#75: Edgy Scarred Characters

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Note:  I would like to give my thanks to Iceaura39 for helping me to come up with this editorial topic.  They are quite the literary genius themselves and deserve some kind attention on their account for the well balanced writing they produce themselves. Currently they are in the process of writing an original story called Aesir: Cross Wars, which is highly based off of Norse Mythology.  Go check out their story if you have the chance after reading about this literary cliché.  I am fascinated in mythological stories myself, especially those of Egyptian origin.  (Seriously, more people need to know about tales such as the conflict between Horus and Set, as well as Bastet's everyday battle battling an evil snake demon in the skies with her father Ra.)  Without any further interruptions, here is my opinion on a character cliché that I feel really needs to kick the bucket.

  Scars.  They are a feature on the most edgy of fantasy characters, especially the anti-heroes and villains.  These marks, usually going across one eye, is a symbol of a character's toughness.  Usually received in a climatic battle against the hero or in some war that took place before the events of the story, scars are a symbol of strength in the eyes of readers.  The more scars covering the body, the more edgy the character is.  This rule is an unwritten one about creating the fiercest, most powerful character you can cook up in the corners of your mind.  A scar is the difference between a relatable, edgy character or a boring as heck cardboard cutout such as the Mary Sue main character.  If you do not give your character any kind a scar, you might as well just throw away the fantasy epic you spent five years writing.  Injuries that never fully heal are always a necessary character trait, said no one ever.

  In all truthfulness, the choice of giving your character a scar is usually a bad one for various reasons.  For one, it is a character trope that by this point has gone beyond a cliché.  This character trope can be considered an epidemic equal to the zombie outbreak by now.  In almost every single piece of fantasy media, at least one character is sporting one.  These characters include Infinite the Jackal's eye scar from the video game Sonic Forces, Harry's iconic lightning bolt scar from the Harry Potter book series, and Scar, a character from The Lion King who is literally named after the iconic mark across his face.  It could cause confusion for the audience, who most often associate scars with being edgy or evil.  What is the difference character-wise between a good character like Brightheart from the Warriors book series or Freddy Kreuger from A Nightmare on Elm Street?  To someone who has no familiarity with characters such as Brightheart, whose face is half covered in scars from a terrible dog attack, they will almost always see that character initially as evil or edgy from appearances alone.  Finally, the scar has become confused with characterization from its overuse.  A feature such as a scar is considered a part of a character's general appearance.  Characterization is the character's core personality traits.  Just because a character like the evil Freddy Krueger is known primarily for their scarred appearance, it does not translate into his characterization.  Scars are not a desirable trait to add to your fantasy character.

  If you want to add a psychical character trait that will automatically make people recognize your character, scars are not the solution.  Instead, try to make the character unique through other recognizable features such as their mannerisms or other lesser used psychical attributes of the character.  L from the Death Note manga is easily recognized by his unusual sitting position and love of sweets.  Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz is most recognizable by the ruby or silver slippers she wears during her eye opening journey.  Firestar from The Warriors book series stands out due to his flame colored pelt that even has shaped prophecies.  These are just a few characters who use other psychical character traits to stand out from the crowd.  All of them do not have a scar in sight, and are memorable for unique reasons. 

  Next time you think of trying to add a scar onto your fantasy character remember this quote; when in doubt, do not use scars as your defining character feature.  That or read the editorial again.

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