Killing off the heroes

[Gary Wassner]

I am in the middle of the fifth book in my GemQuest series and I was contemplating having one of my favorite characters die. Then I had second thoughts about it. I would miss that person terribly. But, on the other hand, sometimes it's necessary. I know though that if I was reading a long Epic Fantasy series and one of my heroes died, I would be disappointed.

How do you feel about main, seemingly essential characters, good characters, dying before the series is completed?

 

[Rob B]

Allowing ALL of the essential characters survive through an epic ordeal is often a hard-pill to swallow. I think having essential characters die, when handled properly, is more plausible than having them all survive.

 

[Priestvyrce]

Having a essential character die gives the story some 'realism' and also if handled properly(no heavy handed speeches and the like) can give the story a renonsance that can lift it from being just "another" fantasy epic.

 

[Phedre]

I feel so sad if I finish a book and one of my favourite characters died somewehere near the end (of anywhere else). But sad feelings are feelings too. If a book can make you feel like you've been there in person, it's a good book. If I read a good book, but nobody dies and it's all happiness and joy, I tend to forget about that book really quick. A 'struggling' story stays with me longer.

 

[Susan Boulton]

Gemquest; I can only speak from my own thoughts on the matter. For a story to grow both good and bad characters, small and main, have to die.

One thing I used to hate about Star Trek... the red shirts alone always died!

In my own effort at writing "high fantasy" (A book I call the monster, which has taken me six years to get to the point I feel it is ready.) I decided that as the main theme was war, then the body count was going to be high. I made an effort to have both the wasteful, usless death as well as "heroic death." But as it turned out even my heroic deaths are painful, because death is, for those that you leave behind...

The death of a main character, in my opinion adds texture and colour to a work. If all are going to survive, then in a way what's the point in reading it, you know the heroes will win, with out loss.

 

[Gary Wassner]

When it's time for a character to die in my books, then he or she does. I was just curious how readers feel about it when they read it. It's hard for me as an author to give up a character that I am so close to and have lived with through 2600 pages of history. But When the moment comes, it comes.

 

[magze]

Sometimes you have to kill off a main character to give the story realism,you cant just kill the baddies or else the story just becomes boring and lacks bite.It is heartbreaking at times when a character you have come to know and love dies but sometimes it just has to be.

 

[ezchaos]

I have no problem with a main character getting killed off, as long as there is a reason for it. Death is part of life and can make for a more realistic story.

When you're finished reading a book, and you don't feel any kind of emotions at the end of the story, then there's something wrong. That is, any kind of emotions other than boredom, disgust, etc. As Phedre said, feeling sad is at least feeling something, and it isn't neccessarily a bad thing.

 

[Drakonslair]

I agree. I dont mind characters getting killed off. Just look at Martin he kills them off wholesale and it works well

 

[Literbug]

Fantasy books that contain violence and war, which only effects the orcs and not the heroes, tend not to be believable. Having sympathetic characters die makes a book more powerful for the reader.

 

[nicba]

Death in fantasy

Yes, having main characters die is surely realistic... but I'm not really reading fantasy for the realism. If I wanted to read about the randomness and gridiness (is that a word?) of war I would read a straight historical novel instead.

In reality people, even good and important people, fall down the stairs and break their necks or gets killed by some unknown, unnamed soldier in the chaos of war. In fantay there is fate, destiny, the gods and/or some higher purpose that make sure such accidents do not happend. It's the fight of good against evil, on either an epic or a personal scale. And the good ultimately triumps. That, at least, is what defines fantasy for me, much more so than the inclusion of this or that traditional fantasy creature or magical gimmick.

The most horrible example of an author killing off an important character I have read is probably by Raymond E. Feist. I think it was in "Princes of the Blood" but I'm not sure. Honestly, I can't even remember the name of the character that was killed. I just remember feeling almost cheated. The guy was killed about two-thirds through the book, off-stage. The rest of the characters were shocket for a couple of sentences afterwards and then the book just continued on to the climax barely without a ripple. That was handled very badly, I think.

So, "Realistic" random deaths in fantasy almost always puts me off. That's not to say that everyone must always survive without a scratch, but the death of an important character, whether he be good or evil, should serve some purpose beyond plain realism. The death of an important character should set off some emotional resonances within the rest of the characters as well as within the reader. If the character was important alive, the death of said character should be at least as important. He/she should leave an inheritance to be taken up, a gaping hole in the story to be filled out.

Rather few authors, I suspect, would let their arch-villian (or his trusty evil general) die a random but realistic death by falling down the stairs of their twisted evil tower about half-way through the book. So why would an author let it happend to the good guys?

 

[Literbug]

I used the word 'believable' and not 'realistic, which are distinct concepts. I agree though, the death of a major character should serve the drama of the narrative. By making the drama more believable, I think the author can involve the reader more in her or his work. If I'm reading a book where I'm certain none of the major characters will die and are never in any real danger, I find the narrative is severely deadened.

