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twistedtummies2 · 2 years

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Good & Evil - Flawed Heroes

Welcome to Good & Evil: A Study of Heroes & Villains. I’m discussing different forms of heroic and villainous characters, different types of protagonists and antagonists, and providing examples of them each from various sources. We’ve covered the basic building blocks of the “Hero” and “Villain” archetypes, so now, let’s start getting a bit more complex. Today’s topic: Flawed Heroes. To begin with, it must be said that the phrase “Flawed Heroes” is somewhat unspecific. On a technical level, most heroic protagonists worth their salt have flaws of some kind: if they didn’t, there would really be no conflict or tension. After all, if they were completely perfect, the story would be over quite quickly. However, the specific flaws we’re speaking of are internal ones: less physical and more mental or emotional. While simple Heroes are essentially role model figures who will always make the right choice, no matter what, Flawed Heroes are characters who either will EVENTUALLY make the right choice, or else will always make the right choice, but not always for the right reasons or in the right way. They have personal issues that they need to tackle, lessons they need to learn, or simply go about things in a way that might not always be the most agreeable.

The most classical example of the Flawed Hero, I would say, is Sherlock Holmes. From the books on through virtually every noteworthy incarnation, Holmes is the quintessential Flawed Hero. He is the tenacious detective who will always bring justice to those who deserve it, and he will, in the end, always catch the right target. However, he won’t always be NICE when he goes about it: Holmes is mercurial, antisocial, obsessive, rude, arrogant, eccentric (if not, indeed, half-mad), and has an addiction to drugs, among other less-than-savory habits and traits. While he also generally avoids bloodshed, he’s not above allowing people to die, or even - if absolutely necessary - killing them himself, provided it is the only way to bring a case to a happy close. However, therein lies Holmes’ integrity: despite his many, MANY unhealthy and unpleasant behaviors, he is a person who - deep down - values life and morality. He will always try to bring a case to a non-lethal close, always try to do what is best for everyone involved, and will never ignore anyone who has a problem worth his time. Holmes is not a perfect person…but he is a good man, even if he doesn’t recognize it, himself.

A similar situation can be found in the central character of the BBC sci-fi series “Doctor Who,” the time-travelling alien known only as The Doctor. The Doctor has been played by many actors over the decades, and each incarnation differs from the last in some greater or lesser degree. However, one thing that all the Doctors have in common are these three facts: all of them are a pack of weirdos, all of them have egos, and all of them have the propensity to do morally questionable things in the name of a good cause. While some versions of the Doctor are nicer than others, for lack of a better way of putting it, none of them are perfect people without flaws or personal issues. However, regardless of their faults and troubles, each Doctor consistently proves to be well-meaning, and values fairness and kindness. To paraphrase a line from the show, the Doctor may not always ACT like a good person, but he (or she, in number 13’s case) will always TRY to be.

If Superman is the quintessential Hero of DC Comics, then I would argue Batman, a.k.a. Bruce Wayne, is the quintessential FLAWED Hero for the same company. Much like Superman, Batman has been reimagined and reinvented numerous times, and some versions sway to different areas of the scale (Adam West’s Caped Crusader is more of a classic Hero, while Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight is more of an Anti-Hero), but at his core, I think Batman stands as a character who is pretty uch heroic, but still has problems. Disregarding his lack of conventional superpowers, Bruce Wayne has several issues as a person: he’s obsessive, depressive, cynical, and at times curt or even cold. While he typically abhors outright murder, he has fewer problems maiming or just scaring the daylights out of criminals who encounter him, and the zealous, at times militaristic passion he has when warring on crime can, at times, seem overwhelming. However, at his heart, Bruce Wayne is not only a good man, but a man many wish they could be: he is charitable, much more caring than he lets on, and while his methods are unorthodox, he is rarely truly cruel or callous. Bruce Wayne has issues, but he is not in any way a villainous figure. He stands as a beacon of goodness in a dark world…he’s just not always the easiest beacon to get along with.

