History Main / CharacterizationTags

** Seen in video game fanfics in which a main character's gender can be chosen by the player, such as ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' (female![[spoiler:Revan]], female!Exile) and ''Franchise/MassEffect'' (female!Shepard[[note]]Though a female Captain Shepard is generally abbreviated [=FemShep=][[/note]]) -- a corresponding "male" tag also exists.

It can also be used to identify a specific version of a character or work when it had been done by different people and/or in different media since [[DependingOnTheWriter those can vary wildly from the source material]]. Sometimes this uses the name of the specific author or simply the form of the work ([[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Manga!Pride, Anime!Greed]], [[{{ThePhantomOfTheOpera}} Leroux!Erik, or Movie!Phantom]])

* ''Past/Future'': In time-traveling stories, ''Past!'' and ''Future!'' may help with the WhichMe problem. More specific time periods may be used, for example, [[Film/BackToTheFuture 1955!Doc and 1985!Doc]].

An informal, ad hoc system of tagging that has spontaneously evolved over the years within the greater {{Fanfic}} community.

** Fem! versions of the [[MoeAnthropomorphism nations]] in Manga/AxisPowersHetalia denotes that they have been [[GenderFlip gender bended]].

!!Tropers have a tendency to use these in regards to describing variations of the same character. This is not allowed here on this wiki. We're making pages for the general public, not for ourselves. If you see them on a page, either change them to something else or remove them altogether. If the page in question is locked, [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=gsjp7dldjh2dwdelcha2hu17 use this thread to request an edit.]]

* ''Not'': Frequently used to describe OriginalCharacters (or characters unfamiliar to the intended audience) that are (perceived as) blatant {{Exp|y}}ies, {{Captain Ersatz}}es, or otherwise have the SerialNumbersFiledOff from another franchise (for example, Not![[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Misato]] to describe Haruka from ''Anime/{{RahXephon}}''). The tag might also be used to describe someone disguised as the tagged character.

* ''Past/Future'': In time-traveling stories, ''Past!'' and ''Future!'' may help with the WhichMe problem. More specific time periods may be used, for example, [[Film/BacktotheFuture 1955!Doc and 1985!Doc]].

The title of a given {{Fanfic}} 'verse, or an abbreviation thereof, can also be used to indicate the version of a character from that setting, particularly when there have been major changes to them: [[Fanfic/UndocumentedFeatures UF]]![[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Utena]], SME![[Franchise/SailorMoon Jadeite]].

!!Tropers have a tendency to use these in regards to describing variations of the same character. This is not allowed here on this wiki. We're making pages for the general public, not for ourselves. If you see them on a page, either change them to something else or remove them altogether. If the page in question is locked, [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=gsjp7dldjh2dwdelcha2hu17 use this thread to request an edit]].

An informal, ad hoc system of tagging that has spontaneously evolved over the years within the greater FanFic community.

FanFic communities will often have tags specific to their fandoms that they use to describe tropes that occur with some regularity (Slytherin![[Literature/HarryPotter Harry]], Future![[Series/{{Heroes}} Hiro]], or Vamp![[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Willow]], for example).

The title of a given FanFic 'verse, or an abbreviation thereof, can also be used to indicate the version of a character from that setting, particularly when there have been major changes to them: [[Fanfic/UndocumentedFeatures UF]]![[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Utena]], SME![[Franchise/SailorMoon Jadeite]].

** Elevating Xander Harris from his nominal ButtMonkey status all the way to {{Superman}} and beyond is practically a cottage industry in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' fanfic.

The title of a given FanFic 'verse, or an abbreviation thereof, can also be used to indicate the version of a character from that setting, particularly when there have been major changes to them: [[UndocumentedFeatures UF]]![[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Utena]], SME![[Franchise/SailorMoon Jadeite]].

Because this kind of tagging is ad hoc and in no way formalized, it's common to see unusual and/or idiosyncratic tags that indicate some truly wild variants, such as Cyborg![[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Xander]] or [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber Amberite]]![[Series/XenaWarriorPrincess Xena]].

