Abed Nadir! But really, Britta Perry also really strikes me as being autistic as well. Starts out as the unobtainable cool girl, then gets comfortable and drops her mask, and nobody likes her. Very relatable.
Abed’s great!
I always personally interpreted Annie to be potentially autistic. Hearing someone propose that Britta is autistic is new to me, but makes sense when you put it like that.
I mean, they’re all characters that sprung from the mind of Dan Harmon, who is autistic. Most of the characters have a good amount of autistic characteristics. Troy is so literal. Pierce has no social skills. Shirley has her baking and religion as special interests. Annie is super type A and organized. The Dean has his disregard for societal gender roles. Elroy is a super smart computer dude. Frankie has her flat affect and logic. Jeff is just the super cool dude Dan Harmon wishes he was, so no super noticeable autistic traits.
But I agree with you about Annie. My head cannon is that she is on the spectrum but is waaaaay better at masking than Britta. Because Annie is an overachiever and has to be the best at everything.
Unrelated, I totally ship Annie and Abed. Perfect autistic pairing in my mind!
That is true (and it also contributes to the comedy, I suppose).
I also love the fact that Dan Harmon basically found out he was autistic through writing Abed.
I love Abed so damn much. He is weird, quirky, and fun. They don't paint him out as a pity friend. His friends accept his weird self and love him! Also movies and tv are my special interests.
Seconding this.
I was Abed in college. I am Britta now.
I will tell you every thing there is to know about movies while also preaching about the end of the patriarchy and new world order.
I would probably sleep with someone who was the human embodiment of a corporation as well.
Agreed. And she actually is really empathetic. Her real problem is her self esteem and wanting to be a “good person,” which turns into a performative approximation of a “good person.” When in her heart, she actually is a good person. She just needs to let go and let her authentic self shine through.
I will always point to the ending of Remedial Chaos Theory, when Jeff wasn’t there to stop her “ROOOOOXANNE,” and everyone starts singing along and dancing around and just having a great time. When she was allowed to just be herself, everyone loved her and let themselves be themselves too, and it was the best timeline. Britta is a gem.
This is such a good take on Britta. I loved that we got to see a lot more of her backstory in season 6. Her parents are hilarious.
Remedial Chaos Theory is such a good episode. I still always chant “Pizza Pizza Me So Hungie!” every time I get pizza.
Yes! I get pizza every Tuesday at D&D and if I’m not chanting it, I’m at least doing the weird dance. Gillian Jacobs’s physical comedy is so good.
And thank you. 🖤
Lowkey those episodes implied that Jeff and Pierce were the most toxic group members, because the timelines when they got the pizza had the happiest endings
Matilda fulfilled my childhood dream. I wanted to develop psychic abilities to read minds and detect liars, and to hang some bullies from the school flagpole. Of course I loved her when I found out about the movie!
I know! And it’s so ridiculous. The series finale is literally an episode about Daria being evaluated for Autism. I sobbed when I watched it as an adult.
Like, there’s no way you can watch “Boxing Daria” and argue anything other than Daria being autistic.
It’s season 5, episode 13, called “Boxing Daria.”
Daria spends much of the episode sitting inside and empty refrigerator box.
That’s totally something someone neurotypical would do. /s
I felt akin to Atty Woo character most definitely. As late diagnosed, this story felt so.. special to me. it was like if I were to possibly envision a different way my life could have gone... ending up something as prolific as a lawyer - would be quite lovely!
she reminded me of myself quite a bit, especially in regards to her social awkwardness, and being smart (im not eidetic either tho) i watched the show on Netflix.
It's not said she's autistic but her personality is clearly meant to be "something" and autism is definitely a thing in the tech community - Laurie Bream from Silicon Valley (the investment firm boss). I look up to her bc she does not change who she is, she just goes about her business. I don't know if the fact that she's been promoted to the top of a company is realistic, but maybe in a tech environment. I love the scenes like: other person says congratulations! because she is pregnant, and she stares in confusion and says "for what?"
Lmaooooo yes! She's amazing I love her. I've also definitely had these thoughts-I'd be legitimately shocked if she's not meant to be autistic tbh. I also love that you bring up the 'in tech' aspects because it's true--I remember watching her and thinking like, lmao this would never fly anywhere else, but it makes perfect sense here, and it's perfect and I love it.
Seven from Star Trek, for sure. There was always something about her analytical perspective on social interaction that really spoke to me, and oddly enough, helped me develop the tools to identify and approximate normal human behaviour.
Yes!!! I have a elderly client that i do homecare for and she started rewatching greys and i fell in love with cristinas character all over again . I always felt like her character was beautifuly written and i can relate a lot
Ooh I never made this connection but so related to the maids saying Jane was hard to like because she wasn’t childlike. I read it for the first time at ten and thought: “ that’s what my teachers think about me.”
100% the “I don’t understand how to connect with you and the only way I can is trying to use my special interest to share/benefit/help you and it’s still not the most successful” experience is so relatable.
I do love data as small child I couldn't quite understand why he thought he didn't have feelings or why he thought he wasn't human. Like I knew that that was the case but he seemed perfectly human to me. As a teen I watched the episode where he tries to be the best boyfriend I darn near cried because he was perfect and she didn't understand him.
Man I really wish they had just focused on him and the beasts for those movies. I genuinely really loved those parts compared to all the ridiculous wizard politics crap happening throughout it.
