Final Fight series

A masculine figure leaps into the air, kicking three other masculine figures on a street. A game overlay shows health bars, portraits, and time remaining.
  • Developer: Capcom
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Year: 1989 – 2006
  • Genre: Fighter
  • Platform/s: Various

Questions regarding the gender identity of Poison and Roxy in Final Fight are ongoing, with the characters originally designed to be cisgender women but with the intent changed because of worry that players would not approve of the violence against women in the title. When Final Fight was released for Super Nintendo, Poison and Roxy were seen as cisgender women by playtesters, and so were swapped out for men, Billy and Sid. Although debates regarding the gender identity of Poison and Roxy continue, with players uncertain as to whether they are cross-dressers or trans women, developers will not confirm this identity, preferring to let fans decide.

Although there are mixed feelings regarding the representation of Poison (who also features in the Street Fighter series), one trans woman who responded to the Queer Representation (2016) survey discussed this representation in depth. She believes that Poison relies on her sexuality to defeat her opponents, and that this is a powerful representation for trans women because it is a positive portrayal of a trans woman being sexually powerful for herself, rather than for the desires of others.