LGBT+ representation in cartoons gets more and more visibility every day. It turns out your favorite Saturday morning cartoons were a whole lot deeper than you thought! Here is our list of the top five cartoon characters that are surprisingly LGBT+.

Korra and Asami holding hands in the Legend of Korra

Legend of Korra
This show is definitely on my list of top favorite animated shows. Not only does this show have an amazing plotline, but it also tackles real-world issues like sexism, imperialism, and genocide. Throughout the series, fans speculated that Avatar Korra and Asami had feelings for each other. These speculations grew with the last episode where the credits roll as the two women are staring into each other’s eyes lovingly. Then after tons of arguing between fans, the creator Michael DiMartino confirmed the suspicions. Legend of Korra became one of the very first children’s shows to star a canon queer lead.

Still image of Jay from Big Mouth with a pillow lgbt+

Big Mouth
Big Mouth has some of the greatest characters. Take sexual deviant Jay Bilzerian for example. This pubescent boy wants to have sex with everything, and I mean everything! Girls, pillows, couch cushions, bath mats, and eventually even boys. I cannot wait to see what kind of character development Jay and the rest of the Big Mouth gang will have in season three, supposedly releasing in the fall of 2019.

Gif from Hey Arnold!

Hey Arnold!
Believe it or not, the fantastic 90’s cartoon Hey Arnold! premiers one of Nickelodeon’s first-ever gay characters. In the episode Arnold’s Thanksgiving, Arnold is invited to his math teacher Mr. Simmons’ Thanksgiving party. Here we meet the teacher’s parents and two friends Joy and Peter. During the dinner, Mr. Simmons’ mother comments, “I didn’t know Peter was coming today.” Quick to fire back, Mr. Simmons says, “There’s a lot of things you don’t know.” Obviously, this dialogue raises some eyebrows and setting the record straight, creator Craig Bartlett confirmed that Mr. Simmons was in fact gay.

Gravity Falls still with Sheriffs Blubs and Durland (lgbt+)

Gravity Falls
If you haven’t binged this show, put down this article and go watch it. It’s a unique mix of weirdness, action, mystery, adventure, and a little romance. During the very final episode, Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland confess their love in quite an obscure way as they both grab each other saying, “We’re mad with power… and love.”

Rick and Morty still with Rick and Unity (lgbt+)

Rick and Morty
Can we just talk about the roller coaster of WTF moments throughout Rick and Morty? For example, how about meeting the character Abradolf Lincler, a creation of Ricks in an attempt to combine the DNA of Abraham Lincoln and Adolf Hitler and create a morally neutral super leader. This show is obscure at times, but also incredibly forward-thinking. In the episode Auto Erotic Assimilation, it is revealed that Rick once dated an alien who was a hivemind. This creature could take control of an entire alien planet. That means both male and female aliens.

Got a favorite animated show and speculations that one of the characters is LGBT+? We want to hear! Tell us in the comments below.