I really wish there were more autistic characters that weren’t either hyper geniuses or background characters. Marcy is a perfect example, just someone just being themselves, not exceptional and yet perfectly valid nonetheless.
Marcy is smart, but it's realistic genius. She's not a master inventor or anything, and she's not flawless. I pointed out that there's a lot of inventors here, but I missed how many. Counting, there's 11 (Loopy, Fred, Rick, Peridot, Entrapta, Donnie, Dawkins, Snork, AJ, Reagan, June). Notably, getting more frequent. I would give an asterisk to Fred though since his inventions are closer to Home Alone traps than the sci fi tech of the rest. Notably, the four adaptational autistic characters (Fred, Entrapta, Donnie, Snork) are all inventors, and they all were inventors in their original series. But yeah, Marcy is one of the few who are major and not inventors
@@StripeTheSquidhi I’m watching this also I HAVE AUTISM too I recently found out 1 week ago I’m not completely on the spectrum but I have it and I do too it’s weird to me
Ok, the fact that Netflix only has three canon autistic animated characters is one thing, but the fact that two out of those three shows were straight-up CANCELED before they could complete their stories is just flat-out pathetic. Do better, Netflix.
Netflix is easily the most flexible of the major animation producers. It's why so many of their shows have heavier explicit LGBTQ+ rep than even stuff like Disney and CN have, even with some shows like Kipo or Dead End directly dropping terms like gay, trans and bi despite those being somewhat taboo to directly state in children's entertainment. The downside is that, especially recently, they don't really value animation, as whenever they're doing poorly, it's the immediate target. Sadly, Dead End and Inside Job were directly in the crosshairs when they were doing poorly, despite both being on all accounts successful
Yeah. This is my issue with outright stating that a character is autistic. You can only be so brave without risking something. For example, having your show get canceled. Same thing with the lgbt stuff. Legend of Kora and Adventure Time put the gay stuff at the end for a reason. They were wrapping up the show, anyway. If they did it earlier, who knows what would happen to them. Steven Universe was a bit braver, but that show came out later and Rebecca Sugar did get flack for portraying lesbian relationships from nonlgbt people. Certain episodes had to be censored in certain countries by portraying Ruby as a male. We’re making progress right now, but not enough to be able to do the things we want with the things we create. Creators have to work with companies that will either say yes or no to your decisions. So, it’s important to recognize the situation you’re in and play your cards right. Believe me, I wish it wasn’t this way, but we live in a world run by neurotypicals, so unfortunately it is.
As someone with ASD & ADHD, so many people forget that these are fictional stories first and foremost. The characters are going to be put through the ringer. That is what we the viewers are expected to see. I can’t stand when media’s idea of rep is showing perfect, happy characters with no problems being wildly accepted by everyone despite their flaws. Having a support system is great. But many of us have had to deal with rejection and being misunderstood by society, thus those are things we look for in our characters. Huey, Marcy, and Luz are great displays of this imo. Autistic kids need to know that despite the trials they’ll face, they will find support just as much as the cliche “your disability doesn’t change who you are” mantra I hear in everything.
Genuinely the best way to put this. I think that's a big problem with having so many of these characters be from Preschool shows, they just can't dive into this as well, especially with most of them being minor characters. Marcy is the perfect example, she is very flawed, she goes through problems both fantastical and real, but she's still human. Her disabilty (wether it's canon or not) DOES effect her, but she's not bad because of it. Same with Luz for ADHD. Huey I don't believe is canon but he's another great example. Really glad we're getting more examples of these characters, because flaws ARE good. It goes to all forms of rep, LGBTQ+, race, anything, keep in mind the thing you're representing, but they're still characters and characters need flaws.
Personally I prefer things being said (or otherwise explicitly mentioned) onscreen/onpage, but I don't think it's a requirement. I praised characters like Donnie and Norma for how well they're done even without onscreen confirmation. Hope your comic ends up well!@@Frieowksf1293
Your comment is full of contradictions. A character not having flaws and a character not going through conflict are two distinct issues that you bundle up into one. I dont understand your comment, if the character is perfect then how do they have flaws? Could you give an example? What you described at the end is what you said you didn't like at the beginning. "Having a support system is great. BUT many of us have had to deal with rejection.." then "Autistic kids need to know that despite the trials they'll face, they will find support..." what point are you trying to make?
@@StripeTheSquid could you give an example of flawless autistic characters? I've noticed queer people often say this in regards to lgbt characters but never give examples and I'm hard pressed to find autistic characters in media, let alone ones that are portrayed as flawless.
I clicked on the video the instant that I saw Twyla in the thumbnail. I am a doll collector with Aspergers (I mainly collect Shadow High, Rainbow High, and Monster High Gen 1 and 3), doll collecting and dolls are a big special interest of mine (I have a whole doll channel mainly about my comfort dolls/characters.), and I was blown away by how amazing, beautiful, and realistic Twyla's represention was whenever the first episode of the MH Gen 3 Animated Series that she was in was first released. I even have her signature MH Gen 3 doll from the Creepover Party doll line from earlier in MH Gen 3, and she is currently my favorite MH Gen 3 doll. I also love that her voice actress is Autistic as well!🖤💜
G3 Twyla is great and all, but let’s give some praise to G1 Twyla. She was never confirmed as autistic, sure, but there’s a lot of autistic traits she exhibited back in 13 Wishes and Haunted.
I will admit that I know very little about Monster High outside of the 2022 series (which I admittedly only watched for this video, but did really enjoy and intend to keep up with). I can relate to this though, as a longtime Scooby Doo and TMNT fan I was so happy to find out Fred and Donnie were autistic in Mystery Inc and Rise. Twyla really struck me with how she is so lovingly made, despite so easily being able to be taken in a bad way. I may be a 24 year old man but I genuinely considered getting a doll of her for this video, so you know she's doing something right.
My sister and I grew up in the 80s and 90s, and as a person with Autism, our generations didn't really have anything for Autism representation. It's still a fairly new thing. Back in the day, no one had ever thought to "diagnose" any of our favorite characters with Autism. Although, a few years ago, I'd read on the Internet that Wakko Warner from Animaniacs might be Autistic. Back in the 90s, neither of us would have thought so, since characters were just characters, back then. But now, that I think about it, maybe it's possible. He's quiet, mechanical, and very easily confused. He's also afraid of clowns. Or, you could say that he and his siblings were just wacky cartoon characters, who were locked away for 60 years, and had then escaped into the modern world.
I don't know who was the first autistic character (I assume mostly characters from books), but yeah, it's definitely a newer thing as this video noted. Rain Man (1988) seems to be the first big mainstream autistic rep. Wakko, I can see it. As you said, he fits a lot of bits, now and back in the 90's. He's to you as Spongebob was for me in the 2000's (which also really had nothing for rep. I mentioned stuff like El Tigre and Grim Adventures, but that wasn't confirmed on screen). Was Wakko made with Autism in mind? Probably not. He's probably just a silly cartoon character. But it's nice to think about.
All your headcanons are Correct. I love Donnie, he reminds me of both myself and my brother (WE LOVE ROBOTS THAT FIGHT, we can't build nothing for shit but we can still enjoy a good harmless robo-murder machine when we see one.) Anyway! I love when adult characters are neurodivergent in the autistic variety, and I also love when they're also Not Great People. Reagan is my favorite example of this. I just need more autistic characters who don't fall into the "naiive and childish autistic" pitfall. Hi yes, give me characters with flaws that exist specifically because of their personality, and not their disability! Thank youuuuu!
One day the world will realize that my headcanons are just simply canon. The story about your brother is just genuinely really nice, not much to say The more and more I think about it, the more I love Reagan. Adult autistic characters are super important, and she's definitely the best example, as you said. Really glad that she's among the most popular here she's one of the most praised characters in the comments alongside Marcy, Fred and Donnie
My favorite canon autistic character is Donnie and will always be. The fact that he just "happenes to have autism" is.. idk how to explain it. I love how they didn't make "being autistic" his whole personality. I also love how the others love and care about him the way he is without him acting like someone else or having the need to mask.
23:11 God, Float makes me bawl my fucking eyes out every time I watch it, as soon as the father yells "Why cant you just be normal?" I am a complete mess, and the fact he recognizes his mistake then embraces and comforts his son makes it all the more heart wrenching
Honestly Fred being autistic in Mystery Incorporated was something I didn't notice when watching the show originally back between 2010 and 2012. Of course I noticed it after a few rewatches. Then again for many of us on the spectrum such as myself can morph into anything. Also regarding if every artist character in an animated show has to be on the spectrum, well that would have to depend on the show. That said, Da Vinci and Dawkins both being on the spectrum makes sense, because its not really uncommon for families to have two members on the spectrum; especially if they're siblings.
