Fandom Heresy

aka: True Fan

Mason: The new Star Wars movies are way better than the older ones anyway.
Shawn: Whoa.
Gus: ...We are dealing with a crazy person.

— Psych, "Shawn Rescues Darth Vader"

Among Fandom there are some topics which, once mentioned, will cause endless, passionate debate over which faction of the Fandom is correct. Then there are some things which it seems like everyone in the Fandom agrees on. Of course Alan Moore is one of the best comics scribes out there. Of course the American adaptation of Coupling sucked. And of course Garfield has been going downhill for years. How could anyone think otherwise?

Well, inevitably there are one or two fans who do. Actually voicing these opinions which run contrary to Fandom consensus, however, can entail some risk. You might get some funny looks if you said you preferred the Japanese GoLion over the American Voltron Lion Force. If you say you liked Voltron Vehicle Force, however, prepare to be treated as a Fandom pariah, along with comments that you're obviously not a real/true fan. Essentially, this is the Fandom variant of The Complainer Is Always Wrong.

Sometimes, this trope can even extend to fans who hold opinions that are only tenuously related (or, in some case, entirely unrelated) to the work in question — which run contrary to Fandom consensus. Can exist in the form of "you can't be a true fan of Band X, if you also like Band Y or you don't also like Band Z".

By the extension of the above two paragraphs, in certain circles, the term "true fan" is the fandom equivalent of Godwin's Law. It's like declaring "I believe in [X] because I'm a 'regular' fan". In other words, if someone plays/invokes the "[X] because I am a true fan" , then they automatically lose the argument.

"After a rather influential message by M Sipher in 1997 the term 'true fan' has taken on a whole new meaning among some TransFans. It's a sort of twist on Godwin's Law where anybody who accuses somebody of not being a true fan automatically loses any argument, and is often discounted as a buffoon afterwards."

—Steve-o's Transformers FAQ

Please note, to count as Fandom Heresy it must be said by someone who is part of the Fandom. For example, someone saying "Breaking Bad is stupid" or "Discworld is boring" doesn't count. However, a Breaking Bad fan saying, "Ozymandias is an overrated episode" or a Discworld fan saying, "Sam Vimes is the lamest character in the series" would definitely count.

A very commonplace, fandom-independent example of Fandom Heresy is disliking the main character, or the Ensemble Dark Horse if the main character isn't also the most popular character. Doubly so if you say that said character is a copy of a character from another series. Being a fan of a Hate Sink (in a non-Love to Hate way), The Scrappy, or a character with a despised trait (such as being an Abusive Parent) is just as universal an example of heresy, for equally obvious reasons.

See also Fan Dumb for another way to hit the Berserk Button of certain fandoms. Compare with Broken Base, where the two sides of opinion are more equal rather than one overwhelming majority against a minority "heresy"; as well as Sacred Cow, in which the "heresy" includes even non-fans. Not to be confused with Fandom-Enraging Misconception, which is for common factual errors about works that particularly annoy their fans.

This trope is extremely dependent on biases and sometimes it may make you feel uncomfortable if you do not hold their views. However, do not lose heart: It's all right to keep your opinions and be a 'heretic' if it's being truer to your heart and you are not directly harming anyone. You probably just need to be extra careful on how you express your opinion, but you will eventually find a community or friend where your opinion wouldn't look too much like a heresy. Don't let the biases of the loud fandom listed below prevent you from enjoying (or not enjoying) the media.

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Examples:

• Professional Wrestling

Anime and Manga

• For the anime community in its entirety, mentioning 4Kids Entertainment will get you targeted by the community as a whole due to things they're done in their dubs such as bowdlerization, Dub Induced Plotline Changes, and more. With the exception of some voice actors associated with them (such as Dan Green, Ted Lewis or the original Pokémon: The Series cast), it's best not to say anything positive about 4Kids no matter how nostalgic their dubs are to you.
• Berserk: Do not approve of Griffith's heinous actions during and post-Eclipse, otherwise you'd be on the receiving end of Guts's Dragonslayer.
• Bodacious Space Pirates: It's not a good idea to suggest pairing any female characters with males to the fandom unless you want to get blasted by the Bentemaru, and don't even think about speaking negatively about Marika/Chiaki and especially Jenny/Lynn, the latter notable for being revealed to be an outright couple.
• Bunny Drop: Never mention the second half of the series where Rin falls in love with and marries her adoptive father to the fandom, given that its infamy is so great that both the anime and live-action adaptations ignore it in favor of a more familial approach.
• Cardcaptor Sakura: Even if you were a relatively innocent kid that wasn't aware of the original when it came out, it's best not to mention the dub, let alone that you like it, to most fans, as many consider it to be one of the worst anime dubs ever made. This is mostly due to as while the Americanization and removal of any romantic relationships (even the heterosexual ones) in a mostly ROMANCE series wasn't bad enough, in an effort to make to show gender-neutral (read: suitable for a male audience), Kids WB cut out any episodes not focused on Syaoran to make him a co-protagonist with Sakura (possibly even make him the main character over Sakura). Even simply referring to the series as Cardcaptors is enough to set fans off.
• Anyone who draws or views lewd artwork of Cells at Work!'s platelets will be seen by fans as a disease that must be cured by repeated application of sharp objects.
• Chainsaw Man: Don't speak positively about the Debt Collector or his actions, else you'll be turned into a zombie.
• Cowboy Bebop: You think the Netflix adaptation was better than the anime? You liked how Julia was revealed to be the Big Bad the entire time? Well, congratulations, because you now effectively have a bounty on your head that every oldschool anime fan will want to collect!
• Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School:
  • Overlapping with the games, do not say that you approve of the method Junko Enoshima used to turn Class 77 into the Remnants of Despair being Ryota Mitarai's brainwashing animation, as the fandom sees it as an underwhelming explanation.
  • Similarly, do not speak positively about Kazuo Tengan being the mastermind of the Future arc.
• Death Note fans will be writing down your name in the blink of an eye should you praise any aspect (unless it's Willem Dafoe's portrayal of Ryuk, who even they'll admit did a pretty good job) of Netflix's adaptation of the series.
• Digimon Adventure 02:
  • While liking the Matt/Sora couple will make some fans upset at you, don't even dare to say that it made perfect sense and not an Ass Pull.
  • Similarly, do not say anything positive about the series' Distant Finale.
• Dragon Ball:
  • Either trashing on it or saying it doesn't exist is recommended if you ever decide to bring up Dragonball Evolution to fans of the franchise, but praising the movie or admitting it's not bad... good luck trying to summon Shenron, because there's a high chance that there'll be no trace of you left by the time they're through with you.
  • Do not compare Goku to Superman, and if you don't want a SSGSS Kamehameha to your face, don't suggest Superman is stronger.
  • Regarding Broly, as of his re-introduction in Dragon Ball Super, saying that you prefer pre-Super Broly over his current iteration will result in one heck of an ass-kicking, as his Super iteration is considered to be a much better character than he was before.
• Please refrain from bringing up the animated adaptation of Earwig and the Witch to Studio Ghibli fans. If you do... the result would almost make the curse that transforms someone into a pig from Spirited Away look sedate.
• Fullmetal Alchemist:
  • Don't say anything even remotely positive about Shou Tucker. Otherwise, you'll be turned into a chimera yourself.
  • Never say you were okay with Maes Hughes' death, as the character was well-liked and his death was considered very heartbreaking to the fandom.
• Haruhi Suzumiya: Don't tell a fan that you enjoyed the Endless Eight arc of the anime, or you'll be praying to Haruhi herself for a way to stop the hate mail.
• Hayate the Combat Butler: Never say anything even remotely positive about Hayate's parents, as what they do at the beginning of the series was enough for them to be unanimously hated by the fandom.
• Hentai: To hentai fans, the two biggest sins that a hentai can commit are "NTR" and "Ugly Bastard", both things despised by fans of the genre. Saying you approve of such themes will cause fans to tear you apart.
• Infinite Stratos: The fandom has a rather big one: if you even dare to make a microscopical amount of criticism to Charlotte Dunois... Well, may God save you from the backlash you will suffer.
• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure:
  • Speedwagon is a beloved character in the fandom and is considered nigh untouchable when it comes to criticism. However, if you trash him and certain users know where you live, it's best to move out of the country to avoid the firestorm of poison rings, stolen steamrollers, free-moving bombs, baseball bats or Stand barrages that'll be heading.
  • If you really want to a fan of the series, here's a handy piece of information: do not skip parts. Because of the targeted harassment that many a part skipper has faced over the fandom's long history, it's really not a good idea for one to not read or watch a part of the original manga or anime adaption, because doing so will let you miss a huge chunk of the story overall. If you decide to do so... the Ultra Security House Unit awaits you.
  • Do not suggest that Bucciarati is not the best mom, or Gold Experience Requiem will make you die for all eternity.
  • If you unironically use the localized Stand and character names or acknowledge them in any way other than to make fun of how dumb they sound, the fandom will make you the victim of filthy acts at a reasonable price. It's a very sore spot for fans, since the name changes rob JoJo of one of its most famous aspects, and the supposed justification isn't always consistent.
• Komi Can't Communicate: The fandom has a sacred rule; never make lewd art or the like of Komi-san (unless it's with Tadano). Otherwise, be ready to face the angry fandom.
• Love Hina: Due to her treatment of Keitaro, saying that you like the main heroine, Naru Narusegawa, will result in you getting the same beating that Keitaro does from the girls.
• Love Live!: To put it simply, don't insinuate that any character is anything short of a lesbian to the fandom. Just don't. Even headcanoning them as bisexual or pansexual (thus giving room for the idea that they still like other girls) is unacceptable. And if you draw porn of the characters having sex with dudes, prepare to be punished even more by the fandom, and we don't mean Nozomi's "washi washi".
• Macross: Bringing up the American "adaptation" Robotech is bad enough (the only reason why you won't be unanimously shot down on sight is because a good portion of Macross fans used to be Robotech fans). Bringing up Harmony Gold, the creators of Robotech who are infamous for being the reason the Macross franchise suffered No Export for You until 2021 and for suing other companies into oblivion for even the slightest cases of perceived copyright infringement of characters they didn't create yet own the distribution rights to, is enough to draw the anger of the entire fandom and will get you unanimously shot down. Protoculture forbid you say anything positive about Harmony Gold, otherwise you can expect yourself to end up in a remake of the end of The Wings of Farewell: Being blasted apart by the combined power of an array of Wave-Motion Guns. And once the dust is settled, they'll summon the Battletech and Transformers fandoms as well to make sure nothing left of you remains, considering those franchise have also been sued by Harmony Gold in the past.
• My Dress-Up Darling: Never say anything negative about Marin Kitagawa or ship her or Gojo with anyone but each other.
• My Hero Academia:
  • Disliking Izuku Midoriya or calling him a bad protagonist because he "cries all the time" quickly became this for fans, with many clarifying that he rarely ever cries in later arcs except for when it's deemed appropriate, such as Sir Nighteye's death. Even though he did cry quite a bit in the first few arcs, him crying was quite understandable given the treatment he had to endure for (initially) being quirk-less, which can make some of the criticism lean uncomfortably close into the Men Don't Cry stereotype that ends up promoting toxic masculinity.
  • Calling out Inko for having gained weight since Izuku's childhood. A lot of fans don't take kindly to people saying she has become ugly or unattractive due to gaining weight and put down those who say it by pointing out that it would be perfectly normal for a (technically) single mom to do such a thing. All things considered, should you be foolish enough to do this... well, it won't end well, to say the least, as you'll have the misfortune of being on the receiving end of a gargantuan pummelling, courtesy of Izuku himself as he goes absolutely berserk and brutally beats you up with a thousand United States of Smash with the rage of a thousand suns.
  • Saying that you like Mineta, or at the very least saying that you think he's a good character, will get you no shortage of death glares from the fandom since he's widely seen as The Scrappy of the entire series, as well as one of the most notorious scrappies in manga and anime in the last few years.
  • Do you like Overhaul? Do you think he's cool? Do you want him to be redeemed? Congratulations. You now have the entire fandom's undying hatred. Even feeling the slightest amount of sympathy for him in his current state is enough to set some fans off and get you on the receiving end of a whooping courtesy of the entire 1-A Class.
• Naruto:
  • While opinions on the War Arc is split on whether it's good or not, do not say that the Invasion of Pain Arc isn't good, else prepare to face Pain and his Six Paths.
  • Bringing up Sequel Series Boruto to the fandom is not a good idea as they don't have a high opinion of it, and doing so will basically get you on the receiving end of being pummeled by Kurama or by the crowd, in Kurama's honor. You may be able to get away with saying positive things about the Boruto manga, however, as it's considered to be much better.
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: Never bring up the butchered edited version Warriors of the Wind. If you do, the fandom will leave you stranded in the Toxic Jungle where you'll be attacked by giant mutant insects. Even Hayao Miyazaki hated the recut.
• One Piece:
  • While (unlike other adaptations they've done) praising the Netflix adaptation can be considered okay, never say it's better than the manga or anime.
  • Never speak positively about Ace's death at the hands of Akainu, otherwise be prepared to meet the same fate as him.
  • Also, do not speak positively of the Celestial Dragons or the fandom will ensure you die a slow and painful death.
• Oshi no Ko:
  • You better not speak ill about Ai Hoshino to the fandom, or better yet, say that you support her death. Otherwise, a crazed fan will appear on your doorstep.
  • While you can criticize what she was initially like at the start of the series, do not say that Miyako Saitou isn't a good mother or a good replacement for Ai, as the fandom considers her a loving mother second only to Ai herself.
• Pokémon: The Series:
  • Anime fans tend to despise the show's use of Comic-Book Time, so saying Ash staying 10 years old is a good creative decision will cause fans to break out the torches and pitchforks and hurl them at you. The creators of the anime themselves repeatedly get a ton of flak whenever they'd re-confirm his age.
  • Mentioning or supporting the "Comatose Ash Theory" (that Ash has been in a coma the entire series) will cause the fandom to cry Berserker Tears and launch a large Electro Ball at your house.
  • Saying that you liked Pokémon the Series: Black & White or that it's your favorite part of the anime is enough to make its fandom go ballistic, as it's derided for various problems such as reverting Ash back to a novice Trainer, Iris (and sometimes Cilan) being considered The Load, how Team Plasma was handled in the anime, and more. Even just bringing up the Meteonite Arc that had to be dropped due to the Tohoku Earthquake in 2011 will cause fans to want your head on a pike over how it ended up ruining the saga as a whole.
  • Fans do not want to be reminded of Pokémon: Genesect and the Legend Awakened due to the fact that it introduced a second Mewtwo in a situation where the original would have fit in perfectly. If you want to piss them off, claim that you liked the movie or its Mewtwo. ^note It turns out the reason for the second Mewtwo was due to Takeshi Shudō's estate owning the concept of the original Mewtwo, but this unfortunately isn't enough to change people's minds about the sixteenth movie.
  • On the opposite side of things, do not say that you didn't like Pokémon the Series: XY, considered to be one of the best sagas in the anime for various reasons. The only exception to this is the Kalos League arc (which in fact is risky to say you didn't hate).
  • When it comes to villains, do not speak negatively about Pokémon Hunter J's villainous aspects, as she's considered to be one of the most serious and terrifying villains in the anime. Failure to comply with this will get you turned to stone.
  • Say that you like Tobias and that it was fine for Ash to lose against him and not even a full team of Legendary Pokemon will save you from the fandom's wrath.
  • Bringing up the end results of the Kalos League will cause a ton of hate from the fandom to erupt at you, given the major controversy over the outcome. For bonus points, claim that you approved of Alain's victory over Ash. It's okay if you say you like Alain, as he does have his fans. It's also okay to bring up the other League losses, as they didn't get nearly as much backlash as Kalos did (except maybe Sinnoh).
  • Regarding the fallout of "Electric Soldier Porygon", do not tell fans that you're okay with Porygon being Exiled from Continuity, as fans are upset over not only Porygon getting banned from the anime but also its evolutions never being able to appear in the anime at all (especially since Porygon itself was not even the cause of the incident). You can say that the episode's banning is completely understandable, but not Porygon's banning.
  • Do not speak positively about the 2015 DVD of the Adventures of the Orange Islands season to the fandom, as they are upset at the way Viz Media butchered it. This is due to two Missing Episodes having the appearance of Jynx with her original coloring. One of them happens to be Lorelei/Prima's spotlight episode, meaning one of the Kanto Elite Four has been officially Exiled from Continuity ^note at least as far as the anime's concerned by TPCI solely due to Jynx, something fans are sure to be unhappy about.
  • While fans are divided over the merits of the Pokémon movies (whether they're just vehicles for various Mythical Pokémon or have stories that would be more than welcome in the series proper), never say that any of the movies after Genesect and the Legend Awakened are better than any that came before it. In addition, saying anything negative about the first Mewtwo, Lugia, Latias & Latios, Lucario, or Keldeo's roles in their respective movies will get you stuffed into the Defense Mechanium of Altomare.
• Puella Magi Madoka Magica:
  • Never, ever, ever, try to redeem Kyubey. While there was a certain level of wiggle room about it in the earlier days of the fandom, the events of Rebellion have pretty much ensured that he is utterly hated by the fandom at large and any attempt to see 'his point' will get you torn apart by a legion of Magical Girls who would say otherwise.
  • Writing any of the Magical Girls as straight is not something one does in the fandom without scorn. Partially because the list of male characters who get focus and are thus likable is very small (the only male character who gets any respect from the original series is Madoka's dad for example, and spin offs like the mangas and Magia Record add very few others) and partially because of all of the Les Yay in the series, writing any Magical Girl as straight is tantamount to walking over a pit of lava on a flimsy rope in turns of safety. The only member of the original Magical Girls who could even be attempted to written as straight and not get you pillared is Mami, and that is partially because Rebellion partnered her with Nagisa and the fandom would rather have Mami be straight than attracted to a elementary student, but the fandom would rather still pair her with another Magical Girl if at all possible. Even the Magical Girls who do clearly show attraction to guys are expected by the fandom to be either Bisexual or in denial of their true sexualities in fan works, no exception.
• The Quintessential Quintuplets: While all of the titular quintuplets are liked, do not say that Miku and/or Nino aren't the best ones, or else the fandom will get furious at you.
• Rent-A-Girlfriend: Do not criticize the main heroine, Chizuru, unless you want the fanbase to seek out and assault you.
• Revolutionary Girl Utena:
  • Do not suggest that Juri and Miki have any romantic chemistry whatsoever, or else the fandom will verbally brutalize you, even if all your other ships for Juri are femslash ships. In fact, ship any het pairing in the series at all and you'll get this result.
  • Don't say anything positive about the manga or Chiho Saito. If you do, the lightest punishment you'll receive is a lecture on why Saito is the devil incarnate for something she said over a decade ago and changed her mind about later on.
• Rosario + Vampire: Do not ship Tsukune with anyone besides Moka Akashiya or say he should be with any of the other girls. You're still allowed to like any of the other girls, but do not deny the ship of Tsukune/Moka.
• Rurouni Kenshin: Saying that you liked the Seisouhen OVA will get you hacked apart for its Happy Ending Override. For the record, you'll know how despised that one is when not only most fans deny Seisouhen's existence, but even Nobuhiro Watsuki himself, who didn't write it, shares the same opinion too.
• Sailor Moon:
  • Something you should never do is say that any of the Senshi are straight or ship them with males, including the Shitennou (despite them having female forms), as giving the Senshi male love interests in any capacity is dangerous. The only straight pairing you can get away with liking or supporting is Usagi (Sailor Moon)/Mamoru (Tuxedo Mask).
  • Suggest that the first two seasons of Sailor Moon Crystal are any good. Even if you acknowledge their flaws, be ready for a slew of screaming about the animation and the characters being "ruined" and accused of supporting heteronormativity and misogyny, as well as a tirade on how Crystal was at the time the cancer killing the entire franchise.
• School Days: While a huge Jerkass and womanizer, defending Makoto for any reason will cause the fans to summon both Kotonoha and Sekai to rape you, force you to impregnate them and kill you.
• Spy X Family: Don't approve the actions of Murdoch Swan, else fans may "mistake" you for a mosquito.
• Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Do not tell a fan that you were okay with Nia's death at the end of the series, just one reason being it coming out of nowhere during Simon and Nia's wedding of all things. Doing so will lead to you being on the receiving end of a huge whooping.
• Why the Hell Are You Here, Teacher!?: Don't tell fans you dislike Kana Kojima or prefer other teachers, wait you did? Great, you just made the fans get Kana Kojima herself as your teacher. Good luck.

