Fans have been celebrating following the return of a trans character in the remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was originally released in 2004, and Nintendo is due to release an expansive remake featuring upgraded visuals, a newly-arranged soundtrack, an improved hint system and battle master alongside art and sound galleries as well a new fast travel mechanic.
The Paper Mario remake is set for release tomorrow (May 23) but those with early access have shared an image that confirms the return of an openly-trans character. Vivian starts off the game as a member of the villainous Shadow Sirens but eventually joins Mario on his quest to find the crystal stars in Rogueport.
In the original Japanese version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, it was heavily implied that Vivian was transgender and faces transphobic comments from her sisters, but the script for the English and German releases removed any mention of this.
However, the new version of the game has seemingly restored this element of the character’s backstory. In one conversation from the game (via Resetera), Vivian can be seen telling Mario “truth is, it took me a while to realise I was their sister, not their brother. Now their usual bullying feels heavier”.
I'm so fucking happy. Thousand Year Door was my favorite game for AGES well before I came out, and to see canonically, EXPLICITLY trans Vivian in game with her character arc revolving around her transness like it was always supposed to- I'm just vibrating through the floorboards. pic.twitter.com/OlsZoukflf
— 🌕 Vicious Emotion 🌕 (@OriginalZin) May 21, 2024
