#anti-hero fantasy

[joncronshawauthor]

The Dark Mentor: How Tough Teachers Shape Fantasy Heroes

The wise, benevolent mentor figure is a fantasy staple. Think Gandalf or Dumbledore. But modern fantasy increasingly embraces darker mentors, those who shape protagonists through trauma rather than wisdom. These harsh teachers don’t guide heroes toward the light. They push them into darkness to forge them into something new. Dark Mentorship in Guild of Assassins My novel Guild of Assassins…

[mostlyfate]

@kdramaspace 2024 YEAR IN REVIEW from the heart | favorite OST(s) of 2024

澎湃 (Surge) by Yu Shuxin — Love Game in Eastern Fantasy 远舟的少年 (Yuanzhou’s Youth) by Hou Minghao — Fangs of Fortune 小诗句 (Little Verses) by Hou Minghao, Chen Duling, Cheng Xiao, Tian Jiarui, Lin Ziye, Xu Zhenxuan, Yan An, Lai Weiming — Fangs of Fortune hanataba by milet — Anti-hero 夕陽の上 (Above the Sunset) by Kawasaki Takaya — Hidamari ga Kikoeru 飞吧月光 (Fly, Moonlight) by Ouyang Nana — Snowfall 寄明月(Send to the Bright Moon) by Yu Shuxin, Ding Yuxi, Zhu Xudan, Yang Shize, Li Yizhen, Fei qiming, Lu Yuhao — Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Zarame by Aimyon — Furitsumore Kodokuna Shi yo

[graceshouldwrite]

Writing Compelling Side Characters

**NOTE: Some of these tips don't really apply to ensemble casts, where there are multiple Main Characters (plural).

1) Agency - motivations, actions, effects

Technically, they ARE side characters in your MC's story, but don't base your writing on that fact.

Side characters need:

Their own REASONS for joining the story (because they want to, not because the PLOT wanted them to) Example: In Arcane, Caitlyn inadvertently gets involved with Vi due to her compassion and desire to help the undercity, not because the plot needs a love interest

A GOAL, on which they act INDEPENDENT of the plot, and actually affects your MC/the main plot (not the other way around) Example: In Loki, Sylvie's independent goal is to take down the TVA, and her actions reveal the TVA's corruption to Loki, influencing him to join her in fighting against the TVA instead of working for them

A STAKE in how things end (e.g. someone getting paid after agreeing to join a heist); they aren't just in it to be a "comic relief" or a "damsel in distress" Example: In Breaking Bad, Jesse joins Walt in cooking meth because he makes BANK from selling drugs, not because Walt needed a funny and traumatized sidekick

Their own RELATIONSHIPS with other characters, aside from the MC—they have their own friends, enemies, love interests, etc., and these relationships can completely change the plot Example: In the original Percy Jackson series, all of the side characters (e.g. Annabeth, Nico, Thalia, Luke, etc.) have their own relationships with each other that greatly affect the plot. Check it out: Annabeth's attachment to Luke, even after he became evil, completely changed the plot in several ways: kickstarting a journey to save her from Luke in The Titan's Curse, revealing his true evil identity as a vessel for Kronos (big bad!) in The Battle of the Labyrinth, and mainly contributing towards Luke's reversion away from evil in the last book due to him remembering his promise to take care of her a long time ago, etc.

Their own PAST that affects how they act, move forward, and how they treat the MC Example: In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Azula's pressure on herself and desire for perfection is greatly driven by her father's expectations of her as the fire-bending prodigy, resulting in a childhood of earning parental love and care AFTER she proves her worth to him. This created a mentality ceaselessly focused on her goals—which are usually her father's missions—causing her to be deadly, manipulative, and constantly causing problems for the main character.

The side character is not an extension or byproduct of the MC's plot; their own story happens to collide and intertwine with your MC's plot, but is ultimately independently driven.

