Unofficial Yu-Gi-Oh Mary-Sue Litmus Test


We all know Mary Sue. She's the new girl. The beautiful one who gets away with things that the canon cast never could, with the perfect grades and the perfect sweetness. She has a horrible home life - is abused, and is very poor - but somehow manages to come up out of this to become the best duelist ever, the main character's girlfriend, or the heroine of the day; saving the main characters who have inexplicably become unable to defend themselves. Mary Sue is perfect, but she's a pest, a pain and most readers don't like her. When she dies her heroic death and is mourned by the cast who has only known her for a few days the reader cheers for her removal.
Not every original character is a Mary Sue! Mary Sue, however, is distressingly common in any fandom; and Yu-Gi-Oh! is full of tales of her exploits. This is a test for authors who aren't sure if they are creating a character who is a Mary Sue or not. Scoring is simple. For each question you answer yes to [even if it's "yes, but..."] add the indicated number of points to your score. Please, be honest! Nothing can be gained by deciding that your character is the exception to the rule. Please also go through the entire test before deciding your results are unacceptable.
Section 1: What's in a name?
1. Is the character named after you? This includes your real name [first, middle, and last], and ANY online names you have. If so, stop now. No exceptions. 1 No… I’ve really never named a character after myself…
2. Have you spent more time searching for a name for your character than writing the first paragraph of the story? [1] No. The name just sort of popped into my head. It was really an effortless sort of thing.
3. Does the character have a really cool name you wish you had? [1] Not really, I like my own name just fine.
3.1. Is it a name you would give to a pet or child? [1] Probably not…. Unless I were suddenly Japanese or living in Japan for the rest of my life…
4. Does the character have a name that is a different/stylized spelling of an existing word? [1] No, it’s spelled same as the existing words.
4.1. Is the word cat? [1] No…. Are there really that many Mary Sue’s out there with odd spellings of the word “cat”?
4.2. Is it a word in another language? [1] Yes, she is Japanese, after all. (1)
4.2.1. A Japanese or Egyptian word? [2] Yes, she is Japanese after all, so her name ought to be Japanese. (2)
4.3. That describes the character? [1] In the way I usually give my characters names that describe them, no. But I’m being extremely lenient on points, so I’ll say yes. (1)
4.3.1. Flatteringly? [star, heart, flower, etc] [1] Yes, her name is in fact Aino Hoshiko (Hoshiko Aino if you go with American order), which does in fact mean “The star of love.” (1)
4.3.2. Unflatteringly? [dung heap, idiot, etc] [-1] No.
4.3.3. That describes what they do? [hunter, dancer, etc] [1] Uhhhh… well, if you exaggerated it to say she was her love interest’s star of love, then okay…. (1)
Keep in mind that some Yuugiou characters have this type of name. This question should be looked at as a question of what your character is called. The cast refers to Insector Haga as "Haga." If your character is called "Hunter" because her name is "Hunter Diana," then you get the point.
5. Although looking blatantly Western, does your character have a Japanese name? [2] Well, Jyounouchi is blond with brown eyes also, but I’m being lenient, so sure. (2)
5.1. That you made up? [1] Well, I put the name together, but they are real words, so I’ll go with no.
5.1.1. By stringing Japanese-sounding syllables together? [2] Nope, they’re real words.
5.1.1.1. Even if you don't know Japanese? [3] Nope, I do know Japanese… A little… But a lot more than most of those otakuish fangirls. I can actually use rudimentary grammar, thank you very much.
6. Did your character choose his or her own name? [1] No, her parents named her it when she was born. If we’re being extremely technical, I chose it for her.
6.1. Because of something in the past that he or she didn't want to forget? [1] No.
7. Does your character have an unreasonably long name? [Luna Maria Dea Soulia Serena Venus Constantine Burrito] [1] Nope, family name and personal name. I’d say that’s pretty normal length, don’t you think?
8. Is your character named Serenity? [1] Nope.
8.1. Even if you're using dub names and there's already a Serenity? [1] Not using dub names, but she’s still not named “Serenity.”
9. Is your character named after a Duel Monster? [1] Nope.
9.1. Is it your favorite duel monster? [1] Nope. And who would honestly name a character “Black Magician”? I mean really….
