10 Kids Cartoons Featuring LGBTQ+ Characters

3. She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power

The Legend Of Korra
Netflix

Creator Noelle Stevenson is no stranger to queer representation in her works, with Eisner Award nominated webcomic (to be turned into a movie) Nimona featuring romantic tension between its major villain and his nemesis hero, so there was a lot hinting that this would be much the same in her modern Netflix adaptation of the classic cartoon She-Ra.

The new title, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, is a fun and colourful romp for kids, yet surprisingly deep and nuanced in its world-building and storytelling in ways that haven't been seen since Avatar: The Last Airbender, with the complex relationship of love yet clashing ideologies between hero Adora and villain Catra forming the solid central conflict.

It's also overtly playing off gender stereotypes in a way that does the original series proud, with the added bonus of casually dropped queer couples and characters such as princesses Netossa and Spinnerella, as well as Bow, one of the three protagonists and one of Adora's best friends, having two dads, and openly crushing on characters such as swashbuckling pirate captain Sea Hawk.

The Season 1 finale rainbow that forms when all the princesses of power come together isn't at all subtle, either.

Contributor
Contributor

Writer, artist, professional animator. Indie comics and Hi Nay podcast creator. Queer Filipino storyteller || @MotzieD on Twitter || Originally from Quezon City, The Philippines. Currently based in Toronto, Canada || motziedapul.com || hinaypod.com