Given the importance of representing all genres in media – allowing audiences to see themselves and their experiences on screen – it is only right that LGBTQ+ representation expand beyond shows that deal with everyday life and include science fiction and fantasy.
Whether you want an escape, give LGBTQ+ viewers a chance to see someone like them experience the wonders of science fiction and fairy tales, or express familiar circumstances, no matter where, the surge in sci-fi and fantasy shows with major LGBTQ+ characters can only enrich the wonderful world of the show.
Updated May 26, 2022 by Stacie Rook: With new shows booming with major LGBTQ+ characters — like Heartstopper and Our Flag Means Death — the importance of good acting has never been more clear. For viewers who crave such otherworldly twists of stories, there are many science fiction and fantasy series to offer.
Astrid and Lily Save the World (2022-)
Stream on FuboTV and DIRECTV
Balancing comedy with supernatural, Astrid and Lily Save the World The honorary high school best friends suddenly need to become heroes after they accidentally open a portal to a dimension of monsters. The pair’s subsequent adventures deal with the dangers of not only these monsters but also the lives of teens.
Astrid and Lilywho has only had one season so far, has been compared favorably buffalo, But It also has its own unique style. The protagonist Lily is LGBTQ+, and she also has two mothers. When she’s not fighting monsters, one of her stories includes a budding romance with ex-boyfriend Candice turned foe friend.
Owl House (2020-)
Stream on Disney+
Disney animated series owl house Focuses on Luz Noceda, a human Latin teenager who is accidentally transported to Boiling Isles, located in another magical world. There she meets the witch, Ida, and becomes her student.
owl house She is best known for starring in Disney’s first bisexual major character in Luz, as well as in her subsequent romance with Amity, a lesbian teenage witch. The show also received acclaim due to its beautiful animation and great voice acting.
Sailor Moon (1992-1997)
Stream on Hulu
English dubbing of 90’s anime sailor moon It was so heavily modified that it removed all traces of LGBTQ+ personalities and their relationships, including those between Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus. But in its original form, the show, which follows a team of teens with a transformed magical self who work to save Earth from threats, has a diverse cast of characters.
Although her North American censorship meant it sailor moon Not always mentioned as one of the best LGBTQ+ anime series, the romance between Neptune and Uranus is one of the show’s biggest strengths, as is the way the friendships between the other main characters are portrayed.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Stream on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and the Roku Channel
Buffy the Vampire Slayer He was a major player in pop culture in the 1990s. She follows protagonist Buffy Summers as she becomes an assassin, and works with her best friends Willow and Xander to battle vampires and other enemies he encounters.
One of the show’s most progressive storylines is the romance between Willow and fellow witch Tara, which was lauded at air time as a milestone for lesbian representation. However, Tara’s death later on the show faced a huge backlash and as a result, some fans remember the show with mixed feelings.
Sense8 (2015-2018)
Stream on Netflix
Netflix Original Series feeling 8 It is a science fiction show centered on a group of eight people who suddenly find themselves telepathically connected, able to communicate and share their knowledge and feelings with one another.
The show sees the group, known as the Sensors, exploring their relationship and searching for answers, while they are pursued by an organization that would do them harm. The series has many LGBTQ+ characters, but two of the most notable are Lito and Nomi, who is a gay man and a lesbian transgender woman, respectively, and the series takes time to delve into their identities.
Marvel’s Runaways (2017-2019)
Stream on Disney+ and Hulu
After it is revealed that their parents are caught up in the nefarious dealings of the Pride criminal organization, fugitives He sees a group of teens with superhuman strength banding together in order to eliminate them. While her characters don’t appear in any other Marvel shows, fugitives It does not share continuity with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In terms of representation, two of fugitives They themselves are LGBTQ +. Carolina Dean is a half-human, half-alien heroine who embraces her identity as a lesbian in season one. She is also joined by her friend (and later girlfriend) Nico Minoru, a bisexual Wikiman with powerful magical powers.
Dark Matter (2015-2017)
Stream on Netflix
dark matter It opens on a spacecraft where the crew wakes up from the slump without remembering their identities. They take the names of the numbers from one to six, following the order in which they regained consciousness, and set out to discover their identities and what they were all doing on the plane.
Although a lot of dark matterThe plot of the series doesn’t focus heavily on romance, as one of the show’s main characters, the captain of the ship’s crew, two, is revealed to be bisexual in a later story that sheds new light on its early history.
