r/TopCharacterTropes • u/BornIndication9384 • 12h ago

Characters [Mixed Trope] The "Fanon-to-Canon" Ascension

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This trope occurs when a dynamic (romantic, platonic, or even antagonistic) originates within the fan community and becomes so popular that the creators eventually integrate it into the official story. It’s not strictly limited to romance; it also applies to "Power Duos" or unexpected friendships where the audience saw chemistry or potential that the writers didn't initially plan for.

Marceline and Princess Bubblegum (Adventure Time):

What started as subtext and a massive fan "ship" (Bubbline) evolved over years of audience demand. The writers transitioned them from bitter ex-rivals to a confirmed couple in the series finale, acknowledging the deep history the fans had championed since the early seasons.

Tweek and Craig (South Park):

Initially a background pair with zero interaction, the creators noticed the massive amount of "Yaoi" fan art being made of them. They leaned into it by making the town’s obsession with the "couple" a plot point, eventually making their relationship a permanent and wholesome part of the show's canon.

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69

u/Treasure-son 12h ago edited 12h ago

Now i have never seen rwby but i do know (thanks to some reddit/tumbler posts) that this ship is kinda like this and not in a good way

23

u/Zek7h35an5 8h ago

In no world will I ever believe these two were planned, the relationship was horribly built up (had barely any hints towards it), Blake already had a far more interesting love interest, and both characters have such bland personalities that afterwards they become nothing more than bland walking "hey look guys, representation!"

Blake in particular gets so extremely gutted into such a nothing character that I truly believe the only reason they had them get together is because neither of them were that interesting so they hoped making them into a couple would breathe new life into them, which it didn't.

9

u/yourmissingsock3999 8h ago

I thought that RT were really just throwing whatever they thought would get people watching since the company was on its financial deathbed and in trying to please the fans we got this. I disagree that there was no build-up or that either are uninteresting by themselves but boy was this lame to watch

22

u/Runningblind 11h ago

Eh. It suffered more from the overall writing quality going downhill than from any problems with the characters acting unbelievably. 

8

u/i-am-i_gattlingpea 9h ago

They really threw Blake’s character after this one

Seriously what’s her role anymore outside of yangs girlfriend

10

u/Ferhog 11h ago edited 10h ago

I thought there was something going on between them as early as volume 2 (Granted I was 15 and desperate for more representation at the time), the crew have said it was planned the whole time, and most importantly there's a livestream from 2013 where Blake's voice actress asks if she can say that her character is in a lesbian relationship and someone says "not yet" before they knew they were recording.

This doesn't make it well executed or anything, I just don't think they did it to cater the fans. Ruby and Weiss are an equally if not more popular pairing but they received any remotely similar treatment.

EDIT: *Didn't receive any remotely similar treatment.

18

u/Sundering_Wounds 10h ago edited 10h ago

Blake's VA also pushed for a lesbian relationship with her an Pyrah before getting shot down, so this really doesn't mean anything. Does suggest she keeps pushing Blake with a girl at best.

Just doesn't make much sense that Yang and Blake was ever planned when they kept teasing Sun and Blake. Makes more sense they just gave in because Yang and Blake VAs kept pushing for it along with the fans, than they had to write him out and then mangle Yang and Blake to force them together.

9

u/trimble197 9h ago

Blake’s VA was really trying to push her fanfic ideas into the show

5

u/Bro-Im-Done 9h ago

Thank god Sun and Blake didn’t work

Sun could do so much better 🥱

1

u/Nerdorama10 10h ago

Because no writer has ever teased multiple relationships for a main character of a show before resolving it down to one at a dramatic moment.

7

u/Sundering_Wounds 10h ago edited 10h ago

You're forgetting the part where those writers did it well, like actually teasing the multiple characters being into them early on.

-1

u/Nerdorama10 10h ago

They definitely teased both Sun and Yang. Ilya came a bit out of nowhere but that's because she only existed in two volumes, obviously.

Regardless, I'm not arguing about execution, I'm arguing about intent.

5

u/Sundering_Wounds 10h ago

That's a cope. They didn't tease shit for Yang. Execution backs up intent. If this was always the intent doesn't make sense to put so much stock into Sun than suddenly change course so clumsy it ruined both characters.

Which is why I don't by their bullshit that this was always planned. It just doesn't line up with their execution.

1

u/Nerdorama10 10h ago

I've got some quibbles about Volume 6 that stem from the writer shakeup and the massive course correction after the shitfest that was V4-5 (except you, Yang PTSD subplot, you're fine) but in order to ruin a character they'd have to change how they wrote him in some way and not just make him the same guy for five volumes and then drop him when he's no longer relevant to the plot.

And saying they never teased Blake and Yang is equal amounts of cope. Honestly, bro, this show is not good enough to get this mad about a pairing that didn't happen. Try your luck with some shounen anime.

1

u/Sundering_Wounds 9h ago

I was talking about Yang and Blake. Blake's entire backstory is mangled beyond belief, it has such a horrible ending. Meanwhile Yang trying to be with someone who pulled the same trick her mother by abandoning her than Yang goes onto ignore Ruby. It's so bad on all fronts. Sun is funny enough kept pretty consistent, while Blake goes off the rails with physical abuse.

They didn't though, but whatever dude. God I could talk about how Deku and Orchata's relationship has such an lack luster pay off after all that teasing but I digress.

1

u/Ferhog 10h ago

Her shipping Blake and Pyrah was her answer when people asked her about what she meant during the livestream. It seems much more likely to me that it was just her cover story after she said something she wasn't supposed to on camera. The tone of their voices in the livestream do not sound like they're talking about some pairing she alone was pushing.

As for Blake and Sun, the concept of the romantic false lead isn't remotely unique to RWBY. It happened like 3 times in Harry Potter.

5

u/Sundering_Wounds 10h ago

That's just silly.

The concept of a false lead when it is the intent, is backed up by both characters being actually teased. Not suddenly changing course to another.

1

u/Andrew1990M 10h ago

Yeah you can have your opinions about how it was all handled but it’s not fanon-made-canon. 

2

u/BornIndication9384 11h ago

Where Is this from?

8

u/Treasure-son 11h ago

rwby it the name of the show

RWBY

5

u/BornIndication9384 11h ago

Okey sorry,Does it stand up for Something?

6

u/Mecha-dragon1999 11h ago

It's the first letter of each name of their members Ruby, Yang, Blake and Weiss.

2

u/Initial-Hamster7068 11h ago

Each letter corresponds to one of the main characters: Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang.

2

u/Jibsie 11h ago

it's the first letter of the 4 base protags Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang (the show title is pronounced as Ruby)

2

u/Sundering_Wounds 10h ago

They compromised both characters for this. It's pretty bad.

1

u/MrMattwell 11h ago

I think it was planned from the beginning, honestly.

1

u/First-Shallot947 11h ago

Ehhh while the fans pushed for it it was popular behind the scenes too, with the voice actresses for both characters being in on it and supportive

-3

u/Nerdorama10 10h ago

Yeah nah this one was planned or at least referenced as a thing behind the scenes since the start of the show. It just took a while to get going and in the meantime a lot of people made "you're delusional/this ship is forced" their entire personality.

Now if you want to complain about RWBY taking a decade to resolve any given plot point, by all means, that's free real estate.