John Watson

Dr. John Watson is a main character in the Sherlock Holmes books and their various adaptations. The majority of the stories are written in the first person from Watson's POV. He is the friend, roommate, and "biographer" of Sherlock Holmes. 
== Canon ==
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had a friend named James on whom he based Watson and originally intended to call the character "Ormond Sacker" rather than John Watson.
He was wounded in action (either in the shoulder or the leg, depending on the story) while serving as a assistant surgeon in India and Afghanistan. While recovering in a base hospital in Peshawar, he contracted enteric fever, and after months near death and then convalescing, he was invalided back to Britain in 1891, where he sought work and lodgings. Looking to share accommodation to cut the costs, he was introduced to Sherlock Holmes, a consulting detective, by their mutual acquaintance, Stamford. Holmes and Watson soon became close friends, and Watson took to accompanying Holmes on cases, and becoming his unofficial chronicler. He met his wife, Mary Morstan, during the course of a case.
In stark contrast to his roommate, Watson is a ladies' man. He also enjoys following Holmes on his cases and is endlessly fascinated by Holmes's deductions. His characterization shifts in the later stories.
===Versions===
====Nigel Bruce====
Watson was portrayed by Nigel Bruce beside Basil Rathbone's iconic Sherlock Holmes in a series of 14 films between 1939-1946. This Watson is very unlike canon and used for comic relief. Fans are not amused.
====Russian TV====
Watson was portrayed by Vitali Solomin.
====Sherlock Holmes (Granada)====
Watson was initially portrayed by David Burke in the first series. Edward Hardwicke took over for the remainder.
====Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century====
Robot!Watson voiced by John Payne.
====House, M.D.====
Just as the character Gregory House was inspired by Sherlock Holmes, House's friend James Wilson was inspired by John Watson. Wilson is portrayed by Robert Sean Leonard. See James Wilson.
====Sherlock Holmes (2009)====
Watson is portrayed by Jude Law.
====Sherlock (BBC)====
Watson is portrayed by Martin Freeman. See John Watson (Sherlock (BBC)).
====Elementary====
Elementary features a female Watson, named Joan Watson. She is portrayed by Lucy Liu.
====Hark! A Vagrant====
The many versions of the Watson character, from BAMF!Watson to Bumbling!Watson, are the subject of two Hark! A Vagrant cartoons, The Case of the Two Watsons and Another Case of Watsons. Hark! A Vagrant is a popular Yuletide fandom, and fanfiction has been written for the cartoons.Hark! A Vagrant works @AO3 (accessed 27 November 2012)
==Wives Debate==
Exactly how many wives Watson had is a matter of considerable debate. As long as there has been a Sherlock Holmes fandom, Watsonian fans have debated whether the timeline errors indicate one wife or two. Some fans have even suggested as many as six wives!
At one point in the stories, Watson marries Mary Morstan, a character from The Sign of Four. This is the wife most often used in adaptations and fanworks. Continuity errors in The Five Orange Pips and A Scandal in Bohemia imply that Watson had a wife prior to Mary. In The Empty House, Watson refers to his wife's death, but in stories that seem to be set later, Watson has again moved out to live with a wife.
== Fandom ==
=== Pairings ===
The most popular pairing for Watson, and the overall fandom OTP, is Holmes/Watson. There is also several fanworks that pair Watson with his canonical wife Mary Morstan, although they tend to be more of a background pairing in fanworks then the main focus. All other pairings for Watson tend to be rare, one example being Lestrade/John Watson. There is a also a great deal of gen fanworks, most commonly focused on his friendship with Holmes.
* Holmes/Watson
=== Common Tropes and Storylines and Fanworks ===
* Watson's Journal: Watson canonically has a notebook where he keeps notes about Sherlock's investigations, but fans will often expand on this, with Watson's notebook being more of journal where he records his privates thoughts and ideas outside of cases.
* War Wound: because canon is unclear about where Watson's war wound is located, leg or shoulder, fans will often chose one for fanworks or sometimes give him both. Watson experiencing chronic pain from his wounds is a common trope. 
* PTSD: Watson having nightmares or dealing with painful memories from his time as an army surgeon is quite common. 
* Bisexual Watson: it is not unusual for fans to characterize Watson as bisexual, mostly so he can be paired with Holmes, but it is also not uncommon for stories to include references to Watson having experimented or had relationships with fellow soldiers in his past while he served in the army. 
* Casefic: similar to canon, fan stories where Watson assists Holmes in solving mysteries. There are also a few stories where Watson has to try and use Holmes' methods and conduct a case by himself, usually because Holmes is incapacitated in some manner.
==One Older Trope: Leonard McCoy as John Watson and Sherlock Holmes==
See Sherlock Holmes and Star Trek and Sherlock Tropes.
 
== Example Art Gallery ==
File:Holms3art4.jpg|Art of Watson writing by Signe Landon from The Holmesian Federation #3 (1982), most likely inspired by the books
File:John watson david burke by marinetumelaire.jpg|alt=painting of David Burke as John Watson|John Watson - David Burke by MarineTumelaire (2010), portrait of the first Granada Watson
File:Watson by coldcase1.jpg|alt=pen and ink portrait of Edward Hardwicke as John Watson|Watson by coldcase1 (2012), portrait of the second Granada Watson
File:Bowed head Watson final signed smaller.JPG|Bowed Head Watson by L.A. Adolf for the Covenant zine (2012), this piece inspired by the Robert Downey Jr films
File:Watsonbrevig.jpg|alt=oil painting of John Watson from Sherlock|Dr. John Watson by Lorraine Brevig (2012), inspired by BBC Sherlock
File:41 Watson by rflaum.jpg|Portrait #41: Joan Watson by rflaum (2013), this version is "Joan Watson" from the Elementary TV series
File:WATSON by el-on-mars.jpg|alt=painting of Vitaly Solomin as John Watson|WATSON? by el-on-mars (2024), inspired by the Soviet series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
File:A Jonk for the soul.jpg|alt=illustration of John Watson in a jacket and hoodie holding a take away coffee cup|A Jonk for the soul by noodles-and-tea (2024), inspired by the Sherlock & Co. podcast
== Archives and Links ==
* John Watson tag at Archive of Our Own
* John Watson at FanFiction.Net
== Resources ==
* Dr Watson at Wikipedia
==References==
Category:Sherlock Holmes Characters