(loved trope) Trans characters who do not/cannot pass but everyone still respects their identity

[u/altrightobserver]

• Lev from The Last of Us Part II: Lev is a trans boy who cannot medically transition due to being in a zombie apocalypse with a fascist government, yet the main cast in the story supports and affirms him as male.
• Denise Bryson from Twin Peaks: A trans woman DEA and FBI agent. She does not pass in the series, which is an integral part of her character; her boss simply tells people who don't like it to "fix their hearts or die."
• Cordelia from Vinland Saga: As a trans woman living in Northern Europe during the Viking age, it is impossible for Cordelia, who has a hulking, muscular figure, to transition to female. But despite not looking the part physically, everyone is cool with it and refers to her as female.
• Ladiva from Granblue Fantasy: A pro wrestler who makes no attempts to pass (save for hair) and is still beloved by the cast as a maternal figure, serving as a stark contrast to her species' women who are petite.

Edit: typos and incorrect lore fixes

[u/milkberrys]

Hyun-Ju from Squid Game season 2. She and the other characters do not see her as passing and immediately notice she is trans, and she hasn’t been able to get surgery yet because she is poor and lives in a place that isn’t accepting. She originally hopes to win the games so she can get bottom surgery and move to Thailand.

Despite a couple of the other main characters in the season accidentally being rude or confused about her gender at first, they quickly become extremely accepting towards her gender and treat her like family.

[u/Gaelic_Gladiator41 → u/milkberrys]

I also found it so sweet that 149 was very supportive of her, even though ironically Gi-Hun's actor is very conservative

[u/Admirable_Swim_7090 → u/milkberrys]

Idk if that is not passing idk what id

[u/milkberrys → u/Admirable_Swim_7090]

It’s not my own opinion that she doesn’t pass. It’s the opinion of herself and the other characters in the show.

[u/SirAwesome1 → u/Admirable_Swim_7090]

The picture here doesn't really do a good job because its a bit of a side shot, but its pretty obvious in the show because she is pretty tall and has a very male build.

[u/Typical_Poet_9768 → u/SirAwesome1]

She's also played by a male actor, I believe. I think that generally, transgender characters should be cast as transgender actors, but I don't think there was one available in South Korea, and casting a cisgender female actor wouldn't work since the character isn't supposed to pass.

[u/Ameryana → u/Typical_Poet_9768]

That is correct: the director WANTED a trans actor for the role, but none auditioned. Who they chose was perfect though, imo. Probably the most loved character on that season ❤️