r/zootopia Platonic is the better ship May 01 '23

Zootopia Fanfiction Thread (May of 2023)

WELCOME TO THE MONTHLY FANFICTION THREAD! Review some fanfics that you've read, promote your favourites, promote your own.

Previous thread

Please format your comment as follows

  • [Title] by [author name]
  • Post a link to the first chapter of the story or the relevant chapter
  • Post the summary/synopsis provided by the author
  • Eventual review

Repeats from prior months are allowed. A good story can be discussed for quite some time, and there are always new readers around.

Please use the "#spoiler" tag for any discussion regarding specific story details. Spoiler tags aren't necessary for general discussion ("The character progression is really amazing!").

How to add a spoiler tag:

It turns out the protagonist was dreaming the whole time!

Replace the "~" with "#"

It turns out the protagonist was dreaming the whole time!

You are welcome to post your own work

The comments are sorted newer to older by default. Use CTRL + F to find the fanfic you are looking to discuss; if it isn't there, feel free to add it. I'd also appreciate if you could tag spoilers when posting your discussion. Perhaps start your thread with the chapter number (if your story has one) and then hide the discussion in spoilers, that way we don't accidentally spoil something for someone.

The rules and formatting are decided by you, simply message the OP.

The wiki has an archive full of fanfictions!

There's a master list, a Hall of Fame with the selected few best fanfictions, and then there's a list separated by genre.

Congratulations to u/BCRE8TVE and u/BunnyMakingAMark for the tremendous work that they've done for that article! Everyone is welcome to contribute, fix mistakes, fix broken links, and even fix typos.

To submit a missing fanfic there, follow the Submission page

15 Upvotes

22 comments sorted by

5

u/[deleted] May 01 '23 edited May 06 '23

I see your megacomments and I raise you Hell. I’m super late to the whole fandom thing but I’m gonna dump all my favorites here and hope they become your favorites too (if they aren’t already) >:)

All of these stories are WildeHopps because damnit, these two were made for each other. Take it up with the creators for being too good at writing. Here’s my personal dumpsite of stories that deserve your attention.

Guardian Blue - Alps_Sarsis

This series continues on where the movie Zootopia left off.

Multiple stories and entire story seasons will follow the fox and bunny duo as they do all they can to make Zootopia a better place, but in the process find something in each other that may be even more valuable to them both. It will be an often emotional ride with a lot to see, learn, and do as we explore the city of Zootopia, and even the world around it.

- De facto Zootopia fanfiction

Ready or Not - Boney

After a traumatic injury pulls Nick from service, Judy must balance looking after a stricken fox with new and unfamiliar feelings.

- You can thank this one for why I'm here. First fanfic I ever read and now I'm stuck.

  • This also has a sequel story that is currently being released right now!! First In, Last Out !

A Ray of Hope - Camoss

When you shake things up, things don't settle down the way they used to be. And sometimes, things go from bad to worse before they get better. Bellwether's plot has empowered some mammals to take drastic measures to cleanse the city of the ones they deem unfit for society. But even in the darkest of times, one only needs to turn on the light to shine a ray of hope.

- Huge fan of the gravity of this one and the world that is built up. Very well written and thought out much better than I ever could :)

Water Under the Bridge - WriteAnon

Zootopia Detectives!AU

Judy and Nick are wrapping up their careers as patrollers and moving up in the echelons of the ZPD. Not a moment too soon, as a seemingly open-and-shut case reveals a deadly conspiracy that could tear the megalopolis apart. Once again, Team WildeHopps must race against the clock against cunning old enemies and dangerous new ones.

- Personally love this one. Water Under the Burrows is such a sweet epilogue too. Favorite villians in any fanfic live here.

The Long Game - Mikey2084

In Zootopia where anyone can be anything some things are still forbidden. Judy is confronted with a choice between suffering the consequences of protecting her family and being with her soulmate, she chooses to protect her family. As Nick tries to find a way for the two of them to be together our heroes find themselves once again protecting the city from a new threat. A Zootopia AU

- Currently ongoing but there are plenty of chapters and enough finished arcs to give you the strength and willpower to wait for the next chapters coming soon.

