The Instant Mary-Sue Test
The Instant Mary-Sue Test
Are you writing a fan fiction? Worried about your character? Have you got that horrible feeling she might be (gasp!) a… a… a Mary-Sue!?
No need to worry! This impartial test will tell you instantly if you’ve gone horribly wrong with your character. All you need to do is answer the following questions. But be honest! Lying to the Test (and yourself) will only lead you down the narrow path towards FLAMES! And you cannot answer “Yes, but…” There’s no but in this test. You might be able to fool yourself, but there’s no excuse good enough to fool your readers!
1) Is your character incredibly beautiful?
2) Even more beautiful than Lúthien?
3) Does she have unusual hair/eye colour?
4) Do you use more than 2 sentences to describe her appearance?
5) Does she have a beautiful and/or unusual name?
6) Do you wish that was your real name, or is that also your Elvish name?
7) Is she an Elf, or a half-Elf? Actually, is she half-something?
8) Is she related to someone important in Middle-Earth, like Elrond or Galadriel?
9) Has she been transported to Middle-Earth from the modern world?
10) Does one of Tolkien’s characters fall hopelessly in love with her?
11) Is she in love with one of Tolkien’s characters?
12) Is this also your favourite Tolkien’s character?
13) Is it Legolas?
14) Does she have a dark and mysterious past?
15) Does that trouble her?
16) Does that trouble her so much other characters have to spend valuable time comforting her?
17) Is she a skilled warrior?
18) Is she actually one of the best warriors in Middle Earth?
19) Can she actually pretty much defeat anyone? Even Sauron, if she really wanted to?
20) Does she also have magical skills?
21) Does she have the gift of foresight? Or does she get strange vibes? Does she see dead people?
22) Does she own a special weapon that was given to her by someone important to her?
23) Does she own any special jewellery given to her by someone important to her?
24) Can she talk to animals?
25) Do animals only obey her, and no-one else?
26) Does she have an unusual pet, like a unicorn?
27) Can she turn into an animal, possibly a unicorn?
28) Is she clever, or very wise?
29) Is she wiser than Gandalf and Elrond put together?
30) Does she actually know everything?
31) Is she a skilled healer?
32) Despite all this, does she get injured/captured?
33) Does she actually get injured/captured frequently?
34) Does your favourite Tolkien’s character save/heal her?
If you answered “yes” to…
0-3 questions:
Congratulations, you deserve a medal! There’s nothing Mary-Sue-like in your character. Keep up the good work!
4-6 questions:
Hmm… not too bad. You may need to reconsider some aspects of your character, but in general she seems harmless enough.
7-10 questions:
It’s getting warmer! Unless you want the FLAMES to lick higher, I suggest you make some major changes to your character. At least get rid of the unicorn.
11-15 questions:
This is serious. You must do something about your character immediately! As it is, she’s unrealistic and highly annoying. Give her some flaws and make her less perfect, and she might still have a chance.
16-25 questions:
Oh my God! Kill her now, and the readers might still survive your story without having to gnaw their own leg off! However, if you decide to keep her, she WILL BURN IN FLAMES.
Over 25 questions:
Congratulations, you’ve managed to build the prototype of Mary-Sue! Your story is without any doubt unpublishable, but don’t delete it: the novelty value is so big some collectors might pay you good money to get it into their secret archive!
Did you get bad results? Don’t be upset! This article will help you to get under the surface of Mary-Sue, and perhaps understand what the problem in your story is.
The Original Mary-Sue Litmus Test by Melissa “Merlin Missy” Wilson, Copyright 1997, 2003.
http://missy.reimer.com/library/marysue.html
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Additional criteria used on CoE:
35) Does she steal other characters’ lines and roles?
36) Is her name also your username?
37) Is the story written in first person?
38 ) Do many males fight over her, or are many males around her strongly attracted to her?
36 Comments
I didn’t have this problem, but one of my friends on another site did, so i gave her this test. I think she scored pretty high!
I quite like this test, but to check it I tried running a very un-Mary-Sue like character by a popular author, and they scored 9, so I’m not convinced this test is always right lol. (The character was Tamora Pierce’s Alanna the Lioness, and Tamora Pierce has a lot of description in her work, even for “ugly” characters soooo…).
On the other hand, my RP characters did quite well on this test. My newest one got only one, my older one got about five, because she’s half-elven and has magic (although she lives among the Rohirrim and has had 237 years to become skilled at things lol).
the Leoglas thing was what really tipped me off into the MARY SUE-ness. Well, i ~*ONLY*~ got a 7!! I loved it!!!
