History Main / PuritySue

** It should also be mentioned that it's not just guys she meets in her travels who will fall in love with a VC Andrews heroine. They're as likely as not to be the [[IncestSquick heroine's brother, cousin, or other relative]].

* Ayla from the ''EarthsChildren'' series of novels by JeanMAuel. To list off her Sue qualities, she is: stunningly beautiful; an excellent hunter; a skilled healer; multi-lingual; a peacemaker and translator between her native Cro-Magnon people and her adoptive Neanderthal people; the first person to tame and ride a horse; capable of perfectly mimicking various animal sounds, especially birds and horses; a mystic who can have powerful visions; and the first person to figure out how to make fire by striking stones together. It should be said that most of these are things she just stumbled over without actively seeking them out. She is universally beloved by everyone she meets, and the people who DON'T love her either learn the error of their ways and transform into Ayla fangirls or fanboys, or they turn out to be selfish, spiteful villains with no redeeming qualities who can't be saved.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in ThoseLackingSpines with Sakura-Rose Sunblossom Orange Juice Annie-Marie McFate.

* Kahlee Sanders from the ''MassEffect'' [[AdaptionDecay novelizations.]] She's described as immaculately beautiful, a veritable genius in the scientific field, better at turian scientists at analyzing possible Reaper tech, has no flaws, and effortlessly wins the hearts of David Anderson ''and'' Paul Grayson. And all of this is despite the fact that Anderson never mentions her in the first or second games or any of the DLC - another point in the 'self-insert' category.

* Kahlee Sanders from the ''MassEffect'' [[AdapationDecay novelizations.]] She's described as immaculately beautiful, a veritable genius in the scientific field, better at turian scientists at analyzing possible Reaper tech, has no flaws, and effortlessly wins the hearts of David Anderson ''and'' Paul Grayson. And all of this is despite the fact that Anderson never mentions her in the first or second games or any of the DLC - another point in the 'self-insert' category.

* [[TheWonderfulWizardOfOz L. Frank Baum]]'s [[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/520/520.txt portrayal]] of SantaClaus. He does nothing except make toys for children...and, for that reason alone, he's [[FriendToAllLivingThings adored by everything in existence]] that's not ''pure evil''. (And everything that ''is'' pure evil wants to destroy him.) Whenever he's in any actual trouble, he can just count on his "[[FairyCompanion elves]]" to do all the work...including waging a war of extermination against some [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons of sorts]] that have the gall to kidnap him. [[OlderThanTelevision We know what that means]] - but hey, he's ''Santa Claus'', so who really cares about that?

* Many [[VictorianBritain Victorian-era]] authors bought into this trope to varying extents, as they were both inclined to sentimentalism and conditioned to value females especially for their virtue (the archetype dubbed "angel in the house" after a poem by Coventry Patmore.) The ''uber-''type of the Victorian Purity Sue is Agnes Wickfield, from Dickens' ''DavidCopperfield'', who is shown standing in the light of a stained-glass window, pointing upward, on very first appearance. Narrator David rhapsodises about his dear 'sister' at every opportunity; she's a paragon of womanhood even by the standards of her era - beautiful and kind and wise and helpful and sympathetic, yet so gentle and modest about it all you'd hardly know she was there, save for the way her goodness 'somehow' makes everyone's life better. The villain's presumption to aspire to her hand is used to underscore just how evil a cad he is. Her beneficent influence extends even to David's first wife Dora, who on her deathbed extracts a promise from Agnes that she alone will marry David after Dora's gone. Which Agnes does, having 'loved [David] all her life!' Not surprisingly, she is considered one of Dickens' least successful female characters.
** In every book by Dickens there is an example of this (at least until ''Great Expectations'', when he seemed to change his views on women a bit). Kate Nickleby in ''Nicholas Nickleby'', Amy Dorrit, Esther Summerson and Ada Clare in ''Bleak House'', Florence Dombey in ''Dombey and Son'', Emma in ''Barnaby Rudge''...Lucie Manette in ''ATaleOfTwoCities''. She doesn't ''do'' anything, and yet everybody is fascinated with her. She's a LivingMacguffin.
*** Charles Darnay from ''ATaleOfTwoCities'' is a Purity ''[[MartyStu Stu]]'' albiet to a lesser extent than Lucie is a PuritySue. But come on, Charles Darnay [[AuthorAvatar shares the author's first name and initials]], which is the first item on every Mary Sue litmus test ''ever''.

A PuritySue can be male or female without too significant a difference, but in all but the earliest incarnations there's a strong tendency towards the latter. It is a character that is intentionally made by the author to be overly positive. They almost never have any flaws that actually affect them in a way that truly matters, usually going for endearing traits such as "[[CuteClumsyGirl clumsiness]]" or [[WideEyedIdealist naïveté]], instead getting overloaded with overwhelmingly positive but largely passive traits (i.e. beauty, innocence, etc.). The character will usually be soft spoken, have a pleasant voice, and be mild-mannered. Often, the traits verge towards the [[OthernessTropes ethereal]], with auras, non-human lineage, and other such things.

