ABOis one of the three major settings in Western fandom, full nameAlpha/Beta/Omegaperson, he alsoChinaand other popular settings in various international fandoms.
Introduction
ABOis one of the three major settings in Western fandom (ABO,Sentinel and Guide、Dominance and Submission), and the origin of the ABO setting comes fromwolves's social hierarchy model, and the first ABO fanfiction came from the American TV series "Supernatural", a slash fanfiction featuring the actors of the two main characters, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. Its core setting is a fictional gender structure of human society—all humans are divided into six genders, and they all possess characteristics of both sexes to some extent. Males and females are mostly distinguished by appearance, while more reproductive characteristics are determined by their Alpha/Beta/Omega gender.
Because the ABO setting breaks the existing concept of gender, it allows fan creators to freely manipulate the gender and relationship dynamics of the main characters, thus offering a high degree of freedom in fan creation. After widespread dissemination, it has become a popular setting in fan circles worldwide. The ABO setting, due tobeing very suitable for NSFW content andproviding a systematic worldview setting for male-male pregnancy (mpreg), it is used by many fans who enjoysmut andmpreg settings in slash fanfiction, and it is highly active in the Chinese ACGN fan community.almost a slashCPrite of passage. Besides slash-themed fanfiction, ABO also occasionally appears in BG and Yuri fanfiction.
It is worth mentioning that there are many derivative ABO settings, and every writer may have their own headcanons. The following explanation of settings covers only the mainstream basic settings; please refer to the introduction of each specific work for detailed settings.
Related Memes
- So Alpha: When you say someone is "very A," this "A" actually refers to the "A" in the ABO setting. Since the Alpha gender usually represents being dominant, handsome, and the "top," "A" is also used to describe a character in a non-ABO worldview who has a very strong aura. This term initially became popular in fan circles and was later gradually used widely on the internet.
Gender Settings
| General Classification | Chinese Translation Names | Gender | Male organs | Female organs | Pregnancy | Heat period | Fertility rate | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | Tianqian/Qianyang | Alpha Male |  |
 |
|
|
High | The female reproductive organs are non-functional or naturally absent. The male organs are larger than average, including the knot. Sociologically: because they can never get pregnant, they have historically been designated as warriors or leaders. They also generally appear superior to others. |
| Alpha Female | |
|
|
|
Low | Both sets of reproductive organs are functional, but they rarely go into heat, and it is the female gender with the lowest fertility rate and the most masculine traits. Their organs are about the same size as those of an average male. They usually play the role of leaders and are generally respected. Society tends to treat them as managers. | ||
| Beta | Neutral | Beta Male |
|
|
|
|
Average | They possess both male and female reproductive organs, and both are functional, but they rarely emit heat scents and rarely go into heat. They can enjoy the process without burden and can mate freely without bonding. They can get pregnant and start a family, but their fertility rate is not high. They are good workers. |
| Beta Female |
|
|
|
|
Average | Similar to Beta males, they have complete reproductive organs that are functional but lack masculinity and have low fertility. Additionally, their organs and knots are smaller. Like Beta males, they often establish relationships without bonding. Society generally views them as worker bees in a hive, treating them almost indistinguishably from Beta males. | ||
| Omega | Dikun/Kunze | Omega Male | |
|
|
|
High | They possess both male and female reproductive organs. They have high fertility, intense heat periods that are distracting until they bond with someone (usually an Alpha). Normally, they are busy with pregnancy and childbirth and are not considered suitable for work. They are the rarest of all male genders. |
| Omega Female | |
|
|
|
High | Male reproductive organs are missing or underdeveloped. They have frequent heat periods and high fertility. They usually pair up with an Alpha at a young age and spend their lives raising children. Like Omega males, they are the rarest group. |
Note: Regarding the gender inheritance mechanism in the setting, experts have already discussed it on AO3 and various platforms, such as A hypothesized ABO gender inheritance mechanism under the ABO worldview
Basic Settings
| Concept Name | Definition | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Reproductive Cavity | Slightly different from the meaning of "reproductive cavity" in the real world, the reproductive cavity in the ABO world is similar to the uterus of a female in the real world. In theory, only Omegas have a reproductive cavity. The reproductive cavity is located deep within the body and opens automatically during heat, serving the purpose of completing insemination or marking. |
Some Omegas can control its opening and closing outside of heat periods. |
| Glands | Glands refer to the glands located at the back of the neck responsible for producing pheromones, Generally, an Alpha can inject their own pheromones into an Omega by biting the gland with their teeth, causing the two people's pheromones to fuse and completing the marking. |
When the gland is removed, it means pheromones can no longer be produced and the marking is dissolved. In some fanfiction settings, everyone has glands and pheromones, but Betas cannot be marked. |
| Pheromones | Whether they are Alpha, Beta, or Omega, everyone has their own distinct pheromones, which often symbolize the character's personality in fanfiction. After an Omega is marked, their pheromones will be mixed with the Alpha's scent. Pheromones can act as "like repels like, opposites attract." |
