# List of non-binary characters in animation
Non-binary characters in animation are animated fictional characters who identify outside the gender binary, including identities described as non-binary, agender, bigender, genderfluid, or genderqueer, or who belong to a third gender. Such characters appear most often in animated television series for children and in anime, and their status ranges from explicit on-screen confirmation to confirmation by creators outside the work itself.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Earliest widely cited canon example | Stevonnie, a fusion of Steven and Connie, introduced in *Steven Universe* in 2015 in the episode "Alone Together"[1](https://www.ala.org/rrt/bibliographies/nonbinary) |
| Voice casting practice | Non-binary characters are often voiced by non-binary actors, such as Avi Roque as Raine Whispers in *The Owl House* and Shep in *Steven Universe Future*[1](https://www.ala.org/rrt/bibliographies/nonbinary) • [2](https://www.revfono.uchile.cl/index.php/RCDF/article/download/80331/80582/327911) |
| Confirmation methods | Some characters are confirmed non-binary only off-screen by writers, such as Kazi in *The Dragon Prince* and Asher, while others use they/them pronouns on screen[3](https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/498747/Topolova_Anna.pdf) |
| Species-based genderlessness | Alien or artificial characters, such as the Gems of *Steven Universe* and the robot BMO in *Adventure Time*, account for a large share of non-binary or gender-ambiguous animated characters[1](https://www.ala.org/rrt/bibliographies/nonbinary) • [3](https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/498747/Topolova_Anna.pdf) |
| Recent children's TV examples | *We Baby Bears* introduced two they/them characters, Box and Pirate Parrot Polly, in the June 2023 episode "Polly's New Crew"[4](https://mombian.com/2023/06/17/cartoon-networks-we-baby-bears-features-two-nonbinary-characters/) |
| Industry counts | GLAAD's 2024–2025 *Where We Are on TV* report counted 33 transgender characters on television, of which two were non-binary[5](https://apnews.com/article/153f383bc27b0e6f0b17284b783e8556) |
## Notable characters in Western children's animation
**Steven Universe** is the most frequently cited series in discussions of non-binary representation in animation. The character Stevonnie, a fusion of Steven and his friend Connie, was introduced in 2015 in the episode "Alone Together" and makes occasional appearances through the series, the *Steven Universe Future* limited series, the *Steven Universe: Save the Light* video game, and a 2020 comic[1](https://www.ala.org/rrt/bibliographies/nonbinary). Many of the show's sentient Gems are also read as non-binary, since they belong to an alien species without human gender categories[1](https://www.ala.org/rrt/bibliographies/nonbinary). The 2019 epilogue miniseries *Steven Universe Future* introduced Shep, described in scholarly commentary as the only human in the franchise who uses nonbinary pronouns exclusively[2](https://www.revfono.uchile.cl/index.php/RCDF/article/download/80331/80582/327911).
**The Owl House** features Raine Whispers, a character who uses "they" pronouns and is voiced by the trans and non-binary actor Avi Roque[1](https://www.ala.org/rrt/bibliographies/nonbinary). A survey of recent children's animation also lists Double Trouble on *She-Ra and the Princesses of Power*, Tai on *Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur*, Ember on *Eureka!*, [The Collector](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-collector) and Masha on *The Owl House*, Angel Jose on *Craig of the Creek*, Nightshade on *Transformers: EarthSpark*, and Lake Ripple in the film *Elemental* among current and recent non-binary characters[4](https://mombian.com/2023/06/17/cartoon-networks-we-baby-bears-features-two-nonbinary-characters/).
**We Baby Bears** added two non-binary characters in a single episode. In "Polly's New Crew," which aired on [Cartoon Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/cartoon-network) in June 2023, Baby Panda introduces Box by saying "They use they/them pronouns," and Captain Polly replies, "I use they/them pronouns as well." The show's team told GLAAD that the representation was inspired by non-binary production crew members[4](https://mombian.com/2023/06/17/cartoon-networks-we-baby-bears-features-two-nonbinary-characters/).
