History Main / SympatheticSue

She'll never attempt to relieve the emotional pain herself -- other characters do all the legwork for her. The implication is, if she moves out of her pain too quickly -- or at all -- it was never that big of a deal in the first place. [[UnacceptableTarget Any character who doesn't try to help gets chewed out or portrayed as a jerk.]] And most of all, the story comes to an end as soon as the angst is gone.

This version of MarySue is often put into action by authors who think that a character can be made likable by writing them as TheWoobie. And then cranking it UpToEleven. Her life is packed with DeusAngstMachina either in her backstory or in the actual story she is in. She collects tragic events the way normal people collect baseball cards. And she is written with the sole intention of making you feel sorry for her. Like most Mary Sue subtypes, they can be male or female, but generally tends towards the latter since women are perceived to be more sensitive and vulnerable.

Apart from all that angst, there are all the regular MarySue things: Authorial intrusion, plot favoritism, unnatural magnetism, and such often also with a lack of perceivable flaws and a [[AuthorAvatar strong tie to the author]]. It's just that there's something for her to be overly and usually unrealistically depressed about. Perhaps the most important factor in a SympatheticSue is that, no matter what she's going through or how emotionally or physically damaged she may be, these damages never make her ugly; if she is unkempt she will be an UnkemptBeauty, any terrible ordeals she goes through will usually result in an AdrenalineMakeOver and if she is ever physically scarred it will be a cool looking, Bond villain type scar that will function more as a decoration (and a reminder of how beautifully and poetically tortured she is) than an actual injury. SympatheticSue always suffers beautifully (possibly a variation of BeautyIsNeverTarnished.)

This version of MarySue is often put into action by authors who think that a character can be made likable by writing them as TheWoobie. And then cranking it UpToEleven. Her life is packed with DeusAngstMachina either in her backstory or in the actual story she is in. She collects tragic events the way normal people collect baseball cards. And she is written with the sole intention of [[AppealToPity making you feel sorry for her.]] Like most Mary Sue subtypes, they can be male or female, but generally tends towards the latter since women are perceived to be more sensitive and vulnerable.

'''No examples please, this just explains the term.'''
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Apart from all that angst, there are all the regular MarySue things: Authorial intrusion, plot favoritism, unnatural magnetism, and such often also with a lack of perceivable flaws and a [[AuthorAvatar strong tie to the author]]. It's just that there's something for her to be overly and usually unrealistically depressed about. Perhaps the most important factor in a SympatheticSue is that, no matter what she's going through or how emotionally or physically damaged she may be, these damages never make her ugly; if she is unkempt she will be an UnkemptBeauty, any terrible ordeals she goes through will usually result in an AdrenalineMakeOver and if she is ever physically scarred it will be a cool looking, Bond villain type scar that will function more as a decoration (and a reminder of how beautifully and poetically tortured she is) than an actual injury. SympatheticSue always suffers beautifully (possibly a variation or BeautyIsNeverTarnished.)

Sue often blatantly ignores all the positives in her life. Self-blame is often irrational, but Sympathetic Sue takes SurvivorsGuilt to its most extreme state, blaming herself for her parents dying in a plane crash, and not just feeling mild guilt either, but wallowing in it deeply and extensively for years on end to get attention. The other characters will never get tired of trying to cheer her up, even if it's totally out of character for their personality. If they're not near her, they'll probably be discussing how sorry they feel for her.

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<<|SubjectiveTropes|>>

-->--'''The introduction to an unidentified ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' OC'''

A ''good'' angsty character's emotional pain is never stylish, and does not necessarily involve weeping and wailing. People deal with pain in many different ways, usually by becoming trapped in one of the FiveStagesOfGrief. If they do resort to self-harm such as cutting themselves, it's not glamourised. And like any normal person who is grieving, there will be a justifiable reason for it, because when pain is great, talking about it is therapeutic and keeping up mental anguish bottled up inside can be very unhealthy and result in severe problems later on. And the grieving will be because the character is actually in pain, not because they are trying to get sympathy from the audience.

Keep in mind that these tragic background elements do not, by themselves, define the character as a Sympathetic Sue. Any of these traumas is a good reason for any character - or any living person, for that matter -- to suffer some form of depression. And your character can have more than one of them without being a Sue, although the more you have, the harder it will be to write them realistically. But Sympathetic Sue will have suffered hugely -- sometimes from all of them at once. Not that this doesn't often happen in real life, but it's ''not cool.''

The MarySue who [[TheWoobie wants your sympathy]]. Basically, an AppealToPity personified and taken to the extreme. Like most other subtypes, they can be male or female, but generally tends towards the latter since women are perceived to be more sensitive and vulnerable. She'll usually be mopey and depressed while {{Wangst}}ing all the time. She may go through DeusAngstMachina either in her backstory or in the actual stories she is in.

* LastOfHerKind

Please note that you can create an angsty character who isn't a MarySue. Even {{Wangst}} can have its place in good fanfiction, if done right. An unhappy history and a gloomy personality aren't the only things that make a Sympathetic Sue.

Their feelings of guilt will make sense, usually because of psychological scarring. Perhaps, just perhaps though, they ''were'' responsible for something that happened to someone else and are dead on with their remorse. They might have tried to do something to relieve the pain in the past, even if it failed. And canon characters do other things as well as comfort the angsty character. Even after the angst is gone there's still a story to be told.

