This is a list of pansexual characters in fiction , i.e. characters that identify as pansexual or are identified by outside parties to be pansexual. Pansexuality is the 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 list contains characters across various forms of media that are pansexual, listed in alphabetical order by surname in each section. In the case where characters are identified with only a single name (either first or last) or by a title, that is used instead. To be listed here, characters have to either state in-universe that they are pansexual, be identified as such by either someone involved in the work they appear in, or a reliable, third-party source.
The names are organized alphabeticallyby surname (i.e. last name), or by single name if the character does not have a surname.
Character | Title | Duration | Actor | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ali | Big Mouth | 2019–present | Ali Wong | She is openly pansexual, although her explanation of her pansexuality, as compared to bisexuality, was criticized by various LGBTQ people on social media. [5] [6] In later episodes, Ali begins dating a quiet female student named Samira and later becomes a potential love interest for Jessi Glaser. | [7] |
Ally | Amphibia | 2019–2022 | Melissa Villaseñor | Ally is in a same-sex relationship with Jess, running an internet video channel named "IT Gals" with her. [8] The pair describe themselves in the text of their video descriptions as "just two girlfriends", qualified with an LGBT pride flag emoji. After the characters' debut, lead color designer Andy Garner-Flexner stated that Ally's color palette was based on the pansexual pride flag. [9] [10] | [9] |
Blitzo | Helluva Boss | 2020–present | Brandon Rogers (YouTuber) | Blitzo is in a sexual relationship with a man, Stolas, and has been in a romantic and sexual relationship with a woman, Verosika Mayday. He was confirmed as pansexual via an Instagram post from one of the show's official Instagram accounts where he can be seen standing in his kitchen in front of cooking utensils, specifically frying pans, with the caption saying "Haha! Guess what my sexuality is". [11] | [11] |
Val/entina Romanyszyn | Gen:Lock | 2019–2021 | Asia Kate Dillon | Val/entina Romanyszyn is revealed to be pansexual in the episode "Together. Together." Val is also genderfluid, going by the name "Val" when male-presenting and "Valentina" when female-presenting. [12] Romanyszyn is voiced by Asia Kate Dillon, who is a pansexual and non-binary actress, and the character was written as genderfluid, but is feminine-presenting, altering their gender performance several times. [13] | [14] |
Lord Boxman | OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes | 2017–2019 | Jim Cummings | Boxman has feelings for Professor Venomous, who was his loving partner in the past. [15] [16] On October 13, 2020, Ian Jones-Quartey confirmed that Professor Venomous and Lord Boxman were married at the end of the series. [17] | [18] |
Willow Park | The Owl House | 2020–2023 | Tati Gabrielle | [19] | |
Rose Quartz | Steven Universe | 2013–2019 | Susan Egan | Rose had a complicated romantic relationship with Pearl, [20] [21] and later with Greg Universe, the father of the show's protagonist, Steven Universe, along with various other men in short-term relationships. [22] [23] [24] In the episode "Mr. Greg," Greg and Pearl recognize that they both loved Rose, who loved them both back. [25] [24] | [26] |
Steven Universe Future | 2019–2020 | ||||
Roger | American Dad! | 2005–present | Seth MacFarlane | Specifically referred to as "omnisexual". [27] He is a very zany alien who lives in the Smith family's attic, who is shown to assume hundreds of different aliases, male and female. [28] [29] | [27] |
Rick Sanchez | Rick and Morty | 2013–present | Justin Roiland (seasons 1–6) | One of the show's creators and executive producers and voice actor Justin Roiland revealed Sanchez was pansexual. [30] This was shown in "Auto Erotic Assimilation", when Rick connects with Unity, an ex-lover who is a collective hive mind of assimilated individuals from the planet they occupy. [31] | |
Ian Cardoni (seasons 7–present) | |||||
Gumball Watterson | The Amazing World of Gumball | 2011–2019 | Logan Grove (seasons 1–2) | On April 27, 2019, series creator Ben Bocquelet said that Gumball "loves whoever he loves" in response to someone asking about the character's sexuality. | [32] |
Jacob Hopkins (seasons 3–4) | |||||
Nicholas Cantu (seasons 5–6) | |||||
Duke Cutler |
Character | Title | Year | Actor | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lando Calrissian | The Empire Strikes Back | 1980 | Billy Dee Williams | 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. [33] 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. [34] | [35] |
Return of the Jedi | 1983 | ||||
Solo: A Star Wars Story | 2018 | Donald Glover | |||
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | 2019 | Billy Dee Williams | |||
Mal | Descendants | 2015 | Dove Cameron | [36] [37] | |