2) Affecting the ending

The story can't have reached the same ending regardless of the side characters' existence. They must be necessary to the MC in helping them reach their goal faster, more prepared, etc. For example, in Avatar, Aang would not have been able to reach his goal of defeating the fire lord without the help of his friends, who each taught him valuable life lessons as well as combat skills.

Each character must have an independent impact on the MC—don't treat them like a group (e.g. "the side characters," who are one individual collective). Arcane does a great job with this, as each side character has a completely different impact on the MCs (e.g. Silco, Ekko, Caitlyn, and Vi—not a side character but for the purpose of this analysis, bear with me—all have a different impact on Jinx). It isn't just a literal impact. It's what the MC learns, and the theme of the story. They should help the MC realize things about themselves, and contextualize the MC by showing them in different situations with different people.

3) Avoid stereotypes Don't create characters from moulds and conform 100% to the trope: e.g. the "comic relief" can also be "the outlaw/rebel" or the "love interest," the "brooding antihero" can also be the "caregiver" or the "wise one," the "seductive girl" can also be the "science nerd" or the "broken optimist," etc. Mix and match. Everyone has more than 1 personality trait in real life, and probably fulfils more than 1 role to the other people in their lives. Give them intersecting personality traits to flesh them out.

4) Theme and Arc Especially compelling side characters have their own arc and embody their own theme.

Example 1: Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice is more than the brooding love interest—he develops by being less arrogant and learning to see people beyond their social status, and opens up to new ideas, people, and situations.

Example 2: Nico di Angelo from the Percy Jackson series goes on a journey of self-acceptance and embracing his identity, instead of just being the stereotypical emo kid who is constantly in a state of angst.

Example 3: In Arcane, Silco goes from a ruthless crime lord who believes that attachment is weakness, to someone who genuinely cares about his adoptive daughter, so much so that he can't give her up even in exchange for his lifelong dream.

∘₊✧────── ☾☼☽ ──────✧₊∘

instagram: @ grace_should_write

Hope this was helpful, and let me know if you have any questions by commenting, re-blogging, or DMing me on IG. Any and all engagement is appreciated :)

Happy writing, and have a great day!

- grace <3

[dropoutconfessions]

I feel like people who complain about Emily or Ally are noticing an overall tendency in the IHs, but not following it through far enough so they unfairly direct their hate at them. It's a pet analysis that I've nursed for a while.

I think the IH's have a pretty clear divide between performers who are comfortable demanding the spotlight (Emily, Ally, and Lou) and performers who need a little coaxing to step into a more lead role (Murph, Zac, and Siobhan). There's nothing inherently wrong with this table dynamic. But after x number of seasons, it can start to feel a little strange. And I would say table management is one of Brennan's serious flaws as a DM (as opposed to, say, Aabria). So he tends to lean on his more extroverted players. To the point where he's just more likely to throw them big moments. And not do much to pull in his more introverted players. Even in seasons where those more introverted players are sort of being set up as leads (Fantasy High, ASO, Neverafter, and sort of ACoC). Emily and Lou try to bring in other players, but that's not really their job and they have their own characters to focus on. I think we saw improvement in Neverafter, especially from Murph and Ally, as Murph put himself forward more and Ally did a better job of pulling others into their scenes. But Fantasy High JY allowed everyone to backslide. (That said, Ally really impressed me with their refusal to take the spotlight in NSBU. I don't think it was the right choice for the season. But I thought it showed tremendous growth in them as a player.)

I kind of want everyone who thinks they don't like Emily to listen to her on NADDPOD, where the other two players at the table are also extroverted performers. I think it really demonstrates how much the dynamic of the IH seasons are the result of this particular table make-up combined with some seriously weak table management

-

[jedi-enthusiasm-blog]

No small part of Legends seems determined to make the Jedi look bad and the Sith look good. Considering the Sith are inspired by nazis and fascists, it's both funny and deeply concerning.

But I digress.

