Unicorn

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This article is about use of unicorns as a fannish thematic. You may be looking for the Spock/McCoy story Unicorn.
Tropes and genres
Related tropes/genresCentaurification
See alsoAnimals in Fanworks, Animal Transformation
Spock and a unicorn on the cover of First Time #19. Unicorns in fanworks can indicate the virginity of a character.
Related articles on Fanlore.

Unicorns are a popular element in fanworks. They can be used as symbols of virginity and goodness, and can also be used to convey that about characters they interact with. Unicorns were popular elements in fanart, to illustrate grace and beauty, but also the talent of the artists, as horses and related equine/equestrian beings take skill to draw. Although, some now consider them quite cliched, especially outside of fandoms of fantasy canons.[1][2]

Additionally, some fandoms predominantly feature unicorns as main or secondary characters, such as The Last Unicorn and My Little Pony, and fanworks will inevitably reflect this.

Unicorns in Fanfiction

Because of their association with purity, unicorns sometimes are used as plot device in virgin!fic (for example of the humorous crack kind) to reveal the virginity of a character, especially an unexpected one, i.e. a Secret Virgin.[3][4] This can also be used for misunderstandings, i.e. the other characters think unicorns reveal virginity but are wrong about that, and wrongly assume a character was a virgin. Using the unicorn plot device to reveal the virginity of a character is popular for first time stories in fandoms with canon unicorns.[5] One notable exception is Wide Awake, an All Human AU Twilight fanfic by angstgoddess003 in which "unicorn" was used as a euphemism for "orgasm".

Unicorns may also be used to point out that a character is "good," whether or not they are a virgin.[6]

Due to their status of purity and magic, the works often also address the consequences of coveting, hurting or killing a unicorn, such as what is presented in the Harry Potter fandom, when Voldemort feeds on one to keep himself semi-alive while he is just a specter before his resurrection. Following the same logic, some present the unicorn's horn as the source of its power, leading to works about its conquest.

Sometimes fanfic plays with the expectation of unicorns as "good" creatures and makes them scary, for example Ineffable, a SPN story by Cofax.[7]

There is also fic that turns characters into unicorns, see Were-Creature.

Examples of Unicorn Transformation or Characters as Unicorns Fic

Fanart and Fanvids

Unicorns are also common in fanart (along with all kinds of other horses and horse derivatives, such as Pegasuses, also combinations such as winged unicorns). The use of unicorns without Ironic Distance is seen as kitschy by some fans, especially in fandoms that don't have them canonically. Others don't see much difference between fanart using unicorns and the equally popular white horses in other fandoms.

In 2010, the release of the popular flash game Robot Unicorn Attack led to an influx of fanart featuring mechanical unicorns with rainbow manes.

Unicorns also feature in vids when unicorns are canon in a fandom:

Fanvid Examples

Fanart

Gallery

Resources

References

  1. ^ How did unicorns go from being thought of as dangerous beasts of the wilderness, to being possibly THE most stereotypical "cutesy thing for little girls" in modern western culture? posted to r/AskHistorians, April 29, 2002
  2. ^ To have had enough of mermaids, unicorns and rainbows being everywhere! posted to mumsnet forum, March 17, 2018
  3. ^ ST:XI kink meme fill: Untitled by tallycola (Accessed 3 Aug 2010)
  4. ^ SGA fic Mythical by Zoe Rayne, and its remix In The Spotlight (the Unicorn Remix) by Icarus (accessed 3 Aug 2010)
  5. ^ In the Merlin episode tag The Trouble With Unicorns Arthur is revealed to be a virgin (but not for long) and in The Care & Feeding Of Unicorns a unicorn reveals both Merlin and Arthur as virgins.
  6. ^ In Old Country by astolat, a unicorn clearly signals its approval of Sam Winchester, even though Sam is most definitely not a virgin by that point and has been doing some potentially questionable things.
  7. ^ Another Supernatural example featuring unpleasant unicorns -- with an odd squick: Sam and Dean Winchester: Unicorn Hunters by aggybird. (Accessed 9 Feb 2012).
  8. ^ Originally in Other Times and Places 5, 1994 (Accessed 3 Aug 2010)
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