It didn't click to me when I saw Mystery Inc when it came out, but yeah, when that was confirmed, it all made sense. Admittedly the "every artist is autistic" thing, it was an observation from the Dalmatian Street staff and not something I myself said. Probably should’ve shown the interview onscreen. Yeah it does make sense to have more than one person in a really really big family be autistic. Peek behind the curtain, originally I could only find that Dawkins was autistic, and was going to say it would've made more sense for there to be at least one more, before discovering Da Vinci is too
I've known I was autistic since I was 9, and was diagnosed in 2022. I've definitely found that autism representation is generally lacking even in the modern day as acceptance grows -- characters who are explicitly made to be autistic are often janky and stereotypical, while characters unintentionally written to be autistic are often never explicitly confirmed. It creates this stigma around autism, hammering in the idea that we are some kind of monolith. I have a lot of OCs, 300 or more, and I've decided that as an autistic creator, all of them are autistic even if some of them don't show symptoms. My worldview is inherently linked to my autism, and my creations are an extension of myself so it would only be logical. Also, your videos are really nice and keep my attention. I hope you get more subscribers!
I've noticed that the ones here who seem to be the most popular and accurate to most people's struggles, Rise Donnie and Marcy, are also the two not made with it in mind, the writers just kinda fell into making great autistic rep. With them being confirmed about a month after their shows ended, yeah, it does kinda hold that we are a bit of a monolith. Honestly, go ahead. If they're an extension of you, sure, they can also be autistic
You can use Mario music to control autistic people ala the Pied Piper. I'm not immune, one time I heard Gusty Garden Galaxy and then I blacked out and suddenly I robbed a bank
I’ve never heard of that character from She-Ra before this video but I can already tell that would be a character I would really like. The controllable hair is really neat on top of a great design
One character you kinda missed is Lunella Lafayette from Moon Girl. It is a bit complicated, but the original character was confirmed to be "written with autistic traits", and they clearly knew about that when adapting her for TV. Granted its not as obvious as Norma, but lines like "I've never made it through a slumber party because I'm so awkward, but I'm learning to be ok with that" clearly go beyond just the awkward genius stereotype, among other things. Also its the first time in animation I've seen 2 super neurodivergent coded characters in a romantic relationship. Its only for 2 episodes, but it was really cute to see.
From what I know, comic Lunella isn't 100% confirmed if she has it or not, it influenced her creation, but like the Float short, it's unclear if it's just an influence or she has it, and that's just comic Lunella, the show is in a different continuity. With that said, if show her is confirmed, she would be good, again the sleepover thing as you said.
i love when shows get autism right!! for example, zane from ninjago. i don't think he technically counts because in s1ep7 he was revealed to be a nindroid, but i read somewhere that he wasn't planned to be, meaning that they planned his character to act the way he does (which is HEAVILY autism-coded!!) before they decided on it!! throughout the show, zane is shown to not be as strong socially as the others - even minute details like his face always being blank and him simply missing a joke and responding with an -obviously confused- laugh are shown in the pilot episode!! after he is revealed to be a nindroid, he is obviously shocked, but his character stays the same. then in season three, he meets pixal, who is a nindroid like him. they instantly click (best ship ever), because now zane is able to find someone who is similar to him!! overall, he's my favorite character in anything (special interest go brr) and he's amazingly written :3
Ninjago is very much one of those "I should really get around to this" sows, but from what I've heard, I really like Zane. I think him being a nindroid is fine, since robots are a very common comparison for autistic people
I headcanon Jimmy Neutrons dad Hugh Neutron as on the spectrum I also relate to him a lot more with him not being a super genius and his special interest being ducks and his comfort food being pie He also stims in his speech makes so many random nicknames for his son (which i do too) and is woth someone who whole heartedly accepts all his quirks and loves him Hes literally me singing making random voices calling my son weird names that sound similar to his name Except replace duck decor with llamas and pie with chicken wraps his wife also is just like my husband 🤣 supportive of all my random interests
Somebody curing another characters autism to “make them a good guy” only to have that character still be evil when they’re cured is…. really funny to me ngl.
I’m totally subscribing 🩵 working my way to creating my own passionate content as an autistic person myself. I have so much autistic headcanons as well!!
sandy and danny (grease), pee wee herman and dottie, carrie white, the membrane family (invader zim) are some of mine. Also vincent vega and Mia wallace from pulp fiction, but not many of its fans are autistic woman haha, so I keep that one to myself.
unrelated, but your music choice for this video is really good, I caught that bowsers inside story final boss music and it brought me back to a memory I have of playing that song on the piano at my grandmas house, thank you
if this wasnt about only cartoons i would reccomend Abed from Community. Community is actually written by the same person as Rick and Morty, but Abed is WAAAAAAAAAY better rep than rick. i love him so much
I love Community and Abed, and yeah, he's definitely one of the best autism reps there is. Just wanted to limit it animation because that's my main focus
Someone else in the comments brought up live action, as someone who really doesn't know many live action autistic characters, what's so bad about them?
Generally, it’s mostly the writers faults, they just take the baseline “neurodivergent” traits, like getting obsessed with certain things, and interests unlike those you “should” relate to, and slap em on a character and call it a day, there are other videos that probably explain it better than I could though @@StripeTheSquid
I have autism as well and i see a lot of myself in Marcy . She's such a loveable character and in my opinion she's really good autism rep. Also apparently s he was confirmed to be autistic by the Amphibia crew
I have ASD and I adore Billy and Mandy :D, Now knowing that fact about Maxwell Himself it makes sense why i love the show so much, also personal story: I whould occasionally act like Fred Fredburger in 10th grade and College and my classmates were actually not annoyed, to the point I ended up showing the frozen yoghurt clip from season 6 to friends and we laughed at the picture taking scene😁
Ya know i never remember why i wasn't into she ra for so long even tough i watched the whole serie, but now i know. I hated so much how entrapta was treated because she was the reason i watched the show ! (My fav is donnie from rottmnt honestly)
This is a Great Video to have to show that people with Autism can be represented correctly! Also I have my own Autistic character Headcanon: Charlie from Hazbin Hotel
I HEAVILY disagree on the "don't self-diagnose" part. As long as you do proper research (as in, really reading a lot about a certain condition, not taking online quizzes), I support self-diagnosis. I say this as someone who was professionally diagnosed - at 15, mind you. A lot of people take a long time to get professionally diagnosed with autism because society believes that girls and people of color (especially Black people) can't be autistic, as the popular stereotype of autistics is a little white boy obsessed with trains. That's just one reason why people might self-diagnose. Besides, you kinda have to self-diagnose yourself first before you get medically tested for autism. Otherwise, you wouldn't have a reason to go get tested.
I did definitely forget that 1. I found out what autism was when I was diagnosed (but that was over a decade ago, A LOT has changed, so your "you gotta self diagnose first" point holds) and 2. I'm a white guy, and as I said, we're more diagnosed less for scientifical reasons and because, well, life sucks. I mean you're right I literally acknowledged the "white boy with trains" stereotype several times. I more so meant don't immediately see this video, hear me describe a character, and be like "huh, that's kinda like me, I MUST be autistic". That's a good first step, but try to do more research before immediate self diagnosis. Definitely could've put it better and honestly I was just kinda taking what I hheard a few other autism videos say, genuinely thank you for this comment this is an important note.
Really interesting video on cartoon characters on the spectrum, and as a person on the spectrum, I'm not gonna lie I totally agree with you on how more animated shows kinda need to say that characters are autistic without being a joke. As a fan of your content for a while, you made an epic video.
Tiffany it feels like it's been a while since I've heard your voice! I do think things like Molly McGee and Monster High (and to a lesser extent, the extremely positive reception to Donnie) are a sign of good things in the future. We start with main characters having it as jokes or offscreen, then a few minor characters onscreen confirming they have it, and with the clear demand for explicit autism representation, I'd be shocked if the decade ends without one non joke explicit main character with it. The demand is there, so I hope eventually, the supply comes too.
Kid Danger: *wearing his mighty pup movie outfit* as a Pegasus pony who has autism, i understand being on the autism spectrum. I love to make friends with other ponys but they do not understand why i am so friendly.
