Clarke Griffin/Lexa

Clarke/Lexa, better known as Clexa or less commonly Lexarke, is a ship in The 100 fandom of Clarke Griffin and Commander Lexa. It is a juggernaut pairing in The 100 fandom as well as in general fandom, as the top ship in 2016's Tumblr Fandometrics and as one of only 3 femslash pairings to break AO3's Top 100 Pairings according to centreoftheselights' AO3 Ship Stats.AO3 Ship Stats 2019 by centreoftheselights. Posted 24 Jul 2019. Accessed 22 Dec 2019.
Clexa's longterm popularity in fandom likely has something to do with a very devoted fanbase who are both active in the creation of fanworks as well as activism itself.Clexakru- Fandom of the Decade, Tumblr post by dontwantthenextcommanderiwantyou. Lexa's death on the show sparked the LGBT Fans Deserve Better movement and also spawned the femslash-focused procon ClexaCon.
==Canon==
From The 100 Wiki:"Clarke and Lexa" page on The 100 Wiki.
==Fandom==
The show's introduction of Lexa as a canonical lesbian character in the second season, as well as the subsequent chemistry between her and Clarke, piqued the interest of femslash viewers. The popularity of the ship took off after their first onscreen kiss in the season 2 episode "Bodyguard of Lies".The 100 Season 2 Episode 14 "Bodyguard of Lies" Clexa quickly grew into one of the most popular ships in the fandom, drawing many new femslash fans into the show during the long hiatus before the third season. In April 2016, Alex Cranz wrote about the rise of The 100 within femslash fandom in their piece: The History of Femslash, the Tiny Fandom That's Taking Over the Universe.
Clexa fans often refer to themselves as Clexakru,"LISTEN UP CLEXA FANS!", Tumblr post by unaligned-valkyrie. November 12, 2015. Archived version. "kru" meaning "clan" in the conlang used by Lexa's people on the show. Fans on The L Chat also took to calling themselves "Leskru", meaning "lesbian clan".
===Lexa's Death===
After Lexa was killed in season 3 episode 7 - moments after she and Clarke had sex for the first time - the fandom reaction sparked an unprecedented media conversation about LGBTQ representation and showrunner involvement in fandom. The "Bury Your Gays" trope rose to a national debate, and the international fan-led initiative "LGBT Fans Deserve Better" emerged, initially dominating Twitter. The fan outcry and media discussions over Lexa's death led several screenwriters and producers to sign the Lexa Pledge, promising to treat gay and lesbian characters with consideration of their emotional and cultural impact.
The particular grievances of the Clexa fandom against Jason Rothenberg and other members of The 100 staff were chronicled on sites such as We Deserved Better. Lesbian media website Autostraddle compiled a list of dead lesbian characters that exemplified the scope of the problem and proved invaluable to the discussion, as several more lesbian and bisexual female characters died in the weeks after Lexa's death. The fandom created a fundraiser for the Trevor Project which raised more than $175,000.
===ClexaCon===
In 2016, shortly after Lexa's death and the following cascade of queer women dying in media, Holly Winebarger, Ashley Arnold, and Danielle Jablonski started to plan ClexaCon, a multimedia con for LGBTQ women and allies.Our Stories Matter: An Interview with ClexaCon. Posted 24 Fec 2017. Accessed 22 Dec 2019. The first ClexaCon was in March 2017 and featured a variety of panels about topics related to the representation of queer women2017 Panels & Workshops. Accessed 22 Dec 2019. as well as a variety of industry guests from various shows.2017 Featured Guests. Accessed 22 Dec 2019. It has continued to grow since then, with thousands of attendees every year, and ClexaCon 2021 scheduled for April 15 - 18.
=== Lexark ===
:See More: Elyza Lex
In the wake of Lexa's death, the Clexa fandom also created and embraced an alternate universe ship for the pairing, called Lexark. Not long after Alycia Debnam-Carey's character on Fear the Walking Dead was revealed to be named Alicia Clark, the fandom began making jokes that the show should introduce another character named Elyza Lex played by Eliza Taylor. Fans only began taking the pairing seriously after Lexa's death in March 2016, and the pairing's popularity as an actual ship most likely arose from a post by Tumblr user alyciasass in March 2016, expressing a desire for Alicia Clark to get a girlfriend named Elyza Lex played by Eliza Taylor.Posted from alyciasass. Posted 5 Mar 2016. Archived 24 Mar 2016. Accessed 22 Dec 2019. The AU ship became so popular that it became a canonical tag on AO3"Alicia Clark/Elyza Lex" tag on AO3. Accessed 22 Dec 2019. and the fanon character of Elyza Lex features in over 300 works."Elyza Lex" tag on AO3. Accessed 22 Dec 2019.