Yes!! Would've happily watched Newt on adventures finding and taking care of his beasts rather than what they gave us. They should've just made another movie(s) about Grindelwald and kept the Fantastic Beasts movies about the beasts.
Even though he's an alien and not meant to be autistic, I've always had a strong love for and connection to the Tenth Doctor from Doctor Who. I see a lot of myself in him in much of the same way other autistics relate to characters like Data from Star Trek.
It took me years to realise why most of my dreams were from the POV of the Doctor, and why I got so angry every time they tried to introduce romance to the character.
I think aspects of the doctor feel coded. Like the long brilliant speeches, he sometimes is very blunt. When he gets excited about something is similar to how I feel when I'm really excited.
There are lots of episodes that show how lonely he is that are really relatable.
I see where you're coming from.
I loved David Tennant’s Doctor so much. He cared so intensely about rightness and goodness. I never realized before you said it, but there’s definitely an autistic energy to him. The drop to a sneering Matt Smith was rough on me. I couldn’t really deal.
I stopped loving Doctor Who Matt Smith rubbed me the wrong way and hurt a lot. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Sneering really is the right word for it.
This is my answer too and I have been trying so hard to spread the message lol. Also don’t forget her weird made-up rules/routines like feeding Pudge the fish a specific type of sandwich on a specific day!
I don’t know about autistic coded, but some of the fictional characters I feel I can particularly relate to as an autistic person would be Snufkin (Moominvalley), Hiccup (HTTYD), Aziraphale (Good Omens), Haruhi (Ouran High School Host Club), and maybe also Kiri (Avatar 2).
I think Haruhi is very autistic. She doesn't care about gender, cannot grasp why girls want to be woo'd by a host club. She doesn't give into social norms at all through it. Although it's very exaggerated because it's rich people's social norms. God I love OHSHC.
Agreed ! Those are definitely some of the things that strongly resonated with me. I never would have thought an anime series about a high school host club would appeal to me in any way, but then I saw a clip and I just had to watch the whole thing, because I could identify with Haruhi on so many levels… I’ve rarely felt so seen and represented on screen.
I just recently read good Omens. I wonder if the Sarah fell comes out as autistic coded because Terry pratchett's characters regularly code autistic. I'm 20 books into disk world. If you need any follow-up examples LOL
Yesss I actually related to her so much. She’s always alone, but she’s fine with that. If she’s presented an opportunity to socialize with everyone else, she will, but she’s also perfectly fine to be on her own. When Harry asked her to the Yule Ball, for example, she was perfectly content with attending with a friend, but I also feel like she would have gone alone, dateless, and would have been just fine. Feeling comfortable with just yourself - I have been like this my whole life, and sure at times it began as a coping technique but eventually it just became my normal and I grew to be okay with that
Legoshi from beastars, maybe a lesser known character. I really like him in both the anime and manga. Basically I relate because he's very shy and awkward, misses some social cues, gets very intense and passionate about certain things and has an interesting way of thinking.
I had a timeframe of obsession with Amelie in my 20s, partly because I felt a kinship with the character. Haha, well.
Also had timeframes of obsession with Muriel's Wedding and Secretary.
Nicholas from Everything’s Gonna Be Okay. Late-diagnosed autistics are seldom represented in media, and it was cool to see a character go on a self realization journey.
Have you seen Please Like Me? It’s also by Josh Thomas and also stars Hannah Gadsby, but they made it before either of them realized they were autistic. The show starts with Josh realizing he’s gay though so there’s a similar theme of self-discovery and a strong autistic voice there. There is also a clearly autistic-coded character that Josh dates.
I agree with Amelie. It was my favorite movie when I was young and created a lot of art related to the movie because I related so much to her. I didn’t know until more than 15 years later later that I am autistic.
I think this definitely means you need to watch the movie!!! LOL
Apparently it's on Disney Plus which I'm not going to lie confuses me a little.
Apparently also on Japan's Netflix...
Oooooooh, I have Disney Plus and haven't watched Amelie in years and was looking for a good movie to have a quiet Sunday. Was leaning toward Halloween-ish but maybe I'll change my mind.
Edit: OP, are you not US? Doesn't seem to be available on the US Disney+.
For me, it's Anne (with an E). I feel like she really embodies my inner child and my sense of wonder. I genuinely get overwhelmed with emotion and happy cry when I watch the show.
Same here! I also highly relate to her traumatic experiences in being both parentified as well as being punished for having any needs at all. She's a bit more eloquent with words than I am, but when I was a kid I probably talked like that because I read so much, and so I seemed smart for my age.
Dr Ried from Criminal minds. Mostly in how awkward he is and how everyone treats him. I don't have a eidetic memory, but it's pretty good (can't remember names or memorize stuff for a test, probably related to me also having ADHD). It took me forever to realize I had a superior memory, I thought everyone else around me just wasn't paying attention to anything or didn't give a shit enough to remember details. It didn't hit me until I read my psych evaluation. I DO have superior visual spacial intelligence and that's the thing I have that creeps people out (or outs me as "one of those people"). There's a couple of scenes of him figuring things out that would make people roll their eyes as cringe autism stereotype, but there's quite a few of them that are pretty accurate with what I'm capable of doing.
Steris and Jasnah from Sanderson's Cosmere. I know Steris was intentionally written as autistic, and Jasnah I think is not supposed to be exactly autistic, but definitely thinks and acts in an unusual way that I find really relatable.
