15 Queer Characters Audiences Call Overrated

Popularity always brings debate, and that’s especially true with screen characters who become cultural touchpoints. The names below routinely show up in conversations where people are weighing impact, visibility, and how much narrative space a character actually gets compared with others.

To keep things clear and useful, each entry focuses on verifiable details—who created the character, where they appear, how their stories evolve, and what makes them stand out in context. Think of it as a quick reference to the roles that spark the most “we’ve talked about this one a lot” reactions.

Albus Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore originates in the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise and later becomes a central figure in the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ films, where his past with Gellert Grindelwald is portrayed on screen. The character’s sexual orientation was stated outside the original books and explored more directly in the prequel movies, with Jude Law depicting a younger Dumbledore and a blood pact complicating his conflict with Grindelwald.

Across film and print, Dumbledore serves as headmaster, mentor, strategist, and eventual opponent to dark wizards, with different actors portraying him at various life stages. The ‘Fantastic Beasts’ entries fold his personal history into wizarding-world politics, expanding beyond his mentor role in ‘Harry Potter’ and placing him at the center of a transnational struggle involving wandlore, allegiance, and magical law.

Villanelle

Villanelle is the code name of Oksana Astankova, a polyglot assassin working for the covert organization known as The Twelve in ‘Killing Eve’. Jodie Comer’s portrayal tracks the character’s movements across Europe, her chameleon-like identities, and her entwined dynamic with intelligence officer Eve Polastri, which becomes the show’s narrative engine.

Beyond espionage beats, Villanelle’s arc illustrates how a contract killer navigates institutional handlers, rival operatives, and shifting loyalties across multiple seasons. ‘Killing Eve’ uses her relationships and meticulously staged assignments to explore surveillance, obsession, and the logistics of high-end assassinations as much as it explores personal identity.

Kurt Hummel

Kurt Hummel is a core member of the New Directions glee club on ‘Glee’, created for actor Chris Colfer. The series follows his coming-out journey, complicated school life, and eventual partnerships and rivalries, with major storylines involving his father Burt Hummel and his relationship with Blaine Anderson.

Musically, Kurt’s repertoire includes show tunes and reworked pop numbers, often arranged to highlight his countertenor range. Within ‘Glee’, he moves through auditions, school transfers, and performance competitions, giving the character a defined path from local choir rooms to larger stages and arts-school aspirations.

Jules Vaughn

Jules Vaughn is a trans teen at the center of ‘Euphoria’, portrayed by Hunter Schafer. The show introduces her through the perspective of classmates while also devoting dedicated episodes to her interior life, medical history, and family dynamics, including an installment co-written by Schafer that foregrounds Jules’s own framing of identity.

In the broader ensemble, Jules’s relationships and decisions intersect with digital life, substance use around her, and the pressures of suburban adolescence. ‘Euphoria’ uses her fashion, online interactions, and evolving friendships—especially with Rue—to track how she negotiates independence, safety, and self-definition.

David Rose

David Rose co-owns Rose Apothecary in ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and is written as pansexual, with the show mapping his partnership with Patrick Brewer from business collaboration to long-term commitment. His family ties to Johnny and Moira Rose and sister Alexis keep him involved in both professional ventures and small-town milestones.

Throughout the series, David’s arc covers entrepreneurship, community events, and the logistics of planning a wedding while maintaining a boutique brand. ‘Schitt’s Creek’ frames his love story amid retail launches, seasonal festivals, and town council dealings, placing him at the intersection of family legacy and local commerce.

Captain Jack Harkness

Captain Jack Harkness debuts in ‘Doctor Who’ as a former Time Agent and returns as the lead of ‘Torchwood’, a spinoff centered on an extraterrestrial-fighting team in Cardiff. Canon establishes his fluid attractions across genders and species, a trait the shows integrate into his banter, undercover work, and long lifespan.

His narrative includes immortality tied to a temporal event, leadership of the Torchwood team, and occasional crossover missions with the Doctor. Across ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Torchwood’, Jack’s timeline jumps between eras, connecting alien incursions, government cover-ups, and the day-to-day administration of a secret organization.

Lito Rodriguez

Lito Rodriguez is a closeted film star in ‘Sense8’, created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski. Living in Mexico City, he balances public image with a private relationship, while the series links him telepathically to seven other sensates who share skills and emotions.

Lito’s career pressures—studio deals, tabloid exposure, and action roles—collide with blackmail and forced outing, which the cluster counters with coordinated plans. ‘Sense8’ uses his actor’s toolkit in fight, escape, and social-engineering sequences, often combining his on-screen charisma with another sensate’s physical expertise.

