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fourteentrout · 1 month

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acotar hot take

there seems to be this really intense polarization with anti-tamlin readers and pro-tamlin readers where most (but not all) antis will be like haha tampons the worst and deserved everything he got, fuck that guy, what a creep, and most pros (but not all) are like he did nothing wrong!!! there are so many double standards!!! look at all the hypocrisy!!!

and like i feel like not only is it more nuanced than that, but the narrative is more interesting because of that nuance. "Tamlin ONLY did wrong things" is untrue, but "Tamlin didn't do anything wrong!" is also untrue. He did a lot of things wrong, he put his mate in danger, he didn't foster any kind of proper communication with her, he was controlling and paranoid and just because he was traumatized doesn't mean his actions were justified. But he also did a lot of things that weren't necessarily bad that were later construed as bad following his shift in character, sometimes even by the characters in the books themselves, which...doesnt really make sense to me. Just because someone starts doing bad things, it doesn't negate the good things they've done in the past, or change their reasoning for their actions at the time. But just because someone may be misunderstood or taken at face value doesn't mean they were actually innocent the whole time, too.

To deny the parts of his character that are written to invoke sympathy in the reader is sort of closeminded, but to deny that he was abusive is an equally blind narrative to follow. That said, sympathizing with him doesn't make you an abuser by proxy. You know, its okay to feel more than just "this guy good" or "this guy bad" about a dimensional, multifaceted character. Like, thats kind of the whole point of morally gray characters.

Ive said it before, but Rhys always being toted as the exemplary morally gray character feels so weird when tamlin is an equally good example of a morally gray character, if not more, but is often completely shunted to the side as this irredeemable, heartless asshole.

i hope this doesnt hurt anyones feelings, but am i making any sense?

#acotar #a court of thorns and roses #tamlin #rhysand #tamlin acotar #rhysand acotar #pro tamlin #anti tamlin #morally gray characters #tamlin a court of thorns and roses #acotar hot take

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fairfowl · 10 months

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So like in the comic, Nimona is very violent and does horrible things, but we as the audience still have empathy for her even when we know her actions are wrong

We watch her spiral as the situation grows further and further out of control until even the character who cares the most about her is forced to try to stop her

And Nimona feels hurt and betrayed by this

And it makes me wonder

Was this part of Nimona's character arc a proto-Catra?

#catra #nimona #she ra princess of power #she ra princesses of power #ballister boldheart #ballister blackheart #nimona comic #she ra #nate stevenson #catradora #morally gray characters #nimona spoilers #original #i contributed

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theartisttoyourmuse · 10 months

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Victoria Schwab: here is a villian/morally gray character

Me: I'm marrying him

#v.e. schwab #victoria schwab #victor vale #eli ever #holland vosijk #literature #fantasy #books #morally gray characters #villains

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midnightstargazer · 10 months

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Regulus Black is probably my favorite Harry Potter character, but I don't understand why he's so often portrayed as being forced to join the Death Eaters.

Don't get me wrong, I totally get the desire to portray him sympathetically or give him a redemption arc. And I definitely think there's room for different interpretations as far as what he actually did as a Death Eater and why he betrayed Voldemort in the end. But there's really no ambiguity in whether he joined willingly or not. Every time he's brought up, including when the truth about his death is revealed, it's emphasized that he changed his mind, not that he was never loyal in the first place.

I know there's a popular headcanon that Sirius ran away to avoid being forced to join the Death Eaters, and I can see how that idea would naturally lead to Regulus being pressured to as well. But Sirius never actually mentions Voldemort or the Death Eaters when he explains why he ran away. He also tells Harry his parents were not Death Eaters, and while he indicates they were probably proud of Regulus for joining, he never suggests that they might have pressured him into it.

This is especially important because it's implied that Sirius had more nuanced feelings about Regulus than the rest of the family. (That's a topic for another day, but seriously, he put a hippogriff in his mother's bedroom and carelessly threw away dozens of family heirlooms, all while leaving his brother's room untouched). When he tells Harry about Regulus, Sirius shifts part of the blame for his poor life choices onto their parents, describing Regulus as a "stupid idiot" who was "soft enough to believe" their ideology. If he had any reason to believe they had forced Regulus to get the Dark Mark, and especially if that reason was that they had also tried to do the same to Sirius himself, why not say so?

