Fanfiction is an incredible genre of writing. What could be more satisfying and exciting than the opportunity to write your own story, to take beloved characters and be in charge of their fate? Sometimes show writers make decisions for characters that we don’t fully agree with, or that we wish they hadn’t done. Rather than slam them on Twitter for bad writing, why not just escape to the online world of fanfiction, where anything and everything is possible? We are especially fond of The Blacklist Fan Fiction.
The Blacklist is a show beloved by man, with a complex cast of characters. But with so many characters getting killed off or leaving mysteriously, sometimes their fates aren’t always the happiest. Luckily, in the world of fanfiction, fans have the capability to turn their fates into something different. Where characters don’t die, where romantic relationships find a happily ever after, or where two characters actually get the time to interact in a fluffy, casual way.
But with so many fics available to consume on the internet, how can anyone figure out how to navigate through them? Luckily for you, we at Nerds & Scoundrels have got you covered. Check out the top ten fanfiction stories every fan of The Blacklist should check out!
Our Top 10 Blacklist Fanfiction Stories
Below are our top ten fanfiction stories of The Blacklist, in no particular order.
10. “The Graveyard Shift” by HasFar2Go (Archive of Our Own)
Considered one of the greats in The Blacklist fan fiction online fandom, this AU (alternate universe) fic places the beloved characters from the show into an emotional paranormal ghost story filled with twists and turns. The summary is as follows:
Meet Elizabeth Keen, involuntary Paranormal Criminal Profiler. (No, she didn’t know that was an actual ‘thing’, either.) A Halloween AU Blacklist fic.
9. “Just Once” by sarabeth1 (Archive of Our Own)
This next fic is a “Keenler” story, referring to the ship name given to Elizabeth Keen and Donald Ressler. This sweet one-shot explores their adorable dynamic and is filled with lots of emotion and fluff for everyone to enjoy. The summary is as follows:
When Ressler and Liz end up in the wrong place at the wrong time (or maybe the right place at the right time) they end up finding out just how much they mean to one another.
8. “Whelve” by Auchen (Archive of Our Own)
This AU fic reimagines Liz and Reddington as a homicide detective and an avaricious veteran detective, respectively, and their uneasy dynamic as they take on a new case. Be warned that it’s quite a long fic – 31 chapters in total – but totally worth it. The summary is as follows:
Things are instantly sour between experienced homicide detective Raymond Reddington and the unit’s newest recruit, Elizabeth Keen. He resents being partnered with someone so new and inexperienced, and she dislikes his constant sarcastic remarks and uncooperative attitude. When they’re given a routine case that rapidly turns strange, they learn that they must at least be able to tolerate each other in order to solve the murder. However, as they work closely together, their toleration gives way to mutual respect and perhaps something more.
7. “i’ve got my love to keep me warm” by rories (Archive of Our Own)
Aram and Samar may not have been able to get their happily ever after on the show, but thanks to the world of fanfiction, they can! This short one-fic explores the adorable dynamic between lovers Aram and Samar – or “Sarem” as their ship name refers to them. The summary is quite short, but here it is to see:
cute christmas saram fluff!
6. “Wayward Son” by AlyB123 (Fanfiction.net)
Though many Blacklist fan fiction writers like to pair characters together, sometimes they’ll focus on a single character. That’s the case with this fic, that serves as an introspective examination of Donald Ressler. With six chapters, it’s a bit on the longer side for a single-character fic, but definitely still worth the read. The summary is as follows:
Donald Ressler pays a long overdue visit home to his family as he attempts to make peace with Laurel Hitchin’s death. Ressler struggles with deciding what his next steps will be, including whether to tell Liz and the Task Force the truth, as he rediscovers the importance of family and learns that his father’s past may be more complicated than he thought. Ressler backstory.
5. “Getting Caught” by Takada_Saiko (Archive of Our Own)
The next fic is a “kidfic” that explores the childhood of Agnes Keen. The story explores a fourteen-year-old Agnes, with appearances from Aram and Samar. The summary is as follows:
Fourteen-year-old Agnes Keen gets caught putting some hacking skills her Uncle Aram taught her to use and her school calls her godparents to come pick her up.
4. “Masquerade of Madness” by Namelessly Nightlock (Archive of Our Own)
Sometimes fanfiction writers can get a little extra creative with their stories, as demonstrated in this delightful “crack fic” that crosses over The Blacklist with Batman in Gotham. What more could you want? The summary is as follows:
The Bat has gone missing, and in his absence, the criminals of Gotham have little to fear. The GCPD is overwhelmed, and ask the FBI for assistance in finding their vigilante. With varying degrees of enthusiasm, Agents Navabi and Mojtabai are on the case. Samar believes the best way to go about solving the problem would be to, you know, actually find the guy. Meanwhile Aram, for some reason, seems set on making her dress up as a flying rodent to convince the criminals that the Bat hadn’t left at all. Oh, and some billionaire’s been kidnapped, but in the grand scheme of things, that’s probably unimportant, right?
3. “Sine Qua Non” by silraen (Archive of Our Own)
Though AU stories can reimagine characters in different professions or with slightly different personalities, they also can change a character’s backstory. This next long-form 80 chapter fic does exactly that with an exploration of Reddington. The summary is as follows:
This is an AU story where Raymond Reddington does not leave Masha Rostova’s life while she is young. After rescuing the four-year-old girl from the fire, he does leave her in Nebraska to be raised in secret by Sam, but he keeps in contact with her, physically appearing during various, important moments in her life. The two of them develop a profound bond throughout the years she matures from child to woman. But something happens to make Red immediately break off their contact for years.
It is during her FBI training when Liz learns the man she has known for most of her life, the man she called “Red,” is Raymond Reddington, the “Concierge of Crime.”Eventually Red comes out of hiding to work as an asset for the FBI–but, like in the show, this is to ultimately protect her from those who wish to hunt her down. Their relationship is shattered, and yet they both find that they are still drawn to one another. Will they be able to re-establish the bond they had made while she had been growing up? Will they be able to rebuild their trust in one another?
2. “Focal Point” by DanielDavies1978 (Archive of Our Own)
This long-form fic explores the dynamic between Liz and Reddington through 128 chapters of emotional, intense, and beautiful prose. The summary is as follows:
A dangerous serial killer targets Elizabeth Keen as the newest Blacklister hits too close to home for Red Reddington. On a personal note, Elizabeth is receiving cryptic letters of ominous warnings from a dangerous stalker which only adds to the threat. She must rely on the one person her instincts tell her she can trust. Liz finds herself inexplicably drawn closer to the only man capable of protecting her from this insidious new threat.
1. “Lines in the Sand” by Jessahme Wren (Fanfiction.net)
Considered a “classic” in The Blacklist fan fiction fandom, this multi-chapter fic is another exploration into the “Lizzington” (or Liz and Reddington) pairing. The summary is as follows:
Following the death of her father, Liz is in a dark place. Red meets her there. In their own way, they begin to heal each other.
Nerds and Scoundrels
And that concludes our Blacklist fan fiction Top 10. Did we leave anything out? If so, don’t forget to let us know in the comments! For more fanfiction, check out our 10 favorite pieces of Skyrim Fanfiction!
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