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

* Koko from Zatch Bell. She's seen as a helpless good hearted innocent victim the entire series, with no true faults or flaws. When she's controlled and taken away by an evil demon, any actions she does or events she encounters are entirely unrelated to her 'true' self and therefor she's not capable of being responsible for any of them. She develops little connections with anyone in the series, (Nothing very explorable even with Zofis) except for one with Sherry which is really only explored from Sherry's end. She's more of a [[MacGuffin plot device]] for Sherry than anything else.
* Lalah Sune from {{Mobile Suit Gundam}} 0079. Not only can she do no wrong, she's the ultimate love interest for the main protagonist and antagonist where after 14 years, it still boils down to her love. Every man that encounters her either becomes jealous of her position or gazes at her with awe. She has no flaws except for being too good. She even floats and ''glows''. More than once.
** Lalah's Expy Lacus Clyne from GundamSEED and GundamSEEDDestiny can be considered this as well. Unlike the other main characters, she doesn't have any crippling character flaws, is always right in whatever she does and ends up as the hero's love interest at the end of the first series. She becomes the de facto ''ruler of the Earth Sphere'' at the end of the second.
*** As a side note thought, it's pretty easy to be right when you're facing off against a pair of genocidal psychos and an OmnicidalManiac. Lacus' clout comes only partially from her percieved rightness; a lot of it is due to having a vast amount of money and cashing in on her dad's political reputation. She's also quite likeable. YourMileageMayVary vastly on her.
* Mary Magdalene from ''ChronoCrusade''. She's sweet, gentle, always kind, not afraid of the demons, [[YamatoNadeshiko a very skilled housekeeper]], understands demon technology as if she's always used it, has holy powers and makes all of the Sinners love her. However, she's a somewhat deconstructed version, particularly in the manga--it's hinted that she's somewhat of a StepfordSmiler and possibly even ''suicidal''.
** Although fans will always be divided on this, Azmaria cannot be denied as Purity Sue potential if Mary Magdalene, who got little actual screen-time/exploration, is to be considered true. She was born an apostle, which came out of circumstance. She gave people pep talks and they instantly listened. Even the villains took quite a likening to her. (More so in the manga) And she played little more importance than any of the other apostles. (Actually none at all in the anime,since the [[AdaptationDecay villains plan was scrapped]]) But again, fans [[YourMileageMayVary either agree with this or love her and completely reject this notion]] that she has a lack of flaws.
* ''CodeGeass'': [[spoiler: Euphemia]] is practically a [[IncrediblyLamePun bloody deconstruction]] of the trope, particularly since all her kindness and goodness gets her in the end [[spoiler: is a crappy death and being forever known as the instigator of a massacre.]]
** Almost everyone who knew Marianne, Lelouch's mother, seems to think she was tremendously wonderful and has sworn loyalty to her; those who weren't thrilled appear to be horribly wrong. [[spoiler: In fact she keeps up a saintly PuritySue ''facade'' and appears to get killed off while plotting with Emperor Charles the entire time. Essentially, she's playing the saintly-mother-as-DisposableWoman trope for all it's worth!]]
** This is how [[MadLove Mao]] sees C.C. But only Mao.

** [[spoiler: Sophie Oswald is a more by-the-book version, but being a DeadLittleSister, she didn't last long enough, [[JustifiedTrope and Leon would've been OOC if he didn't idealize her]] due to [[BreakTheCutie the terrible circumstances surrounding her death]].]]
* The PuritySue deconstruction them goes ''even further'' in ShamanKing. Iron Maiden Jeanne is [[{{Moe}} very]] [[WhiteHairedPrettyGirl pretty]], [[TheCutie cheerful]], [[YamatoNadeshiko soft-spooken, humble,]] [[GlassCannon immensely skilled as a Shaman despite being just a 12-year-old]] IllGirl, [[HeroicAlbino willingly and happily subjects herself to horrible and constant torture]] [[TheMessiah in the belief that her suffering will make others suffer less]] (there is a ''reason'' she is called [[ToThePain "Iron Maiden"]]), seems to make the world a brighter place [[WhenSheSmiles just by smiling]], and is immensely kind to [[spoiler: Lyserg]] when he becomes the NaiveNewcomer of her group. Oh, and she's a ruthless KnightTemplar who [[KickTheDog brutally tortures to death anyone who opposes her.]], [[WellIntentionedExtremist genuinely believing]] [[IDidWhatIHadToDo that's what she has to do as well]]. [[WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou At least she seems sad about it...]]
* {{AIR}}'s Misuzu Kamio is a particularly [[TearJerker Heartwrenching]] version towards the end of the visual novel and anime, and [[spoiler:her death]] is pretty much makes her a Purity Sue Done right.
* Romeo from RomeoXJuliet can be seen as a rare ''male'' example of this trope. Despite being raised by the biggest [[KickTheDog puppy-kicker]] known to man, and despite being named after the hot-headed and reckless man from the play, Romeo has no flaws whatsoever. He's [[IncorruptiblePurePureness kind]], [[FriendToAllLivingThings gentle]], [[WideEyedIdealist charmingly naive]], rides a white 'dragonhorse' (think pegasus), weeps over injustice, [[ChronicHeroSyndrome takes up any good cause]], nobley works alongside the criminal miners he's overseeing, and so on and so forth. Not only does he have no flaws, but he's never punished for any of his positive ones (like his naivete) and none of them are the cause for [[ItWasHisSled his demise]]. It's especially jarring considering [[MagnificentBastard who raised him]] and his love interest Juliet, who ''does'' have her own flaws.

* Hilariously parodied with [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5690584/1/The_Vampoife_Dood_Who_Lifed Lilac Rosetta Creten Veron]] of the infamous [[FanFic/TheVampoifeDoodWhoLifed The Vampoife Dood Who Lifed]].
* [[SailorEarth Fan additions]] to ''SailorMoon'''s sailor sensh] often fall into either this trope or the GodModeSue (if not both at once). If they're not the shining beacon of light that usurps Usagi, [=ChibiUsa=], and Galaxia combined in power and yet is unfailingly wonderful to everyone, you aren't doing it right.

