Vegetarian characters in fiction facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Vegetarians are people who choose not to eat meat, like red meat, chicken, or seafood. Vegans take it a step further and also avoid all animal products, including dairy, eggs, and honey. Over time, how people view vegetarians and vegans has changed, and this is also true for how these characters are shown in movies, TV shows, and books.

Sometimes, people who are vegetarian or vegan might face different reactions, from acceptance to people making fun of them. This is because in many Western countries, eating meat is very common, and those who don't eat meat are still a smaller group.

This page looks at how vegetarian and vegan characters have appeared in stories, focusing on different types of characters and common ideas over the years.

Vegetarian Characters in Stories
Prominent Examples of Vegetarian Characters
Images for kids
See also

Vegetarian Characters in Stories

What we choose to eat can mean more than just what we like; it can also show our beliefs and culture. This is especially true for vegetarianism and how it's shown in media. In books, vegetarianism often appears in different kinds of stories, like fantasy, science fiction, or stories about perfect (utopian) or terrible (dystopian) worlds. Authors often use these characters to explore ideas about what it means to be human and how we connect with nature.

Sometimes, vegetarian or vegan characters are shown as unusual or "fringe" characters. But in other stories, they are the main heroes! Even so, some people feel there aren't enough memorable vegetarian characters in books. There are also some common ideas about vegans, like that they are always hungry, weak, or angry, or that they don't like meat-eaters. Sometimes, people even make fun of vegans.

In 1818, Mary Shelley wrote the famous novel Frankenstein. Some experts, like Carol J. Adams, believe that the creature in Frankenstein was a vegetarian. She thinks that the idea of vegetarianism was important in the book and that the creature's choice not to eat meat makes him seem more kind.

By the early 1900s, more books started to include vegetarian characters or themes. For example, in Irene Clyde's 1909 novel, Beatrice the Sixteenth, a character travels through time and finds a hidden society where everyone has been vegetarian for over a thousand years.

Vegetarian Characters in the 1990s

The 1990s saw many vegetarian and vegan characters in popular media.

In 1995, The Simpsons episode "Lisa the Vegetarian" aired. In this episode, Lisa Simpson decides to stop eating meat after meeting a lamb. The show's creators promised that Lisa would stay a vegetarian, which was a big deal because characters on The Simpsons rarely change permanently. This episode was important because it showed vegetarians in a more realistic way than before, not just as "hippies." It also showed how people might react when someone becomes vegetarian.

A few years later, in 1998, the King of the Hill episode "And They Call It Bobby Love" aired. In this episode, Bobby Hill dates a vegetarian girl named Marie, but she breaks up with him when he eats a steak.

In the 1999 movie, Notting Hill, a character named Keziah says she is a "fruitarian." This means she only eats fruits and vegetables that have already fallen off a plant, because she believes plants have feelings. This was sometimes seen as a negative way to show a vegetarian character.

Books like Thinking Veganism in Literature and Culture and The Vegan Studies Project looked at how veganism was shown in popular culture during the 1990s and 2000s. They discussed themes of vegetarianism in shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and True Blood, and in the Twilight books and movies.

Vegetarian Characters in the 2000s

The trend of showing vegetarian characters continued into the 2000s.

In the TV series Supernatural (2005-2017), a character named Lenore is a vegetarian vampire. This means she doesn't drink human blood.

In a March 2002 South Park episode called "Fun with Veal", Stan Marsh becomes a vegetarian after learning that veal comes from baby cows. However, by the end of the episode, he is no longer vegetarian. The creators said they wanted to show both sides: not eating baby animals, but also not telling everyone to stop eating meat.

In What's New, Scooby-Doo?, Shaggy Rogers is shown to be a vegetarian. Before this, Shaggy was known for eating a lot of everything. His voice actor, Casey Kasem, who was vegan himself, convinced the show's producers to make Shaggy a vegetarian.

