Celeste on Trans Remembrance Day

Playing Celeste was a good idea, but I didn’t make any progress until a friend took pity on me. He gave me instructions on how to activate the game's invincibility mode. As Madeline, whom I renamed Angel because the game gave me the option, I was navigating a dangerous mountain with numerous supernatural obstacles and strawberries as a bonus reward. 

Celeste updates haven’t been my top priority. I knew about the 8-bit spinoff but had otherwise put Celeste out of mind. Finding out that the game became a symbol for the trans community snapped me back to attention. 

On November 20, 2019, during Trans Remembrance Day, the Celeste crew posted the above screencap. You reach this point in the climb at the first chapter’s conclusion, where you can pay homage to the other mountain explorers who didn’t survive. The game does, with the memorial reading “This memorial dedicated to those who perished in the climb.” Soon after, Madeline has a nightmare of a dark self and her past haunting her, with a phone call to someone she knows would never dial her. 

A Climb to Crack Your Egg

It struck me, as more trans people are fighting for the right to exist, how Madeline is determined to climb. The mountain residents and guests like Granny and Theo ask her why she does it. She doesn’t have to traverse this mountain all the way to the top. Theo explores the ruins while Granny provides meals and instructions for the visitors.

Madeline can’t answer the question, admitting that she doesn’t know why she needs to climb, only that she must. It’s not that she expects to see or experience an epiphany at the peak; Madeline feels that she needs to complete the journey. 

The mountain helps people uncover their psyches and selves. Madeline’s insecurities, anger, and fear manifest in doppelgangers and colorful hazards. The more she persists, the more trigger-happy the obstacles become. Madeline wants to succeed because she needs to bring out that darkness and all her fears. She had an egg to crack.

What Did Celeste Uncover?

Developer Maddy Thorson is trans; she came out on Medium in a post that also revealed that the fictional Madeline is trans. Obviously, a gender identity doesn’t stay solid and can take a while to explore, so that gender could change in a few years or not at all. Thorson puts it best in the opening paragraph:

“But these are things that I was not aware of during the development of Celeste, where I was writing Madeline and speaking from her perspective. Creating Celeste with my friends helped me reach the point where I could realize this truth about myself.”

The team had also discussed revealing Madeline’s identity in the Chapter 9 DLC, an additional adventure that allows the player and Madeline to give a proper farewell to an important character. 

I haven’t heard of creating a game that helps the egg crack, but it makes sense. Jane Schoenbrun said they wrote I Saw the TV Glow to talk about their transition experience, and a good number of viewers mentioned they realized they were trans or nonbinary as well after seeing the movie. Co-star Jack Haven, who plays Maddy in TV Glow, came out as nonbinary after the movie’s premiere. Nate Stevenson mentioned that, in hindsight, concept art for the graphic novel Nimona, with the title character shapeshifting into a beefy man, was his subconscious speaking. 

For better or for worse, someone’s identity may not manifest as soon as they enter this world. It can take years, not helped by societal pressures or expectations. There’s a reason why many gay men and women end up in conventional relationships at a young age, only to languish within such a sham. 

Sometimes creations have those hints of what the subconscious knows. Internal crises show up within the narratives or character designs. Video games provide an excellent way to explore these conflicts because many different avenues allow us to play as different people, creatures, or beings. 

Uncovering Your Uncertainty

Madeline has to climb the mountain to deal with the growing storm within her. The natural hazards bring out her inner doubts and fears as Badeline, a floating entity that sends monsters to chase her host. While at first all Madeline can do is run, she tries to fight back at the first opportunity. She insists halfway through the game that she doesn’t need Badeline. Who wants a doppelganger chasing after them and trapping them in mirror temples? Badeline seems bad for Madeline’s health and later Theo’s well-being. 

Unfortunately, we can’t escape our negative feelings or doubts. We all fear failure and have hope right before life dashes it to bits. Badeline affirms violently that Madeline can’t tell her to go away or use a breathing exercise to fend her off. The two have to come to an agreement. 

To truly reach the top, Madeline has to reconcile with Badeline. Every human has those doubts and fears. If you have generalized anxiety, the anxiety is trying to keep you safe even as it makes you physically ill. Fighting it only makes you feel worse; what helps is when you confront it and communicate with others about it. 

Keeping Trans People And Representation Alive

2025 has truly become the year where we find out who we are. Who are we when our vulnerable neighbors and their creations are attacked? What will we do to resist the absurdity? I’ve seen those who stand up, communicate with their Badelines, and face pure evil. Others fold, and still more cheer on the cruelty. 

We have to keep climbing. If we don’t need to climb, we can provide support for those at the mountain base.

It’s a good time to return to Celeste and the mountains that we have to climb. I understand Madeline better with this concept, and I hope more people climb the mountain, making it to the top.