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Mary Sue (sometimes shortened to Sue) is a pejorative term for a fictional character who is portrayed in an idealized way and who is generally lacking in any truly noteworthy flaws (or having her flaws romanticized, as is sometimes the case with stories about characters with eating disorders, depression, or other psychological conditions). Characters labeled Mary Sues, as well as the stories they appear in, are generally seen as wish fulfillment fantasies on the part of the author.

The term is primarily used in the context of fan fiction, where it first originated. The term usually refers to characters created by the (fan)author of the piece, but can also be used in reference to characters from the original canon source who are characterized in such a way that they are perceived as Sue-like, or characters from original fiction who otherwise fit the definition. Many original characters in play-by-post gaming are also perceived as Mary Sues (or the male equivalent).

Mary Sue may be used to describe a character of any gender, but male Mary Sues may also be called "Marty Stus," "Murray Stus," "Harry Stus," "Larry Stus", or "Gary Stus", with variations existing using the spelling Stue instead of Stu, as well as some variations existing with Sam instead of Stu or Stue. "Airy Ooh" is a rarely used unisex variant of the term. Authors of such characters (of either sex) are sometimes referred to as Suethors, a portmanteau of Sue and author.

While characters are generally not intentionally written to be Mary Sues, some authors do deliberately write Mary Sues as a form of parody.

Etymology

The term "Mary Sue" was coined by Paula Smith in 1973, for her parody story "A Trekkie's Tale," published in her fanzine Menagerie #2. The main character was Lieutenant Mary Sue ("the youngest Lieutenant in the fleet -- only fifteen and a half years old"). The story poked fun at what Smith considered to be unrealistic adolescent wish-fantasy characters appearing in Star Trek fan fiction of the period. The term has since been applied to non-canon characters in a variety of contexts.

In its original context within the Star Trek fan fiction community, "Mary Sue" described an original female character who had a romantic liaison with an established, canon character, particularly if she possessed unrealistic or unlikely (and often exotic) traits above and beyond those expected of a character in that particular series, or a conventional author surrogate. However, in recent years the concept has developed a wider meaning, so that almost any author surrogate character or highly idealized character that plays a major role is often defined as a Mary Sue. The term gained wider use in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with the growing popularity and more widespread use of the internet, which is the main form of publication for fan fiction, and as of 2006, a "Mary Sue" in fan fiction is generally considered an original character written by the author into the universe of his/her choosing to upstage the canon characters, occupy the center stage, and take over the story entirely to satisfy the author's ego.

The term has also come into increasing use, as of 2006, describing both canon characters in fan fiction being suddenly given extreme superiority over other characters, and characters existing in a universe of the author's own creation who have many of the traits traditionally associated with "Mary Sues" in fan fiction, especially the main distinguishing trait of superiority (in looks, talent, personality, etc.) in comparison to most or all other characters.

Traits associated with the concept of the Mary Sue

While "Mary Sue" is primarily a subjective term, there are nonetheless a number of traits commonly associated with the concept of the "Mary Sue". Characters labeled a "Mary Sue" have what are seen as exaggerated and annoying (and sometimes impossible) levels of superiority, especially in comparison to either the other characters, real people who are in the same fields or situations, or both.

Out of the other, lesser traits which are associated with but do not define the concept, all are popular traits (or versions thereof) in fiction, especially in the genres of fantasy and science fiction, and not all characters who share one or more of these traits will be commonly considered a Mary Sue (or the male equivalent). It is often said that even characters that share a great number of these traits can still not (be considered to) be a Mary Sue, if the writer is skilled or careful enough not to over-romanticize or over-idealize the character in question.

Characters most commonly labeled Mary Sues are often characterized by their unusual and dramatic traits and experiences, their similarity to their author or their author's ideal person, and, most especially, the trait of extreme superiority in comparison to other characters.

Those labeled Mary Sues normally have exceptional physical and personal characteristics, including unusual and (typically) tragic backgrounds. They may have uncommon eye or hair colors or come from a race or species which is uncommon or unknown in the story’s setting. They may have exotic names, pets, or possessions, often ones with great perceived mystical or magical significance. As children, they often will have experienced abuse or other hardships that were substantially worse than the abuse or hardship experienced by other characters and often, by many of the people in the real world — though they are often said to seldom if ever display any evidence in personality or behavior of having been traumatized. In adulthood, they are generally portrayed as misunderstood or unfairly persecuted. They are often abandoned as infants or young children, from a famous or infamous family, or related somehow to the author’s favorite character.

They frequently share hobbies, likes and dislikes, and opinions with the author, and may be of the same nationality or age as the author and have similar but more dramatic physical appearances or backgrounds; other times, they may merely have hobbies or features that the author finds exotic, high-class or somehow admirable.

