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RPG/Drizzt/Forgotten Realms rambling, part the fourth: GARY STU EDITION
I applied the universal Mary-Sue Litmus Test to Drizzt Do'Urden...
Here are the questions that applied to him, and the answers:
Total score: 71
Anything over 50 is scored as "Kill it. Kill it dead." I was utilizing the standard Purity Test idea of "Technicalities Count" for most of these, but even if you apply stricter criteria to him, he's pretty damn Sue-ish.
ETA: Starting to apply the test to manga/anime characters in the comments. So far I predict that the standard shounen heroes will all be Stus, because that seems to be a prerequisite for that sort of character. OTOH, Gary Stu and Mary Sue characters tend to appeal directly to the target demographic of 14-year-old boys and girls (the age at which most of you confess to voraciously reading Forgotten Realms novels XD), so there's really no surprise in that.
Here are the questions that applied to him, and the answers:
Part 1 - All Characters
This area applies to RPG characters, fanfiction characters, and original fiction characters.
1. Is or does your character's name...
8. A really unusual-sounding name (unusual in the character's time/place/world) that you made up yourself?
Yup. I'm basing that on the fact that all the other drow names in the origin trilogy are pronounceable, and none feature doubled letters. Malice, Brisa, Zaknafein. 'Drizzt' stands out.
7. Do you use poetic and/or creative terms to describe your character?
The tool tip pop-up for this question specifically mentions 'azure orbs' and as Drizzt frequently has lavender orbs instead of eyes, I figure it counts.
12. Does your character have any of the following?
1. Natural eye coloration that stands out from the norm?
2. Eyes with any other unusual qualities?
LAVENDER EYES. The tool tip for #12-2 mentions flashing and yes, his lavender orbs flash and occasionally fire dances in them.
14. Has your character been in a lot of physical fights and/or battles, but doesn't have many noticable scars to show for it?
I'm counting this a yes, as he fights quite a lot, but no scars are mentioned.
25. Does your character have a side that tends to get him/her in trouble with authority on a semi-regular basis?
1. Making them look like the bad guys in the process?
Yup. He's got a conscience in a world of amoral evil.
35. How many animal companions does your character keep? (Ordinary, non-magical pets like cats and dogs do not count.)
One
1. Is said animal a wolf, bird of prey, big cat, or mythical creature?
GIANT BLACK SPIRIT PANTHER
40. Is your character unusually accomplished for his/her age, time period, place, occupation, and/or social status?
Yes. He's a fighting genius.
1. In something that is extremely desirable and/or useful in the story's universe?
See above.
2. In something that is extremely difficult for virtually anyone achieve?
Yup. He fights with double scimitars.
3. Is your character unusally accomplished in more than one area?
Yup. Although he doesn't get a whole lot of training, it's mentioned that he has unusual aptitude in magic, also.
41. Does your character pick up new skills unusually fast during the course of the story?
1. Like, insanely fast?
Yup. The fighting.
42. Is your character the best or among the best at anything he/she does? One box for each:
1. Is he/she famous/reknowned for any of these?
The fighting.
43. Are other characters extremely impressed or astonished at your character's skills and/or virtues? (Does not count if they are easily impressed due to their own inexperience.)
1. Do they impress even the most cynical, jaded, exacting, and/or experienced?
Yp. He impresses his father, the best weapons-master the drow have known, as well as all the teachers and students at the Academy.
2. Does your character modestly dismiss or deflect well-earned compliments?
I *think* so. I don't have the books here to check.
54. Not counting his or her first language, how many languages does your character fluently speak? Click one box for every language:
At least two others: Goblin and Common Tongue.
55. Does your character succeed at virtually everything he/she tries?
Yup.
56. Do his/her initial plans, strategies, ideas, etc. always (or nearly always) work?
Pretty much, so far.
58. Does your character ever single-handedly take out more armed forces (EG, security guards, soldiers) than you can count on one hand using his/her kick-butt skills?
YES
60. Does your character alone have a weapon that...
1. Was passed down from a parent/trainer?
YES
6. Is from a different culture or country than your character?
Yup, scimitars are not particularly usual amongst the drow.
62. Does your character frequently carry knives, daggers, or other little sharp pointy objects concealed within his/her clothing for no other reason than that they might be come in handy?
He's got at least one throwing dagger concealed about his person.
63. Does your character possess a unique trinket that is magical and/or has some special significance?
Technically, yes - he's got the insignia of the House Do'Urden, which does something-or-other and is the current MacGuffin in the book I'm reading.
