Yeah--it's long been my contention that the sorts of things that tend to crop up on Mary Sue litmus tests create a Mary Sue only when they're used *in place of* characterization. Felix's Sue-ish qualities aren't piled on for Rule of Cool--they are all actually integral to the plot. I think people fall back on lists of Mary-Sue qualities because they're reluctant to come out and tell someone that their character is a Mary Sue because she's badly written--but if the term is to have any meaning, that's exactly what it does mean. Otherwise every main character of every book ever written (or movie or TV series ever filmed) is a Mary Sue.
Hamlet? Angsty backstory, check. Went mad, so that's romantic disability, check. Mad swordfighting skills, plus sees ghosts, so there's hoopy special powers, check. Named after someone the author knows, Hamnet, check. Dresses unusually (in mourning, beyond the time that is considered appropriate), check. Love interest dies a romantic death, check. Dies a romantic death, check. Royalty, check. Difficult relationship with parents, check.
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momijizukamori
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Date: 2009-04-19 03:30 am (UTC)Hamlet? Angsty backstory, check. Went mad, so that's romantic disability, check. Mad swordfighting skills, plus sees ghosts, so there's hoopy special powers, check. Named after someone the author knows, Hamnet, check. Dresses unusually (in mourning, beyond the time that is considered appropriate), check. Love interest dies a romantic death, check. Dies a romantic death, check. Royalty, check. Difficult relationship with parents, check.