The Lost Girl (2010-2015)
Stream on CW and CW Seeds
Canadian Supernatural Show lost girl It follows a succubus named Poe. A type of Fae raised by humans, the series begins with Poe searching for answers about her heritage and seeking to control her destructive powers as she comes into contact with the fae community for the first time.
Bo is a bisexual protagonist and has great love affairs with co-worker Faye Dyson, as well as a human doctor, Lauren, who is a lesbian. In addition to the later cast, Tamsin, is also bisexual, as is sometimes his villain and later ally, Vex.
Winona Earp (2016-2021)
Stream on Netflix
Telling the story of the legendary granddaughter of Wyatt Earp, the titular Wynonna Earp returns to her hometown of Purgatory after inheriting the ability to send Revenants – the outlaws killed by Wyatt – to Hell. With a great team around, she works to break the curse that keeps the Revenants back.
Winona Waverley’s sister is always there to help her and gradually accepts her bisexuality after meeting the Lesbian Vice Mayor, Nicole Hutt. The sweet, gradual relationship between the two was praised by viewers, as was the introduction of Jeremy Shetri, a gay scientist helping the team in season two.
Legends of Tomorrow in the Capital (2016-2022)
Stream on Netflix
Recruited by Rip Hunter to time travel aboard the Waverider, Arrowverse Show legends of tomorrow It follows a group of heroes (and sometimes villains) who fight against threats and keep time. Best offers like legends of tomorrow It reflects her funny and comedic adventure experience, which mimics the fun of comic books.
With a huge cast of characters that have changed over the seasons, MuchThe strong LGBTQ+ representation has remained consistent, with bisexual superhero Sarah Lance being the all-time champion. She’s joined across the series by other LGBTQ+ heroes John Constantine, Ava Sharpe, and Charlie, to name a few.
Shadowhunters (2016-2019)
Stream on Hulu, FuboTV, and Freeform
Based on the hugely popular YA book series mortal instruments by Cassandra Clare, Shadow hunters is an urban fantasy series set in New York. It tells the story of Clary Fry, a shadow hunter (a human-angel hybrid) with the ability to fight demons, who is unaware of her heritage until her eighteenth birthday, and those she meets in this new part of her life.
One of the best relationships in Shadow hunters Between gay Shadowhunter, Alec Lightwood, and bisexual Warlock, Magnus Bane, with stories running throughout the show. It also introduces the asexual vampire Raphael.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018-2020)
Stream on Netflix
animated show She-Ra and the Princesses of Power He sees the teenage soldier Adora finds a magical sword and takes on the mantle of the hero She-Ra. By doing so, she realizes the mistakes of The Horde, the establishment that raised her, and leaves her best friend Katra behind to join the rebellion.
A lot of Shi raThe conflict between Catra and Adora comes from the complex relationship between Catra and Adora, and the two have been heralded as one of the best LGBTQ+ couples from western animation. The pair are far from the only LGBTQ+ characters in the series, despite their extensive casting including the romance between Princess Perfuma and Horde Captain Scorpia, as well as a non-binary Double-Trouble, with several others complimenting the cast.
Umbrella Academy (2019-)
Stream on Netflix
There have been many Reddit theories about Umbrella Academy The third season, slated for release in June 2022, but the first two seasons of the show introduced the Hargreeves family, who adopt superheroes who reunite as adults after their father’s death to solve their mystery, while also trying to prevent the looming apocalypse.
Two Hargreaves siblings brag about each other Umbrella AcademyKlaus and Victor’s coolest powers are both LGBTQ+ and have storylines that explore each other’s identities, though time travel issues certainly complicate matters.
Jolly and the Phantoms (2020)
Stream on Netflix
Julie and the phantom It is a teenage musical show that follows Julie Molina, a musician who struggles with creativity after losing her mother. After the ghosts of a boy band from the ’90s are mistakenly summoned to help her, they are cast in a series with plenty of dramatic and comedic moments.
The Phantoms drummer, Alex is revealed to be gay in the series’ second episode, in a carefree moment that feels fresh. He later meets Alex and develops feelings for a fellow ghost, a skateboarder named Willie.
Loki (2021-)
Stream on Disney+
Explore the fate of the trickster god after the events of Avengers: EndgameMCU Disney+ sees this captured Loki by an organization called TVA, dedicated to preserving the sacred timeline of the universe.
loki He asserts that the titular character is bisexual while also noting the fluidity of his gender, and while these aspects of his personality are not fully explored, it’s a step in the right direction toward expanding much-needed LGBTQ+ representation in the MCU.
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