An original character (OC) typically refers to a type fictional character created by someone that is not affiliated with a company, or by a member of a

fandom A fandom is a subculture composed of Fan (person), fans characterized by a feeling of camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significan ...

. They are a non-

canonical The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean 'according to the canon' the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, ''canonical exampl ...

character created by the author of

fan fiction Fan fiction or fanfiction, also known as fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF, is fiction typically written in an amateur capacity by fans as a form of fan labor, unauthorized by, but based on, an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted ...

, a fan artist, or creator of another fan work, who exists within a certain

fictional universe A fictional universe, also known as an imagined universe or a constructed universe, is the internally consistent fictional setting used in a narrative or a work of art. This concept is most commonly associated with works of fantasy and scie ...

and may interact with existing characters or locations. The term can also be used in a wider sense to refer to any fictional character. Acronyms can also be gender-specific, like OMC (''original male character'') and OFC (''original female character'').

Overview

OCs are used in various subcultures including the ''Star Wars'' fandom, the ''Harry Potter'' fandom, and other subcultures such as the ''

Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...

'' fandom and the Scratch community website. Takashi Iizuka mentioned that the character customization system in ''

Sonic Forces is a 2017 Platformer, platform video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. It was produced in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. The plot focuses on Sonic the Hedgehog (character), So ...

'' was influenced by the ''Sonic'' community's tendency to create original characters; tools for creating ''Sonic'' OCs exist on sites like

Newgrounds Newgrounds is an American entertainment website founded by Tom Fulp in 1995 and owned by Newgrounds.com, Inc. The site hosts user-generated content such as games, films, audio, and artwork. Fulp produces in-house content at the headquarters and ...

. 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 The furry fandom is a subculture interested in Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic animal characters. Some examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and weari ...

. A majority of furries have a

fursona A fursona is a personally claimed persona resembling an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic animal adopted by a member of the furry fandom. Fursonas can provide numerous roles for the creator. According to ''The New Science of Narcissism'', 95% of ...

, defined as a personally claimed

persona A persona (plural personae or personas) is a strategic mask of identity in public, the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional Character (arts), character. It is also considered "an intermediary ...

resembling an

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

animal. Some members of the ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' fandom also use pony OCs as personas called '' ponysonas''. According to researchers studying the brony fandom, 39% of bronies have a ponysona. Forty-six percent of bronies reported having an original character, and their ponysona was among the first original characters they created. OCs can serve as

protagonists A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

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

; for instance, a fan fiction author can create an OC that is a student at one of

Hogwarts Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional boarding school of magic for young wizards. It is the primary setting for the first six novels in the '' Harry Potter'' series by J. K. Rowling, and also serves as a major setti ...

’ rival schools. There has been some debate online over whether or not writers should write about their OCs in situations in which they suffer.

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * {{Fan fiction Nerd culture Fandom Literary terminology

Overview

See also

References

Footnotes

Bibliography