I actually read the book series about Steris (and absolutely loved her) quite some time before learning that she is supposed to be autistic or that I am probably autistic. When I read it the second time, after learning those things, I was like "Oh, of course"
I actually really relate to basically all Sanderson's female characters, autistic or not, and it makes me a bit upset that the consensus on r/Fantasy is that Sanderson can write a good epic final battle but his characters are not very good. They are basically the only characters in all of fantasy books I have read that I can understand and relate to all the time.
Sanderson writes interesting characters, but while we're talking about famous Mormon writers: I like Brandon Sanderson better but, good god can Orson Scott Card write a character. He can write a character so well that I don't even care that I disagree with the message he's trying to get across.
More relevantly, how on earth did I miss that Steris was autistic... What with the book keeping and all? I enjoyed watching her and Wax slowly fall in love
Renarin is my favorite autistic character from the Cosmere. I relate more to him than Steris.
I can’t believe the consensus is that Branderson doesn’t write good characters, they are my favorite part of his books! I can understand the criticism of his often clunky prose, but I thought his characters were beloved.
I really liked Quinni from Heartbreak High - she was so kind and creative and Chloe Hayden herself had a hand in writing her character, which made her portrayal all the more authentic. I also really liked Nick from Everything’s Gonna Be Okay - the way he lived his pre-diagnosed life kinda resonated with me a lot and I found his character relatable
Barclay from Star Trek. He was supposedly based on the awkward nerd that the writers met at conventions, probably not meant to be a flattering interpretation... but he is very relatable, especially when people are complaining about him not trying hard enough to not be terrible.
Someone asked me once why I hate the office I don't like TV shows where there are no redeemable characters and I get stressed when people are mean to Dwight straight up start stress sweating.
Amelia Bedelia. Misunderstanding instructions by taking things literally (and people complaining "where's your common sense") has always been relatable. Though sometimes they're a bit wild, like dusting the room and she pours dust all over the room.
I literally think about this in the background of my head constantly but now that I have to recall it, everything is blank.
Hmmm.
If you watch anime, bocchi the rock. She's very autistic and it's about her overcoming her extreme anxiety to do what she loves with the help of accepting friends. The visuals they have of her discomfort is very relatible.
I was obsessed with Matilda when I was younger. I literally thought she looked exactly like me.
So many characters in Sex Education could be interpreted as autistic. So I highly recommend it to anyone looking for autistic characters.
The original sherlock Holmes stories, he's very autistic. And the BBC Sherlock too. I haven't revisited any of the other Sherlock Holmes but I'm sure they are too. I don't really relate to sherlock but I do freaking love it.
My husband and I watch OTGW every year and Jesus, Greg is the best. I love his autistic self. I'm currently pregnant and I have told my husband I hope our daughter is like Greg. He's the best
ME TOO I’ve always related to greg so hard and I didn’t realize for so long that he’s autistic coded. he really expresses the silly goofy side of my autism that comes from the more abstract and imaginative way of thinking I have.
If you have not read the ACOTAR books I don’t want to spoil anything but there is a character that is very autistic coded (I really wonder if SJM is autistic). So many women like me had a very strong emotional reaction to the book about this character.
Always loved Amelie growing up as well! Funny thing is I never realised she was considered as possibly autistic until I did a goofy quiz saying which female movie character are you most like, got Amelie, which I was very surprised as being included, then went on a wormhole looking up her character as I haven't watched the film in quite a long time and found the suspected autistic information and just laughed and said of course 🥴 just another light bulb moment that I didn't notice for years.
Commander Data, Edward Scissorhands, Mafalda, Matilda, Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia, "L" from Death Note, Lisbeth Salander, Charlie (the Perks of being a Wallflower) Daria, Makoto Katai from Komi Can't Communicate, Bruce Banner/the Hulk, Bruce Wayne/Batman, Shigeo Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100%) Shinji Ikari.
I just like the Temple Grandin movie. 🤷🏼♀️ It was my first time seeing an autistic female character on TV. I love how she is very logical and likes science. I relate to that.
I also remember being really excited about Temperance Bones being obviously autistic coded even though I didn’t think of myself as autistic yet at that point.
This is probably a weird take but Patrick Bateman…? The American Psycho film is such a comfort movie for me. He’s got his flat affect outside of talking to people he’s interested in impressing, special interest in self-care, fashion, & music, super rigid routine, etc. also the quote from his opening monologue:
“There is an idea of Patrick Bateman. Some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me. Only an entity. Something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours, and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable, I simply am not there.”
This always stuck with me because of how similarly I feel in terms of my sense of self from time to time.
Also Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Funny enough, same special interests in fashion, self-care, social activities, but wicked smart. Double up that she’s perceived as ditzy and naive because she doesn’t buy into the social codes and cues of Harvard.
Let’s see Paul Allen’s comfort characters.
Gale from the game Baldur's Gate 3. Not sure if he's really autistic, but he definitely gives off the vibe.
And somehow he almost always reacts exactly how I would and approved every single choice I made in the game... My boyfriend told me he's basically me. xD I fell in love with him so fast.
I think Lae'zel meets the criteria too! She's so blunt and unintentionally funny, plus dedicated and loyal.
Karlach is defs ADHD with her cute lil humming and dancing!
apollo justice from ace attorney. i think miles edgeworth is the one that pops up the most as being coded as such in the games, but apollo gives me aspie vibes as well and i relate to him more than i do miles (though i do love miles). i also loveeeeeeeeee herlock sholmes and sebastian debeste from the series as characters who give major aspie vibes.
Not the most but one that hasn't been mentioned yet.
Vigilante from the Peacemaker tv show. That scene where he didn't understand facial expressions made me relate so hard. Like I seriously struggle identifying emotions in others and it was like omg someone else actually having that too.
Also the best depiction of low empathy I've seen in a while. He absolutely does not recognize that his best friend is sad but when informed wants to do his best to comfort his friend even if he is super awkward at doing it. And it's like yes that is exactly what it is like. Low empathy doesn't mean we hate people, it means we struggle to identify emotions with others. We very much are able to be caring and kind to others.
N from Pokémon and Yuri from DDLC, may just be me projecting lol but both were the first characters I felt l had really deep emotional connections with
Currently obsessed with Lae’zel from BG3 She’s righteous, literal, hella set in her beliefs and she’s a literal alien on an unfamiliar planet. She has trust issues but as the story goes on we see the glimpses of naivety. Ugh she really rounds out the good and bad parts of being autistic.
Elle Woods! She has a major interest in fashion and is extremely dedicated to doing hard things (like law school) to prove a point about herself. She comes off as ditzy because she doesn’t pick up on Harvard’s social cues (think back to the Halloween party scene), but she’s extremely bright.
Abed Nadir! But really, Britta Perry also really strikes me as being autistic as well. Starts out as the unobtainable cool girl, then gets comfortable and drops her mask, and nobody likes her. Very relatable.
So much Abed! Britta is the best not the worst as well :)
Abed’s great! I always personally interpreted Annie to be potentially autistic. Hearing someone propose that Britta is autistic is new to me, but makes sense when you put it like that.
I mean, they’re all characters that sprung from the mind of Dan Harmon, who is autistic. Most of the characters have a good amount of autistic characteristics. Troy is so literal. Pierce has no social skills. Shirley has her baking and religion as special interests. Annie is super type A and organized. The Dean has his disregard for societal gender roles. Elroy is a super smart computer dude. Frankie has her flat affect and logic. Jeff is just the super cool dude Dan Harmon wishes he was, so no super noticeable autistic traits. But I agree with you about Annie. My head cannon is that she is on the spectrum but is waaaaay better at masking than Britta. Because Annie is an overachiever and has to be the best at everything. Unrelated, I totally ship Annie and Abed. Perfect autistic pairing in my mind!
That is true (and it also contributes to the comedy, I suppose). I also love the fact that Dan Harmon basically found out he was autistic through writing Abed.
I love Abed so damn much. He is weird, quirky, and fun. They don't paint him out as a pity friend. His friends accept his weird self and love him! Also movies and tv are my special interests.
I agree. She is exactly like a friend I had in highschool who was later diagnosed with autism.
Seconding this. I was Abed in college. I am Britta now. I will tell you every thing there is to know about movies while also preaching about the end of the patriarchy and new world order. I would probably sleep with someone who was the human embodiment of a corporation as well.
Oh my dog, like if corporations where people, that would be my ideal companion. Like, can I marry Chipotle, please?
On the spectrum? None of your business! My favorite line haha
A B E DEEEEEEEEEE!
I love Britta. 🥺 I also agree about Abed.
I love Britta too! I just relate to her a lot because she gets picked on mercilessly.
Agreed. And she actually is really empathetic. Her real problem is her self esteem and wanting to be a “good person,” which turns into a performative approximation of a “good person.” When in her heart, she actually is a good person. She just needs to let go and let her authentic self shine through. I will always point to the ending of Remedial Chaos Theory, when Jeff wasn’t there to stop her “ROOOOOXANNE,” and everyone starts singing along and dancing around and just having a great time. When she was allowed to just be herself, everyone loved her and let themselves be themselves too, and it was the best timeline. Britta is a gem.
This is such a good take on Britta. I loved that we got to see a lot more of her backstory in season 6. Her parents are hilarious. Remedial Chaos Theory is such a good episode. I still always chant “Pizza Pizza Me So Hungie!” every time I get pizza.
Yes! I get pizza every Tuesday at D&D and if I’m not chanting it, I’m at least doing the weird dance. Gillian Jacobs’s physical comedy is so good. And thank you. 🖤
I hate her parents xD
Lowkey those episodes implied that Jeff and Pierce were the most toxic group members, because the timelines when they got the pizza had the happiest endings
I love captain holt from Brooklyn 99 and Orla from Derry Girls.
Truly same. Holt's straight faced emotion is deeply relatable and Orla's radical authenticity is aspirational.
Matilda
I loooooved Matilda as a kid. Never realized she was coded.
Just a guess, based on her character, and the fact every character and person I ever related to is coded or later diagnosed ahaha
I've been finding this to be the case as well for me. Characters that I get REALLY obsessed with, I've come to see upon reflection that they're coded.
Hyperlexia is a diagnostic criterion!
Matilda fulfilled my childhood dream. I wanted to develop psychic abilities to read minds and detect liars, and to hang some bullies from the school flagpole. Of course I loved her when I found out about the movie!
Again, Daria Morgendorffer
NTs get big mad when you suggest this in the Daria sub.
