Abigail Thorn, aka Philosophy Tube, says “the goal is liberation, not celebrity”.

But the immersion almost always wears off.

In an interview, Thorn shared some of her thoughts and experiences regarding Nocturne and trans representation in games.

Nocturne, a Tiefling from Baldur’s Gate 3 with purple hair and skin, in armour showing she’s a follower of Shar

Shadowhearts identity shift, despite her being cisgender, is what initially emboldened Nocturne to do the same.

Shadowheart is cis?!

I assume every character is trans unless explicitly stated otherwise, do you not?

A statue of Shar in Nocturne’s room in Baldur’s Gate 3

…Im kidding of course.

Our families especially sometimes go on a perilous quest for knowledge.

It might be easier for them if they could see characters in fiction making similar journeys.

Shadowheart lying down with the player character in Baldur’s Gate 3

I think as her.

I see her when I look in the mirror.

Im lucky to have her as a friend.

A scene from The Red Strings Club, as Larissa (a blonde woman in a red dress) orders a drink

The only difference is I dont have to think about the costume!

But of course when youre just a voice you have to wear imaginary shoes!

If there is a better descriptor of the immersion of RPGs, Ive never heard it.

Artwork showing Celeste, from the game Celeste, reaching out to grab a flying strawberry.

When I met Nocturne, her story resonated; she has walked a journey similar to my own.

There is something quite marvelous in finding kinship with an imaginary being.

Nocturne is also not even the first transgender character in the Baldurs Gate franchise.

Nocturne, a purple-haired Tiefling from Baldur’s Gate 3, standing in a hallway

Trans representation is nice, but I prefer to think in terms of Trans Power.