Token Minority

Synonyms:
See also:	Bruce Banner Syndrome, pandering, sidelining, Timeline of Race and Fandom Meta, Mom friend, Pair the Spares, representation
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A token minority is a person or fictional character intended to serve as a singular representative of an underrepresented group, often in a shallow and unimportant role, within a larger group or cast. The inclusion of a token is usually intended to create the impression of social inclusiveness and diversity—without actually shifting the status quo, and often withholding power, importance, or agency from the token individual.

Fandom has responded to tokenism with praise for increasing diversity and representation, but also with criticism for continued double-standards and limits imposed on minority characters. On the other hand, the forces of fandom have also contributed to the tokenism of minority characters in canon and in fan works.

Overview

Not always 100% a bad thing.

• Some characters are considered token minorities, while having strong characterization and adoring fanbases.
• Token minorities are also seen as a step for incrementally increasing diversity and representation.
• However, the criticism of tokenism isn't always centered on whether the character is developed well; rather the critique focuses on a culture that limits minorities to being merely supporting characters instead of protagonists themselves; also fulfills "quotas" that reward the bare minimum of including diverse peoples.

Types

• Positive stereotype/Model minority - This includes the "Magical [N-word]", "Magical Native American", etc.
• "The Magical [N-word]" - Another frequent misuse of race in fannish sources is "the magical negro", a term popularized by director Spike Lee. The magical negro serves as a plot device to help the protagonist get out of trouble, typically through helping the white character recognize his own faults and overcome them. Although he has magical powers, his magic is ostensibly directed toward helping and enlightening a white, usually male, character.
• Token woman -
• Gay Best Friend -
• Matchmaker - The matchmaker (also known as a "wingwoman" or "wingman") is a supporting character who supports a relationship forming between other characters. Usually the matchmaker is a friend or loved one of the protagonist. Some fans complain that the matchmaker roles are filled by token minority characters, whose actions and aspirations only revolve around their white, male, or otherwise non-marginalized friends.
• Mom friend - The "Mom friend" is an archetype of a character who takes a role as the nurturing, responsible individual in a group of friends. Fans have complained that canon and fanon force female characters into the role of "Mom friend", even when such a role often contradicts her established nature and aspirations; similar to the matchmaker archetype, often the "Mom friend" characters are typecast as supporting characters, lacking any purpose except to coddle the main couple. Alternatively, fans have also complained that minority characters who do canonically exhibit "Mom friend" traits are passed over in favor of showering undeserved appreciation on wrongly "Mom friend"-designated characters, who aren't minorities.

Discussion and comments

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.

A token character is one that isn't developed but is just there to represent a certain group. Spock isn't a token alien. Roddenberry developed a full background for him. He put more thought into Spock than any other character. He fought the network to keep Spock too. He didn't fight for Number One, because she really was only a token.

Characters commonly criticized for being used as tokens in canon media sources

• Angel - Charles Gunn
• DC Comics
  • Batman comics have a suspicious track record with regard to Black characters. A singular new Black character tends to be introduced and then eventually written out, in a cycle.
  • Stephanie Brown, the singular blond "Girl Wonder" among the black-haired, blue-eyed boys who have served as Robin in the main universe series of comics
  • John Henry Irons, also known as Steel, prominently in JLA (1997)
  • Victor "Vic" Stone AKA Cyborg, a Black man, specifically in the New 52 reboot of the Justice League team, and in the Snyderverse Justice League films
• The Hobbit (film trilogy) - Tauriel, Mirkwood's female Captain of the Guard, love subplot with Kíli; debuts in the film adaptation, not present in the original novel; inspiration for the Tauriel Test
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days - Every single original female character.
  • Kairi
  • Xion, no. XIV of Organization XIII, the only female member other than Larxene
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Lady Yona, fiancée of Prince Sidon
• Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
  • James "Rhodey" Rhodes, also known as War Machine
  • Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow - The only female Avenger in the initial MCU lineup; fans have complained that she was denied a solo movie unlike the vast majority of her male teammates; she has been excluded from merchandising and promotional materials; and her eventual solo movie lacked the prominence of her co-stars'.
  • Sam Wilson, also known as the Falcon and as Captain America
• Miraculous Ladybug - The protagonists' best friends, Alya Césaire and Nino Lahiffe, who have brown skin. While the protagonist Marinette Dupain-Cheng herself is half Chinese, she is noticeably fair-skinned and blue-eyed, to the extent that she may be considered white-passing; her main love interest is also white.
• Star Wars
  • Leia Organa
  • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Finn (as portrayed by John Boyega) and Rose Tico (as portrayed by Loan Tran) [1]
• Supernatural - Every character who isn't both white and male.
  • Kevin Tran
• The Walking Dead: T-Dog and Tyreese

Characters said to be commonly used as tokens in fan works and fandom

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.

• Batman
  • Cassandra Cain, a woman of Asian descent
  • Duke Thomas, a Black teenage boy
• Les Misérables - Les Amis de l'ABC: "This attention to diversity in the group has led to a lot of discourse about which characters are portrayed as which identity and in which manner. A prominent example is the criticism of how Enjolras is often portrayed as white, even when the rest of Les Amis are depicted as racially diverse. Some fans pointed to this as a form of tokenism, where the less prominent characters are depicted as people of color, while the most prominent very rarely is. A factor in this discrepancy may also be that Enjolras is the only Amis who has a canon appearance. Indeed, many depictions of Enjolras as a PoC have him keep the blond hair so strongly associated with him within fandom."
• Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
  • James "Rhodey" Rhodes, also known as War Machine
  • Sam Wilson, also known as the Falcon and as Captain America
• Miraculous Ladybug: Alya Césaire and Nino Lahiffe
• Sims machinimas are notorious for centering around white protagonists, with a token minority in the supporting role as a friend.

Further reading and resources

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.

• The Fair Treks: Star Trek's view of women
• https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/john-boyega-interview-2020