Omegaverse, also called A/B/O or α/β/Ω (short for "alpha/beta/omega"), is a type of fiction that includes romantic or sexual themes. This genre imagines a system where humans have roles similar to those of wolves and other wild dogs. These roles are called dominant "alphas," neutral "betas," and submissive "omegas." In Omegaverse stories, these roles influence how people interact in romantic, sexual, and emotional situations. While similar ideas appeared in books from the 1960s, the Omegaverse genre officially began in the 2010s as a part of erotic fan fiction about same-sex relationships. It combines elements from werewolf stories and a story style called "mpreg," where male characters become pregnant.

Genre characteristics

Works in the Omegaverse genre usually show characters with two sexes: a primary sex (male or female) based on their external body parts, and a secondary sex that appears during puberty, determined by their internal reproductive system. The secondary sex is often one of the following, each linked to specific traits:

• Alpha (α): socially and sometimes biologically dominant, physically strong, short-tempered, and naturally leadership-oriented;
• Beta (β): either a typical human, or has a mix of Alpha and Omega traits, or unique traits;
• Omega (Ω): submissive and gentle, calm, and a peacemaker.

Characters often display behaviors similar to wolves or other canid animals, especially during sexual interactions. These behaviors are described as instinctual, driven by physical and biological signals. This includes mating periods, pheromonal attraction between Alphas and Omegas, penises with knots (used to "tie" partners during mating, called "knotting"), scent marking, imprinting, breeding, mating rituals, pack structures, and possible lifelong mental connections with partners. Between Alphas and Betas, only females can become pregnant, but male Omegas are often shown as able to become pregnant through a uterus connected to the rectum. Alphas can impregnate others regardless of their main gender. Male Omegas often have naturally lubricated anuses to make penetration and pregnancy easier.

The Omegaverse genre’s abstract ideas might place it in the fantasy category, as defined by Tzvetan Todorov, but its detailed features suggest it could be a distinct literary genre. Since Omegaverse is a type of folksonomy, some aspects may be included or excluded by the story’s author. Sometimes Betas are not included, or other roles like Deltas and Gammas are added. The genre often includes other fantasy elements, such as werewolves or other mythical creatures. Some stories show a strict social hierarchy, with Alphas as elite leaders and Omegas at the bottom, facing discrimination due to their biology. This reflects biological determinism. In darker stories, this can lead to non-consensual or questionable sexual acts, forced pregnancies, kidnapping of Omegas, or sexual slavery.

Omegaverse stories most often focus on male-male relationships between Alphas and Omegas, though heterosexual stories exist. In 2013, about 10% of Omegaverse works on the fan fiction site Archive of Our Own (AO3) were labeled male/female. Some stories challenge typical genre ideas, such as showing illegal relationships between Alphas, Omegas hiding their scent to avoid discrimination, or dominant Omegas and submissive Alphas. Japanese Omegaverse stories often include non-traditional relationships.

The terms "A/B/O" and "Omegaverse" are sometimes used interchangeably. "A/B/O" usually refers to the sexual dynamics, while "Omegaverse" is preferred when the story is set in a new world with unique rules. Some people avoid using "A/B/O" because it sounds similar to the racial slur "abo."

History

The themes found in the Omegaverse genre are not unique to it. These ideas appear in many types of media, but they became especially common in the Omegaverse, as described by Professor Kristina Busse as "a seemingly perfect storm." The idea of humans having mating cycles was first introduced in the 1967 Star Trek episode "Amok Time," which featured the Vulcan concept of pon farr, a mating cycle where Vulcan males must mate or face death. This idea became popular in Star Trek fan fiction, especially stories about the Kirk/Spock relationship. In 1969, Ursula K. Le Guin wrote The Left Hand of Darkness, a novel about an alien world with characters who change genders and have a mating cycle called kemmer. Stories about animal transformations, such as werewolves, appear in works like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, Teen Wolf, and Harry Potter, with the last's fan community popularizing certain themes.