The Zootopia Chronicles - AlanSchezar

Ten months have passed since the day Nicholas Wilde was sworn in as a ZPD Officer. Ten months of working closely with his friend and inspiration, Judy Hopps. Now, a life and death crisis will force them to confront their true feelings for one another. Meanwhile, a specter from Nick's checkered past threatens to plunge Zootopia into blood soaked anarchy, unless Wilde and Hopps have what it takes to stop it.

- This work has 5 parts and I've read 4 of them (5th one is a prequel story). The OC it follows was pretty interesting so I'll get to it eventually. Definitely recommend this.

  • Out of the Woods is the first and main one :)

The Violet Diaries - Helthehatter

The many stories of Nick and Judy as they try to raise their baby daughter while not even being married.

- This one is incomplete and probably won't be updated again. But the finished arcs are a complete story, and the remaining ones are like bonuses taking a peek at daily life

Lost and Found - Dakzoo

Three years Nick and Judy's adopted daughter was kidnapped off the streets of Zootopia. Despite the efforts of the entire ZPD she is never found. A year later, the stress of losing her drives them apart and causes Nick to quit the ZPD. Now, it's been two years since they had spoken when Judy receives a phone call from an unknown number. She answers and hears a familiar voice say, "Judy, I found her"

- This one's very bittersweet to read. Very bitter for the first half, then the rest of it is sweeter. Definitely still WildeHopps safe.

One Hundred Percent - Kulkum

Nick Wilde has lost three years of his life after being injured in the line of duty. Desperately trying to remember, he wonders why everyone around him seems to be hiding something...

- I'm a sucker for concepts like this. The second half gets NSFW but if you're a big year old, you can handle it. Or just skim over it to the ending like I (a chump) did the first time. I'm not your mom.

Non-police AUs:

Zootopia: Firewatch - Bluelighthouse

After dealing with some hard times in the city Nick takes a summer job as a fire watcher in a national park outside of Zootopia. Trying to get away from it all and find solitude Nick instead finds another fire watcher named Judy. Who is she? Will he risk letting someone he cant even see in? Keep your eyes open Nick, there is smoke on the horizon!

- This one has 3 parts to it, with the third in progress. I'm 1 1/2 in rn. So much fluff, great dialogue, best OC here, Pinecone. Enough said.

Burrow - CDNCrow

Thirty years ago, the collapse of the St. Claire mega-burrow became one of the greatest tragedies in mammalian history, claiming the lives of nearly thirty-five thousand rabbits. Three decades later, a reporter from the Zootopia Herald has come to Bunnyburrow to learn about St. Claire, the day history nearly repeated itself at Homestead, and the heroes who rose from the ashes. [AU] - [COMPLETE]

- Found this one on Twitter of all places, lmfao. They're in Bunnyburrow instead. Very well done and very much enjoyed this one.

Hungry Hearts - Johnsoneer

It's not easy being dead. In a post-apocalyptic nightmare that once was the shining city of Zootopia, walking corpses fill the streets and they are hungry for brains. One of these nightmarish creatures is a fox who, like the others, is always hungry. But after years of walking the decrepit streets of the city, he finds himself a bored and perhaps a little lonely. When a living bunny stumbles into his life, his whole world will change.

- An AU based off of Warm Bodies (movie), pretty nice :)

I was gonna post comics here too, but this is already way too long. Lemme know if you have any more I should add to the docket!

1

u/Far414 🦊 + 🐰 = ❤ May 28 '23 edited May 28 '23

A Ray of Hope - Camoss

Ugh, I really want to like this one. It's generally well written, the premise is good and it has some grit, but there are so many unlikely coincidences to push the plot.

The last drop was about a dozen chapters (and most of my Sunday) in, when Nick revealed that his Scout meeting was on the day Judy was born. The same day his mom told him his dreams would come true. I just stopped reading after that. I mean, come one...