The version told by Kreacher in Deathly Hallows reveals more about Regulus's decision to join: he expressed blood purist views, admired Voldemort, talked about him for years before joining, and was "so proud, so happy to serve." Again, nothing to indicate reluctance or coercion. He was certainly influenced by his family's ideology and most likely experienced peer pressure from his fellow Slytherins, but that's not the same as saying he was made to join against his will.

I wouldn't be surprised if, by the end of the first war, there were certain pure-blood families that expected their sons to become Death Eaters. Was there ever anybody who wasn't thrilled by that prospect, but went along with it because it wasn't easy to say no? Possibly. But I actually don't think Regulus is a good candidate for that. Aside from everything I mentioned above, he didn't go along with it. Just a year or so later, he was prepared to die to strike a blow against Voldemort. That's much easier to imagine coming from a true believer who for whatever reason had a change of heart than a reluctant Death Eater who only joined out of fear. And in my opinion, it's more interesting that way.

For what it's worth, I don't think he has to be forced into joining to be sympathetic or redeemable. Consider the following:

He was only sixteen when he took the Dark Mark, an age at which the human brain is not yet fully developed.

We're never told about any specific crimes he committed, and he was still a student at Hogwarts during most of his time as a Death Eater. He doesn't necessarily have to be guilty of extreme atrocities (although I tend to think he should be guilty of something beyond just going to meetings and having an ugly tattoo).

He was noted to be kind to his house-elf. Regardless of exactly what that looked like beyond not being cool with what Voldemort did to him, it creates an interesting contrast with the Malfoys and the way they treated Dobby. This suggests that Regulus didn't enjoy engaging in pointless cruelty just for the sake of being cruel. Which is admittedly a very low bar.

He did eventually turn against Voldemort, and none of the characters who provide accounts of this seem to fully understand why, making a wide range of headcanons plausible.

In an AU where he survives his trip to the cave, he would almost certainly end up going into hiding and/or changing sides, and therefore would be separated from the influence of his family and fellow Death Eaters, quite possibly surrounded by people who would challenge his views.

There are enough ambiguities and indications of nuance that (in my opinion) he can be portrayed as a morally gray character, set up for a redemption arc, or just humanized and portrayed with some degree of sympathy, without undermining the fact that he did make a really awful choice.

So what's the appeal of having him be a good person from the start? Like, I understand that morally gray characters are not everyone's cup of tea, but there are plenty of straightforwardly good characters in the series. What's the appeal of changing the narrative to make a Death Eater basically an innocent victim?

#Regulus Black #meta #morally gray characters

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em-dash-press · 9 months

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Morally gray characters compel readers and form deep connections that make fans fall in love with your stories. Read these three quick tips to learn how to write this archetype effectively.

Read my tips here!

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marlynnofmany · 2 years

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After seeing yet another piece of media where the bad guys lure out the good guys by being public bullies (because everyone knows that a hero will always break cover to rescue someone), I would like to see it go a different way.

I want to see a villain threaten an innocent, and instead of the expected hero bursting onto the scene, they get a different villain.

Because sometimes villainy is about being pure evil, and other times it’s just about doing whatever you want, with no one to stop you.

And sometimes what you want is to obliterate the person being evil to an innocent.

#morally gray characters #for fun and profit #this is a subtweet about the Obi-Wan show btw #is subtweet the right word?#what's the tumblr equivalent?#ah whatever it's late and I need sleep #and I also need to see someone beholden to no laws do good things just because they feel like it #it shouldn't be a difficult concept #none of this black and white nonsense #chaotic neutral ftw #villains #heroes and villains #writing prompts

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cumforts69 · 1 year

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is it just me but i love it when someone starts aggressively defending a character. Like its just SO nice to see someone so passionate about a fictional person. amazing

#and when you see people arguing about whether their actions are justified or not #i could listen to debates like this for hours #fictional babygirls #fandom #morally gray characters #i love them #this is about shen jiu or luo bingge btw #shen jiu #luo bingge

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desdasiwrites · 1 year

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Grief suffocated. Grief paralysed. Grief was a cruel, heavy boot pressed so hard against his chest that he could not breathe.