Alpha pheromones are often strong and aggressive (such as the scent of strong liquor or pungent floral scents); Omega pheromones are mostly fresh (such as milk or fruit scents); Whereas Beta pheromones are mostly gentle, capable of neutralizing Alpha and Omega pheromones and soothing them. Of course, there are also counter-gender-stereotype pheromones like milk-scented Alphas, or bizarre pheromones like medicated oil or instant noodles. |
| Heat period | Heat periods are exclusive to Omegas, lasting 3-5 days each time. During this time, they release a large amount of pheromones to lure nearby Alphas and Betas until an Alpha or Beta marks them or they use suppressants. |
Alphas also release pheromones to attract Omegas; when a nearby Alpha releases a large amount of pheromones, the Omega can also be forced into heat. Most smut using the ABO setting occurs during the characters' heat/rut periods. In some settings, permanently marked Omegas still have heat periods and require the pheromones of the Alpha who marked them for comfort. |
| Mark | Influenced by Sentinel and Guide, one of the three major settings in Western fandom, ABO also has the concept of "marking." Marking is divided into two types: permanent marking and temporary marking. Permanent Markingis performed by an Alpha or Beta within the Omega's reproductive cavitythrough ejaculation,and is effective for life (even if the marker passes away). Temporary Markingis formed by an Alpha or Beta injecting their pheromones into the gland at the back of the Omega's neck. |
In ABO stories, an Omega without an Alpha partner might sometimes ask a familiar and trustworthy Alpha to perform a temporary marking during their heat to help them get through the rut. In some settings, Omegas can remove the mark themselves, though it causes great harm to the body. Marking an Omega can serve as a declaration to others: this Omega has been claimed. |
| Suppressants | Used to suppress heat. Suppressants come in general-purpose types, as well as types specifically for Omegas and Alphas. Suppressants can be divided into modern and ancient types: Modern SuppressantsMost are progestogen regulators similar to birth control pills, available in injectable, oral, and other forms. Large doses are generally not recommended, as they can easily lead to drug resistance and antagonism. High school biology tells us that hormonal imbalances have a very high fatality rate. Ancient SuppressantsMost are placebos similar to brown sugar ginger tea. However, simple suppressants made from hallucinogenic agents like mandrake cannot be ruled out. |
There are also fanon settings where, to avoid inbreeding and increase species diversity, other methods are used instead of suppressants during heat, making it impossible for relatives to be attracted to each other. (For example, a certain Hannibal fanwork describes it as: "Under the care of his father, heat is more like a common cold.") |
| Knot | Alphas all have a bulbus glandis, commonly known as a "knot" (though humans do not have them; the bulbus glandis only appears in other mammals, such as wolves). Generally located at the base of the organ.Some also say it is located at the tip of the organ, making it easier to penetrate a male Omega's reproductive cavity and lock the cervix. It swells during the middle to late stages of the mating process during heat, locking the opening (cervix) to ensure the conception rate. The duration of the erection varies from 15 minutes to two hours. |
The concept of the "knot" comes from the knot formed during canine mating that prevents the female from escaping. |
Derivative Settings
Differentiation
Generally, humans do not have ABO gender differentiation at birth, only male-female differentiation.In some settings, tests can be conducted when a child is 6 or 7 years old to see what gender they will differentiate into in the future. In a sense, it is similar to some parents trying to ask about the fetus's gender during pregnancy today.
Humans undergo ABO gender differentiation around the age of 18; when differentiating into an Omega, the first heat occurs., while in some settings, differentiation occurs during puberty.。
Rut
Opposite to heat, the rut is exclusive to Alphas; during the rut, Alphas become extremely sensitive to the pheromones of surrounding Omegas., becoming driven by lust.。
There are also settings where Alphas lack a sense of security during their rut, becoming "crybabies," and the more powerful the Alpha, the less security they feel during the rut, requiring comfort from an Omega.
Social Structure
The ratio of Alpha:Beta:Omega in society is approximately 20:500:1.
In different worldviews, the status of the three genders is not equal.There are even Omega rights stories, a specialty of Jinjiang.
It is generally accepted that Alphas are leaders with leadership qualities. They often occupy a dominant position in society. They have the primary right of inheritance in a family (regardless of gender). In some more sophisticated ABO stories, due to reproductive worship, the status of Omegas is higher than Alphas, similar to a queen bee.
Gender Camouflage
In some fanfics, Omegas use various means to disguise themselves as Betas or Alphas. This plot point is usually linked to the aforementioned Alpha-dominated social structure, where Omegas who are unwilling to be in a disadvantaged position choose to disguise themselves as other genders to seek the development they desire.
Other Hierarchies
A series of artificial gender symbols derived from the ABO setting, which only exist in a small number of related fan works.
Gamma
Gamma (G) is higher than Omega in the ABO hierarchy, with a status similar to commoners or urban marginalized youth.
Delta
Delta (D) is lower than Beta in the ABO hierarchy and may be the most numerous group, with a status similar to worker ants.
Epsilon
Epsilon (E) has low intelligence and can only engage in ordinary physical labor.
Sigma
Sigma (Sigma, S) is an existence outside the ABO hierarchy system; in some contexts, it refers to individuals who are independent, self-disciplined, confident, do not rely on others or groups, do not pursue the opposite sex, and respect everyone[1][2]。
Works that use the ABO setting
Yuri
Danmei
External Links
- (English)Alpha/Beta/Omega