* [[http://gargoyles.settiai.com/viewstory.php?sid=43 Chihuatlan Razortalon]] ({{NSFW}}), the [[FanFic/MyInnerLife Jenna Silverblade]] of the ''{{Gargoyles}}'' fan world. Aside from her [[ImprobablyCoolName meaninglessly exotic]] and BadAss-sounding [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast name]], her Sparklypoo credentials include being a [[ShapeShifter shapeshifting]] [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]] [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses princess]] with [[HealingHands a healing touch]], hair like "[[MulticoloredHair multicolored shades]] of [[{{Dissimile}} brown silk,"]] and eyes described as [[EyesOfGold "golden orbs."]] She struts onto the scene and [[RelationshipSue immediately lays claim on]] [[EnsembleDarkhorse Brooklyn]]—who is only to be the ''first'' member of her [[SlashFic orientation-bending]] [[LoveDodecahedron harem]]—and is adored by everyone except Angela, who quickly [[CharacterDerailment deteriorates into]] a [[{{Demonization}} spoiled, jealous, power-hungry brat]].
* Princess Aara of FanFic/TheOtherworldSeries. A demi-goddess born from an orb of light (along with her less important older sisters), the beautiful and universally loved Aara's entire purpose is to rule over and protect several dimensions inhabited by various anime characters by using ThePowerOfLove to get a bunch of sexy demons and half-demons to fight for her. Her IntimateHealing abilities are always the only thing that can help a character, making some of her magician and healer servants completely useless. While she is more of a FixerSue near the start of the series (the author [[CleaningUpRomanticLooseEnds rearranges a bunch of character pairings]] by having the unwanted male character "bond" with Aara or one of her sisters, which puts those males in sexual bondage), she eventually settles down with Vash from ''{{Trigun}},'' and her harem is magically divided between her CainAndAbel twin daughters (who were born by painlessly appearing in an orb of light above her stomach.). The series eventually moves past its original canon-fixing intentions and becomes all about her and her daughters.
* In Phalanx, Irene is absolutely this trope. She's a {{Yamato Nadeshiko}} {{action girlfriend}} to Gordon.

* ''MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'' tends to get a lot of these in fan fiction; She'll most likely be a White or Red mermaid princess. She'll have beautiful hair, which she'll deem "boring". Her eyes will most of the time match the drapes, and they'll be so beautiful that people get lost in them. On her first day of school, she'll be greeted with a chorus of how beautiful she is. By the third day, she'll be friends with everyone for no apparent reason. She'll have a bunch of fans who want to date her because she's so incredibly beautiful and pure. She'll be stopped by random people to be told how beautiful she is and ask her out a LOT. She'll be friends with all living things and will always solve everyone's problems. She has the best singing voice and costume. She'll be the most beautiful mermaid there ever was. She often gets stuck in a love triangle, even though she's betrothed. The bad guy will try to seduce her every time, and if not, he hates her for being so pure and full of love. She will always live happily ever after; If not, everyone will pity her. Are you annoyed yet?

* Azula is entirely [[PossessionSue rewritten into one]] in the infamous ''[=~Avatar: The Last Airbender~=]'' fancomic HowIBecameYours. [[spoiler: Complete with Jesus-like resurrection and an unborn child said to be "the hope of the world". Her daughter Miracle will take her place as this if there's ever a sequel]].
** [[spoiler:Which there now is...Miracle hasn't appeared yet, but it's just a matter of time...]]

* ''MyImmortal'' is infamous for this. It's main character, Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way, is a depressive satanist, making her not a Mary Sue in the Author's eyes. However, satanism is treated as a good thing in the story, nobody even gets close to being sick of her constant wangsting, she's [[SoBeautifulItsACurse so beautiful it's a curse]] and she's the center of attention for every single character. [[SarcasmMode Definitely not a Mary Sue.]]
** Don't you mean "[[RougeAnglesOfSatin nut a marusu]]"?

* Most of the female protagonists in the ''HogwartsExposed'' series are this, the most egregious being Hermione (who apparently looks like Angelina Jolie, even after having a baby), Jamie (who is blatantly mentioned to be ''exactly like'' Hermione in almost every way, including appearance, and has a unicorn as an animagous form), and Caitlin (who can heal any injury at all with her non-canon Empath abilities). The fact that the author attempts to use this as an excuse for the "innocence" of the series' overly sexual themes and that all of the girls have been raped or attempted to be raped is [[{{Squick}} very disturbing]].

* ''Film/AliceInWonderland'' (Burton film): The White Queen when we first meet her. Everyone loves her, she won't hurt a living thing, and her lethal cooking turns into a save-the-day cure. [[spoiler: Subverted HARD when she delivers a bout of CruelMercy onto her sister and Knave]].
** Most viewers -- and the actress and director -- find her deliberately more creepy than pure. She [[spoiler: [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant has jars full of corpse fingers she seems to find delicious, coins from dead mens' pockets and uses phlegm in her concoctions]]]]. WordOfGod says that she deliberately surrounds herself with purity and pale beauty because [[spoiler: she's too tempted by darkness.]]

* Muriel Pritchett in the film adaptation of ''TheAccidentalTourist'' is a [[AdaptationDecay Hollywoodization]] Sue. In the book, Muriel is far from perfect. She gets moody, screechy and ambivalent. In the film, she's virtuous, and her "flaw" is that she's offbeat and kooky - and in such an endearing way! Macon's ex-wife Sarah shrugs and says, "Okay" when she finds out Macon's fallen for Muriel. In the book, she's protesting at Macon, and stating that he and Muriel would be one of those odd couples that people can't understand how these two opposites attracted. But in the film, since Muriel is a Purity Sue, being attracted to her is inevitable for any good character, and her being attracted to him is a gift to him; no further explanation is needed.

* Nastika from the movie ''JackFrost'' as seen on MST3K. She's so pure that the sun reverses course to give her the time to finish knitting a stocking. Her eventual suitor would be the epitome of a MartyStu if the plot wasn't largely about teaching him some humility. Of course the film itself is a pile up of Russian fairy tale adaptations, so Nastika is also a pretty basic MarySueClassic in the vein of Cinderella and Snow White.
* Lampshaded in MaryPoppins: "Practically perfect in every way."
* [[GoneWithTheWind Melanie Wilkes]]. Period.