Hey, just some quick context on Norma Khan (aka: the most "seen" I've felt by a canon autistic character in forever) The creator of Dead End, Hamish Steele, is himself autistic, but at the time of the show's release, he wasn’t officially diagnosed and so felt awkward about giving a de-facto statement. That, coupled with Netflix's frankly awful sensitivity supervisor, convinced the crew to avoid directly saying the diagnosis. That said, in Deadendia, the graphic novels which the show was based on, Norma is very directly stated to be autistic, and it's a major plotpoint in an early chapter. I'd highly recommend giving them a read if you have any interest.
This is actually really important, thank you. I knew Hamish was autistic, but them being diagnosed after the show explains exactly why it wasn't brought up. I was also aware of the graphic novels, but didn't know it was more explicit there (wouldn't really dive into it here because as I said, I'm looking exclusively at how it's shown in animation, but it is good to know)
You put the Miracle Matter theme in your video (big win for autism) btw you could make a follow up video on your ASD headcannon of the main trio of Spongebob (I'm myself is an high fonctionning autistic person and I interpret Spongebob and sometimes Patrick as being on the 'tism but I hadn't thought of Squidward so it would be nice to learn why)
Honestly, not a bad idea. Would be a long video granted lol, but not a bad idea in the slightest. You're the second or third person who's said "every character I make is autistic" which I genuinely appreciate. People should put themselves into their characters, and it's nice to see more autism rep, even if it isn't as universal as these shows@@Basile.BowBow
2:56 Autistic person here. While I was officially diagnosed, I think self diagnoses is completely fine. But I do agree that self diagnosing just because of this one video would be a bad idea. They should instead evaluate their past and do at least a month investigating If they really are autistic
I said this to an older comment, but self diagnosing is fine, but yeah, don't do it based on this video, since this is a very surface level analysis of the topic. Do more research before hand before coming to a conclusion.
I like the idea that fluttershy and Twilight sparkle are autistic. You could honestly make an argument that all the main 6 are neurodivergent but those are the two I resonate with a lot
Maude Pie has also been brought up as being autistic coded, but I can definitely see Fluttershy and Twilight. Fluttershy especially, but that might be bias
If your still looking for Autism Representation in animation, I’d recommend checking out Osaka and Sakaki from Azumanga Daioh, it’s an anime based on the original manga.
Uh, uh!! I got a few! I know you said non-confirmed as such in canon material aren't technically to be considered BUT, and since you briefly touched upon anime, I'd like to bring forward the main cast of the Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! anime/manga. All the girls present a ton of traits and are so unabashedly autistic that it served as the last push for me to finally get an actual diagnosis after years of putting it aside. The protagonist, Midori Asakusa, in particular, is the one that called to my attention the most: being utterly immersed in her craft and her interests (a myriad of things, but animation is the most important), extremely socially awkward when she doesn't know someone personally, carries comfort objects with her at all times, stims in a multitude of different ways, expresses herself with a very specific dialect that makes her stick like a sore thumb,... I could go on and on. Similarly to Grimm Adventures of Billy & Mandy, all girls in the main cast seem to land somewhere in the spectrum, fully fleshed out, and provide for good variety of autism representation without sticking to one portrayal exclusively. Fun fact: mangaka and author Oowara Sumito has both autism and ADHD, diagnosed since he was a kid, and has stated that he writes these characters heavily based on his own experiences. Fun fact 2: apparently, Oowara's family doctor once took a look at his manga, the main character Midori, and basically said "yep, she's in the spectrum". Unrelated, but I'm into Sonic now so guess who just became a stereotype, yaaayyy🎉🎉🎉 and Jotaro? that mf is definitely autistic
These are interesting (I definitely gotta watch Eizoken some time) but yeah, I wanted to avoid non canon\headcanon stuff, since if I included every head canon, this video would be several hours long
Honestly as a low support needs [or “high functioning” as some people call it, tho i’ve found that term a little devo i’ve personally] autistic person who’s watched rick and morty a few to many times, and who’s also been heavily infantilized and seen autistic characters get heavily infantilized, i like the direction they took with Rick. I think he shows a lot more traits than people give him credit for, he falls into fixations to the point they dominate his life, he’s overly blunt and only good in social situations where he can get what he wants through some machiavellian scheme, and most interestingly dedicates himself to a persona rather than just existing in social situations the way other members of his family do. His skill in those manipulative dialogue exchanges come from him literally acting like he’s developing a character, not like he’s saying what he thinks directly, even while being blunt. It may just be a personal connection, but i’ve found myself in the same situation, where when i dont know how to talk to someone but i need to keep conversation for any reason, i default to a persona. As for the whole bad rep good character idea, i like that we get an autistic character who’s an asshole, who can [hopefully, if the show finally remembers to finish his character arc] learn and grow, and it sets a precedent that autistic characters don’t have to be moral beacons of good representation for good representations sake, but also shitty people who make mistakes and exist dialectically as autistic. idk tho, it might be up to personal interpretation and what people want to see out of autistic characters.
You know, I do appreciate the defense. Maybe I was a bit too harsh on Rick. Him being a dick but a likable dick is a bit of a refreshing take instead of just being a passive nice guy like most takes. Admittedly it's been a while since I've seen the series, but you're right, a lot of what he does can be interrupted as autistic traits. I'm still not on board with his only references to his autism being one off jokes so missable that most people I talked to about Rick didn't even know he was autistic, but the show is ongoing so hopefully, they can rectify that
@@StripeTheSquidyeah, i wish they made it more canonical, rather than just mentioned in jokes. They’ve referenced it maybe three or so times total, which just feels odd for a show so repetitive joke wise. Also reading it back my comment feels oddly passive aggressive i promise i wasn’t mad at the video or anything i just love excuses to ramble about shows i like
@@goodwillfidgetspinner No don't worry I didn't trace any aggressive of any kind, it's cool. Season 7 was a bit more serious than most seasons, so maybe they'll dive into more in the future
I never thought that Many of these characters were on the autism spectrum even though i'm on Asperger's autism myself i tought It was Just part of their personalities and backstories
I loved Maud, and she's probably my favorite of the more minor MLP characters. If I had infinite time and space she would've been on that brief flash of headcanons I would've included her, but went with Fluttershy because she's more well known
In manga and anime, I would definitely recommend dungeon meshi. The touden siblings (laios and fallin) are really obviously autistic even though it's never outright stated. It is basically outright shown, though. Even their father is likely autistic!
I have seen Dungeon Meshi, it came out after this video though. Not only do I really like it, but yeah, I can definitely see Laios and Fallin (Laios especially) as autistic. It's not canon so I wouldn't have covered it, but I do like the headcanon.
Maybe it’s just me. I get more of an ADHD vibe from Manny than an autistic vibe. There’s a couple of jokes about him being easily distracted or instantly falling asleep when watching a boring documentary
Honestly 100% agree. If anything Frida read as more autistic to me. But as explained, it's because Jorge is autistic and also didn't fit the typical mold
im offended as someone who is brown i dont know what we did, but in all serious note amazing video i cant wait to see you get better and better if you keep up a youtube career
2:09 I don’t think Ice Bear has ever been confirmed to be autistic however one of the inspirations behind his personality according to the creator was Abed from Community, so he may not be confirmed autistic but it’s pretty cool that he does draw some inspiration from a canonically autistic character! Also Ford and Dipper are good autistic headcanons, I think it’s made even more apparent in Journal 3 for Ford. I also feel like Mabel has ASD as well. And that not comprehensive asterisk at the bottom is so true 😆. I’m counting, what, 28 characters and that’s not even all of them…me too, me too.
ima be honest, i'm dead tired and i don't have it in my to leave a smart intellectual comment but I promise I am watching the video rn and am totally not passing out rn at this very mo.-fgphfj
Bro I get the little representation too. I didn't even know I was autistic till I was fourteen years old because I didn't know anything about it so I thought I was just different.
This was nice to see so many head canon and actually canon autistic characters that I didn’t even know were canon as autistic. Ngl personally I 100% relate to peridot as a autistic person. Theirs not a scene I can’t relate to with her in the show and I feel really seen with her especially with scenes like how she explains how amethyst was made and how she hurts amethyst without realizing it. I’ve been in a few situations just like that it’s crazy. It’s also crazy to me that she isn’t confirmed to be autistic
Also 100% agreed there. Pretty much everyone I've talked to who's seen SU seems to think of me as basically a male Peridot, and she's probably the closest to a "me fr" character
Alright man, this was a really great video. Your clearly knowledgeable about this stuff, and I mean this criticism in a very loving way, please try to speak more clearly if you can, or have a second take. Your probably better at this than most and have a ton of potential
No I get it. It's just hard for me to speak clearly, but I've been working on it. I mean this here is a video on autism so this is just kinda one of my downsides, I tend to speak fast, and while I don't mind since I know what I'm saying, obviously that doesn't translate over since you all aren't the one reading a script and knowing what I'm saying. TLDR, it's really hard, but I am trying to work on it
Ngl I recently looked at the list of autistic characters on a Wikipedia page and looked at the animated section. Was that the way you found some of these characters or a way of making a list ? Ngl I didn’t know some of these characters are autistic. Little me watching El Tigre and I didn’t even know.