While Batman, The Doctor and Sherlock Holmes are relatively “static” in their flaws - by which I mean, they are characters where the issues are constant pretty much from beginning to end - a very common pattern with Flawed Heroes is their tendency to evolve and become True Heroes. Very often, these protagonists will start off as people who do not make the right choices, but - after facing various trials and learning various lessons - they ultimately DO make the right decision at the most crucial point in the story, and thus prove their mettle, becoming a Real Hero as they overcome temptation. Sometimes they will be presented these temptations over and over again, but they will - inevitably - either resist or at least take something away from these roads that should not be traveled. I can think of no finer example of this type of character than my personal favorite superhero, Spider-Man.

Spider-Man (and I’m specifically talking Peter Parker here) has an origin story that fits this idea to a tea: when he first gains his incredible abilities, helping people out is the last thing on his mind. He instead goes out to seek selfish pleasure and material gain, and it’s indicated in some versions that, if he had continued on this path, he might have become a villain rather than a hero, over time. However, when personal tragedy strikes because of something Peter did or did not do, he learns that “with great power comes great responsibility”: his actions and inactions have consequences, and those with power and prestige should do what they can to help the less fortunate. Even after learning this harsh lesson, Peter still makes mistakes - some more dreadful than others - but this isn’t because he’s an idiot or because he’s a bad person. It’s simply because he’s a human being, and he always does his best to make sure the mistakes of his past do not become his follies in the future. It may take Spidey a little time to reach the right decision, but he will get there, one way or another.

A rare but interesting twist on this formula, which has popped up more often in recent years, is the Flawed Hero who does not realize they ARE flawed..and for that matter, neither does the audience! These sort of “twist flawed heroes” are intriguing because they make us question our ethics and ideals just as much as the characters do. A great example of this is Judy Hopps, the main character in Disney’s Zootopia. Judy, at first glance, seems to be a pretty straightforward hero: she’s optimistic, determined, and joins the police department largely out of a genuine desire to help people and do good. So, where does the flaw come in? Well, Judy comes to realize that she has a fundamental problem with her perception of the world: it’s very black and white, with one group of animals - the predators - always being seen as evil, and the other group - the prey - being seen as inherently good. Over the course of the film, she realizes this bias in herself, and when it causes trouble for not only her life but the lives of others, she comes to understand the fallacy in her line of thought, and begins to re-evaluate her entire view of the world around her. The audience learns from Judy’s journey just as much as she does, which makes her a particularly relatable protagonist. Flawed Heroes, on the whole, achieve the same basic goal and function as more typical Heroes, but have a different way of going about it. Instead of being characters we want to be like or wish to become, they are characters who more accurately show us the good humanity is truly capable of. People aren’t perfect, we all have our own foibles and fancies, and we all have lessons we have to learn at some point along the way. This does not mean we cannot do great or wonderful things, nor does it mean we should give up on believing such things are possible. By showing us the humanity that lies under the surface of a hero’s journey, Flawed Heroes tell us that, no matter what we’ve done or what we’ve been, we, too, can overcome the toughest obstacles not only against the world around us, but within our own souls. They are still figures of hope...they just have to work a little harder to make that hope a reality.

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joncronshawauthor · 3 months

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Welcome to the Ravenglass Universe Community - A World Beyond the Pages

Hello from Morecambe! Today marks a special day in the journey of the Ravenglass Universe – the official launch of our very own community! This is more than just a subscription; it’s an invitation to step into a world where fantasy meets reality, where your voice becomes an integral part of an ever-evolving narrative. What is the Ravenglass Universe Community? The Ravenglass Universe…

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liesmultixxx · 1 month

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“Why did you leave me?”

can you hear me crying?

the way annabeth thought percy had abandoned her like everyone else

… girl he fell into tartarus for you, he would never leave you

NEVER

rick was evil for that

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squareblind · 1 year

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Being John McClane: Translating Die Hard trilogy into a 90's videogame

By Neil Merrett Die Hard Trilogy, released on Sony PlayStation in 1996, developed by Fox Interactive and Acclaim Studios London Die Hard Trilogy on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn was able to give the players a 3D skyscraper, airport and basic city to blast around and have explosive action adventures in. The games were perhaps less effective at exploring the appeal of John McClane as a…

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#Die HArd Trilogy #flawed heroes #John McClane #Lara Croft #Sony Playstation #Tomb Raider reboot

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pjo-worshipper · 11 months

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HELLOOOOO????

