Sexypedia
, otherwise known as the Sexypedia Wiki, is a collaborative database hosted by Fandom.comnote that documents the phenomena known as “Fandom Sexymen”note , their associated tropes, and their presence in fandom circles.
The general definition of a “Fandom Sexyman” is a character who has gained a noticeable following online for being seen as romantically/physically attractive by fans of the source material, often in spite of how unconventional the reasons for their attraction are or how bizarre it may be to find a character from a particular work hot.
The most commonly cited originator of this phenomenon is The Once-ler from The Lorax (2012), whom an inexplicably large amount of Tumblr users found particularly attractive, leading to an absolutely massive fan following that spread across the site and arguably became a fandom of its own independent of the actual movie. There has been only one other character that has reached this level of infamy, hence why The Once-ler is listed on the wiki as one of only two Apollyon-level Sexymen, with the other being Sans from Undertale.
As time moved on and more characters attained the rank of Sexyman, it became clear that there were quite a few shared tropes between them that contributed to their popularity. What started as a comprehensive Google doc evolved into a proper wiki that summarizes each character’s Sexyman status by listing each one that applies to them and giving further context from either the source material or fan response to said character.
This wiki contains the following tropes:
- Content Warning: There are separate warnings for disturbing content within the article of a given character and one for possible triggers within the source material that aren’t covered by the article, with the latter advising that the viewer visit the page for the work on Does the Dog Die? for further info. Additionally, there is a disclaimer for articles on characters whose source materials or popular fanon depictions have controversial creators, such as The Butt Witch, stating that the editors of Sexypedia do not condone the actions of said creators.
- Non-Indicative Name: “Sexyman“ is used as a catch-all term for all of the characters documented on the wiki regardless of actual gender, though the terms “Sexywoman” and “Sexyperson” do exist for female and non-binary/gender-fluid/-neutral characters, respectively.
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Rule 34 – Creator Reactions: The creators of some of the characters listed have embraced their creations' Sexyman statuses and have even given their blessing for their inclusion on the wiki. Conversely, one of the potential reasons for a character page to get the "Do Not Sexualize" banner (aside from looking way too close to actual non-anthropomorphized animals for comfort or their creators being underage) is the creator expressing discomfort in their characters being seen in such a way. - Shout-Out: Sexypedia’s classification system for the popularity levels of Sexymen are taken directly from the SCP Foundation’s object class terms.
Tropes commonly associated with characters documented on the wiki include:
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Alternate Self Shipping: A common side effect of what the wiki calls “Oncelerization”, which is when countless Alternate Universe Fics are made for a work that are centered around a character with Sexyman status. Notably, this is something that the term’s namesake, The Once-ler, has in common with the only other Apollyon Sexyman, Sans. - Artists Are Attractive: The existence of the “Artsy” category, along with the popularity of Wally Darling (a painter) and Murdoc Niccals (a bassist)note , among others, seem to indicate that many agree with this sentiment.
- Ax-Crazy: The Sexypedia equivalent of this trope is the “Knifemurder” category. Being an actual Psycho Knife Nut is optional, but it does help.
- Dem Bones: The "Skeleton" category, of course. Sans and Papyrus are obvious examples, but Jack Skellington, Ernesto de la Cruz, and Lewis Pepper also have loyal fanbases who find them remarkably attractive despite their lack of flesh.
- Ditzy Genius: The equivalent category for this trope on the wiki is "Smartdumb", with Denzel Crocker, Randy Marsh, and Dr. Drakken listed as examples among others.
- Fanservice: The “Bait” category is for characters who were deliberately designed with Sexyman tropes in mind or simply meant to be seen as attractive.
- Flanderization: Sexymen, given their popularity, are particularly prone to undergoing this, with their fanbases latching on to one particular aspect of their canon selves and running it to the ground in fan works (i.e. Sans' laziness/puns/Angst, Snufkin's eagerness to commit crime, Goro Akechi's love of pancakes, etc.).
- Glasses Are Sexy: The reason why the "Glasses" category exists.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: The Sexypedia equivalent of this trope is the "Hot-headed" category, which is where you would find Miguel O'Hara and Loona, among others.
- High-Powered Career Woman: Referred to as “Girlbosses” on the wiki proper, this is a popular archetype for Sexywomen, as they are often domineering and look good in suits.
- Mad Scientist: This character archetype is particularly popular among Sexyman connoisseurs, as seen with the popularity of Professor Venomous, The Medic, and Megamind.
- Monster Clown: Hypothetically, the "Clown" category could encompass both this trope and Non-Ironic Clown, but given the fact that most of the Sexymen listed are villains, there's more of a skew towards the former, with notable examples including Spinel, The Daycare Attendant, and Buggy the Clown.
- Mystical White Hair: It is noted that characters in the "White Hair" category may have said feature to convey mysticism, if not outright villainy. Some examples (villainous or otherwise) include Sephirothnote , Satoru Gojo, and Aaravos.
- Perpetual Smiler: Sans popularized this trend, and this legacy is carried on in Sexymen such as Alastor, Bugbo, and Jax.
- Self-Fanservice: Many nonhuman Sexymen have had their status cemented by fan-artists drawing them as conventionally attractive humans (or at least humanoids) and having said depictions explode in popularity, with particularly prominent examples including Bill Cipher, Wheatley, and several of the cookies from Cookie Run.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Seeing as the original Tumblr Sexyman, The Once-ler, was a “Suitguy”, it should come as no surprise that many that have come after him have followed suit. If a character deemed a Sexyman doesn’t wear a suit in canon, then fanart will likely depict them wearing one, such as the cases of Bill Cipher and Tony the Talking Clock. And women certainly aren’t immune from this kind of appeal either, as Makima can attest to.
- Silver Fox: If the Sexymen in the "DILF/MILF" category still aren't old enough for your taste, there's also the "GILF" category, home of such characters as Emperor Belos, Ebeneezer Scrooge, and Amelia Hughes.
- Stacy's Mom: Granted, one does not necessarily have to be an actual parent to be placed under the “DILF/MILF” category, with some simply being Team Mom / Team Dad to their respective groups, a Parental Substitute to a younger character, or just being an attractive person over 30, but it does certainly help.
- The Twink: The "Pale Twink" category, naturally. Granted, only some of them are actually MLM, but that's never stopped Yaoi Fangirls before.
- Unkempt Beauty: If a sexyman isn’t well-groomed and dressed to the nines, then they’re this instead, and there is hardly any inbetween.
- White Hair, Black Heart: Characters under the “White Hair” category tend to overlap with villains, which adds to their appeal. Particularly popular examples include Nagito Komaeda, Astarion, and Griffith.
- Yandere: Many under the “Obsessive” category would qualify as this trope, such as GIFfany, Monika, and Claude Frollo.
