List of fictional asexual characters
This is a list of asexual characters in fiction, i.e. fictional characters that either self-identify as asexual or have been identified by outside parties to be asexual. Listed characters may also be aromantic. Not listed are celibate but not asexual characters or non-human characters, such as non-sexual computers or aliens in science-fiction.
For more information about fictional characters in other parts of the LGBTQ community, see the lists of lesbian (with sub-pages for characters in anime and animation), bisexual (with sub-sections for characters in anime and animation), gay, trans, non-binary, pansexual, and intersex characters.
The names are organized alphabetically by surname (i.e. last name), 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.
Animation and anime[]
| Characters | Title | Character debut date | Notes | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alastor | Hazbin Hotel | October 28, 2019 | Alastor, also known as the Radio Demon, is asexual.[1] He was confirmed elsewhere as aromantic.[2] He is also the first guest of the Happy Hotel,[3] which is renamed the Hazbin Hotel by the end of the pilot episode. | United States |
| Yolanda Buenaventura | BoJack Horseman | September 8, 2017 | In the season 4 episode, "What Time Is It Right Now", Yolanda reveals that she is asexual when she asks Todd out on a date.[4] She is first seen in the background of an asexual meetup in the episode "Hooray! Todd episode!".[5] | |
| Todd Chavez | August 22, 2014 | In the season 3 finale, "That Went Well", Todd confides in his friend Emily that he does not think he is either straight or gay, and in fact "might be nothing". He explores the identity further in season 4 and accepts his asexuality, while meeting others who share his orientation.[6] Todd was the only asexual character GLAAD found on streaming platforms in 2018.[7][8] | ||
| Seiji Maki | Bloom Into You | October 5, 2018 | A supporting character, he is an aromantic asexual with well established feelings on sex and romance, and is a "crucial sounding board" for Yuu as she tries to figure out her feelings. In the ninth episode, he says that he doesn't fall in love, but prefers to watch from the outside.[9] He enjoys romance but does not wish to partake it in himself. | Japan |
| Peridot | Steven Universe | January 8, 2015 | Storyboard artist Maya Petersen stated that Peridot is asexual and aromantic on her Twitter, even though she said her word is not "the ultimate authority" on the matter. This asexual identity was never expressed in the show directly,[10] with fans shipping Peridot with various other characters, specifically Lapis Lazuli and Amethyst, some reviewers even seeing Peridot and Lapis in a "close, loving relationship" in the past.[11] | United States |
| Owen Burnett | Gargoyles | November 11, 1995 | Formerly the aid of Xanatos' aide, who is later revealed to be the immortal trickster Puck.[12][13][14] Weisman confirmed Owen as asexual in response to various fan questions, but said that he had still dated a woman in the past.[15][16][17] | |
| SpongeBob SquarePants | SpongeBob SquarePants | May 1, 1999 | According to an interview with Stephen Hillenburg in 2002, SpongeBob is neither gay or straight, but in fact is asexual.[18] This was once again clarified in 2005, because of controversy regarding SpongeBob and Patrick's sexual orientation.[19] Hillenburg also instructed that SpongeBob should never have a love interest or romantic relationship, since he is asexual (as all real-life sea sponges are) and too innocent for it.[20] | |
| Shōko Tanimoto | The Case Files of Jeweler Richard | January 9, 2020 | In episode 8, "The Angel's Aquamarine", Shouko reveals she is asexual and aromantic indirectly, confessing she has never felt romantic attraction.[21] After being asked if marriage is really what she wants, she says that she does not know what it means to like someone in a way different to liking her parents, and adds that "... choosing not to fall in love and never understanding it in the first place aren't the same."[22] Her asexual identity was never expressed in the show directly. | Japan |
Film[]
| Characters | Title / Franchise | Actors | Years | Notes | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olivia | The Olivia Experiment | Skye Noel | 2014 | This film revolves around a 27-year-old and grad student who thinks she is asexual, with her asexuality often "questioned and doubted", treated as something temporary.[23][24] As such, she is encouraged to find a way to fit herself "into an allosexual narrative" rather than be asexual. | United States |
| Adrian Veidt | Watchmen | Matthew Goode | 2009 | Goode has stated that he portrayed the character as being asexual.[25] He also described Ozymandias's sexuality as "ambiguous". | |
| Ozymandias |
Literature[]
| Characters | Work | Author | Years | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter | The Deed of Paksenarrion | Elizabeth Moon | 1992 | The character of Paksenarrion is portrayed as interested in neither sexual or romantic relationships, rejecting men's advances, denying interest in women, and refusing when asked if she would ever marry.[26][27] She also shows some guilt over another character's unrequited attraction for her. |
