9 Famous Video Game Characters You Didn't Know Were Gay

5. Zangief (Street Fighter)

Without doubt the most speculative entry on this list, Zangief's sexuality has long been the topic of debate among Street Fighter fans. Capcom has generally avoided making statements about the sexual preferences of its characters, but there are hints that the macho, burly wrestler Zangief - the epitome of macho masculinity in the 90s - may be gay. This is hinted at it through small passages of text throughout the series. Zangief's profile, for example, states that he dislikes "beautiful young women", which could mean that he simply prefers older, uglier ones of course, or that men are more his thing. Exhibit B is in the Japanese (i.e. original) version of Street Fighter Alpha 3, where Zangief says to Ryu, "I don't like projectiles, but I like you personally". Finally, there is the picture of Zangief flexing his guns in the mirror while looking at a picture of androgynous pretty-boy Vega. Capcom has neither confirmed nor denied the suggestions, possibly in order not to alienate its audiences either way. It's quite possible that because all these gay hints were conceived in the 90s, Capcom maybe treated them as mere 'gay jokes', not anticipating the rise of the internet and the subsequent fact that Zangief's sexuality would become so much of a talking point in the Street Fighter online community.