This is a test to determine whether a custom character is a Mary Sue. I have based this on my own observations, as well as those of friends and family. I have also looked at other Mary Sue tests and seen what they consider traits of a Mary Sue. This test is, of course, largely opinion, but should give you a good idea of where your character stands.
Mary Sue and Gary Stu (male version) are characters written into a story (either fanfic or original) that are projections of the author, or what the author wants to be. Some are annoying as heck, but some are decent, fun characters; it all depends on how they're written. For a more extensive page on what a Mary Sue is, go here:
Mary Sues (This particular site is based on ThunderCats characters, but it still has good, general information; it also has links to other good sites. Even if you don't write fanfiction, it's an interesting read.)
Repeat, not all Mary Sues are bad! Mary Sue has a bad reputation, but there are good ones, trust me. Mary Sue just means that there is a whole lot of you in the character, or a whole lot of wishful thinking. Or both. And that's not always bad. The above site also has some good tips on making your Mary Sue an enjoyable character. Also, an original character can be a Mary Sue
Here are two other Mary Sue tests I have done,
modified to reflect specific genres - though they all use basically the
same template:
-
ThunderCats
Mary-Sues
Harry
Potter Mary Sues
Ronin
Warriors Mary Sues
All right, now down to the test. There is a point value after each question. For each one answered "yes", you gain the amount of points listed. Total them all up and use the chart below to see how your character fares. I say "he" in the questions, but obviously this test is for both male and female characters.
Note: If some questions are N/A (like the “does everyone go into mourning over your character." one If the character does not die, this is an N/A answer) assume it to be a “no” answer.
Note 2: If a specific set of characters is mentioned in a question, it is because they seem to be the most popular characters, and the ones that people become infatuated with.
Note 3: Some questions will call for taking points away. Some questions could either indicate a Mary sue, or just the opposite, depending on how they are written.
Note 4: If there are different point values for a question, it is multiple choice; you pick the one that applies. But there are some that say "choose all that apply", and in that case, they can add up.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
Canon - Something established by the actual
book, movie, show (etc.) that your fanfic is based on.
Custom or Original Character (CC, OC)
- A character not in canon...in other words, an author-created character
Fanfic or Fanfiction - This is a story
that takes place in a world already created in a movie, show, book, or
the like. The story is written by fans of the genre, using the characters,
settings, and concepts.
Genre - The setting of the story...is
it the ThunderCats universe? Star Wars/Trek? Harry Potter?
Important/Popular character - By these
I mean the characters that are very popular within the fandom. For
Harry Potter, people like Sirius Black or Snape. For Star Wars, Han
and Luke. For ThunderCats, characters like Bengali and Tygra. Most
fans will know which characters are most often adored by fans. And
then, some are important to genre, like Captain Kirk (who a lot of people
can't stand) or Lion-O for ThunderCats (who even more people can't stand.)
---
1: Character Basics: Name, Age, Appearance
Is your character named after you in any way?
10 points if he has your first and last name
9 if he has your first or last name
7 if his name is an internet name of yours, your
middle name, or any other name that's used in a secondary manner
2 if it's a name that you would choose for yourself,
but it not yours at the moment
Is he named for someone you know or admire?
2 points
Would you give a pet or child this name?
Or have you in the past?
2 points for a pet, 5 for a child.
Is the name unusual?
(Go on a case by case basis, depending
on the character's race or species. Would such a person conceivably
have a name like that?)
1 point
Is the name the same or suspiciously like that
of a canon character?
(Many people have a favorite canon
character, but don't want to be confined to using that character's personality,
skills, or disadvantages, so they make their own character and make the
name almost identical.)
3 points
Is his name in the title of the story?
5 points
How long did you spend choosing your character's
name?
(a full day meaning an entire waking
period.)
1 point per entire day deciding.
Is this character basis for others?
(In other words, does this character
have children, or otherwise solely responsible for the creation of other
custom characters?)
1 point
Is he the same gender as you?
1 point
Is he a type of creature that is not the main
focus of the genre?
(Clarification: In a Harry
Potter story, the main type is human wizard. A normal human or a
centaur would be unlikely to be in the same setting as a wizard.
Or if a story takes place in America before the white people settled, a
white man would be unusual.)
2 points
Is he a mix of two different species or races?
2 points (Only
one if this mix is a disadvantage.)
Is he a teen or in his early twenties?
1 point
Is he another age but looks like a teen, or someone
in his early twenties for some reason?
2 points
Is he your age or the age you want to be?