| Kevin | Guardian of the Dead | Karen Healey | 2010 | Although he isn't the protagonist, Kevin is a key part of the book, and he comes out as asexual to his friend, and the book's heroine, Ellie Spencer.[28] This conversation is handled delicately, with Ellie offering support to Kevin when remembering how her sister, a lesbian, has a tough time trying to tell her parents. Unfortunately, as one reviewer puts it, he doesn't explore his asexual identity much after this point.[28] |
| Emras | Banner of the Damned | Sherwood Smith | 2012 | In this book, there are a variety of sexual orientations, with Emras choosing to be asexual.[28] Despite the problematic element that she can decide her own sexual orientation, she realizes that this "choice" is actually a "way of being." |
| Tori Beaugrand | Quicksilver | R. J. Anderson | 2013 | Tori, an engineer, hacker, and friend, is asexual, an important part of her life, as she mediates on an attempt to have a sexual relationship.[28] Her friend Milo wants their relationship to be sexual but he respects the sexual orientation of Tori. In a post on LiveJournal, the author explained how Tori being asexual "adds a layer of complication and delicacy to her relationships with her parents and her best (male) friend," Milo, while explaining some of her choices.[29] |
| Clariel | Clariel | Garth Nix | 2014 | The protagonist "stands out for her assured asexuality", doesn't see the appeal of sex, and wants to live alone in the woods as a forest ranger.[30] Clariel's lack of experience of sexual or romantic attraction are described at multiple points, come up early in the book, and are treated as a core part of who she is as a person[28] |
| Julian | Deadly Sweet Lies[a] | Erica Cameron | 2015 | Cameron, an asexual author,[31] says that Julian is "100% a confirmed ace character."[32][33] She was glad to include a scene in the book where he has "a personal epiphany about his asexuality."[34] |
| Tom | This Song Is Not For You | Laura Nowlin | 2016 | Tom, one of the book's protagonists, is interested in Ramona romantically but not sexually, and he eventually tells her that he is asexual, as he struggles to accept the bounds of his new identity.[35] One reviewer noted that this book is unique because it is rare that there are asexual characters in young adult fiction, if when readers "see romantic relationships handled the way they are here."[35] |
| Nancy | Every Heart A Doorway | Seanan McGuire | The protagonist of this book, Nancy, is asexual, and is, as such, "part of an increasing number of ace leads in fantasy and science fiction in recent years," as one reviewer puts it.[28] At one point, Nancy says "I'm asexual. I don't get those feelings" and she has an asexual crush on her trans classmate, Kade.[36] | |
| Felicity Montague | Montague Siblings trilogy[b] | Mackenzi Lee | 2017–2020 | Though the word is never used due to the time period, Felicity's descriptions of her sexuality clearly line up with that associated with asexuality.[37][38] |
| Tash | Tash Hearts Tolstoy | Kathryn Ormsbee | 2018 | Throughout the process of publishing this book, Ormsbee said she struggles with knowledge of the lack of "ace rep books," with more pressure to provide representation for all those on the asexual spectrum.[39] She added that this book is not for all, noting the vastness and nuance of the asexual experience, with every asexual reader unique, having different reading tastes, and admitted that "Tash's experience won't resonate with many." |
| Corey | Before I Let Go | Marieke Nijkamp | 2019 | This book features an asexual protagonist, Corey, whose asexuality is integral to the story, which her editor was ok with.[40][c] Some have described this book as a gripping "asexual tale of friendship and love."[41] |
| Alice | Let's Talk About Love | Claire Kann | Kann noted that Alice was the inspiration, as a fully confident character, but that she did a lot of research to brush away her biases and "write the story that genuinely reflected Alice's experience since asexuality is a spectrum."[39] In this story, Alice has a rocky summer, with her relations with other complicated, her job at a local library seeming to ground her until she has a crush on a new employee. | |
| Aled Last | Radio Silence | Alice Oseman | Oseman said she added asexual characters into this book because of the "absolute scarcity of asexual representation," and made clear that asexuality is real (and valid), as Frances and Aled are united together not by love but through making a podcast together.[39] | |
| Georgia Warr | Loveless | Alice Oseman | 2020 | Georgia is the main character of Loveless, coming to terms with her sexuality during the events of the book, realizing that she is an aromantic asexual. Georgia's college parent, Sunil, is homoromantic asexual and has an aromantic best friend named Jess. Georgia also has a conversation with another character who is aromantic and asexual.[39] |