I only got three. lol
This helped a lot. I loved it. 🙂
I really liked it, it helped me a lot in shaping my characters for fanfic, but one of my characters wasn’t very mary-sue like, but she got the animal/warrior questions because she’s a shapeshifter… oh well, can’t *always* be perfect.
This really helped me iron out some details for my character in a fanfic I’m writing. She was starting to worry me, but she only scored 4, so I think I’m doing okay, now.
Thanks for helping us who love quality fan fiction get rid of the Mary-Sues! And in a funny way too! Great test! ps: No, I did not spam those who like mary-sues, if they are well written they score high on my list too. It is just that most of them…well…you sort of know what’s gonna happen if the first thing that meets you is a self-pitying beutiful girl…That’s all I’m saying.
A very good test–well done! But what about those of us who have Elven characters? Elves are always beautiful, wise, have foresight and unusual powers, etc. I think the test scores Elven characters unfairly high–especially if they’re old and have had plenty of time to practice. But overall, good job.
This test heped my writing!!!!!!! At first I scored a seven, but now that i have changed my character, i scored a 4, YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!! Thanks for the funny test, and the very humerous results!!!!!
It’s a great way to keep things un-corny. It’s a very sensible test, it basically covers everything a Mary-Sue would be. I got, like, 5. WONDERFUL TEST!!! It makes you think as well…
I found this test to be rather less than helpful. Most of what is questioned actually applies to just about any of Tolkiens canon characters. I realize that this is mostly for the over-the-top mary sues, but it could discourage a lot of really well writen stories from being published. I did apply the questions to my own story, with some very humorous results (in the answers, not the statements).
I am interested in knowing who exactly came up with this particular test. I would like to do an essay of my own, and want to include this in it. Is there a problem with that? Just drop me a PM either way.
I definatly going to recommend this test to people, not only that, but it proved the point that my character isn’t a mary-sue. I got a four, I think that’s only because I picked on my character. I guess I could have taken off green eyes as an unusual eye colour as well as the mysterious past thing. Other then that she scored quite well in my opinion.
I keep reminding my readers, this isn’t a mary-sue, she’s too nice to be me, I’m bitchy and sarcastic.
I don’t mind mary-sues, I just get tired of the mary-sue being so independent you could get rid of the other main characters and you wouldn’t notice.
Does an elk count as an unusual animal? My god, at least it’s not a panther! (rolls eyes) I get so sick of those…and wolves too.
Dangit. Dangit, dangit, dangit. I think I’ve made up a Mary Sue. Seriously, I could tick “yes” to most of the points, even down to the dark hair and the purpley eyes and the kid whom I’m writing a story about right now, actually. Still, nice article.
This is a very useful article- though it is kinda harsh on the elves! Though I suppose it’s easier to have an elven Mary Sue because they have so much time to get really good at everything! Just as well Elrond isn’t the main character or he might have a problem… thanks! This article pointed out slight technical hitches my fanfic would have had, but now hopefully doesn’t. 9/10!
I got a seven…how in the name of Middle Earth did that happen? The whole love thing gave me at least four points more, because yes, Merry is my fav character and yes, he and my character fall in love, and the past thing isn’t mysterious for my character but it does trouble her. I guess I need to make changes then. Good test! I will come back after I finish revising my character.
I got a 3!!!
@ “This is a very useful article- though it is kinda harsh on the elves!”
– I believe the test meant that the Elven Mary-Sue is more beautiful/wise/whatever than others of her own race. There’s no doubt that if one compares their Elven OC to mortals, the test score will go up. I’d say Elven OC authors should rather relate the Sue characteristics to other Elves, as in “Is she really the most beautiful Elf-maid in all of Mirkwood and Lorien combined?” etc.
I personally believe that these should be included in the test –
35. Does she steal other characters’ lines and roles?
36. Does her name happen to be your made-up username? (a slight self-insertion giveaway…)
37. Is the story written in first person?
38. Do many males fight over her, or are many males around her strongly attracted to her?
my Character got 7, well actually I want 3 or at least at below 6, I think I must revising it again and make some correction.