#percy jackson #heroes of olympus #pjo #rick riordan #trials of apollo #annabeth chase #percabeth #fatal flaws #this is crazy #i never noticed #percy jackson and the olympians

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pythoria · 7 months

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i don't think you can fully understand astarion until you do an origin run tbh, or at least watch a video of his dream and all the responses you can give. it's hinted at in the final dialogue with cazador with his "you've never forgiven anything", but astarion wasn't some indisciplined brat who "deserved" or "kinda asked for it". He would apologise and beg for forgiveness, he would mind cazador's wishes and schedule and be constantly anxious about it, and the only reason that he got the worst of his wrath wasn't because his personality is just abrasive and it angered cazador, it was purely for entertainment, because he begged the prettiest, he screamed the loudest, etc. You can make the argument that he was the most vulnerable of the spawn, the least powerful, the runt of the pack.

Sure, he wasn't a great person while he was alive what with all his magistrate bs, but he was young and a bit of a dick, not evil. When he was alive and kinda abused some of his privilege as a magistrate that was posturing, underneath it there was always weakness and self-doubt. And when he was stripped of that little power he had, he became his "truest" (or rather basest) self, which was a scared boy who wanted to make it big or impress his superiors. On some level I think he admired Cazador for all the power he had, and we know that at the ritual "he wanted to be just like him". I don't think he would ever purposefully anger someone he looked up to, even with all the shit he was forced to do. For 200 years he was an obedient puppet, and it was his shortcomings, not his defiance that earned him all the torture.

So when you meet him after the nautiloid crash, you aren't seeing a single genuine personality trait of his. Not until the love confession in act 2. All you're seeing for the majority of 2 acts is a mask, a character he created, as well as him in full survival mode. Of course he doesn't want you helping innocents, this might be his only chance to escape, he doesn't want that derailed. Honestly, you don't really see the "real" him until after you've killed cazador. For anyone who finished his quest, y'all know how different he acts in the graveyard scene. He's uncharacteristically soft, even nice, and yes he's angry and he can't undo centuries of suffering, but you've helped him come back to himself. By act 3 he already stops rlly dissaproving of helping people, and when talking to the gurs he's defensive because he doesn't want to get their hopes up and dissapoint them, not because he wouldn't give anything to help. Astarion at his core is sassy, sure, but he is undoubtedly *nice*. He's a good person, he feels so much guilt for what he's done and sympathy for his victims, and he *has* to push it all down lest the psychological pain alone kills him. He likes killing, sure, but more as a sport than a past time. And honestly i could go on and on but let's leave it at that for now.

#pythoria.txt #bg3 #astarion #baldur's gate 3 #i could analyse his character all day #i should write a character study fic lmao #this all is not to say he's some hero btw #he's deeply flawed #but aren't we all #bg3 spoilers

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turtleblogatlast · 1 month

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I love Raph and haven’t said that enough so to be more specific I love that Raph is a soft boy who loves bear plushies, a gross boy who eats an assortment of things that are definitely better left alone, a smart boy who is more than capable of taking down villains through planning and fortitude alike, a strong boy who is dedicated to training his muscles and fighting prowess, a teenage boy who loves his brothers but is more than happy to tease and roughhouse with them, an angry boy who sometimes lets his anger take a hold of him to cover the fear, a gentle boy who is generous with hugs and affirmations to those he loves, a capable boy who takes on more than should ever be expected of a teenager, a good boy who just wants to be a hero and slowly comes to realize the cost of that duty, a good boy who has no reservations about putting himself in the way of harm coming to his family, a good boy who’s a great brother and son and person and deserves only the best the world has to offer.

