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MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading MFS® New Discovery Value Portfolio Summary of Key Information
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The fund’s investment objective is to seek capital appreciation.

Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay when you hold shares of the fund. If the fees and expenses imposed by the insurance company that issued your variable contracts or other eligible investor through which the fund is offered were included, your expenses would be higher.
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment):
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These transaction costs, which are not reflected in “Annual Fund Operating Expenses” or in the “Example,” affect the fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 44% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 44.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. If the fees and expenses imposed by the insurance company that issued your variable contracts or other eligible investor through which an investment in the fund is made were included, your expenses would be higher.

The example assumes that: you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and you redeem your shares at the end of the time periods; your investment has a 5% return each year; and the fund’s operating expenses remain the same.

Expense Example by, Year, Caption [Text] rr_ExpenseExampleByYearCaption Although your actual costs will likely be higher or lower, under these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

MFS (Massachusetts Financial Services Company, the fund's investment adviser) normally invests the fund’s assets primarily in equity securities. Equity securities include common stocks, depositary receipts, equity interests in real estate investment trusts (REITs), and other securities that represent an ownership interest (or right to acquire an ownership interest) in a company or other issuer.

MFS focuses on investing the fund's assets in the stocks of companies it believes are undervalued compared to their perceived worth (value companies).

While MFS may invest the fund’s assets in securities of companies of any size, MFS primarily invests in securities of companies with small capitalizations.

MFS may invest the fund’s assets in foreign securities.

MFS normally invests the fund's assets across different industries and sectors, but MFS may invest a significant percentage of the fund's assets in issuers in a single industry or sector.

MFS uses an active bottom-up investment approach to buying and selling investments for the fund. Investments are selected primarily based on fundamental analysis of individual issuers. Quantitative screening tools that systematically evaluate issuers may also be considered.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance Information
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The bar chart and performance table below are intended to provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing changes in the fund’s performance over time and how the fund's performance over time compares with that of (i) a broad measure of market performance and (ii) the performance of an additional index that the adviser believes more closely reflects the market segments in which the fund invests.

The fund’s past performance does not necessarily indicate how the fund will perform in the future. Updated performance is available at mfs.com or by calling 1-877-411-3325. If the fees and expenses imposed by the insurance company that issued your variable contracts or other eligible investor through which an investment in the fund is made were included, they would reduce the returns shown.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart and performance table below are intended to provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing changes in the fund’s performance over time and how the fund's performance over time compares with that of (i) a broad measure of market performance and (ii) the performance of an additional index that the adviser believes more closely reflects the market segments in which the fund invests.
Performance Availability Phone [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone 1-877-411-3325
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress mfs.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The fund’s past performance does not necessarily indicate how the fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Initial Class Bar Chart.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

The total return for the three-month period ended March 31, 2025, was (5.38)%. During the period(s) shown in the bar chart, the highest quarterly return was 31.09% (for the calendar quarter ended December 31, 2020) and the lowest quarterly return was (34.08)% (for the calendar quarter ended March 31, 2020).
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Performance Table.
Average Annual Return, Caption rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption Average Annual Total Returns (For the Periods Ended December 31, 2024)
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Principal Risks  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock

Principal Risks

As with any mutual fund, the fund may not achieve its objective and/or you could lose money on your investment in the fund. An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.

The principal risks of investing in the fund are:
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Risk Lose Money [Member]  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock As with any mutual fund, the fund may not achieve its objective and/or you could lose money on your investment in the fund.
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Risk Not Insured [Member]  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Investment Selection Risk  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock

Investment Selection Risk: MFS' investment analysis and its selection of investments may not produce the intended results and/or can lead to an investment focus that results in the fund underperforming other funds with similar investment strategies and/or underperforming the markets in which the fund invests. In addition, to the extent MFS considers quantitative tools in managing the fund, such tools may not produce the intended results.

MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Equity Market Risk/Company Risk  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock

Equity Market Risk/Company Risk: Equity markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to changes in, or investor perceptions of, issuer, market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions. These conditions can affect a single issuer or type of security, issuers within a broad market sector, industry or geographic region, or the equity markets in general. Certain events can have a dramatic adverse effect on equity markets and may lead to periods of high volatility in an equity market or a segment of an equity market. The value of an investment held by the fund may decline due to factors directly related to the issuer.
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Value Company Risk  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock

Value Company Risk: The stocks of value companies can continue to be undervalued for long periods of time and not realize their expected value and can be more volatile than the market in general.
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Small Cap Risk  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock

Small Cap Risk: The stocks of small cap companies can be more volatile and their shares can be less liquid than those of larger companies.
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Foreign Risk  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock

