#32: The Over-Powered Character

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  One of the biggest warnings any writer will give when crafting a story is to never make a character OP.  An OP character for those who do not know is simply an over-powered character.  With whatever supernatural ability they have or had received, almost all threats facing the character are defeated simply.  This eliminates any potential tension in the fight and makes the over-powered character less relatable to the audience.  There are too many fantasy series to count that use this trope over and over again, whether to make a quick buck or because they have not developed the character enough to satisfy an audience.

  Both in and out of the comics, Superman has to be the worst example of this writing cliché.  Almost always does the hero win the fight with little to no barriers holding him back from the fight.  With his only weakness being a rock that is not even native to Earth, defeating him is virtually impossible.  There is a reason why The Death of Superman comic is beloved by many hardcore comic fans.  He shows vulnerability here and despite winning the fight against Doomsday, Superman still dies from his wounds.  The fact he fought hard to defeat a monster that was overwhelmingly stronger than him made many audiences connect with him more.  Taking away his over-powered abilities made the character stronger in the comic, thus creating an even bigger impact in the comic book community than was originally intended.  That and the fact a character many people grew up with reading died.  Even though Superman is not a fantasy character, he serves as a strong reminder of why not to create an over-powdered character.

  The best characters have strong abilities that are well balanced with a few limitations.  One of Twilight's only positive aspects was the character of Alice who could see the future.  Although her ability was strong, she was limited to only seeing the futures of vampires and humans.  Werewolves and any hybrids were impossible to see.  Wizards in the Harry Potter book series can heal injuries that would normally take weeks or even years to heal in an instant.  Their magic can even kill others.  Bringing someone back to life, stopping some curses, and immortality (without The Philosopher's Stone) are impossible.  Titans from the Attack on Titan manga are extremely powerful creatures that can heal even from decapitation in an instant, but a precise hit to the back of the neck kills them instantly.  These examples are just a few of how to balance out abilities without going overboard.

  If you still want that over-powered character though, reserve the idea for comedy or to create a strong internal conflict.  For instance, there is Saitama from The One Punch Man manga.  Although his strength is over-powdered, it is used for comedic effect, the creation of a strong internal conflict of having too much power for the character, and a nice trump card if the Hero Association is dealing with a threat that not even S-ranked heroes can face.  Not to mention his simple-minded characterization makes him relatable with the audience.  This is an over-powered character done perfect right.

 

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