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt raph #rise raph #he’s so wonderful frfr #my poor boy is traumatized but still so proud of what they accomplished because they’re HEROES #what started as something fun - Saturday morning cartoon-like heroes vs villains esque - soon becomes his calling #and he loses himself a little along the way #because the world is TERRIFYING now #if they don’t do something about the bad things in the world then worse things will come #and Raph CARES too much to let it happen #even at the expense of his own happiness and youth #and he luckily reigns back that fear - knowing his family is there to keep an eye out with him #and he finally lets himself be a kid again #he’s very well rounded and his flaws are so good because (like the others) they are ALSO his strengths #I like how it’s softly implied that bears are his fav animal too bc that’s cute af #headcanon that he likes them so much because a stuffed bear was the first toy splinter managed to get Raph #but yeah one of my favorite things about tmnt is that the characters are well rounded and rottmnt exemplifies that immensely #with raph being no exception!!#amazing big brother and character #there’s a REASON in my tmnt main character tierlist he’s S tier!!!!#hot take but in terms of who should be leader I think it should be less who’s the better leader-#-and more who’s the better leader FOR THIS SPECIFIC MISSION #bc all four can be great leaders fight me on that #APRIL can as well 100%#doesn’t need a designated leader for them to succeed #they just need ~communication~#one of my favorite things tying Raph and Leo together is that they both *hide*#I’ve talked about Leo’s many masks a lot but Raph has one too #and it’s the mask of a hero - the mask of the protector

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that-one-weird-cloud0 · 1 month

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Danny, dating one of the batfam:

Bat: *sighs dramatically while looking out the window* if only my boyfriend loved me

Danny, confused as they just had a conversation about who Danny’s favorite Gotham hero was: ??? I love you 🥺

Bat: *glances back at Danny* uggghhhhhhh if only my boyfriend loved me… 😪

#the bat partner is not favorite hero #Danny passionately tells batfriend how *insert batfam member* is the best bat hero because blah blah #meanwhile batlover is trying to convince Danny that perhaps this hero is better because yes????#but no #Danny point out flaws in batpal crime fighting style #batfiance is sad now #dp x dc #dc x dp #dpxdc #danny phantom #dcxdp #danny fenton #dp x dc crossover #dp x dc prompt #batfam #dc x dp prompt #words to describe a gender neutral bat-boyfriend/girlfriend is interesting 🤔

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moonlunee · 24 days

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silly little traumatized hero family

#bnha #mha #shimura nana #yagi toshinori #torino sorahiko #all might #gran torino #ofamily #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #it is them! my favorite trio #i know nanas arm/hand looks off and gran looks weird asf #and the more I look at it the more flaws I find and the more I hate it #but i guess it's just gonna have to look like that :)#my art

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ofswordsandpens · 8 months

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Riordan: And the grand lesson that Percy needed to learn over the course of hoo, the culmination of his character arc of this series, the moment where the fate of the world hangs in the balance because of a single decision he has to make... is realizing when he needs to take a step back :)

Me:

#corny lame booo tomato tomato im throwing tomatoes !!!!#Riordan im foaming at the mouth #percy be the hero but dont be the hero #percy you HAVE to be a part of the seven or else the gods will perish #but also why don't you let the other kids have a turn saving the world huh :/#percy you're one of the most powerful demigods ever (if not the most powerful one currently alive)#you alone hold the title Savior of Olympus #but for some inane reason only three of the SEVEN prophesied demigods can fight Gaea and if you try to help #you'll destroy the world apparently so why don't you sit this one out champ :)#... percy baby you don't deserve any of this im so sorry #also the way his fatal flaw could have been utilized SO MUCH BETTER what a WASTE #mine #pjo #percy jackson #anti hoo

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mmavverickk · 6 months

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Percy cannot get along with war gods.

it's not a choice on his part. he'd love for a conversation to be short and respectful, so he wouldn't stand out, wouldn't be interesting, and the gods would leave him alone. but percy's fatal flaw is personal loyalty, and the wars he's involved in are all hurting the people he loves. percy is incapable of respecting the idea of a war that could injure or harm or kill his friends and family.

the risk that something horrible could happen to them outweighs anything else, any other thought or emotion. so when he's confronted with the embodiment of war? when he meets ares, with his bloodlust and superiority complex and his ego?

it is impossible for him to be respectful. it is impossible for him to be polite. he is incapable of taking any other attitude. war is hell. war is death, and destruction, and desperation, and despair, and Percy will not allow war to hurt his people. Percy will plant himself directly in harm’s way to save his friends and family every time, and every time his perception of war will change. every time, he will think surely, this is the worst the world has to offer. surely, things can only get better from here, and every time, every goddamn time, he’s wrong. it can get worse, it will get worse, and Percy will be stuck in the middle of it, acting as a shield and a sword.

