Alex Chen

## Media

**Alex Chen** is a bisexual character from *Life is Strange*.

## Biography

Following the disappearance of Alex's father, John Chen, later revealed to be that he died, and the death of her mother, Wendy Chen, due to an unknown illness, and her older brother, Gabe Chen, having bailed on her, Alex grows up in the Oregon foster care system. Due to her tragedies, she develops a unique power of empathy that allows her to see a person's emotional aura. Should Alex get too close or really focus, she feels what emotion the person is feeling, also gaining the ability to read the person's thoughts.

As Alex's powers manifested, she was deemed to be too emotionally unstable, and therefore no family wanted to adopt her. After eight years, she's located by Gabe, whose gotten his life back in order. Gabe invites her to the small town of Haven Springs, Colorado, to live with him. The siblings are reunited for one day before Gabe is killed following a mining explosion. Using her power, Alex unravels the town's secrets and the truth of her brother's death.

## Appearance

Alex is of Chinese-Vietnamese heritage.
She has black hair and brown eyes; her hair is stylized into a pixie cut with sweeping bangs. She wears large red glasses, along with stud earrings and two piercings on her right ear. For outfits, she wears a denim jacket donned with three patches, in addition with a blue and yellow hoodie, black skinny jeans and brown boots.

## Personality

Alex is "sharp, witty, and harden in a way that foster children must be in order to survive". She shows to be highly observant to her surroundings and due to the nature of her power of empathy, she is "sensitive to the needs of others". She is a shy woman, though is deemed by others to be "friendly and approachable."

## Sexuality

Similarly to the previous *Life is Strange* protagonists, with the exception of Chloe Price, Alex is bisexual as well, being able to romance a man or woman depending on player choice. However unlike Max Caulfield and Sean Diaz, Alex is considered to be the first *true* bisexual protagonist of the series. In-game dialogue and text message conversations confirm Alex's past relationships with men and women as her lovers.

### Reaction

When *Life is Strange: True Colors* was announced, fans of the series were not surprised at all by Alex's bisexuality, following the pattern of the previous protagonists, specifically that of Max and Sean.

## Relationships

### Isaac

While not entirely clear what Alex and Isaac's relationship was, as shown in Alex's text message history the two had some sort of romantic and/or sexual relationship. When Alex was still in the foster system, their relationship deteriorates following a particular night, heavily implied to have ended in sexual assault. Alex claims that she "wants to hold off on sex for a while," and that she "wasn't in the right mindset," while Isaac calls that night "incredible". Alex soon after blocks Isaac's phone number. Based on Alex's power of emotion, it's likely she thought she wanted Isaac because Isaac wanted her.

### Steph Gingrich

Steph and Alex's relationship in *Life is Strange: True Colors* is determined by the player. During the fourth chapter of the game, the player is able to begin a romance between the two characters by choosing to give a rose to Steph during the Spring Festival. Steph then asks Alex to meet her on the rooftop of Alex's apartment after the festival, where the two may share a kiss. In the fifth and final chapter, Alex must choose whether to remain in Haven or pursue a music career around the world; regardless of her choice, Steph will stay with her if they are in a relationship.

### Ryan Lucan

Similarly to Alex and Steph, Alex's relationship with Ryan is also determined by the player. During the fourth chapter of the game, the player is able to begin a romance between the two characters by choosing to give a rose to Ryan during the Spring Festival. After the festival is over, Alex meets with Ryan on the rooftop of her apartment, where the two may share a kiss. In the fifth and final chapter, Alex must choose whether to remain in Haven or pursue a music career around the world; regardless of her choice, Ryan will stay with her if they are in a relationship.

## Tropes

* Queer Character, Queer Actor - mxmtoon, who provides Alex's singing voice, is also bisexual.