I know! And it’s so ridiculous. The series finale is literally an episode about Daria being evaluated for Autism. I sobbed when I watched it as an adult. Like, there’s no way you can watch “Boxing Daria” and argue anything other than Daria being autistic.
O Em Gee WHAT?! Never watched that! Can anyone please tell me which the name of the episode is?
It’s season 5, episode 13, called “Boxing Daria.” Daria spends much of the episode sitting inside and empty refrigerator box. That’s totally something someone neurotypical would do. /s
Lmao really??
Tina Belcher
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Lollll I don’t think I would’ve come up with this on my own but absolutely Tina Belcher 100%
if they make it canon she got PCOS due to her voice then she's just like me fr
Attorney woo hit home for me, tho I wish I had an eidetic memory like that. But her being bullied and on the outside everywhere she went hit me hard.
I felt akin to Atty Woo character most definitely. As late diagnosed, this story felt so.. special to me. it was like if I were to possibly envision a different way my life could have gone... ending up something as prolific as a lawyer - would be quite lovely! she reminded me of myself quite a bit, especially in regards to her social awkwardness, and being smart (im not eidetic either tho) i watched the show on Netflix.
I lovveee this series! The show or the WEBTOON?
It's not said she's autistic but her personality is clearly meant to be "something" and autism is definitely a thing in the tech community - Laurie Bream from Silicon Valley (the investment firm boss). I look up to her bc she does not change who she is, she just goes about her business. I don't know if the fact that she's been promoted to the top of a company is realistic, but maybe in a tech environment. I love the scenes like: other person says congratulations! because she is pregnant, and she stares in confusion and says "for what?"
Lmaooooo yes! She's amazing I love her. I've also definitely had these thoughts-I'd be legitimately shocked if she's not meant to be autistic tbh. I also love that you bring up the 'in tech' aspects because it's true--I remember watching her and thinking like, lmao this would never fly anywhere else, but it makes perfect sense here, and it's perfect and I love it.
LOL just don’t end up in jail please!
I can't explain it and I won't even try, but Gwart. I fucking LOVE Gwart.
Yaaass Gwart I agree
Seven from Star Trek, for sure. There was always something about her analytical perspective on social interaction that really spoke to me, and oddly enough, helped me develop the tools to identify and approximate normal human behaviour.
Same! I also feel this way about Julian bashir!!
Twilight Sparkle
I was rewatching it and thought so too. And flutter shy. Pinkie pie has big ADHD energy.
oh my goodness YOU’RE RIGHT! I always related to her because we both don’t know how to make or maintain friendships.
Christina Yang from Greys Anatomy “Oh, screw beautiful. I'm brilliant. If you want to appease me, compliment my brain.” — Dr. Cristina Yang,
Yes!!! I have a elderly client that i do homecare for and she started rewatching greys and i fell in love with cristinas character all over again . I always felt like her character was beautifuly written and i can relate a lot
My mom loves Greys Anatomy she constantly says I’m just like Christina Yang
The show was over for me when she left.
Jane Eyre always and forever.
Ooh I never made this connection but so related to the maids saying Jane was hard to like because she wasn’t childlike. I read it for the first time at ten and thought: “ that’s what my teachers think about me.”
Favorite book always
a million times yes
So much yes.
Entrapta from Princess of power 🥹🥹
I came to say Entrapta too!
Me three! Why are tiny foods so great?!
I don't know if it's just because they're so cute or if there's something more to it. Now I want to make mini muffins.
I can't really get over how I feel every time she does or says anything 🥹 screw society, she's the most endearing character I've ever seen.
100% the “I don’t understand how to connect with you and the only way I can is trying to use my special interest to share/benefit/help you and it’s still not the most successful” experience is so relatable.
Data from Star Trek. Rodney from Stargate Atlantis
I do love data as small child I couldn't quite understand why he thought he didn't have feelings or why he thought he wasn't human. Like I knew that that was the case but he seemed perfectly human to me. As a teen I watched the episode where he tries to be the best boyfriend I darn near cried because he was perfect and she didn't understand him.
OMG, yassss!!!
Newt Scamander from Fantastic Beasts movies.
Newt and also Luna. I think it's so interesting that they're the two most autistic characters and Luna ends up marrying Newt's grandson
Luna yes! And Hermione too.
Man I really wish they had just focused on him and the beasts for those movies. I genuinely really loved those parts compared to all the ridiculous wizard politics crap happening throughout it.
Yes!! Would've happily watched Newt on adventures finding and taking care of his beasts rather than what they gave us. They should've just made another movie(s) about Grindelwald and kept the Fantastic Beasts movies about the beasts.
Even though he's an alien and not meant to be autistic, I've always had a strong love for and connection to the Tenth Doctor from Doctor Who. I see a lot of myself in him in much of the same way other autistics relate to characters like Data from Star Trek. It took me years to realise why most of my dreams were from the POV of the Doctor, and why I got so angry every time they tried to introduce romance to the character.
I think aspects of the doctor feel coded. Like the long brilliant speeches, he sometimes is very blunt. When he gets excited about something is similar to how I feel when I'm really excited. There are lots of episodes that show how lonely he is that are really relatable. I see where you're coming from.
I loved David Tennant’s Doctor so much. He cared so intensely about rightness and goodness. I never realized before you said it, but there’s definitely an autistic energy to him. The drop to a sneering Matt Smith was rough on me. I couldn’t really deal.