===Statistics===
* In 2015, Clexa was the eighth most reblogged ship on TumblrTumblr 2015 Year in Review: Most Reblogged Ships..
* In 2016, Clexa was the number one most reblogged/discussed ship on Tumblr2016's Top Ships.
* Clexa has been consistently within the top 10 of femslash pairings on Archive of Our Own, ranking 8th in 2015,AO3 Ship Stats 2015 2nd in 2016,AO3 Ship Stats 2016 and remaining 2nd in 2017,AO3 Ship Stats 2017 and 2019AO3 Ship Stats 2019
* Clexa was also ranked 6th in 2016 for Archive of Our Own's most popular pairing of that yearAO3 Ship Stats 2016.
===Common Tropes & Fanon===
: See also: Clexa au survey
* Modern AU - Very common; in the Clexa au survey, 85.5% of 1,478 respondents chose this trope as one of their favorites.
** College/University, High School, Boarding School - Very popular possibly due to the age of the fanbase. (E.g. More Women than Warriors, Catch Me, I'm Falling, break your plans)
** Roommates AU - Typically in a College Setting. (E.g. She)
** Fake Dating - Typically in a Modern Setting. (E.g. when love becomes the reason, Our Hearts (Have Minds Of Their Own), more recs)
** Celebrity AU - Clarke and/or Lexa is a celebrity. (E.g. possibility days, Strangers on the Phone)
** Friends to Lovers - In the Clexa au survey, 66.6% of 1,478 respondents chose this trope as one of their favorites. (E.g. You See the Smile That's On My Mouth (it's hiding the words that don't come out), five times clarke and lexa aren't sure if they're a couple or not)
** Enemies to Lovers/Rivals to Lovers - Many AUs recreate Clarke and Lexa's canon enemies-to-lovers relationship. (E.g. This Is Heaven in Hiding)
** Artist!Clarke, Doctor!Clarke - Clarke is typically depicted as an artist/art student or a doctor/medical student in modern AUs, due to her canon love for drawing and her canon background as a medical apprentice on the Ark.
** Alexandria "Lexa" Woods - The typical fullname given to Lexa in modern AUs; in the Clexa au survey, 92.4% of 1,494 respondents chose 'Woods' as their preferred surname for Lexa. Woods because in canon, Lexa's people do not have last names but instead go by their clan names which in Lexa's case makes her Lexa of the Woods Clan; Alexandria because Lexa was named after the city of Alexandria, Virginia. 
* Canon Divergence
** Arranged Marriage - To strengthen the alliance between the Sky People and the Grounders.
** Civil War - A civil war with the Ice Nation is often explored in fanworks as season 3 seemed to be heading in that direction before revealing the A.I. and City of Light plot.
** Grounder!Clarke / IceNation!Clarke - AU where Clarke is either born on the ground or sent to earth before the rest of The 100, and raised by Grounders or the ruthless Ice Nation. (E.g. The White Queen Running)
** Fix-it / Lexa Lives - Most fanworks set in canon circumvent Lexa's death. 
** Anya Also Lives - Anya's death is also often avoided in canon divergence works so that she can return as a mentor figure to Lexa. This trend did not develop until after Lexa's death in season 3, despite Anya's death taking place in season 2.
** Time Travel - A trope often employed to prevent Lexa's death. (E.g. Lightning Only Strikes Once)
* Royalty AU - Clarke's canon nickname of "Princess" and Lexa's position as the powerful leader of the Grounders brought an easy uptake of royalty settings within fanworks. (E.g. What heart's ease must queens neglect)
* Secret Relationship - Clarke and Lexa have to keep their relationship a secret; a popular trope in both canon and modern AUs. (E.g. in love and war and politics)
* Crossover/Fusion - Most notably with Fear the Walking Dead for which the fandom created the crossover character of Elyza Lex. Also fairly popular are fusion stories where The 100 characters are placed into the settings of other media such as Harry Potter or Game of Thrones. (E.g. Those Icy Fingers Up and Down My Spine (That same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine), enchanted., a crown seldom enjoyed)
* Reincarnation - Lexa speaks often of her own belief in reincarnation, and the show puts its own the significance on the phrase "may we meet again". This trope plays heavily into the Lexark pairing in Fear the Walking Dead crossovers. (E.g. do you believe in soulmates (because I'm yours and you're mine))
* Soulmates - Clarke and Lexa are often depicted as each other's soulmate, be it in a typical Soulmate AU setting or otherwise.
