There is still a long way to go before games have more asexual characters, but these awesome characters are here and happy to be queer.
Being ace, which stands for “asexual,” means that a person doesn’t feel sexual attraction or feels it based on something other than physical traits. For example, demisexual people don’t feel sexual attraction until they have made an emotional bond with someone. This is one of the less well-known LGBTQ+ orientations that is slowly becoming more noticeable, and it’s not without representation.
Ace figures have been in a lot of games over the years, from big-budget AAA games to small, independent gems. Asexuality that has been officially recognized is still pretty new, but ace coded people in video games have been around for a long time. Find examples of representations that aren’t sexual and play some new games at the same time.
Caspar von Bergliez – Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Even though it’s not official, Caspar’s support chats and storyline dialogue in Fire Emblem: Three Houses make it clear that he is very demisexual and aromantic. Most of the time, he doesn’t pick up on sexual themes. For example, in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Linhardt tells him that the Silver Maiden was named after a virgin. Some characters will also say that he won’t be able to tell which ones are sweet.
He has two endings with children, but in his last support with Dorothea, he says outright that he’s not interested in relationships, but he is interested in making bonds that last a lifetime. That’s how most of his ends with other people go.
Maya – Borderlands
Borderlands likes to go against what people expect and do its own thing, so it makes sense that there were more characters in Borderlands 2 and 3. Author of the games Anthony Burch revealed Maya’s asexuality on his Ask.fm page. Her actions in Borderlands 2 were the first thing that made people think she was gay.
One of the first things that made fans wonder was that she didn’t have as much suggestive or raunchy speech as other characters. In the asexual community, she’s a great example of an ace who likes to wear makeup and showing clothes. Some fans, including Burch himself, had a hard time putting the two together, which shows how important her character is.
Daud – Dishonored
In the sequel, Daud from Dishonored is called “ace” because he is a killer and thief. In Dishonored 2, you can find a book called The Knife of Dunwall, which is named after his alter ego. It makes it very clear that he has never been interested in sex. Harvey Smith, who helped make the show, also confirmed Daud’s asexuality on social media to back it up.
Daud has had a hard life and caused a lot of trouble as an enemy in the main game who became the main character in the DLC. Most people feel sorry for him, even though he has only admitted guilt for the worst things he has done. But having ace figures with questionable morals is part of being fully shown as flawed, whole people in our own right.
Adrian Clarke – Ace in Space
Because Adrian has cancer, this game deals with some pretty heavy topics. The full list of trigger warnings can be found on the website for Cadaver Carnival Studios. But this dating sim video game has a lot of cute and charming parts that you’ll enjoy. Not to mention that you play a great major character.
In some games, you might have an asexual love interest, but in a dating sim, making the main character ace is a big step forward. Because it came out while the two-person company worked on a bigger project, Eggy Car is a little rough around the edges, but that doesn’t take away from the interesting characters or Adrian’s honest queer point of view.
Dusa – Hades
As Prince Zagreus, you can go after all of the possible relationships in Hades at the same time. Sometimes, your different partners will even tell each other that you’re seeing someone else. It shows how to communicate well in a relationship, but Dusa stands out for how well she expresses herself. But not in that way. When he asks, she will tell him that she loves him.
Some alloromantic and allosexual people (those who do feel these types of love) felt cheated because she told them too late in the relationship. But that shows how important this image is. This close friendship between Zagreus and Dusa doesn’t change the fact that they are happy with it.
Parvati Holcomb – The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds brought a lot of the nostalgic parts of role-playing games (RPGs) into the modern era. This made it easier to enjoy a nostalgic experience without giving up all the fun new features in games. They are both a part of Parvati. She is the canon companion, which means you don’t have to hire her. She is also a confirmed ace who has her own crush.
Because not being sexual doesn’t mean you don’t want to date. It’s good for everyone when media stories about ace people have more depth. It’s not the most exciting task in The Outer Worlds to help Parvati and Junlei find a partner, but it is the cutest.
Manami – A Year of Springs
A Year of Springs is part of a cozy visual novel series with more than one ending. It has three characters, each of whom has their own problems. Erika is bisexual, Haru is a gay trans woman, and Manami doesn’t know what she’s like until she reads Spring Leaves No Flowers. Each plot deals with real problems that people with these names have to deal with.
Even better, it shows that we can all understand each other even if our experiences are different. It’s normal for trans people to wish they had love and sexual feelings like everyone else. Haru says she used to feel the same way about being trans. It’s great that they are both getting better because they went through the same thing.
Rohan – When Aster Falls
Aster is the stylish succubus whose job it is to charm Rohan. But she’s tired and worn out, and Rohan is a fiery ace who tells it like it is. One thing you love most about Rohan is that she’s not the typical shy, nervous ace character.
He can make sex jokes just as well as anyone else, because he doesn’t have to think about what most people already know. She really helps round out the idea of ace people in games because she isn’t straight or a worried introvert. What ace people can be! It’s just one choice among many.
Fin – The Suburb: Not Just Dinner
This itch.io horror game was made for the very first Ace Jam in 2018. It’s full of funny jokes and over-the-top bad guys. The non-binary panromantic ace person Fin gets stuck in the house of the Straights. They use they/them names. The creepy couple doesn’t wait long to show how racist they are, but Fin’s amazing sass takes center stage.
This silly puzzle/horror RPG is less stressful when you use in-game tips and read the content warnings before you play. You can check the io game page to see if it’s okay for you to play. Fin is a great main character who has just the right amount of gay vibes and funny ways to deal with things. The game is great just because of Fin.
