The Mary Sue Litmus Test
By Lorelei
The Test
Scoring: For every question you can answer a "Yes" to, add the points listed in brackets (i.e. [5] ) to your total score. Remember to be honest, you aren't helping yourself or scoring honestly if you can reason yourself out of answering a question yes. "Yes...But..."'s count.
Note from Lori: I recommend just plugging the numbers into a calculator as you go, makes for easy adding, and you get a running total. Boy did I need it ^^;
Section 1 - The Name Game
Is the character named after you? (This can be your first name, middle name, or your internet/message board alias.) [5]
Is her family name Tsukino, Chiba, Sheilds, or any other of the senshi's last names? [10]
Does any part of the name translate into anything to do with star, spirit, light, darkness, or a something to that effect? [5]
Does the character have a really cool name that you wish you had? [1]
Does the character have more than three names? (e.g; Usagi has her human name, Senshi title, and Royal title. Nicknames, titles, everything counts.) [2]
Have you considered naming your pet or child the character's name, or have done so already? [1]
Have you actually done so? [1]Is your character not born and from Japan, but has a Japanese name anyways? [1]
Section 2 - Physical Appearance
Do they have 'special' (or even just plainly colored) eyes that you describe in horribly explicit detail? (i.e. using more than 3 words, and very poetic ones, to describe the eyes besides the actual word for the color) [2]
Will this be a plot point later? [1]Does the character look like she is a teenager or in her early twenties (although she's actually _____ years old)? [2]
For a magical or special reason? [1]That you plan on making a plot point later? [1]Is the character exquisitely beautiful? [4]
Is her hair is mentioned repeatedly (down to her waist, flowing waves, blah blah) [2]In her intro, is it mentioned in more than one paragraph? [1]Does one or more of the originals find the character highly attractive? [2]
Add one point for every character that has done so. [1+]Do other regulars see him/her as a threat because of this? [1]Does your character have Odango? (This includes buns, yams, hearts, stars, etc.). [10]
Does your character weigh less than is healthy for their height and age, doesn't look anorexic, but looks otherwise fine and pretty? [1]
Section 3 - Personal Traits / Personality/ The Person
Is she more psychic than Rei? [3]
Does she have a higher IQ (being smarter than) Ami? [2]
Is she a better cook/ stronger than Makoto? [1]
Does she have more of a love of idols than Minako? [1]
Was she more famous as a senshi than Minako as Sailor V? [1]Is she faster than Haruka (either with foot racing or car racing)? [1]
Is she more musical and/or artistic talent than Michiru? [5]
Does she have a more powerful job than Setsuna? [3]
Is her knowlege of the future and past more extensive? [2]Is she more ditzy than Usagi? [2]
Do rules that apply to others bent and/or broken for her? [1]
Does the character just "know things" for no apparent reason? [2]
Does the character's guardian just know things for no apparent reason as well? [1]Is she universally liked and/or respected by everyone she meets? [1]
Does she excel at everything she tries? [1]
But when she fails, is she forgiven anyways? [1]Is the character the long-lost child, descendent or sibling of a canon character? [10]
Another child/ Daughter of Usagi and Mamoru/ Neo-Queen Selenity and King Endymion? [4]Of Chibiusa and Helios? [3]Of Haruka and Michiru? [2]Of Queen Selenity? [2]Does she realise this relation on her own? [2]With no prior evidence? [1]Does the character share your religious beliefs? [1]
Does the character have a very good singing voice? [3]
Or play a musical instrument amazingly well? [2]The guitar, piano, violin or flute? [1]Is she an idol? Of any kind (singer, actress, dancer)? [2]
Is she more popular than the Three Lights? [1]Does the character have a twin, a clone, or a sibling of the same gender? [1]
About whom you plan on writing another story later? [1]Does the character do what you do for fun or profit? [1]
Is the character blind, deaf, or mute? [5]