Comic Books

• Archie Comics:
  • Don't say that you like the new continuities better than the original.
  • Never bring up the film adaptation of Josie and the Pussycats to the fans of the series.
  • When it comes to ships involving Archie, don't say that you like the ship of him with Cheryl better than Betty or Veronica.
  • Don't say that you like Ginger Lopez in her first appearances where she replaces Cheryl in those comics that Cheryl was originally in.
• Batman:
  • Don't speak positively about All-Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder (unless it's ironic) unless you want to be beaten up by the goddamn Batman and be forced to eat rats in the Batcave, as it's widely regarded to be one of the worst Batman comics of all time. And especially don't say you like Batman's depiction in the comic.
  • Don't say you don't think Cassandra Cain should be Batgirl unless you want to be beaten up by her and the rest of the Bat Family, as It's universally agreed that she is the one most suited for the Batgirl mantle besides Barbara Gordon herself.
  • Don't suggest you agree with Cass' temporary Face–Heel Turn and her stint as the head of the League of Assassins in One Year Later, as many fans consider it to be one of the worst cases of character assassination in all of comic books, with DC quickly undoing it and handwaving it as her becoming Brainwashed and Crazy in response to the severe backlash, before brushing it under the rug shortly after.
  • Saying you agree with Barbara Gordon getting crippled by The Joker in The Killing Joke is a good way to have The Joker come to your house and shoot you, as even fans who otherwise love the comic found it to be its worst aspect, with the book's writer — Alan Moore — deeply regretting it.
  • Regardless of what one thinks of Frank Miller and his later Batman comics, it's not wise to criticize The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One unless you want to be beaten up by fans, as both are considered to be classics that have played a huge role in modernizing Batman and revitalizing comic books as a whole.
  • Go on, suggest that Batman should kill his foes (while you can suggest killing Joker with extreme caution, as it is a massive Broken Base), unless you don't want to be beaten to a pulp by the Dark Knight himself, on top of the fandom, as his Thou Shall Not Kill rule is one of his most defining characteristics and partly what seperates him from other dark and edgy heroes/anti-heroes.
  • Don't describe the Robins as Batman's "soldiers" unless you want to be beaten up by all of them at once. Most fans prefer to view them as Batman's sons or wards instead, especially since Bruce adopted most of them (and Damian is his biological son). In all fairness, some of the comics (especially those by Frank Miller) do go for this interpretation, but since many fans hate this interpretation, it's equally unwise to suggest you support it.
• The Boys: Never say Homelander can beat another Superman Substitute and even worse, never say he can beat up the original himself. It's up to the point where the "Omni-Man vs. Homelander" fight in DEATH BATTLE! shows just why.
• Captain America: Never state that you thought the "Captain Hydra/Stevil" plot twist from Nick Spencer's Captain America and the ensuing Crisis Crossover Secret Empire was great. Otherwise, expect to be beaten by the entire Marvel fandom for professing your approval of one of the most ill-thought attempts to upend the status quo in comic book history, one that went against everything the character stood for. And when the fandom comes to beat you up, they can and will do it all day.
• DC Comics:
  • Do not speak positively about Identity Crisis (2004), as it's considered to have started one of the worst eras in the franchise.
  • Speaking positively about The New 52 will also get you in trouble, due to it being considered a terrible Continuity Reboot that was eventually undone.
• Fantastic Four: It's not a good idea to mention any of the film adaptations to fans, especially the 2015 movie due to its Ashcan Copy status.
• The Flash:
  • If you value your life, never say anything positive about Heroes in Crisis. It was so hated that DC decided to do a massive damage control for this story and make it look like it never happened in the first place.
  • When it comes to live-action adaptations, don't say that Ezra Miller was more likable than Grant Gustin or you'll be erased from history.
• Judge Dredd: Do not say that you liked the 1995 Sylvester Stallone film, just two of the reasons being that the titular character took off his helmet, something that is considered sacrilege by the fandom, and shoehorning the characters from the other 2000 AD stories such as the ABC Warriors and the Angel Family.
• Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics):
  • It's not a good idea to ever mention Ken Penders, mainly due to the fact that his lawsuit against Archie Comics over his characters and concepts not only lead to a Cosmic Retcon-induced reboot that got rid of any characters created by former writers, but also eventually led to the cancellation of the comic itself and even has had repercussions throughout the entire franchise as a whole. Speaking his name will lead to everyone harnessing the powers of the seven Chaos Emeralds to verbally attack you so severely that you might need a trip to the local psych ward, or throw you into Robotropolis and leave you to be cornered by Swat-Bots there.
  • Interestingly, while the story was once praised by fans, nowadays, speaking positively about Endgame is almost guaranteed to land you on a watchlist, mainly due to the plotline of the main character himself getting framed for Sally's supposed murder being considered by most fans as idiotic.
  • Do not speak positively about Drago Wolf, not because he's a Hate Sink, but because he's considered to be a bad villain.
  • In a similar vein, saying anything positive about Knuckles' father, Locke, will lead to the fandom "microwaving your baby".
• Spider-Man:
  • Professing fondness for One More Day will have fans take you in to be on the receiving end of a brutal beating courtesy of Peter himself, as they despise that story for undoing Peter and Mary Jane's marriage via Ret-Gone, which was Joe Quesada's main goal with the story. To a lesser extent, the story reversed years of character development for Peter Parker and Aunt May (Peter being a teacher and an Avenger and May discovering Peter is Spider-Man). Needless to say, it's so horrifically bad that it's up to the point where there's actually a Revenge Fic fan-comic that shows Peter and Mary Jane themselves going all out to retcon Joe out of existence as revenge for doing this story.
    • Related to the above, it's best not to mention Joe Quesada at all when talking about the comic, due to his infamy.
  • In the same topic, you can debate of your favorite ship (either MJ, Felicia, Gwen or any other girl he dated before but definitely not Carlie Cooper) but the consensus in the fandom is still the same: Spider-Man should be married and have kids and if he should be separated from said wife, it should be via a divorce, and saying a married or a divorced Peter can't work or he should not age is 100% sure of making the fandom angry against you. Thanks to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the fandom saw the idea can work.
  • Any kind of appreciation for The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) is as dangerous as fighting Peter when he isn't making jokes, due to it starting off with a vaguely defined incident that rendered Spider-Man even more of a Hero with Bad Publicity than he usually is, followed by a blatant attempt to take Mary Jane off the table as a potential love interest, and then killing and resurrecting Kamala Khan at the drop of a hat.
  • Don't ever suggest that Miles Morales is not a "real" Spider-Man unless you want to be attacked by a venom blast. He may be a Legacy Character, but Miles Morales is just as much of a Spider-Man as Peter Parker is, which is only reinforced by the comics, as well as adaptations like Insomniac's Spider-Man games and the Spider-Man: Spider-Verse films.
• Superman:
  • Never, ever bring up Matrix, Linda Danvers, Cir-El, or Ariella Kent to fans of Supergirl and when talking about Supergirl.
  • If you ask who would win a battle between Superman himself and a Superman Substitute, the only good answer is Superman himself, especially if you decide to make him fight Homelander. In this case, the result is always "Superman wins without being touched once". Needless to say, any dissent will lead you to be epically curbstomped by Superman himself.
• X-Men: It's not wise to say anything negative about the original five members.^note Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Jean Grey, and Iceman

Comic Strips

• The Addams Family: Bringing up the straight-to-video Addams Family Reunion will have you blown up by Uncle Fester.
• Peanuts: Regardless of the ships involving Charlie Brown, do not deny the ship of him with the little red-haired girl.

Films — Animated

• Aladdin: While many would agree that the glut of animated characters quoting famous movies that only the parents would get is annoying and that the Genie may have started it, the Genie is always the exception to the rule. It helps that the Genie's pop-culture references are balanced out by plenty of character depth.
• Coco: Don't say that you approve of Ernesto de la Cruz and his actions (except praising Benjamin Bratt's performance), otherwise you'll wish the fandom never remembered you for that.
• Despicable Me: Go up to any fan and say that you still like the Minions and they're the best part of the movie and even merely mentioning them. Those poor little critters got hit by this like a truck by the time the prequel got released.
• Disney Animated Canon: Do not say that direct-to-video sequels are better than the original movies. With some caution, you may be able to get away with praising most of them, but saying you liked it more than the original is a huge no-no, especially if the original was a Disney Renaissance film. And the live-action remakes must be forgotten about altogether.
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney): Do not speak negatively about Frollo's status as a villain, as he's considered to be one of the best ones in all of Disney's animated canon. You can hate Frollo for his personality and actions, but not his villainous aspects. Otherwise be prepared to meet the same fate as him.
• Kung Fu Panda: The fandom is very protective of the Po/Tigress ship and will use the Wuxi Finger Hold on you if you dare say you don't support the pairing.
• The Land Before Time: Saying anything positive about the direct-to-video sequels will have you snatched up by the Sharptooth.
• Lilo & Stitch: Don't ever speak ill of Lilo in any fashion unless you want to get blasted to smithereens by Stitch, as fans are incredibly protective of her. Criticizing Lilo's successors (Yuna and Ai) is fair game due to how divisive they both are, but criticizing Lilo herself is absolutely off-limits.
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie: While it's acceptable to admit that the live-action adaptation from the 90s is a guilty pleasure, you'd better have some 1-Up mushrooms handy if you say it's better than the animated film. For what it's worth, you can say Bob Hoskins was a better Mario than Chris Pratt without consequence.
• Tangled: Don't even imply that Gothel cared for Rapunzel even a little or else be prepared to endure the Flame Wars that erupt, alongside discussions about Abusive Parents and how Gothel treated Rapunzel like an object.

