Mo Xuanyu

Mo Xuanyu is a minor character in the danmei novel Mo Dao Zu Shi and its adaptations The Untamed, etc. He sacrifices himself to resurrect Wei Wuxian, and Wei Wuxian only learns about him through second-hand sources, so although Wei Wuxian spends the rest of the story in his body, Mo Xuanyu himself technically never appears as a character in the story. Nonetheless, many fans have speculated about and made fanworks for Mo Xuanyu.
==Common Pairings==
As of September 2022, the most common AO3 ships including Mo Xuanyu are:
* Mo Xuanyu/Nie Huaisang (288 works)Relationship tag, accessed 18 September 2022. It is hinted in the story, that Nie Huaisang might have been in contact with Mo Xuanyu. He lived in the Golden Carp Tower prior to his expulsion, place that Nie Huaisang, as sect leader, frequented to attend reunions with the Chief Cultivator.
* Mo Xuanyu/Xue Yang (124)Relationship tag, accessed 18 September 2022.
*Lan Wangji/Mo Xuanyu (105)Relationship tag, accessed 18 September 2022.
*Mo Xuanyu/Wen Ning (67)Relationship tag, accessed 18 September 2022.
*Jin Guangyao/Mo Xuanyu (57)Relationship tag, accessed 21 August 2023. It is said that one of the reasons for Mo Xuanyu's expulsion was harassing Jin Guangyao. Jin Ling was worried that Mo Xuanyu would still pursue his little uncle. Later, Wei Wuxian wonders what kind of relationship they really had given the fact that Mo Xuanyu had access to certain places.
*Jiang Cheng/Mo Xuanyu (56)Relationship tag, accessed 18 September 2022.
*Mo Xuanyu/Wei Wuxian (44)Relationship tag, accessed 18 September 2022.
==Tropes and Fanon==
* Not really insane: Mo Xuanyu was considered to be a "lunatic" by a variety of characters through the story. After reading Mo Xuanyu's notes, Wei Wuxian himself comes to a similar conclusion, thinking that Mo Xuanyu had suffered extensive psychological trauma due to years of abuse both in the Golden Carp Tower and the Mo Estate, which may have contributed to his instability. However, it is hard to say to which extent this is true, as it could also be a result of exaggerations, rumors, or deliberate misinformation spread by others. A recurring theme in fanfiction is the speculation that Mo Xuanyu may not have been truly insane, and that his perceived level of insanity was, totally or to some extent, just an act.
* Angst: Because Mo Xuanyu did not have an easy or happy life and had a tragic ending, and not a single character in the book seemed to care about him. 
==Example Fanworks==
===Fanfic===
* by Wildehack. An Untamed-canon backstory from Nie Huaisang's POV, featuring Nie Huaisang/Mo Xuanyu and suicide. (2020-07-24)
===Fanart===
* by curb-your-dog on tumblr (Feb 17, 2021)
* by TeriArtsExtra on twitter (Mar 27, 2021)
* by zazrichor on tumblr (Jul 23, 2021)
*Oh Wei Wuxian, we're really in it now by qourmet (March 11, 2023)
*MDZS Characters as Major Arcanas: XIII - Death: Mo Xuanyu by imnotaplate (May 14, 2023)
===Vids===
* [Animatic] Mo Xuanyu's Ordinary Life by Thevral Lee - Song: My Ordinary Life-The Living Tombstone  (May 30, 2020)
===Meta===
* by hamliet (Oct 20, 2019)
==Links and Resources==
*Mo Xuanyu character tag and Mo Xuanyu POV tag at AO3
*Mo Xuanyu character page at MDZS wiki
*莫玄羽 (Mo Shuennyu) and Mo Xuanyu tags at Pixiv
===Events===
*Everyone Loves MXY Week (April 16th - 22nd, 2023)
==References==
Category:Mo Dao Zu Shi Characters