One of these attempts is the character Darth Vectivus, a human male Dark Lord of the Sith during the time of the Galactic Republic, when the Sith are in hiding. Apparently, he's a man with friends, with a family he loves and who love him back, a regular job… He's a perfectly normal guy, a perfectly mundane dude among thousands of megalomaniacs.

His first appeareance is as a ghost (some funky Dark Side thingy he created, btw), when he's trying to convince a Jedi (don't remember this one, I think it was a girl?) to strike him down. This is because these ghosts are connected to a living being, if the ghost is striken down, the being they're connected to dies. Vectivus is connected to Jacen Solo, who's on the edge of falling to the Dark Side. Apparently, Vectivus does not want a galaxy ruled by the kind of Sith Jacen Solo (or rather Darth Caedus) would become.

But, unlike other attempts at making the Sith look good in the EU, I actually like this guy. Why? Mostly for the funnies, not gonna lie. This Dark Lord of the Sith, the ultimate villain of the SW universe… is a perfectly normal guy with the same problems in his life as the rest of us.

Vectivus didn't know he was Force sensitive until his adulthood when, while doing Business™️, he and his employees came across a Dark Force nexus inside one of the mines they were working in. Fascinated by the power he could feel, he disolved his business, gave compensation to his employees, and went to search for the surviving Sith who could teach him. However, despite his Sith training, he remains a perfectly normal guy who lives a perfectly mundane life until his death, when he dies surrounded by friends and family. It's hilarious, can you imagine his Master's face? The sheer dissapointment?

He has restrain and moral standards. For example, he seems to be a decent boss and doesn't exploit his employees, cares for his friends and family and, just by guessing, isn't a complete asshole to his Apprentice since, whoever they are, they opt not to kill him despite the existance of the Rule of Two.

And yet… we find out he's still economically predatory, he still abuses his powers to harm and profit over rivals, and generally win at business. He isn't causing harm to those close to him, but he's still harnessing the Dark Side to hurt others.

That's the whole point, the Dark Side is always corruptive. Darth Vectivus is just less corrupted than most Sith.

That's it, that's what I like the most about the guy. He seems normal, is normal in a way… and yet he's still an evil bastard, only the regular evil bastard we find in our daily lives instead of the murderous crazy no-sense-of-restrain kind of Evil Bastard™️ we're used to see in a Sith.

It's… a bit of a grim reminder that evil is everywhere, in everyone, including you, and it can take many forms. That even the most kind-seeming people can be evil.

On the other side, the people he's murdered are… zero. Nonexistant, zero, nada. He's killed absolutely nobody. It's actually pretty funny. He's the only non-murderous Sith in existance, literally the only sane man in an Order of fascist megalomaniacs and it's hilarious.

I'm rather glad for his existance, actually, thanks Legends. Mostly because now I can say that I've killed as many people as a Dark Lord of the Sith.

[blackblooms]

Lady (she/they) i had posted a profile for the main character some time ago, but as the writing of the game progressed, i think i need to update that description to reflect how she actually behaves during the game.

Lady goes by many names, mostly because she rarely bothers to give one. No one knows who or what she is, not even herself, only that she is destined to bring the great calamity and bring an end to the forsaken realm of Narkaas.

Lady is not an evil character, but she is a fatalist and a misanthrope, resenting people for the way she has been treated from the moment she came to be and believing that it is pointless to fight against her fate. She is also a very emotional and impulsive person, often acting reckless or self-righteous, with a complete disregard for her own well-being, but a strong conviction to do what she feels is right in the moment.

Lady is curious by nature, often finding herself intrigued by the people she meet and briefly forgetting about her goals as she pursue her current interest.She is very ignorant and naive, knowing very little about the world and the people in it and often being completely clueless about things that would be obvious to most.

Lady tends to be awkward around people, only speaking when needed and using short, to-the-point sentences. While she is prone to violence, she highly dislikes verbally confronting people and unless provoked, she will either quietly listen to them or ask questions to satiate her curiosity.

-

Anyway, thanks for listening to our girl story. I have to go now, please watch over her and make sure she doesn' t join any cults while i' m gone.

