#oc discourse

THEY'RE GATEKEEPING THEIR CLOTHES!

Their outfits(s) are changing every other scene!

They're like that one friend that gatekeeps everything!

"So, what are you wearing?" "Oh. You know. Clothes." "...ooookay? Style?" "You know. A clothing style." "*Harsh breath* What about from where?" "Oh. A store."

...

...

...

*insert unholy screeching*

ngl I dream of the day when fanfic communities realize that they cut off an arm because of a few fics written by some 13-year-olds in 2005

Original Characters are not only legitimate and reasonable to use, but in some cases optimal.

But instead they're relegated to this weird pigeonhole where they're only slightly valid if

dating canon characters

sibling/child/goldfish to canon characters

following canon characters around

And if they're not any of the above...

....apparently they're somehow less valid than 'Harry Potter got raised by scientists and is basically in Ravenclaw but I swear it's still Harry Potter guys'.

Some fandom worlds are big and have corners that could be explored. Sometimes even better by original faces than retrofitted canon ones. Perhaps.

Star Wars EU predates fanfiction.net. So I guess original characters to expand canon are fine when corporate does it?

Expanding universes with OCs could be a whole subgenre.

Since calling them original characters is supposed to be used in fanfictions, when the character isn't part of the story's canon, which makes sense. But calling them original characters in an an original fiction is not only a little redundant, it creates a divide between the Professional Story Tellers who have Characters and the Amatures that have OCs.

Ew she kissed a rabbit - twice!

She stole Ace from Lexi! That whore!

She's a superhero AND a princess? Mary Sue!

Ugh why is Deuce so interested in her? Clearly he's not grooming her she's seducing him!

Black characters shouldn't have blue eyes/unnatural hair colors because that reinforces Eurocentric features

All the male loonatics fawn over her because we can't take off the shipping goggles

She shouldn't even be on the team because she doesn't represent an established Tune!

Wait she's related to the Animaniacs? Must be some real shit going on in her blood

My Harry Potter OC, Gloria Muriel Weasley, is a Weasley who is absolutely horrific at Potions, slightly better at Transfiguration but still crap, but really shines in Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Her favorite(favorite, not best) subject is Muggles Studies, which she's been planning on taking up in Third Year ever since she found out it was an option. She's in Ravenclaw and is a rather creative and imaginative person, though she procrastinates a lot. Also, in case you were wondering, she is neither the favorite child, nor is she abused. Also, her love interest is another OC, so yeah...

I think the real reason why we all make female OCs in this fandom is because:

1) To have more female characters that aren't reduced to love interests.

2) To pair them up with a character but then give them a better romantic subplot than in canon because the show writers don't know how to write a good romance.

Ninjago may be a show for boys, but that doesn't excuse it for it's handling of female characters. That's basically why I created Odie: to fill the void of a complex and unique female character whose struggles aren't easily solved by romance, and who has goals and dreams that doesn't revolve around a guy.

Though I am slightly annoyed that everyone keeps crying everytime they introduce a new girl because not every girl is going to be a love interest. I'm only referring to ones that are pivotal to the plot/main characters. Please keep Akita and Lloyd single; they need healing not romance.