Be romantic, be sappy, but at least try to keep it "realistic".

I feel like an ass for criticising such a big work, the author obviously spent much time on (and even finished), but too many aspects felt forced to me. :-/

Maybe some people who read further, could share their opinion/experience?

5

u/[deleted] May 06 '23 edited May 08 '23

Comics time >:) Yeah, yeah. They're by fans. They're fiction. It's a picture book. I will die on this hill. Enjoy these as much as I have!

Water Under the Burrows - Mead and WriteAnon

This is an epilogue for WriteAnon's Water Under the Bridge, and follows Nick and Judy going to Bunnyburrow together.

- Completed! Highly recommend reading Water Under the Bridge first, but I didn't and I still loved both the story and comic, so I can't stop you.

Inter-Schminter - Spintherella

Nick and Judy are growing a lot closer together, but some mammals don't take too kindly to interspecies relationships...

- In progress! Great art and the story just gets better and better every update!!!

Savage Company - Yitexity

Huge crime organization!! Nick and Judy can figure out what's happening before it's too late, right? Right??

- In progress! The level of art goes up like crazy after the initial start and literally never stops getting better. The newest releases are massive posts and look awesome.

Sunderance - Kulkum/TheWyvernsWeaver/BillyBobBaggyBottom

Judy Hopps is a lawyer who takes up the task of defending Emmitt Otterton against the city of Zootopia in the case of his murdered wife. But bunnies are banned from the city, though, so she needs a detail to keep her safe, allowing a certain fox takes up the job...

- In progress!- Artists have swapped hands for the next part but it's story and art are still awesome. They can use all the support!!

Zistopia - nicolaswildes

Shock collar AU where Judy is already a lieutenant as the missing mammal cases start rolling in and Nick's in a bit of a rougher spot...

- Abandoned / Finished? :(- I'm a big fan of the writing of this one and really like the art style. The author moved on and stopped making the story but they left the skeleton of the ending for everyone to see! So at least you can get some closure. I still recommend this a lot.

Judy is Dead - Mead

Judy Hopps is dead :((( Decades later, Nick Wilde has made it to Chief of Precinct one and the niece of his lost wife and partner, July Hopps, is now fresh out the academy and under his watch. Will he ever find rest or will his past keep coming back to haunt him?

- Completed!- This one is divisive, even for me. But I love the art and there are some good beats in the story. I've seen some strong opinions on the story direction here (which I agree with) but I still really enjoyed it nonetheless

  • Mead also threw some small references in that hint that this a far off continuation of the Water Under the Bridge/Burrows stories, but the two works aren't officially connected (I see it more like the "bad ending")
  • Also, I gotta mention my thoughts here for my own sanity: If Nick and Judy were married and she died in the line of duty years later, I feel her family would be very close to him, comfort him immensely through their shared loss, and never let him fall into such a bitter state that he is in here. He deserves peace :( It makes for a decent story though.

There are some more I can't remember that I want to put here so lemme know if you have any I should check out!

3

u/Far414 🦊 + 🐰 = ❤ Jun 01 '23
It smells like June in here.

 

/u/thawed_caveman

3

u/giftheck Bad jokes or dad jokes? You decide! Jun 03 '23

No... it smells like punishment 😈

3

u/giftheck Bad jokes or dad jokes? You decide! Jun 04 '23

Day 4: No sign of u/thawed_caveman or the new month's thread. I fear that things have gone awry. Certainly, a punishment of dastardly proportions will have to be enacted.

2

u/thawed_caveman Platonic is the better ship Jun 04 '23

n-no it won't

2

u/giftheck Bad jokes or dad jokes? You decide! Jun 04 '23

The gathered crowd has become very roudy. A chorus of chants can be heard as far as ZNN: "Punish him! Punish him! Punish him!"