Is this a plot point? [1]Does he or she have amazing abilities despite this that normal people with the same ability wouldn't be able to? [4]Is she an exchange student (eg. america)? [1]
At Usagi-Tachi's school at the time? [1]Does she celebrate holidays they don't celebrate in Japan (e.g.; Thanksgiving, please do research on this people) ? [1]
Does she move in with one of the original senshi? [2]
Can recognize the Senshi in their normal/civilian forms (before they meet in senshi form) ? [2]
Does she have *another* form besides Princess, Civilian and Senshi? [2]
Add one point for each extra one. [1+]Extra point if she becomes a villian later on [1]Add another point if she then returns to the side of good. [1]Does the character outside senshi form have magical powers anyway? [3]
Can the character heal with a touch and/or thought? [2]Does the character have telekinesis or telepathy? Or Both? (Twins don't count) [2]
Do animals (especially fuzzy ones) instinctively like the character? [1]
Section 4 - Her Past
Add points for each aspect seen somewhere during your character's life:
- abandoned by caregivers [2]
- raised by people not her birthparents when growing up [1]
- born or raised in extreme poverty [1]
- sole survivor of a calamity [3]
- physical abuse [2]
- by a caregiver? [1]
by a caregiver? [1]Does the character suffer from guilt about something terrible that she did in the past? [2]
Do the other characters eventually convince her that it was not her fault? [1]Did she once live in or will live in 'alternate' Silver Milleniums or Crystal Tokyo - like eras, times of even greater peace that center around their character's kingdoms? [3]
Does she have insane wealth but no family or explanation into this? [1]
Did she exist during the Silver Millennium and died trying to protect Princess Serenity or Queen Selenity? [3]
Section 5 - The Senshi, The Legend
Does she appear in the Eternal form without having forms before? [1]
Is this form-jump unexplained? [1]Does she have one or more talking animal guide(s)? [1]
More than one (one point each)? [1+]Does she possess an 'alternate' (more powerful than / close to the power of / or somehow related to) Ginzuishou (e.g.; gold crystal, rainbow crystal, although both already exist)? [8]
Does she have some kind of extravagant fuku that the rest of her team doesn't have (As in, comparing Eternal Sailor Moon's fuku to the first season's fuku)? [2]
Does the fuku have more than two skirt tiers/layers? [1]Does she posess a crescent moon birthmark? Or one anywhere on her fuku? [2]Does she have a cat related to Luna, Artemis or Diana (If the only relation that they have is from coming from Planet Mau, that's fine, go to the next question)? [3]
Is said cat another daughter of Luna and Artemis? [1]Does she want to be a part of the Sailor Team? [2]
Or is she actually a long lost member? [1]Does her senshi title have the word "Galaxy", "Universe", "Moon", "Chibi", "Neo" any of the existing Planet names and other such words in their senshi name? [10]
In Battle
Does she have attack names with more than 4 words? [2]
Is she able to use attacks that belong to the original senshi? [3]Or are they otherwise ripoffs of said attacks (e.g.; taking words from attacks and making new ones - "Flame Reflection")? [7]Does she posess Kamikaze/Forbidden attacks, however, aren't used or mentioned in the story? [2]
Or, when used in a story, never actually do kill them? [3]Does she posess more than one Weapon? [3]
Add a point for each weapon posessed. [1+]Does your senshi posess a wand similar to one of Sailor Moon's? [3]Posess a staff similar or exactly like Sailor Pluto's Time Key Staff? [2]Does she use elements already posessed by an original senshi? [2]
Does she suddenly usurp all the other senshi's powers to combine and form her ultimate power (i.e. Said character in the middle of the collecting powers and effectively pushing Sailor Moon to the side, or even their powers don't combine with Sailor Moon anymore)? [5]Does she have a sword? [2]
That is similar to galaxia's, venus' or uranus'? [1]Is she unusually skilled in areas outside her senshi element. (eg; is a fire senshi, but also has ice abilities)? [3]
Are there more than two elements she is skilled with? [2]Add one point for each element beyond two. [1+]Is she an expert at both/all? [3]Does she showing up to save the other senshi ala sailorV? [3]