#mav.txt #percy jackson #percy jackson headcanon #pjo #heroes of olympus #powerful percy jackson #dark percy jackson #ares greek god #ares #percy jackson's fatal flaw

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joncronshawauthor · 10 months

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Wizard of the Wasteland - chapter one (excerpt)

The stranger rolled into town at dawn, his cart rumbling through the gap in Trinity’s towering fence. Abel squinted at the sun’s orange glare as it rose over the rooftops. “Come on, Pip.” He patted his thigh as a brindle-furred dog looked up at him and ran in a tight circle, her tail wagging. He passed huddled shacks as people gravitated towards the arrival. Abel followed the gently sloping…

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#addiction #book preview #dystopian fiction #enslaved children #flawed heroes #good versus evil #Jon Cronshaw #novel excerpt #post-apocalyptic sci-fi #survival stories #Wizard of the Wasteland

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lastoneout · 10 months

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ngl ALL of across the spiderverse was fantastic but that short scene where we got to see a disabled spider-person using a wheelchair and crutches while STILL kicking ass AND making jokes and puns about said mobility aids while doing so singlehandedly cured my depression and added 500 years to my lifespan <3

#spiderman is something that can be so personal actually #I have been thinking about why spiderman is so popular #and I really think it's bcs spiderman is a hero we can all see ourselves in #I don't think suffering is integral to spiderman's story exactly like I like that Miles is saying 'no we can end this cycle'#but I do think spiderman embodies how flawed we as humans are #and our drive to do good and live and get back up no matter how much pain we go through #spiderman really is so personal #and atsv proved that #atsv #atsv spoilers #across the spiderverse spoilers #across the spiderverse

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echo16reads · 7 months

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We all know about Percy's loyalty but he's been at this camp for less than two days and he can't even comprehend the thought of betraying them. Saw someone say that 'He is loyalty in its purest form' and that could not be more accurate.

#re reading the son of neptune #percy jackson #octavian hoo #fatal flaw #heroes of olympus #stimmingrose #riordanverse

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chandralia · 10 days

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downplaying Deku’s obsessiveness and impulsiveness over Katsuki with “it could’ve been anyone” no it couldn’t hope this helps 🙏😇

#are you not embarrassed to reduce Deku to a one-dimensional robotic hero that has no flaws whatsoever??#he’ll risk his life to save people YES but that doesn’t change the fact that the one person who has made him go BONKERS is Katsuki lol #like what do you want me to do about that #anyways… evaporate and stuff !#bkdk #dkbk #bakudeku #dekubaku #:’)#ktdk #bakugou katsuki #bakugo katsuki

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nightswatchdisbandmentera · 21 days

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ASOIAF discourse would be a lot more fun if we all realized that every single person who has been put in a position of leadership/rulership fails in one way or another. Jon and Dany failing is not an indictment on their abilities to lead or rule. They’re kids, they still have shit to figure out. Given “what was Aragorn’s tax policy”, I doubt GRRM will write a story that will feature the appearance of a most perfect ruler ever who will be a total success instead Jon and Dany who were tOtAl FlOpS. Especially if this person has no previous experience that has been detailed within the text itself. That’s not only antithetical to the series, but also not how you write a narrative.

#I don’t mean to be condescending but so many people missed the point of yg #he’s not here to be the perfect solution over jon and dany #he’s here to validate their arcs as heroes and leaders - sorry to say #they’re incredibly flawed individuals and they intimately failed in adwd but like literally so did everyone else #FAILURE IS A PROCESS OF LEARNING!!!#their stories aren’t over yet #grrm isn’t going to write yg being the most perfect king ever so we can be like ew jon and dany suck glad they died or whatever #he’s also not likely to be the third head of the dragon but I don’t want to get into that today #asoiaf #jon snow #daenerys targaryen #valyrianscrolls #anti reddit rant lmao #god I should stop visiting that subreddit it’s the worst snajbabsjan

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