– R.F. Kuang, Babel: An Arcane History

#book quote of the day #rf kuang #babel an arcane history #grief #historical fantasy #Oxford #Canton #morally gray characters #robin swift #An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution #alternate reality #book quotes

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acourtoflostandwanderingstars · 10 months

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Shackled from Truth: A Fragile Game

Rating: (M)ature

Warning(s): Violence, language, murder, gore. Viewer discretion advised! If this triggers you, please move on!

Pairing(s): Wingdings Gaster/Original Female Character (kinda reader)

Chapter 1: Planning Introductions

(Notes: First time writing something that is published for people to see. Critique is welcome, bullying is not. This is a sort of introduction to the ‘Shackled from Truth’ series I hope to write, so kinda a little get-to-know-the-characters. So sit back and have a snack, and let me know what you think!

btw, ya’ll will need this definition before reading this:

What is a Matrigrid?

A Magrid is an original species that I came up with for my Mafia!Fell AU. These are creatures who are 1/3 human, 1/3 monster(I have included a subspecies of monster that is not technically canon to Undertale in this definition), and 1/3 pure soul energy (essentially magic). They are the result of the partnering between a monster and a magically prone human (most commonly a mage, but not always), which causes them to be shunned by both species, often resulting in frequent executions when encountered.

They often appear as a normal human, aside from their eyes. They have tattoos that hold their dormant magic and resemble the dominant creature. When using their magic, the tattoo will light up and features that represent the non-human side of them will appear, formed by the magic (ie tail, ears, wings, claw, etc.)

They can pull out their monster side, but still look too human to pass as monsters.)

Serenity West set down the final box and glanced around the tiny apartment that she would be staying in for the next couple of months. She rolled her stiff neck, then turned to her right hand woman, Zara.

“That’s everything. Do you and the others understand what needs to happen next?” Serenity asked.

Zara nodded, “Skye and Daji have already infiltrated Vital’s ranks.”

“And you’re sure this apartment is in Mr. Adelphi’s territory?”

“Yes. He controls the east side of the city, and this is the center of it. There’s no way we would miss it.”

Serenity nods and scans the room once more, taking in every detail of her new living space. “Has everyone found a safe place to be for now?”

Zara nods and stuffs a piece of paper into her Boss’s hand. “That’s a list of where we are all staying. You start your newspaper delivery job tomorrow morning. I took careful note to ensure that the list can be easily disguised as a reference for your route.” She glances at the clock. “I have to go make sure everyone else is stationed properly. Expect a status report two weeks from now. Goodbye, Ren.”

Serenity smiled at the use of her nickname. “Be careful out there, Zara. Even the slightest mistake could lead to the demise of us all.”

Zara nodded as she head out the door, but paused before turning the knob. “Y’know you can trust us, right?”

Serenity looked down at her feet before managing a nod, “I just worry.”

There was a pause, a breath, before Zara responded quietly. “…I know.” Within moments, the door clicked as the latch closes behind Zara, and Serenity is once again left alone. She moves to unpack the few boxes of personal items she brought into the apartment.

A few hours later, the run-down apartment is as homey as it will get. Adjusting a floor lamp positioned near a reading nook, Serenity steps back and observes her work.

“At least it looks livable now.” She mutters to herself. Exhaling, Serenity sinks into one of the plush armchairs. She rests her head in her hands, letting the whirlwind that was the last few weeks sink in. She let her mind wander back to a room that held a circular table, upon which was a map of Ebott city, which was covered in small, colored pawns. It was her council room, where the plan had been first decided on.

“We need space in the city. Only problem is, Ebott already has five gangs, and that was the limit set by W.D Gaster, the Golden Head.” Chikai, Serenity’s tactic’s Lieutenant, responded to a long discussed issue — how to infiltrate Ebott City so that their gang, the Forsaken, could take root. The only issue, the obstacle that uprooted every plan they had, was W.D Gaster, head of the Serif Family.