* Pair the Spares - Anya/Raven Reyes is a very common side pairing, with Anya usually portrayed as Lexa's best friend/older sister/mentor figure and Raven as Clarke's best friend. Octavia Blake/Raven Reyes is also a common side pairing in Clexa fics where Everyone Is Lesbian/Bi.
* Post-canon - God!Lexa brings the real Lexa back or it turns out that she was in fact the real Lexa all along.
===Challenges & Awards ===
* Clexa Love Week (2016) - fanweek
* Clexa Fanfiction Awards (2017)
* Clexa Week (2017–present) - prompt-based challenge held on the week of Lexa's death anniversary
* Clextober (2018–present) - Halloween-themed prompt challenge
* Clexmas (2018–present) - Christmas-themed prompt challenge
=== Memes ===
Inside jokes and memes (aka "Clexa crack") in the Clexa fandom.Tumblr post by jean-isabelle-granger-delacour. March 10, 2016. Archived version.Tumblr post by 100hearteyes. November 30, 2015. Archived version.
* Clexa Pick Up Lines - Either Lexa tells a lame pick up line and Clarke is not amused, or Clarke tells the pick up line and Lexa is confused because she doesn't get the references to the modern world.
* Lexa being extra (aka Lextra) - Crack posts making fun of Lexa's flair for overly dramatic speech and entrances/exits, usually paired with an unamused Clarke.
* Lexa is a candle hoe - the Clexa fandom noticed the excessive amount of candles that Lexa always seemed to have in her tent and bedroom. This gave rise to crack posts often involving Clarke's reaction to Lexa's obsession with candles.
* Fish the Dog/Clarke the Husband - The fandom's response to a Clexa text au that went viral.
* Chip!Lexa - After her death, Lexa's mind was stored in a cybernetic chip which led to the crack ship pairing of Clarke and Chip!Lexa aka Clip.
* Lexacoon/Clexacoon - Raccoon!Lexa because Lexa's war paint makes her look like a raccoon.
* Decalexas - A system of measurement based on Lexa's height.Tumblr post by jeaspinchy via the Wayback Machine. January 29, 2016.
===Ship War===
Because Bellamy Blake and Clarke Griffin can be considered the main characters of The 100, it's no surprise that many fans ship them. This caused considerable tension between fans of Bellarke and fans of Clexa as Clexa began gaining popularity, resulting in accusations of biphobia, homophobia and racism being thrown around and culminating in a ship war between the two pairings that many fans felt split the fandom into awkward factions.
=== Lexa's "Return" ===
:See also: God!Lexa
The series finale return of "Lexa" (technically a godlike being who took on Lexa's form because she is Clarke's greatest love) was met with mostly positive reactions from the Clexa fandom.
Although it was not technically Lexa, many in the fandom felt that it offered them closure and one last chance to see Alycia Debnam-Carey as "Lexa".
Fans also took the confirmation that Lexa is the greatest love of Clarke's life to mean that Clexa are indeed soulmates and thus endgame.
==Fanwork Examples==
===Fics===
:See more: :Category:Clexa Fanfiction
Some of the most-recced fandom classics include:
==== Canonverse ====
*this heart, fossilized and silent (once was tender and once was violent) by Chrmdpoet, Clarke is only three days into being a runaway when she realizes that she did not fully think this through. When she walked away from Camp Jaha, she took only herself, a handgun with limited ammunition, and the gnawing guilt inside her. Three days without food, water, fresh clothing, or bedding of any kind, however, and she is painfully aware of how foolish that decision had been. (Canon Divergent from 2x16)
*they take their shots but we're bulletproof by nightshifted, "Our winters are harsh," Lexa tells her. "You must have adequate shelter to survive them." "I survived you," Clarke says lowly. "I'll survive anything." (One-Shot, Canon Divergent from 2x16)
*The White Queen Running by KL_Morgan, Clarke wakes up wearing the tattoos of the Ice Nation. (OR: Soulmates, parallel worlds, and Ice Queen Clarke; oh my. Canon divergent from 2x16.)
