1.) Pity-Me Sue
Poor, poor, pity-me Sue. Her parents died when she was just a wee baby, the rest of her family abandoned her, she's homeless, she's covered in scars, she's cursed, no one in the whole world loves her, and she probably has a case of Generic Weak Body Syndrome to top it all off. If in a fanfiction, Pity-Me Sue is usually given a canon character's shoulder to cry on, and despite being a poor, pathetic, weak little thing, with nothing she could possibly give to a healthy relationship, Pity-Me Sue usually ends up with said canon character, and her problems miraculously get better after a good dose of snuggling from them. If in a roleplay, Pity-Me Sue usually tries to leverage the plot towards her, forcing the other players to drop whatever they're doing to give her attention and/or sympathy. One of the most annoying sues in the world, in my opinion.
How to avoid: No one wants to read, or play with a character who is so pathetic that they can't do anything by themselves. If you want to give your character a tragic backstory, that's fine, but make sure that it leaves them with lasting physical and psychological trauma relevant to the tragedy, which doesn't disappear after a good dose of snuggling from insert-canon-character-you---*Ahem*--Your OC, wants to date, because that's not how it works. Also, do not, for the love of all that is holy, give your character Generic Weak Body Syndrome. It's fine if you want your character to have a chronic illness, but make sure that it is a real one, which you know the symptoms and treatments for, and how it affects them in everyday life. And even if your character does have a legitimate chronic illness, DO NOT leverage it to your advantage in roleplay. DO NOT use it to get attention and sympathy. DO NOT make your character get sick at every turn, just because you feel like it. DO NOT use it so that you become the centre of attention, whenever another player wants a turn in the spotlight. Nobody likes a pity-baiter, do they? So don't be one.
2.) Edgy Sue
Edgy Sue was pretty popular among emo teens in the late 2000s, and alas, her popularity does not seem to have dwindled much at all. Edgy Sue is like those girls at your school who think that they're 'not-like-other-girls', because they wear band tees, and enjoy eating *gasp* pizza, and listen to *not-mainstream* music. Except she probably owns a team of generic 'cool' pokemon (Lucario, Charizard, whichever eeveelution's winning the books this week). She probably has a mythical or legendary pokemon on her team too. And she's probably dating Ash Ketchum, or whoever the suethor wishes she could date herself. And she might also have some SOOOPER SPESHUL powers, and a weapon adored by neckbeards, like a katana, or some other Japanese weapon the suethor saw in an anime one time, and declared it the coolest thing ever, regardless of how effective it would be in real life.
How to avoid: Be realistic. Do not make your character pointlessly edgy just because you feel like it. Do not insinuate that you, or your character, are special, and somehow better than everyone else, because they are edgy. If your character HAS to have all the pokemon you think are cool, why? Why does your character need/deserve eeveelutions and a Lucario? Do they, in any way, reflect on who your character is as a person, or their backstory/future goals/setting? If not, then you need to choose something else. Why does your character have a traditional Japanese weapon, if they're in a setting where the weapon is not required, or if they're in the modern world, where something else, like a gun, would be more useful? If you don't need the weapon, or if you have access to a better one, it's probably best to just drop it. Y'know, unless your character grew up in a time period where that weapon was commonplace, or if the weapon was a family heirloom, which they do not use for battle. Use your brain.
3.) The 'Better-Than-You' Sue
The Better-Than-You Sue is better than you in every single way. If in a fanfiction, the Better-Than-You Sue is the one who always saves the day, who always wins every gym/battle/contest/showcase, always gets the guy/girl, and never faces struggle in any way, because they're perfect. If in a roleplay, the Better-Than-You Sue is guaranteed to piss you the hell off. Want to do something? Better-Than-You Sue can do it better. Want to win a battle? No, because Better-Than-You Sue gets to win, not you. Who gets all the spotlight? Better-Than-You Sue. Who gets all the accolades, even from the villain? Better-Than-You Sue, because they're the best, and if you don't bow down and kiss their pretty little ass, the suethor is gonna throw a colossal temper tantrum.
How to Avoid: Your OC CANNOT be good at everything, and CANNOT win everything, because that's boring to read about. Why bother sticking around for the story if they know that your OC is just gonna win, and get everything they want, without working for it? Set limits. Weaknesses. Things your character CANNOT do, which actually impact them (No, not being able to play the banjo does not count), and impede their progress. Your OC CANNOT have the spotlight all the time, and the other players need to feel like they matter, too. Who wants to roleplay with someone who gives themselves a banquet, and the other players a morsel each? Let other players do things. Let other players have their time in the spotlight. Don't put them down, to make yourself look special.
4.) The Clone Sue
Need I say more? The Clone Sue is just that, a complete and total rip-off of a canon character. Not a character who is the same race/has the same occupation as a canon character, not a character whose appearance was inspired by the canon character, but a complete and total rip-off, who may also come with a coloured-over image of said canon character. TOTALLY ORIGINAL CHARACTER GUYS, DO NOT STEEEEL!
How to avoid: Just be original. That's it. If you find that some things about your character are too similar to another, change them. That's all you have to do.
Do any of your characters match these descriptions? No? Good. Yes? Well, then you have some revisions to make. Bye!