Descendants 2 | 2017 | ||||
Descendants 3 | 2019 | ||||
Harry Turpin | The Thing About Harry | 2020 | Niko Terho | [38] | |
Wade Wilson / Deadpool | Deadpool | 2016 | Ryan Reynolds | While Tim Miller, director of the first film, described Deadpool as pansexual, this is never explicitly portrayed on-screen. [39] [40] As with the first film, Deadpool 2 (2018) also does not explicitly portray his sexuality, with the character's interest in men being used as a source of humor. [41] | [42] |
Deadpool 2 | 2018 |
Character | Title | Duration | Actor | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kibby Ainsley | Daytime Divas | 2017 | Chloe Bridges | [43] | |
Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell | Prison Break | 2005–2009 | Robert Knepper | [44] | |
Harper Bettencourt | iCarly | 2021–present | Laci Mosley | [45] | |
Laszlo Cravensworth | What We Do in the Shadows | 2019–present | Matt Berry | Executive producer, co-showrunner and writer Paul Simms stated "All of our characters are completely pansexual." [46] In the pilot episode, Laszlo discusses his relations with both Nadja and Baron Afanas. | [46] |
Crowley | Supernatural | 2009–2017 | Mark Sheppard | [47] | |
Nola Darling | She's Gotta Have It | 2017–2019 | DeWanda Wise | [48] | |
Kristina Davis | General Hospital | 2002–present | Lexi Ainsworth | [49] | |
Jaskier | The Witcher (TV series) | 2019–present | Joey Batey | "He’s canonically queer in the TV show, which is a departure from the books and the games, as far as I know. It was wonderful to see a panromantic or pansexual person in such a flagship show such as this." [50] | [50] |
Jadzia Dax | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | 1993–1998 | Terry Farrell | [51] | |
Edward | Will & Grace | 2005 | Stuart Townsend | [52] | |
Franky Fitzgerald | Skins | 2011–2012 | Dakota Blue Richards | [53] | |
Elim Garak | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | 1993–1999 | Andrew Robinson | [54] | |
Adrian Garff | The Mist | 2017 | Russell Posner | [55] | |
Philippa Georgiou (Mirror) | Star Trek: Discovery | 2017–2020 | Michelle Yeoh | [56] | |
Dorian Gray | Penny Dreadful | 2014–2016 | Reeve Carney | [57] | |
Yara Greyjoy | Game of Thrones | 2012–2019 | Gemma Whelan | [58] | |
Klaus Hargreeves [lower-alpha 1] | The Umbrella Academy | 2019–present | Robert Sheehan | [59] | |
Jack Harkness | Doctor Who & Torchwood | 2005–2020 | John Barrowman | [60] | |
John Hart | Torchwood | 2008 | James Marsters | [61] | |
Roscoe Kaan | House of Lies | 2012–2016 | Donis Leonard Jr. | [62] | |
Kareema | No Tomorrow | 2016–2017 | Sarayu Rao | [63] | |
Carlton Lassiter | Psych | 2006–present | Timothy Omundson | [64] | |
Hannibal Lecter | Hannibal | 2013–2015 | Mads Mikkelsen | The show's creator, Bryan Fuller, states, "From our very first meeting with Mads, he redefined the character immediately for me because he's the devil. He is this thing both of the world and outside of the world. So for me, the devil is pansexual". | [65] |
Sammy Lieberman | Dance Academy | 2010–2012 | Thom Green | [66] | |
Mal | Descendants: Wicked World | 2015–2017 | Dove Cameron | [36] | |
Oberyn Martell | Game of Thrones | 2014 | Pedro Pascal | [67] | |
Mazikeen | Lucifer | 2016–2021 | Lesley-Ann Brandt | [68] | |
Imogen Moreno | Degrassi: The Next Generation | 2011–2015 | Cristine Prosperi | [69] | |
Even Bech Næsheim | Skam | 2016–2017 | Henrik Holm | [70] | |
Nadja of Antipaxos | What We Do in the Shadows | 2019–present | Natasia Demetriou | Executive producer, co-showrunner and writer Paul Simms stated "All of our characters are completely pansexual." [46] Nadja also has an ongoing affair with Gregor, who is repeatedly reincarnated. She pursues him in every lifetime, including those where Gregor is reincarnated as a woman. | [46] |
Nandor the Relentless | What We Do in the Shadows | 2019–present | Kayvan Novak | Executive producer, co-showrunner and writer Paul Simms stated "All of our characters are completely pansexual." [46] Nandor says that of his 37 wives, "they weren't all women." [71] | [46] |
Eric Northman | True Blood | 2008–2014 | Alexander Skarsgård | [72] | |
Ola Nyman | Sex Education | 2019–2021 | Patricia Allison | [73] | |
Emma Reid | Doctors | 2012–present | Dido Miles | [74] | |
Colin Robinson | What We Do in the Shadows | 2019–present | Mark Proksch | Executive producer, co-showrunner and writer Paul Simms stated "All of our characters are completely pansexual." [46] Colin is shown to have relationships with both men and women. | [46] |
David Rose | Schitt's Creek | 2015–2020 | Dan Levy | An openly pansexual man, Dan Levy said that him being pansexual "felt very natural for him" and in line with his character in the small town in this series. [75] [lower-alpha 2] | [76] |
Josie Saltzman | Legacies | 2018–2021 | Kaylee Bryant | [77] | |
Sophia | Star-Crossed | 2014 | Brina Palencia | [78] | |
Brook Soso | Orange Is the New Black | 2014–2019 | Kimiko Glenn | [79] | |