Films — Live-Action

• Alien:
  • Are you considering speaking bad about Aliens, considered by the fandom to be one of the defining films in the series? If you do, fans will leave you to be brutally killed by the Xenomorph. Same applies to the first movie.
  • Similarly, do not speak positively of Alien³, as fans loathe that movie for the massive Happy Ending Override of the much beloved ending of Aliens. Do so and you'll be taken out by another Xenomorph.
• Back to the Future:
  • Criticizing the two sequels is understandable, but criticizing the original or calling it a "bad film" will either get you covered in cow manure, forcing you to get stuck in 1955, or worse, get hanged, drawn and quartered by everyone, their parents, and their grandparents as it is considered to be one of the most beloved movies by many movie fans.
  • Fans are very happy with how the series bowed out gracefully after three films, so do not suggest that it's time for a Back to the Future Part IV, or worse, a remake of the original.
• Batman Film Series:
  • Criticizing the first movie is a sure way for fans to leave you to be beaten by the Caped Crusader himself as it is one of the most defining movies of all time. Batman Returns can be criticized to an extent, and many are divided on whether or not it's better than its predecessor, but you must still concede that it's better than the next two films. This has died down over time due to both films getting Hype Backlash and fans being more willing to acknowledge their flaws, but even so, you should still at least respect them for their impact on comic book movies in general.
  • Do not say anything positive about Batman & Robin or be prepared for another beating from the Caped Crusader himself.
  • Do not say that Michael Keaton is a bad Batman and don't say that George Clooney is a good Batman. Opinions vary on Val Kilmer's portrayal of Batman, but general consensus is that he was worse than Keaton, but better than Clooney.
• The Dark Knight Trilogy: Criticizing The Dark Knight in any way is a good way to either get run over by the Tumbler or more likely, get yet another beating from the Caped Crusader himself. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker is especially off-limits to any criticism (though it is okay to say you like Mark Hamill or Jack Nicholson better). Christian Bale's portrayal of Batman has been criticized somewhat, but he's still considered one of the best actors to play Batman, with only Keaton and Kevin Conroy being okay to prefer over Bale.
• Citizen Kane: The quickest way a critic or film school teacher can kill their street cred is to trash this film. This is ironic since the film itself was an Acclaimed Flop in its day, and it only became Vindicated by History in the 50s and 70s, so if Kane has that reputation, it took a while to get there and did undergo "the test of time".
• "Crocodile" Dundee: While the two sequels can be criticized, criticizing the first movie will get you stabbed by none other than Dundee himself.
• DC Extended Universe:
  • Man of Steel: Do not speak positively about Jonathan Kent's Heroic Sacrifice, as it's instead viewed as a stupid Senseless Sacrifice that Clark could've easily prevented.
  • Despite the good qualities, even if you want to be beaten to death by fans of the cinematic universe just like how Superman and Doomsday did with each other, speaking positively of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is, dare we say it, not welcome, as even fans of its early output question numerous bizarre decisions such as the casual killing off of Dick Grayson and Jimmy Olsen, the shoehorning in of other Justice League members, Batman frequently violating his Thou Shall Not Kill rule, the characterization of Lex Luthor as a capering loon, drawing attention to the fact that both heroes' mothers are named Martha, adapting The Death of Superman only two films in, overall being too grim for its own good, and causing massive shake-ups that eventually resulted in numerous Aborted Arcs and the entire franchise being Cut Short. If you do decide to commit to that... well, good luck having fun out there.
  • Suicide Squad (2016): Do not say anything nice about Jared Leto's Joker. His appearance in the Snyder Cut will grant you some leniency since he has a simpler look, gets to exchange lines with Batman and shows off a dark sense of humour.
  • Wonder Woman (2017): By merit of breaking the glass ceiling, you're unlikely to find many brave enough to point out any flaws in Wonder Woman's cinematic debut. The climactic battle is considered fair game though, due to being indistinguishable from any other superhero movie. The sequel is outright dismissed thanks to making Wonder Woman a date rapist and reducing her arch-nemesis Cheetah down to an insignificant henchwoman.
  • Despite having more colour, a shorter runtime and addressing the criticisms of its predecessors, Justice League (2017) is still considered vastly inferior to the Snyder Cut due to making Steppenwolf dull, the shaky digital effects used to hide Henry Cavill's moustache, the added humour being nothing more than tacked-on quips and the cutting of many characters and moments that helped with world-building.
  • The Flash (2023): You're unlikely to find many fans of the multiversal sequence, as it involved digitally recreating the likenesses of long-dead actors for no other reason than to piggyback off the fond memories they instilled in an audience that by the 2020s had aged out of the conventional demographic.
• Die Hard:
  • Speaking negatively about the first movie will have fans knocking you off the top floor of the skyscraper, as it is considered a classic.
  • Do not say anything positive about the fifth movie or be expected to do the same outcome as above. Even Bruce Willis disowned this entry.
• Disney: Given their notorious reputation, it's a bad idea to speak positively of any of the Disney Live-Action Remakes of their animated films and an even worse idea to say that any of them (although Cinderella (2015) and The Jungle Book (2016) are frequently given free passes) were better than the originals.
• Gamera:
  • Breathe a single word of criticism about Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys and the fans will force-feed you to a swarm of Gyaos.
  • Criticizing the rest of the Heisei Era is also unwise, but more likely to be tolerated.
• Ghostbusters
  • The first film is considered one of the classics to many moviegoers, so criticizing it will cause the fandom to have the Stay Puft Man crush you under his foot. The sequel can be criticized, but you must still concede that it's better than the 2016 reboot.
  • Do not speak positively about the 2016 reboot to fans of the series, as they view it with absolute disdain. Otherwise expect the exact same outcome from above to happen on you.
• The Godfather: Do not say that Part III is better than the previous two movies.
• Godzilla:
  • Criticizing the original film. No matter what your opinion of all the other films are, you're asking for an ass-kicking courtesy of Godzilla himself if you insult the original on any form. The only possible criticism you could get away with is the voice-acting and editing changes in the English dub, and even that's pushing it.
  • Speaking positively about the 1998 film will lead to the same result as the above example. Even simply calling the titular character "Godzilla" will lead to this, as the fandom instead refers to him as "Zilla" and states that he is NOT Godzilla, a sentiment even shared by Toho themselves.
  • To a lesser extent, insult Mothra (especially regarding her tendency to be underutilized or Stuffed in the Fridge) and her fans will come after you, as even professional film critics have found out.
• Halloween: Do not speak positively about Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, which was so negatively received that the next film ignores it and the two that came before it. Otherwise, you'll be killed by Michael Myers himself.
• Hellboy: Never say you prefer the 2019 film over the 2004 film or its sequel. Otherwise, Hellboy will punch you in the face with his large fist.
• Highlander: While the sequels can be criticized, saying anything bad about the first movie will have fans leaving you to have your head sliced off by none other than MacLeod himself.
• Indiana Jones:
  • Saying that Indy's involvement in Raiders of the Lost Ark's plot was irrelevant and that the outcome would've been the same even if he did nothing will cause the fandom to melt your face.
  • Never bring up Indy nuking the fridge in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to fans of the series due to its controversial nature, unless you want the same result as the above example to happen.
• Jurassic Park: Regardless of your opinion of any of the sequels, criticizing the first Jurassic Park or saying negative things about it will get you snatched up by a random dinosaur, preferably Rexy, as the original movie is hailed as a true classic that continues to be just as relevant and breathtaking even decades after it came out.
• The Lord of the Rings:
  • While criticizing the movies for individual aspects (i.e. Gimli's Adaptational Comic Relief, Denethor's Adaptational Villainy, etc) is okay, don't dare to say that they are bad movies, bad adaptations, or worse, that they "aged poorly", because not even having the One Ring will allow you to escape from the fans' wrath.
  • You may say that The Hobbit movies or worse, The Rings of Power series are better than the LOTR movies at your own peril.
  • May the Valar have mercy on your soul if you say you prefer the theatrical cuts over the extended versions.
• The Matrix: The original film is held in very high regard by not just the fandom, but also movie fans in general, with the film considered to be one of the greatest and most influential of all time. Trashing the film will lead to the fandom forcibly unplugging you.
• The Natural: While at the time it was released you could get away with it, nowadays saying that you liked the original novel's bleaker ending will lead to you getting sent flying into the field lights, as the film's ending is considered by many, both film and baseball fans, to be one of the most spectacular home runs depicted in fiction.
• Planet of the Apes: Don't tell fans that you actually liked the Tim Burton movie. It will NOT end well, because the movie is almost universally hated.
• Predator:
  • The first movie is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time. Saying anything bad about it will have fans leaving you to be killed by an invisible Predator.
  • The other three entries are considered Contested Sequels and can be criticized to the extent, but don't say any one of them are better than the first movie. Do so and you'll be taken out by a Predator once again.
• RoboCop: You can criticize the two sequels and its remake all you want, but criticizing the first movie, seen by critics and moviegoers as one of the absolute best action/R-rated movies of its own decade, will get you shot by none other than RoboCop himself. It'll be far, FAR worse when he shoots you in the crotch.
• Sonic the Hedgehog: Unless you are joking, never say you preferred Sonic's original design to the one that got used in the film. If you do, get ready to watch one of the most divided fanbases in history come together to ensure you end up stranded on the mushroom planet.
• Space Jam: Regardless of opinion toward the original, say something not negative about Space Jam: A New Legacy and you might as well have signed your death warrant.
• Spider-Man Trilogy:
  • Do not speak negatively about Spider-Man 2, considered to be the best of the three films in the trilogy, or else expect a visit from Doc Ock.
  • Never say that you like the Andrew Garfield duology better than the Tobey Maguire trilogy.
• Star Trek:
  • Do not decide to criticize Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, considered to be the best out of all the Star Trek films, in any way. If you do, at best, the fandom will leave you marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet.
  • One sure-fire way to lose whatever role you have on the Enterprise, get ganged upped on by the fandom and forcibly ejected out of the starship is blurting out that you liked Star Trek: Nemesis or that it was not as bad as a lot of people made it out to be, as this movie is highly controversial among the Star Trek faithful due to numerous key reasons such as the blatant copying of Wrath of Khan's plot, its main antagonist, the assassination of what made any of the characters so compelling, it serving as a awful finale to The Next Generation era, and the downright offensive handing of the very idea of a Mind Rape. Not helping matters is that the director of the film never watched Star Trek before and didn't care about contradicting any of the characters.
  • Saying that any of the J. J. Abrams films are better than most that came before them will get you sent to the brig. However, you can get away with saying that they're better than a couple of prior ones despised by the fandom (such as the aforementioned Nemesis, for instance).
• Star Wars: It should be noted that the Star Wars Fandom has a MASSIVE Broken Base, so pretty much any statement about the various films or TV series, whether positive or negative, will tick off at least part of the group. These are some of the biggest examples:
  • You can criticize the Prequel Trilogy, and you can criticize the Sequel Trilogy, but criticizing the Original Trilogy? What happens afterward will be enough to make Order 66 look like a worthy act of vengeance. You can get away with criticizing certain things about Return of the Jedi, such as Leia being forced into being Jabba's sex slave and wearing a metal bikini, the Ewoks and the reveal that Luke and Leia are siblings even though they'd kissed a few times before, but you must still say that it's a good film overall and better than all Star Wars media that came after it.
  • Don't say anything positive about Jar Jar Binks. In the words of Jar Jar Binks, if you do...yousa gonna die.^note This only applies to the character — Jar Jar's actor, Ahmed Best is pretty much off-limits unless you wanna look like a dick.
  • In many parts of the fandom, speaking negatively about Order 66, considered to be one of the best (albeit sad and tragic) scenes in the whole franchise, is, in no small part, unwelcome. If anything, doing this will get you shot down by the Clone Troopers.
  • Do not say anything even remotely critical about the following Star Wars characters or you will be fed to a Sarlacc: Darth Vader ^note This does not apply to his pre-suit identity of Anakin Skywalker, but even then, criticism of Anakin must now be handled very carefully due to his character being Vindicated by History. (and don't even suggest that he didn't deserve his redemption), Luke Skywalker^note At least in regards to his Original Trilogy portrayal. His portrayal in the Sequel Trilogy is quite controversial, Princesss Leia Organa, Han Solo^note Aside from perhaps his Solo anthology film, though that criticism is aimed more at the film itself rather than Han as a character, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, R2-D2, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Boba Fett^note You can say that you don't like how he was portrayed in Return of the Jedi or The Book of Boba Fett, but saying you don't like him or that he's anything less than a top-tier badass will get you roasted by Boba's flamethrower. (this also applies to his "father" Jango to a lesser extent), Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious^note Only applicable to his appearances in the Prequel and Original Trilogies, as his return in the Sequel Trilogy is very much controversial, Darth Maul and Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus.
  • Saying that the Sequel Trilogy is better than the Prequel Trilogy can get part of the fandom to have Clone Troopers and Separatist Droids shoot you down, but say the Sequel Trilogy is better than the Original Trilogy, and you'll be targeted by the Death Star.
    • On the other end of the spectrum, meanwhile, saying the Prequels are better than the Sequels will get you fed to a Rathtar, but saying that they're better than the Originals would get you frozen in carbonite never to be thawed out.
  • Don't say that you like the edits in the Special Edition version of the Original Trilogy better than the original version, except for fixing the Special Effects Failure and using the image of Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine in The Empire Strikes Back. Otherwise be prepared to be hunted down by the Jedi Order.
  • Do not speak positively about the Star Wars Holiday Special, considered to be the worst entry in the entire franchise. The fandom would sooner admit to liking Jar Jar Binks, and that's saying something, not to mention George Lucas himself said that if he could, he would destroy every last trace of the holiday special.
• Terminator:
  • Speaking ill of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, considered to be THE best entry in the series and a Sacred Cow altogether, will cause the fandom to send a T-800 to target you for the most brutal type of termination. If you do survive this deathly takedown and buckle down on the claims by spreading unwanted criticism to the first movie, which, despite not being as masterful as the second one, is loved by many a movie consumer, more and more Terminator models will descend onto the battlefield... and the end result will be disastrous.
  • The above results will be even more brutal and get even more Terminators in on the action whenever you say that any of the movies after Judgment Day are good or that any of them are your favorite, which will end up with you on the receiving end of the worst fate anyone can get. This is due to the later entries being derided for reasons such as undoing the second movie's ending or causing many a Fan-Disliked Explanation. There are even fans that prefer the unused ending to Terminator 2 (which shows John Connor as adult and Judgment Day never happened) since it would've prevented any lackluster sequels from happening.

Literature

• American Girls Collection:
  • Don't say anything negative about the original three characters — Samantha, Kirsten, and Molly.
  • Don't compliment what Mattel's done since they've purchased the company unless it's begrugingly.
  • Don't say that you like the BeForever reboot line or anything it did.
• The Chronicles of Prydain: Don't ever say that you like the 1985 Disney adaptation based on The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron.
• Date A Live: It's not a good idea to speak negatively about Kurumi Tokisaki, unless you're okay with being killed by a Spirit.
• Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi:
  • Preferring the Live-Action or Donghua over the novel is fine for the most part, but don't say anything positive about the changes in the live-action (like the Yin Iron plot) or the censorship itself as it is a surefire way to piss off fans.
  • While many fans are cool if one is uncomfortable in the novel's explicit scenes, especially the Incense Burner extras, they will bring their wrath down if one accuses the novel of romanticizing sexual assault. People have written down so many large essays explaining how the book tackles the topic of consent and how both have a Conveniently Common Kink.
  • Related to the example above, there will also be similar reactions if one will argue about how Live-Action Wangxian are "soulmates" and so pure, healthy, and consensual compared to their novel counterparts. In fact, preaching that The Untamed is a perfect example of how to properly portray a gay couple will have fans harshly pointing out the irony of the draconian Chinese Censorship not allowing any kind of intimacy in the drama, changing the romance to be a bromance with heavy subtext at best. They'll also mock you for preferring a censored gay romance over a version where they're literally Happily Married.
• Harry Potter:
  • While liking the movies is fine, do not say that they are better than the books. Otherwise, the Avada Kedavra spell is all that will await you.
  • The fandom's most Sacred Cow is the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It's okay if it's not your personal favorite in the series, but it should be in your top three at least. It's more complicated with the film version of Prisoner of Azkaban, which is mostly beloved but it does have some Broken Base issues due to changes that were made from the book.
  • Don't praise the film versions of Goblet of Fire and Half-Blood Prince as good adaptations of their source material. It is okay to say that you liked some specific scenes or moments in those films, but you must still regard them as failures overall.
  • As much criticism as fans have for the mainline Potter films, you should still avoid ranking the Fantastic Beasts films above them. You have some leeway with the first one, which has its defenders, but any ranking of the eleven Wizarding World films absolutely must bottom out with Crimes of Grindelwald and Secrets of Dumbledore.
  • Don't say that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is canon. Fans would sooner accept My Immortal as canon, and that's saying something.
  • For all of its bickering, the fandom agrees on only one thing: Dolores Umbridge is to be utterly despised at all times. In fact, she is so hated that Draco in Leather Pants is never used for her.
• The Hunger Games: While liking the film series is fine, don't say that you like them better than the books.
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Praising the film adaptations is a surefire way to get the fandom to want to burn you at the stake, as they are widely despised by not just the fanbase but the author of the books as well (to the point that he even wrote a letter on his blog for kids to show their teachers if they try to show the movie in class). Heck, even mentioning the films is enough to set some fans off.
• Re:Zero: Rem is a character that's held in very high regard by the fandom. Because of this, saying anything negative about her can earn you the fandom's ire. Same thing goes for approving Subaru choosing Emilia over Rem.
• Do you like The Rising of the Shield Hero's Princess Malty in any way other than a Love to Hate manner? Are you sexually attracted to her? Then, good on you. You just caused enough wrath in the fandom for them to unlock the Curse series.
• Sword Art Online:
  • Saying you like the Fairy Dance arc; perhaps the one thing the fandom and hatedom agree on is that it is the worst arc in the entire series, due to applying Chickification to Asuna, a gross Big Brother Attraction plot with Suguha, and extremely gratuitous fanservice moments, including one infamous moment mentioned below:
    • Mentioning the scene where Sugou Nobuyuki tries to rape Asuna in any way will incite the rage of the fanbase. But only if you do so while implying that fans enjoyed the scene, as even they despise that moment and sincerely wish it never happened.
    • Do not say anything good about Sugou Nobuyuki to the fanbase, mainly due to the spoiler-tagged event above. Just don't.
  • Also for that matter, do not in any way compare SAO to Berserk else face the wrath of both sides.
• Warrior Cats: It is absolutely wise to NOT admit you ship Thistleclaw and Spottedleaf/Spottedpaw, defend Thistleclaw's actions or claim Spottedpaw was in the wrong for breaking up with him or else fans will completely sink their claws into you.