W.D was the longest standing and most powerful Mafia Boss in Ebott city. His astute business sense, careful attention to detail, and ability to manipulate and intimidate those around him had earned him an enormous amount of respect. That, coupled with how long he had run the city, had earned him the title of the Golden Head. It allowed him to enforce rules and set guidelines for the other gangs. And his longest standing rule was what kept Serenity awake for long hours at night — only five gangs at a time. Otherwise, he’d snuff out the ‘extras’.

That was the issue at hand. That was what they had to solve. Zara shifted, coming forward to the table. She plucked the deep plum colored pawn off the table and dangled its head between two fingers, “Who does this represent again?” She tilts her head at the swaying pawn, a smirk growing on her face.

Krystal, the family’s hacker, places a sheet of paper on the table. “That’s for Adelphi Vital. He’s the Silver Hand, once known for his cruelty and ruthlessness, but he is hardly deserving of that title now. He just runs a couple of rundown, sleazy bars and collects measly protection fees from his areas. His gang kinda fell apart after he went soft.” Her tone is serious and nonchalant.

Zara grins. “If his gangs so weak, why don’t we just infiltrate ‘im? Take ‘im out, then replace ‘im.”

“Never said he was weak. Just that his gang is falling apart. He’s still the Silver Hand.” Krystal picks at her fingernails, examining them for dirt.

Serenity runs her tongue over her fanged teeth. “Zara’s on to something. With some careful maneuvering and a lot of patience, we’ll be able to take him out.” Another moment of consideration. “Chikai!” The woman snaps to attention, watching Serenity carefully. “I need you to come up with a way to get into his forces. It needs to be subtle and gradual.”

“Whatever you say, Boss.” Chikai salutes, then exits the room.

Serenity continues to stare at the board, a grin spreading across her face. They’d struck gold. As long as they could avoid detection by W.D Gaster, within a few months time they’d be in the city.

Serenity sat up with a start, failing to noticing she’d fallen asleep. Soft morning light was just beginning to filter in from the grimy window across the room. With a groan, Serenity stretched out her back, wincing as it popped and cracked. “Guess that’s what I get for falling asleep in a damned overstuffed armchair that is at least fifty years old…” she grumbled.

Making her way over to the small closet, Serenity picked up an outfit that had been designated to aiding her in playing her part as a clueless, poor, newspaper kid. She pulled on the collared shirt and the pleated pants, then dawned a vest to somewhat disguise her feminine figure. After glancing at the mirror, she messily braided her long, black hair, and pulled on a newsboy hat. After slinging a bag over her shoulder, she went out her apartment door.

As Serenity passed through the lobby, she saw a man pin something up to a board. Curiosity soon got the best of her, and she checked what the paper said. In bright, red words, the poster advertised a public meeting with the landlord. With a smirk, Serenity stuffed one of the flyers that was offered into her bag, and continued on her way. This was the perfect opportunity to see her opponent in person.

She passed the lounge area, which had a small bowl of fruit on the center table. Serenity grabbed a slightly bruised apple out of the bowl and then found the bike rack outside. She unlocked her bike, picked up her newspapers, and began her delivery rounds. She passed a few of the safe houses that ran near her route, yet didn’t see signs that anyone was living there. She could only hope that Zara was right about everyone’s safety.

After circling back to her apartment, Serenity locked her bike up and returned to her room. Realizing that she had to figure out what to do for the rest of the day so she didn’t blow her cover, she sighed. It was going to be a long couple of weeks.

“AIGHT, BOSS. HERE’S TH’PAPERS FOR TH’NEW TERRITORY.” Papyrus set a heavy stack of paper onto his eldest brothers desk.

The scarred skeleton, who was sitting behind the desk, smiled tiredly up at the tall skeleton in front of him. This was Wingdings Gaster, head of the Serif family. “The deal went through, then?”

“vital was more’n happy t’share wit’ us.” A shorter, bulky skeleton who was leaning against the doorway, spoke up.

“Thank you, Sans.” Wingdings stood up. His tall frame was muscular, and his demeanor bled power. “When did you organize the meet up, Papyrus?”

