Merpeople
| Trope · Genre | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms: | Merman AU, Mermaid AU, Merfolk |
| Related: | Animal Transformation, Interspecies, Selkie, Tentacles, Xeno |
| See Also: | |
| Tropes · Slash Tropes · Tropes by Fandom | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Turning a character into a merperson is an AU trope in both fanfic and fanart. 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, as illustrated in the fanart by Leslie Fish in the gallery below (which is not for a merpeople AU, but Kirk with a mermaid alien, and part of a portfolio illustrating the interspecies mating in general).
Fusions with The Little Mermaid or other mermaid canons are a variation of Merpeople AUs.
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.
In cosplay, fans may cosplay canon mermaids or (less often) cosplay non-mermaid characters as mermaids.
Variations
Merpeople have different versions and representations. For example, in some AU they are depicted with human, semi-human, or shapeshifter forms.
In these AU can shift between their half-fish form and a fully human form (either voluntarily or involuntarily); in others, their aquatic features are permanent.
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.
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)
Rihanna
- Fish Out of Water by jakerina534: Princess Lady Gaga meets Mermaid Rihanna. Femslash
- 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.
Art Gallery
Mermaid!Spock on a cover for Kings of Prophecy by Maggie Symon
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 by Leslie Fish
cover for A Fish Called Krycek by The Theban Band
Mermaid!Scully (X-Files)/Li Ann (Once a Thief) by The Theban Band
from Stardate #12 (1981), Spock by Rick Endres, also used as the cover of Orion Archives: 2272-2275 The Second Mission
cover of Of Dreams and Schemes 12 by Leslie Spurlock
inside Karmic Concurrence #2, Illya as a merman, Hindman is the artist
merman!Danny manip by deedo2313 for the Hawaii Five-0 story Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (2014)
Deep Sea by maXKennedy (2016) – merman!Sherlock of the BBC series rescuing knight!John
Rey and Kylo Ren as merfolk, by darosƶinha for MerMay 2017
Hermione Granger and Severus Snape as merfolk, art by staypee for MerMay 2017
Links
- Mermaid Problem on TV Tropes
- Mer Tropes on TV Tropes
- Official Merfolk Ficathon
- Alternative Universe - Merpeople works on Ao3
- Alternative Universe - The Little Mermaid Fusion works on Ao3
- Recs tagged Mythical Creatures: Mermaids at Fancake
- Mermaid Wiki