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What is Mary-Sue?
A derogatory term coined to describe a certain type of poorly-written self-insert character in fanfiction, who warped canon characters' personalities and were jarringly out of place in the works in which they were placed. In more recent years, Mary Sues have ceased to exist beyond parody and adolescent fanfiction, but the term has been incorrectly used to label any (female) character who may share similar qualities (1) as these previous self-insert characters.
(1) Including, among other things, good looks, a tragic backstory, the romantic interest of other characters, unique abilities, and/or a wide array of talents.
Correct use:
"'Gee, golly, gosh, gloriosky,' thought Mary Sue as she stepped on the bridge of the Enterprise. 'Here I am, the youngest lieutenant in the fleet—only fifteen and a half years old.' Captain Kirk came up to her. 'Oh, Lieutenant, I love you madly. Will you come to bed with me?'" (From "A Trekkie's Tale", by Paula Smith)
Incorrect use:
"Wonder Woman is so overpowered--she's clearly a Mary Sue!"
Mary-Sue - meme gif
Mary-Sue - video
Mary-Sue - what is it?
The main character of the new Mulan and the Star Wars sequels.
Use The force Rey
Use The Chi Mulan
Use The plot device that makes you stronger than everyone, even if they can also use it, Mary Sue
What does "Mary-Sue" mean?
A Mary Sue is an original character (oc) and has no flaws. Of course the author of this oc will say "they are clumsy" or "they are not very good at maths" or whatever. They will most probably have a power or an evil twin/ dark side. They also might have an impossible bloodline. Such as a half werewolf or half fairy.
Oh my god I really hate 'Mary Sues'
Mary-Sue - what does it mean?
A Mary Sue is a character who is so perfect that he or she warps the world around them to display their perfection. It seems as though nothing in this universe except Mary Sue is even real, and is instead a plot device to make Mary Sue seem flawless and loved. A Mary Sue can destroy a piece of writing or media, since the characters existence will often forcibly make the world and people around them defy logic to simply display how amazingly radiant they are. The term is meant to describe any and all characters that seemingly warp reality simply to display their perfection, but some people do use terms such as “Marty Sue” or “Gary Sue” as a male nickname for a Mary Sue. It’s also important to know that in an attempt to make a character seem less Sue-ish, authors will often give their Mary Sue a “flaw” that is actually just a stale trait in disguise. This has lead to many different sub genres of the Mary Sue, thigh all are just as boring and cliche as the original.
“Man, this character is so annoying! It seems like everyone else is out of character just because she exists!”
“Bro, she’s probably a Mary Sue.”
Mary-Sue - meaning
A gorgeous, athletic, talented and intelligent girl who has every man on earth chasing after her. Even though she is beautiful, she will deny this. Almost always on the good side. If not, she's that overpowered hottie on the other side. Unusually attractive, and is related or in a relationship with any Canon character.
So perfect that it's very annoying.
Used most commonly in RPGs, Fan Fictions etc etc.
Her male counterpart is Gary-Stu or Marty-Stu.
WARNING If you character is named Mary Sue but does not have these traits, the name does not exactly matter. It is okay to give you character the name, Mary Sue.
Fan-fiction writer:
Her name is Celestia Destiny Raven Violet Shimmer Moondancer. She has long raven black hair and beautiful pale skin. Her eyes are a sharp emerald but they change to a glistening red when she is mad. They change blue when she's happy too! She's very curvy and has the best taste in fashion. However she denies all of this and in such a cute, bashful way. She was such a talented witch, that the second she was born, Voldemort hissed in agony. She is sent to Hogwarts at age 6 and secretly trained by Dumbledore until she is old enough to go to Hogwarts. She then gets Draco Malfoy and half of the male population in Hogwarts to go after her. When Voldemort appears and asks her out, she refuses but shakes his out of pity. Then he turns good and we all live happily ever after. The End.
Random Guy:
MARY-SUE!MARY-SUE!
Mary-Sue - definition
Used to negatively describe a female character, usually in a fanfiction (but sometimes in a Tv show or movie,) that can be just be very annoying because they are too perfect or there aren't any/many weaknesses in their personality. If they are a side character, they can sometimes take the spotlight. If they are a main character, it can make an uninteresting story. Sometimes turn into a joke. Also look at Marty-Stu.
This is a prime example of a Mary-Sue that I found on a writers page on fanfiction.
