Nintendo has publicly confirmed the addition of a trans figure named Vivian in the highly anticipated version of the classic role-playing activity Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for the Nintendo Switch.
The New York Post reports that the classic film game Paper Mario: The Thousand Time Door, initially released in 2004 for the Nintendo GameCube, has been given a clean update, and with it comes a major change to one of its characters. Vivian, who first appears as a monster alongside his daughters Marilyn and Bedlam, is then confirmed to be a trans personality.
In the game, the figure reveals their personality, stating, “Truth is, it took me a while to realize I was their girlfriend… no their brother. Then their common abuse feels heavier. ”
Vivian bro we won photograph. tweets. com/gxL9QT7RkF
— No Context Super Mario ( @SuperMarioOOC85 ) May 21, 2024
Ironically, the original Chinese version of the game, released in 2004, previously featured Vivian as a trans character. However, in the English translation of the same year, this aspect of their identity was altered, with the bullying attributed to them being “ugly ” rather than the character ’s gender identity.
This walk is not wholly unprecedented, as the company has previously hinted at identity variety in their heroes. In the guide of Super Mario Bros. 2, the figure Birdo, a red dragon with a big red hair bow, was once referred to as a man who “thinks he is a woman. ” Although this notice was eventually removed from the game, it suggests that Nintendo has been considering sex identity in their personality pattern for some time.
The 2024 remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door takes a more joyous approach to Vivian’s trans personality, toning down the tormenting from the classic game. Vivian is not the first trans character to appear in subsequent video game. In 2023, the very famous Harry Potter movie game, Hermione Legacy, introduced Sirona Ryan, the first boldly transgender figure in the Harry Potter world.
Read more at the New York Post around.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering concerns of free speech and virtual repression.