Crime AU
| Trope · Genre | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms: | Mafia AU, Bad Guys AU, All Criminals AU, Mobster AU |
| Related: | Prison AU, All Human AU, Assassin AU |
| See Also: | Darkfic, Mirror Universe, Psychopaths In Love |
| Tropes · Slash Tropes · Tropes by Fandom | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Crime AU is an Alternate Universe trope where the main characters are criminals. In shipping fics, at least one half of the pairing is a criminal (a killer, a thief, member of a crime family) and brings the other half of the pairing into the world of crime (sometimes by accident).
A variation on the Crime AU, is a Mobster AU where one or more canon characters is a Mob Boss, or involved in organized crime. In anime fandom, the mob is typically the Yakuza. Yakuza AU often features tattoos. Stories involving opposing mobs or gangs often involve rivalry or the Enemies to Lovers trope.
This trope is connected to the Prison AU trope, but in Crime AUs, the characters are rarely incarcerated for the majority of the story.
In fandoms where supernatural creatures are canon, this trope is often a variation of All Human AU.
Fandom specific Crime AUs
- In Arrow Crime AU fics, writers often explore Oliver's Bratva ties where he is a Bratva captain, instead of the vigilante.
Example Fanworks
- A Matter of Trust by bluesuedeshoes, an Oliver/Felicity fic where Bratva Captain Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak have a marriage of convenience, but the chemistry between them is anything but convenient. (Arrow)
- Cold Hard Cash by meowitskatmofo, a Coldflash fic where Barry Allen is in deep debt to mob boss Leonard Snart. (The Flash)
- House of Cards by sugamins, Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung/Park Jimin threesome Gangsters AU. The most popular work in the Gangsters AU tag on AO3.
- Prowl by withfireandblood, a Klaroline All Human AU fanfic, where the Mikaelson family is one of the most powerful crime families in the world.
- Go Ugly Early by just_another_tinker, a Stony fic where mob boss Steve Rogers recruits Tony Stark to investigate a rival mob family. (WIP)
- Criminals & Forensics (series) by STARSdidathing, a frostiron fic where Tony Stark is a Forensic Scientist at S.H.I.E.L.D and Loki is an international criminal mastermind (2016)
