Roopnavarro Says:

Anya Kalashnikova was the first Mad Max: Fury Road OC I ever created and roleplayed. She's the Bullet Farmer's mother.

Yes, this sounds like a joke. Bear with me.

In the canonical world of MM:FR, we see the Vuvalini, also known as the Many Mothers – they're a tribe of valiant warriors who have been pushed to the margins of the Wasteland. They exist in stark contrast to the patriarchal world of the Citadel and its satellite settlements. This alone gives the fandom plenty of room to play around – and I wanted to expand upon that by exploring the idea of a powerful old woman in Immortan Joe's empire.

Anya exists in a peculiar position in her world. She is not a warlord’s wife, concubine, servant, or heir. However, befitting of the culture she lives in, her status still ultimately derives from her blood relation to a prominent man. But she was not a passive or disconnected “king mother,” she was actively responsible for the growth, morals, and psychological development of one of the most powerful men in the Wasteland.

This leaves us with so many questions — how did her beliefs and behaviors shape her child? How did she keep her son alive against seemingly insurmountable odds? How did she influence his understanding of violence, justice, and leadership? What happens when being a good mother is at odds with being a moral person in the eyes of society? How does this character defy or reinforce expectations of mothers in fiction? Stories normally tell us that genuinely devoted and loving mothers produce morally upright children — so how the hell did Anya end up raising the Bullet Farmer?

It’s a lot to digest. That’s why Anya’s at the center of a novel-length fanfic I’m currently writing.