XLR8 (Pronounced "Accelerate") is one of the first 10 aliens to ever be introduced in the hit 2005 Cartoon Network series, "Ben 10". As a kid, I didn't really care much for the character, and really only remembered him from the flash games on the Cartoon Network site. As an adult, however, I'm fascinated by him, his unintentionally genderqueer design and just the fact that he exists in a show like Ben 10.

Stamp of Accerlerate with a white blinking heart. He is running towards the viewer. Stamp of Accerlerate stuck in the show. Stamp of Accerlerate with a 'WTF' expression on his face. Stamp of Accerlerate with a white blinking heart. He is lying on the ground.
- His visor is made of a part of his skull covered in skin. - The helmet and visor are biological, not mechanical. - According to the 2016 reboot, the orbs on his feet are not biological. They are pearls created by mollusks on Kinet. - He is speculated to be physically weaker than Fasttrack. - XLR8 and NRG are the only aliens on the Omnitrix whose names are gramograms.
Accerlerate Shrine

As someone who likes genderqueer/androgynous designs, I think the classic version looks almost genderless.

His skinny frame, along with the tiny waist and way his back and hips curve in many shots, gives him a rather feminine appearance. The markings on his face and black "lipstick" appearance of his lips look like makeup. Then there's that high, raspy, "chainsmoker" voice exclusive to the classic version. Personally-wise, he strikes me as rather bitchy and arrogant, but he's confident and elegant too, which gives him an air of sensuality.

He's also pretty badass, as he's a very capable fighter who can also take a beating, regardless of his lack of physical strength. He can also pull off some very impressive feats with his speed, such a toppling a tokustar with a tornado in Omniverse, and stopping time in the middle of a baseball game in Classic! He's not just a pretty face!

All of these qualities combined make for an awesome (unintentionally) genderqueer character. I also find it very amusing that a character like XLR8 is not only in a popular Boys' cartoon like Ben 10, but is also a big fan favourite to this day!

Why do I like him?

Liking this character not only got me out of my "anti" phase, but also helped me to feel more at peace with being a weirdo freak pervert and a "proshipper".

If you told 19 year old me that I would be a fujoshi proshipper simping over a Ben 10 alien at age 25, she would have been shocked! She would think that I would have "fallen off".

I was a different person when I was 19, now starting social media. I swore off using the fujoshi label as I bought into rhetoric claiming that it was "problematic". And of course, I dreaded the idea of turning out to be a "proshipper" because I was deathly afraid of the hate I would have gotten. I was desperate to be liked. To not be "problematic". To be the "right" kind of person. To like the "right" kind of things, to say the "right" kind of things, etc.

But now? I'm going on 25 years now (as of writing this on 09/07/2024), and I'm not getting any younger! I got bigger responsiblities now to be more concerned about and I'm too damn old for this nonsense.

I find XLR8 and a lot of the other aliens to be very attractive, but when I started to be open about my interest in them around late December 2023 - early January 2024 on Insta, this opened me up to receiving unexpected judgement and harassment from a few former online "friends" of mine. In typical fandom cop fashion, I was accused of being a pedophile (yes, a fucking pedophile) for liking the aliens. They didn't express their distain outright (EG:"ERMMMMM YOU'RE A CREEP KYS!!!"), but the accusations were a bit more thinly-veiled and indirect, if I had to describe them (EG: Talking about how they were so "concerned" for me and were just "looking for an explanation", etc.).

The stress that came with "holding myself accountable" and censoring myself for them grew unbearable very quickly, and not long after I cut ties with them. It hurt at first, as I considered them to be close friends of mine for a good 4 years, but eventually I realised it was a blessing in disguise. I was free to draw whatever I wanted with XLR8 and the other aliens without feeling like I had to censor myself.

Since I cut ties, I decided to do more research into anti behaviours in fandom and how they negatively impacted other people and efforts to bring real predators to justice. Since then, I became a lot more understanding of subcultures and kinks I once judged (EG: Lolisho, non-con and dub-con kinks, etc.) and also came to terms with how I even liked some of those things too! I also started drawing more NSFW work of XLR8 himself as a sort of act of reclaimation of my identity, as well as exploring older things I liked when I was younger, but now with the tastes I developed as an adult.

Nowadays, I feel much more comfortable creating erotic dead dove art and stories, and I have more fun just interacting with art and fiction the way I want to as a woman. I wasn't shipping XLR8 with Vilgax or the Xenomorph from Alien when was 19, but now I do and I'm having fun!

What he means to me
- He smokes 12 packs a day with ease, which explains the chairsmoker voice (for the classic version). - His clothes are made out of ferrofluid. - Wildmutt is the Omnitrix family's pet dog. XLR8 absolutely adores and spoils him. - 8 is a crossdresser and a MILF (I give this headcanon to all of my favorite male characters, lol). - Megan Thee Stallon is one of his favourite music female artists.
Headcanons