Fandom Discussions, Theories, and Questions | Volume 1

Is Heather a Mary Sue? (HTTYD)

Hello, everyone! Noctus here! Today, we're going to be discussing whether or not Heather's a Mary Sue? Why? Because I want to.

That, and I'm getting tired of people calling her a Mary Sue. So . . . 

Definition of a Mary Sue:

Warning: This will be a LONG article and discussion. Get snacks and drinks if you want. ;-)

Anyway, here's a definition of what a Mary Sue is, for those who don't know (which is probably none of you because how could you be writers and not know what a Mary Sue is. lol).

 Mary Sues -- or Gary Stus, if they're guys -- are characters who are usually extraordinarily gorgeous, amazingly talented, unusually powerful, and exceedingly attractive to whoever the author has a crush on. They often possess ridiculously fancy and pretentious first names -- Angel, Raven, Jewel, Lorelei Bianca Julia Snape -- and are very, very annoying. (Keep in mind that nowadays Mary Sues with these kinds of names are being less frequent. Now they have normal names, but can still be a Mary Sue even if the name is normal, or if the name doesn't fit the universe, such as a Viking girl being named Alexa or Elizabeth or Mary while the others have names like Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, etc). Often times they are dating a canon character, and oftentimes replace a canon character.  

Finally, Mary Sues (and their male equivalents) often have weird, improbable or impossible bloodlines. A secret half-Elven child of Elrond and a nameless human would be an example of this. Another example would be a sibling of a single child such as Hiccup or Astrid -- but most glaringly so would be if said OC was a sibling of Aragorn or Legolas or, dare say, GANDALF!

There are many more examples that you, the readers, probably know, that I haven't even touched yet, but I'm not going to, because then I would be digressing.

So the best example that I can come up with that I think would be a great example of an OC who doesn't have an impossible bloodline (or at least, that's my opinion; if you think it does, then please tell me. Though, I've been told by several people that it's not a Gary Stu, sooo. . . .)

I have an OC for the HTTYD universe called Noctus Impesius (though I just use Fury), or Night Fury in Latin. I named him due to his lifestyle with the Night Furies. Now, obviously, that's not going to be his name, as that is a Latin name that wouldn't fit with the Norse Viking universe (his real name I'm hiding from the public until I actually write a fanfiction book with him in it). 

I have him distantly descended from Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Second and a slave woman whom he had freed and married secretly without Grimbeard knowing as part of his rebellion and was pregnant with Noctus's great-great-great-grandfather. When Hiccup died, she fled with some of the Warriors of the Dragonmark as the City of Tomorrow was attacked by both Furious's dragons AND by Thugheart, Hiccup's treacherous brother who indirectly orchestrated his murder. Hiccup the Second's child was kept a secret in order to protect him from those like Thugheart who would've sought out the baby in order to kill him. Hiccup's son and his descendants would later become leaders of a Tribe who protect and raise Night Furies, while also guarding the Island of Tomorrow until a new King of the Wilderwest can be found. Technically, Noctus could easily become a valid candidate, but he doesn't want to be King of anything; he blames Grimbeard and Thugheart for the death of dragons and of Hiccup the Second as well as going against their ancestors who had loved dragons and disliked slaves (he kinda has the same fear of becoming his ancestor that Aragorn has with Isildur). Even if he DID want to be King, no one would believe that he was a descendant of Grimbeard the Ghastly, much less Hiccup the Second (since Hiccup married in secret). There would've been no proof. But long-story-short, Noctus is Hiccup the Third's third cousin twice removed (or what-have-you) and helps him find the Things and train him up so that he can become the new King of the Wilderwest.