“TH’ HUMANS SHOULD GATHER IN TH’ LOBBY BY NEXT THURSDAY.”

“Five days? Alright. Someone let Alph know that we need a campaign. We want these humans to trust us. We don’t want them panicking when we start bringing our business partners there.”

Sans nodded. “y’got it, wings.” The skeleton turned and short-cut away, leaving the slight buzz of magic in the air behind him.

Wingdings sat back down.

“I CAN’T WAIT TO MEET TH’HUMAN RESIDENTS, WINGS!” Papyrus stated. “MAYBE WE SHOULD HOST A DINNER SOMETIME! I KNOW A GREAT PASTA RECIPE.”

“Perhaps, Papyrus. You are dismissed.” Wingdings waved his hand, letting Papyrus continue his other work. Just five days until Wingdings could begin taking old man Adelphi’s territory and adding it to his own. He didn’t want to risk a major weakness in the city anyways. That might feel like an invitation to another gang. And all the new gangs these days were all muscle and no brain. They’d run Ebott to pieces.

A gentle crack echoed through the room. Wingdings looked down at his hand, noticing that the pen he once held was now in shards. With a sigh, he pulled a new one out of the drawer and rolled his shoulders. It was best to relax and focus on the plan. It would only require a little bit of patience to be successful. So he’d wait.

#undertale #undertale au #first fic #enjoy #wing dings gaster #undertale gaster #wd gaster #oc #original character #fanfic #mafiafell #morally gray characters #no beta we die like men

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skiamachy · 2 years

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for sick sad summer fest & your viewing pleasure:

A Study in Chaos Theory: or, a Series of Loaded Guns on the Mantelpiece

Relationships: Theodore Nott/Harry Potter Series: Part 1 of Felonies and Arias of the Heart

Upon accidentally committing homicide, Theo and Harry must put their differences aside and do anything within their abilities (and a good many things without) to hide the evidence.

A Rube-Goldberg machine murder cover-up featuring: larceny! mad science! explosions! eldritch rappeling gear! grand conspiracy! and more!

#harry potter fanfic rec #harry potter #theodore nott #nottpott #auror harry #mad scientist theo #crack treated seriously #but the humor is pitch black #dubious morality #eldritch #necromancer harry #accidental murder #chaos theory #knockturn alley #morally gray characters #dark comedy #my writing

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fourteentrout · 2 months

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I honestly think that the ACOTAR series and it's characters are more complicated than fans give it credit for. Like a lot of fantasy readers in the modern age of booktok and all that shit always seem to crave a morally gray character, but when a character is actually morally gray they sort of...don't acknowledge it?

Because pretty much every single character in that series except for the obvious villains (Amarantha, king of hybern) are morally gray. Including Tamlin.

He's a really interesting case because he has these abusive behaviors, this consistent like Giving Up where he just heeds to his anger and his powers, but his entire driving force is that he doesn't want to be like his cruel, murderous father. Like, his essential action as a character is in direct conflict with his base characteristics, like isn't that so interesting??? But he's always just chalked up to the abusive anger issues ex who doesn't deserve any more chances because he already gave so many up. Like...do people know that even if a character is a Bad Guy, like a real bad guy, not your charming, suave, comedic villain bad guy, but like a guy who's fucked up and broken and mean and sad, can still be a compelling, multi-dimensional character?

And Rhysand. He's a super interesting character because though his intentions all come from the same place of like striving for peace and unity and other virtuous shit like that, he's still willing to overwrite his OWN MORALS if it means working towards getting what he wants--remember when he left a head in Tamlin's garden? I had totally forgotten about that because he never really exhibited any behavior that matched that, but if we think about it it was pointing to this facet of his character where, at least a the start of the series, he was willing to do a lot of fucked up shit for the greater good.

Which is like the definition of a morally gray character. But when comparing the two, often he's just taken as The Better One who can do no wrong and like rose above his role in society and would Never Ever treat Feyre like an object...which...he kind of did? Obviously not to the same level as Tamlin, or in the same way, but like for a lot of the beginning of ACoMaF he was pretty much Also using her as a piece in his personal war effort that he like didn't really fully inform her about for like...kind of a while.