10. Is you character named after a character who is dead? [1] Nope, she’s named for only herself.
10.1. Amane? [1] Nope.
10.2. Cyndia/Cecilia? [1] Nope.
10.3. Someone from Ancient Egypt? [2] Nope.
10.4. Gozaburo? [-1] Nope.
10.5. Kaiba and Mokuba's parents? [3] Nope. I don’t even know their names, so that would be an odd name to give a character, don’t you think? Hi, my name is “Kaiba and Mokuba’s parents.” Okay….
10.6. Malik and Isis' parents? [3] Nope.
10.7. Is the character only dead for the purpose of your fanfic? [Yuugi, Jounouchi, Anzu, etc] [5] Nope. I like the cannon characters, why would I kill them off?
11. Is the character's last name shared with an existing character? [1] Nope. I mean eventually she ought to marry Yuugi, but her last name is her own at the offset.
11.1. For no good reason? [2] This has no relevance.
11.2. Because the characters are related? [3] Well, eventually, but she doesn’t enter with that name, so no.
11.3. Is the last name Kaiba? [1] Nope.
11.3.1. Is the character related to Gozaburo? [-1] Nope.
11.3.2. Is the character related to Seto and Mokuba, even though Kaiba isn't their original last name? [5] Nope.
11.3.3. Is the character related to both Seto and Mokuba AND Gozaburo with no consideration that they don't share blood and with no explanation that the character is Seto and Mokuba's "adopted" relative? [10] Nope.
12. Is the character's name in the title of the story itself? [5] Nope. Though the story doesn’t really have a name….
Section 2: How you look
1. Does your character have really odd coloration? (hair, eyes, etc) [1] Not really, because Jyounouchi also has blond hair. Yuugi’s bangs are blond too. And her eyes are brown, like Jyounouchi’s, hence normal.
1.1. Odder than Yuugi? [1] Nope, it’s just one color.
1.2. Odder then first series Kaiba? [1] Nope, blonde is a normal hair color.
1.3. Odd enough that the cast can't help but stare for hours? [2] Not really, since plenty of people in the series have blonde hair or brown eyes.
1.3.1. Is this a point that draws the cast to your character? [3] Nope.
1.4. Do you character's eyes change color? [1] Nope.
1.5. Is your characters eye or hair color mentioned every sentence? [1] Ra no, I would shoot myself.
1.5.1. Is more time spent describing your character than in any actual action? [2] Again, no, I would shoot myself.
2. Is your character unnaturally beautiful or handsome? [1] She’s more cutesy than beautiful.
2.1. Is the word 'beautiful,' 'attractive,' 'stunning,' or similar in every reference to your character? [1] No, shy is probably the first one….
2.2. Is the word 'perfect' ever used in reference to your character? [1] Yes, Jyonouchi calls her a “Perfect ditz” once. (1)
2.2.1. Is it used in a negative way? [perfect idiot, ditz, etc] [-1] Haha, how funny. (-1)
2.3. Is your character an unusual height? [1] No.
2.3.1. Taller than Kaiba? [1] Nope, she’s a lot shorter than Kaiba.
2.3.2. Shorter than Yuugi? [-1] Nope, she about an inch or so taller than Yuugi… Though I do actually know someone shorter than Yuugi, which brings me endless pleasure.
2.5. Is your character well muscled/athletic? [1] Nope.
2.6. Is she fat and/or ugly? [-1] Nope.
2.6.1. Is she not fat and/or ugly by the end of the story? [2] Considering she wasn’t fat or ugly to begin with, no.
2.7. Does your character have physical attributes that you would like to have? [1] Well, I dyed my hair blonde on purpose, so sure. (1)
3. Is the character the same...
3.1. Gender as you? [1] Yes. (1)
3.2. Race as you or have the same accent as you? [1] Well, she’s human… But no, she’s Japanese.
4. Is the character a teenager/early twenties? [1] Yes… But then most people on the show are. (1)
4.1. Is the character another age but looks like a teenager/early twenties? [2] No.
4.1.1. Will the reason for this be a plot point later? [3] No.
5. Does your character bear strange resemblance to any of the canon characters? [1] Nope.
5.1. Weevil/Haga? [-1] Haha, no.
5.2. Is your character the female/male version of someone? [as in "looks like Kaiba only female"] [3] No… She’s only herself.
6. Does your character dress like...
6.1. Kaiba? [1] No, she would look kind of funny, considering those jackets don’t look good on anyone who doesn’t walk around with their pelvis thrust forward all the time.
6.2. Mai? [1] She’s basically the opposite of Mai, and acquiring Mai’s fashion sense would embarrass her.
6.3. Accessorize like Yuugi? [2] She tried his collar on once but thought she looked incredibly silly in it… Generally because bows and a collar don’t go together.
