New characters like Sebastian 'Bash' Lacroix, a Black Trinidadian facing overt racism in 1890s PEI including denial of service and transport, and his integration into the Cuthbert/Blythe family via Gilbert, serve as vehicles for critiquing systemic racial prejudice and highlighting marginalized Black communities like 'The Bog.' The Mi'kmaq girl Ka'kwet features in a storyline addressing indigenous displacement and colonial oppression, with Anne aiding her escape from abusive circumstances akin to residential schools. Cole Mackenzie, a gay artistic student, receives prominent representation through his coming-out, bullying, societal pressure for forced marriage, and platonic pact with Anne, expanding subtle book hints into explicit LGBTQ+ focal points.

Feminist messaging intensifies via Miss Stacy's progressive teaching methods, defense of women's education in trousers sans corset, and broader dialogues on gender roles, menstruation, and independence. These elements drive key plots, friendships, and conflicts, often feeling heavy-handed and anachronistic, prioritizing lectures on intolerance over the books' whimsical tone. Creator Moira Walley-Beckett modernized the adaptation to reflect historical inequalities through diverse casting and arcs, leading to backlash labeling it a 'PC fail,' 'woke betrayal,' and 'social justice primer' that tramples the source, with critics noting diluted storytelling and patronizing portrayals amid mixed reception.