In fics that don't center on Kotetsu, he's generally relegated to silly comic relief shenanigans, with his sole contribution to the story being the biggest failure at life that humanity has ever known.
When he does take center stage, it's often a different picture. His clumsiness and silliness, and in some cases, even his friendly demeanor and kind, altruistic tendencies are merely an act--a facade to hide his Deeply Tortured Soul. Especially popular with teenagers, this type of fics often uses song lyrics which reappear in-universe as songs he listens to while tearfully composing love poetry to his dead wife. He cries constantly in private from the strain of smiling and laughing so much in front of others, usually while writing in his diary about his soul-crushing loneliness. Fanfic writers of this variety tend to dismiss any negative reviews they get, asserting that the reviewers do not understand Kotetsu's beautiful suffering the way they do.
In either case, fandom is generally agreed that Kotetsu does not have two brain cells to rub together, and writes him with the attention span of a squirrel. Things need to be explained to him in excruciating detail, and often more than once. If he figures something significant out, expect it to be of the "it's so stupid it might just work" variety. That being said, he's a fucking saint, and anyone who so much as looks at him wrong deserves to die in the most horrible ways possible. His uncertainty regarding his preincarnation's possible status as a superhero is interpreted in multiple ways, ranging from being an ineffectual coward to making him a godmoding badass who tears the bad guys apart with his bare hands.
On the flip side of the coin, Secretly Evil fics are pretty popular too, in which the kindhearted old man is actually a mole. Sometimes his Start of Darkness comes from losing his wife, and he joins the bad guys due to the Eldritch Abomination promising to bring her back. Heel Face Turns in which he discovers the error of his ways are common in these fics, though they vary between making him a real part of the ensemble cast or taking the Redemption Equals Death route.
Other times he's just a sadist who derives great pleasure from watching his fellow reincarnates suffer. He reveals he was in on Paul's death all along and ultimately sells everyone out for power.
He's often creepily shipped with the child characters on the show, often emphasizing their deep-seated daddy-issues, but there's a vocal minority that likes to put him with Julien. Some internet trolls have been known to pair him with Tamara, for the lulz. Other parts of fandom have him devoted to his dead wife to the point of disturbing obsession, and the occasional crazycakes fan who has him believe he's still with her on the astral plane. However, some fans cling to the Echo he had about someone being missing in his life, and are holding out for this mysterious character to become his love interest. Discussion on this person's possible identity often devolve into frothing debates on his sexuality.
Regardless of the pairing or lack thereof, there's always at least one joke about him not being able to get off in every fic.
Kotetsu Kaburagi
When he does take center stage, it's often a different picture. His clumsiness and silliness, and in some cases, even his friendly demeanor and kind, altruistic tendencies are merely an act--a facade to hide his Deeply Tortured Soul. Especially popular with teenagers, this type of fics often uses song lyrics which reappear in-universe as songs he listens to while tearfully composing love poetry to his dead wife. He cries constantly in private from the strain of smiling and laughing so much in front of others, usually while writing in his diary about his soul-crushing loneliness. Fanfic writers of this variety tend to dismiss any negative reviews they get, asserting that the reviewers do not understand Kotetsu's beautiful suffering the way they do.
In either case, fandom is generally agreed that Kotetsu does not have two brain cells to rub together, and writes him with the attention span of a squirrel. Things need to be explained to him in excruciating detail, and often more than once. If he figures something significant out, expect it to be of the "it's so stupid it might just work" variety. That being said, he's a fucking saint, and anyone who so much as looks at him wrong deserves to die in the most horrible ways possible. His uncertainty regarding his preincarnation's possible status as a superhero is interpreted in multiple ways, ranging from being an ineffectual coward to making him a godmoding badass who tears the bad guys apart with his bare hands.
On the flip side of the coin, Secretly Evil fics are pretty popular too, in which the kindhearted old man is actually a mole. Sometimes his Start of Darkness comes from losing his wife, and he joins the bad guys due to the Eldritch Abomination promising to bring her back. Heel Face Turns in which he discovers the error of his ways are common in these fics, though they vary between making him a real part of the ensemble cast or taking the Redemption Equals Death route.
Other times he's just a sadist who derives great pleasure from watching his fellow reincarnates suffer. He reveals he was in on Paul's death all along and ultimately sells everyone out for power.
He's often creepily shipped with the child characters on the show, often emphasizing their deep-seated daddy-issues, but there's a vocal minority that likes to put him with Julien. Some internet trolls have been known to pair him with Tamara, for the lulz. Other parts of fandom have him devoted to his dead wife to the point of disturbing obsession, and the occasional crazycakes fan who has him believe he's still with her on the astral plane. However, some fans cling to the Echo he had about someone being missing in his life, and are holding out for this mysterious character to become his love interest. Discussion on this person's possible identity often devolve into frothing debates on his sexuality.
Regardless of the pairing or lack thereof, there's always at least one joke about him not being able to get off in every fic.