Live-Action TV

• While liking any host of 106 & Park after AJ and Free (or perhaps Big Tigger and Julissa) is no problem, saying they are better hosts than AJ and Free could be a way to get you kicked out the intersection of East 106th Street and Park Avenue.
• Adam-12: Do not say that Kristin Harmon was a better Jean Reed than Mikki Jameson.
• ALF: Do not speak positively about the TV movie. In fact, don't even say it's canon.
• Arrow: Do not say that you like Felicity Smoak to fans of the series or approve of her and Oliver Queen becoming an Official Couple, as she's considered to be the most controversial character in the whole Arrowverse.
• Batman (1966): Do not say that Lee Meriwether or Eartha Kitt was a better Catwoman than Julie Newmar.
• Bewitched:
  • Do not say that Dick Sargent was a better Darrin than Dick York or that Sandra Gould was a better Gladys Kravitz than Alice Pearce.
  • Do not say anything positive about the movie or fans will cast a cursed spell on you.
• The Big Comfy Couch: Do not say that Ramona Gilmour-Darling was a better Loonette than Alyson Court.
• Breaking Bad:
  • Do not say that "Ozymandias", one of the highest-rated episodes as well as one of the most acclaimed doesn't deserve to be so in the "Breaking Bad" fandom, if you don't want to go to Belize.
  • Similarly, don't imply that Jesse deserved his suffering during the final episodes.
  • Better Call Saul: Unless you want to get shot by Lalo, do not imply Howard Hamlin deserved his fate.
• Buffyverse:
  • Don't ship Buffy/Riley, even if you respect the attempt at writing a healthy relationship.
  • Don't say that you approved of Tara's death, mainly due to her being a lesbian.
• Charlie's Angels: Don't ever say anything positive about the 2011 version.
• Crocodile Hunter: You must never say anything bad about Steve Irwin, or else you'll face death by crocodile (or possibly stingray).
• Dexter: Do not say that Season 4 (Trinity Killer arc) isn't the best season.
• Game of Thrones:
  • Saying anything positive about Joffrey Baratheon, Ramsay Bolton or Walder Frey is strongly discouraged, unless you want to get caught in the crossfire of the Red Wedding.
  • Don't say that the writing in Season 8 was good and undeserving of the backlash it got, or else be ready to be torched by Drogon.
  • Similarly, do not say that the actors didn't give their A-performances in the said seasons, as many of them were lauded for their He Really Can Act performances. Do so and you'll torched again by Drogon, just as if the first one wasn't enough.
• Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: If you're a fan of the show, you ship Lydia and Cynthia, and you absolutely do not headcanon Cynthia to be anything other than a lesbian. Also, 'Merely Players' is above reproach within the fandom.
• How I Met Your Mother: Never say that the original ending infamous for its twist and undoing Ted, Barney and Robin's Character Development is better than the alternative ending, unless you want to be slapped by Marshall.
• iCarly: A shared one with Victorious. Never speak positively about Sam & Cat to either fandom, or else they will combine their forces in order to punish you.
• The Joy of Painting: If you value your life, you will only say good things about Bob Ross.
• LazyTown:
  • Don't ever say anything negative about Stefan Karl Stefansson or say that the "We Are Number One" meme is unfunny, overrated, or dead after Stefan's passing in 2018, since said meme was used for Stefan's GoFundMe for a cancer treatment.
  • Don't say that Chloe Lang was a better Stephanie than Julianna Rose Mauriello.
• Lizzie McGuire: Do not say anything bad about "Between a Rock and a Bra Place", as it is considered by fans the best episode ever made. Also, do not say that Kate doesn't deserve her redemption in The Movie.
• Pro tip: Do NOT, in any manner insult Mister Rogers, unless you want to die at the hands of an entire neighborhood comprised of millions.
• Mr. Robot: Unless you want to be executed by the Dark Army, do NOT ever call out Angela's bullying and betrayal of Elliot in Season 3.
• The Mod Squad: Do not say anything positive about the movie or fans will arrest you.
• The Munsters: Do not say that Pat Priest was a better Marilyn than Beverly Owen.
• Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Joel/Mike sides are set, and it's notorious fuel for a war, especially in the pre-Tropes days (aka the mid-1990s). It doesn't help that Joel Hodgson and Michael J. Nelson have been known to ignite these flames time and again.
• The Office:
  • A true fan knows instinctively that the series originated in the UK and was adapted for the US market. If you want to chat about it, be prepared to quote at least two instances involving David Brent or Gareth lest you end up losing some friends.
  • When it comes to the US series, your top 5 episodes cannot include "Scott's Tots" or any episode that doesn't have Michael Scott in it.
• Once Upon a Time: Don't tell a fan of the show that Emma was right to try to take Henry away from Regina near the end of Season 1. They will quickly pounce on you for doing so.
• It's not really a wise idea to say to Power Rangers fans that the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers sucks, as its iconic status will most likely result in them blasting you with the Megazord.
• Roseanne: Do not say that Sarah Chalke was a better Becky than Lecy Goranson.
• Saturday Night Live:
  • Saying you liked or trying to even defend the Jean Doumanian run (1980-1981) would be a very big mistake, as it was the season that nearly killed the show and it has since been considered Canon Discontinuity.
  • Whilst liking Colin Quinn's time as the Weekend Update anchor would be fine, saying you liked him better than Norm Macdonald will make the fandom extremely angry at you, especially now after Macdonald's passing in 2021.
• Go ahead and say anything positive about the New Class in front of the Saved by the Bell fans. Be prepared for fans of the original series chasing you at Bayside High School to no end.
• Scarlet Heart: Go up to a fan and say you think Moon Lovers is better than the original series. Go on. Try it. Even fans of the remake almost universally agree the original is better.
• Sesame Street:
  • Saying that you unironically like Elmo will have older fans strongly teach you a lesson on how you should leave certain things in the past rather than stick with them. And yes, it won't be pretty.
  • Don't even THINK about making even an ounce of criticism regarding the episode dealing with Mr. Hooper's death^note Episode 1839, considered to be one of the best episodes of the entire series, as doing so would also be seen as disrespectful.
• Star Trek
  • Star Trek: The Original Series:
    • Speaking negatively about the episode "City on the Edge of Forever", in contention for being the best episode in the entire franchise, will cause you to suffer the same fate Edith Keeler did.
    • It is highly illogical to speak positively of the notorious episode "Spock's Brain", arguably considered to be the worst episode in the whole franchise, unless you want angry fans to remove your brain.
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation:
    • Never profess any fondness for Wesley Crusher to the fandom, especially as he's notable for being the former Trope Namer for Creator's Pet.
    • Criticizing "The Best of Both Worlds" two-parter, the other episode in contention for being the best episode in the entire franchise, will get you assimilated by the Borg.
  • Star Trek: Voyager: Speaking positively about the infamous "Threshold" episode is a good way to make the fandom throw you in the brig, given the bizarreness of the episode.
  • Star Trek: Enterprise: The final episode of the series is Terra Prime and mentioning an episode that does not exist will not make you friends.
  • Star Trek: Picard: Believing that the first and/or second seasons were better than the third will get you tied up and tossed at the Borg.
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Don't attack the Musical Episode or fans will think you are a killjoy.
• Star Wars:
  • Andor: Do not say that Andor isn't one of the best Disney Star Wars shows (along with The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian) else you'd have the Empire hunting you.
  • Saying something the tiniest bit negative about The Mandalorian (The first two seasons at least. Season three wasn't as well-received as the previous seasons.) is enough for Din Djarin himself to hunt you down. Even many Original Trilogy purists consider it the best piece of Star Wars media outside the original trilogy. The Child/Grogu is especially off-limits to criticism.
• Stranger Things:
  • Do not say anything ill about Eddie or his death, otherwise you'd be hearing some very familiar clock chimes.
  • Want to start a fan war? Just anonymously say one of the minor villains is a racist and watch the fandom tear itself down the middle.
• The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Don't say anything positive about Millicent^note She appeared in the Season 2 finale and the first eleven episodes of Season 3 or fans will channel their inner Maddie Fitzpatrick and shove confectionaries down your throat.
• That '70s Show: Saying anything positive about Randy from the final season will have fans channel their inner Red Forman and put their foot in your ass.
• Top of the Pops: Due to the infamous reveal of his true nature, never mention Jimmy Savile to fans of the show, as they would rather not associate it with someone that is considered the most monstrous sexual predator in UK history.
• Two and a Half Men: While opinions on the Walden seasons vary, don't say that you like the Walden seasons better than the Charlie seasons. And never, ever, say that you like the series finale. Even fans who like the Walden era will tear you a new one for that.
• The Wild Wild West: Go up to a fan of the series and say you thought the movie was fantastic. Just make sure to put your affairs in order first.

Music

• Never say that you like Justin Bieber unless you're really a fan of him.
• Don't say that you like Kidz Bop unless you're under 10.
• Michael Jackson:
  • Many fans of the King of Pop do not take kindly to those bringing up the child molestation accusations levied against him (especially since said accusations were reportedly proven to lack evidence), so don't accuse him of such to them.
  • Mocking his lighter skin tone (which was at least partially caused by the skin condition vitiligo) or his cosmetic surgeries (since the exact number of procedures he had done is widely disputed^note And it's likely that some of the changes to his face was due to aging, weight loss and poor lifestyle choices rather than deliberate cosmetics procedures , and Michael reportedly suffered from Body Dysmorphic Disorder) are considered to be in poor taste after his passing, especially if you say he was "trying to be white", as Jackson was very much proud of being black.
  • As far as his music goes, don't say anything negative about Thriller or to a lesser extent Bad. Otherwise you'll get hit by (!-!) you'll get struck by (!) a smooth criminal, so beat it.
• The Wiggles: Most fans won't care if you like Sam, just don't say he's a better yellow Wiggle than Greg. And whatever you do, never, ever bring up Emma, Lachey, and Simon.
• Vocaloid:
  • Hatsune Miku is a character held in very high regard by the fandom, so speaking negatively about her is not a wise move unless you want to be beaten to a pulp by a leek. You might get away with criticizing her high exposure due to Hype Backlash or her NT version, which has become divisive amongst the fanbase, but criticizing Miku herself is a no go.
  • In regards to producers, do not ever criticize the late Wowaka or Samfree, as both are considered to be legends amongst Vocaloid producers, especially after their unfortunate passings. Doing so is a quick way to invoke a entire fandom chasing you out of town.
• Don't list pre-Cowboys From Hell albums as part of Pantera, unless you truly want to be fucked, as even the band considers it as a 'heresy'.
  • Only good things are allowed to be said about Dimebag. You disagree, prepare to be fucked far beyond driven.
• Several within Metallica:
  • The first four albums, and to a lesser extent, The Black Album, are a Sacred Cow, so fans will have you ride the lightning if you criticise them.
  • Don't say you like St. Anger (or God forbid Lulu) if you wish the fans won't make you broken, beaten and scarred.
  • Never put any other bassist above Cliff Burton. Otherwise, the fans would summon Cthulhu up your ass.
• Never say Black Metal isn't Satanic to the more serious fans, unless you want to end up like Euronymous and your house be the target of arson.
• Korn: Do not make any jokes regarding "Daddy", do not make any nightcore/daycore versions, and it's advised you only make a cover if you have similar experiences.

Tabletop Games

• Battletech: As with the Macross fandom, do not bring up Harmony Gold in a positive light, considering them suing FASA over a perceived case of copyright infringement led to good portion of the early mecha designs being Exiled from Continuity as "The Unseen" for decades. If you do, you can expect to have the whole Battletech fandom gunning for your head - if the Macross fandom hasn't already blasted you apart to smithereens by that point.
• Pokémon Trading Card Game: While it's no longer the case following him lifting the ban near the end of 2020, mentioning Uri Geller to fans of the game would have gotten you bent like a spoon, due to the fact that his lawsuit caused Kadabra to be banned from the TCG for nearly 20 years, with it even having repercussions throughout the rest of the franchise regarding the Pokémon in question.
• Warhammer Fantasy:
  • Don't ever say you liked the lore of Warhammer: The End Times, an Audience-Alienating Ending wherein The Bad Guy Wins meant to Torch the Franchise and Run, unless you want the Ordertide to come crashing down your door. In particular, trying to defend Mannfred von Carstein for what he did at the end (being the Spanner in the Works who screwed over the Forces of Order's last ditch attempt to save the world and continuing to have Joker Immunity in the setting that followed) will result in an even longer beating.
• Warhammer 40,000:
  • Like the aforementioned Mannfred, speaking positively about Erebus (the architect of the Horus Heresy who also continues to have Joker Immunity) will get you convicted of heresy in the eyes of the fandom, especially from Imperium fans.
  • Mentioning Matt Ward is like mentioning Ken Penders to Archie Sonic fans. The man is a Promoted Fanboy reviled by the rest of the fandom for many reasons, most infamously for his Creator's Pet treatment of both the Ultramarines and Grey Knights as Purity Sues and his Creator's Pest treatment of the Sisters of Battle. In particular, do not ever bring up the "Khornate Knights" incident - wherein the seemingly incorruptible Grey Knights slaughtered a bunch of Sisters to make amulets out of their blood and a story so lore breaking that it was immediately declared Canon Discontinuity - to any fans of franchise, let alone those of the Sisters, unless you want to be burned at the stake for heresy. He is also infamous for writing High-Tier Scrappy Game-Breaker codexes that ruined the meta. In short, unless you're talking about his portrayal of the Necrons (which has been accepted by the fandom to some extent), speaking his name at all let alone in a positive light is enough to have you marked for Exterminatus.
  • Saying that you like Warhammer+ is enough to make you a complete pariah among the fandom, in particular earning the permanent ire of content creators and fan animators. In order to push for its success, Games Workshop not only "hired" a bunch of major fan animators (most infamously Astartes) only to lock their projects behind the paywall of its streaming service, but most unforgivably began to impose a Fan-Work Ban that forbade the creation of any unofficial fan works - animations in particular - at all regardless of if their creators were making profit off them or not, which led to several notable fan works such as If the Emperor Had a Text-to-Speech Device and Dong Gool Troll's 40k Lore Comic being Screwed by the Lawyers as a result. If you do say you like and use this service, you will be marked for an immediate Exterminatus.

Technology

• Do not say you like the Model A of BBC Micro unless if you want the Beeb's fans to force you to like the Model B. The Model A was seen as a crippled piece of hardware stripped of its expandability by the Beeb's fans.
• Please, for goodness' sake, don't say you like the Amiga CD 32, CDTV or God forbid Amiga 600 or 300, if you want the Amiga fans not to burn you.
• Although saying you like Windows Vista, 8.1 or 10 would still have half of the fandom defend you, having a positive opinion on Windows 8 (or worse, Windows ME) can cause Windows' fans to BSOD you.
  • Likewise, having a low opinion on Windows XP is also a fast track to having the fandom attack you, as the version in question is treated as a Sacred Cow.
• Within the Commodore 64 fandom, don't say you prefer the 8580 revision over the original 6581 SID chip or say the former is a 'corrected' version. The SID fans and musicians regard the 6581's flaws as 'features', so saying 8580 is better would be interpreted as insulting and the fans would force you to forevermore listen to 6581 sounds.
• Within the Linux community, don't say you use Ubuntu. Their opinion on the distro is It's Popular, Now It Sucks!.

Theme Parks

• Disney Theme Parks:
  • Don't ever suggest that you prefer the second or third incarnations of Journey into Imagination over the first incarnation and don't ever say that you prefer Dr. Nigel Channing over The Dreamfinder. Both are easy ways to inspire Disney fans to imagine creative ways of destroying you.
  • Unless you want to get baked into a cake or TP'd by fans, don't say you like the infamous cake overhaul Cinderella Castle had gotten for Walt Disney World's 25th anniversary or that one time when Stitch "vandalized" the Castle for the opening day of his infamous Magic Kingdom ride. Likewise, don't ever suggest you like the Sorcerer Mickey arm placed on Epcot's Spaceship Earth from 1999 to 2007 or the Sorcerer Mickey hat at Hollywood Studios that served as the park's icon from 2001 to 2015, just don't.
  • Although Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! at California Adventure is not regarded as being a bad attraction in of itself, don't say you prefer it to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror unless you want to die in a plummeting elevator.
  • Saying that you prefer Space Mountain Mission 2 or Hyperspace Mountain over the original Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon is an easy way for Disneyland Paris fans to shoot you from a cannon to the moon.
  • Saying anything positive about Superstar Limo is not a wise move unless you want to get run over by a limo driven by Disney fans and miss your movie premiere in the process, as the ride is widely considered to be the worst dark ride Disney has produced.
  • Given it is regarded as the Magnum Opus of the Disney theme parks, don't talk negatively about Tokyo DisneySea unless you want Disney fans to throw you into Mount Prometheus.
  • Unless you want to be shot with a blunderbuss by the Swedish Chef, regardless of how dated it might be, don't ever talk negatively about Muppet*Vision 3D, as the show is regarded to be a Sacred Cow by both Disney Park fans and Muppet fans alike due to it being the last Muppet project directed by the late Jim Henson prior to his tragic passing in 1990. And don't you dare say that you approved of it being removed from California Adventure in favor of a Frozen sing along.
• Universal Studios: While fans generally don't care if you like The Simpsons Ride, trying to suggest that it's superior to Back to the Future: The Ride is a very easy way for fans to want to hold you for treason. Especially Back to the Future fans.

Toys

• amiibo: Don't even THINK about taking an amiibo out of the box, as collectors of them despise such a practice.
• Lalaloopsy: Fans will sew your eyes with buttons if you say that the reboot Netflix line is better than the original.
• Monster High: Saying that you like G2 will get fans in a tizzy.
• My Little Pony: Saying that you like G3.5 will have fans sending out a horde of ponies to trample you.
• Transformers:
  • Criticizing G1 will have fans send an Autobot to destroy you, as G1 is considered a Sacred Cow. That being said, overly idolizing G1 and bashing everything else just for not being "GEEWUN" is considered to be just as big of a red flag.
  • For a comics-related example, saying you liked the IDW portrayal of Star Saber as a psychopathic religious zealot is a fandom sin so severe that even Primus would never forgive you for.
  • Saying that you like the third-party figures can sometimes leave the fandom unhappy. Third-party upgrade kits are fine, though.
  • Do not say anything even remotely critical about the following Transformers characters or you will be fed to Unicron: Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Jazz, Prowl, Wheeljack, Ironhide, Ratchet^note You can criticize the original toys for not having their heads, but criticizing their cartoon and comic book continuities are off-limits, Tracks, Inferno, Grimlock, Jetfire/Skyfire, Megatron/Galvatron, Soundwave, Laserbeak, Ravage, Shockwave, and Devastator.

Video Games — General

• For the video game community as a whole, never say you approve of microtransactions in games. To a lesser extent, this can also apply to paid Downloadable Content (especially on-disc DLC), although free DLC can be considered acceptable.
• When it comes to movies based on video games, do not say that the movies are better than the games they're based on. You could maybe get away with this with the very few acclaimed movies based on video games, but of the 30+ years this genre of film has existed, only 6 movie adaptations have received near-unanimous acclaim by fans, critics, or both, those being Detective Pikachu, both Sonic movies, the second Angry Birds movie, Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the Five Nights at Freddy's (2023) movie; all of which released as early as the late 2010s to as recent as 2023. Even with this in mind, you're still playing with fire if you imply you like the movies better than the games they're based on, or only know the franchise because of the movies based on it.
• Amongst fighting games fans: Saying that you like the Happ joysticks over the Sanwa or Seimitsu will have fans comboing you to death.
• Following the Konami scandals of 2015, the only acceptable opinion of pachinko adaptations of video games is absolute hatred and a fear that your beloved video game (series) has become a Franchise Zombie. Saying "I'm fine with this, video games have been getting pachinko and pachislot spinoffs for decades, I'm sure this series will continue as proper games" is practically against the law in every Western country.
• In a vein similar to pachinko spinoffs, if a long-running console or PC game series gets a mobile game spinoff, do not say anything positive about it unless you want to be accused of funding what is considered the devalueing of video games as an art form and a toxic business practice. This is mostly a Western thing; doing the same in developing countries that warm up more to mobile games is generally fine.
• Amongst Nintendo Switch users, do not say that you're fine with Nintendo charging for their online play service. Even pointing out that it's cheaper than other consoles' online subscription services won't work.
• Amongst Shoot 'Em Up fans: Go ahead and say that you like or care about the story/lore in shmups, or worse, that shmups should have more story. You'll be blasted faster than Gain can scream "BOMBAAAAAAA!!" and told to only ever Play the Game, Skip the Story.
• Amongst fans of Asian-developed Rhythm Game, saying that "FREEDOM DiVE", by xi, a song infamous for its That One Boss status in just about every rhythm game it appears in, should be put into a particular rhythm game will trigger headaches in many players.

