I need one of those "a helpful guide to" videos that they make for learning kpop group members but for Les Amis.
Just like the kpop ones it would cover:
physical appearance (brick description and fanon tropes)
position within group
key personality traits
nicknames
associated animal emoji
common ships
sub-units
THIS IS DELIGHTFUL AND I'M DELIGHTED TO RESPOND not with a video alas but with a lengthy text response Source on canon: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Also some meta-reference from extra reading Source on Fanon: ...general hanging about, you know how it is. Take everything on this point with a big rock of salt, though; as the fandom's gotten quieter, I think the sense of an overarching Fanon has faded; most of this was really in play last around 2015-16, and I think fan interpretations have gotten a lot more individual since, which is very fun! LET'S HECKIN' GOOOOOO
Enjolras
physical appearance (brick description and fanon tropes) Brick: neatly summed as "Fantine but scary" -- blond curling hair, blue eyes, tall, pale, Official Hugo Sexyman Forehead, cherry lips, "pageboy" , "young girl" comparisons, Greek Goddess comparison, general heavy "looks like classic Greek marble statuary, probably merged with cultural fanon ideas of Hot Saint Just". Just . A lot here. Hugo never shuts up about it tbh. Fanon: usually just follows canon. Fandom (and musical)-assigned Wearer of Red Things . Variants appear but aren't common enough to have shared tropes; we got given SUCH a detailed brief on this one XD
position within group The Breakout Star/The Solo Sensation, except that he's never leaving the group. he would hate this so, so , so much. SO much. pretty sure he'd literally rather die. but it's true.
key personality traits Intense, quiet, focused, good at delegating, serious at all times, open to debate and discussion also at very nearly all times, has his revolution/life balance SORTED as All Revolution XD Technically the closest thing the group's got to a leader but mostly in combat; when no one's actively fighting, more or less Chief Cat-Herder Who Is Also A Cat. Strongly despises Great Man models of society. would seriously hate being the breakout star so much and this is the irony of his Fate XD
nicknames None in canon (thought the narration compares him to Lots of people/Goddesses/Gods); usually "Enj" in fanon (this blog does not endorse all fanon)
associated animal emoji Lion; eagle, if that wasn't taken by someone else; arguably unicorn
common ships With Grantaire by a landslide, but Combeferre, Courfeyrac and Feuilly are not uncommon matches either
sub-units mostly with Combeferre, Courfeyrac, and Feuilly, or any one or two of them--they're the closest to him of the group, and they go to the barricades together.
Combeferre:
physical appearance (brick description and fanon tropes) Canon: nah. None at all. Fanon: HE IS WEARING GLASSES HE HAS GLASSES WE ARE GIVING THIS MAN GLASSES . Aside from that, a lot of variation here! Though he does tend to be either Beanpole Skinny or one of the plumper Amis (probably based on the line about him being ' less lofty but broader'). Usually no facial hair, or only sideburns (perfectly fitting for the period, of course!)
position within group The Smart One
key personality traits Curious, snarky, "chimerical" and a polymath; really invested in the Social Questions of the day , women's rights, children's rights, education, etc.; specifically noted to study fringe lefty social theories; a pacifist by preference, but the embodiment of that "I'm a healer But *GUNS* " image
nicknames: None in canon, "Ferre" in fanon
associated animal emoji Swan? both for connotations of peacefulness and for the reality of being able to Mess You Up
common ships Enjolras and Courfeyrac, mostly; Prouvaire on occasion
sub-units any combo with Enjolras, Courfeyrac, and Feuilly; also sometimes with Prouvaire or Joly.
Jean "Jehan" Prouvaire
physical appearance (brick description and fanon tropes) Brick description: physically awkward and badly dressed fanon: often a redhead; usually long-haired ; always wearing the most dramatically Different clothes in the group
position within group The Shy/Sensitive One
key personality traits Romantic Poet. That covers a lot! But Romantic Poet in the "goth with knives" sense. Big focus on spiritual/religious questions along with the political ones. Cares about Arts so very very much . Shy and awkward until you get him going and then Look Out XD
nicknames Jehan is a nickname! Usually everyone calls him by first AND last though
associated animal emoji @potatosonnet uses a lamb and I can't argue with that
common ships ...none too common these days! Combeferre or Bahorel are the current defaults, I think? Courfeyrac /Jehan used to be super common.
sub-units Combeferre or Bahorel; sometimes with Grantaire or Feuilly
Feuilly
physical appearance (brick description and fanon tropes) no actual book desription! generally given a standard Worker's Cap in canon era fanart; often a redhead (this is a Pune , with the feu in his name)
position within group The Ace (he's SO good at so many things and apparently self-taught for all of it)
key personality traits "a generous heart"; driven by sympathy for others and a strong sense of Actual Justice ; would adopt the whole world if he could ; probably more single-mindedly focused on the politics-and-revolution life than anyone but Enjolras.
nicknames None Sighted XD
associated animal emoji Fox? Pigeon? Raccoon? he's not assigned a book fursona oh no
common ships Feuilly/Bahorel used to be really popular; I think Enjolras/Feuilly or Feuilly/Prouvaire are probably the second-most common?
sub-units Funeral Foursome team, with any combo of Enjolras, Combeferre and Courfeyrac; also with Bahorel and/or Prouvaire not infrequently!