Wikipedia was where I started I ain't gonna lie lol, they just had the biggest selection. I fact checked everyone on there first (for example, when I wrote this, Hunter and Gus from The Owl House were listed. Their source was a youtube video that literally starts by saying that this was headcanon and those characters aren't actually autistic as far as we know. They were since removed from the article), but it was an easy place to start. From there, I also used TV Tropes, various other wikis and videos and articles, and just what I've seen\knew to get this full list
@@StripeTheSquid Nice. I looked at that page out of curiosity since characters like Julia from Sesame Street was my first time seeing a fictional character with autism. Marcy is the one that really stuck with me. Especially her issues that is a plot point with being alone. I wasn’t expecting to see so many on that list.
my fav (implied not canon) autistic character is rui kamishiro from project sekai honestly, they kinda end up doing the "inventir smart character trope" but they show his distaste for certain textures and failure to recognize social cues, and, man. I was so happy looking at this silly guy from a rhythm game who loves ahis friends but doesnt wanna weird them out and thinking "omg its me!" I just.
according to cartoons apparently i must not be autistic because the second i had to take any classes related to tech or science i fumbled majorly and wanted out
im curious of looking into autistic rep in web series i have a couple shows i know but more just have implied, explicit autism rep isnt very common or easy to find
In terms of animated web series, I think it's only the three I included in the intro, Abigail and Casey from Pancake's Show, Percy King from Epithet Erased, and Cracklin from Investigation of Object Nuclearity. I think Dead End was also a web series first and then Norma could be added there as well. Still, there's a LOT of web series out there and I didn't do a lot of research into that side
I love that video as an Autistic myself *I Have PDD-NOS* I think you're also forgetting Mikey Ramon *Carlos Little Brother* from Magoc School Bus Franchises *not sure if it counts as autistic* but you get a sub from me
Hey i just was curious where exactly did you see rebecca sugar state that gems cant be neurodivergent? I was trying to find any and the only offical statements is that rebecca was glad autistic folk could relate to the characters but they werent made with it in mind. Im just curious is all
Ok I swear to god I'm not crazy I know I saw this in an interview I can't find it but I swear I did. In fact, apparently Sugar has now said that EVERY gem is neurodivergent, but I swear I saw this once I swear. But hey, on the bright side, I guess Peridot is now 100% canon, and I'll take that. I'll try to dig a bit more to find that quote because I swear I saw it once
For the whole "Tina not being autistic thing", I see where you're coming from, but at the same time, I've noted from my own experience as well as the experiences of others that dads with Autism don't seem to see it in their kids, because if their kids are autistic, then that leaves the parents to consider where it might've come from, and it's fairly common for said parents, especially Dads, to deny it so they don't have to think about whether or not they're autistic too.
That's 100% fair. I do think, when we're looking at the canonicity of it, I think it is worth emphasizing that her autism is shot down in episode 1 and then (from my research) never brought up again. But also from my research and the few episodes I saw, yeah, Bob does seem to be the kind of dad detached from his kids, so it could very well be that he denies it or just simply doesn't know\care. Kinda hard to call on it's canonicity for a fictional character, but in a "realistic" world, yeah that wouldn't discount her
For one, it's nice to see yourself in media. It's nice to be acknowledged and shown to the whole world, and it normalizes that you are actual people when it's shown in stories. Adding onto this, for kids media, it's helpful for kids to see themselves in particular in the media they experience, especially for something usually looked down upon like autism. For two, it's a learning experience for some. Fiction DOES effect reality (easy example, sharks aren't mindless killing machines, but thanks to Jaws, people genuinely believed for a long time that they're evil creatures), so seeing autistic or other forms of rep characters not only normalizes it, but shows people what we are, it subtly teaches people the intricacies of what we are. I definitely understand why some people don't care about rep even if they are said thing, but personally, I find it helpful.
Something good coming out of Caillou was the biggest plot twist of the year so far
He got canceled.
I thought Caillou had two autistic characters
I really wish there were more autistic characters that weren’t either hyper geniuses or background characters. Marcy is a perfect example, just someone just being themselves, not exceptional and yet perfectly valid nonetheless.
Marcy is a genius tho she gets straight A's, rehauled Newtopia's entire sewer system, and was the only who could beat Andrias in Flipwart 😭
Marcy is smart, but it's realistic genius. She's not a master inventor or anything, and she's not flawless.
I pointed out that there's a lot of inventors here, but I missed how many. Counting, there's 11 (Loopy, Fred, Rick, Peridot, Entrapta, Donnie, Dawkins, Snork, AJ, Reagan, June). Notably, getting more frequent. I would give an asterisk to Fred though since his inventions are closer to Home Alone traps than the sci fi tech of the rest. Notably, the four adaptational autistic characters (Fred, Entrapta, Donnie, Snork) are all inventors, and they all were inventors in their original series. But yeah, Marcy is one of the few who are major and not inventors
Marcy is literally my favourite character tbh
real !!
@@StripeTheSquidhi I’m watching this also I HAVE AUTISM too I recently found out 1 week ago I’m not completely on the spectrum but I have it and I do too it’s weird to me
I love it when a RUclipsr covers Autistic animated characters. My favorite is currently Donnie from ROTTMNT 💜
saaame i love donnie so much
@@foxliasgriffinYT 🫶
fr he just like me fr
favorite is hunter entrapta and norma and perdiot an-
yknow what just all the characters i headcannon as autistic
He’s fucking awesome
Ok, the fact that Netflix only has three canon autistic animated characters is one thing, but the fact that two out of those three shows were straight-up CANCELED before they could complete their stories is just flat-out pathetic.
Do better, Netflix.
Netflix is easily the most flexible of the major animation producers. It's why so many of their shows have heavier explicit LGBTQ+ rep than even stuff like Disney and CN have, even with some shows like Kipo or Dead End directly dropping terms like gay, trans and bi despite those being somewhat taboo to directly state in children's entertainment. The downside is that, especially recently, they don't really value animation, as whenever they're doing poorly, it's the immediate target. Sadly, Dead End and Inside Job were directly in the crosshairs when they were doing poorly, despite both being on all accounts successful
Yeah. This is my issue with outright stating that a character is autistic. You can only be so brave without risking something. For example, having your show get canceled. Same thing with the lgbt stuff. Legend of Kora and Adventure Time put the gay stuff at the end for a reason. They were wrapping up the show, anyway. If they did it earlier, who knows what would happen to them. Steven Universe was a bit braver, but that show came out later and Rebecca Sugar did get flack for portraying lesbian relationships from nonlgbt people. Certain episodes had to be censored in certain countries by portraying Ruby as a male. We’re making progress right now, but not enough to be able to do the things we want with the things we create. Creators have to work with companies that will either say yes or no to your decisions. So, it’s important to recognize the situation you’re in and play your cards right. Believe me, I wish it wasn’t this way, but we live in a world run by neurotypicals, so unfortunately it is.
As someone with ASD & ADHD, so many people forget that these are fictional stories first and foremost. The characters are going to be put through the ringer. That is what we the viewers are expected to see. I can’t stand when media’s idea of rep is showing perfect, happy characters with no problems being wildly accepted by everyone despite their flaws. Having a support system is great. But many of us have had to deal with rejection and being misunderstood by society, thus those are things we look for in our characters. Huey, Marcy, and Luz are great displays of this imo. Autistic kids need to know that despite the trials they’ll face, they will find support just as much as the cliche “your disability doesn’t change who you are” mantra I hear in everything.
Genuinely the best way to put this. I think that's a big problem with having so many of these characters be from Preschool shows, they just can't dive into this as well, especially with most of them being minor characters. Marcy is the perfect example, she is very flawed, she goes through problems both fantastical and real, but she's still human. Her disabilty (wether it's canon or not) DOES effect her, but she's not bad because of it. Same with Luz for ADHD. Huey I don't believe is canon but he's another great example. Really glad we're getting more examples of these characters, because flaws ARE good. It goes to all forms of rep, LGBTQ+, race, anything, keep in mind the thing you're representing, but they're still characters and characters need flaws.
