Harkness Test
The Harkness Test is a set of informal criteria originating in Internet fan communities to determine whether it would be ethically permissible to engage in sexual intercourse with a fictional non-human character. It is most commonly referenced in discussions of fictosexuality, anthropomorphism, and erotic art representations of non-human or fantastical beings in online fandoms. The test has gained particular prominence in My Little Pony fandom circles, furry communities, and other internet subcultures that explore sexual or romantic relationships with fictional characters.
The test is named after Captain Jack Harkness, a fictional character from the television series Doctor Who and the spin-off Torchwood, who is canonically omnisexual.
Criteria
The Harkness Test stipulates that all three of the following criteria must be satisfied for a sexual interaction with a fictional non-human character to be ethically acceptable:[1]
- Does the character have human intelligence (or "greater")? (sapience)
- Can the character talk or otherwise communicate with language?
- Is the character of sexual maturity for its species?
Historical origins
Originally posted as an infographic on Fur Affinity in January 2013, the test spread via the My Little Pony imageboard Derpibooru, Reddit, and Tumblr, where users created edited versions of the original infographic applying its criteria to creatures from various fictional universes. A definition for the Harkness Test was first posted on Urban Dictionary in July 2019.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ Andrews, Collin (2023). A Craving for the Creature: A Study on Monster Fetishism and the Monstrosexual. Popular Culture (Master's thesis). Bowling Green State University.
- ↑ Anderson, Isaac (January 27, 2023). "Harkness Test". DigitalCultures. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
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