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Is Ash Ketchum a Gary-Stu character?

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Brownie

Anti Drew & paul fan
I'm not trying to complain here, but I find him to be a Gary-Stu. Reasons:

-He has a lot of girls falling over him (both human and Pokemon)
-He's been the chosen one multiple times.
-He's befriended many legendary Pokemon, while others are lucky to even see one.
-He has no real notable flaws, only minor ones, but they really don't affect him. He's impulsive and brash, which, in this anime, is synonymous for "brave and filled with willpower".
-He "loves Pokemon more than anyone else". They fail to actually show it, but they sure tell us a lot.

In conclusion, I think he's a Stu. Maybe not as bad as some other anime characters, but still one by Pokemon standards.
 

Luthor

Well-Known Member
I'm not trying to complain here, but I find him to be a Gary-Stu. Reasons:

-He has a lot of girls falling over him (both human and Pokemon)
-He's been the chosen one multiple times.
-He's befriended many legendary Pokemon, while others are lucky to even see one.
-He has no real notable flaws, only minor ones, but they really don't affect him. He's impulsive and brash, which, in this anime, is synonymous for "brave and filled with willpower".
-He "loves Pokemon more than anyone else". They fail to actually show it, but they sure tell us a lot.

In conclusion, I think he's a Stu. Maybe not as bad as some other anime characters, but still one by Pokemon standards.

he has girls falling for him yet he dosn't realise and dosn't understand love.And like you say many of the female are pokemon which is hardly ideal
he has been the chosen 1 but thats simply because he is the main character who else could be the chosen 1?
he's befreinded many legnedaries but thats because he normally does something to earn their trust
no notable flaws? he's gluttanous,at times incredibly stupid,rash,at times can be mean, single minded,emotional.
he loves pokemon more than anyone else thats simply because he knows how to relate to them there are other people in the anime who are closer to their pokemon then ash.
 

Blue Saturday

Unfurl your Blessed Wings!
I'm not trying to complain here, but I find him to be a Gary-Stu. Reasons:

-He has a lot of girls falling over him (both human and Pokemon)
-He's been the chosen one multiple times.
-He's befriended many legendary Pokemon, while others are lucky to even see one.
-He has no real notable flaws, only minor ones, but they really don't affect him. He's impulsive and brash, which, in this anime, is synonymous for "brave and filled with willpower".
-He "loves Pokemon more than anyone else". They fail to actually show it, but they sure tell us a lot.

In conclusion, I think he's a Stu. Maybe not as bad as some other anime characters, but still one by Pokemon standards.
None of that has exactly any impact on a character being a Sue/Stu or not. It's just a term people seem to throw around without using correctly, it's starting to become a term without meaning because everyone and their mother uses it as an insult than anything else.
 

Brownie

Anti Drew & paul fan
None of that has exactly any impact on a character being a Sue/Stu or not. It's just a term people seem to throw around without using correctly, it's starting to become a term without meaning because everyone and their mother uses it as an insult than anything else.

I'm not trying to insult him.

he loves pokemon more than anyone else thats simply because he knows how to relate to them there are other people in the anime who are closer to their pokemon then ash.

True, but they keep beating it into our heads.
 

moneylesswario

Gone But Not Forgotten
Idk about Mary-Sue but he certainly is not a good character. Alone, each trait is no problem, but when combined together, well, I can see why someone would think he's a Sue. Also, you forgot to add this in:

*He has the powers of Aura. If not a trait, then at least cliched.
 

Brownie

Anti Drew & paul fan
I don't find Iris to be one. Here are the other people I think are Sues/Stus: Solidad, Paul, Tobiass
 

JennaJayfeather

Gangrenous Creature
No I don't think he's one. More of a typical Shonen hero if you ask me.

Cynthia's kind of a Sue, but she always gives me the vibe that she worked hard to be the awesome person she is so I let it go. XD

And yeah sues/stus are used as an insult. It's like UGH THAT TAMAKI HE'S SUCH A STU. And it really works up the fans "HE'S NOT A STU!!!" Because Stu is like the lowest insult there is, fandom wise. XD

But I have seen shows with Stus before though. There was this terrible one my mom watched with this girl who like kept messing things up and her boyfriend was like perfect looking and was always "It's ok I'm here for you blah blah" he had like no other personality, he was just so so bland. You have no idea how much that guy annoyed me. ._. THAT's what I'd call a Stu. I don't really consider anyone in this anime a Stu because it's just not complex enough to make Stus standout from not Stus. (Though I do like that Best Wishes has brought agonistic behaviors to Iris and Dento. Iris had that whole revenge episode, and Dento has cocky/villainous smiles without being the rival or reprimanded for their behavior. It fleshes them out)
 
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matt0044

Well-Known Member
Gary Stu/Mary Sues tend to be overly perfect character who has the story go their way due to favoritism with the writer or wish fulfillment. And I doubt anyone wishes to be Ash.
 