I have ADHD and I'm planning to write a comic series with the protagonist also having ADHD, but I don't want it to be explicitly said
Personally I prefer things being said (or otherwise explicitly mentioned) onscreen/onpage, but I don't think it's a requirement. I praised characters like Donnie and Norma for how well they're done even without onscreen confirmation. Hope your comic ends up well!@@Frieowksf1293
Your comment is full of contradictions. A character not having flaws and a character not going through conflict are two distinct issues that you bundle up into one. I dont understand your comment, if the character is perfect then how do they have flaws? Could you give an example? What you described at the end is what you said you didn't like at the beginning. "Having a support system is great. BUT many of us have had to deal with rejection.." then "Autistic kids need to know that despite the trials they'll face, they will find support..." what point are you trying to make?
@@StripeTheSquid could you give an example of flawless autistic characters? I've noticed queer people often say this in regards to lgbt characters but never give examples and I'm hard pressed to find autistic characters in media, let alone ones that are portrayed as flawless.
I clicked on the video the instant that I saw Twyla in the thumbnail. I am a doll collector with Aspergers (I mainly collect Shadow High, Rainbow High, and Monster High Gen 1 and 3), doll collecting and dolls are a big special interest of mine (I have a whole doll channel mainly about my comfort dolls/characters.), and I was blown away by how amazing, beautiful, and realistic Twyla's represention was whenever the first episode of the MH Gen 3 Animated Series that she was in was first released.
I even have her signature MH Gen 3 doll from the Creepover Party doll line from earlier in MH Gen 3, and she is currently my favorite MH Gen 3 doll. I also love that her voice actress is Autistic as well!🖤💜
G3 Twyla is great and all, but let’s give some praise to G1 Twyla. She was never confirmed as autistic, sure, but there’s a lot of autistic traits she exhibited back in 13 Wishes and Haunted.
I will admit that I know very little about Monster High outside of the 2022 series (which I admittedly only watched for this video, but did really enjoy and intend to keep up with). I can relate to this though, as a longtime Scooby Doo and TMNT fan I was so happy to find out Fred and Donnie were autistic in Mystery Inc and Rise. Twyla really struck me with how she is so lovingly made, despite so easily being able to be taken in a bad way. I may be a 24 year old man but I genuinely considered getting a doll of her for this video, so you know she's doing something right.
As a sonic fan I can confirm that I'm autistic
Alright guys pack it up we got the best comment on this video
That is so real XD
You’re proud of that?
@@johnsroastbeefbaconcheddar Who wouldn't be proud of being yourself?
Same!!!
My sister and I grew up in the 80s and 90s, and as a person with Autism, our generations didn't really have anything for Autism representation. It's still a fairly new thing. Back in the day, no one had ever thought to "diagnose" any of our favorite characters with Autism. Although, a few years ago, I'd read on the Internet that Wakko Warner from Animaniacs might be Autistic. Back in the 90s, neither of us would have thought so, since characters were just characters, back then. But now, that I think about it, maybe it's possible. He's quiet, mechanical, and very easily confused. He's also afraid of clowns. Or, you could say that he and his siblings were just wacky cartoon characters, who were locked away for 60 years, and had then escaped into the modern world.
I don't know who was the first autistic character (I assume mostly characters from books), but yeah, it's definitely a newer thing as this video noted. Rain Man (1988) seems to be the first big mainstream autistic rep. Wakko, I can see it. As you said, he fits a lot of bits, now and back in the 90's. He's to you as Spongebob was for me in the 2000's (which also really had nothing for rep. I mentioned stuff like El Tigre and Grim Adventures, but that wasn't confirmed on screen). Was Wakko made with Autism in mind? Probably not. He's probably just a silly cartoon character. But it's nice to think about.
All your headcanons are Correct. I love Donnie, he reminds me of both myself and my brother (WE LOVE ROBOTS THAT FIGHT, we can't build nothing for shit but we can still enjoy a good harmless robo-murder machine when we see one.)
Anyway! I love when adult characters are neurodivergent in the autistic variety, and I also love when they're also Not Great People.
Reagan is my favorite example of this. I just need more autistic characters who don't fall into the "naiive and childish autistic" pitfall.
Hi yes, give me characters with flaws that exist specifically because of their personality, and not their disability! Thank youuuuu!
One day the world will realize that my headcanons are just simply canon.
The story about your brother is just genuinely really nice, not much to say
The more and more I think about it, the more I love Reagan. Adult autistic characters are super important, and she's definitely the best example, as you said. Really glad that she's among the most popular here she's one of the most praised characters in the comments alongside Marcy, Fred and Donnie
My favorite canon autistic character is Donnie and will always be. The fact that he just "happenes to have autism" is.. idk how to explain it. I love how they didn't make "being autistic" his whole personality. I also love how the others love and care about him the way he is without him acting like someone else or having the need to mask.
23:11 God, Float makes me bawl my fucking eyes out every time I watch it, as soon as the father yells "Why cant you just be normal?" I am a complete mess, and the fact he recognizes his mistake then embraces and comforts his son makes it all the more heart wrenching
Honestly Fred being autistic in Mystery Incorporated was something I didn't notice when watching the show originally back between 2010 and 2012. Of course I noticed it after a few rewatches.
Then again for many of us on the spectrum such as myself can morph into anything.
Also regarding if every artist character in an animated show has to be on the spectrum, well that would have to depend on the show.
That said, Da Vinci and Dawkins both being on the spectrum makes sense, because its not really uncommon for families to have two members on the spectrum; especially if they're siblings.
It didn't click to me when I saw Mystery Inc when it came out, but yeah, when that was confirmed, it all made sense.
Admittedly the "every artist is autistic" thing, it was an observation from the Dalmatian Street staff and not something I myself said. Probably should’ve shown the interview onscreen. Yeah it does make sense to have more than one person in a really really big family be autistic. Peek behind the curtain, originally I could only find that Dawkins was autistic, and was going to say it would've made more sense for there to be at least one more, before discovering Da Vinci is too
Bro I have severe brainrot and thought you were talking about the editing software Davinci 💀
I've known I was autistic since I was 9, and was diagnosed in 2022.
I've definitely found that autism representation is generally lacking even in the modern day as acceptance grows -- characters who are explicitly made to be autistic are often janky and stereotypical, while characters unintentionally written to be autistic are often never explicitly confirmed.
It creates this stigma around autism, hammering in the idea that we are some kind of monolith.
I have a lot of OCs, 300 or more, and I've decided that as an autistic creator, all of them are autistic even if some of them don't show symptoms. My worldview is inherently linked to my autism, and my creations are an extension of myself so it would only be logical.
Also, your videos are really nice and keep my attention. I hope you get more subscribers!
I've noticed that the ones here who seem to be the most popular and accurate to most people's struggles, Rise Donnie and Marcy, are also the two not made with it in mind, the writers just kinda fell into making great autistic rep. With them being confirmed about a month after their shows ended, yeah, it does kinda hold that we are a bit of a monolith.
Honestly, go ahead. If they're an extension of you, sure, they can also be autistic
I didn’t even know some of these characters have autism. Thx for doing this as someone that has autism I really appreciate this
Thanks! Yeah it's kinda shocking that a lot of these more well known characters on this (Rick, Fred, the Grim trio) have it and it's never discussed
@@StripeTheSquid We all gotta learn something these days.
Youre playing mario music this is making me pay attention. Its like the autism lore. I am listening
You can use Mario music to control autistic people ala the Pied Piper. I'm not immune, one time I heard Gusty Garden Galaxy and then I blacked out and suddenly I robbed a bank
I’ve never heard of that character from She-Ra before this video but I can already tell that would be a character I would really like. The controllable hair is really neat on top of a great design
I kinda maybe a little bit like her. She's been on like, 3 different bingo cards I made lol she's easily my favorite character in the show
One character you kinda missed is Lunella Lafayette from Moon Girl. It is a bit complicated, but the original character was confirmed to be "written with autistic traits", and they clearly knew about that when adapting her for TV. Granted its not as obvious as Norma, but lines like "I've never made it through a slumber party because I'm so awkward, but I'm learning to be ok with that" clearly go beyond just the awkward genius stereotype, among other things.
Also its the first time in animation I've seen 2 super neurodivergent coded characters in a romantic relationship. Its only for 2 episodes, but it was really cute to see.
