Pixels of Progress

The Evolution of Character Diversity

Welcome to Pixels of Progress, a virtual museum exhibit exploring how character diversity in video games has evolved from the pixelated past to today’s richly complex stories. This curated journey highlights how race, gender, sexuality, and ability have been represented—and often misrepresented—throughout gaming history. As we step into each era, we’ll spotlight characters who changed the game, question whose stories were left out, and celebrate the progress still unfolding.

Scroll down to begin your journey through time.

The Early Days (Pre-1990s)

Stereotypes and Silent Backgrounds

In gaming’s earliest days, technical limitations meant characters were often simplistic—visually and narratively. But even with few pixels, messages were clear: white, male protagonists dominated, and others were either absent or reduced to caricature. Still, the seeds of more inclusive storytelling were planted here, even if buried under tropes.

Donkey Kong (1981)

The first “damsel in distress” of gaming, Pauline set a tone for decades: women as passive goals, not playable heroes.

Character: Pauline

Punch-Out!! (1984)

While the game showcased global fighters, most were exaggerated, racist caricatures. It’s a reminder that “diversity” doesn’t equal respect.

Character: Multiple Ethnic Stereotypes

Metroid (1986)

Samus shocked players when revealed to be a woman. Her gender wasn’t her story—her power was. A rare twist in an era of male heroes.

Character: Samus Aran

Breaking Barriers (1990s–2000s)

Tokenization to Tentative Steps

The '90s and early 2000s brought better graphics—and slightly better representation. We began to see Black, femme, and non-Western characters, but often in tokenized roles or as background figures. Still, progress was beginning to pixelate into form.

Street Fighter II (1991)

The first major female fighter in games, Chun-Li proved women could kick just as much ass as the men—high heels and all.

Character: Chun-Li

Final Fantasy VII (1997)

A rare Black character in a major game, Barret is both trailblazing and deeply stereotyped—his anger, mannerisms, and speech were often played for laughs.