Video Games — Specific Titles

• Arcaea: Never say that you use any character other than Tairitsu's "Tempest" version, who is infamous for her high Step stat but at the cost of a difficult lifebar that can fail out in a few missed notes, to grind World Mode, or that you think she's annoying or anxiety-inducing to use. You're not even allowed to use your skill level as an excuse, you are supposed to disacknowledge the existence of all other Partners for World Mode grind purposes except maybe Hikari's "Fatalis" version, who has an even higher Step cap, but which suffers from an even stricter lifebar and which disables World Mode for a period of real-life time after use.
• Baldur's Gate: There are various topics that are quite risky to mention. Namely:
  • Be careful if you criticize either the first Baldur's Gate in comparison to Baldur's Gate II, particularly if your point of view is influenced by more modern games such as Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate III, or vice versa if you criticize the sequel in comparison to the first game, particularly if your point of view is influenced by classic Gold Box games and old pen & paper rpgs. The flamewar is lurking and in both sides there are certain opinions that are generally not well received, particularly because they are perceived by the majority as taking the games out of their contexts.
  • Never ever link a reference the (un)famous blogger Lilura, who got banned by most communities associated with this game for the very harsh and uncompromising bashing of the sequel compared to the first game, and her unorthodox general opinion about the evolution of c-rpgs.
  • Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear in relation to the Gamergate controversy and similar issues can ignite hot flamewars with a minority of vocal complainers who claim that there is a lgbt agenda in action. Sometimes even discussions whether it is a worthy addition to the saga can lead to a clash between different opinions, but these are more general.
  • Never say to Baldur's Gate III fans that you think it is not a true part of the series. Conversely, never say to fans of the original saga that the new installment makes it look outdated and flawed.
  • If you don't want to make virtual enemies, avoid throwing trash on Imoen.
• Banjo-Kazooie:
  • To put it in a way Gruntilda would say it: "Criticizing the sequels is okay, but the original, that is nay. Say anything bad about the first Banjo-Kazooie, and the fandom will make your credibility go kablooey!"
  • As Gruntilda would put it: "Say that Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is better than the first two, then be prepared for what the angry fandom is going to do to you."
  • "If you say you liked the Cloud Cuckooland Canary Mary race, be prepared for the backlash from the fandom that you'll face."
• Batsugun: Go ahead and call the BATSUGUN Saturn Tribute Boosted version by City Connection anything short of a lag-ridden Porting Disaster (this includes saying you find the 6-frame input lag to be just fine) if you feel like being riddled with real-life Bullet Hell.
• Battlefield: Out of the dozen or so "mainline" games in the franchise, saying that Battlefield Hardline, the original Battlefield Vietnam or Battlefield 2042 is the best game in the series will get you ridiculed.
• Bayonetta 3: Unless you want to get dragged to Inferno, NEVER declare that the infamous ending where Bayonetta dies and Viola becomes the new Bayonetta was a worthy way of concluding the trilogy.
• Bomberman: If you live in the West and your opinion on Bombergirl is anything short of "I want to burn the nearest set of cabs down", the fanbase will wedge you into a one-tile space with bombs.
• Castlevania: Do NOT criticize Super Castlevania IV due to its Sacred Cow status. Otherwise, you'll be CRUCIFIED.
• Command & Conquer: Saying that Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight - a game viewed by the fandom as the Franchise Killer and one so reviled many fans pretend it never happened - is your favorite or is canon will have you subjected to the combined force of an Ion Cannon, Nuclear Missile, and Rift Generator.
• Cooking Mama: It's not a good idea to bring up Cooking Mama: Cookstar in a positive light.
• Go ahead and say that you think using the bar in DanceDanceRevolution is cheating. This might have at least caused a Broken Base back in the early 2000s, but in the late 2010s and beyond you will be beaten with said bar.
• Darius: Saying that Darius games other than Darius Gaiden and G-Darius are good is fine. Putting any game above those two, on the other hand, will get you turned into sashimi. If the game in question is Darius Force / Super Nova^note Disliked due to its checkpoint system and Darius II-style loss of all powerups after respawning or Darius R^note Disliked for being a rehash of the first Darius on a system with considerably less screen space than even 8- and 16-bit consoles especially, expect the Belsar Army to obliterate you and everything within a ten-kilometer radius.
• Devil May Cry:
  • While not to the same extent as the reboot, saying that you liked Devil May Cry 2 will cause the fans to destroy you with a powerful Devil Trigger.
  • Given that Devil May Cry 3 is considered by many to be one of the best games in the series, if not the best, speaking negatively about it will get you slashed by Nero with the Yamato.
  • Just mention DmC: Devil May Cry to a fan. Expect to be slashed apart over things such as the changes to Dante and the Take That!'s to the original continuity.
  • Even if you can deny it, the absolute banger of a character theme known as "Bury the Light", as featured in the Special Edition of Devil May Cry 5, is one that can't be spoken ill about under any circumstances. If you just happen to do that… To put it mildly, there will not be any motivation to fight back against the fired-up fanbase that will be the storm approaching towards you.
• Dino Crisis: Do not speak positively about Dino Crisis 3 or that you liked it, as it's considered a Franchise Killer due to abandoning the Cliffhanger of the second game in favor of dinosaurs IN SPACE.
• Doom: The less said about the Columbine High School shooting, the better. Otherwise prepare to either be blown to smithereens by the Cyberdemon or worse, ripped apart by Doomguy himself.
• Donkey Kong Country:
  • While most fans won't mind it if you like Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, suggesting you prefer it over Donkey Kong Country or Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (or Retro's titles) is not recommended unless you want the fandom to throw barrels at you, as it is regarded to be vastly inferior to those games by fans. Likewise, don't say you like Kiddy Kong or that you prefer to play as him over Dixie Kong or fans will throw even more barrels.
  • As well regarded as Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze are, in some circles, saying you prefer them over Rare's original trilogy is a good reason for hardcore Rare fans to steal your bananas while you're sleeping and probably shove your little buddy into a barrel.
  • Never suggest you prefer the Tiki Tong Tribe or even the Snowmads over the Kremlings, unless you want to earn the fandom's wrath and have King K. Rool blow up your home with the Blast-o-Matic.
• Double Dragon: Do not speak positively of Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone, as many fans have derided that entry compared to the first two games, due to its early form of microtransactions^note Doesn't apply to the Japanese version.
• Dwarf Fortress: Anyone who doesn't share the fandom's opinion on elves and necessary unnecessary violence will be accused of this sooner or later, and then subject to traditional dwarven punishment by magma... erm, "unfortunate accident", or whatever Death Trap the fandom has for the dissenter.
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Do not agree with Delphine or Esbern about killing Paarthunaax despite everything he has done for humanity as well as the Player Character, else you'd be on the receiving end of a very angry Shout.
• Elite Beat Agents: Do not say that you weren't heartbroken by the "You're the Inspiriation" story, or the fandom will boo at you for having "no soul" while a big red X appears over the scene.
• F-Zero:
  • Saying that the series doesn't need a hypothetical new game (other than F-Zero 99) is a bad idea that will get you run over at 1,000 km/h.
  • Saying that any game besides F-Zero GX is good is fine. Saying that they are better than GX will get you Falcon Punched out the nearest window. Make that "into the Fire Field lava" if the game in question is F-Zero: GP Legend or F-Zero Climax, due to being successive games that are pseudo-3D games and are seen as disappointing spinoffs, or F-Zero 99 due to many GX fans being upset that after such a long Sequel Gap, Nintendo made a Battle Royale Game remake of F-Zero (1990) rather than an entirely new F-Zero game.
• Fallout: Due to the very negative reception of the entry, saying that Fallout 76 is a good game or that you like it will get you targeted and nuked out of existence by the majority of the Fallout fandom.
• Final Fight: Don't ever mention Final Fight Streetwise, as fans regard it having killed the franchise by making it a supernatural horror game.
• Five Nights at Freddy's:
  • Series wide: When it comes to discussing various theories about the series to the fandom, don't even think of bringing up the idea that the entire series is just the hallucinations and fever dreams of a brain-damaged child, unless you want to be stuffed inside an animatronic suit.
  • Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach: While you can get away with complaining or criticizing most of the game, never say you don't like Glamrock Freddy, as the fandom widely considers him a Sacred Cow due to his All-Loving Hero nature, Parental Substitute like relationship with Gregory and being the first time that the player actually gets to see an animatronic be as nice as the series has previously claimed them to be. Otherwise you'll be, yet again, stuffed inside an animatronic suit.
• Genshin Impact:
  • Do not speak positively about Amber from a gameplay perspective, as she's considered to be the weakest character by the fandom. It's perfectly fine to speak positively about her from a story perspective, however.
  • Do NOT bring up the game's first anniversary, as the rewards given out during that event were considered to be very disappointing by the fans.
• God of War Ragnarök: Don't say that Kratos didn't deserve his redemption, otherwise be prepared to be hacked apart with the Blades of Chaos and the Leviathan Axe, both at once.
• Goldeneye 1997: One of the house rules in the fandom is to never play as Oddjob. Even saying you can always point down and shoot at him won't do anything to save you if you play as him.
• Do not bring up, or worse yet, praise Snoot Game to the Goodbye Volcano High fanbase unless you want a meteor dropped on you, as they regard it as a Shallow Parody made in particularly bad faith and its content flying in the face of what Goodbye Volcano High promotes.
• Gradius:
  • Gradius V is such a Sacred Cow amongst the fanbase, especially due to Treasure's involvement with it, that saying anything bad about it will cause the fanbase to come after you with a Big Core.
  • Go ahead and say that you think Gradius ReBirth is a long enough game. It will end well. Saying it's anywhere near as good as the Tough Act to Follow Gradius V will cause you to be barraged with Ripple Lasers.
  • If you say that the arcade version of Gradius III, infamous for its brutal Nintendo Hard difficulty, is better than its SNES adaptation, fans will think you're insane.
• Guitar Hero: Do yourself a favor and never mention Guitar Hero Live to the fans.
• Guilty Gear: While there is a lot of contentious stuff in every installment of the series, saying you don't like Daisuke Ishiwatari's music will get you hit with every Instant Kill simultaneously and Heavenly Potemkin Bustered for good measure.
• Half-Life: Speaking positively of the mod Hunt Down the Freeman will cause fans to either use the Gravity Gun to send you flying or sic a Headcrab on you. And as for the latter, yeah. It won't be pretty.
• Harvest Moon: Don't say that you like the post-split In Name Only Natsume series better than the pre-split series.
• Henry Stickmin Series: Don't ever say that Charles isn't funny or helpful, and never say you were okay with his Heroic Sacrifice in the "Valiant Hero" route of Completing the Mission.
• Honkai Impact 3rd: One of the mangas for the game had a moment where Seele kissed Bronya. Said kiss had to be removed in accordance with China's censorship laws. For the sake of your health, don't ever say that removing the kiss was justified, regardless of the Values Dissonance.
• The Idolmaster: Treating Idolmaster: Xenoglossia as part of The iDOLM@STER is considered by the fanbase as sacrilege, mainly due to it being a mecha anime as well as the characterizations of Yukiho and especially Chihaya. You can get away with liking it as long as you consider it seperate from the rest of the franchise.
• Kingdom Hearts: Whatever you do, never even remotely praise the Time Travel plot point originating in Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance]. In the eyes of most fans, it was rushed, rendered everything that the heroes did pointless, and pushed Xehanort straight into Invincible Villain territory.
• The King of Fighters:
  • While you can get away with hating his personality and actions, actually hating Rugal Bernstein's actual status as a villain or his difficulty as a boss is off-limits, as many fans consider him to be one of SNK's vilest and thus finest antagonists, alongside appreciating the brutal challenge fighting him is. Criticize either, and you'll probably be slashed apart courtesy of the Genocide Cutter.
  • Saying to the fans that you liked K9999 is generally a bad idea, as even SNK despises the character, eventually removing him from 2002's updated rerelease and replacing him with the more original and likable character Nameless. Do so anyway, especially to fans of Nameless, and expect to be burned alive by a Rinkou.
    • In The King of Fighters XV, it's all but stated the character Krohnen is actually K9999 in disguise, having undergone Character Development and being less of a Tetsuo clone. As a result, it is possible to get away with liking the current iteration of the character.
  • As practically everyone in the fandom have concluded The King of Fighters XII to be little more than a glorified demo for The King of Fighters XIII, expect a total smack down if you say you loved it or consider it to be one of your favorite games of all time.
• King's Quest: It's not a good idea to say that you liked King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder!, considered to be one of the worst entries in the series. Speaking positively about Cedric will also cause the fandom to gang up on you.
• Kirby on its own is already a Sacred Cow, but among fans the biggest way to get yourself crucified is to criticize Kirby Super Star. The game is considered one of the best in the series and claiming that it's a bad game is sure to get you murdered.
  • Depending on the fan though, it is possible to get away with saying the Updated Re-release, Kirby Super Star Ultra, is better than Super Star.
• Initial D Arcade Stage: If you prefer to do PvP races with Boost left on, do not EVER let the fandom find out, or else they will run you and your car off Mount Akina like Shingo tried to do to Takumi.
• The Last of Us:
  • The Last of Us: Do not say that you agree with the Fireflies' decision to sacrifice Ellie for the Cordyceps vaccine^note While it's presented as the only option in-game, it would definitely be possible in real life to get antibodies without killing the host. or that Joel was in the wrong for massacring the Fireflies in order to save Ellie.
  • The Last of Us Part II: Don't say that Joel deserved to be killed by Abby for his actions in the previous game, or you'll be clubbed just like he was.
• The Legend of Zelda:
  • Do NOT criticize Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time to the fandom due to their Sacred Cow status. Do so, and you're going to get CR-UC-IF-IED! Debating over which of the two is the better game, however, is a different story.
  • On the topic of Ocarina of Time, the Water Temple is notably infamous for various reasons and considered to be the worst dungeon in the entire series (even Shigeru Miyamoto apologized for the dungeon). Saying anything positive about the Water Temple (unless its the acclaimed Dark Link miniboss fight), or worse, boasting that the dungeon isn't that hard and those who find it difficult are wimps, and not even the full Triforce will protect you from the fandom's deserved wrath.
• Marvel vs. Capcom: Do not speak positively about Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite to the fandom, due to Executive Meddling turning it into a vehicle for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, heavily favoring the Marvel characters over the Capcom characters, and barring any Marvel characters whose film rights weren't owned by Marvel (mainly X-Men and Fantastic Four characters).
• Mass Effect: Do not mention the original ending to the third game around fans of the series. To put it lightly, it's widely disliked.
• Mega Man:
  • Mega Man (Classic):
    • Mega Man 2 is considered a Sacred Cow in the original series. Saying anything bad about it will have fans blasting you with the Mega Buster. And do not disagree that Quick Man's stage is That One Level, or the stage's instant-kill beams will be weaponized against you.
    • Mega Man 10: Do not bring up the Easy mode. Ever.
  • Mega Man X:
    • Saying the first game is bad. The sequels all have their fans and detractors, but the first game is considered by many to be, if not the best in the series, one of the best.
    • Speaking positively about Mega Man X6 or saying it's one of your favorites in the series will likely get you yelled at by the fandom, mainly due to its severely rushed state (in America, where it came out first, Mega Man X6 was released the same year that Mega Man X5 was in that country) and unforgiving difficulty. That said, the one unambiguously positive thing you can say without having to worry about backlash is the soundtrack.
    • Bringing up Mega Man X7 in a positive way is sure to rile up the fandom due to the various problems with the game, mainly the gameplay. If you say you like it or that it's one of your favorite entries in the series, angry fans will want you to "BURN TO THE GROUND!"
  • Mega Man Legends:
    • Do not say that you dislike the Bonnes, considered to be among the best characters in the series, or else expect a full-scale attack from Servbots and Bonne mechs that Mega Man will not rescue you from.
    • Do yourself a favor, and don't say you weren't upset with the infamous cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3, as fans consider it a great tragedy that effectively killed the Mega Man Legends series. If anything, doing so will result in the same as above.
  • Do not speak positively about Rockman X Over to the fandom, or else they'll blast/slash you with the Mega Buster/X-Buster/Z-Saber/etc. in response.
• Metal Black: Don't you dare say that the S-Tribute version by City Connection is better than the Arcade Archives version by HAMSTER Corporation. Even pointing out that the S-Tribute version has a proper save state system doesn't work.
• Metal Gear:
  • Bringing up anything to do with the series after Konami's firing of Hideo Kojima after Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (not to mention releasing Metal Gear Solid 3 Pachinko and Metal Gear Survive) will illicit rage from fans.
  • If Konami ever decides to make a Metal Gear game without Kojima's involvement, don't. Ever. Support it. For example, this instantly became the case with the aforementioned Metal Gear Survive.
  • Speaking ill of Snake Eater — the series' Sacred Cow and generally in contention for being one of the greatest video games of all time — is, for lack of a better term, ill-advised.
  • Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance: While you can, albeit with much caution, criticize anything else about the game, criticizing the soundtrack will cause you to get beaten down Senator Armstrong-style.
• Metroid:
  • Best way to get a whoopin'? Criticizing Super Metroid. It's unanimously considered a landmark game and a masterpiece of level design and craftsmanship by fans and critics alike. Decades after its release, it is still considered the best game in the entire series and one of the greatest video games ever made, so if you go after it, you might need to equip the Varia Suit to resist the flames.
  • The first Metroid Prime is another game that's considered risky to criticize, since it's often considered to be in the same league as Super Metroid due to how masterfully it navigated the Video Game 3D Leap.
  • If you say that you liked the gameplay of Metroid: Other M, fan opinion is mixed enough that you'll get some amused scoffing at worst. Say that you liked the story on the other hand, or (Chozo forbid) that it is one of your favourite entries in the series, then expect a complete derailment of the conversation as seemingly everyone in the fanbase arrives to signal to Raven Beak that you disrupted the natural order, and it will hurt. A lot. At one point, hate for Other M was to the point that even suggesting that the game had the potential to be good garnered the same result.
  • While no longer the case, prior to the release of future games that proved it wasn't the harbinger for the franchise's death, saying anything kind about Metroid Prime: Federation Force was simply a verbose way of requesting your death at the claws of Ridley. Hate for the spin-off was so strong from the moment of its reveal that even the much-maligned Other M was seen in a better light for a while, due to it having Samus as the protagonist rather than some faceless Federation Space Marines.
• Mortal Kombat: The first three games (with Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 to an extent) are the closest that the franchise has to a Sacred Cow and as such, are highly regarded. Criticizing them will have fans performing a gruesome Fatality on you.
• Persona:
  • Don't mention the Beginner and Very Easy modes from Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden, respectively, let alone state that you're okay with the existences of these modes, to fans of the series. And if you hold the opinion that it's okay to play on these modes, point out that they're optional, or worst of all, play on those modes, well...let's just say it's really upsetting that Trafuri doesn't exist in real life.
  • Persona 4: Don't say anything positive about Mitsuo Kubo if you don't want to be thrown into the Midnight Channel.
  • Persona 5: Unless it's a Love to Hate opinion, never say anything positive about any of the game's antagonists (excluding Sae Niijima, Akechi and Maruki), due to their various unlikeable natures, or else expect the fanbase to enter your Mental World to deliver a beatdown to your shadow self.
• Pokémon
  • Pokémon Red and Blue:
    • One of the biggest ways to anger the fanbase is to proclaim that Gen I is the only true Pokémon Generation and reject all Generations that came after it, as such closed-minded nostalgia is never tolerated by the fandom. It's still okay to like Gen I or have at as one of your favorites as long as you respect the other Gens, though.
    • Do not say you disagree with RBY Mewtwo being the most broken Pokémon in the entire series unless you want Mewtwo to use its psychic power on you. You can still say that other major Game Breakers such as Mega Rayquaza and Crowned Sword Zacian can give RBY Mewtwo a run for its money, but not more broken than it.
  • Pokémon Gold and Silver: It's not a good idea to speak positively about Delibird, a Pokémon so poor that it's the franchise's poster boy for Joke Characters. You can speak positively about its future Paradox variant Iron Bundle, however.
  • Pokémon Diamond and Pearl:
    • Over the years since its debut, Generation IV as a whole has become one of the most beloved Generations by the majority of the fandom for various reasons. Because of this, saying that Gen IV is a bad Gen will cause fans to gang up on you.
    • Go ahead and say that you didn't mind the NPC trade with Mindy ^note Who is notorious for wanting a Medicham for her Haunter, which due to it being a trade would mean the Haunter in question would evolve into Gengar, only for the Haunter to be holding an Everstone to prevent this. Fans despise this in-game trade mainly due to its trollish nature.
