Fans of Paper Mario worldwide will soon be able to sit back and enjoy playing the second game in the series once again. The remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is set to release on May 23 at a price of around $60. Like with any remake, players will notice a few changes along with the updated graphics. Specifically, if you live in certain localizations, including English-speaking countries, you may recognize a big change when it comes to a certain character’s gender identity.
To avoid making you wait any longer, let’s get right into discussing the latest news about the beloved and bright purple-colored companion Vivian.
Vivian’s Identity in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
In a screenshot posted on My Nintendo News as a part of a game review, Vivian is seen talking about her gender identity to Mario. In that text bubble, she confirms that she is indeed transgender and that the bullying she faces from her sisters and fellow Shadow Sirens, Beldam and Marilyn feels worse than it once did. For those who played the 2004 English version of this game, Vivian is portrayed as a cisgender woman. The bullying she faces from her older sister in that game consists of Beldam making fun of her appearance and calling her ugly.
In the Japanese version of the original game, Vivian’s identity differs from the English version. Vivian calls herself one of “the three shadow sisters“, but Beldam berates her and calls her a man. Other characters in the game and even a character description also refer to Vivian as a man.
While there has been and continues to be debate about whether Vivian was transgender or simply cross-dressing in the Japanese version, the point still stands that the 2024 version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door firmly introduces her as a transgender character. However, it’s currently unclear if or how many other localizations will also have this change.
What This Representation Means
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With this identity change for Vivian in the English version of the game, she joins the roster of transgender characters within the world of video games. That roster includes Catalyst from Apex Legends, Krem from Dragon Age: Inquisition, Lev from The Last of Us Part II, and more. Transgender characters make for only a part of the growing LGBTQ+ representation as a whole with other types of representation in well-known games like Cyberpunk 2077, The Outer Worlds, and Overwatch 2.
The reveal of Vivian’s transgender identity will undoubtedly spark yet another video game controversy across the Internet since the topic of transgender issues and representation remains a hot topic for many. Those debates don’t seem to be causing a dent in the reviews for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year-Door though. The game is already getting some very positive reviews before it is even released to the masses.
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