What's the difference between a Chosen One and a Mary Sue?

[Ezri_Muldoon]

How might you respond to a protagonist deliberately, rather than carelessly, written to withhold information about their abilities and the overall setting from both the other protagonists and the audience until the plot forces them to play one of their cards?

Withholding information to create a mystery or heighten the dramatic tension of a situation does not make a Mary sue.
That's just good writing.
Take Alucard from Hellsing, a character who's abilities are impossible to stop, yet he's presented as having imposed limits from the first episode/volume. When the narrative "writes itself into a corner" and presents a situation where there is no logical way for the protagonists to survive he pulls some bullshit to save the day.
This is inherently justified because the narrative establishes from the very start that his true capabilities haven't been shown yet. Giving the audience an incentive to continue watching, to not only discover his capabilities but to discover how he became so skilled/powerful alongside the political drama of Hellsing vs Iscariot vs Millennium.
Foreshadowing can be presented as a mystery or puzzle that is yet to unfold.

The series then drip feeds his backstory throughout, further justifying the ludicrous extend of his abilities.

Imagine if he was presented a desert vagabond with no training in combat nor magic, then his feats would be an example of Mary sue writing. Hello again Rey.
Instantly in par with Kylo's use of the force, can repair a starship mid flight despite never flown before- let alone leaving the planet and has the combat prowess to overpower trained swordsmen, soldiers & Jedi/Sith knights... Because she used a pole to help her traverse the desert & read a few books?
F#ck off.
Sincerely.
F # C K O F F

This is why you can't retroactively fix Mary sue, the damage has been done. Any retroactive explanation would just be the greater narrative & world building bending to accommodate her previous immunity to threats.

Again:
A Mary sue is a character for whom the entire narrative & world will bend to accommodate their continued success.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

Withholding information to create a mystery or heighten the dramatic tension of a situation does not make a Mary sue.
That's just good writing.
Take Alucard from Hellsing, a character who's abilities are impossible to stop, yet he's presented as having imposed limits from the first episode/volume. When the narrative "writes itself into a corner" and presents a situation where there is no logical way for the protagonists to survive he pulls some bullshit to save the day.
This is inherently justified because the narrative establishes from the very start that his true capabilities haven't been shown yet. Giving the audience an incentive to continue watching, to not only discover his capabilities but to discover how he became so skilled/powerful alongside the political drama of Hellsing vs Iscariot vs Millennium.
Foreshadowing can be presented as a mystery or puzzle that is yet to unfold.

The series then drip feeds his backstory throughout, further justifying the ludicrous extend of his abilities.

Imagine if he was presented a desert vagabond with no training in combat nor magic, then his feats would be an example of Mary sue writing. Hello again Rey.
Instantly in par with Kylo's use of the force, can repair a starship mid flight despite never flown before- let alone leaving the planet and has the combat prowess to overpower trained swordsmen, soldiers & Jedi/Sith knights... Because she used a pole to help her traverse the desert & read a few books?
F#ck off.
Sincerely.
F # C K O F F

This is why you can't retroactively fix Mary sue, the damage has been done. Any retroactive explanation would just be the greater narrative & world building bending to accommodate her previous immunity to threats.

Again:
A Mary sue is a character for whom the entire narrative & world will bend to accommodate their continued success.

Maybe you should avoid insulting people or else that topic may get locked.

 

[Ezri_Muldoon]

Maybe you should avoid insulting people or else that topic may get locked.

My apologies, I didn't know referring to a fictional characters backstory somehow referred to a real person.
Or that when commenting on Rey's writing with distain. IE: Telling her as a concept to "F- Off" when in comparison to another fictional character It could be misconstrued as insult towards another forum poster.

 

[elwynd16x]

The Mary Sue was coined in a Star Trek zine during the 1970's. It's a product of using the source material as your only frame of reference.

 

[KaiserMk7]

A Mary sue is a character for whom the entire narrative & world will bend to accommodate their continued success.

Hmm... Could it be fun to put two such characters on opposite sides of a conflict and see what happens?

 

[Ezri_Muldoon]

Hmm... Could it be fun to put two such characters on opposite sides of a conflict and see what happens?

Ohh do I have a recommendation for you!

Meet Mary Sue
Gods chosen warrior who's life purpose is to avenge the death of her father.
A man who needlessly died at the hands on Tanya Degurechaff, the light novel/Anime's protagonist who has been re-incarnated on the Villains side of an alternate world conflict.
Some one who is using her past life knowledge of our WW1/WW2 to alter events with the sole, selfish goal of insuring her survival at all costs.
God will not allow this.
Tanya refuses to acknowledge Gods authority.
And Mary, well she will have her revenge.

The Military Chronicles of a Little Girl, (Yōjo Senki) is amazing and It's second season is in production as we speak.

 

[KaiserMk7]

The Military Chronicles of a Little Girl, (Yōjo Senki) is amazing and It's second season is in production as we speak.

I'm aware, although I haven't properly consumed it. Settings and characters with something deeply wrong with them tend to be great.

 

[Ezri_Muldoon]

I do find in endearing that as an antagonistic force or obstacle a character which under different presentation would be considered a Mary Sue/walking Deux Ex Machina is incredibly cathartic to watch.

The idea of a unstoppable force, whether they are unaware of their invulnerability (Mary Sue from Yōjo Senki) or fully aware of their overpowering abilities (such as the T800 in the original Terminator) is exhilarating to behold.

But that's what separates good writers from bad ones, the ability to place an element in its proper place.
And even then, unnecessary sequels will diminish the initial shock, awe and threat the antagonist once had regardless of whether its a book, game, film etc.

Come to think of it, ironically considering this thread. What's a better force to stop a all powerful Mary Sue than a prophesized chosen one?

 

[Jimbo_McDumbo]

A chosen one is selected by fate, who will fail or triumph through trial and tribulation, but isn't guaranteed to go one way or the other. A Mary Sue/Gary Stu is selected by the author, who will succeed no matter what, or if they do fail its so other characters can tell the Mary/Gary how good they did and how they tried so hard

 

[Deleted member 746185]

Chosen One: I have responsibilities that I must fulfilled by the fate, these people's hopes and dreams depend on me, alas I feel their trust and trust of gods are misplaced upon me, am I even really worthy to bring end to the evil that binds them into forever chains of hurt and pain and suffering. Am I even worthy of that, for my skills seems to be lacking in comparison to the demi-god they think me to be? Still, I must go on this journey and I must go through every training and hurdles so I can atleast try to bring peace to these innocent people who suffer under such tarnation.

Mary Sue: Oh my god BECKY! I am so perfect every way you knowww! Look at me I swing better that every one of you! Look at me, I cheat on my boyfriend and its all his fault! Look at me, I kill the main evil without any sweat! Look at me, I argue with people who are trying to teach so I can fullfill my destiny, but they so old farts you know, like, like, I can just grab the sword and swing it like I am doing salsa, and there goes down the main evil! Look at me, everywhere walk you know, I got this "aura", where everyone feels the sudden urge to complement me!

Post automatically merged: Jul 24, 2025

Basically,

Chosen One stories = Imposter Syndrome

Mary Sue Stories = Narcissism