Mary Sue

A Mary Sue is a fictional character who is implausibly perfect: talented at everything, loved by everyone, and never really challenged. The male version is sometimes called a Gary Stu.

What Mary Sue means

Merriam-Webster defines a Mary Sue as a fictional character, usually a woman, who is perfect in ways that seem implausible within the story, or for whom everything just works out. Dictionary.com adds that the character is sometimes thought to be an idealized version of the author. Classic signs: instant mastery of every skill, everyone falling for her, and no flaw that ever costs her anything.

It’s a criticism of writing, not a compliment. It’s also contested: some critics argue the label is used more readily on capable female characters than on equally flawless male heroes.

Examples

• “She learned sword fighting in one afternoon and beat the champion. Total Mary Sue.”
• “My first fan fiction had the most Mary Sue character ever: me, but with wings.”
• “Is he a well-written hero or just a Gary Stu?”

Where it came from

From a parody. Merriam-Webster traces the term to “A Trekkie’s Tale,” a 1973 Star Trek fan fiction story by Paula Smith, which mocked other fan writers who inserted idealized versions of themselves into the Enterprise crew. Its heroine was named Mary Sue, and the name stuck as a label for that kind of character. Dictionary.com dates the term to the late 1970s.

Related terms

• Headcanon: a fan’s personal belief about a story.
• Canon: what’s officially true.
• Main character: acting like the star.
• Arc: how a character changes over time.

See more terms like this in our fandom slang guide.