    • In many parts of the fandom, criticizing Pokémon Platinum is bound to get you in trouble, as those people consider it one of the best entries in the main series.
    • Due to how they turned out, don't say that Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are good remakes. In fact, don't even refer to them as remakes, as they come off as more Updated Rereleases than anything.
  • Pokémon Black and White:
    • Do not speak positively about the designs of the Vanillite and Trubbish lines, considered by most of the fandom to be among the worst Pokémon designs.
    • Don't even imply that Ghetsis cared for N in the slightest, as it's made pretty clear that he saw N as nothing more than a means to an end and used him in order to fulfill his plans.
    • Do not say that you didn't like the stories in either pair of games, given that this generation was the first to actually be story and character driven instead of having an Excuse Plot.
    • Do not speak negatively about Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 to the majority of the fandom (unless it's about the game's Bonus Feature Failure due to the Dream World shutting down in 2013), as it's seen in the same positive light as Platinum.
  • Pokémon X and Y:
    • It's not a good idea to say that you were okay with the games not getting follow-ups (such as an Updated Re-release or sequel) of any kind, as it means that the various problems X and Y had will never be fixed.
    • Don't say anything positive about the postgame, or better yet, lack of postgame, as the only such location is a single town with only one notable attraction.
  • Pokémon Sun and Moon:
    • Do not say that you like Alolan Dugtrio or Alolan Persian's designs, as most fans consider them to be either lazy or awful.
    • You're free to praise any of the new additions and changes to Sun & Moon that Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon brought to the table...except the story, which is generally regarded by the fanbase to be far weaker than that of Sun & Moon, mostly owing to much of the depth of Lillie's dysfunctional family being removed and many of the new story elements (particularly the Ultra Recon Squad and where they're from) turning out to be superfluous and/or wasted. Saying that the story in US/UM is better than that of the previous games is thus highly unrecommended.
  • Pokémon Sword and Shield: While there's nothing wrong liking anything else about the game, saying that you're okay with "Dexit" (where not every Pokémon can be brought into games starting with Sword and Shield) will make at least a lot of trainers in the fanbase want to use Zacian and Zamazenta to annihilate your partner Pokemon out of existence.
  • Pokémon Scarlet and Violet:
    • Do not say anything positive about Geeta as a Champion, much less Top Champion, as she's considered to be the worst one in the entire series. This may have been mitigated with the battle with her in the Indigo Disk DLC, which made her lineup much better.
    • From a story perspective, never speak positively about The Loyal Three or especially Pecharunt, due to what they did to Ogerpon. Speaking positively about them from a gameplay or competitive perspective may be a different matter, however,
  • Regarding Pokémon League Champions, Lance, Steven, and especially Cynthia are held in high regard in most parts of the fandom (Cynthia, for instance, is known for having one of the hardest battles in the series) and are considered to be the best Champions in the series. Criticizing any of them is not a good idea unless you want fans to have Lance's Dragonite, Steven's Metagross, or Cynthia's Garchomp annihilate you.
  • Opinions on villain teams and villain team leaders are quite mixed and stating who is the best/most evil/etc. will at worst lead to debates over your answer, but even thinking about saying anything positive about Team Flare (unless it's the anime version of them) will not go over well with the majority of the fandom. For some reason, it's been decided that they are the worst villain team. If you do, expect many people to say you are a child for liking their plan or saying you are no real fan.
    • In a similar vein, its not a good idea to speak positively about Team Yell or Macro Cosmos or even say that they're evil, especially since the former is just a group of rabid fans more than anything.
    • On the other hand, criticizing the villainous aspects of Team Rocket, Team Galactic, or Team Plasma (or their leaders Giovanni, Cyrus, and Ghetsis, respectively) can also be a bad idea, given that each of them are considered to be popular villains in most parts of the fandom.
    • Largely due to the scale of his plan, the majority of the fandom considers Cyrus (and by extension, Team Galactic) to be the most dangerous and threatening villain in the series. Saying that he isn't can cause them to turn against you.
  • "We want each region to feel unique." This statement has been used by Game Freak to justify the removal of several beloved game mechanics and quality-of-life features from game to game (the DexNav, walking Pokémon, the PSS etc), often only to replace them with far less-liked replacements. Agreeing with this line of logic is subsequently a good way to get yourself raked over burning coals by the angry fandom.
  • Given their lore, abilities, and powers over time, space, and creation, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus are considered to be the most powerful Pokémon. Canon-wise, stating an opinion of them not being gods or any Pokémon being more powerful than them is not a good idea. This can also apply to Ultra Necrozma to a lesser extent.
    • On a related topic, do not say that Dialga and Palkia's signature moves, Roar of Time and Special Rend, aren't canonically the most powerful Pokémon moves, given their effects over time and space.
  • While the mechanic had started out as divisive when it was first introduced in Generation VI, Mega Evolution has become very well-regarded by most of the fandom, who didn't take kindly to it being Demoted to Extra in Generation VII and omitted completely in Generation VIII and on. Saying you dislike Mega Evolution or saying that mechanics such as Z-Moves, Dynamax, and/or the Terastal phenomenon are superior to it? Well, it's a shame Arceus will not be around to save you.
  • When it comes to Shiny hunting, never count any guaranteed Shiny encounter (such as the Lake of Rage Gyarados, the gift Dratini/Gible, or the Hidden Grotto Haxorus) among the Shinies you caught, as the fandom only considers Shinies that are found by chance in the wild or similar means as such.
  • Due to three consecutive generations having a Fire/Fighting-type starter line (Blaziken, Infernape, and Emboar), saying that you're okay with any more starter Pokémon having that type combination will set off the fandom. Even a Fire-type starter Pokémon just remotely resembling anything Fighting-type (such as Incineroar or Cinderace) can anger fans.
  • Drawing any dark-skinned character (ex: Nessa, Bea, Nemona) with a lighter skin tone will upset the fans. It's to the point where Pokémon: Twilight Wings, an official production overseen by Game Freak themselves, got flak for depicting Bea as light-skinned, as well as Pokémon Masters getting flak for depicting Nessa as light-skinned.
  • Never mention the move Double Team or the item Quick Claw, as both of them (especially the latter) are notorious for turning matches into Luck Based Missions. Double Team in particular is infamous enough that it's banned everywhere outside of Anything Goes on Smogon.
  • In recent years, the franchise has started to experience overt nostalgia pandering, mainly towards Gen I, with the abundance of Gen I Pokémon present in regional Pokédexes, and the majority of Mega Evolutions, Gigantamax Forms, regional forms, convergent forms, and the like being Gen I Pokémon, which has started to tick off the fanbase as such Pokémon at times overshadow newer ones. Saying you support Game Freak's pandering of older Pokémon will get the rest of the fandom pissed at you.
  • Overlapping with Sonic the Hedgehog, don't even mention Sonichu to the fanbase, or else expect both Pokémon and Sonic fans to unite in order to electrocute you and shred you with the Chaos Emeralds.
• Puyo Puyo: Don't refer to Satan as "Dark Prince" (his name in English) unless you want to be attacked by his dark spells in a Puyo match. Even Western fans prefer to refer to him as just Satan and ignore his English name entirely, viewing it as an unnecessary case of Bowdlerisation that has managed to stick around despite all the series' other dub-isms having been removed over time.
• Raiden:
  • Casual fans will give you a stink-eye if you say that your favorite weapon is anything other than the Bend Plasma, known as the Toothpaste Laser.
  • In a similar vein, don't say that Raiden III is a good game, or at least, don't say that the Proton Laser is a good replacement to the Bend Plasma, or the fanbase will come after you with an army of sniper tanks.
• Ratchet & Clank: While they were praised by fans and critics when they first came out, saying that Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters and Secret Agent Clank are great entries will get you blasted by the titular duo's arsenal. Even Insomniac Games themselves tend to ignore these two titles most of the time.
• Ridge Racer: Fans of the series really care whether Reiko Nagase is included in a game, to the point where the games that don't have bombed. Because of this, don't tell a fan that you're okay if Reiko is absent from a game.
• Saints Row:
  • Do not say anything negative about Saints Row 2 unless you want to be buried alive like Shogo. And while Saints Row: The Third and Saints Row IV are okay to like, don't even suggest that they are better than Saints Row 2. ^note The original Saints Row game goes mostly unacknowledged since not only is it considered mediocre at best, but due to it being an Xbox 360 exclusive title (unlike the sequels, which were multiplatform), many Saints Row fans have never actually played it.
  • Do not say anything positive about either the Alternate Continuity game Agents of Mayhem or the 2022 Continuity Reboot either, or the same as above will happen. The latter was so poorly-received that it was a Creator Killer for Volition.
• Shin Megami Tensei:
  • Neutral and Chaos alignments and their representatives are acceptable to like. Law and its representatives are not, unless it's Love to Hate; you will be accused of being a real-life religious fascist. This is mostly a thing in the West, as Law is better-received in Japan.
  • If you want a good visual for how the fandom will react to you approving of Merciful difficulty in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster: Imagine the enemies (read: other fans) getting an ambush and chaining extra turns to wipe out the Demi-Fiend (read: you) in record time.
  • Saying that any mainline game after SMT III is better than that game is not a good idea.
• Silent Hill:
  • Do NOT mention Silent Hill: Homecoming to the fandom. Just don't do it. Save yourself the headache you'll get from facing Pyramid Head if you consider doing so.
  • If you value your life, do not bring up what happened with Silent Hills to the fans, much less say you were okay with its infamous cancellation. The less said about this, the better, and doing so will get you instantly killed by Pyramid Head.
• Skullgirls: Never say that you approve of the current owners of the franchise removing all Fanservice from the series, or else the entire fandom will pummel you.
• Sly Cooper: Saying you approve of Penelope's Face–Heel Turn in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time or the ending of the game will garner the hate of the fandom, many of which have even disowned the game to preserve the happy ending of Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. Some fans even apply this to the entire game overall.
• Sonic the Hedgehog:
  • The Sega Genesis games ^note Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles are the closest that the franchise has to a Sacred Cow and are held in high regard by most of the fandom. Criticizing them is a good way to set them off. The same can also go for Sonic Mania and Sonic Adventure 2.
  • It's not a good idea to say that Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was a good game or that you liked it, given the many problems with it, such as its rushed and unfinished nature, its incoherent story, its numerous amounts of glitches and bugs, or the character of Princess Elise, who is also notorious for kissing a dead Sonic. This also goes for Sonic Boom for the same reasons.
    • Conversely, saying anything negative about Sonic '06's soundtrack or the villain Mephiles the Dark can also be a bad idea.
  • Most Russian Sonic fans first discovered the Sonic series in the Adventure era with Sonic Adventure and the Sonic X anime, thus they consider the Darker and Edgier plots and atmosphere a Sacred Cow. Any mention of Sonic Lost World or the Sonic Boom franchise in a positive light will turn them against you.
  • People who got into the franchise through Sonic X are more likely to call Sonic "Sonikku" than those who got into it through other media. Calling Sonic that, even if you justify it in your fanworks as an Affectionate Nickname Amy gives Sonic, will cause the fanbase to do the dirty work of nailing you with a Super Peel-Out.
  • Whatever you do, do not tell any number of the fanbase that you agree with the "Sonic Mandates", as these rules that Sega has made in recent years that restrict various things that were created beforehand has caused untold amounts of damage on the entire franchise. Most notably, "Classic" and "Modern" Sonic are meant to be separate from one another, with characters or elements that have only appeared in one forbidden from appearing in the other. For example, "Classic" characters such as Mighty, Ray, and Nack/Fang cannot appear in anything "Modern", while "Modern" characters such as Shadow, Cream, and Blaze cannot appear in anything "Classic". These mandates effectively limit what can be done with the Sonic universe, and if you do decide to tell the public your positive opinion on the guidelines... to put it mildly, it's too bad the Chaos Emeralds haven't become a reality yet.
  • Though liking Sonic Superstars is fair game, do not admit to preferring it over Sonic Mania, or you'll risk ending up on the wrong side of the Emerald Powers.
• Splatoon has a rather fractured fanbase, but a few opinions will make the Big Runs look like a nice walk in the park compared to what the fans will to do you.
  • Saying you dislike any of the Idol Singer characters — especially Marie, Marina, or any member of Deep Cut — is a great way to get almost every fan of the series to launch Tenta Missiles at your head.
  • If you really want the ink to fly, say you ship Pearl and Marina with anyone except each other; the two are quite heavily Implied Love Interests, and there's enough Ship Tease for "Pearlina" (including Marina canonically having a crush on Pearl) that most fans of the characters consider it a One True Pairing anyway.
  • Go ahead and disagree with the notion that if someone Booyahs at you during a match, you are supposed to Booyah back. There are plenty of Plaza posts condemning players who do not, in a non-Scrub inversion of "Stop Having Fun" Guys.
  • Inklings and Octolings who dare to say that the Bloblobber isn't an annoying overpowered weapon will be thrown into the nearest body of water by their brethren.
• Star Fox:
  • A good way to get yourself lynched by the fandom is to criticize Star Fox 64, as it's considered a Sacred Cow and the best entry in the series, with none of the entries that came after able to match it.
  • Bringing up the quality of Star Fox Zero will irk a number of fans, but speak positively of the gyro-based controls the game has, and fans will blast you without warning.
• Star Wars: Battlefront: Do not say that the EA/DICE Battlefront games are better than the original LucasArts/Pandemic Battlefront games.
• Street Fighter:
  • Street Fighter II and IV (with the updated editions to an extent) are considered Sacred Cows. Criticizing them will set off fans to perform a Super Combo on you in a most brutal fashion.
  • While liking Street Fighter III is fine, saying it's better than II will earn a bit of an ire, most likely due to Akira Yasuda's regret.
  • Don't say that you like the vanilla version of Street Fighter V over the Arcade Edition and Champion Edition.
• Streets of Rage: Saying that you prefer the localized version of Streets of Rage 3 over the Japanese version, due to its bowdlerization, changing the story, increasing the difficulty, and ending the game at Stage 5 on Easy, will get you beat up by every playable character in the series.
• Super Mario Bros.:
  • Similar to the "Sonic Mandates" above, the "Mario Mandates", as they're called, are rules that Nintendo has made which dictate what creators can and can't do when designing Mario characters. This forbids the creation of unique characters that are various Mario races (Goombas, Koopas, Toads, etc.) starting with games such as Paper Mario: Sticker Star and forbids the re-appearance of any such characters made before the mandates, which greatly restricts creativity and forces such characters and enemies to look more generic. Saying that you support these mandates to any fan of the franchise will result in you being left at Bowser's mercy, complete with him ripping a chunk of hair off your moustache just for good measure.
  • Do not say that Mario and Luigi's last name is "Mario" (and if Word of God says it is, don't accept it as such) unless you want the fandom to roast you with Fire Flowers.
  • Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World are basically Sacred Cows, so criticizing any of them will cause the fandom to pummel you.
  • When it comes to the 3D games, do not criticize Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Galaxy, unless you want the fandom to give you a quick Game Over.
  • Super Mario Galaxy: You're better off not speaking positively about the Spring Mushroom, due to its awkward movement and controls.
  • Super Mario RPG is considered another Sacred Cow by the fandom. Saying that any other Mario RPG (even the first two Paper Mario games) is better than it, and the fandom will force you to face Culex.
  • Paper Mario:
    • Do not say that Paper Mario 64 and/or Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door aren't the best games in the series unless you want a whooping. Which of the two is better than the other happens to be a different discussion, however.
    • Even so much as mentioning Paper Mario: Sticker Star around seasoned Paper Mario fans is enough to result in the same thing as the above, for reasons such as dumbing down the story or having generic Toads all over the place at the expense of other NPC Mario characters (caused by the "Mario Mandates" above). If you imply that you think Sticker Star is better than any of the first three games (especially 64 and The Thousand Year Door), you're in for even more of a world of hurt from the fandom. The Origami King is generally safe to bring up, and while Color Splash is a Contested Sequel, it doesn't attract the same level of vitriol as Sticker Star.
    • Saying anything bad about Vivian, who is considered to be one of the best Mario characters period due to a combination of her sympathetic backstory, her Character Development where she gains the will to defy her Big Sister Bully, her usefulness in combat, her unique design, and being one of the best representations of a transgender character in video games, will result in the fanbase forcing you to fight both Bonetail and the Shadow Queen at once.
• Super Smash Bros.:
  • Super Smash Bros. Melee is held in high regard by the Smash community. Regardless of opinions of any of the other games in the series, never say anything negative about Melee.
  • Do not voice any approval for Brawl's random tripping, as both casual and competitive fans regard it as an unfun Scrappy Mechanic, and was additionally seen as a bad idea in hindsight by Masahiro Sakurai himself, enough to be dropped from future games.
• Team Fortress 2: While it's all right as a fan to talk shit about the game receiving no support from Valve, individual weapons, playstyles, Fandom VIPs, etc., saying you don't like the game itself is a great way to get crocketed by a Soldier with an Australium rocket launcher, as the game is one of if not THE biggest Sacred Cows in the entire FPS genre.^note Also, while the "rivalry" between TF2 players and Overwatch and Fortnite is mostly overblown by sensationalists, saying either game is better than TF2 is a great way to ruffle some feathers, so tread lightly.
• Tetris: Say that you dislike "Korobeiniki", the Russian folk song used as the "A-Type" music in the iconic 1989 Game Boy version (this includes saying you like other Tetris "themes" better). It will totally end well. In a similar vein, the only acceptable opinion of any Tetris game without that theme is "it sucks", and saying otherwise will get you bonked with an I-piece.
• Touhou Project:
  • When it comes to the fandom, something you shouldn't do is criticize Sakuya Izayoi or say she's a bad character. Otherwise, expect lots of angry fans, especially those that are fans of the earlier Windows era games such as Touhou Koumakyou ~ the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, to send dozens of knives your way.
  • Saying the games aren't that difficult, even relative of other shmups, will get you called insane — and not in a positive way — by most fans, who see people who are proficient with the games as inhuman rainfall-dodgers and for whom Touhou is their first exposure to shmups and therefore they may not be familiar with the "quarter muncher" reputation of arcade shmups (especially younger fans, who may not have had much exposure to arcade games, if at all).
• TwinBee: Detana!! TwinBee^note Known outside of Japan as Bells & Whistles is considered a Sacred Cow, meaning that criticizing it will have you gunned down by TwinBee and WinBee, possibly both at the same time. And GwinBee will finish you off.
• When it comes to ULTRAKILL weapons, the Alternate Marksman is by far the worst of any Scrappy Weapon in the game, due to its mechanics which trade crowd control splitshots of its original versions for single-target ricochet damage boost, seen by the fandom as much more inferior given how the niche could both be filled through the alternate variant of the Piercer, and how it's a loss of a crucial crowd control attack in the player's arsenal. To that end, you're better off not using the weapon at all, because you'd likely get scorned real bad for having the thought of that cross you. Even the wiki gets in on it:
  Many ULTRAKILL players, upon noticing unironic use of the Alternate Marksman, will immediately approach the user at a violent rate. The reason for why is still yet to be established.
• Undertale: Due to everything that he has gone through, it is considered especially bad etiquette to either refuse to forgive Asriel, or not provide him a Cooldown Hug. Otherwise be ready to have a bad time with Sans.
• Until Dawn: Do not hate Wolfie, and do not under any circumstances let him die. Otherwise, the fandom will be locking you outside and leaving you to be ripped apart.
• It's considered taboo if you prefer the original arcade version of U.N. Squadron (Area 88 in Japan) over the SNES port.
• Do not bring up Valis X^note pronounced "cross" in front of the Valis fandom, as they regard it as having killed the franchise by making it mindless porn.
• Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune:
  • Don't mention Honda in relation to this game. This partly has to do with Honda not being known for rear-wheel drive vehicles, let alone 4WD, other than the S2000 and the NSX (which was finally added in Maximum Tune 5DX+) and the game is heavily focused around powersliding, something that wouldn't make sense in a FWD car.
  • Go ahead and say that your favorite course is the Wangan Line. Expect to be called a noob who can't handle the tougher routes.
• Xenoblade Chronicles:
  • Treating Xenoblade Chronicles 1 as anything less but one of the best games ever or opposing Shulk being in Super Smash Bros. does not sit well with fans.
  • For Xenoblade Chronicles X, do not mention the censorship to fans. ^note The localization removed the bust-size option from character customization and altered some clothes when Lin, who is underage, wears them. The resulting backlash can put Cauldros to shame.