65. Is your character royalty, closely related to a royal, or at least a rough equivalent? (President, governor, etc.)
Yup, son of the matron of House Do'Urden, which becomes one of the Eight Ruling Houses in his city.
67. Is your character undeservingly despised and/or outcast by most people?
Yup.
71. On the subject of your character and his/her family...
2. Was a major villain responsible for the death of the parents or guardians?
His evil mother SACRIFICED HIS FATHER TO THE GODDESS SHE SERVES.
3. Was your character responsible for the death of his/her parents/guardians?
In a roundabout way, yes. And then in a subsequent book, he mother raised his dead father and sent him off to find and kill Drizzt, so Drizzt got the emo ALL OVER AGAIN.
4. Did your character witness the death of the parents/guardians?
The second time, yes.
6. Ran away at any point?
He does run away, yes.
8. Lived in the streets?
Close enough. The caves of the drow.
10. Adopted by another species/racial group?
He does get to hang with the deep dwarves (I've forgotten how to spell their real name) and get treated almost normally for a while.
72. What about any of these?
4. A member of a despised, outcast, and/or downtrodden race?
YES WITH BELLS ON
73. Has your character otherwise lost...
3. Close friend?
Yup.
74. Did anything else remarkably strange or otherwise unusual happen in your character's infancy?
Yeah, if you consider that he was intended to be a sacrifice to the Spider Queen the moment he was born, and his mother was magically directing her troops in inter-House warfare during labor, for some sort of added magical boost. He only escaped sacrifice because it had to be the third son, and his next-oldest brother assassinated his oldest brother shortly before he was born, making him the second son.
77. Does your character angst about something that he/she did in the past?
OH DEAR GOD YES.
3. Does your character eventually learn that it wasn't his/her fault?
Yup.
80. Does a major villain have a personal fixation/obsession with your character?
Yes. His mother. And later, an assassin.
Part 2 - Original Fiction Characters
Only answer these questions if your character is for an original fiction. (For a new character you plan to add to an established original fiction universe, see the Fan-Character Specific Area.)
Not an original fiction character? Skip this section.
3. Is your character well-liked by virtually much everyone he/she meets?
2. Would anyone die for your character? (Unless, of course, said character would pretty much die for any casual friend/acquaintance.)
3. Even characters that are not known for their friendly, outgoing attitudes?
One of the last bits I read had the grumpy dwarf consoling Drizzt with a manly pat on the shoulder and an offer to die for him.
4. Do characters who criticize or don't like your character from the start like him/her by the end, or at least have a grudging respect?
Yup
5. Does anyone who doesn't like or respect your character by the end of the story end up beaten up, humiliated, and/or dead?
Yup.
7. Does your character save the day way more often than other main characters?
Yup.
3. Magically or mystically?
When he's not using his scimitars, yup.
Part 3 - Fan Characters & Newcomers
Only answer these questions if you are taking this test for a fan character (fiction or RPG) OR for a new character whom you plan to add to an established original series (consider the original cast as canon and the newcomer as a fan character).
Not a fan character or newcomer? Skip this section.
(I skipped this section)
Part 4 - RPG Characters
Only answer these questions if you are testing an RPG character.
Yup, he's both an original fiction character and an RPG character! But the two questions here didn't apply.
Part 5 - De-Suifiers
Answer for characters of any fiction type. These will subtract from your final score.
14. Has your character ever ignored wrong-doings against him/herself and/or others because he/she simply didn't want to get into trouble?
Yup.
Total score: 71
Anything over 50 is scored as "Kill it. Kill it dead." I was utilizing the standard Purity Test idea of "Technicalities Count" for most of these, but even if you apply stricter criteria to him, he's pretty damn Sue-ish.
ETA: Starting to apply the test to manga/anime characters in the comments. So far I predict that the standard shounen heroes will all be Stus, because that seems to be a prerequisite for that sort of character. OTOH, Gary Stu and Mary Sue characters tend to appeal directly to the target demographic of 14-year-old boys and girls (the age at which most of you confess to voraciously reading Forgotten Realms novels XD), so there's really no surprise in that.
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I'm going to post my thoughts about this test and my results in my journal. -_-
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Why don't you do Kyo from SDK? THAT ought to be interesting. :D
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(Hmm...I appear to have no Kyo-solo icons uploaded ATM...)
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Also, I think all my favorite characters would be over 50. Except maybe Shikamaru.