How to "Kill Off" a Character?

[cherrystark]

Background. When I started creating my "ideal" cast for my series, I wanted to have an even mix of men and women in the main cast. A lot of action series (cough cough The Avengers and pretty much all of MCU) might have one or two female characters and seventy-five male characters.

One of my characters is the team psychiatrist who has the ability to "compel" people to do her will. She was a grifter before going straight and joining the team. On one hand, her character is awesome with tons of potential. On the other, she doesn't have a ton of chemistry with the rest of the team, and it's super easy to leave her out of capers.

Should I "kill" off her character to allow more team growth and eventually allow a new character to fill her void or write her out completely with the "she left to do XYZ in Indiana" approach? Thoughts?

• Kill off the character to make room for a new one
• Let her "move away"

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The Museum | Tapas

[ar-ninetysix]

I say you don't even have to "kill" her. There's still a bit more you might be able to do with her tbh

For one thing, she's not vibing with the cast? Maybe there's personality traits in her that can be compatible with others in ways you may not have thought of. Maybe through her likes and dislikes of certain hobbies, morals even. If you've developed you characters far enough of to have lists of their interests, you might be able to make a connection between certain aspects and base chemistry off of that.

And if you can't be bother to develop her any further atm.. Maybe she doesn't need to be with them all the time, but she can still be an ongoing presence without her having to leave for some other location. If they have a home base they go back to all the time, you could have her spend her time there doing other beneficial activites outside of her powers, like being charge of communications or repairs but like just being basic at it.. Idk, seems worth considering

[cherrystark]

I just feel really torn when it comes to her character. She does have some chemistry with the MC's dad, who is another cast member. They bicker like a divorced mum and dad deciding how to co-parent their three kiddos in the earlier stories but that dynamic has tapered off. I don't want her to solely be this guy's love interest like it's really common to do in action stories. The rest of the team doesn't really interact with her on capers that much anymore. Introducing a new character as the "team mum"/mentor figure would at least give a chance for the relationships to grow naturally instead of forcing them.

Maybe she doesn't need to be with them all the time, but she can still be an ongoing presence without her having to leave for some other location. If they have a home base they go back to all the time, you could have her spend her time there doing other beneficial activites outside of her powers, like being charge of communications or repairs but like just being basic at it.. Idk, seems worth considering

I've thought about something along those lines tbh, but that's why I am thinking about writing her out completely. The original idea was for her to go from "casual observer" to full team member. But, her interactions with the team are limited. I have another character who is the "show up when needed" type and it works for her. I can't justify this character to do the same thing.

I have had thought about having her get shot and then the dramatic "cut screen" and leave her pseudo-ending ambiguous. It still leaves room for dramatic growth but adds a sense of "finality".

[ar-ninetysix]

I mean.. Why not use that as a writing point?

Have her reconsider staying in the team altogether and address the fact that the experience isn't the same as it used to be. The team could like talk it out for a bit before she ultimately leaves for good. And like she can leave with a big goodbye from everyone, or she can leave without a word after they think they convinced her to stay. I think there's also room there for the concept of finality without using death as a means, but that's just me tossing ideas around lol

[cherrystark]

I get what you mean. I am huge into creating "drama" but I like being respectful to my characters. I like her, so rewriting her wouldn't be natural to the story, but she doesn't fit the dynamic anymore.

[DiegoPalacios]

When a character joins an established cast is common to have them be a bit of an outsider at first.......

Her chemistry with the other cast members can grow as she spends adventures with them and get to know them better....

If she doesn't fit the role of main cast member she can still be an interesting support cast member from time to time........

[FelopePE]

If you ever heard of Sherlock Holmes the author killed him off but brought the man back after a massive outcry, hilarious.

If it's that hard to include a character, and is forgettable to you, you may as well kill her off. Focus on the people you actually care about.

[cherrystark]

@DiegoPalacios You have a point. This character has been around from the beginning which makes the dynamic harder. The five others on the team have a strong familial dynamic. The three "younger" ones all have referred to the team's bodyguard as "Dad" at least once per story in the series. And he's very protective of his three babies. A newbie would be awkward but there is a better chance that they'd fit the dynamic.

@FelopePE I am familiar with the outcry over Sherlock Holmes. Still very funny. Part of me wishes I knew what readers thought of her. I like the other five much better.