Short for asexual, being ace means a person doesn’t feel sexual attraction or experiences it based on something other than physical traits (such as demisexual people, who are only attracted to someone after an emotional bond has been formed). This is one of the lesser known orientations in the LGBTQ+ community that’s becoming steadily more visible, and it’s not without representation.
From Triple-A titles to indie gems, ace characters have made an appearance in various games across the years. Canonically confirmed asexuality is still fairly recent, yet ace coded people in video games have been around for decades. Discover examples of asexual representation and new games to play at the same time.
9 Caspar von Bergliez – Fire Emblem: Three Houses
While not canonically confirmed, Caspar is very demisexual and aromantic coded in his support conversations and storyline dialogue throughout Fire Emblem: Three Houses. He often doesn’t catch sexual references, like the Silver Maiden being named after virginity as outlined in some background dialogue with him, Linhardt, and Dorothea in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. Some characters will also point out how he won’t pick up on romantic intentions.
While he does have two paired endings where he has children, he openly states in his final support with Dorothea that he’s not one for romance, although he’s interested lifelong connections. Most of his endings with someone else involve exactly that.
8 Maya – Borderlands
Borderlands always enjoys defying expectations and going its own way, so it makes sense that more representation turned up in Borderlands 2 and 3. Maya’s asexuality was confirmed online by Anthony Burch, a writer for the games, on his Ask.fm. But it was her behavior in Borderlands 2 that first gave clues about her orientation.
Her lack of suggestive or raunchy dialogue compared to other characters was one of the first hints that got the fandom wondering. In the asexual community, she’s exceptional representation for aces who enjoy wearing makeup and revealing clothes. Some fans and even Burch himself had difficulty reconciling the two, which just goes to show the importance of her character.
7 Daud – Dishonored
An assassin and kidnapper, Daud from Dishonored is described as ace in the sequel. A book named after his alias, The Knife of Dunwall, can be found in Dishonored 2 and says very clearly that he has always been disinterested in sex. The co-creator Harvey Smith also confirmed Daud’s asexuality on social media to back it up.
Daud has led a troubled life and caused a good amount of tragedy himself as a main game opponent turned DLC protagonist. He is seen largely as sympathetic, despite still only expressing guilt for the worst of his actions. However, having morally dubious ace characters is part of being fully represented as flawed, complete human beings in our own right.
6 Adrian Clarke – Ace in Space
Heavy topics are brought up in this game because Adrian has cancer, and the full list of trigger warnings is available on the Cadaver Carnival Studios website. But this dating sim visual novel has loads of charm and cute elements to enjoy. Not least of all that you play an ace main character.
You might have an asexual love interest in some games, but it’s a groundbreaking decision to have the protagonist be ace in a dating sim. The game itself is a little rough around the edges because it was launched while the two-person studio worked towards a larger project, but that doesn’t take away from the interesting cast of characters or Adrian’s authentically queer perspective.
5 Dusa – Hades
There are many relationship options in Hades, and you can pursue them all at once as Prince Zagreus. Your separate partners will even sometimes talk about the fact that you’re romancing them. It’s a great example of strong communication in relationships, but Dusa especially stands out for clear self-expression. She will tell Zagreus that she loves him when he brings it up—just not like that.
Her revelation does come late in her relationship, which left some alloromantic and allosexual people (those who do feel these respective kinds of attraction) feeling cheated. But that proves how crucial this representation is. Zagreus and Dusa are perfectly happy in their close platonic relationship, and it doesn’t mean any less.
4 Parvati Holcomb – The Outer Worlds
Something of an unsung legend, The Outer Worlds modernized a lot of the nostalgic qualities of role-playing games (RPGs) to make it easier to have that feel-good throwback experience without having to forego all the fun updates in gaming. Parvati is part of both. She’s the canon companion in the sense that you don’t have to recruit her, and she’s confirmed ace with a crush of her own.
Because being asexual doesn’t have to mean you don’t want romance. The more nuance we see in media about ace people, the better off we all are. Playing matchmaker between Parvati and Junlei isn’t exactly the most exciting quest in The Outer Worlds—but it is the cutest.
3 Manami – A Year of Springs
A visual novel franchise with a cozy style and multiple endings, A Year of Springs features three characters with their own hurdles. Haru is a lesbian trans woman, Erika is bisexual, and Manami has yet to realize her orientation until her visual novel, Spring Leaves No Flowers. Each storyline tackles real challenges faced by people with these identities.
Better yet, it points out how we can all understand each other even if we don’t experience things in the same way. When Manami wishes she had romantic and sexual feelings like most people seem to, Haru says she used to feel that way about being trans. It’s wonderful to see that shared struggle helping them both heal.
2 Rohan – When Aster Falls
Aster is the fashionable succubus whose job it is to seduce Rohan, but she’s worn out and weary while Rohan is a fiery ace who says things like they are. That’s one of the things you grow to love most about Rohan: She’s not the shy, nervous archetype you often see with other ace characters.
Rohan makes sex jokes with the best of them, because having to think about what most people just know can make it easier to fire off quips. She really helps round off the perception of ace people in games by not being oblivious to sexuality or an anxious introvert. Which ace people can be! It’s just not the only option.
1 Fin – The Suburb: Not Just Dinner
Created for the very first Ace Jam in 2018, this itch.io horror game is packed with amazing puns and over-the-top antagonists. Fin is a non-binary panromantic ace person using they/them pronouns who winds up trapped in the house of the Straights. The unnerving couple doesn’t wait long to show their bigoted beliefs, but it’s all a backdrop for Fin’s incredible sass.
In-game hints take some stress out of this cheeky puzzle/horror RPG, and content warnings on the itch.io game page can help you decide if you’re okay to play. It’s a fantastic game for Fin alone, a delightful main character with the right mix of queer vibes and witty coping mechanisms.