| Sunil Jha | ||||
| Ellis | ||||
| Elatsoe "Ellie" | Elatsoe | Darcie Little Badger | Ellie is asexual however it is not a huge part of her story. Elatsoe is focused more on Ellie trying to solve the murder of her cousin. | |
| Jasnah Kohlin | The Stormlight Archive | Brandon Sanderson | Jasnah is heteroromantic and in a relationship with a man but explicitly states her lack of interest in sex, Sanderson stated "Jasnah is asexual, and currently heteroromantic. Her feelings on physical intimacy are very neutral, not something she's interested in for its own sake, but also not something she's opposed to doing for someone she cares about."[42] |
Live-action television[]
| Character | Portrayed by | Program | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asexual couple | (Unidentified) | House | 2004–2012 | In the "Better Half" episode, Dr. Wilson meets an asexual couple, but it is later revealed that the wife was faking asexuality for the "sake of her husband" while the husband had a blockage in his brain suppressing his sex drive.[23] (The founder of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, David Jay, criticized the representation, calling it "disturbing but not unexpected," while others, in a petition to FOX executives, wrote that the episode encourages viewers to see asexuality skeptically, rather than accept it, "to probe asexual people for causes of our 'condition' rather than to accept us as a part of the natural spectrum of human sexual diversity."[43]) |
| Brad | Sidney Franklin | Faking It | 2014–2016 | Brad only briefly exclaims his orientation in an episode about labels.[44][45] |
| Caduceus Clay | Taliesin Jaffe | Critical Role | 2018–2021 | Caduceus is asexual and aromantic. In episode 114 of campaign 2, he states that "[sex] is not really my thing".[46]: 45:28 Player Taliesin Jaffe tweeted in support of Asexual Awareness Week in regards to the character[47] and then confirmed on Talks Machina that he planned on the character being asexual from the beginning but had waited for an organic moment to reveal it.[48] |
| Daryl Dixon | Norman Reedus | The Walking Dead | 2010-Present | Reedus stated that he reads the character as asexual.[49] |
| Drea | Lillian Carrier | Everything's Gonna Be Okay | 2020–present | Drea is a recurring autistic character who comes out as homoromantic asexual in the second season.[50] |
| Valentina "Voodoo" Dunacci | Kelly O'Sullivan | Sirens | 2014–2015 | She was the "focus of a major storyline" where she has a strong bond with Brian, who is not "asexual but is hopelessly in love with Val."[45] Even though Brian says she is his girlfriend, Valentina does not accept this officially. (The show was "willing to live in a gray area instead of forcing Val to change." As such, the series has been accused of treating her orientation as a "joke or as an obstacle";[23] while the character has won praise from others for being more than her sexuality.[51]) |
| Liv Flaherty | Isobel Steele | Emmerdale | 1972–Present | Liv has no attraction to men or women. (This is the first time that there has been an "asexuality storyline" in a soap opera.[52]) |
| Florence | Mirren Mack | Sex Education | 2019–Present | In the fourth episode of the second season, she is asked to play Juliet in a play, with Jean explaining to her what asexuality is, describing it as when "someone has no sexual attraction to any sex or gender," but that it is not the be-all, end-all of relationships.[53] |
| Ruby Hale | Dove Cameron | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | 2018 | Ruby Hale was introduced in season 5 of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as a villain. Although her sexuality was never explored in the TV show, Dove confirmed on Twitter that her character is asexual.[d] |
| Percival "Percy" King | Sandra Espinoza | Epithet Erased | 2019–Present | A police officer, she has a strict moral code and values order and safety. (The creator of the show, Brendan Blaber, confirmed that she is asexual and may also be aromantic.[54] He also said that while Percy is female and asexual, it was his "intention to leave everything beyond that point up to the viewer," adding that headcannons of fans that she is trans, non-binary, autistic, or anything else, is valid.[55]) |
| Greta Moreno | Haley Sanchez | Genera+ion | 2021– | Greta is homoromantic asexual.[56] |
| Kerry Mucklowe | Daisy May Cooper | This Country | 2017–2020 | In the sketch for Red Nose Day 2019, Cooper described the character as uninterested in dating and like "an asexual Smurf."[57] |
| Poppy | Zoe Jarman | Huge | 2010 | She is an ever-cheerful, fairy-like counselor, often very supportive and protective of both the girls she watches over.[45] She was once overweight and attended Camp Victory herself. |
| Purvis | Joshua Jackson | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | 2016 | He is a convenience store owner and Dawson's Creek fan resembling Pacey Witter who takes it upon himself to explain the ins and outs of virginity loss to Kimmy Schmidt and Dong, before revealing he dislikes the concept of sex and does not intend to ever have it himself.[58] |
