Harry Potter Mary Sue Litmus Test
From Fan History Wiki
In 2000, Priscilla Spencer wrote the "Harry Potter Mary Sue Litmus Test." This test, adapted from the more general Mary Sue Litmus Test, aims to determine how close a character is to being a "Mary Sue." Some of the questions are:
- Is the character named after you? (This can be your first name, middle name, or the name you go by in chat or irc.)
- Do any of the teachers have an unusual liking toward your character?
- Does s/he spend an absurd amount of time depressed/brooding/sulking/being generally miserable about a situation beyond his/her control?
- Does the character manage to develop a friendship with an otherwise villainous character, and through this friendship, reform the other character?
The accuracy of the test is debatable, as some believe that the test is quite accurate, while others feel it is too hard on original characters who qualify for many of those traits, but are still not necessarily Mary Sues.