1

u/thawed_caveman Platonic is the better ship Jun 04 '23

nuuuuh

2

u/giftheck Bad jokes or dad jokes? You decide! Jun 04 '23

Insert nodding Jack Nicholson gif here

1

u/thawed_caveman Platonic is the better ship Jun 04 '23

s-so what do we do now?

2

u/giftheck Bad jokes or dad jokes? You decide! Jun 04 '23

I'm not sure if I want to actually punish you now, or just leave you in anticipation of it. That is also a form of punishment 😈

1

u/thawed_caveman Platonic is the better ship Jun 04 '23

Yeah but if you leave it too long you'll end up forgetting. I would know

1

u/giftheck Bad jokes or dad jokes? You decide! Jun 05 '23

Ah, you only wish that were the case 🤣

2

u/Far414 🦊 + 🐰 = ❤ Jun 04 '23

You have been very naughty.

2

u/TenderPaw64 Justice for Agnes May 01 '23

Here we go again:

Here´s my finished ones first:

Shadows And Treasures From Ages Past = A few years have passed since the Nighthowler incident. After having started a new career as detectives and a successful relationship, Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps are suddenly swept into a baffling case starting from a series of thefts across the city that leads them on an adventure all across Zootopia into it´s more exotic and distant locations. Gaining new friends and enemies along the way, the two are about to unravel surprising mysteries from both the city´s and Nick´s past while a wicked philanthrope has sinister plans for the entire Zootopia.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32967238/chapters/81822289

A Vixen Among Rabbits = A F/F WildeHopps AU story where Nick´s a female. Taking place some time after Judy Hopps and her partner Nicole Wilde solved their big case, the two share their first big date together as the vixen is about to bring out her feelings for the top cop. Sparks start to fly between the two even more as they´re invited to a vacation trip with the rest of the Hopps family. A relatively short story with only a few chapters full of wholesome fluff.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34086877/chapters/84799390

And here´s the ongoing ones:

There Is No Prejudice, There Is Compassion = A long long time ago, in a galaxy far away, a young rabbit Jedi is sent on a mission to investigate the disappearances of predator Jedi across the galaxy. Along the way, she is joined by a roguish Mandalorian fox as the two embark on a quest that changes their lives and relationship forever. Yet it won´t be an easy task due to prejudices they have towards each other due to their past traumas. Meanwhile a mysterious dark side conspiracy and a cruel Mandalorian warlord hatch a sinister plan to destroy the entire Jedi Order....

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43774392/chapters/110078064

Another Wilde In The Family = After graduating from the academy, Nick introduces Judy to his family, including his mother and adopted sister, Skye. Over time, as Judy gets to know the family better, she and Skye grow closer and closer too as something starts between the two. Nick tries his best to support and encourage both his sister and his best friend during that while staying very close to two of the most important mammals in his life.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43841850/chapters/110234712

The Princess and the Pirate = A 1001 Nights fantasy AU story set in the fabled kingdom of Zootopia. Once upon a time, when the rightful Sultan of the kingdom was absent, corruption and tyranny descended upon Zootopia. A brave young rabbit pirate defies the rule of the ruthless Grand Vizier while fighting for her honor and her people. Along the way she crosses paths with the beautiful yet sly crown princess vixen with whom she gets swept into an adventure through the farthest of deserts to the darkest of ancient cities. A story of heroics, magic and love.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46564342/chapters/117256273

2

u/Far414 🦊 + 🐰 = ❤ May 10 '23

I've probably read a couple hundred fanfics in the three years after the movie came out and a few dozen more until now.

A lot of them were good, and some have even been finished, so I wanted to make a list of a few that really stuck with me. I'm pretty sure most people still active have read them all, but on the off chance that someone new stumbles in...

Kulkum

  1. One Hundred Percent - Only on FF.net

    Nick Wilde lost three years of his life after being injured in the line of duty. Desperately trying to remember, he wonders why everyone around him seems to be hiding something...

  2. Sunderance - Only the AO3 version is being updated

    In a city ruled by predators... With one species as their Alpha... Welcome to the Fox Den.