[somewhere-in-the-rain]

BookTok will claim to love morally grey characters and then get mad when the characters are actually morally grey

[witchthewriter]

[imaginal-ai]

"You Sexy Devil" (0001)

(The Diabolicus Series)

[herssian]

[helga-grinduil]

Already said it on Twitter, and gonna say it here too.

The idea that stopping someone from hurting themselves (and everyone around them) and rehabilitating them is 'invalidating' their trauma is truly the most 'what in the actual fuck' BNHA take ever. Huh? Please make it make sense. Do those people also think that going to therapy and choosing not to be miserable your entire life is invalidating your own trauma? 'Oh, you're feeling suicidal due to your trauma and depression lately? Better not accept or ask for help! And if you know someone who is showing concerning signs, don't you dare try to stop and help them, and try to make them feel better, 'cause then you'd be saying that their traima doesn't matter and they should learn to act normal! You're opressing victims! >:('

The point of the bad/good victims idea in BNHA is not that 'bad' victims should be left to run amok, lash out, and self-destruct just because they're victims and this is how they express their trauma. No, the point is that despite their behavior and actions they also need and deserve help just as 'good' victims do.

'But heroes haven't showed any signs of recognising that they were wrong yet' - they literally have, that's the entire point of the hero students from the Savior Squad. And some aspects of the system ALREADY started changing - for example, finally reconnecting heroes and civilians and making the latter to start viewing heroes as just people again.

[joncronshawauthor]

Why Modern Fantasy Assassins Are More Complex Than Ever

Fantasy’s love affair with assassins has come a long way from silent killers lurking in shadows. Modern fantasy has transformed the archetype from simple dealer of death into something far more complex. It’s now a lens through which we examine mortality, morality, and the price of power. Guild of Assassins: A Perfect Example of Evolution My novel Guild of Assassins represents this evolution…

[graceshouldwrite]

Writing Villains (Underrated Tips)

1. Variety

Not all villains have to be the next Darth Vader, Luke Castellan, John Wick, etc. Your villain’s arc doesn’t have to originate from the Big Traumatic Thing that happened when they were X Years Old. Here are some characterization ideas that still keep them interesting (no tragic backstory required):

misguided villain. They don’t think what they do is that evil/they think they are benefiting others (e.g. Thanos from the MCU)

IDGAF villain. They just don’t care about the disaster they leave behind them (e.g. Ozai from ATLA)

past bystander villain. Nothing bad happened to THEM particularly-- they just saw bad things happen to other people, and decided that they need to correct society (e.g. Light Yagami from Death Note)

I was bored villain. They were bored. And millions died for it. They’re probably also an ENTP. Oh, well (e.g. Ryuk from Death Note)

zealous villain. They do it for their cause--god, cult, organization, whatever--there’s a greater power that is their greater purpose (e.g. Cthulu cultists from Call of Cthulu)

staunch traditionalist (often allegorically racist) villain. They want to act according to, and preserve the statusquo (tends to be heritage, race, class, personality, etc.), and believe that any change is bad (e.g. Lucius Malfoy from Harry Potter)

These are just some examples of interesting villain characterizations that absolutely do NOT need a tragic backstory to function.

2. Spill the tea

Show how they treat the people closest to them.

Instead of just focusing on their actions, create moments where readers can see them interacting with their family, friends, etc. This is a powerful tool with the potential to humanize them in a softer way, or make them seem even more scary, merciless, corrupt, secretive, etc.

For example, the audience doesn’t just see Azula from ATLA fight people and conquer cities with a crazy amount of skill and power. The writers show how she interacts with her two best friends; the way she shamelessly belittles them to their faces, manipulates them as pawns, and has no problem putting them in incredible danger reveals a LOT more about her character in a way that only showing her actions cannot.

3. Polarize

Consistency isn’t always key. Sure, the cold and calculating overlord should generally make cold and calculating decisions, but to spice things up, find the thing that will make them snap. Change. Show weakness. Become their opposite, if only for a moment.

