Our Favorite Queer Characters on SFF TV Shows

Western meets fantasy meets horror in Wynonna Earp, a series which is in my top three favorite TV shows of all time. And while there are so many things that make this show incredible, Waverly Earp (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) and Nicole Haught (Katherine Barrell) are a big part of the draw.

Waverly is the protagonist's little sister, a cheerful little know-it-all that brings some sunshine to some pretty dark stories. Nicole is a local officer who will do anything to keep her town—and her loved ones—safe.

WayHaught is not only some top-notch representation of women loving women (WLW), but it is probably one of the most romantic (and steamy) ships on TV.

Waverly previously identified as bisexual on the series, but in the most recent follow-up film clarified that she feels more comfortable with the label of pansexual. Meanwhile, Nicole is a proud lesbian.

The series follows Wynonna Earp (Melanie Scrofano), the rough-around-the-edges heir not only to legendary gunslinger Wyatt Earp's legacy, but to a nasty family curse. With her magic gun and ragtag group of friends, Wynonna must put down all of the revenants trapped in the town of Purgatory.

Special shout out to the character of Jeremy Chetri (Varun Saranga), who is another gay character and vital part of the team.

Klaus Hargreeves (Robert Sheehan) is one of seven remarkable children adopted by eccentric billionaire Reginald Hargreeves. This odd little family was turned into a superhero team—though lets be honest, they often make situations much, much worse.

Also known as Number Four, Klaus has the power to commune with the dead. Naturally such a gloomy power—and fraught back story—leads to a pretty destructive addiction to drugs.

Still, Klaus manages to be a primary source of laughs in the series, with his chaos and flamboyance leading to some of the most quotable lines of all time. He's an insightful, moody disaster and it's nearly impossible not to be endeared to him.

While The Umbrella Academy never explicitly puts a label on Klaus's sexuality, he is portrayed as having been in relationships with men and women.

An honorary mention to Viktor Hargreeves (Elliot Page), who is a trans man who transitioned over the course of the show as his actor went through his own journey of discovery.

Camina Drummer is another character whose label is not explicitly stated on screen, but she is portrayed as being married to several men and women—simultaneously. The actor that portrays her, Cara Gee, has stated that Camina is a part of a "queer poly family."

She's introduced in the series as a Belter who serves as the Assistant Director of the Tycho Station, but over time she certainly comes into her power.

I love Camina for her pragmatism. She knows exactly what she stands for, but she's not above making difficult decisions and compromises, like collaborating with an enemy in a time of need.

She may have a few walls up—and a pretty formidable temper—but she's a deeply loyal woman with admirable integrity.

The Expanse is set in the future amidst a solar system colonized by humanity. After a rich political activist goes missing, a UN Security Council member, cynical detective, and ship captain are thrown together at the center of a conspiracy which threatens the tenuous peace of the solar system.

Sense8 is about a group of people scattered around the world who find themselves with a sudden mental link. This strange ability is a blessing and a gift, as while it gives them a sense of community and the ability to trade knowledge and skills, it also means that they are being brutally hunted down by a group known as the Biologic Preservation Organization.

Nomi Marks (Jamie Clayton) is one of the sensates, a political blogger and hacktivist out of San Francisco. While she has a sweet and soft exterior, Nomi has a great well of strength and determination.

Nomi's girlfriend, Amanita, works in a bookstore. Free-spirited and open-minded, Amanita is all about embracing identities and intersectionality.

But Amanita certainly won't stand for anyone coming for the woman she loves. Her steely bravery shines through in her efforts to keep her love out of harms way.

Nomi's trans identity is central to her character. It's heavily implied that Nomi is a lesbian (she never expresses attraction to anyone outside of Amanita, and is quoted as saying “I would never go straight”) and Amanita is bisexual (her hair is dyed to reflect the bisexual flag), though the show's co-creator Lana Wachowski believes all of the sensates are pansexual.

A couple so iconic I have a framed picture of them in my home!

Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) is an immortal (thanks to a little bit of a cosmic snafu) human originally from the 51st century. He first appeared as a Time Agent turned con artist in Doctor Who, but went on to run the Torchwood organization in 21st century Cardiff, Wales in his own series.

Ianto Jones (Gareth David Lloyd) is a Welsh local who once worked for Torchwood London but transferred to the Cardiff branch after a Cybermen incident. He starts out as the office boy, fetching the team tea and generally cleaning up their messes.

It's a great hook for a killer romance: Jack, the charismatic man of mystery that everyone wants, can't resist the near-invisible, tight-laced Ianto. As Ianto gets more playful and mischievous, Jack allows himself to get ever-so-slightly more vulnerable.

I swoon.

Jack is described as omnisexual—a sexuality which encompasses not only all genders, but all species.

Ianto has been portrayed as having relationships with women in addition to Jack, and while he's quoted in season three as saying, “It’s not men, it’s just him. It’s only him,” he is described as bisexual in material outside of the television show.

Honestly, I can't think of a single character on the main team that doesn't have at least one queer moment…

Torchwood follows members of a secret organization—"outside the government, beyond the police"—dedicated to protecting the Earth from alien threats. Season three is perhaps the best storytelling I've ever seen on TV.

