The Sometimes Necessity of the Mary Sue
The Mary Sue is one of the least respected characters. While there is some legitimate hesitation in using the character, it can be a great character.
One of the more problematic character types is the “Mary Sue”. This is the protagonist that seems to be able to do just about everything, had mastered most of the important skills of the story, has one or two unique abilities only she has access to, and whose flaws are relatively minor. The standard anime schoolgirl is the typical Mary Sue; she is getting mostly high marks, is incredibly pretty, is the best fighter, and is able to educate her teachers. If she has a crush, he is the best possible boy and has a crush on her. However, as boring as this character may seem, she does have some use.
What Exactly Is a “Mary Sue”?
When it was originally defined, a “Mary Sue” was a female character who was not only the best in her area, but was as good as others if not better. She had all of the male characters in love with them, and generally had some sort of unique ability as well, such as photographic memory. The Mary Sue may have some weakness, but that weakness is usually easy to overcome or doesn’t really affect the story, especially after the first act. In short, the Mary Sue is the most powerful entity in the story, sometimes even trouncing the originally more powerful antagonists.