*** Charles Darnay, from ''ATaleOfTwoCities'' is a Purity ''[[MartyStu Stu]]'' albiet to a lesser extent than Lucie is a PuritySue. But come on, Charles Darnay [[AuthorAvatar shares the author's first name and initials]], which is the first item on every Mary Sue litmus test ''ever''.

** ''OliverTwist'' has a whole ''family'' of [[PuritySue Purity Sues]], the Maylies, and Dickens stops the plot dead in its tracks for several chapters to expound at length on their Pure Wholesome Light of Purity, and the rest of the novel is as concerned with whether the Maylies will marry well and be reunited with their long lost relatives ([[spoiler: including Oliver]]) as it is with Oliver's attempts to escape from Fagin and Bill Sykes. Nonetheless, they're dropped from pretty much every adaptation of the story without much trouble, and nobody misses them.
*** Not quite true; a recent adaptation got some mileage out of Rose Maylie, who is a quintessential PuritySue.
** Evangeline from Uncle Tom's Cabin
** In ''AChristmasCarol'' there's Tiny Tim.
*** To be fair, it's kinda necessary for [[MoralityPet the purpose he serves]].
* In Bram Stoker's {{Dracula}} there are Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray Harker. Lucy is a "lily-like girl" of "unequaled sweetness and purity" loved chivalrously by three men,; after her tragic death she takes her place "among other angels". Mina is so pure, wise, sweet and angelic that everybody loves her; mad Renfield dies by fighting for her and even Dracula wants her as his vampire companion. Then, especially Lucy's character has suffered from {{adaptation decay}}..

* "Sister" Jane Arnold in Rita Mae Brown's ''Jefferson Hunt'' mystery series. She never makes a mistake; the other characters spend inordinate amounts of time discussing how wonderful she is; half the male characters are in love with her; and the people who do dislike her tend to either be villains or end up dead. Sister is the Master of Fox Hounds (MFH) for the Jefferson Hunt. Brown's author blurb emphasizes that she is the MFH for the Oak Ridge Hunt Club. The Sue-ness of the character becomes blindingly obvious.

** Beth is * also* accused of being a Purity Sue. She has [[ShrinkingViolet crippling self-esteem and insecurity issues]], but everyone she knows looks past that; no one but her would say a bad word about her. When she is sick, people who are mourning their own relations think of her first. It's less glaring for her, though, since the ShrinkingViolet problems are her only obvious flaws. (They are almost certainly more obvious to us than to the original readers.) We'll give Alcott a pass on [[CreatorBreakdown this one]], though, since she was based on Alcott's own DeadLittleSister.

* ''[[BeansidhesWail Beansidhe's Wail]]'''s Wynne, though not a published character, is a fairly good example of this. She's beautiful; she's powerful - she's half fairy, half god; she has a legion of fans thanks to her band; she was loved, adored, and considered the muse of several famous artists (including Shakespeare) and nobles throughout history (before someone (usually her sister) got jealous of their love and killed her); she even died during the sinking of the Titanic. Oh, don't worry, she's no slut. All of those men were the reincarnations of one single guy. Now that's loyalty! She and her sisters' beauty was enough to cause a car accident which they laughed and blew kisses at. And she's also a [[SelfInsertFic self-insert]].
* Brevelan from the ''DragonNimbus'' trilogy. After escaping from a forced marriage and attempted rape, she flees into the woods to live a wonderful and pure life in harmony with nature and the creatures of the woods - oh, and the last of the dragons, which she shares an empathic bond with. She uses her own "special" form of magic which is based on her ''singing'' (and she has a beautiful singing voice), which is more powerful and "pure" then the magic used by trained wizards. By the end of the first book, both of the male leads - one of them the prince of the realm - have fallen in love with her. And then there's the scene where the pair beg, plead and grovel to her not to cut her hair. Also, she can't stand the smell of the cooked meat, so everyone around her becomes vegetarian by default... which sounds like a case of [[WriterOnBoard Author On Board]].

* Arya from the ''[[InheritanceCycle Inheritance]]'' Cycle, overlapping with RelationshipSue. From the moment she's introduced, there are paragraphs upon paragraphs of description to tell readers just how beautiful she is (how can there be ''that many ways'' to describe the shine of someone's hair?) She is also meant to be seen as an incredibly sympathetic, a vegetarian, and the mysterious one who causes intense silence in a battlefield full of fighters. She's also [[spoiler:an elven princess]]. But even with all this focus, she still seems to exist solely for the hero (and probably the author) to drool over; so far, she's been rejecting him, but Eragon has been prophesied to hook up with someone beautiful and of noble birth, which fits Arya, [[spoiler:princess of the elves]], to a T. To top all that off, the only ones that dislike her are the bad guys and the dwarves. The dwarves only dislike her because she manages to [[OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions insult their religion with nothing but a quiet smile on her face]]. This might've been a bad trait, but later on religion is treated as naive and a way to push responsibility away.

** Arya is probably a deconstruction more than a straight example of this trope. She only appears perfect to Eragon because he's young and inexperienced. To everyone else, she seems to be much more of {{The Stoic}} mixed in the the combat pragmatist. If Eragon wasn't borderline {{Stalker With A Crush}}, then he'd see that she's not so perfect.
** She even insists that she isn't perfect and attempts to persuade Eragon to give up his romantic attentions on her more than once. It's also a cause of {{I Have Boobs You Must Obey}} and {{Perverse Sexual Lust}}; Eragon is absolutely blinded by her appearance and doesn't really have any grasp of her extremely cold {{kuudere}} personality.
* Phineas of ''ASeparatePeace'' would seem to be one [[UnreliableNarrator if you took Gene's word for it.]]
** When you actually [[FateWorseThanDeath read the book more than once]], or even paid attention to it at all, you'll see that he is more of a {{Jerkass}} than a Purity Sue, and indeed, he can seem pretty close {{Yangire}} or {{Yandere}}.
** Not to mention the book's massive amount of {{Ho Yay}}.
* Brutally, brutally {{deconstructed}} in the classic Dostoevsky novel ''TheIdiot''. Prince Myshkin is a model of Christ-like kindness, able to forgive his worst enemies and treat the most depraved members of society with compassion. He talks to servants as equals and has an innate connection with children. His innate integrity distinguishes him from the pettiness of Russian high society, and ''everyone realizes this''. In addition, he inherits a princely fortune, and is a world-class calligrapher (not to mention a virgin, who still treats women with the utmost honor). Unfortunately, his saintly example rubs off on exactly no one: they all turn to their self-destructive behaviors, unable to prevent themselves from taking advantage of the Prince, leaving his relationships broken, and in the end [[spoiler: driving him to insanity]]. Yup, HumansAreBastards.