(SPOILER WARNING for Arcane)

Silco is a drug kingpin in an underbelly city that is full of gangs, criminals, murderers, thieves, and the sort (you get it).

He not only survives--he THRIVES in that kind of environment as one of the scariest authorial figures. He himself had to experience crazy backstabbing, and grew to be nothing but calculated, manipulative, and ruthless...until he unofficially adopted a daughter! He realized that she had “undone” him to the point where he refused to give her up for a dream he would have been willing to die for.

It DOES sound pretty inconsistent for the ruthless drug kingpin to sacrifice EVERYTHING he’d worked for to clean up after an insane daughter who runs around making murderous messes that attract flocks of authorities. And, it is. Like he says himself, he loses “nothing but problems.”

But, real humans are almost never 100% consistent, and this sort of polarity will humanize your villains without necessarily requiring a tragic backstory or a noble motivation.

∘₊✧────── ☾☼☽ ──────✧₊∘

instagram: @ grace_should_write

Hope this was helpful, and let me know if you have any questions by commenting, re-blogging, or DMing me on IG. Any and all engagement is appreciated :)

Happy writing, and have a great day!

- grace <3

[dropoutconfessions]

The way that Brennan/NPCs and the IHs treated Kipperlilly finding the rogue teacher as illegitimate/susp/cheating is such bs, it was a clever move and very on brand for Rogue behaviour, and one of many examples of them not looking beyond "she's an annoying teenage girl"

yk what, i never realized that. yeah. damn

[flower1622]

My Perachel Stories

The Sea Boy and The Ordinary Girl

Lost Memories

The Boy That Wanted To Grow Up

[starryknight-dragonarts]

Full name: Baroness Captain Kaida Cinnamon Samedi LaCroix the Pirate Empress, Deadly Sin of Greed, Daughter of the Death Loa

Generations ago there was an age of legendary Seafarers, Pirates, and Dreamers who's feats were like the stuff of fantasy. They set out into the vast unknown to seek their fortune and make their mark on the world. They left a ripple through the sea that would be felt long after they were gone and spoken of in tales across the world, but time passed, the unknown became known, the uncharted became charted, and pokemon became more cynical and concerned with the material. Dreams are but Fantasies of the night, and rather than being the symbols of freedom they once were, pirates became more infamous as ruthless cutthroats. Those who still clung to the older ways were seen as a relic of a bygone era...Then the self proclaimed Empress showed up, and took the Sea by Storm!

Kaida was born a Salandit slave to one of the most cruel Salazzle Queens on the Volcano; Bellinora Eleaika the Demon Queen, who infamously murdered her mother and sisters to take the throne. Kaida was not born biologically female, but Kaida knew very early on that she was not a boy Salandit, she described it as "having a Girl Soul" and gave herself the name Kaida "Little Dragon". Her mother however demeaned and dismissed her entirely and decided to give her the much less impressive nickname; "Kindling". She believed that Kaida's ideas were all simply some delusional ploy to get better treatment and dangerous to her authority because if she started treating one slave like a pokemon worth caring about then every Salandit would want the same.

At 7 years old Kaida had a plan to finally make her mother acknowledge her as a daughter, he had heard that there was an Oranguru Wizard named Osgarius Zoroaster somewhere on the island who could grant anyone their deepest desires if they were brave enough to make it to him and fulfil his tasks. Kaida thought she was pretty brave, but more so she was determined and stubborn, She would never give up until she got what she wanted! She traveled it to Osgarius's tower and told him her desire to be a fully a girl. Osgarius seemed to be a benevolent man who heard her out and agreed to help if she did something for him first to prove she deserved it...he asked her to steal the Totem of Lush Jungle a sacred artifact of the original royal tribes that granted their house power and authority over the Jungle. Kaida stole and brought back the Totem expecting Osgarius to uphold his part of the deal...Instead he betrayed Kaida, alerting Bellanora to "Kaida's attempt at using his power to Usurp her". Even without Osgarius's lies Bellanora would never have loved her, even if she had become a naturally Female Salandit, she'd only see her as competition for Kaida's little sister Belladona. Kaida was forced to flee the island leaving her sister and her best friend behind and stowed away on a ship to wherever it was going to bring her.