**Danger & Eggs** includes the minor characters Milo and Sweet, who are nonbinary; Milo is played by the agender voice actor Tyler Ford and Sweet by the nonbinary comedian RB Butcher[6](https://nonbinary.wiki/index.php?mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop&title=Nonbinary_gender_in_fiction).
## Anime and gender ambiguity
Japanese animation approaches non-binary and gender-ambiguous characters differently, often through androgyny and gender ambiguity as established tropes, which American fans reinterpret through their own frameworks of gender identity[7](https://openurl.ebsco.com/contentitem/doi%3A10.1080%2F14680777.2021.1959371?id=ebsco%3Adoi%3A10.1080%2F14680777.2021.1959371&sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Acrawler).
In the game and anime *Gnosia*, the characters Raqio and Setsu both identify as agender[6](https://nonbinary.wiki/index.php?mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop&title=Nonbinary_gender_in_fiction). In *Knights of Sidonia* (2014), the character Izana is examined by researcher Roger Andre Sørøa as a posthumanist example, though the narrative has Izana take a woman's form upon falling in love with a male character, which the analysis reads as reinstating traditional gender roles[2](https://www.revfono.uchile.cl/index.php/RCDF/article/download/80331/80582/327911).
Some anime characters occupy an adjacent category of undisclosed gender rather than confirmed non-binary identity. *Attack on Titan*'s Hange Zoë is one: series creator [Hajime Isayama](https://www.edgepedia.org/hajime-isayama) requested that the publisher putting out the English version keep gendered pronouns out of references to Hange, or failing that, alternate between he and she at an even rate[8](https://nonbinary.wiki/index.php?mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile&title=Undisclosed_gender_in_fiction).
## How confirmation happens
The status of a character as non-binary rests on different kinds of evidence, and the distinction matters for counting and criticism:
- **On-screen confirmation.** [Characters](https://www.edgepedia.org/characters) such as Box and Polly in *We Baby Bears* state or use they/them pronouns within the episode itself[4](https://mombian.com/2023/06/17/cartoon-networks-we-baby-bears-features-two-nonbinary-characters/).
- **Off-screen confirmation.** Kazi, a Sunfire Elf in *[The Dragon Prince](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-dragon-prince)*, and Asher are confirmed to be non-binary by the writers only outside the show, and their gender identities are not addressed within it[3](https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/498747/Topolova_Anna.pdf).
- **Species or design ambiguity.** BMO, the robot console in *Adventure Time*, uses both he/him and she/her pronouns, which analysts read as indicating gender fluidity; scholars note the series never assigns BMO a fixed gender, alternating between masculine and feminine address across scenes[3](https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/498747/Topolova_Anna.pdf) • [2](https://www.revfono.uchile.cl/index.php/RCDF/article/download/80331/80582/327911). The character Zoit belongs to a species that has no gender identity or biological sex until age 13, when members choose for themselves[1](https://www.ala.org/rrt/bibliographies/nonbinary).
## Representation patterns and criticism
A recurring pattern in the field is that many non-binary animated characters are non-human. Commentators on *Steven Universe* note that the main series' non-binary characters are members of an alien species without gender, while its human non-binary character, Shep, appears only in the sequel series with limited screen time[2](https://www.revfono.uchile.cl/index.php/RCDF/article/download/80331/80582/327911). Critics have also raised concerns about the roles given to such characters: Double Trouble in *She-Ra and the Princesses of Power* has been criticized by some fans for presenting the series' only non-binary character as deceitful, evil, and non-human[9](https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/glare/from-cinderella-to-steven-universe-how-language-has-shaped-trans-and-genderqueer-representation-in-animation-across-the-last-century/).
Casting practice has moved toward hiring non-binary performers for non-binary roles. Besides Avi Roque as Raine Whispers, Shep is voiced by a nonbinary actor, a pairing noted in research on voice acting for non-binary characters[1](https://www.ala.org/rrt/bibliographies/nonbinary) • [2](https://www.revfono.uchile.cl/index.php/RCDF/article/download/80331/80582/327911).
