Hatesex
| Synonyms: | |
| See also: | Enemyslash, Hateshipping, Love-Hate Relationship, Rivals |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Hatesex is a trope in fanworks wherein characters who actively hate each other have (usually explicit) sex. The sex itself is fueled by their mutual animosity. Some fandoms and fen deem anything that features an antagonistic relationship turned sexual to be hatesex, whether it be het, slash, or femslash.
Terms for the antagonistic relationships that give rise to hatesex vary, including enemyslash (referring only to slash ships, and sometimes they have reconciled by the time they get into bed) and hateshipping (though also sometimes used to describe the fan hating the ship). Hatesex may also be a metonym for the relationship itself.
Hatesex in Het
In particular fandoms, many fanfic writers and readers may remain uncomfortable with the real-life implications of violence, verbal abuse and possible non-con within a fictional het relationship. When het hatesex pairings do become popular, the female character tends to be extremely physically strong or combat-proficient, possibly even super-powered.
Some het pairings that are often written as hatesex include:
- Alias: Sydney/Sark
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: Zuko/Katara
- Blake's 7: Servalan/Avon
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Buffy/Spike
- Scott Pilgrim: Scott/Envy Adams
- Stargate Atlantis: Teyla/Michael
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Kira/Dukat
- Xena: Warrior Princess: Xena/Ares
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses: Dimitri/Edelgard
Hatesex and Femslash
Some femslash pairings that are often written as hatesex include:
- Alias: Sydney/Lauren
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: Azula/Katara
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Buffy/Faith
- The Faculty: Stokely/Delilah
- Pokemon (anime): Jessie/Cassidy
- Xena: Warrior Princess: Xena/Callisto
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses: Rhea/Edelgard
In Different Fandoms
Harry Potter
Many ships in Harry Potter rely on this trope a great deal, such as Draco/Hermione or Draco/Ginny. Femslash examples include Ginny/Pansy or Ginny/Bellatrix, among others. This writer remembers an awesome Petunia/Lucius hatesex circa 2005, but the link is long gone.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
The pairing Kira Nerys/Dukat is often depicted as hatesex. An example is Dislocation, Condemnation, Revelation, In Temptation, by Sabine. Kira/Intendant is a femslash example.
Homestuck
Homestuck has canon precedent for this trope through kismessitude, an alien form of romance revolving around mutual hatred. As a result, there are a number of pairings focusing primarily on hatesex. Hatesex pairings are often distinguished from their more traditional counterparts by using the spades symbol (♠) like a virgule.
Fanwork Examples
Fanfiction
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Resources
- Fanworks tagged as Hate Sex on Archive of Our Own
- Fanworks tagged as Caliginous Romance | Kismesis on Archive Of Our Own