*Within Me An Invincible Summer by thrace, Clarke spends the winter resenting Lexa. But seasons change, and so do people. (Canon Divergent from 2x16)
*Lightning Only Strikes Once by fiona_249, Consumed by grief, Clarke climbs Lexa's tower, not really thinking through what she plans to do. But any plans get taken away when she's struck by lightning, mysteriously transporting her back to before any of it happens. Back in her cell on the Ark, Clarke remembers exactly what went wrong - and mysteriously, so does Lexa among her people on the ground. Between the two of them, can they get back to each other? Can they find a way to save both of their people and themselves? Or is the hatred surrounding them too strong? (Time Travel, Canon Divergent from 3x7)
*Abby Doesn't Ask by onlyasdark, The four times Abby doesn't ask about the nature of Clarke and Lexa's relationship and the one time she doesn't have to (or the evolution of Clarke and Lexa after the dust settles, as seen through Abby's eyes.) (One-Shot, Five Times, Canon Divergent from 3x7)
*I have lost my pain by thrace, Clarke Griffin has a perfect life: perfect job, perfect girlfriend, perfect friends and family. Maybe. (Canon AU set in S3)
*Love on the Ground by hedaswolf, Clarke can’t meet Lexa’s eyes when she presses the dagger to her throat. She’s not the one Clarke wants to hurt and she knows it, deep down, beneath the bits of her that are ripped to shreds, that will never be stitched back together. Clarke comes to Polis to kill Lexa and stays because it's the path of least resistance, or at least that's what she tells herself. This fic starts at the knife scene in the season 3 trailer and then takes on a life of its own from there. (Happy ending included.) (Canon AU set in S3)
* This War of Needs by N1ghtWr1ter and RaeDMagdon, All Clarke Griffin wants is to stop a war (and maybe get through her heat without suffering too much). All Commander Lexa wants is to protect her people (and maybe forget the tragic death of her mate for a few days). When a sudden burst of acid fog leaves them stranded together in an isolated bunker, the two of them will have to find a way to deal with each other—and with their very inconvenient desires. (Omegaverse, Locked in a Room, Canon AU set in S1)
==== Modern AU ====
*She by thefooliam, Her roommate looks at her sometimes and Clarke is never sure if they’re going to kill or kiss each other. When Clarke Griffin forgets to complete her sophomore year residency application, she returns to college to find that they’ve paired her with the last roommate she ever expected to get. (Roommates AU, College AU)
*blood rush in the hazy glow by firetestsgold, "The locals aren't fans of college kids. This is their neighborhood bar. They can get...territorial." Clarke studies the girl who stopped the fight before it began. Leaning back in her chair in the back of the bar, she's all dark hair and dark eyeliner and dark alcohol. Clarke can see what he's saying: the glare etched into her face is a clear warning for anyone who might step forward to her. But the vodka has thinned Clarke's blood; she's always been brazen and right now she can't take that warning as anything less than a challenge. She grabs Octavia’s wrist and pulls her forward. "C'mon."
*in love and war and politics by centuriesofexistence, It's the most watched Senate race around the country, and Clarke Griffin is running one hell of an underdog campaign against the favored Cage Wallace. But she has a secret weapon that might save the campaign--and a secret that might ruin it. And both are named Lexa Ward.
*Mystic Coffee by blindwire, Lexa is 95% certain that the girl that comes into her coffee shop each morning is a witch. Whether it's the tattoos that she swears move when she sees them out of the corner of her eye or the way the girl's hair changes color if she looks long enough (not that she’s staring), Lexa is positive something strange is going on. (Coffee Shop AU)
*The Library by ethiobird, You certainly come across intriguing personalities every so often when you tend bar. None quite so intriguing as the lone girl with cascading chestnut hair sitting at the end of the bar, drinking a whiskey neat and reading a book, however. Except, wait, that's your new co-worker. (or The College Bar AU in which Clarke is the Mom Friend bartender, Lexa is the new hire, and everyone is really just a hot damn mess. Shot of Jameson, anyone?)
*More Women than Warriors by steklir (SilentStars), 'Before you,' he said, 'you can see more women than warriors. Cowardly, unarmed, they will give up the moment they see the weapons and bravery of their conquerors who have given them such a drubbing so many times before.' (Tacitus, Annals XIV.36) The first time Clarke sees the Head Girl she’s sitting on a throne, presiding over her dominion with a piercing stare and a crown of braids in her hair. Her warriors are spread at her feet, a multitude of them, all long-haired and wild and clad in identical brown regalia. There’s something of the sacred about her, like the crimson cloak draped across her shoulders and her divinity are one and the same. Or at least it feels that way. British girls' boarding school AU. Obviously.