In fan fiction, they often cause things to happen that the author wishes would happen in canon. They usually mock and humiliate characters the author dislikes; if these characters are well-liked in canon they sometimes reveal to the other characters that they are secretly evil. If a character is disliked by most canon characters but liked by the author, the Mary Sue realizes that they are not really bad but merely misunderstood and either explains this to the other characters or becomes the character's sole confidant and friend, if not their redeemer. Mary Sues may bring together characters the author thinks should be romantically involved with one another or become romantically involved with characters to whom the author is attracted.

Characters perceived as Mary Sues almost always have more and better skills than other characters in the story and easily solve problems that stump other characters. Young Mary Sues often have skills or accomplishments that are substantially greater than those of other characters their age and of the majority of people their age in the real world. They are usually presented as more moral than other characters and frequently sacrifice their lives or happiness for the sake of other characters. They often have moral ideas or follow norms that are common in the Western world today but unusual for the setting or perceived setting of the story. They are nearly always exceptionally attractive, with said attractiveness often being described in great detail and typically noticed frequently by the other characters.

Characters said to be Mary Sues are generally heavily praised by the author and especially other characters. If the Mary Sue has flaws or limitations, they are either minor and/or endearing, or yet another hardship for the Sue to overcome (e.g. paraplegia, depression, an eating disorder, or a "passionate" temperament).

Again, nearly all of the above traits can be those of characters not normally seen as Mary Sues, as well, but that they are common amongst characters who are generally labeled one, especially if the character shows a substantial number of them. Because of this, many documents have been created online that seek to allow the testee to informally find the rough statistical likelihood of their character being considered a Mary Sue; these documents are generally called "Mary Sue Litmus Tests", and are filled with many or all of the above traits (as well as some more fandom-specific traits, for those associated specifically with fan fiction), all of which have an associated positive or negative numerical value, which is used to calculate the character's statistical likelihood of being considered a Sue. All or nearly all such tests sport a disclaimer that notes that even characters who score extremely high (i.e. as a Mary Sue) can be executed well enough to not be considered a Mary Sue, and that the test is mainly meant as a guide only. Generally, this disclaimer mentions either Bono from U2 (a real person with a lot of Sue traits), or Morpheus from Sandman, or both.

Related terminology

Likely due at least partially to the broad and widely-inclusive definition of the term "Mary Sue", several other terms have come into existence that refer to specific phenomena within the definition. In addition, there are a small number of terms that are often used in the context of discussions of the Mary Sue concept. Key terms are listed below.

Frequently used terms related to the concept

  • Canon
  • Fanon
  • Fandom
  • Fan fiction
  • Original fiction, which refers to the opposite of fan fiction; an original work not directly based on another canon.
  • OC, short for original character, refers to a character that is the creation of the author of the piece in question (in the context of fan fiction, this would be the "fanfic" story) and not the creation of another writer (in the context of fan fiction, this would be the canon story).

Terms referring to sub-concepts of "Mary Sue"

Canon-Sue
Although authors of original fiction may also be accused of “sueifying” characters and creating a "canon Mary Sue" if they suddenly idealize in canon a previously average character, or if they create a character that is heavily idealized and not seen as particularly sympathetic, the term "canon-Sue" (sometimes also spelled canon!Sue) is a term primarily used to describe canon characters who are changed significantly from their original canon characterization and sometimes even divorced from their original context completely. Such characters, when described using this term, are seen as having been heavily idealized and/or romanticized, to the point of being more of a stand-in for the author's wish fulfillment than being the original canon character. Characters most frequently labeled "canon-Sues" often learn or are suddenly revealed to have powers or skills which make them suddenly and substantially superior to the other characters, and of which there is sometimes little or no precedent for in the canon in question. They often have hobbies, likes and dislikes, and opinions that are never mirrored in the original canon material, but which are the same as or similar to the fan fiction author's own, and if they have flaws (such as physical unattractiveness or an unpleasant personality) or opinions the author disagrees with, they will be overcome within the story or ignored entirely. Characters most often labeled thusly often reveal tragic pasts never mentioned nor hinted at in canon, dwell on tragic pasts mentioned or hinted at but not dwelt upon in canon, and/or are misunderstood or persecuted by characters that the fan-author dislikes, frequently to a degree that they have never been in canon. Such characters become friends with characters the author likes and enemies with characters the author dislikes, even if the reverse was true in canon. Changes to canon characters in cases where the character ends up being labeled a "canon-Sue" in the fan fiction in question are seen as being made only to make the character more exceptional, pitiable, or similar to the author, and not as part of genuine character growth. Very frequently, such characters will befriend, date, or be mentored by another, original character created by the fan author, almost always one which will be referred to as a Mary Sue as well. Canon-Sues are often referred to as name-Sue, or as Sue!name, and the process of idealizing or romanticizing a character to the point where they are usually labeled a Mary Sue is sometimes called “sueification.”

