I got bored and I watched a couple YouTubers do a tier ranking video on how they feel about certain fanfiction tropes, and I thought it would be fun to do one myself!

And since I can't make a YouTube video (Like how do they do that IDK) I figured I'd do it here!

So let's get started!

Here is my empty tier list-

I think it's pretty self explanatory, but just in case:

Never is the lowest. I'm not gonna shame any of these tropes, but these are the ones I do NOT like. I've never read them, or I avoid them at all costs cause they're just a big fat NO in my personal opinion.

Depends is something that I can live with, but I don't usually read or ever search for. Like if a fic has it and other things, then I can live with it, but I don't particularly like it. This could also apply to tropes that I'll accept, but only in specific circumstances.

Sure, I Guess is something that I'm fine with. I kinda like it, sometimes don't, but I don't see anything wrong with it. Maybe if I'm bored I'll check it out, but it's not one of my favorites.

Yess is for stuff I like. I'll search for it, it's common for me to read, and I genuinely enjoy fics that have it. Would recommend to others.

LOVE LOVE LOVE is for stuff I'm obsessed with, just yes. This is the stuff that is front and center in my mind the second you say 'fanfiction' and they're the first things I'm gonna recommend to you cause I LOVE IT AND IT NEEDS CAPS LOCK FOR MY LOVE.

Now let's start with the tropes! Due to Wattpad's 20 image limit, I won't be putting up the individual images for each, but I will talk through them all.

ABO

AKA The omegaverse of wolf like people that the Supernatural fandom supposedly started. 

This for me goes into the Never section. I don't get the omegaverse, and I don't see the appeal for it. It's very smutty possessive and not always in a good way. It kinda creeps me out. I'll admit I've read a fic or two, but only ones where the fact that it's technically ABO is on the back burner and now a main part of the story. But even those I wasn't a fan of. ABO is NOT my cup of tea.

Amnesia fic

OOF. I'll put this in Sure, I guess. I don't mind the amnesia trope, I just think it's a bit overused, so I don't actively search for it. I think it's an interesting trope that can be very well executed, or it can be a mess. If a fic I'm reading throws it in, I'll keep reading cause I like the drama and pain of it. I think amnesia fic brings out my dark side a touch...

Angst

ARRRGGGHHHH.

Angst is very difficult to sort. I don't like reading it usually, cause I like happy fanfiction and angst just makes me feel all kinds of things and UUUGH. It's ironic though because I love and hate angst in normal books/shows, and I also like writing it. I think I'm just most hesitant about it in fanfiction because if I'm reading fanfiction about a ship, it's cause I want them to be happy, and angst means they're not. I think I'll put this in Depends.

Arranged Marriage

This is another one for Depends. I went through a phase where I read a LOT of Dramione Arranged Marriage fics (why are there so many of them??) and it made me a fan of the trope and also of Dramione, but arrange marriages are tricky, because I haven't read any of them outside of Dramione and have no desire too. I feel like Enemies to Lovers and this one go hand in hand a lot, and I'm not a big fan of Enemies to Lovers, so it's tricky, and that why it goes in Depends.

Baby Fic

Ok I don't really read Baby fics, but I LOVE the idea of them. Your OTP With a baby? MY HEART- 

I'm a sucker for anything Domestic with my OTPS so even though I don't actively search for Baby fics, this is going in Yess because it's warm and fuzzy and I love it.

Sharing a Bed

Yessss. This actually comes up a lot less often in the fics I read than I imagined it would, since it's such a popular trope, but when it does come up, it's amazing.

Bang or Die

AKA Fuck or die. Not gonna explain it cause the description is in the name.

Alright, I'll admit it, I've read this before, but I don't really get the hype around this trope. It just seems rather forced, and sometimes it can be REALLY overpowering, and I can see many ways it can take darker turns that I don't like so I guess I'll say Never. Reading it once was enough for me.

Body Swap

I don't think I've read a body swap AU, but I've written a few in roleplays and they are fascinating. I'm not sure where a Body Swap AU fanfiction would go but the more I'm thinking about it, the more intrigued I'm becoming so I think I'm gonna throw that into Sure, I Guess because now I'm curious.

Coffee Shop AU

Ah, a classic. I have read one coffee shop AU, and it was MAGNIFICENT. I should read more of them, especially since it's a popular trope for Sabriel fics. I'll throw it in the Yess cause who doesn't love a good Coffee Shop AU?

College AU

I have read a couple of these, although it's usually more High School AU's, but I LOVE school AUs. I'm not sure why, they're just always really good, and they feel very real, if that makes any sense. I'm gonna throw this in LOVE LOVE LOVE cause every college fic I've read has been wonderful.

Crack Fic

.....Depends. 

Cause like, I like crack stuff, it can be funny as all hell, but then there's the other side of crack fics where people are shipping Shrek and Donald Trump and god I hope that's just a crack ship cause it's disturbing-

I want to throw this in Sure, I guess, but there's just enough ridiculousness under the umbrella of Crack fics that I can't.