| Raphael Santiago | David Castro | Shadowhunters | 2016–2019 | Raphael came out as asexual in the last episode of season 2.[44][59] |
| Sebastian, the Asexual Icon | Craig Kilborn | The Late Late Show | 1995-Present | (Though he was possibly the first depiction of an asexual character on television in 2003, the writers of Sebastian were likely unaware of the existence of asexuality.[45]) |
| Mike Smash | Paul Whitehouse | Harry Enfield's Television Programme | 1990–1998 | His orientation was stated in Smashie's Xmastastic Playlist.[60] |
| Gerald Tippett | Harry McNaughton | Shortland Street | 1992–Present | Introduced in 2007, Vox identified Gerald as the first "sincere" asexual character on television. Gerald's sexuality was discovered and explored over the course of several episodes.[45] |
| Varys | Conleth Hill | Game of Thrones | 2011–2019 | Lord Varys is a eunuch, but he states his asexuality predated his castration.[45] Other eunuchs in the series are sexually active. |
| Liam Wilhelmina | Ally Beardsley | Dimension 20: A Crown of Candy | 2020 | In episode 15, Liam Wilhelmina comes out to his father as asexual.[e] |
| Adrian Veidt | Jeremy Irons | Watchmen | 2019 | He was described as asexual by showrunner Damon Lindelof.[61] Also known as Ozymandias. |
Video games[]
| Characters | Series or Title | Year | Notes | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ibuki Mioda | Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair | 2012 | The "Ultimate Musician" of Hope's Peak Academy. In the game's "Free Time Events", the artificial intelligence recreation of Ibuki infers that she is asexual, although interested in strictly romantic relationships with both men and women. In the official art book Danganronpa Visual Fanbook, Ibuki's human self is confirmed to have been in an polyamorous romantic relationship with the other members of the Ultimate Despair organization prior to her memories being erased by the Future Foundation before the events of the new killing game. | Spike Chunsoft |
| Daud | Dishonored | Daud (voiced by Michael Madsen)—the leader of a group of assassins known as "the Whalers"—is described as "uninterested in sex". | Arkane Studios | |
| Maya | Borderlands 2 | Maya (voiced by Martha Harms)—described as asexual and romantically attracted in Kreig (while knowing nothing about romance).[62] | Gearbox Software | |
| Parvati Holcomb | The Outer Worlds | 2019 | Companion character who expresses professional and later romantic interest in the Chief engineer of the Colony Ship "Ground Breaker", Junlei, and is an asexual homoromantic. Narrative designer Kate Dollarhyde, an asexual woman who is also biromantic, was excited they were inheriting this character, saying she was glad to "bring that personal experience to the audience," making her character different from other companions.[63] | Obsidian Entertainment |
Webcomics, comics, and graphic novels[]
| Characters | Title | Years | Notes | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alix | Sex Criminals | 2013–Present | Alix is an asexual character introduced in issue #13. The story covers her experiences as a teenager feeling pressured to have sex, and how she feels alien without coming across as broken.[64] While other characters in the story are able to freeze time when they orgasm, Alix freezes time through the adrenaline rush of BASE jumping. | United States |
| Bo | Acception | 2015–present | This ongoing Dutch teen dramedy romance webcomic by Coco "Colourbee" Ouwerkerk,[65] who was inspired by "manga genres such as shojo and shounen," focuses on a rainbow-haired male protagonist named Arcus McCarthy, a high school student who faces some hostility for his appearance. The comic also features various LGBT characters.[66] This includes Bo, an asexual woman who comes out to Lola at a party.[67] | |
| Diane | Lumberjanes | 2014–Present | In issue #68, when Hes confesses her love for Diane, Diane says: "...I like you too. But I don't have any interest in kissing or junk like that" and has never had interest in kissing anyone.[68] On the following page, she still says she has romantic feelings toward Hes, but not sexual ones. | |
| Dionysus | The Wicked + The Divine | 2014–2019 | Dionysus is confirmed as asexual in issue 26 of the comic series.[69] | |
| Dylan Edwards | Nothing Wrong With Me: My Journey from Evangelical Christian to Asexual Trans Man | 2016 | Edwards shares the story of him coming out and discovering his sexuality and gender identity, looking back to when he began "distancing himself from his religion and tried to figure out his gender and sexual identity."[70] | |
| Emrys | Snug Orbit | 2013–Present | This autobiographical webcomic has "polyamorous queerplatonic relationship" with some episodes discussing the aromantic and asexual spectrum and "healthy relationships."[70] Specifically, Emrys is bigender, asexual aromantic. | |
