13 Best LGBT Sci-fi Characters on TV and in Films

Across the celluloid galaxy, science fiction showrunners and directors have long since incorporated compelling LGBT characters who are defined not by their sexual orientation or identification, but by their (shock!) personality. Even as modern society still struggles to come to terms with the fact that transgender people want to go to the bathroom where they’re most comfortable, science fiction blazes a path of equality that’s based not on your gender identity, but by how freaking awesome you are. From films to TV (and even a video game or two), here are some of the best-crafted LGBT characters who’ve ever graced our screens.

13. Ellie

One of the main characters from smash hit video game The Last of Us, Ellie is the emotional core of the original title. In that epic adventure, her sexual preferences don’t come up much because she’s a tween, but in the game’s DLC, Left Behind — which takes place a few years later — audiences get some insight into her romantic leanings when she shares a brief, but tender kiss with her pal Riley.