Crossover

Depends. 

The only crossovers I've read are with SuperWhoLock and fandoms going into the Harry Potter Universe, and they were all really good! I think it depends on what fandoms are being crossed with each other, because some of them could never line up whereas others would be FABULOUS. 

Dark Fic

I'm not entirely sure what a dark fic is, but I'm gonna say no to it. Like, I don't mind if dark things happen in fics, hell, some things I think up for fics are really fucking dark, but like, I don't want a fic to be nothing but darkness. I want rainbows at the end, people! I imagine you don't really get those in Dark fics.

Major Character Death

NEVER.

NEVER EVER.

75% of the reason I'm reading this fic is likely because THE CHARACTER IS ALREADY DEAD, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO KILL THEM AGAIN.

IF I WANTED THEM TO DIE, I'D REWATCH THE SHOW/REREAD THE BOOKS.

Canon Divergence

Isn't this all fanfiction? Technically?

I've got nothing against canon divergence, hell it makes things better a lot of the time and I write it often. I don't go specifically searching for it, but I'll throw it in Yess anyways cause isn't a Destiel where they kiss in English technically canon divergence?

Enemies to Lovers

Hello darkness my old friend-

So here's the thing.

I don't like the Enemies to Lovers trope, typically because I just don't see it. I know some people love the 'I hate you so much I'm going to kiss you and angrily make out with you and oh crap we're in love' thing, but I don't. It always seems ridiculous.

HOWEVER-

There have been a couple cases where I have been tricked into reading Enemies to Lovers and haven't hated it. But I also really don't like it, so it's not going in Depends, it's going in Never.

Established Relationship

...

Yes. Obviously.

IT SMELLS LIKE DOMESTIC TO ME, AND THEREFORE IT GOES IN LOVE LOVE LOVE because your OTP is together, what more do you need?

Fairytale AU

Never read it. Don't get it. Most fairytales either I'm bored with cause I'm older now, or I don't like because I've learned their horrifying origin story. So the whole 'Why won't the Prince save me from my tower!' thing isn't gonna cut it for me. Never.

Fake Relationship

UGH.

IT'S JUST-

IT'S ALWAYS SO PROBLEMATIC I WANT TO SCREAM.

I have a love hate relationship with the fake dating trope. Because it's always such a slow burn, it's always riddled with miscommunication and angst until I'm screaming at them to kiss and they don't because 'it's complicated' UUUGHHHHHH

But when the fake relationship ends and they start dating for real it's soooo goooood.

Sure, I guess. I hate it. I love it. Curse you, fake relationship trope.

Fix it Fic

Well this is basically the same as canon divergence, it's just changing things in canon to make things go the way you want. And that's apart of all fanfiction, and it's necessary and I like it. Sure, I guess, I mean it keeps my ships alive so-

Fluff

I cannot handle fluff. It's too cute. I scream, I flail, my heart does that squeezie thing, and I feel like I'm going to have an aneurysm from adorableness.

....It's going in LOVE LOVE LOVE though. Because fucking FLUFF-

Friends to Lovers

Mmmmmmmm no.

I've recently started disliking the trope of the 'Boy/Girl next door' and that goes hand in hand with this. I also dislike it because it always happens when the character falls in love with someone else and THEN the friend is like "wait no, I love you!" ugh. It's overused, and I'm so tired of it. I'd rather have enemies to lovers than Boy/Girl next door cause at least that's more entertaining. But if somehow you avoid the Next door cliche of friends to lovers then maybe? It's just very meh to me, I'm not really a fan, but I also don't hate it.

Gen fic

What's that? *googles*

Okay it's a fic with no ship.

....No.

I'm here for the ships, unless this is a Vicious fanfiction in which case NO SHIPS ALLOWED.

Like I'm fine with fics that aren't entirely romantic, it's just...I want the ships to be there... together... hanging out with their friends and stuff.

Hurt Comfort

I don't search for it, but like....I like it... Cause it can be very fluffy at times and I'm a sucker for fluff, but it can also be strangely angsty. I like stuff that has a wide range to work with.

Historical AU

Don't read it-

Fuck.

Does Twist and Shout count as a Historical AU since it's set in a different time period?

FUCK.

I like history. I like historical fiction. I've never really tried historical AU fanfiction, and I'm not seeing an appeal to it cause most of history is horrible.

High School AU

TIP TOP TIPPITY TOP!

I LOOOOVEEEE HIGH SCHOOL AUS!!!

Writing one currently, actually-

It's just always so awkward and adorable and sweet and sometimes hot and fluffy and sometimes angsty and it's just ugh-

There's a high school fic for whatever you're looking for, and there's so many other tropes that can fit into it- Jock x Nerd, Nerd x Punk, etc. I love high school AUs

Huddle for Warmth

Only read it occasionally but yeah, I guess. It sounds nice, it is nice, you get funny comments about cold toes.

