak | |||||
| Orc | Battle Kitty | April 19, 2022 | Orc is Battle Kitty's best friend. In the episode "Warrior Park", Orc is revealed to be gay as he has a crush on Iago.[262] Orc and Iago eventually become a couple.[263] | United States | |
| Gilbert Park | The Owl House | August 1, 2020 | In the episode "Understanding Willow" it is shown that Willow Park has two dads, one named Gilbert wearing glasses and the other named Harvey with a beard, seen in a flashback, playing on a swing set. This was confirmed by a story artist for the show, Cat Mitchell.[264] In the episode "Escaping Expulsion" it is shown that Harvey Park is dark skinned, probably overly protective, and has high expectations for her. Gilbert Park is lighter skinned, is more easy going, and aware of her adventurous outings. In the episode "Any Sport in a Storm", they were shown to be members of the Flying Derby team when they were around Willow's age. They are named after gay rights activists Gilbert Baker and Harvey Milk. | United States | |
| Harvey Park | |||||
| Jonny Quest | Jellystone! | July 29, 2021 | Jonny Quest and Hadji appears in Jellystone | voiced by Andrew Frankel and Fajer Al-Kaisi respectively.[265] The characters are adults in this series[266] and are also the owners of an bowling alley called "Quest Bowl".[267] Unlike the original cartoon, Jonny and Hadji are not adoptive brothers but an "implicit" couple. The episode "The Sea Monster of Jellystone Cove" takes a look at their relationship. | United States |
| Hadji | |||||
| Renaldo Raccoon | Tiny Toons Looniversity | September 8, 2023 | Renaldo is a student at ACME Looniversity. He is a flamboyant and openly gay raccoon. Renaldo is voiced by gay actor Tony Rodriguez.[268] | United States | |
| Raj | Total Drama | April 10, 2023 | Raj is an Indian Canadian teen who is into hockey. He falls in love with Bowie and the latter helps him to get out of the closet. | Canada | |
| Roland | December 9, 2022 | Roland is a warrior and Miriam's ally. He also gets into a relationship with dwarven fighter Lacklon.[269] | |||
| Lacklon | South Korea | ||||
| Indy Sabrewing | DuckTales | April 4, 2020 | Debuted in the season 3 episode "Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks | " Indy and Ty are the guardians of Violet Sabrewing and the foster fathers of Lena De Spell.[270] The characters have no speaking lines. | United States |
| Ty Sabrewing | |||||
| Troy Sandoval | Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts | January 14, 2020 | He kisses Benson, a boy who has a crush on him, and both later begin a relationship. | United States | |
| Scott | Hoops | August 21, 2020 | Scott is a gay boy on the school basketball team, who had been "the Colts' best player" before Matty came around.[271] | United States | |
| Sensei Dave | Ada Twist, Scientist | January 25, 2022 | Sensei Dave gets married to Jiu Jitsu Joe in the season four episode "Blue River Wedding". Sensei Dave is voiced by gay actor George Takei. | United States | |
| Snagglepuss | Jellystone! | July 29, 2021 | Snagglepuss was confirmed to be gay by writer Melody Iza.[272] | United States | |
| Alex Taylor | October 19, 2023 | Alex Taylor is Dolph's ex-boyfriend. He becomes one of Dolph's enemies. | France | ||
| Ham Tobin | The Great North | January 3, 2021 | Ham is a teen trying to find his place in the world and comes out to his family as gay, even though he did so in the past.[273] [274] He then went on to date a teen name Crispin, who was originally his sister Judy's love interest. | United States | |
| Tyler | Bossy Bear | March 6, 2023 | Tyler and Greg are the fathers of Ginger.[275] They both run a food truck. Tyler and Greg are voiced by gay singer Lance Bass and his real-life husband Michael Turchin.[276] | United States | |
| Greg | |||||
| Mildew Wolf | Jellystone! | July 29, 2021 | In the episode "Grocery Store", Mildew Wolf is shown flirting with his co-worker Shazzan.[277] His original voice actor, Paul Lynde, who voiced him in the Cattanooga Cats segment It's the Wolf!, was gay.[278] | United States | |
| Mr. X | Amphibia | November 6, 2021 | Mr. X is a highly effeminate and enigmatic FBI agent. In the episode "All In", when Mr. X was searching his contact list on his phone, one of them says "hubby" implying that he is married and has a husband.[279] Mr. X is voiced by gay actor and drag queen RuPaul.[280] | United States | |
| Yashiro | Twittering Birds Never Fly | February 15, 2020 | Yashiro, a masochist and yakuza boss warms up to his new bodyguard, Chikara Doumeki. As his entreaties fail, he discovers why his bodyguard only wants to stay at "arm's length" to himself, rather than get involved in a relationship.[281] An anime film with these characters was released on February 15, 2020, titled Twittering Birds Never Fly – The Clouds Gather while an OAD will be released on March 1, 2021, titled Twittering Birds Never Fly – Don't Stay Gold, along with two upcoming films, one of which is titled Twittering Birds Never Fly – The Storm Breaks.[282] | Japan | |
| Akutsu | Sasaki and Peeps | February 9, 2023 | Akutsu is the head director of the esper offices in the series but has a habit of placing cameras in his employees' apartments to make sure they are not spies. When one of the employees finds out, he accuses him of asexual harassment but he defends himself by revealing that he is homosexual and has no interest in any woman in the organization. | Japan | |