Natsu is quite popular. Since he's one of the main characters, seeing him as a female brings a whole new dimension to his relationships and his fiery personality. People like to imagine how his interactions with Happy and the rest of the guild would be different.
Erza is another popular choice. As a strong and authoritative figure in the original story, changing her gender can lead to interesting scenarios. Her strength and determination would still be there, but perhaps expressed in a different way. Fans enjoy exploring how a male Erza would handle the challenges and the guild politics.
There are some 'Fairy Tail Gender Bender' fanfictions that focus on the fashion aspect. Since the characters' genders are changed, their outfits also change. Some fanfics might describe how the female version of Gray would dress and how it affects his self - image. Also, stories might revolve around how the opposite - gendered characters deal with the magic they possess, like how a female Erza might use her magic in a more delicate yet powerful way compared to her male counterpart.
Definitely Naruto himself (as the gender - bended version). Since the whole concept often revolves around him changing genders, he's at the center of most of these fanfictions. Another popular character would be Sasuke. His relationship with a gender - bended Naruto always makes for an interesting dynamic.
Definitely Harry. Since he is the main character, a gender - bent version of him can lead to many different plot twists. Fans are often interested in seeing how a female Harry would interact with the other characters and change the course of the story.
Harry himself is also a common character for gender - bending. As the main character, changing his gender can completely shift the narrative. It allows for new interpretations of his hero's journey and how he deals with the challenges of the wizarding world as a female. Fans are interested in seeing how a female Harry would handle things like the Triwizard Tournament or facing Voldemort.
One interesting idea could be the change in character dynamics. For example, if Natsu was a girl, her relationships with other characters like Lucy might take on a different, more sisterly or competitive nature. Another idea is the alteration of story arcs. A gender - bended character might approach quests and challenges in a new way, bringing fresh perspectives to the familiar Fairy Tail world.
It has a decent level of popularity. There are many fans who enjoy this genre as it offers a unique take on familiar stories. In some fandoms, it has a significant following, especially those with large and active fan communities.
Some of the popular ones include 'I'm Not a Villainess!!' and 'Your Majesty, Please Don't Kill Me Again'. They have interesting plots and engaging characters.
Obviously, the gender - bent Batman is a popular character in these fanfics. Writers often like to explore how this new version of the Dark Knight would interact with the existing Gotham City characters.
These fanfictions often encourage creativity among the fandom. Writers have to think about how a character's personality, abilities, and relationships would change if their gender was different. It also allows for more in - depth exploration of the 'Fairy Tail' universe. For example, a gender - bent character might have different goals or motivations that were not explored in the original series. This can spark discussions and debates within the fandom about the nature of the characters.