If the canon-Sue deviates significantly enough from the original it can also be alternatively be referred to as an act of "canon rape" or "raping canon"; these two terms are, understandably, usually used in the context of fan fiction and are intended to imply defilement of the original canon material, just as the act of rape in the real world is typically seen as defiling its victims. This has also been called "characterization rape". "Canon rape" and "raping canon" can also be used in other circumstances where a significant (and disliked) change has been made to the canon world or characters, such as when a former hero is villified or a usually-chaste canon character is easily seduced by a fan-created Mary Sue character.

Gary/Marty Stu
A male "Mary Sue" is most often referred to as a Gary Stu or Marty Stu though there a number of other terms used to refer to the male equivalent of a Mary Sue as well. While female characters seen as Mary Sues are often bright (literally and figuratively) and cheerful, characters seen as Gary/Marty Stus are generally much darker, tending more toward brooding and sometimes violent behavior. They are very often apathetic and roguish, having no regard for authority or law. They will often get away with their transgressions again and again - or when they actually are punished, they are completely indifferent. At other times characters seen as a Gary/Marty Stu are the defiant underdog with the truth on their side. He eventually proves everyone wrong and wins reluctant kudos from the other characters (which he accepts with varying degrees of grace). This pattern of rebellious and aggressive and/or cooly apathetic behavior is also often seen amongst some female characters (also usually seen as a Mary Sue) as well. It's particularly noticeable in fandoms set in a scholastic or militaristic setting or organization, in which there is at least one highly visible authority figure to rebel against. The Harry Potter fandom's fan fiction, for instance, has quite a few such characters, especially on archives with a large number of teenage users.

Romantic Sues
Romantic Sues are seen as idealized versions of the author’s perfect lover, rather than of the author him or herself. Many female characters in shounen anime are criticized for being the (male) writer's romantic Sue.

Self-insert
Self-insert is used to describe clear (and usually seen as indisputable) cases where the author has directly inserted a version of themself into the story in lieu of a wholly original character. The process of doing this is referred to as "self-insertion." Though some author surrogates have been thought to "work" in fiction previously, self-inserts as a rule are frequently seen as the most blatant form of Mary Sue, most especially in fan fiction, where self-inserts are generally heavily idealized. Some online fan fiction archives have a ban on any story which involves self-insertion; usually those sites which disallow any fanfiction involving any real person.

Categorization patterns

Frequently subtypes or sub-subtypes of perceived Mary Sues will be named on the fly using certain patterns, two of the most common of which are listed below:

  • The ! convention, as seen above in canon!Sue (under "canon-Sue"). Generally this is a one-word description of the character as portrayed in a particular story, set against the word "Sue" with a ! symbol, e.g. rebel!Sue (to denote a rebellious character seen as a Mary Sue). This convention is primarily seen in online communities which discuss fanfiction in a highly critical, often sarcastic manner. ! is also sometimes used with the actual character name, usually for stories in which there is a significant change or exaggeration in their characterization; for a story where Buffy Summers inexplicably becomes weak and timid, someone might describe the story as "wimp!Buffy". Infrequently, a colon (:) is used instead of a !. A purely written convention apparently unique to the online environment, though a similar convention has been used in certain MMORPGs; it is unclear in which community, if any, it evolved first.

  • The - convention, as also seen above in canon-Sue. Used less frequently (in part due to less freedom; the ! convention allows for multiple descriptors, for example, goth!alien!rebel!Sue), but still used nonetheless in some areas of fandom.

Anti-Sue

In an effort to create a character who is not a Mary Sue, an author will sometimes go to an extreme reversal of the typical "Mary Sue" traits. These "anti-Sues" will sometimes be described with just as much detail as their Mary Sue counterparts; however, the description will usually be one that tells the reader in extreme detail how unbeautiful (or how pretty-but-not-stunningly-beautiful), unpopular, unwealthy, naive, pessimistic or cynical, etc., the character is. The term can be applied to either original or fan fiction.