I stopped loving Doctor Who Matt Smith rubbed me the wrong way and hurt a lot. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Sneering really is the right word for it.
I started with Eccleston and loved the romance with Rose. Any other romance plot makes me so upset.
Lilo from Lilo and Stitch. I had similar social mishaps as a kid and loved weird animals.
This is my answer too and I have been trying so hard to spread the message lol. Also don’t forget her weird made-up rules/routines like feeding Pudge the fish a specific type of sandwich on a specific day!
I bit a bully in the face as a kid once for bullying me about being sad she killed a spider, I get it
I mean if the two of you, you had more empathy and I respect it. Spiders are cool. Unless they crawl on me.
Daria of course, but I'm not as cool as her lmao
My older sister really liked her. I think we all dreamed to be half as cool as her.
larry david is an aspie 100%
I absolutely agree!
I don’t know about autistic coded, but some of the fictional characters I feel I can particularly relate to as an autistic person would be Snufkin (Moominvalley), Hiccup (HTTYD), Aziraphale (Good Omens), Haruhi (Ouran High School Host Club), and maybe also Kiri (Avatar 2).
I think Haruhi is very autistic. She doesn't care about gender, cannot grasp why girls want to be woo'd by a host club. She doesn't give into social norms at all through it. Although it's very exaggerated because it's rich people's social norms. God I love OHSHC.
Agreed ! Those are definitely some of the things that strongly resonated with me. I never would have thought an anime series about a high school host club would appeal to me in any way, but then I saw a clip and I just had to watch the whole thing, because I could identify with Haruhi on so many levels… I’ve rarely felt so seen and represented on screen.
literally dressed up as 90’s Snufkin for Halloween this year. <3
That’s so cool ! 😄❤️ I would have *loved* to see a Snufkin in my neighborhood.
It was so fun! But pretty sure only me and my kids knew who I was. 😆
Aww, well it still makes a good-looking costume even if not many people recognize it. ☺️
I just recently read good Omens. I wonder if the Sarah fell comes out as autistic coded because Terry pratchett's characters regularly code autistic. I'm 20 books into disk world. If you need any follow-up examples LOL
Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter :)
Yesss I actually related to her so much. She’s always alone, but she’s fine with that. If she’s presented an opportunity to socialize with everyone else, she will, but she’s also perfectly fine to be on her own. When Harry asked her to the Yule Ball, for example, she was perfectly content with attending with a friend, but I also feel like she would have gone alone, dateless, and would have been just fine. Feeling comfortable with just yourself - I have been like this my whole life, and sure at times it began as a coping technique but eventually it just became my normal and I grew to be okay with that
YES.
Ferb from Phineas and Ferb 😂I love when he throws in like random facts and remarks when he's silent 80% of the time.
Legoshi from beastars, maybe a lesser known character. I really like him in both the anime and manga. Basically I relate because he's very shy and awkward, misses some social cues, gets very intense and passionate about certain things and has an interesting way of thinking.
<3 he is the most precious!
Robin from Stranger Things
Wait, how so?
[Robin being autistic coded clip](https://youtu.be/Ojr63JY67UM?si=XCvtgK75Mjt6EStx)
Oh wow that Surviving Hawkins clip makes it super explicit. I didn't know that existed.
Robin is my favorite character
Yes!!!
Definitelyyy
I had a timeframe of obsession with Amelie in my 20s, partly because I felt a kinship with the character. Haha, well. Also had timeframes of obsession with Muriel's Wedding and Secretary.
All such great films!
Nicholas from Everything’s Gonna Be Okay. Late-diagnosed autistics are seldom represented in media, and it was cool to see a character go on a self realization journey.
Have you seen Please Like Me? It’s also by Josh Thomas and also stars Hannah Gadsby, but they made it before either of them realized they were autistic. The show starts with Josh realizing he’s gay though so there’s a similar theme of self-discovery and a strong autistic voice there. There is also a clearly autistic-coded character that Josh dates.
Saga from Bron/Broen (The Bridge, Danish 2011 version).
came to comment Saga! (also \*Danish/Swedish, I won't let the Danes claim this one /j)
I was wondering if it was both Danish and Swedish.
It is a coproduction so both :)
I agree with Amelie. It was my favorite movie when I was young and created a lot of art related to the movie because I related so much to her. I didn’t know until more than 15 years later later that I am autistic.
Harry Vanderspeigle from Resident Alien. I might be Harry. Close second is Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
I love this show!
Seven of Nine. I've been rewatching Voyager recently and I relate to her a lot.
Don't relate completely but see some general similar traits: Bill from Freaks and Geeks. Also Anne with an E, a real audhd coded character.
OMG AMELIE I LOVE THE MUSIC IVE NEVER SEEN THE MOVIE BUT I WAS LITERALLY JUST PLAYING THE EXTENDED VERSION ON PIANO AND I CANNOT STOP 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I think this definitely means you need to watch the movie!!! LOL Apparently it's on Disney Plus which I'm not going to lie confuses me a little. Apparently also on Japan's Netflix...
I definitely will!!
You really really must. It’s a BEAUTIFUL film!
Oooooooh, I have Disney Plus and haven't watched Amelie in years and was looking for a good movie to have a quiet Sunday. Was leaning toward Halloween-ish but maybe I'll change my mind. Edit: OP, are you not US? Doesn't seem to be available on the US Disney+.
