Pokémon Gender Suggestion Gets Heartwarming Nintendo Response

A child’s letter asking for non-binary Pokémon appears to have received a positive response from Nintendo, which has a long history of writing back to international fan responses since the ’80s. The suggestion could even hypothetically influence future additions to the series if it makes its way into the offices and hearts of Pokémon developers.

“Non-binary” is an umbrella term for people who don’t conform to traditional male and female gender identities. This can include people who consider themselves to have a third gender, multiple genders, or be genderfluid. There are still other people reject the notion of gender entirely, a social construct separate from sex. Non-binary characters continue to be rare in games but do include the likes of Bloodhound in Apex Legends, FL4K in Borderlands 3, and Chaos in Hades.

“In your letter, you asked us to make nonbinary Pokémon,” reads Nintendo’s response, sent by a service representative and shared by the touched parent PleaseBeGneiss on Twitter. The representative called it an “awesome idea,” noting that since there are so many varieties of Pokémon, it would “make sense to have a variety of genders as well.” She added that Nintendo wants to “make sure people of all kinds feel welcomed and comfortable,” promising to send feedback “to the appropriate departments to review and thoughtfully consider.” The authenticity of the message was backed up by a photo of PleaseBeGneiss’ child’s letter, suggesting they were very young based on the rough printing style. Nintendo’s answer came bundled with two promotional items that weren’t identified.

A number of Twitter commenters were supportive, embracing the idea of better representation, but others were skeptical, with some debating whether or not a non-binary Pokémon is necessary. While some of them may have stereotypically masculine or feminine traits, other Pokémon like Mewtwo are often depicted as genderless. However, genderless is not the same as non-binary, so Nintendo and its development partners could conceivably add Pokémon and/or human trainers that blend gender traits in a way new to the franchise.

Nintendo is typically friendly to all audiences, which has allowed it to ignore some cultural debates, but he topic of sex and gender hasn’t always been so avoidable. Gamers have occasionally debated the gender of characters like Kirby and Pokémon‘s Jigglypuff. Nintendo may be forced to confront such issues more and more as attitudes change, particularly in its vital US and Japanese markets. It would be a good outcome if the child in question’s letter – or at least the spirit of their words – makes it around the company’s offices in Kyoto and starts a conversation about wider, more thoughtful representation in Nintendo games.

Source: PleaseBeGneiss/Twitter

About The Author

Roger Fingas
(307 Articles Published)

Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Roger now lives with his family in Austin, Texas. He has years of experience in tech writing, and his gaming specialties include FPS and VR games on the PC.

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