Merpeople

Tropes and genres
Tropes and genres
Synonym(s)	Merman AU, Mermaid AU, Merfolk
Related tropes/genres	Animal Transformation, Interspecies, Selkie, Tentacles, Xeno
	Mermaid!Scully (X-Files)/Li Ann (Once a Thief) by The Theban Band.
	Related articles on Fanlore.
	Contents 1 Variations; 2 Fan Activity 2.1 Challenges; 2.2 Cosplay; 2.3 Conventions; ; 3 Example Fanworks 3.1 Fanfiction Examples; 3.2 Fan Art Examples; ; 4 Links; 5 References;

Turning a character into a merperson is an AU trope in both fanfic and fanart.

Another scenario has a character meet a merperson.

It can be done for humorous crack or for serious angst (i.e. based on the Hans Christian Andersen story).

Like in the fairy tale, often only one character is a mermaid/merman, so different habitat and the fish-like lower body present compatibility challenges.

Variations

Merpeople have different versions and representations. For example, in some AUs they are depicted with human, semi-human, or shapeshifter forms.

In some AUs, merpeople can shift between their half-fish form and a fully human form (either voluntarily or involuntarily); in others, their aquatic features are permanent.

Fusions with The Little Mermaid or other mermaid canons are a variation of Merpeople AUs.

Many mer-characters have designs inspired by specific types of fish, such as clownfish, deep-sea anglerfish, or sharks. Others are not part-fish at all, with their lower halves being those of cetaceans or sea jellies. "Cecaelia" is a neologism describing merpeople with octopus-like tentacles.

Fan Activity

Challenges

MerMay is a merfolk-themed challenge held each year in May, which leads to the creation of many mermaid AU fanworks, including art, fics, and gifsets.

Cosplay

In cosplay, fans may cosplay canon mermaids or (less often) cosplay non-mermaid characters as mermaids.

Conventions

Mermaid-focused conventions exist, such as MerMagic Con, which is centered on professional mermaids.^[1]

Example Fanworks

Fanfiction Examples

The Professionals

The Little Merman by Jane Mailander, a Professionals AU in Other Times and Places 4. Ray, a denizen of an underseas race related to dolphins finds himself longing for places above, among humans. Is he willing to pay the price? (1993)

X-Files

A Fish Called Krycek by Sarah Bellum, an X-Files AU. Krycek is a merman and Mulder is a marine biologist who works for an aquarium. (1997)

Prince of Tennis

Singer, Part 1, Part 2 by kishmet, a Prince of Tennis story loosely based on the Little Mermaid (mainly the Disney version), in which Ryoma is a merman. (2006)

Harry Potter

Customs of the Land and the Sea by magpie_fngrl, a drarry Merman AU. Draco Malfoy comes to on a beach after a shipwreck to find out that the legends are true: merfolk exist and he's staring at one of them. (2018)

Stargate Atlantis

Chansons de la Mer by Tardis80, an SGA Merman!Rodney fancomic
Hidden Depths by lamardeuse, a SGA fic with John as an exiled merman. (2008)
Through the Noise to the Sea by sardonicsmiley, a SGA fic with Rodney as a merman. (2008)

Star Trek

Hang In There, Spocktopus(Archived Link) by lama_mama, Star Trek fanart

Hawaii Five-0

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by JoeLawson. A Hawaii Five-0 story where merpeople are known and Danny is a merman. (2011)

Free!

Merpeople fanworks are popular in the Free! fandom because the show is about a swim team.

One Direction

Purer Than The Water (like we were) by FeelsForBreakfast, a One Direction fic in which Louis is a merman and Harry is a boy. The lake is a good place to fall in love. (2014)

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Heart of a Merman, ^{Archived version} by STARSdidathing: Tony Stark is a merman prince who falls in love with the human princess Pepper Potts. When his father forces an unwanted betrothal upon him, Tony turns to Loki, a feared, dangerous sea-wizard and trickster, for help. Loki/Tony Stark (The Avengers Movieverse, 2018 - 2019)

RPF

Fish Out of Water by jakerina534: Princess Lady Gaga meets Mermaid Rihanna. Femslash

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Fanart and AUs where Sayaka Miki is a mermaid are common in the fandom, due to the character's water motif and in-universe analogies to The Little Mermaid.

Fan Art Examples

A rare sighting of a sort of mer-corn, art for Sol III #2, by Signe Landon, 1974.
Interior mermaid art from The Other Side of Paradise #3 (1978) by Leslie Fish. It is not for a merpeople AU -- Kirk with a mermaid alien, and part of a portfolio illustrating interspecies mating in general.
From Stardate #12 (1981), Spock by Rick Endres, also used as the cover of Orion Archives: 2272-2275 The Second Mission.
Inside art from Choices (1986) artist is Gayle F.
Inside Karmic Concurrence #2 (1994), Illya as a merman, Hindman is the artist.
Cover for A Fish Called Krycek by The Theban Band. 1990s.
Mermaid!Spock on a cover for Kings of Prophecy (1995) by Maggie Symon.
Eroica as a merman, from Companions in Chaos #2 (1995), artist is Sharon Young
Cover of Of Dreams and Schemes #12 (1997) by Leslie Spurlock.
Ilya by Rudas, Other Times, Other Affairs (1999).
Merman!Danny manip by deedo2313 for the Hawaii Five-0 story Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (2014).
Deep Sea Noco 2 (2014) by dinosauris--rex. Cody/Noah fanart from the show Total Drama.
The Little Merscout (2015) by Dywaso and Blackmoonrose13. Merscout is part of a larger Little Mermaid/Team Fortress 2 Fusion AU popular for fanworks along with Tentaspy.
Deep Sea by maXKennedy (2016). Merman!Sherlock of the BBC series rescuing knight!John.
Rey and Kylo Ren of Star Wars as merfolk. Art by darosƶinha for MerMay 2017.
Hermione Granger and Severus Snape of Harry Potter as merfolk. Art by staypee for MerMay 2017.
Rey and Kylo of Star Wars as merpeople by PandaCapuccino (2018).
Human!Rey with merman!Kylo by PandaCapuccino (2018).
Fenris of Dragon Age as a merman. Art by AstoriaV for MerMay 2020.
Malenia of Elden Ring as a mermaid. Art by Gwennaïg Vallon for MerMay 2022. The character, a triple amputee, is depicted with prosthetic fins.
Fanart by MaXKennedy of the OFMD ship Ed/Stede with Stede depicted as a merman. Made for MerMay 2022.