** T.H. White later manages to have some fun with this in ''TheOnceAndFutureKing''. The Galahad legend plays out just like it does in older texts, with his being utterly perfect and pure and wonderful and finding the Grail and being taken to Heaven -- but then White explains that he could only find the Grail ''because'' he acted like that, and was ''doomed'' to find the Grail and leave the Earth. According to White, being a Purity Sue ''[[TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth condemns you to die and accomplish nothing to actual note on the corporeal Earth]]''. (Galahad's only true accomplishment was finding the Grail -- he didn't impact a single thing else.)
*** White also takes the mickey out of the type a little bit by having all the other knights torn between liking Galahad and being mystified by him -- he's so perfect that he's nearly ''incomprehensible'' to the more realistic characters.
**** His death also leads to more harm than good by way of the story's plot: [[spoiler:Sir Pellinore's only daughter is killed as she returns from the quest and Elaine commits suicide out of grief, further driving in the stake between Guinevere and Lancelot.]]
* [[TheWonderfulWizardOfOz L. Frank Baum]]'s [[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/520/520.txt portrayal]] of SantaClaus. He does nothing except make toys for children...and, for that reason alone, he's [[FriendToAllLivingThings adored by everything in existence]] that's not ''pure evil''. (And everything that ''is'' pure evil wants to destroy him.) Whenever he's in any actual trouble, he can just count on his "[[FairyCompanion elves]]" to do all the work...including waging a war of extermination against some [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons of sorts]] that have the gall to kidnap him. [[OlderThanTelevision We know what that means]].
** Justified. I mean, he's Santa Claus!
* An unusual example of a MarySue in literary fiction is Isabel Dalhousie in the series by Alexander [=McCall=] Smith. She's middle-aged but still attractive to men, independently wealthy, a brilliant ethical philosopher (or so we're told) and adored by all around her. Her forays into mystery-solving are distinctly FixerSue-ish; in the third book she becomes a RelationshipSue when she hooks up with a much younger man, himself a MartyStu: the only reason Isabel can think of why his previous girlfriend dumped him is because he was too good to her.

** Dickon of Hodgson's ''The Secret Garden'' is a rare male example. While being described as fairly plain (or even comical) in appearance, any mention of Dickon is used to show what a perfect little boy he is. Animals flock to him, he's extremely clever and mature, he's unfailingly kind to everyone, he's bluntly honest but never cruel, he's loyal to a (almost) fault, and every single time ever people talk about him both parties will instantly know who he is and love him for being so sweet and pure. His mother Susan would count as well if she wasn't basically a background character who's only really talked about until the last chapter or two.
*** Martha shows a few signs of this as well. She's sweet, has a kind appearance, is one of the first people who can [[DefrostingTheIceQueen get through to Mary]], and seems to never be in a bad temper. It is hinted though that she doesn't put up with nonsense and might be willing to hit back if someone slaps her.
** In Hodgson's ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'', it's main character Cedric himself as the adorable, compassionate Stu. He's even able to get his crotchety, hateful grandfather to love him and his mother, who his grandfather detests. Everyone who comes into contact with Cedric is bettered and loves him.

* Sam Jones in the ''DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'', whose main flaws are 1) that she loves the Doctor, and 2) that she's an ardant and outspoken activist -- yes, she ''cares too much'', although some writers have portrayed this as "is a self-righteous know-all who annoys everyone", a bit like [[TheSimpsons Lisa Simpson]]. Those writers also [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed]] her by revealing she was ''created'' to be the perfect ''DoctorWho'' companion, and contrasted her with her alternate self, the meat-eating, smoking, drug-experimenting, troubled-home-life "Dark Sam", who is presented as much more "real".
* Evangeline St. Clare, from ''[[UncleTomsCabin Unlce Tom's Cabin]]'', is morally perfect, loves everyone, is loved by everyone, and even has mysteriously changing hair color (it's described as blonde and brown and everything in between!).
** To top it all off, [[spoiler:she pretty much gets a Jesus parallel at the end of her time in the story, gathering her "followers" (the household slaves) and leaving them with instructions on how to achieve salvation, ''before she gets a vision of heaven and dies''.]]

* The protagonist (s) of nearly every single Danielle Steel novel. They are almost invariably perfect in every way--looks, personality, career, lifestyle, and of course, perfectly modest and not stuck up in the least.On the rare occasions that they have flaws, these flaws only serve to be endearing somehow and make them even more lovable and noble and wonderful. Bonus points if these flaws are linked to some tragic event in their past. Everyone loves and adores them in one capacity or another. This can apply to both the male and female characters.

* Dorothy from L. Frank Baum's WizardOfOz seems to fall under this category. All who encounter her seem to bend over backwards to get her back to Kansas. She is able to stand up to great and powerful beings, summon powerful magic by accident and change the entire ruling class of Oz with only her can-do attitude.