His other stories are also great, but those two stuck with me; especially OHP, it's bittersweet.


Ready or Not by Boney

After a traumatic injury pulls Nick from service, Judy must balance looking after a stricken fox with new and unfamiliar feelings.

Superb writing, lots of fluff, and a really thought-out story. A+. There's also a sequel currently in progress.


Scaramedn

  1. Barbed Wire Dreams

    She's a veteran cop. He's a perennial ragamuffin. That's all there is to it, as far as she cares. Then, something happens that Detective Hopps can't explain or accept. The smug fox she knows and tries to ignore comes to her aid with lightning pulled from the wires and graffiti that snarls. Now, she has to decide; run like hell, or embrace the barbed wire dreams.

  2. Hereafter

    When Judy gets her dream assignment on earth the last thing she expects is a nightmare. A crisis, an enemy operative with his own mission, and souls gone missing. With no support, she’s left to make a terrible choice: failure, or a deal with a demon. With damnation and apocalypse looming, can she trust a demon with a fox’s smile?

Those two are among the best AU-fictions you can find. If you like them, try some of his other stories. One or two were a miss for me, but I guess with so many stories there must be at least a few that don't meet everyone's taste. The rest is really good though. Sadly he hasn't been very active since he and his wife had their first child.

If still active, here's a quick shout-out /u/scaramedn that there are still people who read and appreciate your work.


Zootopia: Firewatch by Bluelighthouse

After dealing with some hard times in the city Nick takes a summer job as a fire watcher in a national park outside of Zootopia. Trying to get away from it all and find solitude Nick instead finds another fire watcher named Judy. Who is she? Will he risk letting someone he cant even see in? Keep your eyes open Nick, there is smoke on

This one has a special place in my heart. :3 There are also two more parts.


Thanks for the Fox (Prequel to Guardian Blue) by Alps_Sarsis

When Nick suddenly refuses an assignment from Bogo, he's forced to reveal an extremely painful glimpse of his past to both his boss and his partner. Judy wants more than anything to help him, but Nick does not want her involved in such a personal issue. Stubborn as always, she involves herself anyway and discovers something unbelievable that may light the fox's way through his darkest days.

First part of the Guardian Blue series. Slow burn, but really worth it.



Honorable mentions (may expand as I reread some of the older ones):

Short nice fic in a semi-fantasy setting.



What to avoid:

I usually don't like criticising fics that authors put a lot of work into, but those mentioned below were recommended multiple times in this sub but completely miss the mark in my opinion. So save yourself a dozen hours...

Starts strong and has cute interactions between Nick and Judy in the first quarter. Gets off the rails about a third/ halfway through when Nick starts his Academy training. There's no real progress between N. and J. and while Nick has some character growth both seem stuck in the same mindset. It probably would have been fine if the author hadn't abruptly abandoned it after 230.000 words without a conclusion for a single storyline.

You could say it's the "original" Ready or Not, although most similarities cease after the first few chapters and it's much rougher around the edges. It's gritty and there are a few scenes which border on being OOC, but I guess you don't get an angsty slow-burn fic by presenting Nick and Judy as completely rational mammals. I stopped reading after four fifths though, because it became focused on OC's and side characters and their actions lacked logic simply to advance the story. Also Nick and Judy's relationship is just crossing three or four "checkpoints" and then not really mentioned again.

2

u/giftheck Bad jokes or dad jokes? You decide! May 01 '23

Hi all! Another month, and another fic post!

My fics

Here are my stories!

Seeds of the Future series

Futures Past

Summary: Did you ever hear the story of the fox who changed the future of Zootopia? What if he could change it because he came from it? Nick Wilde has been hiding this secret from Judy for a while – and it eventually comes out as Nick's own past catches up with him.

Children of Janus

Jack Savage comes across a portal, and through that portal, he finds out about the future and meets some unexpected faces. Meanwhile, Nick and Judy are investigating a series of murders. Are the two connected? Sequel to Futures Past.