7. Does your character not have to wear a uniform to Domino school? [1] Nope, she wears the uniform.
7.1. Does your character get to wear a different 'special' uniform? [1] No. She does wear her socks pulled up all the way, but that’s not something to call “special” or that would be frowned upon.
7.2. Is your character female and wearing a male uniform or vice versa? [2] No.
7.2. Is your character's uniform altered to be more appealing? [2] Again, the socks are pulled up so they aren’t loose, but I think that would be preferred from a teacher standpoint…. So no… And other girls wear short socks, so I don’t think this does anything.
7.2.1. Has she not gotten in trouble for it? [5] No, she didn’t do anything to get in trouble for.
8. Is your character a cat-person or possess angel wings, pointed ears, or any other appendage that should not be found on the average human being? [5] No, she’s human, one hundred percent.
Section 3: What you do
1. Is your character...
1.1. More over dramatic then Pegasus? [1] No one is more over dramatic than Pegasus.
1.1.1. A better artist than Pegasus? [1] Nope.
1.1.2. Richer the Pegasus? [1] Nope.
1.2. Smarter then Kaiba? [1] Who would be smarter than Kaiba? He’s a mega-genius.
1.2.1. A better computer programmer than Kaiba? [2] Nope.
1.2.2. Richer than Kaiba? [1] Nope.
1.3. A more skilled thief than Yami no Bakura? [3] Nope.
1.4. A better dancer than Anzu? [2] Nope.
1.5. Able to drive circles around Honda? [1] She can’t drive.
1.5.1. Mai? [2] (see “can’t drive”)
1.5.2. Malik? [3] (see “can’t drive”)
1.6. Able to best Jounouchi in a physical fight? [3] Hardly.
1.7. Able to give a friendship speech to rival Anzu's? [1] Not really.
1.7.1. A Heart of the Cards speech to rival Yami no Yuugi's? [2] Doesn’t duel, so she wouldn’t want to.
1.7.2. And no one gets annoyed? [5] Well, since she doesn’t do it, they have nothing to be annoyed about in the first place.
1.8. All of the above? [10] Since I wrote no for everything, I think the answer to this one is… no.
2. Does your character often steal the spotlight from the regular cast? [1] No.
2.1. Does your character solve the 'problem of the day' instantly? [2] Since Yuugi/Atemu is the protagonist, I think he would be the one solving the problem of the day…. But maybe I’m the odd one out here…
3. Is your character impossibly polite? [1] She is very humble. (1)
3.1. Can they "Never insult anyone?" [1] She can, just goes about it in a polite sort of way. Something to the effect of commenting on an action instead of a person… Or a trait instead of a person.
3.2. Is your character so amiable that they never complain about anything? [1] Who honestly never complains about anything, I mean really?
4. Does your character have a beautiful, melodic voice? [1] Yes. (1)
4.1. Is it strangely exotic? [1] No.
4.2. Or eerie? [1] Nope.
4.2.1. Both? [3] Nope.
4.3. Can your character sing incredibly, impossibly, well? [1] Not impossibly… She took voice lessons. (1)
4.3.1. 20th Century North American pop-tunes? [2] Yes. (2)
4.3.2. X-Japan Ballad Collection Songs? [2] We’ll go with sure. (2)
5. Can your character play an instrument so well that it seems that it could coax tears from a rock? [2] No.
6. Does your character know a Martial Art? [1] No.
6.1. Several Martial Arts? [2] No.
6.1.1. And use them? [2] No.
6.1.1.1. To save your favorite character? [3] No.
7. Is your character incredibly good with a sword? [1] No.
7.1. Despite being a pacifist? [4] No.
8. Does your character get perfect grades? [1] No.
9. Is your character able to stare down/cow any bullies or evil gym teachers easily? [2] No.
10. Does the character have unnatural magic or superhuman powers? [1] No, she’s only a human being.
10.1. Was she born with them? [2] No.
10.2. Did she train for them? [-1] No.
10.2.1. Did she go to Hogwarts to train them? [10 and wrong fandom] No.
10.3. Is your character a shapeshifter? [3] No.
10.4. Does s/he have unlimited super powers that can save the day? [2] No.
10.4.1. Or destroy the Earth if s/he wanted to? [2] No.
10.4.2. Do they "slowly inch closer to death" as they use their EERIE POWAHS? [3] No.