This article is about the character type. For the fan media website, see The Mary Sue. For other uses, see Mary Sue (given name).
A Mary Sue is a character archetype in fiction, usually a young woman, who is often portrayed as inexplicably competent across all domains, gifted with unique talents or powers, liked or respected by most other characters, unrealistically free of weaknesses, extremely attractive, innately virtuous, and generally lacking meaningful character flaws.[1][2][3][4] Usually female and almost always the main character, a Mary Sue is often an author's idealized self-insertion, and may serve as a form of wish fulfillment. Mary Sue stories are often written by adolescent authors.[5]
Originating from fan fiction, the term Mary Sue was coined by Paula Smith in the 1973 parody short story "A Trekkie's Tale", as the name of a character standing in for idealized female characters widespread in Star Trek fan fiction. The term has been applied to male characters as well, though a male character with similar traits may be labeled a Gary Stu or Marty Stu.[6]
As a literary trope, the Mary Sue archetype is broadly associated with poor quality writing, and stories featuring a Mary Sue character are often considered weaker for it. Though the term is mostly used negatively, it is occasionally used positively.[2][7]
^Cite error: The named reference OED was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ab"What does Mary Sue mean?". www.definitions.net. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
^Cite error: The named reference Bacon-Smith 1992 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Milhorn p55 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Fazekas p240 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Mary Sue | Origin and History". Dictionary.com. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
^Cite error: The named reference Baker-Whitelaw Jul 2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
A MarySue is a character archetype in fiction, usually a young woman, who is often portrayed as inexplicably competent across all domains, gifted with...
MarySue Hubbard (née Whipp; June 17, 1931 – November 25, 2002) was the third wife of L. Ron Hubbard, from 1952 until his death in 1986. She was a leading...
MarySue Milliken is an American chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and radio and TV personality with a focus on Latin cuisine in the United States....
MarySue Wilson Coleman (born October 2, 1943) is an American chemist and academic administrator who served as the 13th president of the University of...
engagement, in 2014, Abrams folded Geekosystem into The MarySue. On November 17, 2021, The MarySue was acquired by GAMURS Group. In May 2012, Abrams launched...
blends elements of romance and fantasy genres. Kimberly Terasaki of The MarySue wrote about a phenomenon within the fandom of portraying Xaden, a primary...
portrayed as, the reviewer still found him enjoyable personality-wise. The MarySue found Gojo's characterization in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 identical to the main...
MarySue Terry (born September 28, 1947) is an American Democratic politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Terry was born the daughter of Nathaniel...
though Mario has the starring role. By contrast, Julia Glassman of The MarySue considered her film incarnation to be a common sexist trope where the badass...
character. This term may have fallen into disuse due to its similarity to "MarySue". "Groundhog Day", named after the film, is a variation of this trope in...
organised crime connections in Mexico and Colombia. In 1984, his stepmother MarySue Hubbard filed a $5-million suit for fraud against DeWolf for his 1982 suit...
Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Brian Michael...
October 2023). "Where and How To Watch 'The Amazing Digital Circus'". The MarySue. Retrieved 27 October 2023. Ulatowski, Rachel (12 March 2024). "Breaking...
sibling dynamic" and praising the overall tone of the narrative. The MarySue's Ana Valens praised the game's exploration of taboo subject matter, stating...
from [her] endearing contribution." Rachel Leishman in a review for The MarySue called Parker's casting "brilliant" and said: "It’s such a good performance...
sue in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Sue or SUE may refer to: Sue Records, an American record label Sue (album), an album by Frazier Chorus "Sue (Or...
Internal Revenue Service. Eleven highly placed Church executives, including MarySue Hubbard (third wife of founder L. Ron Hubbard and second-in-command of...
intended to share said message". The same week, F1NN5TER was quoted in The MarySue for his response to PragerU's criticism of men wearing women's clothing:...
MarySue Price is an American playwright and scriptwriter for the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital. She has won two Emmys as a member of the General...
convictions of eleven leaders of the Guardian's Office, including Hubbard's wife MarySue, Hubbard had to maintain his distance from Church management since he had...
and English dubbed versions. Princess Weekes and Briana Lawrence of The MarySue also offered praise for Shoto, specifically for his character development...
personal and political matters throughout the past 20 years. According to The MarySue, apart from audiences of his Christian films, Sorbo's relevance today is...
Global Information