Idk I know I'm rambling, sorry this is so long, but like I could make an entire other post about how FEYRE is ALSO super morally gray and like a lot of the point of her character is that she's like kinda fucked up and does fucked up things and has a lot of healing to do and makes mistakes even when she's still in the active process of like getting better, like the whole essence of her is that she's Not perfect, not that people don't get that, just that it's interesting that people will uphold these characters, her and Rhysand and the whole inner circle, and praise them and love them unconditionally, but when it comes to characters like Tamlin, they are deemed undeserving of a second chance because the bad shit they did was a) done to the main character(s) and b) magnified much more than the protagonists misgivings. Idk it's super early, I'm just rambling, I'm sorry

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thepapergirlandthespiegelman · 13 days

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We need to look beyond the concept of the "morally gray"

I don't like the concept of "morally gray" characters because it still basically portrays morality as binary, or, if you don't want to call it "binary," linear. There are good actions and bad actions, good people and bad people, and sure, there might be some stuff in the middle, but all that can still basically be understood in terms of the relation to good and bad.

Because, of course, while we might struggle to understand these people in the "gray areas," no one struggles to categorize our more typical heroes and villains. The beautiful, righteous, trueborn king is obviously good, and the evil, selfish usurper is obviously bad.

That's what the narrative tells us. But I need people to take a step back from the narrative role that has been assigned and actually evaluate the values and actions of the characters. Because when you do that, you begin to see that almost every character can be characterized as "morally gray." And it's here that we see the concept begin to collapse in on itself.

Because good and evil aren't static, defined, objective things, let alone easy to identify at a glance. And if good and evil aren't serving as the anchors at either end of the line, the spectrum itself cannot function.

I don't believe that "good" and "evil" are totally useless concepts. (Though even if they were, it would be difficult to get away from them with how entrenched this concept model is in our society.) But if we're going to have any sort of interesting discussion here, we need to start talking about morality in subjective, not objective, terms.

This is my other issue with the idea of the "morally gray" character—they might be morally gray to you, but I might think they're pretty cut and dry good or evil. One example is characters who are criminals. Most media and most analysis will tend to portray them as "morally gray" simply because of their criminal status. Sorry, but that's a you problem. You may hold that lawfulness is inherently good and unlawfulness inherently evil, but I don't. If a law is unjust, it is morally correct to defy it.

You're welcome to disagree with me, of course. But at some level we all have to accept that there can be disagreement. Morality is inherently one of the most controversial topics in existence and we are not all going to immediately agree, which is why it drives me up the wall when people try to categorize fictional characters in such overly simplistic ways.

The idea of the "morally gray" reinforces the idea that although we might quibble on some details, we all basically agree on what's right and what's wrong. There might be a particularly odd person, or a particularly complex, entangled situation, but for the most part, we all know what's good and what's bad, right, guys?

If we really opened up the discussion, I think people would be shocked by how deep some of these disagreements go. And it's only when we actually start talking about this stuff that we can begin to sift through and find the truth (or as close to the truth as we can get in this world).

The funny thing about the term "morally gray" is that the limitations are pretty self-evident from the metaphor. Sure, you've upgraded from black and white, but you've decided to stop at grayscale. There's hardly even much of a difference! We need the full visual spectrum of colors here.

I think that there was perhaps a time when the idea of "morally gray characters" served a purpose. After all, we are not so far removed from the era of the Hays Code. It was once controversial to even show what was deemed taboo or immoral by mainstream moral authorities. The advent of the "morally gray" character surely did bring greater detail and subtlety to the portrayal of morality in media. But the world has continued to change. We need to press even harder and demand that different moral perspectives be allowed to exist in media and that we be allowed to fully explore those perspectives in our analyses.

#text #thoughts #media analysis #characters #morality #morally gray characters

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dream-does-books-and-shows · 6 months

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The definition of "morally gray" keeps getting broader.