and my sister’s character got 11
Haha this reminds me of my sister. She is also a huge Tolkien geek but she is bad about making Mary-Sues. But she likes her stories and that’s who it’s really for so that’s what matters right? 🙂 Mine have a couple Mary-Sue elements. For example, I put A LOT of thought into my names. I like interesting names. But geez, you should see me when I try to name people’s kids. I think I have a name fetish. LOL. But I make it a point to leave perfection out of the character design completely. I like flaws. it gives the character, dare I say.. Character? Anyways, I got a little giggle out of #13. Is it Legolas? LOL (That also applied to my sister xD)
Yeah I can’t take this seriously. The whole reason I started writing fan fiction was as a literary exercise to attempt Tolkien’s style, which since we all agree is genius, is impossible to successfully achieve but still a valuable exercise. Most of his own characters fail this test in some way. My particular argument is the “magical skills” line. Really? “The Hobbit” specifically refers to Thranduil’s wood-elves having magic. Also, any skilled author taks time to accurately and vividly describe their characters beautiful or otherwise; Tolkien himself does this over again. So I would take these “Mary Sue” qualifications with a grain of salt.
I do not think that questions 10 and 13 are fair.
Yes, one Tolkien’s characters fall in love with my character but not hopelessly.
I don’t think that question 13 should count. If your character falls in love with one of Tolkien’s who is your favorite character and just so happens to be Legolas…
WHAM!
Insta-Mary-Sue!
5… Actually pretty good for me xD
But there are a few things that I mind. A character can be a skilled fighter/warrior/whatever and a healer because, let’s face it, if you are a fighter you have to know how to patch people up. Otherwise, you’d be dead and a lot of people around you. By this, Aragorn is Gary Stu. Skilled fighter, multiple people crushing on him, one of them hopelessly in love with him, he falls off a cliff, has this amazing weapon that belonged to his ancestor, is a healer (not that skilled but okay) and everyone but Boromir, Faramir, Denethor, Ghost Army, pretty much loved him.
And the part about describing your character. More than two lines? Excuse me but that’s how you develop and make the characters inner workings come out to play.
And three questions in a row asking the same thing, only worded differently is not okay.
Although, I admit, it is a good guide to what to avoid when NOT writing fantasy fan fiction.
Darn, my character is more of a Mary-Sue than I thought -.-
But I am proud of my character none the less! 😛
I just need to make her less…cliché, I guess, according to this quiz XD
This was very helpful. My character scored a three. She would have scored a two, but I am using my name as her name, so I am a little biased when saying I think it is a beautiful name. Later in the story she is given a necklace as her gift of Galadriel, and I am considering having her captured by the Uruks with Merry and Pippin, as she is nine and is the same size as a Hobbit. Thank you for putting this test out.
B.B.
Commenting on Miriel Celebel’s comment.
The CoE fanfiction archive uses this test, so authors who wish to submit here *are strongly advised* to take the questions seriously.
One more thing: CoE’s understanding of Mary Sues is that they are improbable, too-perfect, cliche characters inserted into *another author’s* universe. Tolkien can do as he pleases in the world he himself created.
I got five, but…her love for Figwit is mostly unrequited, even if he liked her back, she actually made the decision to leave Middle-Earth, so she would never see him again.
Movie!Aragorn scored a 10.
I still have absolutely no clue who “Mary Sue” is.
^ see my definition in the comment above. It can’t get much simpler than that. If you’re still having difficulties understanding the term, you can consult our fanfiction forum, submission rules, the Wiki, or any fanfic site.
Very good test. I got a six. 😀
I ran Tauriel through it and she got a 13!! Ugh.
Lol…very funny, and now my head has swelled over the fact that my OC only got a 3 and a half (I gave her half because I’m not sure if she’s a skilled warrior or not…she’s not terrible with weapons, anyways.) Still, I have a feeling that she’s still a Mary Sue…
While there is definitely food for thought in the Mary Sue test, I defy you to write a story of King Thranduil’s wife without landing in the Mary Sue category. Because surely, the Elvenking would have an ugly partner, with no jewels, no particular talents (even ones canonically attributed to all elves). The story would contain no romance, no true love, nor would there be any mystery in the explanation of why she was never mentioned in Tolkien’s text. We also won’t discuss that the film version of Arwen would score an easy 13 on this test, or that any elleth character is automatically docked 2-3 points right out of the gate. Which is all to say, I think you could be a little kinder in your assessments 🙂 But as you haven’t been taking submissions for quite some time, I will rest easy. Lol.
Not a bad test. Definitely gives me a line to work off of. Got a 6 but I do believe for elven characters should be given a little more room. After all, the fact that she was an elf gave her 3 extra points. So in that case I don’t consider her a “Mary-Sue”. All depends on the character and their background but all in all, good test.