Xena: Warrior Princess' Opening Credits Were Designed To Avoid Potential Gay Subtext

"Xena: Warrior Princess" is one of the best fantasy TV shows ever made thanks to its ambitious storytelling, impressive stunt work, and great performances from Lucy Lawless as Xena and Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle. Fans loved the subtle relationship between the pair of traveling heroes, but the network intentionally designed the opening credits to avoid potential gay subtext between them.

"Xena: Warrior Princess" was kickstarted after an impressive backdoor pilot on "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys," where Lawless wasn't even supposed to play Xena originally. Creator Robert Tapert revealed that the spin-off's credit sequence was one of the only times Universal Television stepped in with notes. He said that the network was worried they would "lose advertisers" if the duo were even shown "in the same frame in the title sequence." It's important to remember that "Xena: Warrior Princess started in the 1990s, and the subject of queer relationships in TV and film wasn't as open as it is now.

Tapert told Entertainment Weekly: "They were that strict about not wanting to make any insinuation that there was more between them than just good buddies. It was never really meant to be about two gay women on the road together, that developed on its own."

"Xena: Warrior Princess" didn't initially set out to tell a gay romance between Xena and Gabrielle, but fans quickly picked up on the dynamic between the two warriors. There was so much attention on the show at the time that producer-slash-writer R.J. Stewart said they "embraced the lesbian subtext with unbridled glee."

As Xena's LGBTQ+ icon status continued to flourish, Stewart also told EW that he loved hearing reports of "Xena' nights in gay bars around the country." But the team was cautious not to overdo it when writing the show, as he explained, "Our general rule was ride the subtext whenever it makes sense. Everyone did that, so there was very little need to talk about it. Remember, we had a movie to make every week."

However, the gay subtext has been transformed into just text over the years, as audiences have reclaimed Xena and Gabrielle's relationship as LGBTQ+ representation — even if it's subtle by modern standards. Stewart explained, "When people asked me if Xena and Gabrielle were gay, I used to say, 'I'll leave that up to the fans.' But 30 years later, the fans have spoken." He clarified, "They're definitely gay now."