Kaida eventually arrived at Treasure Town, she spent time as a street urchin before being caught by the guards and taken to an orphanage, where she was discovered by another older Salazzle lady named Marie Lacroix. Despite her age she was never able to have eggs of her own. The two of them were exactly what the other had been looking for; Marie needed a daughter she could love and Kaida wanted a mother to be loved by and accept her for who she is. Admittedly she spoiled Kaida more than a little bit but she always made it a point to be involved in Kaida's interests, Kaida developed a love for ballet, theater, and adventure stories about Pirates. When Kaida was 14 Marie got sick and eventually passed away and Kaida was alone again...Another Salazzle close in age to herself named Aphrodite had an interest in Kaida and offered she join her Harem. Aphrodite promised to treat her as a girl Salandit but in exchange Aphrodite would take over the LaCroix fortune. It was a kind offer but Kaida didn't want to belong to anyone anymore, she rejected Aphrodite and declared she would become a Salazzle too. Thus their rivalry was born. Aphrodite would continuously use Kaida's insecurity about not being born a girl against her both verbally taunting Kaida and using her powerful Salazzle Pheromones to steal all of the Marie's Salandit servants. Kaida couldn't make the same powerful Pheromones that controls the harem, and would eventually ended up alone in a Mansion that she can't take care of by herself but still defiant and determined to keep forging on with her own path, whatever the hardship, she had to stand and fight for everything she had gained.

Kaida started her career as a Pirate boldly announcing that she would one day be the Queen of the Pirates and command every Pirate Ships across the seas! One day while a party she met a young Eevee named Morgan who had been raised by her father to be a perfect submissive bride so he could force his way into being royalty. Morgan's interactions with other children her age was always carefully dictated by their parents, so Kaida was the first person she met who was absolutely genuine. Kaida told her tales of her many adventures and misadventure and how she had defied the hand that life had given her, which in turn inspired Morgan as well to take her agency in her own life and defy her father. The two hit it off becoming friends and falling in love, even though her father forbid them from interacting, not that they cared what he thought. Kaida would just sneak in anyway and the two of them would run off to go have fun and mischief together. Kaida completley and unconditionally supported Morgan's dreams of being a Magician and told her once she had her own boat they would go around the world together performing in every city and every region. In time they would become known together as the Deadly Sins of Greed and Lust, the Salandit who does the impossible to take what she desires and the Eevee who let her heart guide her way in defiance of her controlling father.

Kaida would indeed do the impossible and more than once. First finding the Toxic Plate of Arceus which granted her a wish. She finally became entirely female and later evolved into the Salazzle she always knew she could be. One who can stand up to Aphrodite, Bellinora, Osgarius, and anyone else who once believed she was incapable of being anything more than what she started as. She will be the Queen of the Pirates, but first she is going to enjoy the journey to get there, owning the treasure at the end is never quite as fun as the adventure. Kaida's main weapons are a Flametongue Rapier which belonged to her mother that has the ability to stretch and bend like a whip, and a sass-talking Shiny Honedge named Render who picked her to be his wielder. Not featured in this picture, she also has a Greatsword created by the Forge God Heatran himself that can only be wielded by Kaida herself, a pole with a Metal Fist on the end, An Arcane Pistol that shoots Magic Bolts, a Crossbow that shoots Fireworks, a bunch of glass balls with explosive fluid in them, and a Sopt sign (A Stop sign but spelled wrong)

Do you want to join the Empress's Crew too? I am offering special full color commissions for only $20 per piece if you want me to make you your own Pokemon Pirate Character! Contact me for information regarding Commissions