literature

Types of Mary-Sue's

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Literature Text

Angsty Sue: This type of Sue is created for people to feel bad for because of some dark past. Every other character in the story (unless they're mean or spiteful) will always make the Sue’s angst the biggest issue in the story and the fact that she constantly dwells in her own self pity will be considered a “natural reaction”. If two characters both have traumatic experiences, the Sue will receive more attention no matter what. The main goal of these is often to have the OC cuddle with a canon character.

 Example one: Fred has just had his leg chopped off and will die if he does not receive medical attention immediately, but Mary-Sue is crying because of her daddy issues so everyone is busy comforting her. When Fred tries to call attention to the fact that he’s dying, the others will call him selfish for not caring about Mary-Sue.

Example two:  Best friends, Lucy and Mary-Sue were both kidnapped. Lucy was raped, and Mary-Sue witnessed it. When they are finally found, everyone will ignore Lucy, and comfort Mary-Sue instead. They will treat Mary-Sue witnessing her friend being raped is worse than Lucy actually being raped.

How to fix this: Avoid angst all together, or try not to make it the main plot in the story. It’s understandable for people to try to comfort the character a little while after the traumatic experience, and during flashbacks, but if something else important is happening, they should be working on that instead. Although one character may be a lot stronger mentally than another, the one with the worst trauma should receive the most attention, no matter who you like best.

Anti-Sue: A character that was created when someone tried so hard not to make a Mary-Sue, that they made a different type of Sue. They are usually boring, or completely useless, but still are given a place of important.

Example: Mary-Sue, whom is very clumsy, is entrusted with the Hemophiliac baby of the queen.

How to fix this: Balance out flaws with talents that work together. Being both klutzy and graceful don’t work together, but being bad at math and good at art do.

The Bachelor/Bachelorette Sue (Written by BaratheThornNinja):
This is a character who is created as a way of experimenting which character they would like to be with. They are always kind to others, except maybe the rivals for their love, and when they move on from a relationship, things are either completely cool or the character is heartbroken.

Example: (Naruto) Mary Sue had a relationship with Sasuke, but then left him because she fell in love with Naruto, then left him out of guilt for sleeping with Itachi...

Way to fix this: ESTABLISH WHAT THE CHARACTER LIKES ABOUT OTHERS. Having them bounce around from charrie to charrie makes them look like a whore. 

Beacon Sue: Every other character, or perhaps only one or two highly important ones, will automatically notice the Sue. Most of them have no reason to suddenly notice this character.

Example one (Naruto): Mary-Sue possesses the Sharingan, but she is not using it at the moment. Itachi has no way to know that she has it, but he still goes out of his way to kidnap her.

Example two (Vampire Knight): There is a new day girl at Cross academy. All of the night students instantly notice her and it has nothing to do with her blood.

How to fix this: Actually give the characters a reason to notice your character (like her top falling off). Or just only have characters that would have a reason to notice them see them (like a pervert noticing a girl in a tube top).

Better than you Sue: This type of Sue will be better than the entire canon at everything.

Example one: Jake has been practicing flute his entire life and is basically a professional. Mary-Sue, who has only been practicing a few years, can play it a million times better than he can.

Example two (Pokemon): Gary Oak has been searching for a shiny for years and has invested thousands of dollars into it. He finally got a shiny rattata. Mary-Sue has four that she found by chance, they’re all Pokemon that are pretty rare to start with. In fact, one of them is a mew. 

How to fix this: It’s perfectly okay for an OC to share interests with this canon characters (especially if it’s something like liking duel monsters in yu-gi-oh), but when said OC is better at everything than anyone, they become a Mary-Sue. Give your OC their own skill set, weaknesses, and hobbies.

Copycat Sue: An OC who is basically a gender swap or a re-color of an existing canon character or of another OC that they like (they will claim that they were the one who was copied). Their bio’s are very similar to that of at least one canon character, often taking the form of a sibling or a cousin.

Example  (Pokemon):  Mary-Sue, the twin sister of Ash, also lives in Pallet town. She slept late on the day they were getting their Pokemon, and when she got there all the Pokemon were gone, so she received an Eevee that hated being in its Pokeball, and refused to evolve.

How to fix this: Give your character their own set of ideas talents and flaws. Make their life unique, but there are always  few things characters can share (Being a trainer in Pokemon is quite common).

False flaw Sue: A Mary-Sue who’s flaws either do not affect her at all, or affect her positively.

Example one: Mary-Sue has rage problems. She attacks and snaps at people she is supposed to hate, but never does anything to the intended love interest.

Example two: Mary-Sue is a bit clumsy. Fortunately, the intended love interest finds this very cute.

How to fix this: Make your characters flaws actually mean something. If she’s a klutz, have her break something important and valuable or something like that).

Fixer Sue:
A Mary-Sue who is inserted into the story to make an angsty/evil characters past better, and yet, none of this affects anything besides the one character.

Example (Naruto): Mary-Sue used to date Madara way back when. She made him a nice person, and he was never a tyrant. Yet, Akatsuki was still formed.

How to fix this: Use OC's to be the reason why a character canonly likes/dislikes certain things. 

Idea Sue: This type of Mary-Sue is created to positively represent the writer’s ideas and beliefs. The character will fully agree with these beliefs, no matter how absurd. Any character who does not agree with the Mary-Sue will end up humiliated or dead, or be depicted as stupid, unimportant, or a villain.

Example one (Pokemon with writers favorite Pokemon as Eevee): Mary-Sue owns all of the Eeveelutions. If anyone ever says anything bad about Eevee, she and her Pokemon kick their butts.

Example two (Hetalia with author who hates France and loves Germany): France is always attacking Mary-Sue’s country (this is in no way historical), and Germany always comes to save her. Anyone who likes France also ends up beaten up.