From what I know, comic Lunella isn't 100% confirmed if she has it or not, it influenced her creation, but like the Float short, it's unclear if it's just an influence or she has it, and that's just comic Lunella, the show is in a different continuity. With that said, if show her is confirmed, she would be good, again the sleepover thing as you said.
i love when shows get autism right!!
for example, zane from ninjago. i don't think he technically counts because in s1ep7 he was revealed to be a nindroid, but i read somewhere that he wasn't planned to be, meaning that they planned his character to act the way he does (which is HEAVILY autism-coded!!) before they decided on it!!
throughout the show, zane is shown to not be as strong socially as the others - even minute details like his face always being blank and him simply missing a joke and responding with an -obviously confused- laugh are shown in the pilot episode!! after he is revealed to be a nindroid, he is obviously shocked, but his character stays the same.
then in season three, he meets pixal, who is a nindroid like him. they instantly click (best ship ever), because now zane is able to find someone who is similar to him!!
overall, he's my favorite character in anything (special interest go brr) and he's amazingly written :3
Ninjago is very much one of those "I should really get around to this" sows, but from what I've heard, I really like Zane. I think him being a nindroid is fine, since robots are a very common comparison for autistic people
I clicked for the video on autism representation, as well as stayed for it, but was solidified in my decision by the furret on the shelf behind you.
I headcanon Jimmy Neutrons dad Hugh Neutron as on the spectrum
I also relate to him a lot more with him not being a super genius and his special interest being ducks and his comfort food being pie
He also stims in his speech makes so many random nicknames for his son (which i do too) and is woth someone who whole heartedly accepts all his quirks and loves him
Hes literally me singing making random voices calling my son weird names that sound similar to his name
Except replace duck decor with llamas and pie with chicken wraps his wife also is just like my husband 🤣 supportive of all my random interests
Point I also flirt like him (cocky the rooster man is a go to)
This actually works so well what the heck
Like this might be my favorite headcanon someone's mentioned so far why does this fit so well for Hugh
"Replace duck decor with llamas"
*Carl??*
@@jackpijjin4088 i realize the irony in that 🤣 but I have a llama and koala collections
@@StripeTheSquid yes! He gives off someone who doesn't know/gets diagnosed as an adult and just lives his best life 😁
Aw, tysm for watching this!
How he know i have that?
If you watch one of my videos there's like an 80% chance you're autistic@@ethantucker92838
You’re welcome :)
101 Dalmatian Street mentioned 10/10
Somebody curing another characters autism to “make them a good guy” only to have that character still be evil when they’re cured is…. really funny to me ngl.
Like it's so horrific and tone deaf that I kinda respect it. And like, hey, it is saying he's not evil because of his autism, so...win?
@@StripeTheSquid if it was in the context of a story with other autistic or developmentally disabled characters it couldve been genius rep i think lol
I’m totally subscribing 🩵 working my way to creating my own passionate content as an autistic person myself. I have so much autistic headcanons as well!!
sandy and danny (grease), pee wee herman and dottie, carrie white, the membrane family (invader zim) are some of mine. Also vincent vega and Mia wallace from pulp fiction, but not many of its fans are autistic woman haha, so I keep that one to myself.
unrelated, but your music choice for this video is really good, I caught that bowsers inside story final boss music and it brought me back to a memory I have of playing that song on the piano at my grandmas house, thank you
You're welcome!
Holy crap. I was diagnosed years ago. I never knew that imaginary play was rooted in it!
if this wasnt about only cartoons i would reccomend Abed from Community. Community is actually written by the same person as Rick and Morty, but Abed is WAAAAAAAAAY better rep than rick. i love him so much
I love Community and Abed, and yeah, he's definitely one of the best autism reps there is. Just wanted to limit it animation because that's my main focus
@@StripeTheSquid yea, i understand! :D
What I can say for certain is animation representation is far better than the stuff we get in live action representation
Someone else in the comments brought up live action, as someone who really doesn't know many live action autistic characters, what's so bad about them?
Generally, it’s mostly the writers faults, they just take the baseline “neurodivergent” traits, like getting obsessed with certain things, and interests unlike those you “should” relate to, and slap em on a character and call it a day, there are other videos that probably explain it better than I could though
@@StripeTheSquid
From my limited knowledge, yeah sounds about right, sadly@@noxthedremoralord2683
ohmygod wanting to be left alone
my love
Wildly lore accurate Princess Bubblegum approach, but honestly it would've helped if there was another "canon" 'tism
ITS SO RARE TO FIND DONNIE IN ANY LISTS OR VIDEOS LIKE THIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH AAAAAAAA
Twila Is My favorite Monster High G3 character
I have autism as well and i see a lot of myself in Marcy . She's such a loveable character and in my opinion she's really good autism rep.
Also apparently s he was confirmed to be autistic by the Amphibia crew
I have ASD and I adore Billy and Mandy :D, Now knowing that fact about Maxwell Himself it makes sense why i love the show so much, also personal story: I whould occasionally act like Fred Fredburger in 10th grade and College and my classmates were actually not annoyed, to the point I ended up showing the frozen yoghurt clip from season 6 to friends and we laughed at the picture taking scene😁
Ya know i never remember why i wasn't into she ra for so long even tough i watched the whole serie, but now i know.
I hated so much how entrapta was treated because she was the reason i watched the show !
(My fav is donnie from rottmnt honestly)
This is a Great Video to have to show that people with Autism can be represented correctly!
Also I have my own Autistic character Headcanon: Charlie from Hazbin Hotel
Haven't seen Hazbin yet, but I did see the pilot, and I can kinda see it. Should probably watch the show first before I say more
I HEAVILY disagree on the "don't self-diagnose" part. As long as you do proper research (as in, really reading a lot about a certain condition, not taking online quizzes), I support self-diagnosis. I say this as someone who was professionally diagnosed - at 15, mind you. A lot of people take a long time to get professionally diagnosed with autism because society believes that girls and people of color (especially Black people) can't be autistic, as the popular stereotype of autistics is a little white boy obsessed with trains. That's just one reason why people might self-diagnose. Besides, you kinda have to self-diagnose yourself first before you get medically tested for autism. Otherwise, you wouldn't have a reason to go get tested.
I 100% agree :/
I did definitely forget that 1. I found out what autism was when I was diagnosed (but that was over a decade ago, A LOT has changed, so your "you gotta self diagnose first" point holds) and 2. I'm a white guy, and as I said, we're more diagnosed less for scientifical reasons and because, well, life sucks. I mean you're right I literally acknowledged the "white boy with trains" stereotype several times. I more so meant don't immediately see this video, hear me describe a character, and be like "huh, that's kinda like me, I MUST be autistic". That's a good first step, but try to do more research before immediate self diagnosis. Definitely could've put it better and honestly I was just kinda taking what I hheard a few other autism videos say, genuinely thank you for this comment this is an important note.
@@StripeTheSquidthis was a decent reply, good to see this discussion in the comments
Bro people don't talk enough about how Lemon grab literally got LOBOTOMIZED. It's so funny to me.
It feels so weird. Lemongrab was like, the face of AT for a time, now no one every brings the guy up
idk ...
Lemongrab behavior looks more like a sociopath than autism
Really interesting video on cartoon characters on the spectrum, and as a person on the spectrum, I'm not gonna lie I totally agree with you on how more animated shows kinda need to say that characters are autistic without being a joke. As a fan of your content for a while, you made an epic video.
Tiffany it feels like it's been a while since I've heard your voice! I do think things like Molly McGee and Monster High (and to a lesser extent, the extremely positive reception to Donnie) are a sign of good things in the future. We start with main characters having it as jokes or offscreen, then a few minor characters onscreen confirming they have it, and with the clear demand for explicit autism representation, I'd be shocked if the decade ends without one non joke explicit main character with it. The demand is there, so I hope eventually, the supply comes too.
Kid Danger: *wearing his mighty pup movie outfit* as a Pegasus pony who has autism, i understand being on the autism spectrum. I love to make friends with other ponys but they do not understand why i am so friendly.
Hell yeah! I love Marcy Wu and Reagan Ridely! 💚💜
maud pie from mlp is just a lil gray yippie creatcher.
Hey, just some quick context on Norma Khan (aka: the most "seen" I've felt by a canon autistic character in forever)
The creator of Dead End, Hamish Steele, is himself autistic, but at the time of the show's release, he wasn’t officially diagnosed and so felt awkward about giving a de-facto statement. That, coupled with Netflix's frankly awful sensitivity supervisor, convinced the crew to avoid directly saying the diagnosis.