Courfeyrac
physical appearance (brick description and fanon tropes) Absolutely zero Brick description! Usually brightly dressed with very floofy hair in fan depictions; but there's a lot of variation!
position within group The Heartthrob, maybe? with occasional touches of the Fashionista
key personality traits externally seeming to be interchangeable with any other College Bro type, but with the heart of a paladin; sincerely caring and kind and serious about the revolution, never mind the Bro Exterior; the emotional Center of the group
nicknames None; fanon sometimes uses Courf
associated animal emoji Cat, tabby specifically
common ships with Marius or Combeferre; occasionally with Enjolras ; Courfeyrac/Jehan was very popular once but has faded away
sub-units Again, with Marius; often with various combos of Enjolras, Combeferre and Feuilly; very often with Legle in the book, though rarely in fanon!
Bahorel
physical appearance (brick description and fanon tropes) Book description: energetic and loudly dressed in the era's equivalent of Punk Fashion XD Fanon: Probably the One with the Beard (there ARE historical reasons for this but I think. mostly. he has Person With a Beard Energy). Has the Eyebrow Scar. You'll know.
position within group The Rebel. Yes even in a group of actual armed rebelsXD Sometimes tilts toward the Fashionista or the Big Brother, especially with Joly and Gavroche
key personality traits "brave, a spendthrift, prodigal, and to the verge of generosity, talkative, and at times eloquent, bold to the verge of effrontery; the best fellow possible; he had daring waistcoats, and scarlet opinions;... always ready to smash a window-pane, then to tear up the pavement, then to demolish a government, just to see the effect of it. The others had habits, he had none. He sauntered. To stray is human. To saunter is Parisian. ... a penetrating mind ,and more of a thinker than appeared to view. "
nicknames None really super common?
associated animal emoji Wolf? (that's Meta though...) Bull? Boar? I asked two discord servers and got So Many Answers. HE'S WHOEVER HE WANTS TO BE emoji-wise I guess
common ships He has a canon gf only known as the Laughing Mistress (...rebel boy has relationship opsec??); more often he gets paired with Feuilly or Prouvaire
sub-units M No Habits isn't particularly tied down XD but commonly gets written with Feuilly, Prouvaire, or Grantaire, and sometimes with Gavroche
Legle/Lesgles/Bossuet
physical appearance (brick description and fanon tropes) Brick: BALD THIS GUY IS BALD , Hugo is going to tell us many times, also his ass is BROKE his clothes are OLD Fanon: pretty much as above, with variants on just how the Baldness manifests
position within group: the Funny One, this guy is made of jokes and they're good
key personality traits super cool under fire; basically Cursed but keeps upbeat; witty, constant maker of puns, friendly, and more thoughtful and braver than he gets credit for
nicknames: Bossuet, also any (mis)spelling of his actual last name
associated animal emoji EAGLE
common ships with Joly and Musichetta (who he and Joly both date canonically!); sometimes with Grantaire , either as a pair or part of Legle's more general polycule
sub-units with Joly and Grantaire; sometimes with Courfeyrac, especially in the book
Joly
physical appearance (brick description and fanon tropes) He has a cane that he touches to his nose ; he seems to go on some sort of Fashion Journey from 3.4.1 to Preliminary Gayeties where he levels up his Fashion Game XD Nothing more specific! Fanon: ...he's the cute one. Find the cute one. He'll usually have a cane and be standing around Legle and Grantaire, if that helps. Might look like he has a cold or other visible health issue.
position within group The Cute One
key personality traits "All these young, maniacal, puny, merry incoherences lived in harmony together, and the result was an eccentric and agreeable being" who will notice a cat even in a combat zone.
nicknames: Jolllly, pronunciation: unknown XD
associated animal emoji Cat (Brick) ; any small cute creature works though
common ships: he's got a canon gf (Musichetta) and a basically-canon bf (Legle); he gets almost exclusively paired with one or both of them, sometimes with the inclusion of Grantaire in the mix; there ARE some Combeferre/Joly shippers though!
sub-units Breakfast Club (him, Bossuet, and Grantaire); him and Combeferre (as co-med students); sometimes him and Bahorel
Grantaire
physical appearance (brick description and fanon tropes) Brick: Ugly, super ugly even! " Il était laid démesurément"-- "He was ugly beyond measure". No further specifics offered, so everyone gets to define that themselves, but Hugo is not kind there. Fanon:...George Blagden, most of the time. But like. With Scruff.
position within group Dude Who Is Also There. IDK. Groupie?? I'd say roadie but he's not that helpful
key personality traits a braggart, a hedonist, a big complainer, scared of believing in any kind of ideal, apolitical on purpose, a big drinker and general User of the Substances; THAT Obnoxious Talky Drunk Guy who shit talks everything and harasses everyone; a fun friend apparently?? and absolutely smitten/obsessed/basing his life on Enjolras and his general existence
nicknames: Capital R (bc in French that's Grand Aire, which of course sounds a lot like Grantaire)
associated animal emoji the Toad (Always Has His Eyes Fixed On The Heavens)
common ships: E/R (Enjolras/Grantaire) is the juggernaut ship of the fandom, but R's popularity means you'll have a hard time finding another Ami he HASN'T been shipped with
sub-units: Bossuet and Joly seem to be his closest friends in canon and generally in fanwork too; people also like platonically pairing him with Prouvaire and/or Bahorel sometimes.