*What heart's ease must queens neglect by thrace, Lexa is going to drag her country into the modern age kicking and screaming if she has to. Enter Clarke Griffin, United Nations election observer. (Modern Royalty AU)
*Catch Me, I'm Falling by EffortlesslyOpulent and sam_kom_trashkru, The HSAU where Aden plays cupid with Clarke, Lexa, and all of their friends, and ends up watching practically all of them fall for each other. (High School AU)
*possibility days by adreamaloud, Lexa is in love with her co-star. Of course, it's a disaster. Yet another clexa celeb au. (Celebrity AU)
*You See the Smile That's On My Mouth (it's hiding the words that don't come out) by heartshapedcandy, It takes Clarke and Lexa about five seconds to fall in love, but it takes them way too long to realize it. This is that way-too-long. (or a story in which Clarke and Lexa kiss too much and communicate too little)
==== Published Novels ====
Several Clexa modern AUs have been published as original fiction with the serial numbers filed off.Clexa Books on Goodreads. Most of these fics have since been deleted.
Some examples:
* to have loved & lost by NinjaWriter. Published in 2016. (College AU)
* You're Fired (So Yeah You Win) by LaFlashdrive. Published in 2017 as You're Fired. (Workplace AU, fic still available)
* Future Leaders of Nowhere by PenniesDropping. Published in 2017. (High School AU)
* Lover In Low Light by Chrmdpoet. Published in 2017 as The Art of Us. (Exes/Reunion)
* Something Tragic by heyjayyay. Published in 2017. (High School AU)
* Strangers on the Phone by rochke11. Published in 2018. (Celebrity AU)
* The Sex Tape by Sheisme. Published in 2018 as Stunted. (Celebrity AU)
* Bend For Me by heyjayyay. Published in 2019. (Yoga AU)
* Clexa goes to Hollywood by ivywoman63. Published in 2020 as #CassiNova. (Celebrity AU)
===Podfics===
*Podfic - Dulce et Decorum Est by bienalster (2015)
*(Podfic) move on me by Shmaylor (2016)
*(Podfic of) No Greater Joy by carboncopies (2017)
*(podfic) Neon Hearts by DreamsAreMyWords by trashy-reads (trashyeggroll) by trashy-reads (2020)
===Art===
* To Mt. Weather by PapurrCat
* The Inspiration by PapurrCat for ClexaCon
* The 100 Clarke and Lexa by Kaibutsu14 
* We deserve better by LeslyAnne182
* You Are My People by samanthadoodles (see gallery for more)
* She is Home by Terra7 (see gallery and artist's tumblr for more)
*Fluffy Clexa by bibinella (see artist's tumblr for more)
*Captain of the Seas Lexa & Daughter of the Ocean Clarke by madebybon (see artist's tumblr for more)
*Clarke and Lexa hugging by bricha (see artist's tumblr for more)
===Vids===
* Bloodsport by 17KSS
* show me why you're strong by alyciaslexa
* [ it's in her dna ] by m i k a e l s o n
===Edits===
* "Dusk till Dawn" by cleaxahedr (formerly cleaxa_kru)
* "Bones" by beronicasfate
* "Softly" by raylafilms
===Meta===
* Why The 100’s Clarke and Lexa Kiss Is Important For the Show’s Characters and TV in General
* Lexa and Clexa: We Shall Not See Such Greatness for a Long Time by reversatility1. March 10, 2016.
* Clexa Is More by Kaye Sands. February 19, 2019.
===Other===
* Clexa Fanart Book
* Lightning Only Strikes Once: A Clexa Comic
==Example Art Gallery==
File:Clexa Fanart Book front cover.jpg|Cover of the Clexa Fanart Book by papurrcat (2016)
File:LiLL fanart.jpg|Art by theimpossibilitiesimagined, for Lover In Low Light (2016)
==Archives & Fannish Links==
* Clarke/Lexa works tagged at AO3
* Clarke/Lexa works at FFN
** Hodnes Laik Kwelnes - Clexa fics, FFN community
* Clexa server #1 at Discord
* Clexa server #2 at Discord
===Tumblr===
* Tumblr Tags: clexa, clarke x lexa, lexa x clarke
===Recs===
* batwlwoman's masterlist of fic recs
* Randomgirlusername's fic rec lists
==Resources==
*Clarke and Lexa at The 100 Wiki
==References==
Category:The 100 Relationships Category:Femslash PairingsCategory:2021 Featured Articles
Category:Social Media Feature-Ship Sunday