The title of a given FanFic 'verse, or an abbreviation thereof, can also be used to indicate the version of a character from that setting, particularly when there have been major changes to them: [[UndocumentedFeatures UF]]![[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Utena]], [[SailorMoonExpanded SME]]![[Franchise/SailorMoon Jadeite]].

* ''Rational'': (Also ''Rationalist''). The character has a buff to common sense that would completely derail the canon of the series if it were brought into canon. Expect multiple characters to come along for the ride. Popularized (and possibly [[TropeMaker invented]]) by ''HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality''.

** Seen in video game fanfics in which a main character's gender can be chosen by the player, such as ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' (female![[spoiler:Revan]], female!Exile) and ''Franchise/MassEffect'' (female!Shepard[[note]]Though a female Captain Shepard is generally abbreviated {=FemShep=}[[/note]]) -- a corresponding "male" tag also exists.

** Seen in video game fanfics in which a main character's gender can be chosen by the player, such as ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' (female![[spoiler:Revan]], female!Exile) and ''Franchise/MassEffect'' (female!Shepard[[note]]Though a female Captain Shepard is generally abbreviated FemShep[[/note]]) -- a corresponding "male" tag also exists.

** Seen in video game fanfics in which a main character's gender can be chosen by the player, such as ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' (female![[spoiler:Revan]], female!Exile) and ''Franchise/MassEffect'' (female!Shepard) -- a corresponding "male" tag also exists.

These tags are also occasionally used when dealing with customizable characters in computer games. In addition, tags like this are used in spreadsheet programs to denote what sheet the cell in question is on if it's not on the same sheet as the cell you're typing in. [[http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/B/bang-path.html Bang paths]] were used in early e-mail to specify a UUCP route to a given user, and they're still part of the return path in {{Usenet}}.

The practice is starting to seep out from fanfiction, though, and can also be used when talking about similar things in the source material, such as, for example, Future!Hiro, Vamp!Willow, or Brainwashed!Undead!Starscream (''[[TransformersEnergon Energon]]''!Starscream for short). It's also used in a more tongue-in-cheek manner to categorize examples of the MarySue in a quick, concise form.

The title of a given FanFic 'verse, or an abbreviation thereof, can also be used to indicate the version of a character from that setting, particularly when there have been major changes to them: [[UndocumentedFeatures UF]]![[RevolutionaryGirlUtena Utena]], [[SailorMoonExpanded SME]]![[Franchise/SailorMoon Jadeite]].

** For Ranma of ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'', it usually indicates a story where he accepts and embraces his girl-side, often to the extent of abandoning being male altogether.

** Multiple {{Unsettling Gender Reveal}}s happened to ''{{Gundam 00}}'' fandom when the beautiful Tieria was revealed to have a masculine voice. Even now, people call for 'female!Tieria' or the more explicit 'Tiera-with-girl-parts'.

These tags are concatenated and prepended to a character name, separated by exclamation marks: for example, ''Angry!Uber!Harry.'' For those wondering, this convention [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UUCP#Mail_routing stems from UUCP]], one of the earliest forms of email routing.

These tags are concatenated and prepended to a character name, separated by exclamation marks: for example, ''Angry!Uber!Harry.''

The title of a given FanFic 'verse, or an abbreviation thereof, can also be used to indicate the version of a character from that setting, particularly when there have been major changes to them: [[UndocumentedFeatures UF]]![[RevolutionaryGirlUtena Utena]], [[SailorMoonExpanded SME]]![[SailorMoon Jadeite]].

** This happens frequently with the ambiguous character Haku from ''{{Naruto}}'', but this tag also gets used all the time on ''Naruto himself''. Partially ''Justified'' in the fact that Naruto has been seen changing into a female form as part of a Henge (or disguise), based on himself if he were a well endowed female instead of a guy.

** Seen in video game fanfics in which a main character's gender can be chosen by the player, such as ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' (female![[spoiler:Revan]], female!Exile) and ''MassEffect'' (female!Shepard) -- a corresponding "male" tag also exists.