1 point
Is he very handsome, cute, or pretty?
2 points
Does he have unusual eyes, or hair, or markings?
(Scars, birthmarks, and tattoos
on humans; uncommon markings like stripes on a centaur; a Vulcan with red
hair)
1 point per trait
Is he from another place than the main setting
of the story?
(Different country, kingdom, planet,
dimension, starship...etc.)
1 point if he is from a place similar to the
main setting
2 if he is from a distant but recognizable place
4 if he is from somewhere not mentioned in canon
2: Details: Background, Duties, Personality
Did the character have a traumatic past?
(NOTE: These are not necessarily
ranked by how bad they are, though that is part of it. These are
ranked according to what many Mary Sue characters tend to have. For
example, many Mary Sue characters tend to have slavery or sexual abuse
in their backgrounds; those who do tend to be more of a Mary-Sue type of
character.)
3 points for physical abuse
2 for psychological abuse ( instead of or beyond
what you'd get from the physical)
1 point for abandonment
1 point for being poor or low-caste
2 points for neglect
3 for slavery
3 for sexual abuse
2 for surviving some disaster like a fire or
some kind of battle.
Is he a relative of a canon character?
1 point for a distant relative
2 for cousin, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew or grandparent
3 for sibling, parent, or child.
Take away 1 point if it is a very minor canon
character, but add 1 point if it is a important/popular character.
Is your character a descendant of some immensely
famous and/or important historical figure, either real or fictional?
(Merlin, Oberon, Hitler, Aristotle,
etc.)
3 if this relation gives your character an advantage
2 if not
Is your character adopted/orphaned, or does/did
he live with people not his parents?
1 point
Is he the last surviving member of his family
line?
2 points
Did he have an important or unusual birth?
2 points
Does your character live in any place significant
to your genre's canon?
(Examples: The Starship Enterprise
- The Death Star - Hogwarts - Sherwood Forest)
2 points
Was he banished from his town, family, species,
etc.?
2 points if he deserved it
3 if he was innocent
Is he nobility of any kind?
2 points
3 if he is not initially aware of it
5 if he rules an entire country/kingdom/planet/etc.
Is/was your character a mentor, nanny, or guardian
to any of the major canon characters?
1 point
Is he one of twins or other multiple births?
1 point for fraternal twins
2 points for identical twins
1 additional if he doesn't initially know about
the other(s)
1 more additional if it's triplets, 2 extra for
quads or more.
Does he have a terrible guilt about something
in the past? (1 point for each that apply)
1 point for the guilt
1 point if it's over something not really the
character's fault
1 point if canon characters work to help your
character past the guilt
1 if your character still agonizes over it, even
with help
Is he a spy or a double agent?
1 point
Are his moral/religious/cultural beliefs and traditions
very similar or the same as yours?
1 point
Does he do the same things as you for fun?
1 point
Does he do the same work as you?
1 point
Does he have a psychosis, personality trait, major
quirk or habit that is the same as you?
1 point
3: Powers and Abilities
Does your character sing, draw, dance, act, or
play an instrument well?
1 point for each that applies
Does your character outdo any of the canons in
their particular strength?
(Examples: More evil than Darth
Vader - Trickier than the Weasley twins - more powerful than Gandalf -
remember, it's quite easy to write a character who's better than the canons,
but it might not be very realistic.)
3 points
Any telepathic powers? (Telekinesis, telepathy,
healing, etc.)
1 point per power
Is he a seer/prophet? (all that apply)
3 points for precognition (seeing into the future)
1 point for clairvoyance (seeing things happening
at the moment or locating a person from touching their hairbrush, etc.)
0 if he is a complete charlatan
Is he a natural leader?
1 point
Are animals unusually attracted to him?
1 point for good characters to whom cute
and cuddly creatures are attracted.
0 points for good characters to whom creepy-crawlies
are attracted
1 point for evil characters to whom creepy-crawlies
are attracted.
0 points for good characters to whom cute
and cuddly creatures are attracted
Does your character lack a disadvantage that everyone
else of his species/race has?
(Lack of Thundraium sensitivity
for ThunderCats, or a Muggle that is unaffected by magic.)
3 points
Does he know things or have abilities that most
people of his type would not have? Is he a good guy who knows how to torture
people, or a first-year Hogwarts student who knows how to do a
Patronus? Is he a human who knows the Wookie language...etc., etc..
1 point
Is he considered a "step up" from the norm?
One of the elite?
(A stormtrooper, a Captain, a samurai,
a secret agent...etc.)