Does she actually succeed? [2]Section 6 - The Love Boat
Does the character fall in love with and/or have sex with any canon character? [2]
Because you want to have sex with these characters? [1]Is this character Mamoru? [5]Does the character's presence (eventually) make Usagi and Mamoru (or Haruka and Michiru or any other pair of canon characters) realize they weren't meant for each other, but even in the show it's mentioned that they are? [2]
Does the story end with the character's wedding? [1]Is it attended by more than one senshi (other than Minako cause she'll take any excuse to dress up)? [1]Is the love of their life with either Tuxedo or Kamen in their name, that actually looks like Tuxedo Kamen himself except for slight color changes in his identical tuxedo suit? [5]
Is your character in love with/ stealing/ being related to/ being great friends with Mamoru, Usagi, or any other canon character? [1]
Do any one of them fall in love with your character? [2]Extra points if both or more than one does (one point for each) [1+]Does she fall in love with one of the Starlights? [2]
Does she have that Starlight decide to stay in male form forever (even though they're naturally female)? [4]Does she have a future family - Not only future husbands but future children? [2]
Does she have a daughter? [2]
Is she a senshi too? [2]Is she Chibi-something? [1]Section 7 - You, Your character, and Everyone Else
Does the character have Hair or Eye colors that you want to have? [1]
Does the character generally have a strong resemblance to you (only better looking)? [2]
Would you like to be friends with the character if you met in real life? [1]
Do you think others should? [2]Do you think everyone who reads the story should automatically like the character? [1]
If someone tells you he/she doesn't like your character, do you take it as a personal attack on you? [3]
Do you ever pretend, just to yourself, that you are the character, with the same strengths and abilities? [1]
If someone calls your character a Mary Sue, do you immediately assume they're jealous of you? [2]
Section 8 - Plot, Plot, Plot... Or something like it.
Do you tell the story from the character's point of view, all or mostly? [2]
Does the character manage to develop a friendship with an otherwise villainous character, and through this friendship, reform the other character? [3]
Is said villian one of the four generals from the first season (Zoicyte, Kunzite, etc)? [2]Does the character save the day and/or another character's life? [6]
Through dying? [10]Through almost dying? [9]Through magical/mystical intervention? [3]Does everyone go into mourning? [7]Does s/he get not-dead by the end of the story? [5]Will s/he get not-dead in the sequel? [5]Section 9 - Everything Else/ Misc.
Do you introduce the character on the first page of the story? [2]
The first paragraph? [4]In the first sentence? [3]Does she already have her powers at this time? [2]Does she attain her powers with the appearance of a little kitty (or said animal guardian)? [3]Do you transfer the entire senshi team to America to continue their story? [2]
Does the character tell off and/or kill a regular or recurring characters whom you don't like? [2]
While hypnotised by the enemy? [1]Do you plan to write any more stories concerning this character? [2]
This character's child(ren)? [1]Is your senshi from another anime universe? [10]
Is she of a race from said universe, with the powers of that race (i.e., Saiya-jin senshi) [5]Does she mingle with the characters from the other said universe (Senshi hangs with Goku in DBZ, or with Tenchi in TM)? [2]386 Points Max
0 - 15: Be proud. You have a developed character, unlikely that it is MarySue. Which means few, if none will gouge their eyes with sporks upon seeing your character(s)
15 - 25 : Characters in this range are potential MS's, who can go either way dependent on the author's skill. So please, don't go the dark side; a tiny kitten dies everytime you do. Please, think of the kittens.
26 - 64 : Mary Sue. Proceed with greatest caution, as no one, not even Sailor Cosmos-sama, can save you now.
65+ : *ALARM!* STEP AWAY FROM THE SUE! . For the love of Naoko.
