Kagepro Galore!

Genderbends are always fun to RP, though as a mun, you have to remember they’re in a completely different universe than the canon character. 

This means that: 

They have no idea the canon characters exist. 

Nearly everything about them is flipped. Genderbend characters generally have the personality of the canon character. Unless you’re RPing a genderbent with a set personality (like in the Hetalia’s genderbend world, Nyotalia), it’s good to keep close to the canon character’s personality. 

Their names are obviously going to be different. Make sure you know the character’s first and last name before you pick out a name for them. For example, if you’re RPing the genderbent of Eru Chitanda (Hyouka), make sure you know that Eru is her first name and Chitanda is her last one. You might want to keep their names close to each other. However, this shouldn’t limit you to adding ‘to’ or ‘ka’ to the end of their names (like with the genderbends for Rinto/Rinta and Lenka/Lenko Kagamine (Vocaloid)). You can find names that are similar in meaning or relate to the character’s background. Lovino is the canon name for APH South Italy, and while Lovina sounds like a ridiculous name, it’s actually a variant form of the name Lavinia. Lavinia is the name of the legendary mother of the Roman people. See the connection there? 

Try not to exaggerate the personality too much. Try to RP your muse like they would be if they were the opposite gender. If your character is canonly a guy, imagine how they would act with boobs instead of a weewee; this being the same with a canon female. It’s natural to make them react more to some things. However, with Makoto Tachibana (Free!) as a female, she wouldn’t pee her pants if she were scared because she’s still Makoto Tachibana but just as a girl. She would screech and hide behind Fem!Haru like Makoto would. She would still be her motherly self and all things that would make Makoto himself. 

As for appearance, keep it as close to the canon character as possible. You can add in your own little tweaks here or there, but remember, when making a character you always have to answer the big question of “Why?”. Do they have a scar? Why do they have it? Do they have a piercing? Why? Why is the answer you’d always want to answer when you’re coming up with headcanons. If the character you RP is canonly tall, try not to make your genderbent way shorter than them. Also, try not to make them too muscular unless the personality or habits call for it. 

"Okay, so what if my character is a guy and he’s girly? And what if he calls people by adding ‘-tan’ to the end of their name?" 

You can go ahead and make the female somewhat masculine since genderbends are pretty much mirrors of the male or female they originally were. They could use ‘kun’ or ‘-kyun’. You know, whatever you want. But it’d be cool if you came up with a headcanon to support as to why they say whatever suffix you choose (though that’s just good for character development is all). 

"How should I make my character react to the canon versions of the people they know in their universe?" 

Well, how would you react to a genderswapped you? I for one, wouldn’t call another Admin Aya “Alternate Aya.” Upon first meeting, I would say “Woah, you’re like a guy version of me!” or if it was the genderswap of someone I know, I’d say “You look like someone I know, but, ya’ know, as a dude.”

As time goes on, your muse will get used to dealing with the apparent genderswaps because to them, they’re used to seeing the canon characters as whatever the opposite gender is. However, try not to let your muse know they’re in an alternate universe right from the get go. Having them confused and questioning things is good for character development because then they’d get a deeper understanding of what’s going on.

"What if the universes clashed and they’re suddenly not separate anymore so they know there are the regular characters?" 

That’s perfectly okay! I’ve had a muse that was completely like that, and treated the her regular bend as a brother rather than a stranger. However, this could be considered an alternate universe and is recommended to put on your blog that your character is aware of such things. “My muse knows the existence of which there is another her but as the opposite gender. She is aware of all of the opposites!”, something like this. 

"No one wants to interact with me because I’m a genderbend RPer!" 

Oh, sweetie, you’re completely wrong! Your blog may not be too well-known due to being a genderbent. Believe it or not, people actually like seeing genderbends of their favorite characters, you just have to find these people. And don’t wait for people to come to you! Follow people and interact with them! The more interaction you have, the more your blog is shared around. It’s like free advertising for both sides of the thread! 

"Hold a diddly darn minute! We have to follow these exactly?" 

No, of course not! These are just tips that you can follow if you want to. There is no right or wrong way to RP a character. There are many ways to RP a genderbent, and you’re always welcome to incorporate your own ideas because it’s your character.