## By the numbers
Quantified tracking of non-binary characters specifically remains limited because samples are small; the Geena Davis Institute's 2025 children's television report states that due to a small sample size it does not include nonbinary characters in its gender analysis[10](https://geenadavisinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/GDIs-2025-Childrens-TV-Report_Record-Number-of-Female-Leads-in-New-Shows.pdf). The institute's broader gender findings provide context: in new children's programming, animated characters went from 36.5% female in 2018 to 42.8% female in 2024, then fell to 40.6% in 2025, the lowest share since 2020[10](https://geenadavisinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/GDIs-2025-Childrens-TV-Report_Record-Number-of-Female-Leads-in-New-Shows.pdf) • [11](https://geenadavisinstitute.org/research/childrens-tv-representation-report-2026/).
GLAAD's annual television tracking counts non-binary characters within its transgender totals. Its 2024–2025 *Where We Are on TV* report counted 33 transgender characters on scripted prime-time broadcast, cable, and streaming shows, comprising 24 trans women, seven trans men, and two nonbinary characters[5](https://apnews.com/article/153f383bc27b0e6f0b17284b783e8556). Independent databases track the category differently; one thesis on non-binary representation cites LezWatch.TV, a database of queer female, non-binary, and transgender TV characters, as listing 63 non-binary characters[3](https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/498747/Topolova_Anna.pdf).
## References
1. [Nonbinary Gender Identities in Media: An Annotated Bibliography, ALA Rainbow Roundtable](https://www.ala.org/rrt/bibliographies/nonbinary)
2. [A Critical Approach to Voice Acting for the Creative and Interpretive Processes of Non-Binary Characters, Revista de Fonología Iberoamericana (Universidad de Chile)](https://www.revfono.uchile.cl/index.php/RCDF/article/download/80331/80582/327911)
3. [Topolova, Anna. Representation of Non-Binary Characters in Animation (thesis), Theseus](https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/498747/Topolova_Anna.pdf)
4. [Cartoon Network's "We Baby Bears" Features Two Nonbinary Characters, Mombian (June 17, 2023)](https://mombian.com/2023/06/17/cartoon-networks-we-baby-bears-features-two-nonbinary-characters/)
5. [LGBTQ+ representation on primetime TV grows, Associated Press (November 6, 2025)](https://apnews.com/article/153f383bc27b0e6f0b17284b783e8556)
6. [Nonbinary gender in fiction, Nonbinary Wiki](https://nonbinary.wiki/index.php?mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop&title=Nonbinary_gender_in_fiction)
7. [Clyde, Deirdre (2021). Flying on borrowed feathers: identity formation among gender-variant anime fans in the U.S., Feminist Media Studies](https://openurl.ebsco.com/contentitem/doi%3A10.1080%2F14680777.2021.1959371?id=ebsco%3Adoi%3A10.1080%2F14680777.2021.1959371&sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Acrawler)
8. [Undisclosed gender in fiction, Nonbinary Wiki](https://nonbinary.wiki/index.php?mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile&title=Undisclosed_gender_in_fiction)
9. [From Cinderella to Steven Universe: How language has shaped Trans+ and Genderqueer representation in animation, GLARe, Lancaster University](https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/glare/from-cinderella-to-steven-universe-how-language-has-shaped-trans-and-genderqueer-representation-in-animation-across-the-last-century/)
10. [GDI's 2025 Children's TV Report, Geena Davis Institute](https://geenadavisinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/GDIs-2025-Childrens-TV-Report_Record-Number-of-Female-Leads-in-New-Shows.pdf)
11. [GDI's 2026 Report on Children's TV Representation, Geena Davis Institute](https://geenadavisinstitute.org/research/childrens-tv-representation-report-2026/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Film characters and fictional worlds › Animated television characters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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