#fiction #fantasy #young adult #ya #ya fantasy #books #morally grey characters #morally gray characters #morally gray men #morally grey men

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midnightstargazer · 10 months

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Why I Like Regulus Black

Regulus Black is one of my favorite Harry Potter characters, and I want to talk about why. I feel like there's a frequent misconception that people only like him for superficial reasons or in ways that are contradictory to canon, so here's my take on what I find interesting about him and why I think he appeals to me as a character.

Just to be clear upfront, this is not:

An argument that Regulus was a totally good person and did nothing wrong.

A criticism of other morally gray characters or their fans. I am not interested in playing the "only my problematic fave is valid" game.

An attempt to speak for Regulus fans in general. This is my opinion only.

All that being said ...

I like morally gray characters.

Regulus is not the first character I've liked who's done things I would absolutely not condone in real life. I don't tend to like straightforward "pure evil" villains (e.g., Voldemort) except in a "love to hate them" sort of way, but I often end up liking anti-heroes and more nuanced villains.

I also tend to have a very positive view of redemption arcs. That doesn't mean I think every villain can or should get one, or that they're all to my liking. But the potential for one is usually going to make a character more appealing to me, not less. I like the idea that people are capable of growth and change. Of becoming better than they were. And I tend to be pretty flexible on what sort of characters I'll consider redeemable. There are limits, but "teenager who joined the wrong side, quickly changed his mind, and then died trying to back out" is very much on the "not too far gone" side of the line for me.

I'm a fan of the Black family in general.

I don't love all of them, but the family dynamics and backstory are really interesting. Regulus is not even the most obscure name on the family tree who I have headcanons for. Not even close. *gestures vaguely to not-yet-posted WIP about these ladies*:

Sirius and Andromeda are other favorites of mine. I love their narratives of breaking away and taking control of their own lives. Regulus's story is a bit different. He stays behind. He tries to be exactly what his family wants. I imagine both he and Narcissa would be strongly affected by having an older sibling disowned, and all the more careful in their own choices as a result. I almost certainly find Regulus (and quite a few others in the family) more interesting as part of these family dynamics than I would without them.

Getting a bit personal for a moment ...

I grew up in an ultra-conservative area of the United States* and bought into some crappy ideas as a teenager. Not in an intentionally hateful or ignorant way, just in a "most people I know agree on this, so I guess it's true" kind of way. When I grew up, moved away, and went to college, I ended up rethinking a lot of things and forming my own opinions. So the idea of realizing you've been wrong, breaking away, and having to figure everything out all over again as a young adult? I find that super relatable. That's probably a part of why I like Andromeda and Sirius so much.

Regulus, in canon, doesn't do that, or only does it on a very limited basis just before his death. But there's the potential to explore that angle in canon divergence stories. It was very cathartic for me, in my first "Regulus lives" fic, to stick him in a situation where he's separated from the negative influences and slowly starting to question stuff he's taken for granted all his life.

*although my family was actually way more chill than a lot of my friends, teachers, neighbors, etc. For instance, they were fine with letting me read Harry Potter.

How I see Regulus

Now we're getting more into headcanon territory. Regulus is only described second-hand; he never actually appears on the page. So, naturally, fans have interpreted him a million different ways. If I'm going to talk about why I like Regulus, I should probably also mention what my take on him actually is.

I see him as being driven by a strong sense of duty. He wasn't forced to join the Death Eaters, but he knew or believed his parents would be proud of him for doing so and that played a part in his decision. When he chose to turn against Voldemort, he kept it a secret from them in an attempt to protect them (that part is strongly implied in canon).

Despite those loyalist tendencies, I also imagine him being stubbornly independent, trying to take things on alone rather than ask for help. The horcrux is a perfect example of this. He didn't tell his family, any friends he might have had, or anybody on the opposite side of the war. He went after it himself, alone, with just a house-elf for help and without letting anyone know what he was doing. There's probably an element of pride in this, but I'd say also a level of distrust, a feeling that there's no one he can rely on and that he doesn't want to show weakness.