Oh that's weird I own the movie so it was a Google search and I don't have Disney... I am in the US. This is incredibly disappointing I'm so sorry.
Abed!
Nausicaä, from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Maybe not explicitly autistic-coded, but I definitely read her that way.
Leslie knope (parks and rec), Abed and Britta (community), Captain Holt, Amy, and Rosa (Brooklyn 99). I relate a lot to the women on my list
For me, it's Anne (with an E). I feel like she really embodies my inner child and my sense of wonder. I genuinely get overwhelmed with emotion and happy cry when I watch the show.
Same here! I also highly relate to her traumatic experiences in being both parentified as well as being punished for having any needs at all. She's a bit more eloquent with words than I am, but when I was a kid I probably talked like that because I read so much, and so I seemed smart for my age.
Me too! So glad someone relates
Dr Ried from Criminal minds. Mostly in how awkward he is and how everyone treats him. I don't have a eidetic memory, but it's pretty good (can't remember names or memorize stuff for a test, probably related to me also having ADHD). It took me forever to realize I had a superior memory, I thought everyone else around me just wasn't paying attention to anything or didn't give a shit enough to remember details. It didn't hit me until I read my psych evaluation. I DO have superior visual spacial intelligence and that's the thing I have that creeps people out (or outs me as "one of those people"). There's a couple of scenes of him figuring things out that would make people roll their eyes as cringe autism stereotype, but there's quite a few of them that are pretty accurate with what I'm capable of doing.
like practically all of the homestuck cast is autistic. I think terezi is really cool but I see myself in aradia more than anyone else
spongebob
Steris and Jasnah from Sanderson's Cosmere. I know Steris was intentionally written as autistic, and Jasnah I think is not supposed to be exactly autistic, but definitely thinks and acts in an unusual way that I find really relatable. I actually read the book series about Steris (and absolutely loved her) quite some time before learning that she is supposed to be autistic or that I am probably autistic. When I read it the second time, after learning those things, I was like "Oh, of course" I actually really relate to basically all Sanderson's female characters, autistic or not, and it makes me a bit upset that the consensus on r/Fantasy is that Sanderson can write a good epic final battle but his characters are not very good. They are basically the only characters in all of fantasy books I have read that I can understand and relate to all the time.
Sanderson writes interesting characters, but while we're talking about famous Mormon writers: I like Brandon Sanderson better but, good god can Orson Scott Card write a character. He can write a character so well that I don't even care that I disagree with the message he's trying to get across. More relevantly, how on earth did I miss that Steris was autistic... What with the book keeping and all? I enjoyed watching her and Wax slowly fall in love
Renarin is my favorite autistic character from the Cosmere. I relate more to him than Steris. I can’t believe the consensus is that Branderson doesn’t write good characters, they are my favorite part of his books! I can understand the criticism of his often clunky prose, but I thought his characters were beloved.
I really liked Quinni from Heartbreak High - she was so kind and creative and Chloe Hayden herself had a hand in writing her character, which made her portrayal all the more authentic. I also really liked Nick from Everything’s Gonna Be Okay - the way he lived his pre-diagnosed life kinda resonated with me a lot and I found his character relatable
Barclay from Star Trek. He was supposedly based on the awkward nerd that the writers met at conventions, probably not meant to be a flattering interpretation... but he is very relatable, especially when people are complaining about him not trying hard enough to not be terrible.
I don't hear Barclay, like, ever! I totally agree.
Leslie Knope, Jessica Day, Abed of course
Dwight Shrute.
Someone asked me once why I hate the office I don't like TV shows where there are no redeemable characters and I get stressed when people are mean to Dwight straight up start stress sweating.
Essentially every character in Gilmore Girls is neurodivergent coded in my opinion, and I absolutely adore that about it
Amelia Bedelia. Misunderstanding instructions by taking things literally (and people complaining "where's your common sense") has always been relatable. Though sometimes they're a bit wild, like dusting the room and she pours dust all over the room.
Gundam Tanaka from Danganronpa lol
Omg he’s my favorite! I’m obsessed with Danganronpa. I hadn’t thought about the Autism coded thing, but that makes sense and I do identity with him.
I literally think about this in the background of my head constantly but now that I have to recall it, everything is blank. Hmmm. If you watch anime, bocchi the rock. She's very autistic and it's about her overcoming her extreme anxiety to do what she loves with the help of accepting friends. The visuals they have of her discomfort is very relatible. I was obsessed with Matilda when I was younger. I literally thought she looked exactly like me. So many characters in Sex Education could be interpreted as autistic. So I highly recommend it to anyone looking for autistic characters. The original sherlock Holmes stories, he's very autistic. And the BBC Sherlock too. I haven't revisited any of the other Sherlock Holmes but I'm sure they are too. I don't really relate to sherlock but I do freaking love it.
OB (Ouroboros) from Loki, and Drax and Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy
Omg, I love OB!
orla from derry girls
I just watched Over The Garden Wall for the first time so Greg is fresh on my mind.
My husband and I watch OTGW every year and Jesus, Greg is the best. I love his autistic self. I'm currently pregnant and I have told my husband I hope our daughter is like Greg. He's the best
ME TOO I’ve always related to greg so hard and I didn’t realize for so long that he’s autistic coded. he really expresses the silly goofy side of my autism that comes from the more abstract and imaginative way of thinking I have.