Keep in mind that these tragic background elements do not, by themselves, define the character as a Sympathetic Sue. Any of these traumas is a good reason for any character - or any living person, for that matter - to suffer some form of depression. And your character can have more than one of them without being a Sue, although the more you have, the harder it will be to write them realistically. But Sympathetic Sue will have suffered hugely - sometimes from all of them at once. Not that this doesn't often happen in real life, but it's ''not cool.''

She'll never attempt to relieve the emotional pain herself - other characters do all the legwork for her. The implication is, if she moves out of her pain too quickly -- or at all -- it was never that big of a deal in the first place. [[UnacceptableTarget Any character who doesn't try to help gets chewed out or portrayed as a jerk. ]]And most of all, the story comes to an end as soon as the angst is gone.

In a lot of cases, the character is not a Sympathetic Sue in the original work, but appears as one in fanfiction. Authors, in attempt to generate more drama or sympathy for their favorite character, sometimes exaggerate said character's past trauma or write a new scenerio in which he/she is heaped with {{Wangst}}.

->''My mother [[DeathByChildbirth died giving birth to me]], so I'm an {{only child| syndrome}}...''
->''[[DisappearedDad My father]] [[WeAllLiveInAmerica was killed]] [[TheWarOnTerror in Iraq]] when I was 2 then I was put into [[OrphanageOfFear an orphanage]][[DramaticEllipsis ...]]''
->''When I was three I was kidnapped and [[ChildSoldier augmented into a soldier]] called a CRUSADER[[DramaticEllipsis ...]]''
->''The war ended when I was 15, [[EverybodysDeadDave and all my friends were dead]]...[[LastOfHisKind I'm the last CRUSADER]][[DramaticEllipsis ...]]''
->''When I was 16, I found out that [[TheChosenOne I'm the wielder]] of [[MacGuffin a sword]] that almost everyone is trying to kill me for[[DramaticEllipsis ...]]''
->''I met the [[RelationshipSue girl of my dreams]], [[DisposableWoman who was shortly later killed]][[OverlyLongGag ...]]''
->''You think [[{{Wangst}} YOUR life sucks]]? THINK AGAIN!!!!''

She'll talk about her pain constantly and as soon as possible. In RealLife, some people are very open about their emotional pain because talking about it is therapeutic. A problem shared is a problem halved, people! But Sue's sharing will simply double it.

She'll never attempt to relieve the emotional pain herself - other characters do all the legwork for her. [[UnacceptableTarget Any character who doesn't try to help gets chewed out or portrayed as a jerk. ]]And most of all, the story comes to an end as soon as the angst is gone.

Pairs well with JerkSue, since angst can fuel anger and acting out sympathetically. Generally shows up in {{Hurt Comfort Fic}}s, and is a common fate for an in-series {{Woobie}} or DracoInLeatherPants. May also be a DamselScrappy.

-->--'''The introduction to an unidentified ''Franchise/SailorMoon''(!) OC'''

She'll never attempt to relieve the emotional pain herself - other characters do all the legwork for her. Any character who doesn't try to help gets chewed out or portrayed as a jerk. And most of all, the story comes to an end as soon as the angst is gone.

-->--'''The introduction to an unidentified ''Manga/SailorMoon''(!) OC'''

A ''good'' angsty character's emotional pain is never stylish, and does not necessarily involve weeping and wailing. People deal with pain in many different ways, usually by becoming trapped in one of the FiveStagesOfGrief. If they do resort to self-harm such as cutting themselves, it's not glamourised. And like any normal person who is grieving, there will be a justifiable reason for it, because when pain is great, talking about it is therapeutic and keeping up mental anguish bottled in can be very unhealthy and result in severe problems later on. And the grieving will be because the character is actually in pain, not because they are trying to get sympathy from the audience.

She'll talk about her pain constantly and as soon as possible. In RealLife, some people are very open about their emotional pain because talking about it is therapetic, but those with the deepest trauma have it because they keep their pain so close to their chest. A problem shared is a problem halved, people! But Sue's sharing will simply double it.

A ''good'' angsty character's emotional pain is never stylish, and does not necessarily involve weeping and wailing. People deal with pain in many different ways, usually by becoming trapped in one of the FiveStagesOfGrief. If they do resort to self-harm such as cutting themselves, it's not glamourised. And like any normal person who is grieving, there will be a justifiable reason for it, for when pain is great, talking about it is therapeutic and keeping up mental anguish can be very unhealthy and result in severe problems later on. And the grieving will be because the character is actually in pain, not because they are trying to get symphathy from the audience.

A ''good'' angsty character's emotional pain is never stylish, and does not necessarily involve weeping and wailing. People deal with pain in many different ways, usually by becoming trapped in one of the FiveStagesOfGrief. If they do resort to self-harm such as cutting themselves, it's not glamourised. And like any normal person who is grieving, there will be a justifiable reason for it, for when pain is great talking about it is therapeutic and keeping up mental anguish can be very unhealthy and result in severe problems later on. And the grieving will be because the character is actually in pain, not because they are trying to get symphathy from the audience.