Visual Novels

• Ace Attorney:
  • Do not tell a fan that you didn't find Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All's final case exciting, as it's considered to be one of the best cases if not the best case in the series.
  • On the subject of Justice for All, splurging out anything positive about the game's widely hated third case will cause the fandom to prosecute you so hard even Phoenix Wright himself wouldn't be able to get you out of it. Unless you're speaking of the anime edition, to which the fandom will pull a 180 and vouch for your acquittal, allowing Phoenix Wright to pull an easy 'Not Guilty' verdict.
  • Saying that your favorite game in the series is any other than the first or third ones will get you completely torn apart with rage by the fanbase who are insistent that their opinion is the only valid one.
• Air:
  • Do not say anything positive about the monks and soldiers responsible for Kanna's curse and death respectively, or you'll be riddled with arrows yourself.
  • Say anything positive about Keisuke Tachibana, Misuzu's father who ignored her for most of her life, and you'll get punched in the face.
  • Never, ever say you were okay with Misuzu's death or you'll be cursed to slowly and painfully deteriorate and die yourself.
• Danganronpa:
  • The third trial from Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair has gained a whole lot of infamy from the fandom, due to reasons such as Mikan Tsumiki's motive being the much-maligned Despair Disease, the fact that it would have been impossible for her to pull off both murders in the way and timeframe she did, that Hiyoko Saionji's murder wasn't elaborated upon, the rushed nature of the trial itself, or most infamously, Mikan's execution. As such, it's not a good idea to mention anything positive about it, and if you do, just be sure prepared for what brutal execution you'll get from the thousands of fired-up individuals, especially those who like Mikan.
  • For Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, do not say anything good about Haiji Towa, considered by the fandom to be the most hated character in the whole series.
• Doki Doki Literature Club!:
  • Do not say that Monika did nothing wrong, or else the fandom will delete you. You're still allowed to sympathize with Monika, like her, or say that her actions were understandable, but don't ever say she was in the right for what she did to Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri.
  • Saying even the slightest thing positive about Natsuki's father, due to his all but explicitly stated treatment of Natsuki, or that he's not as bad as fans make him out to be, will lead to your death and deletion, especially since despite never actually appearing, he's very unlikable.
• Majikoi! Love Me Seriously!: It's not a good idea to speak negatively about Momoyo Kawakami, easily one of the strongest and most badass characters in the story. If you do, you'll be obliterated Kawakami-style.
• Renai X Royale: Speaking positively about Mari with get you in trouble with fans and readers, mainly due to her personality as well as her actions, both past and present, towards the main character. Speaking negatively about Yuna will get you in trouble with pretty much those same people.
• Tsukihime: When it comes to the fanbase (as well as fans of the Nasuverse as a whole), one way to make them want to suck the blood out of you is making a single mention of the anime Shingetsutan Tsukihime. In fact, there's no Tsukihime anime as far as they're concerned.

Web Animation

• DEATH BATTLE!:
  • While most if not all Death Battles have at least some contention regarding their victors from watchers, a literal death battle will ensure if you approve of who the victors were in Gaara vs Toph, Yang vs Tifa, Ben 10 vs Green Lantern, or, most infamously of all, the second Goku vs Superman fight, as those four are despised by fans for reasons such as flawed research, accusations of favoritism, or even the victor cheating.
  • On the other hand, there are a few bouts where nobody disagrees with the results and doing so is not a good idea. For example, everyone is in agreement that Omni-Man vs. Homelander had the correct victor, and any dissent will lead to the 3 fandoms coming at you to feed you your own heart, especially when considering that even the official Twitter accounts for both series approved the outcome.
  • Fans are very insistent that the first real life person portrayed in the series was Chuck Norris in his fight against Segata Sanshiro, and any mention of the episode consisting of a "fight" between Justin Bieber and Rebecca Black will most likely end with you being roundhouse kicked in the face, especially considering that even the creators of the show treat the episode with scorn.
• GoAnimate: Don't ever defend the character who got grounded, or else be prepared to be the one to have a Punishment Day, courtesy of Boris himself.
• Happy Tree Friends: Even just belting out that "Youtube Copyright School" is not a bad episode to fans of the series is a surefire way to have them out for blood, as it's seen as less of an episode of HTF and more of a punishment for uploaders who get a copyright strike on YouTube ^note If you get a copyright strike, you're forced to watch the video.
• Helluva Boss: You really want to tick off some HB fans in record time? Create/like any NSFW works featuring Octavia, Stolas' 17-year old daughter, for obvious reasons. Even 'questionable' artwork of her will have them clamoring to have you blocked and reported, and no amount of arguing 'it's just a 2d drawing' or 'it's fictional' will dissuade them.
  • On a lesser but still infuriating note, attempting to do any problematic ships will also cause outrage.
• hololive: Do not say that you approved of Rushia Uruha's termination, or else the fandom will scream at you as loudly as she does.
• Homestar Runner: Do not say anything positive about the Robot Chicken parody, "Attack on Homestar Runner", or else The Cheat will gnaw your face off, as this sketch is loathed by Homestar fans.
• Nijisanji: Similar to the hololive example above, never speak positively about Selen Tatsuki's termination, or else countless Dragoons will descend upon you.
• RWBY:
  • Originally, the big draw to the show was that its creator was Monty Oum, a web animator known for his dramatic and Rule of Cool fight sequences. During the first three years of the show, it was difficult for fans who didn't know who Oum was and didn't like his fighting styles to state that without experiencing backlash. Even after a decade, the fandom still tends to target fans who don't like Oum's fighting style, or who prefer post-Monty fights to the Monty-era fights.
  • For those fans who dislike the direction of the show after Volume 3, it is considered unfathomable that anyone could like it or the quality of it. However, while there is fandom consensus that Volume 5 hit Seasonal Rot, there's also a consensus that the show started Growing the Beard from Volume 6. New fans coming into the show post-Volume 6 also tend not to understand the hate for Volume 5 that exists among older fans, and have experienced backlash from older fans for admitting as much.
  • There's a consensus among both the show's fans and hate-watchers that it's not acceptable for people to state Monty Oum would dislike the show's direction after his death or would do things better. Some Internet forums even impose rules to enforce this.
  • While you could get away with doing so in the first two Volumes, do not speak positively about Adam Taurus. His arrogant personality, his treatment of Blake, his goals for the White Fang, and his various other actions from Volume 3 onward have effectively made him arguably the most hated character in the entire series. The only positive thing that can be said about Adam are his fight scenes.
• SMG4:
  • Even just saying something mildly positive about Francis or that you're okay with him will lead you to experience the fury of a thousand sun-related memes and get sent to the Cancelled Dimension (or The Internet Graveyard), as he's considered by the fandom to be one of the most despicable villains in the series, especially since he killed Desti.
  • Due of the character's actions in SMG4 Movie: Western Spaghetti, do not speak positively about One-Shot Wren, other that the chain of events that lead to his Start of Darkness.

Web Original

• Channel Awesome: For all that is holy, never speak positively about To Boldly Flee, as the movie is considered not only to be awful, but what started the fall of Channel Awesome as a whole.
• Game Theory: While the majority of videos are contentious, never speak positively about the first Five Nights at Freddy's video, "Mario is Mental", "Link is Dead in Majora's Mask", or "Ness is Sans".
• YouTube:
  • It's best for you not to say you were fond of any YouTube Rewind from 2018 onwards, as they're despised by viewers of the platform and contain far more dislikes than likes as a result.
  • Speaking of dislikes, saying you approve of the site's removal of the dislike feature (the button's still there but the dislike count isn't viewable by the public) is the best and easiest way to get decried by basically everybody on the platform, likely in the form of several lengthy video essays. In addition, saying you approve of the heightened censorship and mislabeling of videos "for kids" due to COPPA, the increasing amount of videos whose comment sections have been disabled (both kids and music videos), and the heightened amount of inconvenient advertisements will get you a similar reaction.
  • If you even have a slight approval of fraudulent copyright strikes, expect the whole of Youtube userbase to start a violent Flame War on you.