That said, in Deadendia, the graphic novels which the show was based on, Norma is very directly stated to be autistic, and it's a major plotpoint in an early chapter. I'd highly recommend giving them a read if you have any interest.
This is actually really important, thank you. I knew Hamish was autistic, but them being diagnosed after the show explains exactly why it wasn't brought up. I was also aware of the graphic novels, but didn't know it was more explicit there (wouldn't really dive into it here because as I said, I'm looking exclusively at how it's shown in animation, but it is good to know)
Sometimes having a disability can be hard for the Victim in life, if you know what I'm talking about
2:09 THIS IS SOOOO REAL!!!!! Headcanons accepted
Thank you!
I have a few friends with ADHD, we've discussed about maybe making this into a video. No promises though
It’s me, I’m the Super big Archer fan, YIPPIE!!!!
Also media should include more Autistic characters the COWARDS!
TRUE BESTIE SPITTING FOR REAL
You put the Miracle Matter theme in your video (big win for autism)
btw you could make a follow up video on your ASD headcannon of the main trio of Spongebob (I'm myself is an high fonctionning autistic person and I interpret Spongebob and sometimes Patrick as being on the 'tism but I hadn't thought of Squidward so it would be nice to learn why)
Also I'm an artist and like every characters I draw is autistic lmao because it's actually kinda hard to make neurotypicals for me
Honestly, not a bad idea. Would be a long video granted lol, but not a bad idea in the slightest.
You're the second or third person who's said "every character I make is autistic" which I genuinely appreciate. People should put themselves into their characters, and it's nice to see more autism rep, even if it isn't as universal as these shows@@Basile.BowBow
2:56 Autistic person here. While I was officially diagnosed, I think self diagnoses is completely fine. But I do agree that self diagnosing just because of this one video would be a bad idea. They should instead evaluate their past and do at least a month investigating If they really are autistic
I said this to an older comment, but self diagnosing is fine, but yeah, don't do it based on this video, since this is a very surface level analysis of the topic. Do more research before hand before coming to a conclusion.
love your videos ^_^ started w this one and watched a few more and honestly they're great, you deserve more attention !!!
Thank you so much!
I like the idea that fluttershy and Twilight sparkle are autistic. You could honestly make an argument that all the main 6 are neurodivergent but those are the two I resonate with a lot
Maude Pie has also been brought up as being autistic coded, but I can definitely see Fluttershy and Twilight. Fluttershy especially, but that might be bias
@@StripeTheSquidyay! Those two are my fave. I agree with maud pie too
If your still looking for Autism Representation in animation, I’d recommend checking out Osaka and Sakaki from Azumanga Daioh, it’s an anime based on the original manga.
Noted
Uh, uh!! I got a few! I know you said non-confirmed as such in canon material aren't technically to be considered BUT, and since you briefly touched upon anime, I'd like to bring forward the main cast of the Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! anime/manga. All the girls present a ton of traits and are so unabashedly autistic that it served as the last push for me to finally get an actual diagnosis after years of putting it aside. The protagonist, Midori Asakusa, in particular, is the one that called to my attention the most: being utterly immersed in her craft and her interests (a myriad of things, but animation is the most important), extremely socially awkward when she doesn't know someone personally, carries comfort objects with her at all times, stims in a multitude of different ways, expresses herself with a very specific dialect that makes her stick like a sore thumb,... I could go on and on. Similarly to Grimm Adventures of Billy & Mandy, all girls in the main cast seem to land somewhere in the spectrum, fully fleshed out, and provide for good variety of autism representation without sticking to one portrayal exclusively.
Fun fact: mangaka and author Oowara Sumito has both autism and ADHD, diagnosed since he was a kid, and has stated that he writes these characters heavily based on his own experiences. Fun fact 2: apparently, Oowara's family doctor once took a look at his manga, the main character Midori, and basically said "yep, she's in the spectrum".
Unrelated, but I'm into Sonic now so guess who just became a stereotype, yaaayyy🎉🎉🎉 and Jotaro? that mf is definitely autistic
These are interesting (I definitely gotta watch Eizoken some time) but yeah, I wanted to avoid non canon\headcanon stuff, since if I included every head canon, this video would be several hours long
Honestly as a low support needs [or “high functioning” as some people call it, tho i’ve found that term a little devo i’ve personally] autistic person who’s watched rick and morty a few to many times, and who’s also been heavily infantilized and seen autistic characters get heavily infantilized, i like the direction they took with Rick. I think he shows a lot more traits than people give him credit for, he falls into fixations to the point they dominate his life, he’s overly blunt and only good in social situations where he can get what he wants through some machiavellian scheme, and most interestingly dedicates himself to a persona rather than just existing in social situations the way other members of his family do. His skill in those manipulative dialogue exchanges come from him literally acting like he’s developing a character, not like he’s saying what he thinks directly, even while being blunt. It may just be a personal connection, but i’ve found myself in the same situation, where when i dont know how to talk to someone but i need to keep conversation for any reason, i default to a persona. As for the whole bad rep good character idea, i like that we get an autistic character who’s an asshole, who can [hopefully, if the show finally remembers to finish his character arc] learn and grow, and it sets a precedent that autistic characters don’t have to be moral beacons of good representation for good representations sake, but also shitty people who make mistakes and exist dialectically as autistic. idk tho, it might be up to personal interpretation and what people want to see out of autistic characters.
You know, I do appreciate the defense. Maybe I was a bit too harsh on Rick. Him being a dick but a likable dick is a bit of a refreshing take instead of just being a passive nice guy like most takes. Admittedly it's been a while since I've seen the series, but you're right, a lot of what he does can be interrupted as autistic traits. I'm still not on board with his only references to his autism being one off jokes so missable that most people I talked to about Rick didn't even know he was autistic, but the show is ongoing so hopefully, they can rectify that
@@StripeTheSquidyeah, i wish they made it more canonical, rather than just mentioned in jokes. They’ve referenced it maybe three or so times total, which just feels odd for a show so repetitive joke wise. Also reading it back my comment feels oddly passive aggressive i promise i wasn’t mad at the video or anything i just love excuses to ramble about shows i like
@@goodwillfidgetspinner No don't worry I didn't trace any aggressive of any kind, it's cool. Season 7 was a bit more serious than most seasons, so maybe they'll dive into more in the future
Marcy is probably the best Disney Character with autism and ill protect her with my life and afterlife, half life 2
Rottmnt Donnie and Mikey are dope representations of adhd and autism respectively and as someone who has both they nailed it
Donnie has autism while Mikey has ADHD, but besides that, you're right, both are great reps
@@StripeTheSquid Yeah i know lol n i Love that we got them
12:50 Earl of Lemongrab is just *UNACCEPTABLE!*
Very interesting video from one autistic RUclipsr to another. You deserve more subs for this!
Thank you!
I never thought that Many of these characters were on the autism spectrum even though i'm on Asperger's autism myself i tought It was Just part of their personalities and backstories
thoughts on maud pie? she is heavily autistic coded and also the best mlp character
I loved Maud, and she's probably my favorite of the more minor MLP characters. If I had infinite time and space she would've been on that brief flash of headcanons I would've included her, but went with Fluttershy because she's more well known
In manga and anime, I would definitely recommend dungeon meshi. The touden siblings (laios and fallin) are really obviously autistic even though it's never outright stated. It is basically outright shown, though.
Even their father is likely autistic!
I have seen Dungeon Meshi, it came out after this video though. Not only do I really like it, but yeah, I can definitely see Laios and Fallin (Laios especially) as autistic. It's not canon so I wouldn't have covered it, but I do like the headcanon.
Maybe it’s just me. I get more of an ADHD vibe from Manny than an autistic vibe. There’s a couple of jokes about him being easily distracted or instantly falling asleep when watching a boring documentary
Honestly 100% agree. If anything Frida read as more autistic to me. But as explained, it's because Jorge is autistic and also didn't fit the typical mold
im offended as someone who is brown i dont know what we did, but in all serious note amazing video i cant wait to see you get better and better if you keep up a youtube career
Thank you!
2:09 I don’t think Ice Bear has ever been confirmed to be autistic however one of the inspirations behind his personality according to the creator was Abed from Community, so he may not be confirmed autistic but it’s pretty cool that he does draw some inspiration from a canonically autistic character!
Also Ford and Dipper are good autistic headcanons, I think it’s made even more apparent in Journal 3 for Ford. I also feel like Mabel has ASD as well.
And that not comprehensive asterisk at the bottom is so true 😆. I’m counting, what, 28 characters and that’s not even all of them…me too, me too.