Brownie

Anti Drew & paul fan
Gary Stu/Mary Sues tend to be overly perfect character who has the story go their way due to favoritism with the writer or wish fulfillment. And I doubt anyone wishes to be Ash.

This is kind of the case with him, though. Maybe not to the extent of say, Paul, or Tobiass, but this still kind of describes him.
 

nuzamaki90

Well-Known Member
Gary Stu/Mary Sues tend to be overly perfect character who has the story go their way due to favoritism with the writer or wish fulfillment. And I doubt anyone wishes to be Ash.

By that definition, Ash is nowhere near a Gary Stu.

* Ash has lost 5 out of 7 Leagues he's participated in (Battle Frontier and Orange Islands)
* Ash has lost to all his rivals more times than he's won (Besides Barry)
* Ash has 3 stalkers that ruin almost everything special to him but expect him to save them when they're in danger
* Ash reaches the wrong place at the wrong time commonly, and whenever he does, he's forced into a conflict between Legendary Pokemon, dying twice in the process.
* During his first journey, he only actually beat a Gym Leader twice, the six other times, the Gym Leaders literally gave him the badge; Only beating TR, who weren't GL to begin with, and an old man stuck in a volcano.
* A Legendary Pokemon actually fell in love with him, but he still wasn't able to keep her
* Whenever Ash has a journey, he always ends up meeting an evil organization that end up almost killing him and taking control/severly hurting his Pokemon
* After winning the Battle Frontier, Ash fought his rival with his strongest Pokemon, and still lost even though the Pokemon his rival was using was a new capture
* Ash lost four times to the same Frontier Brain
* The three times Ash actually had a chance at winning the Pokemon League, he lost to a Meowth, a Pokemon he had never heard of, and a trainer who spammed Legendaries
* Because of his curse of a good will, Ash had to be separated from a bunch of his favorite Pokemon (Primeape, Squirtle, Charizard, Butterfree, Pidgeot, Larvitar, Gliscor, and Aipom) and one of which, was traded over to a girl who gave it so it could be a "Ping-Pong Champion"....

I could say more but I'm pretty sure I'v gotten my point across.
 

Rohanator

Well-Known Member
This is kind of the case with him, though. Maybe not to the extent of say, Paul, or Tobiass, but this still kind of describes him.

Not really, if the story went Ash's way he'd have won some leagues by now and wouldn't lose to beginners.

I'd say Ash is realistically imperfect rather(other than his first two losses against Trip). Realistically you wouldn't probably win a league even after trying 5 times. Sure he gets to meet all the legendaries and stuff but of course the main character would.
 
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I am Lu

Well-Known Member
I don' think Ash is a stu either. Someone said it earlier, but he's realistically imperfect. Beyond just being brash and oblivious, there are several times when he's very rude or close-minded. Really, I think he's just the typical shonen hero. Does he run into a lot of Legendaeries? Yes, but that's a side effect of being the main character, not a Gary Stu.
 

ForeverFlame

Well-Known Member
No. I think the writers try really hard to make him a flawed Pokemon trainer, especially during League time. If he was a Gary Stu he'd evolve all of his Pokemon to legendary fourth stages, he would be able to control ubers, and the plot would revolve around him (Ash is the main character, but the plot is about the people he runs into as he travels - the same story could take place with anyone as the MC).
 

matt0044

Well-Known Member
This is kind of the case with him, though. Maybe not to the extent of say, Paul, or Tobiass, but this still kind of describes him.

Though even then, I'd refrain from the Stu accusation given his many loses.
 

BlueDragonfangirl

Well-Known Member
Try watching BW series and ask again after, hes far from being a Gary-StueXD Type. If any one, ask about Iris.
 

matt0044

Well-Known Member

BlueDragonfangirl

Well-Known Member
Nah, I just find her to be annoying in a non-Mary Sueish way.

Tell me, what do you consider a Mary-Sue if you think Ash is a Gary-Stu? To me, Iris has all the signs of one but again thats me ^
 
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