Suicide — Tag Meaning
The canonical tag for works in which a character dies by suicide. It usually appears alongside the Major Character Death archive warning and is applied so the cause of death is never a surprise to the reader.
What to Expect From "Suicide" Fics
A completed suicide occurs in the work or directly drives its plot, often through the grief of those left behind. This is among the heaviest tags on the archive; filter it out freely.
How to find Suicide 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 "Suicide" works on AO3Popular Fics Tagged "Suicide"
Real examples from AO3's most-kudosed works:
better luck next time
by nauticalwarrior
So Close
by Baybee00
yesterday don't matter if it's gone
by heydoeydoey
A Painful Lesson
by The_Engineer
nothing but dark and sound
by syntheseas
Nothing's New
by Stinky_Mackerel
Related Tags
Major Character Death
One of AO3's four official Archive Warnings, also used as a freeform tag: a central character dies in this story. It is among the most rigorously honored warnings in fandom culture, because readers' trust depends on never being ambushed by a beloved character's death.
Tag guide →
Implied/Referenced Suicide
A canonical tag for works where suicide is discussed, remembered, or part of the backstory but not depicted. A character grieving a loss to suicide, or a past attempt mentioned in conversation, are typical uses.
Tag guide →
Grief/Mourning
The canonical tag for fic centered on loss and its processing — funerals, anniversaries of deaths, the long ache of absence. Some of fanfiction's most acclaimed character studies live under this tag, as writers give characters the space to mourn that serialized canon rarely allows.
Tag guide →
Suicidal Thoughts
A canonical tag disclosing that a character experiences suicidal ideation, whether passive weariness with living or active planning. It warns for the interior experience specifically, distinct from tags covering attempts or completed suicide.
Tag guide →
Read Suicide fanfiction on the go
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