Sumith Prasad
In the third season of Netflix’s romantic series ‘Heartstopper,’ Darcy Olsson explores their gender and identity with the help of their partner, Tara Jones. When their friends approach gender as a binary, they stand against the same. Darcy clarifies to Tara and Elle that they are not one among the “ladies,” as teachers and people around them call them. They also disagree with the division of sports teams based on male and female genders. Eventually, Darcy comes out as non-binary to their partner, which is a significant development in the installment. The revelation of the character’s gender is linked to the performer Kizzy Edgell’s life! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Kizzy Edgell’s Identity Inspired Darcy’s Gender Reveal
When Alice Oseman created ‘Heartstopper’ based on her eponymous graphic novels, Darcy was integrated into the narrative as a girl. The character is female in the source materials as well. However, when Kizzy Edgell initially came out as non-binary and then transmasculine, the creator wanted to reflect the performer’s life through the character. While Kizzy was exploring their gender, Oseman told them, “If there’s anything we can change to make it more comfortable, we can do that,” as per the former’s interview with Yahoo UK. At that particular time, the performer was not ready to reveal their gender to the world through the changes made to their character.
By the time the show’s third season was in the works at Netflix, Kizzy had embraced their gender publicly, which motivated them to collaborate with Oseman to develop Darcy’s exploration of their non-binary identity. “I really appreciate [Oseman] taking the time to talk to me about my character and what makes me comfortable or like myself,” the performer told Netflix’s Tudum. Kizzy didn’t find their character’s efforts to figure out themselves “new and scary.” The particular storyline even felt “legitimate” to them despite having a life that was dissimilar to Darcy’s. The performer described Oseman’s approach to their character’s gender exploration as “gentle,” which aligns with the young student’s nature.
Kizzy has been inspiringly vocal about their life as a queer, transmasculine person who uses both he/him and they/them pronouns. “I haven’t felt scared to talk about myself. I know that it could potentially happen, but I don’t feel frightened. Which is nice,” they told Glamour. This particular quality can also be seen in how Darcy tackles their understanding that they are non-binary. They confidently talk about their gender to Tara, their partner, without worrying about the impact of the revelation on their relationship. The way the couple celebrates this moment also shows how compatible and understanding they are.
Kizzy even believes that “Tara knew Darcy was non-binary before Darcy did; it’s so delicate, and it’s really nicely done,” as per their Yahoo UK interview. The ‘Heartstopper’ fandom didn’t have to wait until the third season’s premiere to figure out that Darcy is non-binary. Many who spotted Kizzy wearing a chest binder, usually worn by trans or gender-diverse individuals, while filming the installment could conclude and embrace the character’s gender. Through this revelation, ‘Heartstopper’ has offered another inspiring and influential character for non-binary viewers to look up to.
Read More: Will Nick and Charlie Get Married? What Happens to Them in the Heartstopper Comics?