* Deconstructed in ''TheTurnOfTheScrew''. The narrator initially thinks the children she's governess of are adorable little angels, but they quickly turn out to be CreepyChildren who may or may not be communicating with ghosts. Of course, the narrator herself could just be insane, especially since [[spoiler:she eventually smothers the boy to death to "save" him.]]
* Exaggerated with Carrot Ironfoundersson in [[{{Discworld}} ''Guards! Guards!'']]. Not only is he impossibly strong, smart (though naive), and handsome, he also has the ability to convince people to do something totally out of character for them just by suggesting they do it. This may be because he could be the descendant of the last king of Ankh-Morpork. Unlike most Purity Sues, though, he is enormously likable, even to the reader.
* Heidi from, well, {{Heidi}} is sweet, kind and loved by everyone who isn't portrayed as totally unsympathetic. She brings joy to the lives of many, and almost all the characters in the book are not only happier, but better people for knowing her. Interestingly enough, the trope is mentioned and {{Lampshaded}} in the book itself when it is revealed that Fraulein Rottenmeier has been reading a lot of stories with what sounds suspiciously like PuritySue protagonists, and dislikes Heidi for ''not being even more Sueish than she already is.'' Herr Sesemann answers with some [[DeadpanSnarker uncharacteristic snark:]]

* Kahlee Sanders from the ''MassEffect'' [[AdapationDecay novelizations.]] She's described as immaculately beautiful, a veritable genius in the scientific field, better at turian scientists at analyzing possible Reaper tech, she has no flaws, and effortlessly wins the hearts of both David Anderson ''and'' Paul Grayson. And all of this is despite the fact that Anderson never mentions her in the first or second games or any of the DLC- another point in the 'self-insert' category.
* Proof that TropesAreNotBad with Elizabeth Bennett in ''PrideAndPrejudice'', a character who is considered by readers and literary critics alike the author's SelfInsert (the author even admitting that she got personally offended when people criticised the character), who ends up finding true love with an incredibly rich, handsome man ([[AllOfTheOtherReindeer despite being the odd one out amongst her idiotic sisters and domineering mother]]). However, she is genuinely likeable and sympathetic, and her ability to hold grudges past the point where they are rational and useful is her main flaw.

* Virtually all female protagonists in Mexican TV Novelas are this, though so many start as {{Jerk Sue}}s that it has become an unwritten rule in Mexican TV to make all protagonists purity sues. Though it would be too long to list them all, the following are the most recent or prominent examples.
** In ''Corazon Salvaje'', there's Regina. She has all the characteristics of a purity sue, including a lack of flaws, though instead of animals she attracts orphans and needy people.

* [[ParodySue Parodied]] in ''{{Frasier}}'' episode "The Show Where Diane Comes Back", in which Diane's play ''Rhapsody and Requiem'' is a thinly veiled reproduction of ''{{Cheers}}'', with "Mary Ann" as the AuthorAvatar. ''Everyone'' loves her in the bar, which drives Frasier nuts. When the actor "Franklin" openly asks why his character would forgive Mary Ann so easily for leaving him at the altar, it causes Frasier -- who was the man who was left at the altar in RealLife -- to explode in a famous speech:

* ''PowerRangersMysticForce:'' Nick. Nick, Nick, Nick. His presence makes everyone else able to go BeyondTheImpossible (as opposed to him being all-powerful on his own). It's apparently this ability, as opposed to raw power, that makes him "The Light," which he's prophesied to be. He only has to give a determination speech to take the rest of the team from [[CharacterDerailment uncharacteristically whiny and ready to give up]] to card-carrying {{Determinator}}s. Near the end of the season, ''two'' mentor types wind up focusing only on him, without the rest of the team even around to watch--perhaps because the villains, too, have singled him out. Characters bend around him like a PuritySue. And he winds up being the only one of the main five with any connection to the overall plot. However, he can also be a GodModeSue in bursts that hint at his MysteriousPast. Big Bad that nobody can touch? Surprise, banishment spell. TheDragon brings his sword down toward Nick's head? Kaboom, fire spell. Stuff like this only happens at the last second during desperate times, though, not every week. Finally, the MysteriousPast means he [[ParentalAbandonment doesn't know who his family is]], and sometimes feels [[{{Wangst}} alone and unwanted]], and he also has plenty of self-doubt, making him a SympatheticSue ''as well.'' The character-bending and screentime-stealing that are his primary traits just makes PuritySue the category he fits ''best''.
* Zoey, from {{Zoey 101}}. Her life is so perfect that it's almost ridiculous - she is insanely popular, is usually the leader of whatever project the other kids are making, is kind, [[YourMileageMayVary "pretty"]], smart, strong, weak (yes, at the same time), nearly every male character of her age have some kind of attraction for her, makes friends in the drop of a hat, solves everybody's problems... did I forget something?
* [[{{Angel}} Fred Burkle]]. Beautiful, genius-level intelligence, EVERYONE has some sort of romantic tension with her, traumatic past, [[spoiler:TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth]]. Her sixth episode was about how wonderful she was and how important to the team emotionally, and fear that her parents might be evil. In a show rife with such characters--her's ''are not''. But she's a StepfordSmiler, shown multiple times to be teatering on the edge of sanity from the hells she has gone through with massive abandonment issues. This is a Joss Whedon show, ''everyone suffers.''

* {{Jericho}} had Heather Lisinski as the cute niave fix-it girl who rarely ever actually fixes anything, and gets the town all excited about wind power.It only got worse in the secound season where her whole purpose seemed to be to act as Beck's Jiminny Cricket/Love object.
* SecretGirlfriend: You. Yes, ''you.'' Shot from a first person perspective, the main gimmick of this Comedy Central show is that the viewer is the main character. The POV "character" is never referred to by name, only by some generic form of address. And unsurprisingly, "you" are awesome. Every woman in the show is interested in "you." "You" have sex with most of them, and "you" always leave them blown away. "Your" rich, gorgeous ex-girlfriend (who is admittedly psychotic) can't get over "you." All "your" jokes are funny. Every character in the show admires "you." Congratulations.
* Hank from RoyalPains. Seriously, does he get paid extra for being a goody-two-shoes?

