Hello! Rueful is back again with a multi-part guide to making and using a fan character for the MLP fandom. For those that do not want to take the ultimate litmus test or are not satisfied with the available tests for mary-sue and gary-stu ponies, this guide is specific to this multiverse and tailored to be engaging. If you have any questions, add comments below and Rueful will be sure to answer them.
What is a Mary-Sue or Gary-Stu?
For those unfamiliar with what a mary-sue ("sue") or gary-stu (also a "sue"), you have probably already seen one in narrative media or made some while on your way to making a perfectly balanced fan character. Mary-Sue, the collaborated-upon carnation-coated alicorn famously created by members of the MLP Analysis YouTubers (originally from Mad Munchkin), is representative of only some stereotypical "sue" traits, physically and personality-wise.
While there are several archetypes that a sue can take on, the most common one is what I call the Princess of Perfection.
Type 1: Princess of Perfection
Type 2: Terribly Tragic Hero
Type 3: Blindness Harbinger
Type 4: Powermonger
Type 5: Crossover Victim
Type Um-teen: Sue Amalgamation
What's even worse than the above archetypes is a sub-archetype of them all: the Sue Amalgamation. They may have a moderate to severe mixture of some or all of the above, and worst of all, they are highly common among amateur story writers and people new to MLP G4 and G5.
How to Avoid Making a Sue
In short, do everything in your power to reduce the likeness of your fan characters to these archetypes. A good place to start is to immediately make the most "changing" changes and then work in the simpler corrections. Whether or not a change is more "changing" to your character depends upon the progress the character is to becoming sufficiently balanced.
Do all of the following first: