Original Character(s) — Tag Meaning
A tag disclosing that author-invented characters appear alongside the canon cast — villains, love interests' coworkers, or whole supporting ensembles. It lets readers who prefer pure canon casts filter accordingly, and OC-lovers find their genre.
What to Expect From "Original Character(s)" Fics
Expect non-canon characters in roles from background flavor to major players, with quality hinging on how well they serve the canon cast's story.
How to find Original Character(s) fics on AO3
On AO3, click any tag to see every work that uses it, then refine with the "Filters" sidebar — combine it with your fandom or ship, set a rating, or exclude tags you don't want. See our AO3 filtering guide for the full walkthrough.
Browse "Original Character(s)" works on AO3Popular Fics Tagged "Original Character(s)"
Real examples from AO3's most-kudosed works:
all you're giving me is friction
by drunktuesdays
Reki's Totally Real Canadian Boyfriend
by JustGettingBy
San Francisco
by bishopsinclair_ (dustydandelions)
Windikouk
by Cloud_Gazer
Castle Toppler
by Saturn_Effervescent
School watches Assassination Classroom
by TheSteinsGateFormula
Related Tags
Original Child Character(s)
The canonical disclosure that the fic's child characters are the author's inventions rather than canon figures — the baby acquired, the kid adopted, the daughter imagined for a beloved ship. It manages expectations for readers who track original characters and serves the kid-fic economy's constant demand for new children.
Tag guide →
POV Outsider
A canonical tag for stories narrated by someone outside the main characters' inner circle: the barista who watches two regulars fall in love, the new recruit baffled by the team's legends. Fandom adores the form for letting familiar characters be seen freshly, as strangers see them.
Tag guide →
Case Fic
A fandom-specific structure born in procedural fandoms: the fic is organized around the characters working a case, hunt, or mission, the way an episode would be. The case provides the skeleton while character dynamics and relationships develop in its margins — many beloved long fics are case fic with a romance threaded through.
Tag guide →
More Format & Structure Tags
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