Some young conservative men are reinterpreting familiar pop-culture characters, turning them into symbols of values they feel have been pushed aside. The trend has drawn criticism from liberals.
Anakin Skywalker was an early example. Some men on the right have identified with the character, arguing that young white men are rejected by society while immigrants from developing countries are welcomed.
Now a reimagined, female version of Draco Malfoy—nicknamed “Malfoid”—has emerged. The character was designed to appeal to traditional ideas of masculinity rather than progressive identity politics.
BlazeTV host John Doyle said that, in recent months, young right-wing men have been reworking characters from major franchises such as Star Wars and Harry Potter. In his view, they are recasting figures once embraced by liberals as symbols of values that run counter to contemporary culture.
Doyle said the trend has angered people who believe they should control what these characters represent and how entertainment franchises are updated, including through sequels and revamps focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.
He pointed to the artist behind Malfoid, who reportedly turned down requests to make the character transgender or lesbian. The artist said the aim was instead to create a character “to make guys yearn again,” Doyle explained.
Doyle described Malfoid as a figure intended to appeal to “the sensitive young man.” He added that some critics strongly oppose the trend, while young men who embrace it are increasingly expressing interest in starting families and holding traditional views.
He sees a shared theme in the Malfoid and Anakin examples: despite their very different stories, both are connected to the idea of having a loving, supportive partner and a family. Doyle added that the trend comes after decades in which young, straight, white men have been portrayed as a threat or a problem to be addressed.