Humor

Yessss. I don't search for funny fics specifically, but I LOVE funny fics because I love happy fics, and I like funny stuff. Humor is the best.

In Vino Veritas (drunken confession)

This one doesn't come up often but when it does, HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS.

The only thing I like better than In Vino Veritas is when two characters are arguing and one confesses their love mid argument. Both are those tropes where you sit back, sip your tea, and watch the ceiling fire unfold and I love them.

First Kiss

Can be really cute, so okay.

Magic AU

Alright, this is basically code for Harry Potter AU, and I've only read one of those, and it was AWESOME, but magic AU on it's own is just kinda meh to me. It can be good, it can be bad. It depends.

Miscommunication.

NO. UGH.

I HATE THIS.

Nothing is more irritating than when you know what happened, but your OTP can't talk to each other so everything falls apart because they're stupid and you're screaming at the words on the page because they're such morons and it's so annoying that I can hardly read it. I despise miscommunication even if it is a necessary element to some tropes, it's just hard to read and I don't like it. 

Missing Scenes

Hmmm

I don't go looking for these, but I like them, especially for shows like Supernatural, where there are a lot of possibilities for it. It's good in my book, and it's nice to have stuff to fill in the gaps.

Mutual Pining

It can be infuriating if they don't just get together already but it's also cute and has the potential to be really funny.

"He likes you!"

"But does he LIKE ME like me-"

"WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE"

"THERE'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE"

Yeah, okay, I like mutual pining, it's fun.

Sex Pollen

Sex Pollen is freaking weird. I'm not sure if I just haven't grasped the whole concept of the trope, or if I just don't get it. I read one fic with it, and I couldn't even finish it because it was just... WEIRD. I feel like it's on the same wavelength as fuck or die, and it's not a wavelength I like, so no.

Pregnancy fic

....It's not terrible. I don't search for them but like, usually they lead into baby stuff and they're usually fluffy with just the right amount of drama, and yall know by now how I feel about Domestic AU stuff so yes, I'll read this and like it.

Mpreg is a different, much more confusing, complicated story that I wouldn't even know where to start with.

PWP

I'm about to expose myself.

I read it.

I don't hate it.

...I do search for it...

And I like it a little better than when it has a plot because if that's what you're looking for, then you just get right to the point, so it's convenient but it's not rushed in the same way something like fuck or die is.

Though sometimes it can get a little weird, but that's where tags are important.

ANYWAYS LET'S MOVE ON-

Royalty AU

This seems similar to Fairytale AU, and I don't see the appeal of either sooooo Nah.

Slow Burn

Fucking SLOW BURNS.

I HATE THEM.

BUT I ALSO CAN'T PUT THEM DOWN AND CONTINUE TO READ THEM.

They're painful. They're miscommunication level painful, they're similar to fake dating in the torture aspect of them (and cause those two can go hand in hand a lot) but LIKE-

YOU SUFFER THROUGH SO MUCH LONGING AND THEN IT'S SO NICE WHEN IT ACTUALLY PAYS OFF UGH-

I'll put in sure, I guess, because I'm never gonna recommend a slow burn cause of the pain but like they're also really good-

Soulmate AU

OH HO HO-

This one is going RIGHT TO THE TOP.

There's just so many possibilities with soulmate AUs and I love all of them! There's the one where anything you draw on your skin ends up n your soulmate, there's the colors one, the red string, the keys, having their name tattoos on you, the clocks ticking down to when you meet, knowing the first thing they say/think when you meet, UGH THE POSSIBILITIES.

I have read so many REALLY GOOD soulmate fics. I just wish I had the ideas to write one cause I LOVE THEM.  Soulmate AUs give me life.

Time Loop

Never read them, but I liked Groundhog day, sooo

I've never minded time loops. I think there's a lot you can do with the idea of one, depending on what's the important thing that happens on that day, so I'll put in Sure.

The Sure, I guess category is getting full but oh well.

Love Triangle

TALK ABOUT FRUSTRATING-

BUT ALSO QINTERWATCHER SO HERE WE ARE.

Love triangles are complicated because it depends on what you ship. If, for instance, you only ship one pair in the triangle, then it sucks because you hate the third wheel person. But if it's a situation like me and Qinterwatcher, where you love every single pairing....

Then it's a roller coaster that will quickly lead you into discovering OT3s and accepting them.

So I guess I'll put it in depends?

Unhappy Ending

No.

Nopeity nope. I am here for happily ever afters, thank you very much.

Unrequited love

UGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

NOOOOOOOOOOO

They're just torture! Why would you voluntarily read them??

NEVER.

Alright, that was all of them, here's the final list!

This was actually a lot of fun to make, maybe I'll do more tiers, I liked this.

Hope you enjoyed! If you make your own tier, lemme know, I'd love to check it out!