Sem edit: Okies, since we have two of these I figure we should just merge the two into one superspecialawesome amazing topic of doom and despair.~
Ahem. SO. There's two different quizzes. Snapdragon's is aimed specifically at fictional characters that are pokeyman trainers. Fictional means they can be for either RP or a fanfic or both.
I will edit in a link, provided to us by Tatile who stole it from someone else. That's right. Stole. Anyway, the link takes you to a quiz that is more general and for characters who are not in the Pokémon Universe: your vampire/werewolf/warrior/persona/whatever character for example.
The link for the general test is here.
The following is Snap's original post which I shall leave in quote-forme. Snaps' quiz is for your Pokémon characters.
Both of these are good quizzes for determining how disgustingly perfect and godmoddy your character is.
Have fun.
Ahem. SO. There's two different quizzes. Snapdragon's is aimed specifically at fictional characters that are pokeyman trainers. Fictional means they can be for either RP or a fanfic or both.
I will edit in a link, provided to us by Tatile who stole it from someone else. That's right. Stole. Anyway, the link takes you to a quiz that is more general and for characters who are not in the Pokémon Universe: your vampire/werewolf/warrior/persona/whatever character for example.
The link for the general test is here.
The following is Snap's original post which I shall leave in quote-forme. Snaps' quiz is for your Pokémon characters.
Both of these are good quizzes for determining how disgustingly perfect and godmoddy your character is.
Have fun.
Snapdragon said:Don't know what a Mary-Sue is? I think you'd better click here.
Too lazy to do so? Here's a hint: Mary-Sues are "perfect" characters. They tend to be one-dimensional vessels for their author's wish fulfillment. I'm sure you've read the fanfics that have Draco Malfoy going goth and falling in love with Harry Potter's long-lost sister Ravenstar, who happens to be a winged cat animagus.
Whether they be in stories, comics, or roleplays, they're generally cringe-worthy and make it much harder for people to sympathize with and/or like your character.
"Oh no, Snapdragon!" You say. "I do not wish to have an unbelievable character, nor do I want my Lion King/Naruto/Pokemon crossover fic to make people roll their eyes! How do I know if my character is a Mary-Sue?"
That's what I'm here for. This is an easy-to-take test (modeled after the dozens of tests already floating around the internet) that should help you see how balanced your character is. Or isn't, as the case may be.
Just give yourself one point for each thing that applies, unless it tells you its worth more.
So without further ado, here is the test:
My character's name is:
1. The same as mine/a nickname of mine. Changing an e to a y still counts. >>;
2. A noun, verb, or other word that wouldn't normally be used in a name. I'm looking at you, Nightfang and Starlight. Again, spelling variations count. If the word is a color/precious gem or metal, give yourself an extra point. That has no place in a universe where games are named after colors/precious gems and metals.
3. Not even a real name, just letters you mashed together to form something cool-looking.
4. Kind of irrelevant, because he/she just goes by this totally badass title/nickname all the time. Sir Nightblade the Dragon Master is way cooler than Horace Aberforth.
5. Now something I use as my username/online handle.
My character looks:
1. Like me!
2. Like me, only prettier!
3. Like I wish I looked. I've always wanted to be Asian/Peurto Rican/half naked mole rat. =(
4. Like my ideal of the opposite gender. Adrienne Wolfsong has short, dark hair and blue eyes and is adorably petite and also hispanic and mmmm oh god I need five minutes excuse me
5. Like a celebrity.
6. More attractive than any other known life form.
7. So cool, because he/she has a scar obtained in a dangerous situation in their past.
8. Cooler than that, because they have more than one scar.
9. In spite of that, said scars do not detract from their attractiveness; they never receive any awkward stares from NPCs or passersby because their ear was chewed off by a rabid Feebas.
10. Did I mention my character's hair color? Because it's neon green/hot pink/some other color not found in nature, and it's totally not dyed!
11. I lied. It is dyed. Magically enough, even though my trainer/coordinator/etc. spends their life on the road and camps out most of the time, you will never see their roots coming in or their dye fading.
12. Also their eyes change color with their mood. Alternatively, they're bright gold/crimson red/hot pink/some other unnatural color, and it's not contacts. (The only exception I'll allow is if your character is an albino, and even then, albino humans tend to have blue eyes. A purplish color is possible, though. A stretch, but possible.)