Vegetarian Characters in the 2010s and 2020s

In the 2010s, social media sites like Instagram became popular for promoting veganism. Many people started to see being vegan as a way to help change the world.

In 2012, Marla Rose published her book, Adventures of Vivian Sharpe, Vegan Superhero. This book tells the story of Vivian, a deeply caring character who becomes a superhero and chooses to be vegan. Rose wanted to write a story that would make readers think about their own lives and how they can make a difference.

In 2016, a Korean novel called The Vegetarian by Han Kang was published in the U.S. It's about a woman named Young-hye who sees vegetarianism as a way to avoid causing harm. She believes eating meat represents human violence.

A Netflix movie called Okja also focused on vegetarian themes. In October 2019, South Park featured a vegetarian character in the episode "Let Them Eat Goo". In this episode, a character called The Goo Man tries to make everyone in town vegetarian by selling them a special "goo."

In the 2020s, many people expected even more vegetarian and vegan representation. For example, VegNews predicted that 2020 would be a big year for veganism, with new cookbooks and stories coming out.

Prominent Examples of Vegetarian Characters

Many well-known characters in cartoons, comics, movies, games, and TV shows have been vegetarian or vegan.

In Animation

Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons: As mentioned, Lisa decides to stop eating meat in the 1995 episode "Lisa the Vegetarian". She sticks to her vegetarian diet throughout the rest of the show, making it one of the few permanent changes for a character.
Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra: Aang is a vegetarian, which fits with the Buddhist and Taoist ideas that inspired the show. These philosophies often encourage not eating meat.
Jessica Cruz / Green Lantern from DC Super Hero Girls: Jessica is not only a pacifist (someone who avoids violence) but also a vegan and an environmentalist. She often talks about her commitment to plants and the environment.
Steven Universe from Steven Universe and Steven Universe Future: Steven tells his friends that he has been a vegetarian for a month.
Norville "Shaggy" Rogers from What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Shaggy, known for his huge appetite, became vegetarian in this animated series. His voice actor, Casey Kasem, who was vegan, asked the producers to make Shaggy vegetarian.

In Comics

Bruce Banner in Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk: In this comic, Bruce Banner (the Hulk) is shown to be vegan.
Karolina Dean in Runaways: Karolina is a vegan and loves animals. She is committed to a life free of meat and dairy.
Animal Man / Bernhard "Buddy" Baker in Animal Man: Buddy, also known as Animal Man, often talks about animal rights, criticizes factory farms, and opposes animal testing. He even helps activists save dolphins.
Millie in Mutts: In a Thanksgiving comic strip, Millie decides to cook a vegan meal, and her husband later admits he didn't miss the turkey.
Zatanna Zatara in Hawkman: Zatanna is a powerful magician who is also a vegetarian. She works with animals in her magic acts and especially loves bunnies.
Persephone in Lore Olympus: Persephone, the goddess of spring, is revealed to be vegetarian in episode 79 of this webcomic.

In Films and Video Games

Keziah in Notting Hill (1999): Keziah is a fruitarian, as mentioned earlier.
M’Baku in Black Panther (2018): M’Baku, the leader of the Jabari tribe, jokes that he would feed someone to his children, then reveals that his whole tribe, including himself, are vegetarians. This scene was praised for challenging stereotypes.
Bryce the Cow in Steer Madness: In this video game, you play as Bryce the Cow, who wants to end animal cruelty and make everyone vegetarian. You go on missions to save animals using different tactics. The game was even given an award by PETA.

In Literature and Live-Action Television

Elizabeth Costello in J.M. Coetzee's novel Elizabeth Costello: This character is a vegetarian.
Andi Oliver in Martha Grimes' 2008 novel, Dakota: Andi comes across animal abuse and feels she must act, pointing out that it's strange to eat animals when people say they care about animal welfare.
Spock from Star Trek: Spock is often called "television's first vegetarian." He and other Vulcans avoid eating meat because of their philosophy of non-violence.

Images for kids

Sign at People's Climate March 2017 in Washington DC