ZA is officially the most Queer Pokemon game ever

Pokémon games have come a long way from the iconic and equally infuriating “Are you a boy or a girl?” from Gen 1, to the point where the latest games in the series finally have queer representation, albeit quietly. There are no characters who are openly gay, lesbian, transgender, or non-binary, for example, but there are many ways in which these are still validated experiences due to queer-coded character models and dialogue, even in Pokemon Legends: ZA. Considering how progressive Gen 9 games were in queer representation, it might not be shocking to learn that Pokemon Legends: ZA is very queer-coded, but you might be surprised how this happens.

Before Pokemon Legends: ZA come out (pun intended), Pokemon Scarlet and Violets LGBTQIA+ representation was seen as the top of the series, despite some issues. And for good reason. There are several examples of this:

Penny is heavily implied to like girls. Not only that, but her ace is the famous trans-Pokémon icon Sylveon, and her story is about embracing who you are, no matter what.
Grusha wears the colors of the trans flag, and at first it's hard to tell if they're a man, a woman, or a non-binary person. He is revealed to use masculine pronouns, but his appearance is very feminine.
Rich from the Elite Four in Scarlet and Violet implied to be non-binary, possibly in a relationship with Geeta, Champion of Paldea.
Saguaro's story is most likely a coming-out parable, as he is pressured to like foods other than his favorite kind by his peers, until he finally embraces the sweet taste he likes so much. All while wearing pink and using only female Pokemon, including two Fairy-type Pokemon.

Yet, Pokemon Legends: ZA possibly beats all of this in various ways, including heavily queer-coded characters and even Pokémon themselves.

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Fun is officially over in Pokemon Legends: ZA Comp when January 29th arrives

Pokemon Legends: ZA is changing forever on January 29, 2026, and you may have to find new ways to really have fun in the game.

Pokemon Legends: ZA Introduces The First-Ever Bigender Pokemon

Pokemon Legends: ZAs Mega Evolution roster includes several new ones, both in the base game and DLC. Among them are two interesting instances: Mega Pyroar and Mega Meowstic.

These are both Pokémon with huge gender differences, with the Pyroarchon having a mane that looks like long hair and the Pyroarchon having a more lion-like mane, while the Meowstichan is more elegant and has predominantly white fur, and the Meowstichan is seemingly more outgoing and has mainly blue fur. Instead, their Mega Evolutions are arguably the first ever larger Pokémon in the series:

Mega Pyroar and Mega Meowstic only have one form each, rather than two different gendered forms.
The Mega Pyroar has a large mane around its entire face, still implementing the design of the female Pyroar by having the upper part of the mane long.
Mega Meowstic is even more clear in the way it implements this philosophy, as it is literally a mix of the gendered differences between male and female Meowstic, with the fur equally split between white and blue.

Pokemon Legends: ZA's non-gender-locked outfits and rival dynamics

Interesting, Pokemon Legends: ZAs clothing options are the first in the series that are not gender-locked. This means you can choose a male-presenting character model and still wear dresses, skirts, crop tops, heels, and the like. Even makeup, like lipstick, eyeliner, and mascara. Likewise, the female character model can wear baggy clothes, suits, and ties.

This is especially enlightening when you consider that Taunie and Urbain in Pokemon Legends: ZA may well be a single character, possibly non-binary, gender fluid, or both. Their main differences are the way they dress, their hairstyle and the pronouns they use. Taunie has a more feminine body type, but you could argue that Urbain has the same body, just hidden under baggy clothes. Their history is the same, their ways are the same and they are even presented in official marketing materials with the pronouns they/them.

Pokemon Legends: ZA's Queer-Coded Characters Explained (And Why There Are Two Lesbian Couples)

Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that Pokemon Legends: ZA has a few recurring characters in its cast, and there are two possible lesbian couples among them. These are:

Jacinthe and Lebanne: Often seen as a toxic lesbian couple where Jacinthe has power over Lebanne for work reasons, but also genuine affection for her, and Lebanne wants to leave, but also cares for Jacinthe, stating that she “already has a partner” when it comes to doubles with the player, then looks at Jacinthe. The subtitles are there, and if you play theirs Pokemon Legends: ZA DLC side quests, you get some dialogue that seems to hint in a more definite way that they aren't just work partners.
Gwynn and Canary: Gwynn and Canari also seem to be either in a relationship or in a weird place where Canari has strong feelings for Gwynn, and the latter is in love with her without saying so. Much like with Jacinthe and Lebanne, there is a lot of queer coding in how the dialogue between Gwynn and Canari plays out, with the former often using heart emojis when talking about the Electric-type Pokémon trainer. Canari also has an exclusive nickname for Gwynn, G-Volt.

Shiny Mega Meganium's petals are the same color as the lesbian pride flag.

It's also worth noting that Lebanne and Gwynn team up in a double battle against the player at some point in the game PLEASEs DLC story, and they are introduced as “Sisters in Suffering”, which could allude to the fact that they are both in love with another woman who doesn't exactly feel the same way, or at least doesn't know it. There is no other specific reason why they would be called Sisters in Suffering either, making this either a very random choice or a deliberate one.

Nothing confirms these characters' sexuality or identity, unfortunately, but there are so many clues that it's hard to ignore them or paint them as coincidences. Queer Pokémon games and characters seem likely to be here to stay, and Pokemon Legends: ZA is proof of that.