Foreign Risk: Exposure to foreign markets through issuers or currencies can involve additional risks relating to market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions. These factors can make foreign investments, especially those tied economically to countries with developing economies or countries subject to sanctions or the threat of new or modified sanctions, more volatile and less liquid than U.S. investments. In addition, foreign markets can react differently to these conditions than the U.S. market.
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | REITs Risk  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock

REITs Risk: The risks of investing in REITs include certain risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general, regional and local economic conditions; difficulties in valuing and disposing of real estate; fluctuations in interest rates and property tax rates; shifts in zoning laws, environmental regulations and other governmental action; cash flow dependency; increased operating expenses; lack of availability of mortgage funds; losses due to natural disasters; overbuilding; losses due to casualty or condemnation; changes in property values and rental rates; the management skill and creditworthiness of the REIT manager; and other factors. The securities of smaller real estate-related issuers can be more volatile and less liquid than securities of larger issuers and their issuers can have more limited financial resources.
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Focus Risk  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock

Focus Risk: Issuers in a single industry, sector, country, or region can react similarly to market, currency, political, economic, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions, and the fund's performance will be affected by the conditions in the industries, sectors, countries, and regions to which the fund is exposed.

MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Liquidity Risk  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock

Liquidity Risk: It may be difficult to value, and it may not be possible to sell, certain investments, types of investments, and/or investments in certain segments of the market, and the fund may have to sell certain of these investments at prices or times that are not advantageous in order to meet redemptions or other cash needs.

MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Large Shareholder Risk  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk [Text Block] rr_RiskTextBlock

Large Shareholder Risk: From time to time, shareholders of the fund (which may include institutional investors, financial intermediaries, or other MFS funds) may make relatively large redemptions or purchases of fund shares. These transactions may cause the fund to sell securities or invest additional cash, as the case may be, at disadvantageous prices. Redemptions of a large number

of shares also may increase transaction and other costs or have adverse tax consequences for shareholders of the fund by requiring a sale of portfolio securities. Purchases of a large number of shares may adversely affect the fund's performance to the extent that it takes time to invest new cash and the fund maintains a larger cash position than it ordinarily would.
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Russell 3000® Index  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Russell 3000® Index
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 23.81%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 13.86%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 12.55%
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Russell 2000® Value Index  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Russell 2000® Value Index
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 8.05%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 7.29%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 7.14%
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Initial Class Shares  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Trading Symbol dei_TradingSymbol N/A
Management Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.90%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.26%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.16%
Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.28%) [1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.88%
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination April 30, 2026
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 90
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 341
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 611
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,384
Annual Return 2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015 (2.66%)
Annual Return 2016 rr_AnnualReturn2016 27.17%
Annual Return 2017 rr_AnnualReturn2017 15.24%
Annual Return 2018 rr_AnnualReturn2018 (10.78%)
Annual Return 2019 rr_AnnualReturn2019 33.65%
Annual Return 2020 rr_AnnualReturn2020 4.19%
Annual Return 2021 rr_AnnualReturn2021 34.05%
Annual Return 2022 rr_AnnualReturn2022 (10.96%)
Annual Return 2023 rr_AnnualReturn2023 11.46%
Annual Return 2024 rr_AnnualReturn2024 9.52%
Year to Date Return, Label rr_YearToDateReturnLabel The total return for the three-month period ended
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate Mar. 31, 2025
Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel highest quarterly return
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2020
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 31.09%
Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel lowest quarterly return
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Mar. 31, 2020
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (34.08%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 9.52%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 8.71%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 9.95%
MFS New Discovery Value Portfolio | Service Class Shares  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Trading Symbol dei_TradingSymbol N/A
Management Fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.90%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.26%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.41%
Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.28%) [1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.13%
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination April 30, 2026
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 115
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 419
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 744
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,667
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 9.18%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 8.40%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 9.67%
[1] Massachusetts Financial Services Company (MFS) has agreed in writing to waive at least 0.01% of the fund's management fee as part of an agreement pursuant to which MFS has agreed to reduce its management fee by a specified amount if certain MFS mutual fund assets exceed thresholds agreed to by MFS and the fund's Board of Trustees. The agreement to waive at least 0.01% of the management fee will continue until modified by the fund's Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue until at least April 30, 2026. MFS has agreed in writing to bear the fund’s expenses, excluding interest, taxes, extraordinary expenses, brokerage and transaction costs, certain tax reclaim recovery expenses (including contingency fees and closing agreement expenses), and investment-related expenses (such as interest and borrowing expenses incurred in connection with the fund's investment activity), such that “Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses” do not exceed 0.88% of the class' average daily net assets annually for Initial Class shares and 1.13% of the class' average daily net assets annually for Service Class shares. This written agreement will continue until modified by the fund's Board of Trustees, but such agreement will continue until at least April 30, 2026.