Danny/Vlad
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Danny Fenton/Vlad Masters |
| Alternative name(s): | Pompous Pep, Endangered Species, DxV, VxD |
| Gender category: | M/M; Slash |
| Fandom: | Danny Phantom |
| Canonical?: | No |
| Prevalence: | Popular |
| Archives: | n/a |
| Other: | n/a |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Danny/Vlad, known mostly as Pompous Pep, is a popular pairing within Danny Phantom fandom. The ship is between Daniel Fenton, the series' protagonist, and Vlad Masters, his arch nemesis. It has been popular since the show debuted in 2004.
In early phandom, this ship was sometimes called DxV or VxD. Along with Danny/Vlad, these labels were also used for Danny/Valerie and Dani/Valerie, causing confusion.
Danny/Vlad is considered the most popular Slash pairing in Danny Phantom fandom, with Danny/Dash being second. In terms of ship war, there's some discourse when new fans confuse Danny/Vlad for Badger Cereal (Danny & Vlad). While many fans like both pairings, others are adamant one way or another. Danny/Vlad shippers may also be adamant that the pairing can only work if Danny is aged up, disliking shippers that do not or are neutral on the topic. Canonically, Vlad Masters is around 30 years older than the 14 year-old Danny Fenton.
As of October 2023, over 1200 works on Archive of Our Own are of Danny/Vlad. On FanFiction.Net, over 115 fics under the Danny Phantom category have "Pompous Pep" in their summaries.
Fandom
Common Tropes and Fanon
- Enemyslash, their relationship is canonically antagonistic.
- Immortality, neither character ages after becoming Half-Ghost. This trope is implied to be non-canonical, though is never tested or stated for sure.
- Identity Porn, both characters have secret identities they hide from friends, family and the public.
- Adult!Danny Fenton, many works age Danny up. In fanfiction, this could either be from the start or over time as the series continues, like in canon.
- AgeSwap, some fanworks may swap their ages around or have Vlad be a teenager. In fanfiction, this may be naturally or through supernatural means.
- Time Travel, the start of many Danny/Vlad plots. Clockwork (Danny Phantom) may drive the plot and/or start it.
- Core Play, there's fanon surrounding the idea that Danny and Vlad both have a "ghost core." Danny's is typically cold (reflecting his ice powers) while Vlad's is hot (coming from the fact that his eyes as a ghost are red, other factors unknown as he does not have an elemental power on the show). These cores are seen as complementary and a major initial "pull" factor for these two.
- Possessive Behaviour, Vlad is often initially possessive of Danny, since he has issues with loneliness while Danny does not. Depending on the fic, Vlad may or may not get over this and allow Danny to do what he wants; typically he gets over it.
- Related is the idea of ghostly Obsessions. This too is fanon and takes basis from the fact that many ghosts on the show are fixated on hobbies, jobs or items. Fans may believe that Danny and Vlad also have these obsessions, but it's just not their main trait, and it stems from what they may have been thinking about when they became half-ghost. Danny may be "obsessed" with being a hero while Vlad may be "obsessed" with having a family.
Events
- Pompous Pep Week, a fanweek for the ship which began in 2022.
Collections
- VxD by mettephantom, a collection on DeviantArt of 157 Danny/Vlad fanworks.
Fancommunities
- DPxVM, a community on DeviantArt.
- Vlad x Danny Worshipers, a community on LiveJournal.
Example/Notable Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fan Fiction
- The Espil Mirror by JJCross, rated T, the Danny/Vlad fic with the most kudos on AO3 as of October, 2023. JJCross has made many fanfics for the pairing.
- The Crack by Tavalya-Ra, formally called The Mind of a Hero Quintet, it is a popular mpreg fic. It is only readable in downloadable files and not hosted anywhere online.
- Time Tampering by Kimurasato, Danny accidentally time travels back to the 1980s and ends up being roommates with Jack and Vlad. Eventual Danny/Vlad. Kimurasato is a Danny Phantom BNF.
- Into the Night by The-Other-Ghostwriter, one of the most popular fics for the couple on FanFiction.Net.
Zines
Archives and Fannish Links
- Danny Fenton/Vlad Masters on AO3
- #pompous pep on Tumblr