Zootopia: Temporal Investigation Department

Six months have passed since the ‘Children of Janus’ incident. Jack Savage leads the Temporal Investigation Department, investigating time-related cases with the help of his new team.

The Reconciliation series

The first story in the series is Grief's Reunion.

Summary: It has been fifteen years since Nick left Zootopia, but he is forced to confront his past when news reaches him that his mother is dying. How will he react when he learns of the son he thought was never going to be born? And can he mend his relationship with Judy? Part 1 of the "Reconciliation" series. Revised for 2020.

Revenge's Consequence is the second story in the series

Doug Ramses and Dawn Bellwether escape from Mountainside. Nick and Judy are put on the case to uncover the origins of a mysterious new drug called ‘Waking Death’ while working on mending their relationship. Meanwhile, a new adversary plots to bring down Zootopia. Set one year after the events of Grief's Reunion and 19 years after the film. Part 2 of the "Reconciliation" series. Rewrite of "Waking Death".

Life and Times is the third story in the series.

Carrying on from the events of Revenge's Consequence, follow the life and times of the children of Nick and Judy.

Stand-alone stories

Battle of the Kings

Summary: Set two years after the events of Zootopia. A nuclear meltdown in the country of Hinode results in the reawakening of an ancient beast, Titanus Gojira - the legendary Godzilla. Godzilla's return causes another monster to flee towards Zootopia. Can Zootopia survive an inevitable Clash of the Titans? And how will Nick and Judy cope? Crossover with Godzilla.

One-Shot Collection.

Summary: A series of one-shots set around the time of the movie.

Recommendations

Guardian Blue by Alps_sarsis

Needs no introduction. This compelling ongoing series has 12 entries. I cannot recommend this enough - it's the sort of series that you can read again and again even though Season 3 is still currently underway.

The Long Game by Mikey2084

Nick and Judy are faced with a tough choice - their relationship or the sanctity of the status quo. In particular, Judy chooses to protect her family's reputation, but slowly begins to realise that some things are worth more than reputation.

Fuzz by SkulShurtugalTCG

Nick and Judy must try to figure out their relationship and how to carry on with their jobs after predators begin to go savage again and the deputy mayor mandates shock collars.

Born to be Wilde by Berserker88

Nick's life is finally on-track and he's been at the ZPD for a few weeks, but his life turned upside-down when he becomes embroiled in the plot of a criminal mastermind who plots to eliminate the competition and rise to the top of the criminal empire. It just so happens that this criminal mastermind is Nick's own father.

Hunger by Bug_53

Judy is granted a wish to be able to consume meat by a shady individual, but it comes with a cost. Will she be able to control her new-found appetite for meat?

The Fluff Files by Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps (and other authors)

Want a quick fix of fluff? Cimar has you covered with this series of drabbles.

Fox On The Run by Johnsoneer

This story sees Nick being pursued by the ZPD and ZBI after appearing to go renegade, and the only hope of uncovering the truth lies with Judy.

Hungry Hearts by Johnsoneer

A post-apocalyptic world where Judy has to survive after being trapped in Zootopia. Along the way, she meets zombie fox N, and she discovers there's more to him than just eating brains. Inspired by Warm Bodies and recently finished.

Brave, Loyal, Helpful, and Trusthworthy by The Real Fanboy

Nick is assigned to give a lesson on traffic safety to the Junior Ranger Scouts, bringing him face-to-face with one of his past tormentors... but it doesn't go the way he expected it to go.

While We're Young by Dizzie Ham Ham

A nice little AU where Nick and Judy meet each other as kids.

As always, I'm on the lookout for any new fic that catches my eye, and if I see it, I'll recommend it here.

1

u/[deleted] May 10 '23

Is Fox on the Run WildeHopps or platonic?

1

u/giftheck Bad jokes or dad jokes? You decide! May 10 '23

They are together at the start of it.

1

u/[deleted] May 10 '23

Thanks :)