Criticism

The concept of the Mary Sue has been criticized on the grounds that:
  • What constitutes “exceptional” skill, tragedy, or an exceptionally unusual background is subjective.
  • Real people often have skills, tragedies, or backgrounds that would cause fictional characters to be classified as Mary Sues.
  • Some characters might reasonably have “exceptional” skills, tragedies, or backgrounds. For example, a professional interpreter would be expected to speak several languages very fluently and translate between them in real time, and a samurai would be expected to have great skill with a sword, but these individuals would have trained in their area of expertise (languages, swordsmanship) since childhood or even earlier. Mary Sues often have innate talent that rivals even established masters, despite having only a small amount of experience.
  • Female characters are more likely to be classified as Mary Sues than male characters with the same traits, which can be seen as a form of misogyny and a comment on how women are percieved and on what is seen as "appropriate" for a female vs. a male character.
  • Many characters' real depth is often not revealed until well into the story, whereas many people seem quick to call "Mary Sue" on an unusual or fan-created female character, without reading or watching very far into the story.
  • Virtually all authors include some similarities to themselves in at least some of their characters - including personality faults. (Supporters of the concept of "Mary Sue" usually argue that the latter is what a true Mary Sue lacks.)
  • Good fiction containing idealized characters or author-surrogates can and has been written. Examples given include Charles Dickens (idealized characters) and Hunter S. Thompson (author-surrogate).
  • It's common for authors to write about what they do know, in order to not write about that which they do not know, or to write about things which they are interested in (i.e. research would not be unpleasant for them). So an author who studies or has an interest in martial arts will likely create characters who study or practice martial arts.
  • Unusual physical attributes can sometimes be the focus of a whole, well-written plot. Additionally, people with green or (infrequently) violet eyes (such as Elizabeth Taylor) actually exist, and a character should not be written off as a Mary Sue simply for her hair or eye color.
  • Many of the traits associated with the Mary Sue may seem outlandish, but are common, even expected, in many fantasy or science fiction settings.
  • Some characters may be accused of being a Mary Sue simply because the accuser does not like said character(s).

Some critics agree with the basic Mary Sue concept but believe that it is (wrongly) applied to characters who are unusual in any way or to any original or changed character in fan fiction. Other critics argue that Mary Sue should be applied only to idealized author-surrogates, not to characters who are only idealized or only author-surrogates.

Nonetheless, though highly subjective in nature and under nearly constant debate in regards to its exact, true meaning, the term continues to gain popularity in both original and fan fiction writing and reading circles, likely because it allows for a large (if varied and subjective) concept to be conveyed in very few words.

Mary Sues in popular culture

  • In the April 29, 2005, issue of The Times Literary Supplement, Roz Kaveney said that the Doctor Who character Rose Tyler is "what is commonly known as a 'Mary Sue' — an unironic reflection of the writers' and fans' desire to get in there and help the Doctor out (while managing to stay pretty)."
  • The X-Files character Leyla Harrison is an officially sanctioned Mary Sue character on two levels. When the character, an FBI accountant who idolizes Mulder and Scully, gets promoted and joins them on a case, she is inserted into an X-Files "monster of the week" episode (episode 8X19, "Alone") in much the same way that a fanfiction author writes him or herself into an x-file by using the Mary Sue convention in his or her story. Furthermore, the character was named after a beloved writer of X-Files fanfiction who died of cancer, so the Mary Sue status of the character serves as an affectionate tribute to the deceased fan.
  • In the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode entitled "Superstar" the nerdy character Jonathan casts a spell that alters reality and temporarily causes him to become the ultimate Gary Stu. He becomes an expert fighter, singer, lover, chess player, strategist, and more, as well as being an accomplished writer and famous actor who starred in The Matrix. There is also a side-story, written by Jane Espensen, the same writer who penned the script for "Superstar", in the Buffy comic books that is set slightly prior to the events shown in the episode.
  • In the OEL manga Dramacon by Svetlana Chmakova, one of the after-story bonus comics (which is apparently "set" sometime before the end of the story, as it features the main character not knowing the ending) sports a direct reference to the Mary Sue concept, wherein the main character slyly asks her author (who is also a character in the fourth wall-breaking bonus comic) if it's "one of those Mary Sue stories" and she'll eventually end up beautiful, romantically stable, etc. When Chmakova doesn't immediately answer in the affirmative, the main character becomes dissatisfied and annoyed, and turns violent towards her.
  • In the Marvel Comics series Runaways, one of the running gags is that the 11-year-old character Molly Hayes has frequent Mary Sue fantasies (including one involving her marrying Wolverine), going so far as to frequently demand people call her "Princess Powerful", a name which can be seen as mocking the usually-silly naming schemes among works seen as featuring Mary Sues.
  • In Charmed, Piper's doubly blessed son Wyatt, has many powers and is almost indestructible. Thus some fans consider him to be a "Gary Stu".
  • In The Next Generation, the character Wesley Crusher is frequently considered to be a Mary Sue. He has unusual status aboard ship despite his young age and is given the post of "acting ensign." He is also later gifted with superhuman powers. Of note, perhaps, is that "Wesley" was the middle name of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek.

See also

External links

Origins/History

Additional essays

Mary Sue "Litmus Tests" online

Communities online

Parodies

Source

* Verba, Joan Marie. Boldly Writing: A Trekker Fan and Zine History, 1967–1987. Mankato, MN: FTL Publications, 1996.

References

Alter egos | Fan fiction | Narratology

Mary Sue | Mary Sue | Mary Sue

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Mary Sue".

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