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Mary Sue

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A Mary Sue (or Sue) is a fictional character (especially an original character in fan-fiction) who is an idealised stand-in for the author. It also sometimes used to describe any stand-in for the author (whether idealized or not), any idealized character (whether a stand-in for the author or not), or any original character in fan-fiction.

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", or "Gary Stus." "Airy Ooh" is a rarely used unisex variant of the term. Authors of such characters (of either sex) are sometimes referred to as Suethors.

While Mary Sues are generally written uninentionally, some authors deliberately write Mary Sues as a form of parody.


Etymology

Mary Sue (or simply Sue) is a pejorative expression for a fictional character who is an idealised stand-in for the author, or for a story with such a character. Originally, the Mary Sue concept came out of Star Trek fan fiction and described an original female character who had a romantic liaison with an established, "canon" character, particularly if she possessed unrealistic or unlikely 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 any author surrogate characters can be defined as Mary Sue. Some believe the term to have originated in a Star Trek fan fiction parody published in 1973's Menagerie #2 written by Paula Smith. The story "A Trekkie's Tale" parodied some current fanfiction in the community which featured original female characters with whom Captain Kirk or Mr. Spock fell in love with and who was able to save the day. The term gained mainstream use in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

A more recent definition, based on not understanding the term from its original context, states that Mary Sue is any original character who possesses unusual qualities, parentage, or appearance — particularly in, but not limited to, science fiction or fantasy, whether original or fan fiction. By this definition, Lessa of Anne McCaffrey's Pern stories, Vanyel of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series, Rudyard Kipling's intrepid orphan Kim, Ayla of Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series, and Elminster from Ed Greenwood's "Forgotten Realms" novels and RPG setting, are all Mary Sues. Some have gone further, changing previously understood definitions, and have begun to define any original characters in fiction as Mary Sue.

Male "Sues" may be called "Marty Stus", "Murray Stus", "Harry Stus", and/or "Gary Stus", although the original "Mary Sue" term is often considered unisex. A rarer unisex variant is "Airy Ooh". Authors of such characters (of either sex) are sometimes referred to as Suethors.

In fan fiction, Mary Sue characters are usually the original creation of the author, but sometimes "canon Sues" are created by adapting pre-existing canon characters. Conversely, such original or adapted characters are not necessarily Mary Sues. The Peter Jairus Frigate character of the Riverworld series, for instance, is deliberately based on his author but rarely the focus of the story (unlike Tom Sawyer, for instance — a Mary Sue by 2005 standards). However, there are a great number of what many fans think of as pre-existing Sues in canon.

Some fan critics believe that young writers tend to create "narcissistic" Sues and "unintentional" Sues -- characters that develop into Sues due to the author's supposed subconscious desires. Some authors now write Mary Sues deliberately as a form of parody.

Traits of Mary Sues

Mary Sues are characterized by their unusual and dramatic traits and experiences, their similarity to their author, and, especially, their exagerated superiority to other characters.

Mary Sues normally have exceptional physical characterstics and personal characterstics and unusual and typically tragic backgrounds. They have uncommon eye or hair colors and come from a race or species which is uncommon or unkown in the story’s setting. They may have exotic names, pets, and possessions. As children, they experienced abuse or other hardships that were substantially worse than the abuse or hardship experienced by other characters and by the vast majority of people in the real world. In adulthood, they are misunderstood or unfairly perscuted. They are abandoned as infants, from a famous or infamous family, or related to the author’s favorite character.

They almost always share hobbies, likes and dislikes, and opinions with the author. They may be of the same nationality or age as the author and have similar but more dramatic physical appearances or backgrounds. In fan-fic, they cause things to happen that the author wishes would happen in canon. They mock and humiliate characters the author dislikes; if these characters are well-liked in canon they 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. Mary Sues bring together characters the author thinks should be romantically involved with one another or become romantically involved with characters the author is attracted to.

Mary Sues have more and better skills than the 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 vast majority of people their age in the real world. Mary Sues are 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 that are common in the Western world today but unusual for the setting of the story. They are normally exceptionally attractive.

Mary Sues are heavily praised by the author and other characters. If Mary Sues are criticized, the criticizer is evil or misinformed and the criticism is used to emphasize the misunderstanding and persecution the Mary Sues face. If Mary Sues have flaws or limitations, they are either minor and endearing or yet another hardship for the Sue to overcome (e.g. paraplegia.)

Mary Sue Sub-Types

Canon-Sues

Canon-Sues are canon characters who who are changed into idealized stand-ins for a fan-fic author. Canon-Sues learn or are suddenly revealed to have powers or skills which make them substantially and unprecedentedly superior to the other characters. They have hobbies, likes and dislikes, and opinions that are never shown in canon and are the same as the author's own. If Canon-Sues have flaws (especially physical unattractiveness) or opinions the author disagrees with, they will be overcome within the story or ignored entirely. Canon-Sues reveal tragic pasts never mentioned in canon, dwell on tragic pasts mentioned but not dwelt upon in canon, and are misunderstood or persecuted by other characters to a degree that they have never been in canon. Canon-Sues 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 are made only to make the character more exceptional, pitiable, or similar to the author, and not as part of genuine character growth. Often Canon-Sues will befriend, date, or be mentored by an original character Mary Sue.

The process of creating a Canon-Sue is called “sueification.” Canon-Sues are often refered to as [Character’s name]-Sue. Authors of original fiction may also be accused of “sueifying” if they suddenly idealize in canon a previously average character.

Romantic Sues

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

Anti-Sues

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. Anti-Sues will often be described with just as much detail as their Mary-Sue counterparts; however, the description will usually be one that tells you in extreme detail how unbeautiful the character is. Don't be fooled by their appearance - they can be just as sue-ish as their more attractive counterparts.

Gary Stu

Differences between male and female Mary Sues. Content needed

Criticism

The concept of the Mary Sue has been criticized on the grounds that:

  • What constitues “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 translator would be expected to speak several languages fluently.
  • Female characters are more likely to be classified as Mary Sues than male characters with the same traits
  • Virtually all authors include some similarities to themselves in their characters
  • 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.)

Some critics agree with the basic Mary Sue concept but believe that it is (wrongly) applied to characters who are unusual in anyway or to any original or changed character in fan-fic. 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.

List of Mary Sues

List of Female Mary Sues

Female characters who have been criticized for being Mary Sues include:

List of Male Mary Sues

Male characters who have been criticized for being Mary Sues include:

  • In the April 29, 2005 issue of The Times Literary Supplement Roz Kaveney said that the Doctor Who character Rose 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)."
  • One of the pre-made characters in The Sims 2 is named "Mary-Sue."

Sources

[1] Verba, Joan Marie. BOLDLY WRITING: A Trekker Fan and Zine History 1967-1987. Mankato, MN: FTL Publications, 1996.

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