Mary Sue is a term being thrown around a lot on social media these days. But what is a Mary Sue, and why should we as writers try to avoid creating one?
A Mary Sue is an unrealistically skilled yet utterly flawless character. A Mary Sue may also be called an author-insert character or a wish-fulfillment character. The term is derived from a 1973 Star Trek fan fiction, in which a character named Mary Sue, the “youngest Lieutenant in the fleet,” outperforms the original characters of the fictional universe in every way and yet is unconditionally adored by them. Ultimately she sacrifices herself in order to save the day, and forthwith is grieved by the entire fictional universe (Mary Sue).
It is important to note that gender has nothing to do with a character being a Mary Sue. Creating a Mary Sue boils down to a failure of characterization. As I stated in Craft 3. Characterization, a writer should attempt to create a multi-dimensional character. A character with only strengths is one-dimensional and boring, but a character with flaws as well as strengths is multi-dimensional and interesting. Further, a flawless character can never improve, and thus is incapable of change. Stories are ultimately about the path of a character’s change, or her arc. A Mary Sue can never fail, so she can never learn or grow from failure. She has no need for growth because she already possesses all the skills she could ever desire. In addition to lacking the ability to change, a Mary Sue also lacks the ability to actively pursue a desire. Because she already possesses everything, she wants nothing.
A popular example of a Mary Sue in fiction today is the character of Rey in the Disney Star Wars Trilogy. Rey is already a Jedi master at the beginning of the trilogy, and therefore has no room for growth, and thus she possesses no desire. The original characters adore her, even though she outperforms them, even at their own specializations. While it has not yet been decided, she may very well sacrifice herself at the end of the trilogy in order to save the universe of Star Wars. If she does so, she will have completed her role as the Mary Sue.
Source:
Mary Sue. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 2, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue