Trans Witch Added to Remake of Nintendo Paper Mario Game
Nintendo’s recently re-released Paper Mario game now features a character who identifies as transgender.
The news that a character in a popular Nintendo video game is transgender has sparked criticism for what some perceive as an attempt to normalize gender fluidity among younger individuals.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was recently launched for the Switch platform, serving as a remake of the beloved GameCube version from 2004.
In the original Japanese edition of the game, there was some ambiguity regarding the gender of a purple-colored witch character named Vivian, who was hinted at looking like a man. However, the English version did not touch on this aspect at all.
But in the 2024 English language remake, Vivian, one of three sisters, is disclosed to be a male-to-female transgender.
In screenshots circulating the internet, Vivian can be seen expressing her happiness at being referred to as a “sister,” while her sisters are depicted as teasing her about her identity.
Vivian also discusses her journey to realizing she is a “sister” and not a “brother.”
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The game holds a rating suitable for all ages.
Careful Indoctrination: Women’s Group
CEO of Women’s Forum Australia, Rachael Wong, voiced concerns about young children engaging with the game, suggesting it promotes a particular cultural ideology.
“The game is marketed towards children, but including a character that normalizes an ideology causing harm to kids is completely inappropriate,” she expressed to The Epoch Times.
“Men cannot become women, and when a widely-played video game like this, along with the broader entertainment industry, suggests otherwise, it’s not just harmless entertainment—it’s a form of subtle indoctrination.
“Considering the global resistance against gender ideology and the medical transitioning of children, it is highly irresponsible for Nintendo to integrate a character identifying as transgender in this reimagined version of the game.”
The newly released game is currently priced around $69 (US$46).
Vivian isn’t the first Nintendo character to challenge traditional gender roles.
The character Birdo from Super Mario 2 has been celebrated by the transgender community for representing a male-to-female transgender individual.
The English game manual states that Birdo is a male who identifies as female and prefers to be called Birdetta.
Introducing Children to Trans Concepts
Jillian Spencer, a psychologist specializing in adolescent mental health, commented that while the game may aim to normalize gender diversity, it might evoke confusion in some players.
“It appears that the Nintendo game is introducing children to the idea of having a gender identity different from their biological sex,” Ms. Spencer shared with The Epoch Times.
“The game developers likely want to normalize gender diversity for all children under the belief that it will be beneficial for those who naturally do not conform to traditional gender norms.
“However, it’s important to consider that the game could potentially harm children by introducing them to identity confusion.”
Ms. Spencer suggested that encountering a transgender character in a game could influence children to adopt a transgender identity themselves.
“Children, especially when deeply engrossed in gameplay, are highly impressionable,” she explained.
“Featuring a prominent transgender character in the game might prompt some children, for various personal reasons, to identify as transgender themselves.
“In the current narrative of only affirming such identities, children might then be directed towards a medical path with significant long-term consequences such as infertility, sexual function impairments, physical health issues, and the possibility of regret.”
Ms. Spencer emphasized that this approach does not promote children’s mental well-being nor reduce the risk of suicide.
“Children pay close attention to societal cues on how to be accepted and valued,” she pointed out.
“By portraying Vivian’s sisters as intolerant of her gender identity, Nintendo seems to be sending a message to children that questioning the validity of gender identity is not acceptable and that one should always validate people’s claimed gender identity.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Nintendo Australia, Equality Australia, and the Greens spokesperson for the LGBT community for their input.
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