Ambrose Spellman | Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | 2018–2020 | Chance Perdomo | [80] | |
Sadie Swenson [lower-alpha 3] | Scream Queens | 2015–2016 | Billie Lourd | [81] | |
Izzie Torres | Doctors | 2008, 2018–present | Bethan Moore | [82] | |
Frank Underwood | House of Cards | 2013–2017 | Kevin Spacey | [83] | |
Kieren Walker | In the Flesh | 2013–2014 | Luke Newberry | [84] | |
Cory Wilson | Ackley Bridge | 2017–2019 | Sam Retford | Retford stated that Cory "just falls in love with people". [85] | [85] |
Max Wolfe | Gossip Girl (2021 TV series) | 2021–2023 | Thomas Doherty | Doherty states, "playing Max, a pansexual character, was incredibly liberating. It was very educational, and it definitely made me challenge my own preconceived notions, my indoctrination, of 'This is who you love, this is what you do, everything else is wrong.'" | [86] |
Character | Title | Year | Voice actor | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iron Bull | Dragon Age: Inquisition | 2014 | Freddie Prinze Jr. | [87] | |
Margaret "Mae" Borowski | Night in the Woods | 2017 | [88] | ||
Finn | Life Is Strange 2 | 2019 | Matthew Gallenstein | [89] | |
Kevin | Saints Row | 2022 | Greg Chun | [90] |
Character | Title or Publisher | Debut and Duration | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Loki Laufeyson | Marvel Comics | 1962 | Loki, a frequent shapeshifter, is genderfluid, and is the God of Mischief. [91] [92] [93] His genderfluid identity was confirmed before the Loki series premiered. [94] | [95] [92] |
Sakura Kinomoto | Cardcaptor Sakura | 1996–2000 | In an October 2000 interview, Nanase Ohkawa called Sakura a person with an "open mind towards different family structures, different kinds of love, and different perspectives from society," adding that if Syaoran had been a girl, and the age gap had been the same, she would have fell in love with Syaoran all the same. [96] In the same interview she said that Sakura loves Tomoyo but not the same way she feels about Syaoran. [96] In November 2016, Ohkawa added that Sakura is someone who believes that "those around her will be there to catch her." [97] | [96] |
Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card | 2016–Present | |||
Princess Koriand'r [lower-alpha 4] | DC Comics | 1980 | 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. [98] [99] For Starfire, polyamory was a personal and cultural preference. [98] | [99] |
Wade Wilson [lower-alpha 5] | Marvel Comics | 1991 | [39] |
Pansexuality is sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction towards people of all genders, or regardless of their sex or gender identity. Pansexual people might refer to themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are not determining factors in their romantic or sexual attraction to others.
AfterEllen is an American culture website founded in 2002, with a focus on entertainment, interviews, reviews, and news of interest to the lesbian and bisexual women's community. The site covers pop culture and lifestyle issues from a feminist perspective; and the political climate as it pertains to the community. AfterEllen is not affiliated with entertainer Ellen DeGeneres, although its name refers to her coming out, specifically when her character came out in "The Puppy Episode" (1997) on her eponymous sitcom.
The pansexual flag is a pink, yellow and cyan flag, designed as a symbol for the pansexual community to increase its visibility and recognition, and distinguish itself from bisexuality.
The portrayals of bisexuality in the media reflect societal attitudes towards bisexuality in the existing media portrayals. Throughout history, numerous bisexual characters have appeared in television series, including cartoons, anime, video games and web series, along with literature, comics, radio, and other mediums.
The depiction of LGBTQ characters in animated series in the 2010s changed significantly from the previous decade; especially in Western animation. This included Rebecca Sugar's Steven Universe which aired on Cartoon Network and praised for going "above and beyond when it comes to inclusive storytelling" The 2010s also brought with it shows such as Adventure Time, The Legend of Korra, BoJack Horseman, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, Amphibia, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and The Bravest Knight, among others, all of which had strong LGBTQ characters. Representation of LGBTQ characters would only continue to grow in the 2020s.
The portrayals of pansexuality in the media reflect existing societal attitudes towards pansexuality and current media portrayals. Although pansexual characters are not often characters in mass media, they have appeared in various films, TV series, literature, video games, graphic art, and webcomics, sometimes embodying certain tropes in cinema and fantasy. Musicians, actors, and other public personalities have also, in recent years, come out as pansexual, and are focused on with this page.
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