A friend suggested making a video where I list all my autistic headcanons to the tune of Yakko's World, and I am very tempted to do so.
ima be honest, i'm dead tired and i don't have it in my to leave a smart intellectual comment but I promise I am watching the video rn and am totally not passing out rn at this very mo.-fgphfj
He has such a way with words
Bro I get the little representation too. I didn't even know I was autistic till I was fourteen years old because I didn't know anything about it so I thought I was just different.
Great Video.
I also have Austim and still dealing with it.
This was nice to see so many head canon and actually canon autistic characters that I didn’t even know were canon as autistic. Ngl personally I 100% relate to peridot as a autistic person. Theirs not a scene I can’t relate to with her in the show and I feel really seen with her especially with scenes like how she explains how amethyst was made and how she hurts amethyst without realizing it. I’ve been in a few situations just like that it’s crazy. It’s also crazy to me that she isn’t confirmed to be autistic
Also 100% agreed there. Pretty much everyone I've talked to who's seen SU seems to think of me as basically a male Peridot, and she's probably the closest to a "me fr" character
@@StripeTheSquid Yeah same! Though I am woman lol
I was referring to myself there, sorry@@Alicat0314
@@StripeTheSquid oh no your good! I just like to point out I’m a woman cause I’m trans lol you didn’t do anything! :3
Alright man, this was a really great video. Your clearly knowledgeable about this stuff, and I mean this criticism in a very loving way, please try to speak more clearly if you can, or have a second take. Your probably better at this than most and have a ton of potential
No I get it. It's just hard for me to speak clearly, but I've been working on it. I mean this here is a video on autism so this is just kinda one of my downsides, I tend to speak fast, and while I don't mind since I know what I'm saying, obviously that doesn't translate over since you all aren't the one reading a script and knowing what I'm saying. TLDR, it's really hard, but I am trying to work on it
16:33 im here because this. And yes... i agree with peridot and autism (and with the author's bad treat to one of her best characters)
tism time
It’s ALWAYS tism time
In the cartoon network show Fosters home for imaginary friends, I feel like the character Cheese has autism
I can definitely see it
Ngl I recently looked at the list of autistic characters on a Wikipedia page and looked at the animated section. Was that the way you found some of these characters or a way of making a list ?
Ngl I didn’t know some of these characters are autistic. Little me watching El Tigre and I didn’t even know.
Wikipedia was where I started I ain't gonna lie lol, they just had the biggest selection. I fact checked everyone on there first (for example, when I wrote this, Hunter and Gus from The Owl House were listed. Their source was a youtube video that literally starts by saying that this was headcanon and those characters aren't actually autistic as far as we know. They were since removed from the article), but it was an easy place to start. From there, I also used TV Tropes, various other wikis and videos and articles, and just what I've seen\knew to get this full list
@@StripeTheSquid Nice. I looked at that page out of curiosity since characters like Julia from Sesame Street was my first time seeing a fictional character with autism.
Marcy is the one that really stuck with me. Especially her issues that is a plot point with being alone.
I wasn’t expecting to see so many on that list.
this video was awesome, i loved it :D
21:01 this show! Noone talks about it so it caught me off guard
I'm learning 101 Dalmatians has a shockingly really big fandom, there's a few people happy to see some discussion on it
2:09 BOCCHI
True Tail (School of Heroes) is just for me! 😊
Flushing myself to fish heaven rq brb
Godspeed, enjoy fish heaven
my fav (implied not canon) autistic character is rui kamishiro from project sekai honestly, they kinda end up doing the "inventir smart character trope" but they show his distaste for certain textures and failure to recognize social cues, and, man. I was so happy looking at this silly guy from a rhythm game who loves ahis friends but doesnt wanna weird them out and thinking "omg its me!" I just.
Admittedly never heard of this show, but I do always love when people can find characters they can connect with
@@StripeTheSquid its a game :3
Oh, well, same applies, might play it then@@spontaneouslycombusted7664
also AROACE PERIDOT MY BELOVED
TRUE BESTIE KEEP SPITTIN YOUR FACTS
Finally someone else who actually accepts her sexuality
according to cartoons apparently i must not be autistic because the second i had to take any classes related to tech or science i fumbled majorly and wanted out
No don't worry there's a few non inventors you're still one of us!
i'm only a few minutes in and i feel so called out by the sonic fan comment, your not wrong tho
Hey that comment was about how it was a stereotype a decade ago!!!
I do like that most of this comment section is just Sonic fans saying "yeah" though
How did we release the same kind of video on the same day, and how am I just now seeing this 😂
Wait holy frick we did that's hilarious
I will watch your's soon
That is literally my exact thought 🤣Very strange coincidence. Your video was great tho! Keep up the great work! @@StripeTheSquid
I love Peridot so much!
She's literally me fr
Me see ROTTMNT in the thumbnail. Me click.
Hope you've had a good day
You too buddy
im curious of looking into autistic rep in web series
i have a couple shows i know but more just have implied, explicit autism rep isnt very common or easy to find
In terms of animated web series, I think it's only the three I included in the intro, Abigail and Casey from Pancake's Show, Percy King from Epithet Erased, and Cracklin from Investigation of Object Nuclearity. I think Dead End was also a web series first and then Norma could be added there as well. Still, there's a LOT of web series out there and I didn't do a lot of research into that side
@@StripeTheSquid i absolutely love cracklin mann
Admittedly don't know much about him (I only just learned of his existence while editing this) but he seems cool@@foxliasgriffinYT
I feel so called out by that sonic fans having autism comment. 💀
No that was just an old internet stereotype Sonic is now cool to like don't worry!
Also don't worry I am also a Sonic fan I am one of you!
i am a simple autistic, i see entrapta norma and perdiot in the thumbnail, *i c l i c k*
Just like me fr
what if goku from dragon ball had high functioning autism
Haven't seen a lot from Dragon Ball but I can see it
I love that video as an Autistic myself *I Have PDD-NOS* I think you're also forgetting Mikey Ramon *Carlos Little Brother* from Magoc School Bus Franchises *not sure if it counts as autistic* but you get a sub from me
Didn't mention him because it's not canon, but I like the head canon
@@StripeTheSquid anytime
I have autism, ADHD and OCD
2:13 I have a felling molly is autistic in epithet erased
I 100% see it
@ I mean she has the epithet we all want being able to make any thing quiet
yes, society
where's Caillou on the thumbnail
He isn't the autistic one Andy is
Great video, thank u for this
You're welcome
Hey i just was curious where exactly did you see rebecca sugar state that gems cant be neurodivergent? I was trying to find any and the only offical statements is that rebecca was glad autistic folk could relate to the characters but they werent made with it in mind. Im just curious is all
Ok I swear to god I'm not crazy I know I saw this in an interview I can't find it but I swear I did. In fact, apparently Sugar has now said that EVERY gem is neurodivergent, but I swear I saw this once I swear. But hey, on the bright side, I guess Peridot is now 100% canon, and I'll take that. I'll try to dig a bit more to find that quote because I swear I saw it once
Splatoon 🫵
For the whole "Tina not being autistic thing", I see where you're coming from, but at the same time, I've noted from my own experience as well as the experiences of others that dads with Autism don't seem to see it in their kids, because if their kids are autistic, then that leaves the parents to consider where it might've come from, and it's fairly common for said parents, especially Dads, to deny it so they don't have to think about whether or not they're autistic too.
That's 100% fair. I do think, when we're looking at the canonicity of it, I think it is worth emphasizing that her autism is shot down in episode 1 and then (from my research) never brought up again. But also from my research and the few episodes I saw, yeah, Bob does seem to be the kind of dad detached from his kids, so it could very well be that he denies it or just simply doesn't know\care. Kinda hard to call on it's canonicity for a fictional character, but in a "realistic" world, yeah that wouldn't discount her
Why do people care about representation so much. I'm autistic and genuinely could not give less of one. Enlighten me
For one, it's nice to see yourself in media. It's nice to be acknowledged and shown to the whole world, and it normalizes that you are actual people when it's shown in stories. Adding onto this, for kids media, it's helpful for kids to see themselves in particular in the media they experience, especially for something usually looked down upon like autism.
For two, it's a learning experience for some. Fiction DOES effect reality (easy example, sharks aren't mindless killing machines, but thanks to Jaws, people genuinely believed for a long time that they're evil creatures), so seeing autistic or other forms of rep characters not only normalizes it, but shows people what we are, it subtly teaches people the intricacies of what we are.
I definitely understand why some people don't care about rep even if they are said thing, but personally, I find it helpful.
omg gacha mentioned