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 three other tests I have done, two fandom-specific, and one a generic one that can fit most fandoms.  And yes, I use the same template for all of them, with appropriate differences.

General test
ThunderCats test
Harry Potter test

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.

GLOSSARY OF FANDOM-ISH TERMS:

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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?
(Ask yourself if someone from that country/era would conceivably have the name you've chosen, or would it be considered odd?)
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:  A supernatural being not mentioned in canon, perhaps.)
2 point

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 count.)
1 point per trait

Is he from a place other than Japan?
1 point if he is from another "Oriental" country
2 if he is from Eurasia
4 if he is from another continent

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.

Add 2 extra points if the canon is Sage, Anubis, or Talpa.
Add 1 extra if it's any other Ronin or warlord.  (Including Kayura.)

Is your character a descendant of some immensely famous and/or important historical figure, either real or fictional?
(Emperors or well-respected samurai...etc.)
3 if this relation gives your character an advantage
2 if not

Is/was 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 the Nether Realm or with the Ronin?
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, or heir to a position of great power?
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?
2 points for childhood nanny
4 points for mentor/guardian
4 points for an armor guardian

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: Perhaps he is better with drugs and poisons than Sekhmet, or more sarcastic than Rowen, or rivals Kento when it comes to food..)
3 points

Any telepathic powers?  (Telekinesis, telepathy, healing, etc.)
1 point per power--any kind of Ronin mind link counts as one.

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?
(An immortal human, perhaps, or immunity to magic...that kind of thing.)
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 civilian who knows the Ronin legends?
1 point

Is he a Ronin or a warlord?
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?  Was he a warlord at the age of 12?)
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 canon character?  Check all that apply.
3 points for major/popular characters
2 for prevalent but not main characters
1 for very minor ones.

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?
(Does he have a naganata like Kento, or a nodachi like Kale and Sage?  A medallion like Kayura?)
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 yourself 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.

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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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