| Jughead Jones | Archie | 1942–Present | In Jughead #4 in 2016,[71] a comic by Chip Zdarsky and Erica Henderson, Jughead was established as an asexual character,[28] with Zdarsky saying at the 2015 New York Comic Con that historically Jughead "has been portrayed as asexual. They just didn't have a label for it, so they just called him a woman-hater," even though he isn't a misogynist.[72] Zdarsky added that "asexuality is underrepresented," noting that since he is already asexual, he would "continue to write him that way," and said it is more interesting than "writing him as just being behind everyone developmentally."[73] | |
| Kai | Unknown Lands | 2015–Present | Most of the cast has a queer sexual identity,[74] including Kai, who is demisexual. In general, Unknown Lands has environmental, feminist, and LGBTQ+ themes.[75] | |
| Raphael Santiago | The Shadowhunter Chronicles | 2007–Present | In The Red Scrolls of Magic, a fey woman asks Raphael about his sexuality. He responds and says his sexuality is "not interested." Author Cassandra Clare confirmed his asexuality, but has rarely spoken about the subject.[76] | |
| Sabine | Sabine: An Asexual Coming-of-Age Story | 2020–Present | Sabine questions her existing sexual orientation at college and navigates relationships, learning about asexuality as part of her "personal journey."[77] | |
| Nadia van Dyne / Wasp | Marvel Comics | 2016–Present | In the second issue of The Unstoppable Wasp, by Jeremy Whitley and Elsa Charretier, Nadia expresses no interest in "making out behind a bleacher".[78] In the same issue, Edwin Jarvis asks if she's interested in "teenager stuff", such as kissing boys. She replies with "Ewwww", expressing disgust, and says she'll let Jarvis know when she starts "being more interested in kissing someone than quantum physics".[78] In 2020, writer Sam Maggs, the author of the novel "The Unstoppable Wasp: Built On Hope", confirmed during the YALLWEST Book Festival that Nadia van Dyne is in the asexual spectrum.[f] A few weeks after Maggs' statement, Whitley confirmed he indeed wrote Nadia as asexual in the comics,[g] but it never got to be discussed on-panel because the series got cut short, and he's "glad Sam is getting a chance to discuss it".[h] Both authors talked about it before Maggs wrote the book.[i] | |
| Gwendolyn "Gwen" Poole | 2015–Present | Throughout the solo series Unbelievable Gwenpool by Christopher Hastings, Gwen expresses no interest in physical relationships; while expressing apparent romantic interest in Quentin Quire in West Coast Avengers, Gwen informs the camera crew following the team that she only started their relationship as she felt a romantic plot would make her less of a supporting character in the metafictional narrative and thus less likely to die, having also considered establishing a romantic relationship with America Chavez,[79] clarifying in Gwenpool Strikes Back that while willing to engage in relationships, she has no interest in them. In Marvel Voices: Pride #1, Gwen is seen wearing the colour scheme of the asexual flag.[80] | ||
| Yelena Belova / Black Widow | 1995–Present | In an interview Yelena's creator, writer Devin K. Grayson confirmed her asexuality when stating "Yelena is... probably more likely to identify as asexual than to follow Nat’s romantic path".[81] Additionally in her solo series titled Black Widow: Pale Little Spider Yelena is asked by another character whether or not she identifies as a lesbian and Yelena responds by stating "No I'm not a lesbian, I'm not anything". | ||
| Courtney Wirthit | Confessions of a Demisexual | 2018 | This memoir comic, by Courtney Wirthit, describes demisexuality as part of the "in-between or gray area of allosexual and asexual" while elaborating on the "joys and challenges of being demisexual."[70] |
See also[]
- Timeline of asexual history
- List of fictional polyamorous characters
- List of animated series with LGBTQ characters
- List of comedy television series with LGBT characters
- List of dramatic television series with LGBT characters: 1970s–2000s
- List of dramatic television series with LGBT characters: 2010s
Notes[]
- ^ Book 2 of The Dream War saga.
- ^ The books in this series are: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (2017), The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (2018), The Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky (2019), and The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks (2020).
- ^ At an Asexuality in YA panel at a 2017 conference, Nijkamp said that her editor was fine with Corey's asexuality being integral to the story
- ^ Cameron confirmed this in an October 2020 tweet
- ^ The official account of this show shared a quote from that episode, where Wilhelmina says "Can I just tell you right now? I'm asexual."
- ^ Maggs confirmed this in July 2020 in a YALLWEST Book Festival livestream
- ^ Whitley confirmed in June 2020 he "made the decision to write Nadia as ace" and was transparent about it
- ^ He also confirmed this in June 2020.
- ^ Whitley wrote that it was something Sam and he "talked about before she wrote the book."