Western Animation

• The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius:
  • One way to get yourself chastised by fellow amateur geniuses is to say good things about the infamous Planet Sheen to fans of the original show, as they have no fondness for it, especially since Planet Sheen crashed and burned not long after debuting. It's rather telling that even John A. Davis, Jimmy Neutron's creator, went on to say that he found a whole show focused on Sheen a very bad idea, since in his words, Sheen is a character who works better in "small doses".
  • Never, ever ship Jimmy with Betty. He's supposed to be with Cindy.
• Adventure Time:
  • Do not say anything negative about Marceline, unless you want the fandom the suck out all the red from you. Same results will apply if you suggest that she doesn't deserve her redemption.
  • While you don't necessarily have to have it as your favorite pairing, speaking negatively of Bubbline (Bubblegum and Marceline) will get you in trouble with most of the fandom mainly due to them kissing and becoming a couple again in the Grand Finale.
• American Dad!:
  • Don't say anything positive about "American Fung", which is the most hated episode of the entire series.
  • Saying that you don't like "Gold Top Nuts" will get you referred to as a "Tiffany's boyfriend".
• Amphibia:
  • Mentioning AdmiralDT8 anywhere would cause, at minimum, people to react in total disgust and mockery, and at most, all Disney lovers around the world to slam into your house at breakneck speed, break off the cord of your monitor, and fire a massive beam at whatever's in there point blank, destroying them once and for all. There is a extremely good reason why discussion of him is outright banned in some parts of the fandom to the point where bringing him up in social media is highly discouraged. ^whyAdmiralDT8 is the online alias of Darrel Timmerman, an artist, animator and writer in the DisneyTVA community known for his artwork, animations and songs. He gained notoriety for his fanfiction Loyalty Among Worlds, a retelling of Amphibia starring his Original Character and self insert, Darrel Loyalität. The fandom's ire is a result of said original character being eventually paired up with the show's main protaganist, Anne Boonchuy. This seemingly harmless ship immediately takes a rather disturbing turn once you realise that Darrel Loyalität is meant to be a self insert of Darrel Timmerman himself whom is 28 years old, meaning that he is practically shipping himself with a teenager causing many to consider him to be a borderline pedophile. Whilst Darrel denied actually loving Anne, this did little, if anything, to quell the backlash.
  • Drawing Anne's hair with points instead of curves will bound to get people angry at you and your artwork. It got so far as to people criticising the show's creator for drawing Anne "incorrectly".
• Arthur: Do not say anything positive about the episodes "Arthur's Big Hit" (which even Arthur's creator Marc Brown disliked) or "So Funny I Forgot to Laugh".
• Avatar franchise:
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender:
    • So much as mentioning the live-action movie will lead to trouble. At least half the fandom refuses to acknowledge that it exists and the other half that does sincerely wishes it didn't; this includes the creators of the animated series themselves.
    • It is strongly discouraged to trash Uncle Iroh for any reason whatsoever.
    • On the opposite side of the coin, saying Fire Lord Ozai wasn't that bad of a father or leader of the Fire Nation, or sympathizing with him in general is a good way of getting the right side of your face burned ala Zuko. Fans of Zuko especially despise him for being the reason why he's a Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds for two-thirds of the series. You can still say that Ozai was a good, compelling, or imposing Big Bad, however.
    • When it comes to villains, do not say that you dislike Azula, considered to be one of the most popular and competent villains in the series.
  • Legend of Korra: When it comes to Shipping, the fandom has this rule: Never hate on Korra/Asami, due to the fact that they became an Official Couple at the end of the series, notable for being one of the first confirmed same-sex couples in children's Western Animation. It doesn't have to be your favorite ship, however, you can ship her with someone else but hating the ship or using a Die for Our Ship is a big no-no.
  • While Legend of Korra does have its fans, it's still not a good idea to say that it's better than the original series.
    • When it comes to fans within LoK, don't even dream of putting Unalaq among the top 3 best villains of that show. Hell, don't put him among the top 30. There's a lot of reasons why even Korra fans hate season 2 and Unalaq is one of, if not, the biggest reason for that season's reputation.
• Batman: The Animated Series:
  • Don't admit you like "I've Got Batman in My Basement" unless you want to be attacked by vultures, as it's widely regarded by fans and the show's staff as the worst episode in the entire series.
  • Don't say anything positive about the episode "The Terrible Trio", as Bruce Timm isn't too fond of it.
  • Saying you like the Joker's infamous redesign in The New Batman Adventures is a good way to find yourself thrown out of a window by Mr. J, given how widely hated the redesign is (even by the staff of the show).
  • Don't say anything even remotely negative about Kevin Conroy's portrayal of Batman or Mark Hamill's portrayal of the Joker, as many fans consider them to be the definitive actors of the characters.
• Beavis and Butt-Head: Do not say anything negative about "The Great Cornholio", as it is considered by the fandom to be the best episode ever made.
• Ben 10: For reasons similar to The Powerpuff Girls (2016) and Teen Titans Go! below, mentioning the reboot to the Ben 10 fandom will lead to them bringing up a strong alien in the Omnitrix to use to utterly destroy you.
• Blue's Clues: While you can say you didn't mind any hosts after Steve (such as Joe) or even that you liked any of them, never say any of them was a better host that Steve unless you want fans to call you some very unpleasant things.
• The Boondocks: Do not tell a fan that there is a fourth season. Even [adult swim] themselves said that it does not exist.
• Cartoon Network:
  • It's probably best that you don't mention any of the channel's live-action shows around fans of the channel. To put it simply, their hate is so massive that this very wiki's page for them had to be cut in the past.
  • The channel has an... infamous reputation regarding its reboots of various cartoons from fans of the channel and said cartoons. Saying that you like any of their reboots will not end well for you.
• Codename: Kids Next Door: Saying that the show shouldn't have gotten the Galactic Kids Next Door sequel series or saying that you agreed with Cartoon Network's reasoning for rejecting it (namely, they claimed that they weren't interested in giving old shows another run, only to Greenlight the Ben 10 and Powerpuff Girls reboots in the same year) will result in every Kids Next Door operative gunning for your head.
• Danny Phantom:
  • Just bringing up Word of God saying that all the ghosts in the series, sent to the Ghost Zone or otherwise, are actually monsters from another dimension can motivate the fans to make you a sitting duck for mockery and humility, as the general consensus is that it doesn't make sense and goes against the series as a whole. In fact, even the show's wiki rejects this explanation.
  • Saying that you liked the Grand Finale Phantom Planet (or even Season 3 in its entirety) will get you on the fandom's bad side due to the direction fans consider it to have gone down.
• Doug: Do you consider the Disney run to be better than the Nickelodeon run? Because if you do, make sure you're wearing asbestos underwear for when angry fans flame you.
• DuckTales (2017): Unlike his 1987 counterpart, it's not a good idea to say anything positive about Doofus Drake.
• Ed, Edd n Eddy: Do not say anything even a little bit positive about Sarah or Lee Kanker.
• The Fairly Oddparents:
  • Saying that you liked the three live-action movies ^note A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!, A Fairly Odd Christmas, and A Fairly Odd Summer will most likely enrage the fandom, especially those who are fans of Channel Chasers. Even considering them canon can lead to this ^note The canonicity of the live-action movies is ambiguous to begin with.
  • Similarly, do not say anything positive about the live-action spinoff/reboot The Fairly Oddparents Fairly Odder, as it's just as hated as the live-action movies. Even Nickelodeon seemed to agree and wiped Fairly Odder from existence.
  • While saying you like Poof will still have half the fandom defend your opinion, and saying you like Chloe will only lead to some upset fans, saying you like Sparky or that he's a good character to the fandom will cause the flames to be seen all the way to Yugopotamia. Even critics, staff members, and network executives hated the character, leading to his immediate removal come the following season.
  • Do not say that Channel Chasers was a bad special, as the fandom considers it to be the best entry in the entire series. The most you can get away with is saying it has a couple flaws, but even that's pushing it.
  • Saying you liked the infamous episode "It's a Wishful Life" or that it was a good episode will get the fandom angry at you, as even the writers and Butch Hartman themselves don't look fondly on it.
  • Speaking positively about how Trixie Tang was handled in the episode "Just the Two of Us" can get you in trouble by fans, due to how the episode ended up turning Trixie into a crazed Yandere.
  • When it comes to Shipping, do not speak negatively about Timmy/Tootie to the fandom, unless you want the majority of them to attack you. Unlike other examples, however, you can still ship Timmy with someone else, but using Die for Our Ship with Timmy/Tootie is a big no.
  • Never, ever claim that there was a ninth or tenth season.
• Family Guy:
  • While saying that you like the post-cancellation seasons will have half the fandom defend your opinion, it is not a good idea to say that you enjoyed "Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q". Even people who are willing to defend the later seasons hate that episode.
  • Similarly, if you liked "Seahorse Seashell Party", it's best to keep that opinion to yourself. Again, much like "Screams of Silence", not even fans of the later seasons like that episode.
  • Bringing up Brian's fake-out death is a good way to piss off the fandom, as everyone agreed that it was a terrible ratings stunt and that the four episodes involving it were written extremely poorly.
• Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: "Everyone Knows It's Bendy" was already very disliked upon its initial airing, mainly because of the plot being mostly driven by the characters acting like idiots or out-of-character, but has progressively gathered more and more hatred among fans of the series and even people outside of the fandom for just about every single aspect they can point out at the titular Bendy instead, to the point that they place him among the worst of their character/general opinions seemingly for the sake of getting some kicks (even Lauren Faust herself has admitted to hating Bendy). Any small mention or speech about the episode or Bendy being good in the slightest is guaranteed to get you relentlessly, messily pummeled with neverending, burning hatred.
• Gargoyles: Do not tell the fandom there is a third season, especially since Greg Weisman and the comic book continuation say otherwise.
• Gravity Falls:
  • The fandom has an interesting one. Alex Hirsch had originally Jossed that they are before stating that the twins were raised non-religiously, but if you even dare to suggest the Pines collectively aren't Jewish, even if you phrase it in a way where they're still Jewish theoretically speaking, you'll be met with quite a bit of hate, whether or not you try to bring up what Alex said.
  • In an interesting case, while the character was initially disliked for understandable reasons, after the episode "Northwest Mansion Mystery", which revealed the cause of her behavior, and her ultimate decision to oppose it, it's now a bad idea to say anything negative about Pacifica Northwest. And don't say that you don't like the ship of her with Dipper Pines.^note  while shipping Pacifica with Mabel is generally permissible to all but the most intense Dipcifica shippers, the Dipper x Pacifica ship is by far and away the most popular and saying you dislike or don't understand the ship, will earn you much ire
• Hazbin Hotel:
  • Never say you like Valentino (outside of a Love to Hate appreciation), never say you find any aspect of him attractive, don't imply you think he is in anyway redeemable, and NEVER imply you ship him with Angel Dust in any way, shape, or form, unless you want to be impaled through the head with an angelic spear and then devoured by cannibals.
  • While most criticism of the show is taken in good stride, shitting on the songs is extremely ill-advised and a great way to have your screams forever preserved in a radio broadcast, as they're easily the most beloved and least contentious aspect of the show.
• Hey Arnold!:
  • When it comes to the fandom, do not say that you ship Arnold/Lila. He's supposed to be with Helga, especially with Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie making them an Official Couple.
  • Disliking Helga, bashing her, or calling her ugly is one of the most excessive ways to rile up the fanbase.
  • Don't say anything positive about "Arnold Betrays Iggy", which is unanimously considered to be the worst episode of the series.
  • On the other side of the spectrum, don't say anything negative about "Helga on the Couch", considered to be one of the best episodes of the series.
• Kid vs. Kat: When it comes to Shipping, shipping Coop with Phoebe is a huge no-no. Fans prefer him to be with Fiona.
• The Loud House: Never, ever ship Lori and Bobby with anybody but each other.
• Miraculous Ladybug:
  • Do not even dare to say anything good about the episode "Chameleon", or say that it wasn't as bad as most fans claim. It's easily the most disliked episode of the entire series for a reason.
  • It's not a good idea to bring up Thomas Astruc's decision to have Chloe join the Big Bad at the end of Season 3, as fans are upset over the fact that it means her redemption arc was thrown out the window, especially after it was shown she could change.
  • Don't ever speak positively about Félix to the fandom, mainly due to his personality and actions. In fact, Thomas Astruc deliberately made him a major Hate Sink.
  • It is not a good idea to be a fan of or say anything even a little bit positive about Lila Rossi.
• Moral Orel: While it's acceptable to like him based on the merits of how he's written, suggesting that Clay Puppington is in anyway sympathetic or redeemable is a horrible idea unless you want eternal damnation, especially given how he treats Orel. There's a reason many fans cite "Nature" as one of the most realistic portrayals of physical/emotional abuse at the hands of an alcoholic parent in all of media.
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: It's not a good idea to say anything negative about Fluttershy. If you do, you will be blasted at point-blank range by the Orbital Friendship Beam.
• Ninjago:
  • It's generally a bad idea to bring up Season 11 around Ninjago fans and an even worse idea to say it was your favorite season.
  • Similar to Season 11, fans tend not to be particularly pleased when Hands of Time is brought up, though they tend to be more forgiving about it than with Season 11.
  • Saying anything bad about the Oni Trilogy (Sons of Garmadon, Hunted, and March of the Oni) will get you Spinjitzu'd in the face. The best you can get away with is saying that March of the Oni was lackluster compared to the other two.
  • Before the Oni Trilogy, the one season you couldn't insult was Possession, at the time considered to be the show's best season and even nowadays considered to be very strong and among the top 5 best seasons.
  • Do not bring up the brief love triangle between Jay, Cole, and Nya. It is commonly considered the worst thing the show's ever done and, depending on the fan, may even be considered worse than Season 11.
• The Owl House:
  • Unless you want the fandom to send a death hex to you, don't ship Luz and Amity with anyone but each other (especially not with Hunter) or say you dislike the two as a pairing, since they're the Official Couple and the One True Pairing of the show.
  • Alternatively, suggesting you ship Amity with any of the male characters is not a wise move and is a guaranteed way to get labeled as a lesbophobe by nerds everywhere due to the fact that she is canonically a lesbian in the show. The same punishment holds for attempting to ship Luz with any male character.
  • Sympathizing with or attempting a Cry for the Devil with Odalia is never a good idea. There's a reason why the vast majority of fans hate her and consider her to be pure evil, and not for reasons like Evil Is Cool with Emperor Belos.
• Pinky and the Brain: The fandom has one rule: ganging up on anybody who mentions Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain to them. To put it simply, the Pinky and the Brain writers themselves were against it, making an episode demonstrating why adding a third character to the show was not a good idea, and the 2020 Animaniacs reboot in fact completely ignores the spin-off.
• The Powerpuff Girls: A easy way to get beaten up by the girls themselves is to say anything positive about the 2016 reboot to the fandom, for reasons such as animation errors, the episode "Horn Sweet Horn'', shoehorned references to current memes and trends, or other unpopular changes made over the original cartoon.
• Ren & Stimpy: Do yourself a favor, and never bring up Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon" in a positive way to a fan, or they'll do to you what Ren threatened to do to Stimpy and Sven in ''Sven Hoek".
• Rick and Morty:
  • Saying that Season 5's "Rickdepedence Spray" was a good, great, or one of the best episodes of the show will eventually lead to most of the fandom brutally murdering you and throwing your corpse out into space, mainly due to the premise and conclusion of the episode featuring heavy amounts of Squick, up to the point of Nausea Fuel.
  • The same rule applies to all enjoyers of any of the incest-related plots, such as the giant incest baby, Beth making out with her clone (although that's more selfcest), or a fortune cookie predicting Jerry would have sex with his mother.
• Samurai Jack:
  • Saying that you were okay with Season 5's premiere being suddenly delayed in favor of the Season 3 premiere of Rick and Morty is enough to stir up rage from most fans, mainly due to the action being considered trollish towards Samurai Jack fans.
  • Unless you have the need to get your arms sliced open by multiple swords, NEVER bring up Ashi's death at the end of the series to fans of the show. The event was so negatively received that the canonical game Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time did away with the scene in question with Ashi surviving in the Golden Ending.
• Scooby-Doo:
  • Do not say that Scrappy-Doo is better than the core five characters, or else the fandom will gang up on you. Remember, he's the Trope Namer for The Scrappy for a reason.
  • Don't say anything negative about Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, as it's often considered to be one of the best shows in the franchise, maybe even the best.
  • Don't even think of saying anything that isn't negative about Velma to the fandom - due to its reviled reception - as those meddling kids won't let you get away with it.
• The Simpsons:
  • Do not speak positively about the infamous episode "The Principal and the Pauper'', or else you will receive the sentence for anyone in Springfield bringing up the events of the episode, which is punishment by torture.
  • Under no circumstances should you say you liked "Lisa Goes Gaga" or "The Musk Who Fell To Earth" either, as both of these episodes are even more reviled than "The Principal and the Pauper".
  • Do not ship Patty Bouvier with any male characters as she is canonically a lesbian in the show.
  • Likewise, do not ship Waylon Smithers with any female characters, as he's canonically gay. (And even when shipping him with male characters, tread carefully, as Burns x Smithers and Moe x Smithers shippers can get quite... territorial about their respective ships.)
• South Park: It is NOT a good idea to say that Stephen and Linda Stotch are your favorite characters (or say anything remotely positive about Stephen and Linda in general). Otherwise, bad things will happen. Very, very, VERY, VERY bad things, and meeting the same gruesome fate as Chef is only the tip of the iceberg.
• SpongeBob SquarePants:
  • If you ever speak positively about the spin-offs Kamp Koral or The Patrick Star Show to those who mainly consider the original 3 seasons to be the pinnacle of the show, expect them to subsequently string you up in a major city's town square for all to see, mainly because they consider them a desecration of the late Stephen Hillenburg's wishes.
  • Saying anything negative about the episodes "Band Geeks", "Chocolate With Nuts", or "Idiot Box", considered by the fandom to be the holy trinity of SpongeBob episodes, will get you forcefully put into a box and sent to a marching band to be traded for chocolate.
  • Saying anything negative about late Season 9 to early Season 12 apart from episodes like "Ink Lemonade," "Whirly Brains," and "Cuddle E. Hugs" tends to be frowned upon by the fanbase. This era is often looked up by the fandom as a more true continuation of SpongeBob's story than the seasons that came before Hillenburg's return to the series and since his death.
  • Speaking positively of the infamous episode "One Coarse Meal" is a good way to land yourself on the fandom's hit list, especially since all of the cast and even one of the co-writers don't look fondly upon it.
  • For similar reasons to the above example, if you liked "A Pal for Gary", better keep that opinion to yourself.
  • Due to an infamous scene in the episode, do not speak positively about "House Fancy" (other than Squidward being unanimously victorious over Squilliam), unless you want the fandom to rip your toenail off.
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars:
  • Do not say anything negative about this series. While it was rather contentious early on, it improved significantly over time, to the point where it's widely considered to be the best animated Star Wars series, one of the best Star Wars TV series overall (alongside The Mandalorian and Andor) and better than the Prequel Trilogy films.
  • Ahsoka Tano is a character who is considered sacred by the fandom, and saying anything negative about her can and will lead to you being targeted and then fired at by both Death Stars, Starkiller Base, and every single Xyston-class Star Destroyer, all at once. Interestingly, Ahsoka started off as mainly disliked, but as time went on and she was given notable Character Development, she cemented herself as a popular character, showing that she had to gain the positive reputation she has today, something the fans say she has earned and, at the end of the day, simply makes the aforementioned all the more justified.
  • Do not speak positively about Pong Krell to the fandom, other than to praise him as a villain. To put it simply, he's to the Star Wars fandom what Dolores Umbridge is to the Harry Potter fandom.
  • Related to the previous point, don't say anything negative about the Clone Troopers, since they're considered one of the best elements in this series. The fact that Krell treated them like garbage is the main reason behind the fans' immense hatred of him.
  • Don't say anything negative about Darth Maul's return, as it's agreed that Maul was an under-utilized character in The Phantom Menace as well as the arcs featuring him being some of the best arcs in Star Wars.
• Steven Universe: Don't even suggest that Peridot and Lapis Lazuli don't deserve their redemptions. If you do, you'll be chained by Lapis while voices of the main characters of the show call you a monster, like in Peridot's Nightmare Sequence in the SU fanfic "The Monster Behind The Visor".
• Teen Titans (2003): Even so much as mentioning Teen Titans Go!, much less that you like it, to geeks, nerds, animation addicts and superhero fans everywhere can and will be quite a painful experience, as you'll be facing a entire barrage of rants about why the show itself is poisoning the goodwill of animated television adaptions of iconic DC Comics brands. While the show is widely hated across the board, it's especially dangerous to bring it up to fans of the original show.
• Thomas & Friends: Don't ever say that you like Seasons 8-16, Seasons 22-24, or especially the All Engines Go reboot, or else the fandom will do to you either what 'Arry and Bert tried to do to Stepney or what happened to Smudger, and it won't be pretty.
• Total Drama:
  • If you liked/enjoyed All-Stars, keep that opinion to yourself.
  • It is not a good idea to say that "Sundae Muddy Sundae" is your favorite episode. If you do, there's a good chance you might get eliminated by the fans.
  • On the flipside, saying you dislike Island is asking to be thrown off a 10,000 foot cliff into a lake with sharks.

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