TL:DR - Sylvanas is not a Mary Sue if only because fewer than half of these definitions even apply to her.
Let’s go through them point-by-point:
- I agree with the OP that this does not fit Sylvanas. Not only is she reviled by everyone in the Alliance, the rest of the Horde (minus the Forsaken) are uncomfortable with her personally (though it’s clear many Horde appreciated her determination and strength as Warchief). Her ideas often fail to work out on top of that.
- Absolutely not true of Sylvanas. Literally every in-game critic of Sylvanas is portrayed as a hero. Even Baine, and he’s a pansy! (Okay, so I just don’t like him).
- Sylvanas’ worst flaw is her temper, but it never helps her or moves things in her favor. Sure, she says that it’s all part of her plan, but it’s clear that she’s just adapting to failure rather than running off a long list of unqualified successes. Now, is she always right? Maybe? I have a feeling she’s right about a lot of things, but far from perfect as a Mary Sue would be.
- Incorruptible? I guess it depends on who you think Sylvanas is. If you think she’s a ruthless realist bent on absolute freedom, then she seems pretty incorruptible. Then again, ruthlessly using people as tools certainly feels corrupt.
- Sylvanas has ill-defined abilities, but it’s now clear that the mystery has been intentional for the plot. Sylvanas doesn’t seem to be the Scarlet Witch of the WoW universe in this regard (even if SW is my favorite Avenger).
- Related to the last point, Sylvanas’ new power is an intentional plot point. We’re meant to go “WTF?! What did she put in HER coffee?” It’s fair to dislike that plot choice, but it isn’t like Sylvanas is just walking around Deus ex Machina-ing every powerful character in the lore.
I like what they’re doing with her, personally. I’m fascinated to see what she is trying to accomplish. And I want to see her succeed.
I think you missed many of them which he said she fits into the category too.
But if she doesn’t meet all of them then the term is not appropriate.
Mary Sues are badly written characters. Not all badly written characters are Mary Sues.
The stories are written poorly because they have little to go on but still wish to insert her as the center of attention.
Mary Sues are inherently the product of bad writing.
Unless in the case of parody.
She’s not a Mary Sue really. That far is true.
Although one aspect of a Mary Sue is that they can just simply do anything pretty much out of nowhere. Sylvanas isn’t real. She’s not real and made to be just this powerful. It’s Blizzard that’s making her the way she is.
Shes annoying and I’m tired of seeing WoW’s version of Hitler all the time. I hope we get to kill her this expansion. 
No, it’s just something Neckbeards scream when a girl beats their Edgelord idol.
I’d like to propose something in regards to our dear Sylvanas.
She gives Mary-Sues a bad name. What I’m proposing is something new…something…-daring-
I hereby announce Sylvanas is no longer a Mary-Sue.
She is a Jane-Sue
Spread the word. Make this a thing. Jane-Sue is the ultimate Sue of all Sues
How is Bolvar an edgelord idol?
Who has been around more and doing “edge” related nonsense the last three expansions?
Yeah.
1 Like
Well Bolvar has been doing nothing except sitting around. So no wonder Sylvanas beat him easily.
I just think she’s an insipid plot device that’s continuously shoved down my throat. People despise Andiun just as much or even more but you don’t see any fanboys defending the boy king just because he has no cleavage.
I also get tired of waifu fanboys trying to rationalize bad writing.
What you are seeing here is called re-contextualization.
The common sensibility of the term “Mary-Sue”, where writing and fiction is concerned, is that it is a bad thing. To call a character a Mary-Sue is to say that they are a poorly written character who is obviously poorly written, perhaps intentionally poorly written.
Without regard to its pedantic dictionary entry, it is a spotlight shone on a sin of literature and art and a casual condemnation of the sinner.
Perhaps there is a set definition for the term, but allow me to welcome you to the nature of a dynamic language. Those terms gather and lose meanings as the context for those meanings shift.
In modernity, there is a common understanding of it that provides its context above and beyond the “akkcthhually” version. One is free to debate that, but here it is in this thread, making itself known from person to person, a not so new zeitgeist for the term Mary Sue.
And Sylvanas is definitely a Mary Sue. Her writers failed both her narrative and all of us with their lazy tone deafness.
By making the entire world, and every story in it, a mono-pole secondary to a single character they revealed their inability to understand subtlety, artistry and any other element of compelling fiction.
Producing a Mary Sue is just the kind of rookie mistake amateur writers have to grow through in their fledgling projects.
Blizz should consider hiring professional writers, or any writers. Stop making the accounting department write your lore.
1 Like
People who use the term “Mary Sue” generally have no idea what it actually means, and will also talk about “logical fallacies” that they have heard about from their favorite streamer or YouTuber.
3 Likes
I don’t think she needs to meet every criteria exactly like we’re trying to prove a court case or something.
She meets more than a few of the traits of a mary sue character, and therefore can be considered one.
She would be less of an insufferable character if we saw -anything- other than her just smugly beating everyone down and winning all the time or saying “mwahaha it was all part of my master plan” like a cheesy cartoon villain.
The “plot twists” aren’t set up well, and they aren’t engaging. Her powers are ill defined and suit whatever situation she needs to win, just like against the Lich King with those ridiculous chains. It wasn’t cool, it was just dumb.
If she had started to lose against the Lich King and all those undead she insta-gibbed off screen and went banshee mode, then still was having a hard time and -then- whipped out these unknown super powers while boasting about her plans it would’ve been at least a little better.
1 Like
Lol every single major lore character except Blightcaller is against her and at the end even most nameless NPCs are against her. Even most PCs are against her.
The biggest issue is that she’s a villain at the moment. Just about everyone is set to try to stop her. If she was the hero and everyone was fawning over her, then maybe you could make an argument she was a mary sue. Its just that she got a very strange offscreen powerup and has been steamrolling her opponents, so it doesnt feel very satisfying to watch.
I find that people want to make it such a broad term for any character they don’t like as to be able to fit just about any character in it as long as they match one of the criteria. I had this same argument about people calling Anduin a Mary Sue.
1 Like
not true at all.
also not true.
not at all she has been established to have been gaining power and her power didn’t come out of no where did you not watch blizzcon we were even told she was being given power by the jailer in shadowlands he was that showy dude in the second shadowlands trailer did you not watch that. also sylvanas has never been a good person shes always been evil and most horde who know and like her have always known this you seriously don’t know lore if you haven’t known this its even shown this in wow classic.
He’s a MAYNE who sits on his butt all day in a dumb helmet who tells others how important he is. How is that not the ideal of a Neckbeard Edgelord?