Poor, poor, pity-me Sue. Her parents died when she was just a wee baby, the rest of her family abandoned her, she's homeless, she's covered in scars, she's cursed, no one in the whole world loves her, and she probably has a case of Generic Weak Body Syndrome to top it all off. If in a fanfiction, Pity-Me Sue is usually given a canon character's shoulder to cry on, and despite being a poor, pathetic, weak little thing, with nothing she could possibly give to a healthy relationship, Pity-Me Sue usually ends up with said canon character, and her problems miraculously get better after a good dose of snuggling from them. If in a roleplay, Pity-Me Sue usually tries to leverage the plot towards her, forcing the other players to drop whatever they're doing to give her attention and/or sympathy. One of the most annoying sues in the world, in my opinion.
How to avoid: No one wants to read, or play with a character who is so pathetic that they can't do anything by themselves. If you want to give your character a tragic backstory, that's fine, but make sure that it leaves them with lasting physical and psychological trauma relevant to the tragedy, which doesn't disappear after a good dose of snuggling from insert-canon-character-you---*Ahem*--Your OC, wants to date, because that's not how it works. Also, do not, for the love of all that is holy, give your character Generic Weak Body Syndrome. It's fine if you want your character to have a chronic illness, but make sure that it is a real one, which you know the symptoms and treatments for, and how it affects them in everyday life. And even if your character does have a legitimate chronic illness, DO NOT leverage it to your advantage in roleplay. DO NOT use it to get attention and sympathy. DO NOT make your character get sick at every turn, just because you feel like it. DO NOT use it so that you become the centre of attention, whenever another player wants a turn in the spotlight. Nobody likes a pity-baiter, do they? So don't be one.
2.) Edgy Sue
Edgy Sue was pretty popular among emo teens in the late 2000s, and alas, her popularity does not seem to have dwindled much at all. Edgy Sue is like those girls at your school who think that they're 'not-like-other-girls', because they wear band tees, and enjoy eating *gasp* pizza, and listen to *not-mainstream* music. Except she probably owns a team of generic 'cool' pokemon (Lucario, Charizard, whichever eeveelution's winning the books this week). She probably has a mythical or legendary pokemon on her team too. And she's probably dating Ash Ketchum, or whoever the suethor wishes she could date herself. And she might also have some SOOOPER SPESHUL powers, and a weapon adored by neckbeards, like a katana, or some other Japanese weapon the suethor saw in an anime one time, and declared it the coolest thing ever, regardless of how effective it would be in real life.
How to avoid: Be realistic. Do not make your character pointlessly edgy just because you feel like it. Do not insinuate that you, or your character, are special, and somehow better than everyone else, because they are edgy. If your character HAS to have all the pokemon you think are cool, why? Why does your character need/deserve eeveelutions and a Lucario? Do they, in any way, reflect on who your character is as a person, or their backstory/future goals/setting? If not, then you need to choose something else. Why does your character have a traditional Japanese weapon, if they're in a setting where the weapon is not required, or if they're in the modern world, where something else, like a gun, would be more useful? If you don't need the weapon, or if you have access to a better one, it's probably best to just drop it. Y'know, unless your character grew up in a time period where that weapon was commonplace, or if the weapon was a family heirloom, which they do not use for battle. Use your brain.
3.) The 'Better-Than-You' Sue
The Better-Than-You Sue is better than you in every single way. If in a fanfiction, the Better-Than-You Sue is the one who always saves the day, who always wins every gym/battle/contest/showcase, always gets the guy/girl, and never faces struggle in any way, because they're perfect. If in a roleplay, the Better-Than-You Sue is guaranteed to piss you the hell off. Want to do something? Better-Than-You Sue can do it better. Want to win a battle? No, because Better-Than-You Sue gets to win, not you. Who gets all the spotlight? Better-Than-You Sue. Who gets all the accolades, even from the villain? Better-Than-You Sue, because they're the best, and if you don't bow down and kiss their pretty little ass, the suethor is gonna throw a colossal temper tantrum.
How to Avoid: Your OC CANNOT be good at everything, and CANNOT win everything, because that's boring to read about. Why bother sticking around for the story if they know that your OC is just gonna win, and get everything they want, without working for it? Set limits. Weaknesses. Things your character CANNOT do, which actually impact them (No, not being able to play the banjo does not count), and impede their progress. Your OC CANNOT have the spotlight all the time, and the other players need to feel like they matter, too. Who wants to roleplay with someone who gives themselves a banquet, and the other players a morsel each? Let other players do things. Let other players have their time in the spotlight. Don't put them down, to make yourself look special.
4.) The Clone Sue
Need I say more? The Clone Sue is just that, a complete and total rip-off of a canon character. Not a character who is the same race/has the same occupation as a canon character, not a character whose appearance was inspired by the canon character, but a complete and total rip-off, who may also come with a coloured-over image of said canon character. TOTALLY ORIGINAL CHARACTER GUYS, DO NOT STEEEEL!
How to avoid: Just be original. That's it. If you find that some things about your character are too similar to another, change them. That's all you have to do.
Do any of your characters match these descriptions? No? Good. Yes? Well, then you have some revisions to make. Bye!