Original character explained

An original character (OC) typically refers to a type of fictional character that is created by a member of a fandom. They are a non-canonical character created by the author of fan fiction, a fan artist, or creator of another fan work, who exists within a certain fictional universe and may interact with existing characters or locations.[1] The term can also be used in a wider sense to refer to any fictional character.[2] There are also gender-specific acronyms like OMC (acronym for original male character) and OFC (acronym for original female character).[3] [4]

Examples

OCs are used in various subcultures including the Star Wars fandom, the Harry Potter fandom, and other subcultures such as the Sonic the Hedgehog fandom. Takashi Iizuka mentioned that the character customization system in Sonic Forces was influenced by the Sonic community's tendency to create original characters;[5] tools for creating Sonic OCs exist on sites like Newgrounds.[6] Cosplayers create original characters based on their imaginations, fan fiction, and other works. For cosplayers, OCs can give them a larger range of choices of characters to cosplay as.

OCs are also used in the furry fandom. A majority of furries have a fursona, defined as a personally claimed persona resembling an anthropomorphic animal.[7] [8] Some members of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom also use pony OCs as personas.

OCs can serve as protagonists or as minor characters in a story. A writer may add another author's OC into their own work. An OC can provide a different point of view to a fictional universe; for instance, a fan fiction author can create an OC that is a student at one of Hogwarts’ rival schools. There has been some debate online whether or not writers should make their OCs suffer or not.

See also

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vicente . Vann . 2021-11-14 . What Does "OC" Mean, and How Do You Use It? . 2024-06-02 . How-To Geek.
  2. Web site: Carpou . Madeline . 2022-05-27 . Should You Be Allowed to Make Your OC Suffer? Twitter Debates a Controversial Tumblr Ask. . 2024-06-06 . The Mary Sue.
  3. Web site: Richard . Moriah . 2022-06-25 . What Is Fan Fiction in Writing? . 2024-06-12 . .
  4. Carson . C. . 2017 . What is fanfiction and where to find it: Definitions and fan archives . Beyond the Book:fanfiction. 63070065 .
  5. Web site: Frank . Allegra . September 25, 2017 . Sonic Forces' Custom Hero mode might not be the wish fulfillment you want . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191227184902/https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/25/16338202/sonic-forces-custom-heroes-original-characters . December 27, 2019 . Polygon.
  6. Web site: Feldman . Brian . 2020-02-14 . The Staff of New York Shows Off Its Sonic OCs . 2024-06-04 . Intelligencer.
  7. Web site: Words We're Watching: 'Furry' and 'Fursona' . 2021-06-30 . Merriam-Webster . en.
  8. Web site: Definition of FURSONA . 2024-03-31 . www.merriam-webster.com . en.

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