In most of the stories I've seen, the protagonist is the underdog. There's a good reason for this: if the villain weren't a legitimate threat, or the hero didn't have to master new skills and prove him or herself, the story wouldn't be as interesting.
Or would it?
Sometimes, power can be a curse in itself, driving the plot or character development as effectively as a villain or an embarrassing lack of skill.
It can isolate a character from their power-fearing neighbours, or make them feel a disproportionate sense of responsibility to everyone around them, to the point where their power in one area leaves them powerless to enjoy any other aspects of their over-burdened life.
It can cause people to be jealous of them, to have unrealistic expectations of them, or to define them by their skills, making normal relationships a painful struggle.
If their power is dangerous and hard to control, it can make the enemy inside of them more of a threat than anything outside their own body ever could be.
In some darker works, it can even be inherently destructive to its bearer, driving them ever closer to madness or death.
Personally, I tend to find characters more interesting when it's their strength, not their weakness, that causes their struggle. Maybe it's because the "weak underdog becoming strong" story has been used so often that it's less likely to be original or unique.
Maybe it's because these characters can often become isolated, over-responsible over-givers, which is something I've struggled with and can instantly relate to.
Or maybe it's because giving a super-powerful character something to struggle with takes more creativity than simply throwing in a superior warrior, sports player or other character, and saying "OK, protagonist, measure up to this".
One example I really like is Superman's World of Cardboard speech. I haven't watched much of this cartoon, but I discovered the speech via the ever-wonderful TV Tropes wiki, and it instantly struck a chord. It revealed a struggle in the Man of Steel that's so much more interesting than "my weakness is Kryptonite", and it's the kind of thing I love to see writers do with strong characters.
Or would it?
Sometimes, power can be a curse in itself, driving the plot or character development as effectively as a villain or an embarrassing lack of skill.
It can isolate a character from their power-fearing neighbours, or make them feel a disproportionate sense of responsibility to everyone around them, to the point where their power in one area leaves them powerless to enjoy any other aspects of their over-burdened life.
It can cause people to be jealous of them, to have unrealistic expectations of them, or to define them by their skills, making normal relationships a painful struggle.
If their power is dangerous and hard to control, it can make the enemy inside of them more of a threat than anything outside their own body ever could be.
In some darker works, it can even be inherently destructive to its bearer, driving them ever closer to madness or death.
Personally, I tend to find characters more interesting when it's their strength, not their weakness, that causes their struggle. Maybe it's because the "weak underdog becoming strong" story has been used so often that it's less likely to be original or unique.
Maybe it's because these characters can often become isolated, over-responsible over-givers, which is something I've struggled with and can instantly relate to.
Or maybe it's because giving a super-powerful character something to struggle with takes more creativity than simply throwing in a superior warrior, sports player or other character, and saying "OK, protagonist, measure up to this".
One example I really like is Superman's World of Cardboard speech. I haven't watched much of this cartoon, but I discovered the speech via the ever-wonderful TV Tropes wiki, and it instantly struck a chord. It revealed a struggle in the Man of Steel that's so much more interesting than "my weakness is Kryptonite", and it's the kind of thing I love to see writers do with strong characters.
What do you think? Do you prefer strong characters, or underdogs?
I look forward to chatting with you in the comments.
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