Nomi Marks

Nomi Marks is a San Francisco-based hacktivist in ‘Sense8’, portrayed by Jamie Clayton. The show details her transition history, a contentious family relationship, and an engaged partnership with Amanita, who becomes a crucial ally in the cluster’s operations.

Technically, Nomi’s contributions include encryption, surveillance countermeasures, and rapid research, which allow the group to evade pursuit by the Biologic Preservation Organization. Her storyline also tracks hospital scenes, legal maneuvers, and community ties, showing how chosen family and practical logistics keep the cluster functioning.

Eric Effiong

Eric Effiong is Otis Milburn’s best friend in ‘Sex Education’, played by Ncuti Gatwa. The series follows Eric through school plays, friendships, and complicated romances, incorporating his Nigerian family background and church community into major decisions about safety and self-expression.

Fashion and performance are consistent markers for the character, appearing in music numbers, dance routines, and themed school events. ‘Sex Education’ situates Eric at the center of conversations about masculinity, reconciliation, and accountability, with plotlines that span bullying, reconciliation with former antagonists, and leadership roles among peers.

Captain Raymond Holt

Captain Raymond Holt leads the 99th Precinct in ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’, portrayed by Andre Braugher. The series positions him as a groundbreaking figure within the NYPD, with husband Kevin Cozner and a long career marked by institutional pushback and mentorship of younger detectives.

Holt’s casework ranges from precinct administration to citywide investigations, often involving interdepartmental politics and community relations. ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ builds recurring arcs around task forces, promotions, and policy changes, using Holt’s measured style to anchor workplace procedures and squad dynamics.

Elektra Abundance

Elektra Abundance, later known as Elektra Wintour, is a reigning diva and house mother in ‘Pose’. Played by Dominique Jackson, she navigates ballroom categories, sex work economies, and shifts in chosen-family structure, often redefining alliances with other house leaders.

Her trajectory includes surgical decisions, legal jeopardy, and entrepreneurial pivots that keep her at the center of high-stakes storylines. ‘Pose’ places Elektra in lavish ballroom set pieces and quieter crisis-management scenes, showing how authority, resources, and survival strategies operate within the culture the show documents.

Blanca Evangelista

Blanca Evangelista founds the House of Evangelista in ‘Pose’, portrayed by Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. The character’s HIV diagnosis is present from early on, with arcs that track her medical care, activism, and nurturing relationships with her children in the ballroom scene.

Blanca’s goals—running a salon, stabilizing housing, and guiding protégés—anchor multi-episode plots about healthcare access, employment, and community leadership. ‘Pose’ uses her story to connect hospital rooms, ballrooms, and city streets, giving a practical, day-to-day view of how chosen families sustain themselves.

Simon Spier

Simon Spier is the titular teen navigating anonymous email romance in ‘Love, Simon’. The film follows his attempts to protect his privacy while uncovering the identity of “Blue,” balancing school activities, theater rehearsals, and shifting friend group dynamics.

The movie adapts a bestselling young-adult novel and led to ‘Love, Victor’, a television spinoff set at the same high school with new leads. ‘Love, Simon’ frames Simon’s journey through lockers, cafeterias, and family living rooms, emphasizing the logistics of secrecy, public reveals, and peer intervention.

Elio Perlman

Elio Perlman is the adolescent protagonist of ‘Call Me by Your Name’, living with his parents during a summer in Northern Italy when graduate student Oliver arrives. Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal traces Elio’s musicianship, language skills, and budding attraction that unfolds across bike rides, family meals, and secluded swim spots.

The film adapts André Aciman’s novel and centers Elio’s perspective, building scenes around letters, keepsakes, and household rhythms. ‘Call Me by Your Name’ situates the character within an academic family’s social circle, using quiet domestic spaces to show how a first romance alters everyday routines.

Korra

Korra leads ‘The Legend of Korra’ as the Avatar succeeding Aang, voiced by Janet Varney. The animated series follows her training, political unrest in Republic City, and conflicts with adversaries ranging from the Equalists to the Earth Empire.

Korra’s relationship with Asami becomes canon in the closing moments of the series and is further explored in follow-up comics. Within ‘The Legend of Korra’, the character’s arc includes spiritual growth, recovery from injury, and the responsibilities of a public figure balancing diplomacy with combat and travel across the spirit world.

Share your take below: which characters would you add or swap on this list—and why—in the comments?