Break out the glitter and pre-order panic: the Nintendo Switch 2 has officially landed, and the fanfare is as dramatic as a Peach side-eye. Across Japan and beyond, gamers camped out, cried, and clawed their way through online lotteries just to grab Nintendo’s latest console-slash-culture-reset. With a bigger screen, better graphics, and new launch titles like Mario Kart World, it’s clear the Switch 2 didn’t come to play, it came to slay.
Nintendo reportedly received 2.2 million entries for its Japan sales lottery alone. Meanwhile, Target pre-orders sold out faster than you can say “Waluigi is a power bottom.” Some fans, like Yumi Ohi, traveled cross-prefecture just to snag one. Girl, we get it. It’s a major upgrade, and with Elden Ring and more AAA titles on the way, it’s giving “gaming era, activated.”
But let’s be honest, what really makes Nintendo games iconic isn’t just the tech. It’s the camp. It’s the drama. It’s the characters who have been throwing subtle queer-coded energy at us for decades. So, in honor of the Switch 2 drop, we’re celebrating the Nintendo characters who’ve always been just a little too fabulous to be straight.
Princess Peach: High Femme Drama Royalty
The pillow princess herself! THE Princess Peach. The original high-heel-wearing campy hostage, Princess Peach isn’t just royalty, she’s the type of girl who gets kidnapped just to see if anyone’s paying attention. Sure, she’s canonically Mario’s girlfriend, but have you seen her serve pink realness in literally every outfit? And don’t forget Super Princess Peach, where her powers are literally mood swings. If that’s not gay culture, what is?
Kirby: Suckin’, Servin’, and Shapeshifting
Kirby is the pastel puffball of our dreams. He flies, he transforms, he swallows enemies whole and becomes them. Gender? Identity? He’s fluid, honey. Kirby doesn’t walk, he floats. I mean, it doesn’t get gayer than that! He doesn’t fight, he sucks and swallows. I mean… you do the math. Honestly, he’s the ultimate queer icon. Also, he’s pink, round, and always happy. That’s camp, baby.
Birdo: Our Trans Queen from Day One
Let’s give a respectful golf clap to Super Mario Bros. 2 for dropping one of the most groundbreaking lines in 1980s video game history: “Birdo is a boy who thinks he’s a girl.” Birdo, also known as Birdetta, is a pink, bow-wearing, egg-shooting baddie who proudly lives her truth. While Nintendo’s been… vague… about her identity since, the community has spoken. Birdo is trans. Period. No notes.
Princess Daisy: Lipstick Lesbian Energy, Activated
If Peach is the high-femme icon, Daisy is the sports bra-wearing, energy drink-chugging counterpart. Always down for a little tennis, kart racing, or drama, Daisy’s a tomboy with a tiara and a whole lot of main character energy. She’s not like the other girls, she’s louder, bolder, and probably the reason your girlfriend keeps playing Mario Party.
Pauline: Mayoral Realness and Vocal Queen
From Donkey Kong damsel to Odyssey-era mayor and jazz singer, Pauline pulled the ultimate glow-up. She’s got her own city now (New Donk, no less), a band, and the pipes to belt out “Jump Up, Super Star!” like a Broadway diva. She’s giving Patti LuPone meets city council chic. We stan a girlboss with vocals.
Yoshi: Genderqueer Dino of Our Dreams
Yoshi lays eggs. Yoshi swallows enemies with an impossible tongue. Yoshi’s species comes in every color of the rainbow. And while Nintendo technically uses he/him pronouns, let’s be real, Yoshi lives beyond the binary. Egg-laying, color-shifting, tongue-whipping royalty. We see you, queen!
Waluigi: Tall, Twisted, and Totally Queer-Coded
Waluigi is the chaotic queer uncle who shows up to the barbecue with glitter eyeliner, a bad attitude, and the audacity to make everything about him. He’s lanky, he’s petty, and he dances like he’s auditioning for So You Think You Can Flop. He may not have a game of his own, but that hasn’t stopped him from stealing hearts with his iconic side-splits and evil laugh.
Link: The Soft Andro Hero We Project Onto
Link is the quiet, courageous legend who rarely speaks but always slays. Whether he’s crossdressing in Breath of the Wild to infiltrate Gerudo Town or rocking a ponytail with his latest tunic, Link’s androgynous aesthetic has always been queer-coded to filth. He’s not saving the princess, he’s serving looks while doing it.
Long Live Nintendo’s Queer-Coded Icons
As we celebrate the Switch 2’s arrival into our clammy gamer hands, let’s also honor the characters who helped raise us, confuse us, and low-key awaken something in us. Nintendo didn’t just build a gaming empire—it created a runway of queer-coded fabulousness. Whether intentional or accidental, we’ll take it. And we’ll slay with it.
