First trans character in “Harry Potter” universe

This “Harry Potter” video game appears to feature the universe’s first transgender character.

Transcript

00:00A new video game set in the Harry Potter universe appears to feature a transgender character,

00:04a first for the franchise. Hogwarts Legacy is an action role-playing game set within

00:08the iconic locations from the books and movies. During one of the quests,

00:12players meet Serona Ryan, the owner of a pub in Hogsmeade Village. Although the

00:16character doesn't specifically say she is trans, a line in her dialogue led many

00:19to make their own conclusion. Which is more than I can say for some of my own classmates.

00:24Took them a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard.

00:27The inclusion of a trans character is particularly noteworthy given Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling's

00:32history of transphobic commentary. Hogwarts Legacy was created without the involvement

00:36of Rowling, therefore some see the inclusion of such a character as a gesture of goodwill

00:40towards the trans community. Others however have argued that the character is an example

00:44of empty representation in a game that directly benefits from Rowling and her creation. They also

00:48noted that her name begins with the masculine title Sir, thus falling into Rowling's history

00:52of on-the-nose naming conventions, which often conform to ethnic or identity-based stereotypes.