I think it's reasonable to assume he shared the Death Eaters' prejudices and committed crimes for them. But I do imagine him as a lesser evil, so to speak, compared to people like the Lestranges. The way Sirius describes him - an "idiot" who was "soft enough to believe" their parents - is not flattering, but very mild compared to what he says about other family members. There's nothing to imply Regulus was a really cruel, bloodthirsty sort of person, and I find it hard to believe Sirius would be so quick to shift the blame for his choices to their parents if he had been. And there are other signs as well. Kreacher said Regulus believed that Voldemort would "bring the wizards out of hiding to rule the Muggles and the Muggle-borns," which is awful but stops short of what actually happens when Voldemort takes power in Deathly Hallows. And, of course, there's his relationship with Kreacher.

House-elves are a whole other can of worms I don't want to get into right now, but I do think Regulus probably treated Kreacher better than their society would have expected. I'm not saying he was Hermione-level enlightened. He probably didn't see him as an equal or spend his free time campaigning for elf rights. But when the full story of Regulus's death is revealed, it's made clear that he was fond of Kreacher and upset by what Voldemort did to him. He literally drank a potion that caused him extreme agony rather than ordering Kreacher to do it in his place. That doesn't make him a totally good person, but it does hint at a softer side to him and a sort of nuance that isn't typical of the Death Eaters.

He clearly knew what a horcrux was and strongly objected to finding out about the locket, either on the basis of "that's crossing a line" or "actually, the Dark Lord probably shouldn't live forever." Or both. I've seen people question why a Death Eater would have a problem with horcruxes, and I suspect some of them wouldn't. Bellatrix, for instance, would probably be overjoyed to know she was entrusted with a piece of Voldemort's soul. But the idea of horcruxes being repulsive even to many Dark Wizards is actually foreshadowed a bit in Half-Blood Prince, where the author of Magick Moste Evile warns his readers against them. So I do think Regulus was probably not thrilled to find out he was working for someone who had one.

There can be multiple factors in why he did what he did: anger about Voldemort's treatment of Kreacher AND objection to horcruxes AND possibly doubts and second thoughts that had been building up already, since Sirius knew nothing about the specifics but was sure he died trying to back out.

Now, going after the locket on his own, without telling anybody who might have an interest in stopping Voldemort, was not the smartest decision. And I don't see his death as something that should be glorified. I've seen people claim that his redemption arc is more valid because he gave his life, and I disagree with that take and actually find it to be very troubling. Redemption Equals Death can work if it's a meaningful self-sacrifice, but Regulus's death didn't really accomplish much other than getting him killed, and if he had lived longer he might have been able to do more to atone. Like actually destroying a horcrux, for instance, or providing info to the Order.

But still, the fact that he did anything at all is a big deal. The fact that something - or multiple somethings - seemed wrong to him, and given the choice between "a lifetime of service or death," he decided he still couldn't keep serving Voldemort? That's huge. That says something important about who he was as a person. A weird combination of a damaged but not completely absent moral compass paired with an unexpected sense of integrity and courage.

Final thoughts

Most of what I described in the section above is personal interpretation, and there are other valid takes on what might have been going on. But I tried to keep it to just what I think can be reasonably extrapolated from canon, not random headcanons that I'm happy to admit I pulled out of thin air or adopted from fanon.

I see a lot of interesting contradictions in Regulus, and specifically, a lot of positive traits turned bad. Loyalty and dedication towards a family and a cause that don't deserve it. Capacity for kindness that remains so undeveloped it never actually leads him to question his prejudices. The willingness to admit he was on the wrong side and the courage do something about it, but it ends up being a pointless self-sacrifice.

I see him as someone who isn't inherently evil, who could have been a good person if he'd been brought up differently. Someone who might very well have changed for the better and made a positive impact if he'd survived. And yet whose life ultimately amounted to very little. I don't know about you, but that strikes me as a tragedy.

It also screams "opportunity" to the fanfic writer in me. I love "what if?" storylines. I love fleshing out characters who were not well-developed in canon. Regulus has hints of a personality and storyline that I find really interesting, but isn't a main character or developed enough that I feel like the story has already been told in a satisfying way in canon. That's exactly the sort of character I'm likely to end up reading and writing fic for, etc.

#Regulus Black #Harry Potter #morally gray characters #redemption arcs #meta #cw discussion of bigotry

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