Birdo is making her big screen debut. The fan-favourite character, long considered one of gaming’s first transgender icons, is set to appear in the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy movie. First introduced in Super Mario Bros. 2, Birdo actually originated from the Japan-only title Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic before being reworked for Mario’s second mainline outing. But it was her original character description that made headlines. The North American instruction manual for the game read: 'He thinks he is a girl… He’d rather be called ‘Birdetta’.' While dated, the line has since been widely interpreted as an early, if not clumsy, acknowledgement of Birdo as a trans character. Over time, Birdo’s identity has been more clearly affirmed. She has consistently been referred to using she/her pronouns in official materials. While there have been moments of awkward or outdated humour, Birdo’s place in gaming history remains significant. For many fans, she represents the first transgender charact...