A new study has revealed the fictional characters that inspire the most fanfiction stories online, withHarry Pottercrowned as the most written-about character. The study, conducted by QR Code Generator, looked at the number of fanfiction stories tagged with characters on the Archive of Our Own (AO3) platform to determine which characters have the most stories under their name.
The research showed thatHarry Potter has the most fanfiction of all fictional characterson AO3, with over 366,700 stories. Since the first book’s release in 1997, the franchise has inspired many would-be authors to take up writing. Fans have not only written extensively about Harry himself but also created a plethora of stories about his relationship with Draco Malfoy. This particular pairing, known as “Drarry,” has over 287,900 stories.
Next in line is Marvel’s Tony Stark, with over 249,100 fanfiction stories on AO3.Portrayed byRobert Downey Jr., Tony Starkis often featured alongside Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America (Chris Evans). The pairing, popularly called “Stony,” has upwards of 100,800 stories.Dean Winchester fromSupernaturalis the third most popular character, with over 242,500 fanfictions. Dean, played byJensen Ackles, is frequently paired with Castiel (Misha Collins), a relationship that fans lovingly refer to as “Destiel.” This pairing has garnered over 166,600 stories and was even subtly hinted at in the show’s final season.
Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, takes the fourth spot with over 236,400 fanfictions. He is most commonly paired with James “Bucky” Barnes, and their relationship, often called “Stucky,” has over 129,300 stories.In fifth place is anotherSupernaturalcharacter, Sam Winchester, with more than 190,300 fanfictions.Sam, played byJared Padalecki, is mostly paired with his brother,Dean, in what is known as “Wincest,” which has over 74,800 stories.
Top 10 Most Written-About Characters
Fanfictions
Most Shipped With
Shipping Fanfictions
Harry Potter
Draco Malfoy
Tony Stark
Steve Rogers
Dean Winchester
James “Bucky” Barnes
Sam Winchester
Midoriya Izuku
Bakugou Katsuki
Hermione Granger
Bakugo Katsuki
The Findings of the Report
Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, commented on the findings: “The study highlights the enduring popularity of specific franchises and characters that fans still love today. Despite the lastHarry Potterfilm releasing in 2011, the series continues to captivate fans, evident in the hundreds of thousands of fanfictions online. Interestingly, many of these stories feature LGBTQ+ pairings, reflecting a desire among fans to explore relationships and narratives that were absent in the original works. Writing fanfiction has evolved from a niche hobby to one that can land authors writing contracts and launch careers."
For more details on the study, you may visitQR Code Generator’s official page.