 

[starry-eyed]

When a great character that the reader has come to appreciate and enjoy dies near the end of a series, then it can add a lot of drama and, I would argue, even realism. It can be sad for the reader, but also moving. We can all appreciate that a great ending and a great novel may require a character's sacrifice.

What's a lot harder on a reader is if the main character is lost too early in the series. If there aren't enough other strong and engaging characters, readers can even lose interest in the series. Well, this reader anyway .

 

[Boiler]

The death of a major character shouldn't be the trigger to achieve something (like an emotional response or to make the story more real). Live and death of any character should be determined by the story itsself, not vice versa.

 

[ChrisW]

<---Agrees with Boiler.

 

[Gary Wassner]

Nicba, I tend to agree more with what you said than anyone else so far. Epic Fantasy is not realistic, though it may deal with 'real' issues of ethics and choice and value etc. So to kill of a great character just for the purposes of making the series seem serious or realistic, or for the author to appear to be daring or innovative, would make no sense at all. I had actually expected more people to share your point of view.

 

[Leiali]

I agree with Boiler too. Though I must confess I do prefer every one to remain intact at the ending of a tale.When major characters die (especially when it is too soon or very surprising) I get cross. That is just my emotional response I know but I like happily ever after, and what is wrong with that I say?
Anyway, I suggest Nom might want to put a word in here to counter my rather rubbish argument (whilst trying not to spoil a series of books, I think he is well placed to say why major characters should be bumped off.)

 

[juzzza]

I personally feel that the death of any character should have a plot motivation, it must lead to something or drive one or more of the other characters to do something... Killing them off to shock, or to throw the reader off is as pointless as throwing in explicit sex scenes simply for reasons other than plot I.E. to shock, appeal to pervs, look clever and liberal.

I kinda see what Holbrook is saying, but I think H's argument is the same, if you are making a point about war and the senseless killing involved with war, then senseless death should occur to make the point and drive the plot.

If GQ feels that the death of a major character does not get across what he wants to say... Don't do it. Imagine a Schwarzenegger film where he dies after twenty minutes... Or imagine in Four Weddings and a Funeral, if Hugh got run over 47 minutes in!!! Silly examples and I am not suggesting Fantasy is blockbuster pulp, it ain't but I don't need death to suspend disbelief. In fact, when I feel the author is trying to shock, scare, turn me on for shock, scare, turn me on's sake, I usually put the book down... Did it with American Psycho.

 

[Gary Wassner]

The decision to allow a character to die when he or she is an enamored character, is a decision! As the author, you have control over those issues to some extent. I say 'to some extent' because there are times when you really have no choices, and the evolution of the story and characters determines their fate. But if it is going to break the heart of the reader to allow someone they love to die, then why do it?

I started this thread to get some sense of how people here feel about the issue. I would feel a great loss if one of my favorite characters died, and if there was a choice on the author's part to allow that character to live, and if that choice did not destroy the plot line or detract from the evolution of the story, then I agree with Nicba and others who don't read Epic Fantasy for its 'realism' but for the emotional and spiritual satisfaction that it provides; thumbs up!! Let them live.....

 

[Boiler]

I started this thread to get some sense of how people here feel about the issue. I would feel a great loss if one of my favorite characters died,...

I would (and did) feel the same loss if one of my beloved characters died. That's part of what it means to be a favorite character - we care for them, we don't want them to die, we want them to live and be happy.
However, if a main character gets into heavy, life-threatening trouble all the time and is able to make a last-minute escape thanks to unexpected events or magic or superpower, I believe the character looses part of what made him loveable in the first place. Despite the factual survival, the impact could be counterproductive.

... and if there was a choice on the author's part to allow that character to live, and if that choice did not destroy the plot line or detract from the evolution of the story, then I agree with Nicba...

I absolutely agree. That's how it should be. I guess it is important how the author constructs his tale: a) are the people the dominant factors, the elements who determine and influence the storyline? Or b) is it the overall story which is responsible for the fate of the characters and mainly determines their action?

...and others who don't read Epic Fantasy for its 'realism' but for the emotional and spiritual satisfaction that it provides; thumbs up!! Let them live.....

I think 'realism' is a word that should be used very carefully and very seldom in order to describe the quality of a fantasy book (or a movie, for that matter). What is realism? The term itsself may have a connotation of a 'objective meaning'. In truth, realism is something very subjective. Everybody has a different understanding of realism, even if on the surface they seem to be similar.
What is more important, imho, is that characters stay true to the system of values the author sets up for them. Consistency and transparancy regarding those values are important elements to create a bond between the characters and the readers. That way, those characters become unique and authentic, which is necessary to gain an emotional and spiritual satisfaction.

ps: I hope I made myself clear. English is - as you see - not my native language, so please forgive any misunderstandings...