Meaning
What does Faceclaim mean?
Faceclaim (or FC for short) is a term mainly used in role-play games and fanfictions. It refers to the person that “plays” a character in the story.
It is used to physically describe the character, such as its age, height, personality, but usually “faceclaims” aren’t so detailed and so it still leaves room for the reader’s imagination.
The created person can be anyone, but typically it is an anime character or a famous actor.
They are also used as online avatars on different social media platforms.
Origin
What's the origin of Faceclaim?
The exact origin of the term is unknown, however it probably has been around as long as writing fanfictions since it is a pretty common term amongst the fanfiction community.
It was probably popularized by the website Wattpad, where both amateur and professionals could share their own fanfictions.
Also, the majority of articles about the topic and entries written about the term were posted in the early 2000s.
Spread & Usage
How did Faceclaim spread?
There are many sources dealing and also helping with the topic, since it is a very controversial one among fanfiction writers and readers.
Also, there have been couple altercations circling around the internet because of “faceclaims”, especially when creators use real life people as their “faceclaim”.
A perfect example is when a Youtuber going by the name MaryMakingIt uploaded a video in 2017 titled “Please Stop”, in which she emotionally breaks down while explaining that she didn’t approve of “faceclaims”.

External resources
- Urban Dictionary – Face Claim