* {{Merlin}} has Gwen, especially in series 2 and 3. Every male who enters Camelot remarks on her beauty, every other character is always praising her "good heart" and good looks, and she seems to have no flaws besides being poor.
* Babylon 5's Delenn, from late season 4 onwards. Even people who had previously tried to kill her suddenly can't stop singing her praises and referring to her as god's gift to the universe.

* ChangelingTheLost deconstructs the various Mary Sue tropes in several ways. The [[SoBeautifulItsACurse Fairest]] seeming is ''built'' on the idea, as some of the example Durances suggest that the world that Purity Sue lives in is a hellish one when closely examined-- imagine being kidnapped from your ordinary life, and forced to be a beautiful princess who never stops smiling and never says no, and can understand the words of the things that can't speak, the one bastion of purity in a terrible, terrible world...

*** They're the bad guys, though. In our minds. In their minds, not so much.
**** So [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel watch the fuck out]] when they [[CardCarryingVillain do decide to be the bad guys]]...
* While generally a well-rounded character, Erin Tarn from {{Rifts}} sometimes comes perilously close. The only people who don't instantly love her are evil, she attracts devoted followers wherever she goes (she's even been rescued once or twice by [[TheEmpire Coalition]] Soldiers who didn't realize who she was), and the closest to a flaw she has is an inability to appreciate what a talented writer she is and how much her books have helped and united beings across Rifts Earth. She doesn't even curse (in one situation where her life and the lives of her friends was immediately and directly in danger, her response was "[[GoshDangItToHeck Oh, dear]]").

* Sergius from ''ArmsAndTheMan'' is a parody of this. He's dashing, witty, heroic and brilliant, he plays the perfect gentleman soldier. But it's mostly in his head. He's really a buffoon who failed to understand that he was in an ''actual'' war not a romantic epic and very nearly got dozens of people killed because of it. By the end of the play he's come to grips with reality.

* Reala in ''TalesOfDestiny 2''. Born in an almost very ridiculous way, and she suddenly gains a lot of wisdom right off bat. The protagonist Kyle, who happens to be the son of the previous hero Stahn, immediately got fixated on her, she got along just fine with everyone, she gets to be the one who lectures Kyle the most (especially near the end), is not afraid in the face of imminent death, and worst of all... she is a [[SpotlightStealingSquad Spotlight Stealing Girl]], that the plot is really heavily fixated on her, especially when it's revealed that she is [[spoiler:The daughter of God, along with the BigBad, who ends up rebelling]]. And then, in the ending, [[spoiler:she's killed, and everyone returns to their timeline, with their adventure annulled. But then... she is the only one who came back and remembers all the adventures!]] Man. The second you see her in the opening sequences, that should be a hint of her Sue-ness.

* Arcia in ''GranstreamSaga'' is possibly one of the most disgusting examples in the gaming world. Absolutely ''everything'' including her "adorable" innocent laughter reeks of absolute Purity Sueness. This is emphasized even further by her contrast with the main character's other possible LoveInterest, the [[ActionGirl dynamic]] and somewhat tomboyish {{Tsundere}} Laramee. While Laramee has a very no-nonsense and even pushy attitude in life, Arcia is pretty much of a YamatoNadeshiko who's unable to conceive of any negative feeling in herself or others and who can't stick up for herself. [[spoiler:If you choose to sacrifice her at the end, you also find out that she's a celestial being and that she was researching everybody. She then gets sent back. If being able to so easily cheat the viewer out of what was supposed to be a dramatic sacrifice doesn't clinch it, nothing will]].

* Lyner Barsett in ArTonelico is this taken to CrazyAwesome levels. Remember, TropesAreNotBad. A Galahad ''Expy'', this ChasteHero [[ChickMagnet acquires an adoring entourage]] of RobotGirls, including a [[fPhysicalGod Physical Goddess]], and his only flaws are endearing ones like clumsyness, obliviousness and [[BerserkButton going psycho on anyone who abuses defenseless robot girls]]. He is able to use the PowerOfFriendship to get back the GenreSavvy [[spoiler:Ayatane]], even though [[spoiler:he]] knows that's what's going on and tries to resist. He even does this to ''the final boss'' and as of the second game, [[spoiler:Mir/Jacqli]] ''still'' doesn't know what hit her. And it is ''hilarious''.

* Rikk in ''{{Fans}}''; although the nature of the comic and it's parodying / homaging of fandom means he's more than likely intended as a parody (and indeed, many strips often play with the fact that a Pure Sue at times [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism just isn't cut out for harsh realities of life and war]]), he strays a little too close at times to fulfilling this trope in completely seriousness. As if it wasn't enough that he's pretty much TheMessiah, meaning he's loved and adored by almost everyone he comes into contact with (and if they don't worship the ground he walks on, then you can damn well be sure that they're a bad guy), he's capable of inspiring huge crowds with the power of his almost entirely improvised speeches, he's almost flawless (and is very self-perceptive of the relatively few flaws he does have) and has [[BettyAndVeronica two women]] [[LoveTriangle fighting tooth-and-claw over him throughout the entire strip]] [[spoiler: (and by the end of the strip ''[[TenchiSolution they've agreed to share him]]'')]]. Although the author acknowledged the potential for MarySue in the character and took steps to remedy this by pairing him up with the kinky, self-destructive PerkyGoth Alisin, thus hinting at some hidden kinks , this in some ways just makes it worse, because her near-nymphomania means that on top of everything else, [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex he's getting fantastic sex on a regular basis as well]].

* Brian from FamilyGuy veered straight into this in [[DethroningMomentOfSuck Not All Dogs Go To Heaven.]] It backfired.