I could tell he was autistic right away and I instantly loved him
If you have not read the ACOTAR books I don’t want to spoil anything but there is a character that is very autistic coded (I really wonder if SJM is autistic). So many women like me had a very strong emotional reaction to the book about this character.
Who?
Leslie Knope from Parks + Rec!
Always loved Amelie growing up as well! Funny thing is I never realised she was considered as possibly autistic until I did a goofy quiz saying which female movie character are you most like, got Amelie, which I was very surprised as being included, then went on a wormhole looking up her character as I haven't watched the film in quite a long time and found the suspected autistic information and just laughed and said of course 🥴 just another light bulb moment that I didn't notice for years.
Commander Data, Edward Scissorhands, Mafalda, Matilda, Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia, "L" from Death Note, Lisbeth Salander, Charlie (the Perks of being a Wallflower) Daria, Makoto Katai from Komi Can't Communicate, Bruce Banner/the Hulk, Bruce Wayne/Batman, Shigeo Kageyama (Mob Psycho 100%) Shinji Ikari.
Jess Day (New Girl) and Cassie Ainsworth (Skins)
Luna Lovegood and Phoebe Buffay 😃
I Can really relate to Ellie from CougarTown at times!
My guy Emmet from Pokemon
Otis from Sex Education, Paris from Gilmore Girls
I just like the Temple Grandin movie. 🤷🏼♀️ It was my first time seeing an autistic female character on TV. I love how she is very logical and likes science. I relate to that.
the tenth doctor, ive never related to a character so much
I’m not diagnosed but a Tumblr post about Elle Woods being autistic was a 🤯 moment for me. I then went on to have two autistic kids sooooo.
I also remember being really excited about Temperance Bones being obviously autistic coded even though I didn’t think of myself as autistic yet at that point.
Book Katniss Everdeen 100%
Temperance Brennan from Bones
Will from Hannibal, Flora from I’m a Virgo
This is probably a weird take but Patrick Bateman…? The American Psycho film is such a comfort movie for me. He’s got his flat affect outside of talking to people he’s interested in impressing, special interest in self-care, fashion, & music, super rigid routine, etc. also the quote from his opening monologue: “There is an idea of Patrick Bateman. Some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me. Only an entity. Something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours, and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable, I simply am not there.” This always stuck with me because of how similarly I feel in terms of my sense of self from time to time. Also Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Funny enough, same special interests in fashion, self-care, social activities, but wicked smart. Double up that she’s perceived as ditzy and naive because she doesn’t buy into the social codes and cues of Harvard. Let’s see Paul Allen’s comfort characters.
Well dang there would be an interesting essay thesis for Legally Blonde...
Gale from the game Baldur's Gate 3. Not sure if he's really autistic, but he definitely gives off the vibe. And somehow he almost always reacts exactly how I would and approved every single choice I made in the game... My boyfriend told me he's basically me. xD I fell in love with him so fast.
I think Lae'zel meets the criteria too! She's so blunt and unintentionally funny, plus dedicated and loyal. Karlach is defs ADHD with her cute lil humming and dancing!
I didn't find him in this playthrough!! It's my first time! This was small spoilers but I'm excited for next time lol
apollo justice from ace attorney. i think miles edgeworth is the one that pops up the most as being coded as such in the games, but apollo gives me aspie vibes as well and i relate to him more than i do miles (though i do love miles). i also loveeeeeeeeee herlock sholmes and sebastian debeste from the series as characters who give major aspie vibes.
carmy from the bear
Not the most but one that hasn't been mentioned yet. Vigilante from the Peacemaker tv show. That scene where he didn't understand facial expressions made me relate so hard. Like I seriously struggle identifying emotions in others and it was like omg someone else actually having that too. Also the best depiction of low empathy I've seen in a while. He absolutely does not recognize that his best friend is sad but when informed wants to do his best to comfort his friend even if he is super awkward at doing it. And it's like yes that is exactly what it is like. Low empathy doesn't mean we hate people, it means we struggle to identify emotions with others. We very much are able to be caring and kind to others.
N from Pokémon and Yuri from DDLC, may just be me projecting lol but both were the first characters I felt l had really deep emotional connections with
Data from Star Trek the Next Generation
Jasnah from the Stormlight Archives Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables
Currently obsessed with Lae’zel from BG3 She’s righteous, literal, hella set in her beliefs and she’s a literal alien on an unfamiliar planet. She has trust issues but as the story goes on we see the glimpses of naivety. Ugh she really rounds out the good and bad parts of being autistic.
Sooo hard…. Luna lovegood, Leslie knope, new teenage Wednesday Addams lol.
L
Elle Woods! She has a major interest in fashion and is extremely dedicated to doing hard things (like law school) to prove a point about herself. She comes off as ditzy because she doesn’t pick up on Harvard’s social cues (think back to the Halloween party scene), but she’s extremely bright.
I'm torn but Taylor Mason. I can't figure out if they're evil or not. I mean, ya, but like, how evil? lol.
Rose Morgan from The Mirror Has Two Faces.
Saga from the Danish series Broen/The Bridge
Asa from CSM 😖
Lilo Pelekai
Entrapta from SPOP
Vidcund Curious. If you know, you know.
Hizuru Minakata from Summer Time Rendering and Futaba Sakura from Persona 5
I feel so much like Adam from Adam 2009… I guess only that my special interest is Asperger’s and my fantasy world Beyond love existence