Authors out there, you should consider using an overpowered character as your protagonist.
When I first started writing novels, what was it, twenty years ago now? (My how time flies), I read up on novel-writing advice. I sought it everywhere and I gathered it together. Something I saw a lot was "don't make the characters too powerful", and the similar refrain of "give your characters flaws". A character, particularly a protagonist, had to be weak, or at least weaker than their enemies. They had to be the underdog.
The general idea was that if a character was too powerful, then the story wouldn't have any tension. The character would resolve all problems with their over-poweredness. No tension = no drama, which supposedly also equals "bad story". Without exception, this advice said, a story with an overpowered protagonist was supposed to be bad. I believed it at the time. I don't anymore.
It's not bad advice, but with all writing tips, there are exceptions.
What if you don't want to write an underdog story? What if your goal isn't writing a story fueled by the question "will the protagonist triumph"? It is very possible to do that. Even with a modicum of genre savvy, one can predict that "yes, the protagonist will triumph", even if the situation seems hopeless. Why, I recall watching Mighty Ducks 2 with my class during middle school, and right at the climatic moment, when the gaming-winning move takes place, one of my classmates sarcastically said, "Oh, I thought Iceland was going to win". It was a real buzz kill. I imagine he thought himself clever, but no, he wasn't. The climatic moment was well-crafted from a narrative and thematic perspective, but totally predictable.
Authors out there, you don't have to struggle with that dilemma. There is no strict need to balance the seesaw of "Oh, this protagonist is so weak and overwhelmed, there's no way they will triumph but, yeah, they totally will, somehow". It's a thin wire to walk. You either have to build the story around setting up the character as an underdog while also setting up their path to victory in a believable way or choose a failure ending and all that implies (bitter-sweet or tragedy).
I will illustrate the exceptions with specific series that I believe best serve to help illustrate.
To start things off, No Game No Life. This is a light novel series staring a pair of human siblings, Sora and Shiro, who are collectively known as " " (in other words "Blank"). The world they live in operates on the premise of Duels Decide Everything. The One True God of this world (who is also the God of Games) decreed that all violence was forbidden, and therefore disputes would be resolved through games. This is enforced via Supernaturally Binding Contract. Sora and Shiro are the best gamers, and the series is not shy about reminding the reader about their motto, "Blank doesn't lose."
This is a story with tension. There is a LOT of tension, but the driving question is never, "will Sora and Shiro win". That is because the answer is obviously, "yes, they will". The question is HOW will they do it. That is a much more interesting question. It gets readers involved in the middle parts of the story, which basically IS the story itself. If all the reader cares about is the ending, then the potential of the beginning and middle is never fully realized. (Incidentally, I wrote a different blog post about this years ago ---> LINK)
(Full disclosure - Technically, the gamer siblings ARE underdogs, because their opponents have supernatural advantages, but the narrative doesn't seriously entertain the idea that they will lose. In fact, Sora gives a speech that is summarized as "The weak are the strongest".)
Authors out there, don't you want to write a story that grips readers with every page? For the event on that page itself to engage their full attention? Not as a percussor to an ending, but the progression to have value and meaning. That is what No Game No Life is all about. One can guess that Sora and Shiro will win, but not the moves they make to get that win.
That is the appeal of the story. Yes, the protagonist "Blank" will win. The gamer siblings approach every game with the mindset that they will win, and they do. Yet every game is thrilling.
The author doesn't have to worry about maintaining the illusion that the gamer siblings might lose. The time, energy and words that would otherwise have been devoted to that instead go into the amazing tactics, the funny running gags, the fascinating world-building, and other things far more interesting than protestations of their dire situation. Side characters might worry about their chances, but Sora and Shiro do not, and so the overall narration does not.
My original idea was to include all the examples in one post, but this one is already too long. I will cover the others in other posts. I can think of four examples right now, so this might be a 5-part series. That would be a first for me.
Look forward to it!
Update: Part 2 is ready. Click to read The Meaning of the Fight
Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).
His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.
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