* [[{{Angel}} Fred Burkle]]. Beautiful, genius-level intelligence, EVERYONE has some sort of romantic tension with her, traumatic past, [[spoiler:TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth]]. Her sixth episode was about how wonderful she was and how important to the team emotionally, and fear that her parents might be evil. In a show rife with such characters--her's ''are not''. But she's a StepfordSmiler, shown multiple times to be teatering on the edge of sanity from the hells she has gone through with massive abandonment issues.
--> '''Fred'': Sure, but, then again, it could've been too late, and Angel would have had to swear blood-lusty vengeance on the woman that killed you, and we all know how well that one works out...I am so sick of holding everything up around here. First Wesley leaves, then Angel, and Cordy. I-I'm sick of taking care of everything and paying bills and making peace and plans and keeping my chin up— God, I am so sick of my chin being up! ... I thought it would get better when Angel came back. I-I thought I would finally be able to breathe again.
--> ''Gunn'': Fred, no one forced [[TeamMom this responsibility]] on you—
--> ''Fred'': Well, who else was gonna do it? Who else was gonna hold everything up after you left me all alone? (breaks down, crying) You died and left me all alone!

* [[{{Angel}} Fred Burkle]]. Beautiful, genius-level intelligence, EVERYONE has some sort of romantic tension with her, traumatic past, [[spoiler:TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth]], no real flaws to speak of, the fact in her ''first appearance'' she's better and helping Angel than the people who have been friends with him for over a year, her sixth episode was about how wonderful she was and how important to the team, and ''no-one'' dislikes her, or ever even gets mad at her.

* Most of the female protagonists in the ''HowartsExposed'' series are this, the most egregious being Hermione (who apparently looks like Angelina Jolie, even after having a baby), Jamie (who is blatantly mentioned to be ''exactly like'' Hermione in almost every way, including appearance, and has a unicorn as an animagous form), and Caitlin (who can heal any injury at all with her non-canon Empath abilities). The fact that the author attempts to use this as an excuse for the "innocence" of the series' overly sexual themes and that all of the girls have been raped or attempted to be raped is [[{{Squick}} very disturbing]].

* Heidi from, well, {{Heidi}} is sweet, kind and loved by everyone who isn't portrayed as totally unsympathetic. She brings joy to the lives of many, and almost all the characters in the book are not only happier, but better people for knowing her. Interestingly enough, the trope is mentioned and {{Lampshaded}} in the book itself when it is revealed that Fraulein Rottenmeyer has been reading a lot of stories with what sounds suspiciously like PuritySue protagonists, and dislikes Heidi for ''not being even more Sueish than she already is.'' Herr Sesemann answers with some [[DeadpanSnarker uncharacteristic snark:]]

* Heidi from, well, {{Heidi}} is sweet, kind and loved by everyone who isn't portrayed as totally unsympathetic. She brings joy to the lives of many, and almost all the characters in the book are not only happier, but better people for knowing her. Interestingly enough, the trope is mentioned and {{Lampshaded}} in the book itself when it is revealed that Fraulein Rottenmeyer has been reading a lot of stories with what sounds suspiciously like PuritySue protagonists, and dislikes Heidi for ''not being even more Sueish than she already is:''
-->"We had decided, as you remember, to get a companion for Clara, and as I knew how anxious you were to have only those who were well-behaved and nicely brought up about her, I thought I would look for a little Swiss girl, as I hoped to find such a one as I have often read about, who, born as it were of the mountain air, lives and moves without touching the earth."

-->"Still I think even a Swiss child would have to touch the earth if she wanted to go anywhere," remarked Herr Sesemann, "otherwise they would have been given wings instead of feet."

-->"Ah, Herr Sesemann, you know what I mean," continued Fraulein Rottenmeier. "I mean one so at home among the living creatures of the high, pure mountain regions, that she would be like some idealistic being from another world among us."

[[folder: Web Comics ]]
* Rikk in ''{{Fans}}''; although the nature of the comic and it's parodying / homaging of fandom means he's more than likely intended as a parody (and indeed, many strips often play with the fact that a Pure Sue at times [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism just isn't cut out for harsh realities of life and war]]), he strays a little too close at times to fulfilling this trope in completely seriousness. As if it wasn't enough that he's pretty much TheMessiah, meaning he's loved and adored by almost everyone he comes into contact with (and if they don't worship the ground he walks on, then you can damn well be sure that they're a bad guy), he's capable of inspiring huge crowds with the power of his almost entirely improvised speeches, he's almost flawless (and is very self-perceptive of the relatively few flaws he does have) and has [[BettyAndVeronica two women]] [[LoveTriangle fighting tooth-and-claw over him throughout the entire strip]] [[spoiler: (and by the end of the strip ''[[TenchiSolution they've agreed to share him]]'')]]. Although the author acknowledged the potential for MarySue in the character and took steps to remedy this by pairing him up with the kinky, self-destructive PerkyGoth Alisin, thus hinting at some hidden kinks , this in some ways just makes it worse, because her near-nymphomania means that on top of everything else, [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex he's getting fantastic sex on a regular basis as well]].
* Interestingly enough, Jim Goodlaw in DavidGonterman's ''[[GonterVerse FoxFire]]'' fits this trope. Within the first couple strips, he has StanLee praise him for his artistic ability and offer an instructional video with the suggestion that he could work for Marvel someday (although one unintended interpretation of this scene that makes it untold levels of hilarious is that StanLee was playing a really mean practical joke). From that point on, pretty much everybody that meets Jim simply won't shut up about how awesome he is, how cool his artwork is, and several girls want to date him.

* Miranda Lawson in ''MassEffect 2'' is a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]] of this trope. She has superior physical and mental capabilities. She's extremely attractive. She's a powerful biotic. All because her father had her grown in a lab to create the "perfect daughter". Her self-esteem issues derive largely from the fact that she didn't earn those gifts - they were given to her, and not for her own benefit.
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