13. If female, they're totally skinny and yet somehow in possession of knockers the size of Electrodes.
14. If they're male, they have a massive six-pack even if they do very little/no work that would strain their core muscles.
15. Immaculately stylish and well-groomed at all times, despite spending their life trekking through forests and swamps in the rain/hail/scorching sun/sandstorms.
16. Totally edgy because they have tattoos on their neck/face/EVERYTHING, especially if they're technically not old enough to be tattooed. It's hard to get parental consent when you left home at age 10, but who cares? You can get inked since you're hxc 4 lyfe, yo.
My character is:
1. The champion of a region's Pokemon League. Six points.
2. The champion of multiple regions' Pokemon Leagues. Ten points per region.
3. A gym leader. Two points.
4. A Frontier brain/tycoon/whatever the hell. Ten points.
5. A relative of any of the above. Adoption, foster parents, and in-laws count. Two points.
6. A relative of Nurse Joy/Officer Jenny. Three points.
7. A relative of Ash Ketchum/Professor Rowan/any anime or game character. If it's a main character, seven points. If it's a minor one, four points.
8. In a relationship with any of the above. Crushes count. Two points.
9. Bitter rivals with any of the above. Gary? Who's Gary? Ash has been competing against Kaiyoshimiyuko since they were both orphaned in that tragic Snorlax incident.
10. Childhood friends with any of the above. Two points.
11. Still hanging out with any of the above. Two points.
12. Highly valued by any of the above for their superior skills. The Joys need Sapphire Lightheart to perform a Batista on a Gyarados because they're not as skilled at surgery as her and the Jennies never could have caught that dastardly Pokemon thief if it weren't for the brilliant sleuthing powers of a ten-year-old boy, for example. Five points.
13. Part Pokemon or any species other than human. This doesn't count if your RP allows anthros or Pokemorphs or whatever.
14. Able to understand and communicate with Pokemon. Exceptions include things with telepathy and things that can canonically speak, like TR's Meowth or Slowkings. A telepathic trainer counts, since that's as outside the norm for humans as talking is for Oddishes.
15. Otherwise capable of things that normal humans/teenagers shouldn't be capable of. I'm not so sure that a 13-year-old can have a tenth level black belt in twelve different marital arts or summon fireballs out of their left nostril. Telepathy/telekinesis/pyrokinesis count here, too. If your trainer somehow manages to befriend every Pokemon they meet, no matter how hostile, go ahead and give yourself a point for this, too. One point per special ability.
16. From a different world/dimension/time than everyone else in the Pokemon universe.
17. A canon character from another fandom. HEY GUYS NARUTO GOT A PIKACHU AWESOME.
18. Was brought to the Pokemon universe by a legendary Pokemon.
19. My ideal boyfriend/girlfriend, if they happen to be the gender that I'm attracted to. (Thanks RX)
20. Surrounded by a swarm of fangirls/boys/trannies.
21. Able to drive, despite being too busy training Pokemon since age 10 to bother attending Driver's Ed. If faced with an immensely complex piece of machinery that they have no experience piloting, they'll be able to drive it anyway. You can pilot a 747 in your sleep, y'know.
22. A vampire/selkie/werepachirisu.
23. THE CHOSEN ONE. 50 points.
My character has:
1. A dark and terrible past involving the deaths of their family members/friends. Two points per family member.
2. A dark and terrible past, which they cannot remember due to amnesia.
3. A dark and terrible past, which they will remember at a convenient time and reveal to their love interest/everyone in a ten-mile radius.
4. A dark and terrible past, which will trigger buttloads of angst because THEY killed their friends/family members/breakfast.
5. A dark and terrible past, which will trigger buttloads of angst because they blame themselves for the deaths of their friends/family members even though they are clearly not at fault.
6. A dark and terrible past, which features their lives being saved by a passing legendary Pokemon. Yeah, guys, I was almost hit by a car the other day but luckily a pegasus swooped in and saved me.
7. A weapon that's extremely out-of-place in the setting/universe they belong to. A modern-day trainer carrying a katana, a crossbow and a battleaxe is going to get some very strange looks.