The Omegaverse originated from the Supernatural fandom, combining werewolf ideas with a type of fan fiction called mpreg. Another possible influence was the Dark Angel series, where actor Jensen Ackles played characters with feline DNA, and female characters experienced heat cycles. In mid-2010, a writing prompt on a Supernatural fan site described "alpha" males with a physical feature and "bitch males" without it, inspiring a story about actors Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as an Alpha and Omega. Though it did not use the term "omega," this story introduced many Omegaverse traits.

By November 2010, other writers shared similar ideas, and a prompt first used the terms Alpha, Beta, and Omega. By June 2011, the term "Omegaverse" became widely used, and the first story focused on female characters in the genre was published. Soon after, the genre spread to fan communities centered on Sherlock, X-Men: First Class, Hannibal, Teen Wolf, Glee, Doctor Who, and The Avengers. A Chinese translation of an A/B/O Sherlock fan fiction in 2011 introduced the Omegaverse to Chinese fan circles, later influencing danmei novels.

In 2012, the idea of "fated mates" was introduced. By 2014, the genre gained popularity in Japan, and the first A/B/O manga was published in 2015. In 2016, the roles and relationships between Alphas, Betas, and Omegas were defined, along with the concept of a mark or bite that connects couples. In 2018, the "inner wolf," a primal instinct guiding Alphas and Omegas, was added. Manga artist Shinshi Nakai later introduced a character type called "Enigma" in Kanraku Alpha Enigma, but this idea was not widely accepted by fans.

Reception and analysis

Omegaverse has become very popular and debated among fans. Some people criticize it, saying it supports ideas that favor men over women and promotes harmful attitudes about relationships, because it has roots in stories about animals and shows unequal power between genders. Others believe it challenges traditional ideas about bodies and gender roles, offering ways to explore themes like queer identity and how people are treated unfairly.

Academic experts have different views. Some say the Omegaverse reinforces old ideas about how gender should be, along with harmful attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people. Others think it can be understood as related to transgender experiences. Delgado Díaz, Ubillus Breña, and Cappello argue that the Omegaverse is not directly connected to ideas about queer theory or transgender identity, even though it includes symbols about gender and the female experience. In this genre, characters called Omegas, whether male or female, often represent traditional roles like caring for a home or family, but these roles are used as settings for stories that range from emotional dramas to horror.

Researcher Milena Popova explains that the A/B/O genre lets writers and readers explore topics like power, desire, and consent in many ways. It helps people think about how consent works in unequal relationships. Similarly, Laura Campillo Arnaiz says that dark Omegaverse stories help people deal with feelings of helplessness and shame, creating a sense of relief.

Academic Paige Hartenburg suggests the Omegaverse is linked to LGBTQ+ experiences and stories that try to fix or change harmful ideas. She says the genre shows how queerness affects the body, with its themes of violence and traditional gender roles responding to larger systems that try to control who has power in storytelling. She also notes that the genre has both issues, like its focus on male-dominated ideas, and reflects challenges faced by LGBTQ+ communities.

Angie Fazekas wrote that in the Omegaverse, fans use common ideas about gender and sexuality to imagine a world where queer relationships are normal and traditional roles are changed. However, she points out that these stories often focus on relationships between white men, which limits their progressiveness compared to other fan fiction.

Impact

The Omegaverse became very popular in 2017 and is now often written about in fan fiction. By July 2018, more than 39,000 Omegaverse fan works had been posted on AO3, and by 2023, this number had grown to over 165,000. In addition to these stories based on existing works, the Omegaverse has become its own type of original commercial erotic fiction. For example, about 200 Omegaverse novels were published on Amazon between January and June 2020. It has also become a subgenre of both commercial and non-commercial yaoi (a type of manga that features male-male relationships). Because the Omegaverse was well-received in Japan, South Korea began creating its own Omegaverse manhwas (Korean comics). China also started producing Omegaverse stories, but strict censorship laws in China have limited how widely the genre has grown there.

In 2017, a subgenre called the "Dom/Sub Universe" became popular, especially in Japanese yaoi works. This subgenre uses elements of BDSM (a set of practices involving power dynamics) and treats dominant and submissive roles as secondary genders. It also takes ideas from the Omegaverse, such as how social classes or groups are shown. In the "Cakeverse," a small part of the human population is divided into two groups: "forks," who cannot taste anything, and "cakes," who have a specific flavor that makes them very attractive to "forks."