The heart of the Life is Strange franchise has always seemed to be diversity and inclusion, especially when it comes to the LGBTQIA+ community. From the very first Life is Strange game, players could have a protagonist involved in a same-sex relationship without it being fetishized or out-of-place. This trend only continued throughout later releases, as Life is Strange: Before the Storm and Life is Strange 2 both have a variety of LGBTQ+ characters. Though it’s still a month away from release, Life is Strange: True Colors has also confirmed that it will have LGBTQ+ characters, including a same-sex romance option for protagonist Alex Chen.
There are technically 11 LGBTQ+ characters found in the entire Life is Strange franchise, with the eleventh LGBTQ+ character being Alex Chen, who will have both a same- and opposite-sex romance option in Life is Strange: True Colors. However, because the game isn't available yet, it wouldn’t be fair to include her without having a full scope of her personality, motivations, and romantic interactions yet. All 10 remaining LGBTQ+ characters can be found in Life is Strange, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, and Life is Strange 2.
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The playable character of Life is Strange, Max can have romantic feelings for two different characters. She could pursue something romantic with Warren Graham, her close friend who has a crush on her, or her childhood friend Chloe Price. The statistics show that the majority of players agreed to go to the movies with Warren, but the majority of them also didn’t help him with his experiment in episode 2, “Out of Time.” However, when episode 3, “Chaos Theory,” rolled around, 78 percent of players took the opportunity to kiss Chloe. The hardest decision in Life is Strange is choosing between Arcadia Bay and Chloe, and the decision is harder when players have a romantic relationship with her.
A fan-favorite character, Chloe Price captivated the hearts of many players in Life is Strange as one of its first known LGBTQ+ characters. She’s also the playable character in the prequel, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, which explores her relationship with Rachel Amber. Chloe admits to Max in Life is Strange that she had a crush on, and even loved, Rachel Amber before her disappearance. Players can make these romantic feelings real in Before the Storm, as Rachel Amber can be pursued in a romantic way throughout the game.
Players never hear a line of dialogue spoken by Rachel Amber in the first Life is Strange, but it’s clear she meant a lot to Chloe before her disappearance. Life is Strange: Before the Storm gives players a chance to get to know the real Rachel Amber better, and to see her relationship with Chloe first-hand. Rachel attracted the attention of many, which is why Chloe was so hurt when she found out Rachel had a sexual relationship with Frank. Despite her absence from the original game, players always knew how Chloe felt about Rachel.
Sean is the player character of Life is Strange 2 and, much like other Life is Strange protagonists, has two different romance options. He can become romantically involved with Cassidy or Finn McNamara, both of whom he meets in episode 3 of Life is Strange 2. Unlike Life is Strange, Sean’s goodbye to his romantic interest comes much sooner than Max’s, but that’s because Life is Strange 2 focuses on his relationship with his brother above any other.
Players meet Finn in episode 3 of Life is Strange 2 when he and Cassidy are trying to make it to the jobs they lined up on a marijuana farm. Through their interactions, players can tell that Finn is attracted to Sean. Finn is one of the few characters to explicitly discuss sexuality labels, though he doesn’t use one for himself. Players have noted that Finn fits the “pansexual” label under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.
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Jacob is not a potential romantic interest for Sean, but the two meet because Jacob works on the same farm as Finn and Cassidy. He grew up in a small town, and it’s later discovered that his community made him undergo conversion therapy after finding out he was gay. Jacob had a hard time accepting himself and his sexuality, and this was made even worse by his small community. His story is one of the sadder LBGTQ+ stories in Life is Strange.
As they are a long-established couple in Life is Strange 2, it’s only fair to list Arthur and Stanley together. Arthur had the harder time of the two concerning his coming out, as he came out after being with his wife for 20 years and having three daughters. Only one daughter, Becky, still talks to him. Stanley and Arthur care deeply for each other, which Daniel witnesses and tells Sean that he hopes somebody will care about him that same way when he gets old. Though they live on the outskirts of society, they’re happy with each other.
Penny meets Sean and the others in Life is Strange 2. He is a bit more paranoid than other characters, working alongside Finn and Cassidy at the marijuana farm. Penny has a tragic love story with Arthur “Jinx” Lee, a boy he fell in love with. Jinx got high and wandered into the woods, never to be seen again. Penny still waits for him, but at the time of the events of Life is Strange 2, it has been some time since Jinx was seen or heard from.
Players first meet Steph Gingrich in Life is Strange: Before the Storm; a classmate and friend of Chloe Price. However, Steph will be returning in Life is Strange: True Colors as a potential romantic interest for Alex. In Before the Storm, Steph has a crush on Rachel Amber and asks Chloe if she knows whether Rachel is seeing anyone. Steph’s confirmed LGBTQ+ identity is lesbian, especially evidenced by Chloe’s journal that states Steph is “into girls” and doesn’t care what others think about it.
Players who want to revisit any of these LGBTQ+ identifying characters can load up their favorite Life is Strange game at any time. Those who are waiting to learn more about Alex and her potential relationship with Steph only have to wait about a month for Life is Strange: True Colors. Either way, it seems the Life is Strange franchise has always sought to include LGBTQ+ characters in a way that isn’t tokenized or fetishized, which is appreciated by a great many fans.
Life is Strange: True Colors releases September 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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