This blog post may contain spoilers for various fandoms and some stories may be nsfw. You have been warned.
Fanfiction stories are a staple of any fandom. They allow fans to re-imagine all the parts of the original work they didn’t like or place their favourite characters in different situations. They allow fans to take their favourite scene and say things like “What if Shindou (Hikaru no Go) died?” or “What if Naruto became a missing nin?” and imagine how these changes might affect the entire story.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me, that the majority of fanfiction that I read is from the Harry Potter universe, or Harry Potter crossed with other fandoms. What may surprise some people, however, is that I also read, and enjoy, stories from fandoms that have no relation whatsoever to Harry Potter.
As with all fiction, some stories I have read have stayed with me longer, or given me more enjoyment, than others. Yet such things are, of course, highly subjective, and I don’t read other fandoms nearly as often as Harry Potter. If your favourite story from a featured fandom is not here, it may be that I did not enjoy it as much as you, or I may simply not have read it yet. Feel free to recommend your favourite stories from Harry Potter, Naruto, Shingeki no Kyojin, Hikaru no Go, Studio Ghibli, No.6, Supernatural, NCIS or SVU in the comments.
So, without further ado, here is my personal top ten list of fanfictions that have nothing to do with Harry Potter, from ten to one:
Number 10
Kick Off Your Stilettos (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Kick Off Your Stilettos by moon strut isn’t a brilliant piece of writing, but it isn’t bad either. Set in a modern-day supermarket with Levi Ackerman as the manager and Eren Jaeger as a new employee, this story shows the progression of a romantic relationship between Levi and Eren through the eyes of fellow employee Jean Kirstein. Kick Off Your Stilettos will have Shingeki no Kyojin fans in stitches by the time they finish reading.
Kick Off Your Stilettos is a complete one-shot with 2,386 words.
Number 9
Walking Corpse (Naruto)
At the time Walking Corpse by dazdnconfusd730 begins, we join Naruto as he approaches Konaha to warn them of an approaching danger. The catch is that nearly everyone in Konaha believes that Naruto died defeating Orichimaru ten years ago. The reactions of various characters to this stranger walking amongst them, a stranger who seems to have the confidence of the Hokage and Sasuke, are absolutely hilarious. I also enjoyed reactions to Naruto’s unveiling. As with the anime, this story will have you run the full gamut of emotions from amusement to devastation, and everything in between.
Walking Corpse is a complete story with 19 chapters and 82,511 words.
Number 8
Daddy Rooster Head (Naruto)
Daddy Rooster Head by dragon dreams is a modern AU which follows the life of talented orphan boy Naruto as he is sponsored into an expensive private school by one of his orphanage’s benefactors, who he dubs ‘Daddy Rooster Head’. This is a sweet and funny story and is unabashedly SasuNaru. I particularly like the development and interactions of the characters, especially Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke.
Daddy Rooster Head is a complete story with 18 chapters and 60,949 words.
Number 7
Before He Cheats (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Anyone who has ever been cheated on can probably relate to Before He Cheats by DatJaden. Witness Eren’s rage, and his revenge, as he watches Jean cheat on him, right before his eyes. This is a short, but hilarious, modern AU which begins as Eren/Jean, then morphs into Eren/Levi.
Before He Cheats is a complete one-shot with 2,661 words.
Number 6
A Kid Like That (Hikaru no Go)
A Kid Like That by Amber-and-Ash feels quite short when reading it. It is, despite this, an interesting and entertaining read. The story consists of a series of conversations with people who don’t recognise how serious Shindou is about Go, as well as one who did. I can’t say much more without basically re-telling the story. Suffice to say, I enjoyed this story and recommend it to fans of the anime.
A Kid Like That is a complete one-shot with 3,804 words.
Number 5
Akira no Go (Hikaru no Go)
When Shindou dies while taking a lunch break in Akira no Go by GrnEydDvl, nobody understands why Akira locks himself in his room, refusing to eat, missing games and worrying his poor mother to death. However, like Sai, Hikaru cannot bear to part from his precious Go and Akira soon emerges from his self-imposed isolation with a hyperactive ghost in tow.
Fans of Hikaru no Go will love this story. While it starts out incredibly sad (trust me, you’ll need the tissues for this one), it finishes on an uplifting note that leaves readers satisfied. The characters and situations are portrayed well and there are hints of HikaAki near the end.
Akira no Go is a complete story with 5 chapters and 8,653 words.
Number 4
Do You Remember Love (Naruto)
Do You Remember Love by DigiFruit gives Naruto’s favoured shadow clone technique an unexpected and heartbreaking consequence. Not only does each clone duplicate his body, it also duplicates his soul, and after Naruto dies, the next soul in line gets a chance to live. Think about how many clones Naruto produced in his lifetime. Think about how many times Naruto must live his life over. Waking up at the moment of the next clone’s creation, forced to relive his pain, forced to watch everything happen again and again, as changing events only serves to make things worse. This is a bittersweet story of love and loss that will have you in tears more than once.
Do You Remember Love is a complete one-shot with 16,145 words.
Number 3
10th Man Down (Alex Rider)
10th Man Down by Jusmine is short but intense. This story was recommended to me by my eldest daughter not long after I started reading fanfiction. It follows teen spy Alex Rider in his short career as an assassin. Unfortunately for Alex, he has a conscience and does not cope well with his job.
I had neither read nor watched Alex Rider at the time I first read this. That’s fine, though, you do not need to have any prior exposure to Alex Rider to understand and enjoy this story. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, that I watched the first Alex Rider movie and I intend to read the books as well. This is another emotional story that will require the good old tissue box nearby.
10th Man Down is a complete one-shot with 4,856 words.
Number 2
The Little Titan Café (Shingeki no Kyojin)
The Little Titan Café by pocketsizedtitan is a modern AU which follows the budding relationship between Eren Jaeger and Levi Ackerman. Eren is a university student who works in his mother’s café. Levi is a mysterious customer who enters the café on a whim, only to return every day to work on his laptop and observe the brat behind the counter.
I love this story. I love the writing style. I love the character development. I love the dialogue. I love pretty much everything about this story, which explains why it is so high on my list. This story is cute, fluffy and so sweet you’ll be in a constant state of “awww”. This is, hands down, the best Shingeki no Kyojin fanfiction I have read.
The Little Titan Café is a complete story with 22 chapters and 65,850 words.
Number 1
At A Ramen Stand (Naruto)
At a Ramen Stand by Somnium Lacertae is told from the point of view of the anonymous owner of a random ramen stand. One morning, he serves ramen to a passing Shinobi, who tells him his story as he eats and waits for the arrival of either his precious person or his pursuers. This is an ItaNaru story that is either heartbreaking or hopeful. Which it is depends entirely on the reader, as the author has left it up us to decide who turns up for our lonely ninja.
I love this story. I love the whole storytelling quality it has, I love that we are seeing this through the eyes of an anonymous character, and I especially love the ambiguous way it finishes. This is a must-read for any Naruto fan.
At a Ramen Stand is a complete one-shot with 7,464 words.
Well, that’s it folks. Let me know in the comment section if you agree or disagree with this list, or if you know of a story you think I should read. Until then, happy reading.
Categories: Top Tens
Rafferty's Rules is Closing Down 
What are your thoughts?