How to fix this: It’s perfectly okay, for you OC to share some of your beliefs, just not all of them. Make smart characters disagree with them, and never make these beliefs the main focus of the story.

Jerk Sue: This Mary-Sue is always a jerk to everyone, sometimes even pointlessly cruel, but is still loved by others who often say the character they hurt, “Deserved it.” They never face consequences for their actions.

Example one: Joe accidentally breaks Mary-Sue’s 3DS. She beats the sense out of him and sends him to the hospital. Everyone else agrees that this was perfectly necessary.

Example two: Mary-Sue destroys Tom’s house in an attempted prank. Despite the fact that he can barely afford to feed himself, everyone else thinks it’s hilarious.

How to fix this: Make people hate your OC for their actions, and have them be properly be punished. If a student at almost any school beat up another student, the faculty wouldn't be turning a blind eye.

Multiversal Sue: This is a Sue that carries tools and gadgets from other fandoms, or is a character who is placed into a fandom, despite the rules of the universe being broken.

Example one: Mary-Sue lives in the Yu-gi-oh universe, has ten Pokemon, uses a wand from the Harry Potter fandom, and owns the Sonic Screwdriver.

How to fix this: Keep everything from the characters, or make it a full crossover. It’s perfectly okay for every student at Hogwarts to own Pokemon instead of pets, but when only one person has Pokemon it makes them a Mary-Sue

OTP Sue: In roleplay only (it's perfectly okay in fanfiction). When the character is the child of a non-canon pairing, thus forcing it on everyone else in the group.

Example (in a Hetalia roleplay): Mary-Sue is the child of England and Hungary (a very uncanon couple).

How to fix this: In a fanfiction, as long as you don't go overboard (Gay male character X female character). If its in a roleplay ask the people roleplaying the characters you ship, if you can do this. If one of them says no, make your character the child of tow OC's.

Possession Sue: When a canon character has their personality ripped out, and become Mary-Sue’s.

Example (Naruto): Mary-Sued Sakura is very sweet, and cooks for the others on her team. She is the best medical nin ever, and Sasuke loves her.

How to fix this: Avoid OOCness altogether.

Relationship Sue: A Mary-Sue who is thrown into the canon, with the author usually thinking that said OC will be part of the canon. They will neglect all other OC relatives, non-canon goals, and the like. They will be way too willing to sleep with canon characters, and will become friends/lovers with them in moments. Some characters may even become rapists or abusers and hurt the OC so they have something to angst about.

Example: As soon as she met the main character, Mary-Sue forgot about all her noncanon family members. She even dropped out of collage for him. He was originally a Casanova, but he now cares for her and only her.

How to fix this: Realize that your OC will never be part of the canon. Avoid OOC.

Special snowflake Sue: These usually only appear in Fanfiction. A Sue who is very special, and out of the ordinary, but is not the original Main character. They can usually be identified by having some type of special power of appearance trait.

Example (Pokemon: Mary-Sue isn't a normal girl, she has Lugia sealed inside of her. Whenever she sings, she transforms into Lugia.

How to fix this: If your character isn't a main character, don't treat them like one.

Wannabe Sue: Fanfiction/roleplay only. A Mary-Sue whose past is so filled with experiences involving canon characters (some that couldn't canonly happen) that it looks like the creator attempted to make them look like part of the canon.

Example (Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's): Mary-Sue lived in the Satellite, but she still went to school with Akiza.

How to fix this: Its fine for your OC to have a past involving canon characters, just don't go overboard or ruin canon.

Wonderbaby: A baby that has something special about it that makes it an important addition to the canon without having to grow up throughout the plot (time skip, rapid growth, ect.), has power’s greater than one or both of its parents, or plays an important role in the story for no clear reason.

Example one (Naruto):  Mary-Sue is found by the Akatsuki as a baby. Time is skipped so that she can start dating Itachi.

Example two (Yu-gi-oh): Mary-Sue is the child of Yugi, but she is the best duelist ever. Even better than her father is

How to fix this: Actually have your character have to raise the child, not just skip till when they get old enough to be interesting. The child should not have better powers that parents did not have for no clear reason.

The types of Mary-Sue's, how to avoid them, and a few examples.  But seriously, do whatever you want, this is just some advice. I really don't care. If you feel any part of this is offensive to you, then your OC is probably a Mary-Sue.
If you wish to help decide on what type of tutorial/story I'll do next, go here: fav.me/d77bw8x

This gets updated whenever I learn of a new breed of Sue, so remember to check in on it now and then.

For those who liked this, please check out the rest of my tutorials. You may find them helpful.



Little factoid I will find a place for later: Weaknesses can actually make a character look stronger. A character who has something to overcome, and successfully overcomes it looks a hell of a lot more badass than the character who was perfect since chapter 1. 

Got a lot of these from here: www.springhole.net/writing/mar…
www.springhole.net/writing/won…
© 2014 - 2024 Animedemon001
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SlayerWatcher237's avatar

As a My Hero Academia fan I couldnt help noticing Jerk Sue. Someone oughtta tell Horikoshi it looks bad when Deku is getting picked on and the teachers ignore it. But apparently it’s because Japanese culture is still coming to grips with needing to tackle bullying. So, occasionally it can be a little justified i guess.


MHA is a fandm with a ton of OC possibilities with so many quirk ideas but it’s also tough sometimes to balance canon character connections. However my OC doesnt really change canon despite being adopted by a canon character and I am doing my best to give her flaws and such so she isnt perfect.


Also agree you should have included villain sue. Bad guys shouldn’t be all powerful and cheating capture or death so many times that it gets annoying. Looking at YOU Bones TV show writers who made a canon villain that way.