8. A pendant or some other trinket that is the only momento of their dead momma/great-grandpappy/goldfish.
9. Also that pendant is magical. THAT'S WHY TOURMALINE KETCHUM TALKS TO POKEMON.
10. An incredible singing voice. We're talking outsinging Altarias and charming Primeapes out of the trees.
11. Buttloads of talent as a dancer/musician. If they weren't a trainer, they'd be a rock star or something.
My character's Pokemon team:
1. Includes a Pikachu that stays a Pikachu.
2. Includes an Eevee that stays an Eevee.
3. Includes a Mew. Fifty points for this.
4. Includes Arceus. One hundred points for this.
5. Includes another legendary of some kind. Twenty-five points.
6. Contains multiple legendaries. Thirty points per legendary.
7. Has at least one shiny Pokemon.
8. Has at least one shiny legendary. Ten points each.
9. Has a Pokemon that can somehow use a move that it shouldn't be capable of using. That includes an Abra using Blast Burn as well as a Typhlosion using Hydro Pump. I'm a stickler, so I say a Magby using Eruption counts too, even if it's a fire-type using a fire type move. Don't like it? Write your own test. =p
10. Has a Pokemon that can talk, when it shouldn't be capable of doing so. Telepathic Plusles. Non-TR Meowths casually commenting on the weather. So on and so forth. I see no reason why ghosts or Absols should have telepathy, but I can understand psychic-types and to a lesser extent, Lucario.
11. Has a Pokemon that has one-of-a-kind markings or colors. Acceptable if they aren't natural; your Minun wearing a pink ribbon or your Vulpix having a black tail due to temporary dye is entirely plausible. Also note: I'm not referring to things like a Buneary from the snowiest part of the continent being a paler shade of brown, or having a Totodile that's a slightly darker shade of blue. >>; I'm referring to things like a Pidgey with rainbow-colored feathers and glow-in-the-dark eyeballs. Yes, having an Umbreon with purple rings counts. Yes, having a Persian with a black forehead gem counts. Yes, having a Pikachu with heart-shaped cheek patches counts. If you have to question whether or not it counts, count it anyway. >_>;; Ten points.
12. Has a Pokemon that somehow has a different typing than other members of its species. I don't care if it was in the game, there's no such thing as a ghost/ground/dark Marowak. Fifteen points.
13. Has a Pokemon that has one-of-a-kind markings/colors/typings/movesets/all of the above for no explained reason. "My mom gave it to me" is NOT an explained reason. Twenty points.
14. Includes a Pokemon that's a clone from the Mewtwo movies. Five points.
15. Contains a Pokemon that is otherwise stronger/faster/superior to other members of its species.
16. Contains a Pokemon that is otherwise stronger/fast/superior to other members of its species because it has a unique coloration/typing/etc. Two points.
17. Contains a Pokemon that is a crossbreed of two different species. I don't mean breeding a Gardevoir with a Ditto to get a Ralts, I mean an Arcanine with the tails of a Ninetales and the wings of a Charizard.
18. Contains a Fakemon. Five points.
19. Contains a Shadow Pokemon. Three points.
20. Includes a Pokemon that follows them because they nursed it back to health when it was injured/sick/abused.
21. Includes a Pokemon that was once famous for being a vicious wild beast/an uncatchable thief/whatever, but gave up their life of infamy because your character showed them kindness.
22. Includes a Pokemon that doesn't even have a pokeball, but it doesn't matter because it's so loyal to them.
23. Is made up of several Pokemon that all have the exact same personality. Or lack thereof.
Scores:
0-11: Congratulations, your character is not a Mary-Sue. Depending on how low your score was, you may be able to pull off embellishing your character a little bit.
12-20: You're straying dangerously into Mary-Sue territory. You might want to tone your character down a little, especially if they're for use in roleplay instead of fanfiction. If you're here because you have a legendary, ditch it now. That's against the rules in the RP forum anyway.
21-50: This here is an official Mary-Sue. You have some work ahead of you. You can still save this character with some heavy tweaking, but simply starting over is also an option at this stage.
50+: My god... kill it. Kill it with fire.
Please note! The scores may be in for some changing if they're immensely out-of-whack. Also... don't take it personally if your character gets a high score. This isn't a judgment of you, but of your character. Hopefully there's still a distinct line between the two. >>; At any rate, everyone commits a few of these things at least once in their lives. I'm guilty of a few of the things in there myself.
Updates are in bold for your convenience.
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Love the Mary-Sue guide, and you made some awesome points XD
