Bit Character

A bit character (also hyphenated, bit-character), also known as a mob in Japanese media fandoms, is an unimportant original character that appears in a story for a minor role (i.e., a bit part). Most bit characters in badfic do not necessarily need to be killed, and it is often up to the agent's discretion just what to do with them, whether that be recruiting them, killing them, or leaving them alone to assimilate into the canon after the mission.

Many bit characters are little better than generics. Created completely without personality, they will lapse into an unresponsive zombie-like state when the Sue (or possessed canon) is not around. If these characters would assimilate easily into canon, they can be left alone. Bit characters are easy to influence, since they were designed for the Sue to influence; so once the Sue's Aura of Smooth has been removed from the canon, they will take whatever role they would have in the canon and become fully real background characters.

Bit characters who could not exist in-canon are generally killed (and usually don't have enough of a mind to resist assassination). Unless the PPC is at that moment desperate for recruits, full culture implants are generally not worth the manpower and time. If the PPC is desperate for recruits, however, even bits without personality may become agents.

Bit characters with somewhat more personality can be recruited more easily. When spoken to, these bits will respond, if in a very generic way, and may comprehend enough about their environment to understand simple ideas. They are generally still undescribed and have no history and only a rudimentary personality ("Best Friend" or "Stern Teacher," for example), but they generally have enough of a start on their personality that, given time and removed from their home fics, they may become full characters without professional help.

The largest influence on bit characters is always their home canon. When in badfic, which has a very weak and parasitic existence, bit characters have very little personality, and what personality they do have will come from the canon of the continuum where the badfic takes place. Thus, bit characters from strong, well-written stories start out with more personality than characters from worlds created with less skill. In the best-written stories, even bit characters with no personality at all can be recruited without requiring a culture implant if they have been described as part of a canonical culture or species.

In Suefics
Bit characters in Suefics tend to be in the following roles:


 * Mary Sue's Bestest Fwend Evah!!11!
 * Mary Sue's rival
 * Mary Sue's former (often abusive or dead) lover, the guy who makes her swear to "never love another man again"
 * Mary Sue's servant. This often appears in The Lord of the Rings, where the recently arrived Mary Sue believes that Lord Elrond houses servants and gets one to boss around.
 * Mary Sue's sibling, who is also pretty, but "not as pretty as Mary Sue lolz!" and ends up with a canon character as well.

In Slash
A bit character in slash is most likely to have one of the following roles:


 * A sibling of one of the males involved
 * A former lover of one of the males involved
 * A servant of one of the males involved

Bit Characters Recruited/Rescued by the PPC

 * Agen____t
 * David
 * Diego Almeida
 * Émilie Beauchamp
 * Galeya Telcontar
 * Hannah
 * Helen
 * Helena and Sheen
 * Ilraen-Aroline-Fothergill
 * Ithalond
 * Iza
 * Jane Doe
 * Jason Allen
 * Kevin
 * Kieran
 * Kyle
 * Molly Rath
 * Moses Taggson
 * Nicholas Duval
 * Quen
 * Rainwing
 * Ranger
 * Rina Telcontar
 * Sally Allen
 * Stephanie Fielding
 * Trent
 * Urato Tomiyama and Inasuke Akagashi
 * William Marshall
 * Xericka
 * Zan Holbar