"Michelle Isabella Fenton
Danny Phantom's thirteen-year-old sister, who is two years younger than him. She is Danielle Phantom's identical twin and Nat Wolff's girlfriend. She is a Harry Potter style witch and a Aquamarine style mermaid. Michelle has dark brown hair and aquamarine blue eyes. She is an Avatar style water and airbender. Michelle is 25 percent Twilight vampire, which explains why people think she looks perfect. Her hair is elbow-length and she is 5'3. In her power form, she has a white bikini top, full white knee-length skirt, a diamond on the very center or her forehead near her eyes. In this form, Michelle wears silver sandal heels. Her hair had white streaks in it. Two streaks of hair that are about 3 inches wide are curled and pinned at the center of the back of her head, towards the nape of her neck. Michelle is also very good with arrows.
Personality: Sweet and innocent. Very loving. Dispite how it may seem like an act, Michelle's personality is pure. Can be a bit protective at times, but only for the better.
Aliases: Lena Yue"
Doesn't that character sound kinda annoying?
Mary-Sue - slang
An original character (fem.) in fanfic or an original story, usually on the internet, who is far superior to all other characters. She is typically beautiful, intelligent, kind, and in all other ways "perfect". She usually serves as an important part in a pivotal plot element (ie: a prophecy) and becomes romantically involved with the author's favourite character in the story. The internet fiction world runs rampant with these characters.
dracosluvur: My character's name is Alienne Raven Jewel Sassandra Moonflower Romance Shimmer Honeybeam, she came to Hogwarts after being separated from her family in the U.S. and sold into illegal slavery in Japan, she's fluent in both languages and is part Fae. She has snow-white skin, black hair and sparkling eyes that change colour. She's tall, thin and busty, she fills in as the Charms professor sometimes and doesn't really have a house because she's just that unsortable so she has her own luxury room in one of the towers. Almost the entire male population adores her, staff and students, and she gets perfect marks and it figures that she is the one who actually kills voldemort.
SatiricalBanshee: AGH!DUCK AND COVER! MARY-SUE!
Mary-Sue
Mary Sue
n.1
A negative reference to a female character
commonly used by beginning writers in their Fan-fiction.
Most times, the "Mary-Sue" is based upon the author.
She is unusually perfect and more advanced, also befriends
or becomes romantically entangled with the author's favorite
character/characters from the series. Because she is more
superior than the other characters in the work, she mainly
becomes the focus of the fan-fiction, thus ruining whatever
the fan-fiction was about.
As stated above, the name of the character referred to as
the "Mary-Sue" does not matter.
n.2
A person who acts smug or superior to a friend or comrade.
n.1
"Cassandra was a Mary-Sue in DD's version of Harry Potter VI."
n.2
"Don't be a Mary-Sue, you wanker!"
Mary-Sue
A female character who is so perfect that she is annoying. The name originated in a very short Star Trek story that mocked the sort of female characters who showed up in fanfiction. It usually refers to original female characters put into fanfiction, but can refer to any character.
Mary-Sues are characters who are usually extraordinarily gorgeous, amazingly talented, unusually powerful, and exceedingly attractive to whoever the author has a crush on. They often possess ridiculously fancy and pretentious first names -- Angel, Raven, Jewel, Lorelei Bianca Julia Marizza Snape -- and are very, very annoying.
Mary-Sue is often abbreviated to 'Sue.' The male equivelant is either Marty-Stu or Gary-Stu.
Your Buffy fanfic has a problem. Her name is Alayne Lorelei Gemma Jeshika Shanna, she has violet eyes and raven hair, curves in all the right places, is more powerful than Willow and a better fighter than Buffy and Faith combined, AND Spike is in love with her. She's a total Mary-Sue, and she's really annoying!"
Mary-Sue
A sexist term used to enforce the misogynistic ideals that female characters/authors shouldn't be allowed to fantasize or write anything along the lines of wish fulfillment. Its misogynistic qualities are exemplified in many ways, most notably being the fact that it's not a term dominated by the male counterpart despite existing in a patriarchal society, as well as the fact that the male counterpart is largely undecided upon in name and also undefined (see urban dictionary's Gary Stu entry which has no definition but to say "A Male Mary Sue", and the Marty-Stu entry which involves the "Mary Sue" definition to define it).
It's usually used on the whole to bully new authors out of writing female characters altogether, making the task seem so daunting to some that they now only write slash fictions with two male characters, also exemplifying the misogynistic qualities this term involves.
1.
Fan Fiction Reader: Why don't we just call all bad/annoying characters "special snowflakes" instead of using a female name like mary-sue in a derogatory fashion?
2.
Troll: You're writing a mary-sue to pair with the canon character you fat low life, it's pathetic and so are you!
3.
Author: I'm so afraid of having my female character labeled as a mary-sue that I only write male characters!