2 points
Is he able to do things earlier than is normal?
(Could he read and write at 2?
Could he play piano at four? Did he attend Hogwarts at the age of
seven or become part of the Enterprise's crew at 13?)
2 points
Does he have an ability not mentioned in canon?
(Count all that apply)
(If the power is in another question
(such as clairvoyance), no additional points.)
1 point for minor powers
3 points for more advanced or powerful ones
5 for very powerful ones (Things that the powerful
characters in the genre can do)
7 if the power is greater than any canon character
is capable of.
Did your character teach a canon character all
or most of what the canon knows?
2 points for characters with minor powers
4 points for characters with more advanced or
powerful ones
6 for characters with very powerful ones (usually
the main character, or most powerful ones)
4: The Plot Thickens
NOTE: For any child/minor characters, substitute sex and lover-related things with family and adoption-like things.
Do any of the canon characters find your character
attractive?
1 point
1 additional points if another canon character
sees this as a threat
Does your character end up being popular?
1 point
Does your character fall in love with or have
sex with any major or popular character?
3 points
Does your character fall in love with or have
sex with other fairly prevalent characters? (Not the most popular
or major, but still fairly important)
2 points
Does your character fall in love with or have
sex with a very minor character?
1 point
Does your story end with or revolve around your
character's wedding to said canon character?
1 point for ending with
2 points for revolving around
Is the story primarily about your character?
4 points
If not, then is he introduced on the first page?
2 points
Does your character meet the main canon characters
of the plot and become friends with them after a bit of tension and suspense?
2 points
Does he befriend a villain, despite the fact that
he's a good guy? Or befriend a good guy despite being a villain?
4 points if the villain/hero is the main one
2 points for anyone else
2 points if he gets along equally with both factions
Does the character that you befriend change sides
because of your character?
2 points
Does your character change sides instead?
1 point
Does your character save the day or someone's
life?
4 points
6 points if your character dies to do so
5 points if he almost dies
If he dies, does everyone go into mourning?
2 points
If he dies, is he resurrected by the end of the
story?
4 points
7 points if a major canon character sacrifices
himself to bring yours back
6 points if a minor canon character sacrifices
himself
5 if another custom character does
Does he have a rare, unusual, important, or very
powerful artifact or weapon?
3 points
1 additional point if it was given to him because
it's his destiny
1 additional point if it was given by some famous,
powerful, and/or important character
Does your character have an artifact or weapon
that is suspiciously close to a canon artifact or weapon?
(Is it something that sounds
or looks like the Sword of omens from ThunderCats? Does it look just
like Darth Vader's lightsaber? Does it have the same components as
Harry's wand in Harry Potter?)
2 points
5: You and Your Shadow: Stuff About Your World
NOTE: As before, with child characters, substitute things like sex and marriage for adoption and family-type love.
Do you start your character off in the same town
or neighborhood where you live?
2 points
Do you bring the canon characters into your town
or neighborhood?
5 points
Do you get to meet your custom character and/or
the canon characters?
6 points
8 points if you join them and live in their world,
or if they get stuck in yours
10 points if they leave their world willingly
for yours
Did you write or have you written a sequel about
your character?
2 points
5 points if it revolves around resurrecting your
dead character
Do you truly wish you were your character or the
same kind of being or creature?
3 points
Is your character someone you would be friends
with in real life?
1 point
Do you think that people who read your story should
like your character?
1 point
If people do not like your character, do you take
it personally?
2 points
Is this a character you would like a sexual, matrimonial,
or family relationship with?
2 points
Do you ever pretend that you are your character,
along with all his abilities, powers, and other circumstances?
2 points
3 points if you use him in an RPG
6 points if you do it in a public manner (other
than RPGs)
Do you have a whole roleplaying game based on
this character?
4 points
Have you ever made or planned to make a drawing,
figurine, or action figure of your character?
2 points for each type
3 points for each one if you have paid another
to do it for you
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0 - 27: Your character is likely not a Mary Sue.
28 - 38: Borderline Mary Sue.
39 - 65: Mary Sue level
67 and up:
A character with this many points is way into
the MS realm...most often a character at this level is going to be very
difficult to sell to your audience as a believable or likable character.
You might consider re-designing the character and/or plot. A character
at this level can be a workable subject for successful fanfiction,
but it's not common.
-
And once again, this is not meant to insult anyone, or indicate that you have a lousy character. It's just a fun quiz and a possible tool for developing your original fanfiction character!
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