Spooner (Lisseth Chavez) is a character with a wealth of interesting things about her.

Born in Texas in the early 20th century, Spooner gained powers after absorbing the Fountain of Imperium. Since then, she has a range of telepathic powers that help her detect the presence of and communicate with aliens.

She also happens to be the first asexual superhero on TV!

In season seven of Legends of Tomorrow, Spooner expresses that she feels broken because she doesn't experience attraction to men or women—a feeling not uncommon to those in the community. But when her teammate, Zari (Tala Ashe), explains the concept of asexuality, Spooner is able to identify with a label that doesn't make her feel so alone.

Legends of Tomorrow is a DC superhero show set in the Arrowverse. It follows a group of oddball time-traveling heroes who must not only save the Earth, but time itself.

There's no TV show in the world more formative for me than Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The show follows the titular Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a teenage girl chosen to bear remarkable strength to defeat supernatural forces of evil. With the help of her friends, she must stop a myriad of apocalypses—all while balancing the typical woes of adolescence.

One of Buffy's friends is Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan). Though she starts off on the show as a meek, stereotypical nerd, Willow's curiosity and intelligence helps her grow into an incredibly powerful witch.

Through her exploration of magic, Willow meets Tara Maclay (Amber Benson). Though Tara is nervous and shy, she poses some of the deepest wisdom of anyone on the show, and she's a talented witch in her own right.

Both Willow and Tara identify as lesbians, and though their love story didn't always run smooth, it was one for the books. At the time that Buffy was on TV, their sapphic romance was groundbreaking.

Willow and Tara were the first recurring lesbian couple on American primetime television. While this pairing may have contributed to a not so great queer trope (no spoilers, but if you know, you know), it also portrayed both domesticity and sexual passion—and all without requiring the lesbian representation to be saintly.

Bo Dennis (Anna Silk) is a succubus. She's also a raging bisexual!

Bo survives off of sexual energy, and while making her bisexual could easily go wrong, considering bisexuals can be negatively depicted or described as hyper-sexual and selfish individuals, the metaphor of the show tracks.

Ultimately, Bo is scared to get close to people for fear of hurting someone she truly cares about, at points feeling hopeless or incapable of a deeper connection. But once she works through the succubus stigma and lets herself open up to people, she finds herself in some very poignant and loving relationships.

Bo is a great character: independent, determined, brave, street-wise. She never lets other people define her, which makes her a queer icon through and through.

Lost Girl is centered on Fae—the umbrella term for all manner of supernatural creatures—and the balance between the Light and Dark factions. Bo is a powerful succubus who was raised by humans, and now refuses to pick a side.

Who doesn't go crazy for space husbands?

Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) is an astromycologist aboard the USS Discovery in the 23rd and 32nd centuries. His genius comes with a fair amount of arrogance, but he's also known to have a softer side,

Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) is a physician and counselor who also jumped to the 32nd century to serve the Discovery. While he has his share of sarcastic comments, Hugh is known for his big, compassionate heart and his willingness to speak up and challenge authority.

Both Paul and Hugh identify as gay men. They serve as a wonderful balance for one another, making them the ultimate power couple.

The portrayal of their relationship is a huge milestone in queer representation because the fact that they are in a committed same-sex relationship is not used as a central plot point, but rather naturally folded into the show as just a fact of life.

Star Trek: Discovery takes place a decade before Captain Kirk and the Enterprise rose to acclaim. Aboard the USS Discovery, a crew Starfleet crew uncovers new worlds and species.

Shadowhunters follows Clary Fray (Katherine McNamara) in the wake of her mother's disappearance. To find answers, Clary must step into a world of darkness and demons, where she must accept her knew role as a hunter of the strange.

Alec Lightwood (Matthew Daddario) is a serious and responsible Shadowhunter. He's fiercely protective of those he cares about, though he can be a bit harsh on a surface level.

Magnus Bane (Harry Shum Jr.) is a cunning and immortal warlock. He can be an eccentric lush, and while he may seem apathetic on occasion, he has a deep well of compassion.

Alec identifies as gay while Magnus identifies as bisexual.

Leaning into the “forbidden romance” trope, this ship draws on high drama—with high reward.

Nia Nal (Nicole Maines) is another huge win for DC television and the Arrowverse.

A Human-Naltorian hybrid, her alien heritage gives her an array of powers. Her impressive abilities include increased strength, precognition, astral projection, and energy manipulation.

Known as the super heroine Dreamer, the powers of her people are passed on as an inheritance from mother to daughter. This allowed Supergirl to make a very powerful and incredible statement, as Nia is a transgender character who was assigned male at birth.

Beyond being a highly validating character for the transgender community, Nia Nal is just an all around likable character. Her sense of justice is uncompromising, and her empathy, hard work, and eagerness to help makes her a grade-A hero.

Actress Nicole Maines is also a hero in her own right. As a teen, she served as the anonymous plaintiff in the Maine Supreme Judicial Court case Doe v. Regional School Unit 26.

This case argued that the school district could not deny her access to the female bathroom for being transgender. In 2014, in the first ruling of its kind by a state court, it was decided that barring transgender students from the school bathroom consistent with their gender identity is unlawful.