The decision to have a character die

[marygold]

I've heard of authors creating a character for the purpose of killing them off, but how does that work? Does an author just think "Hm, I want to create a sob moment, let me just create this character real quick" or is it "I've had this character for a while, hm, maybe I'll kill him off and get a few readers to comment on how sad they are."

How does one decide that a character has to die in general though? So many books like Harry Potter are so well thought out, it seems like a character died because of the inevitability of the story's situation when really it took a person at a desk staring really hard at their rough draft or something.

SPOILERS FOR HARRY POTTER Rowling could have not made Collin Creevey (Harry's camera wielding fan) die, his death was literally just Harry finding out, him and readers feeling sad, and bam, that's it. He didn't really sacrifice himself nor did his death achieve anything in the plot, yet it was so meaningful. Nobody felt like "ugh, this woman just wanted us to feel sad." Honestly, the story would not feel complete without his death and I can't explain why. It just made me feel really really sad. I really admire any writer who can achieve that. END SPOILER

How do you guys come to the decision, especially when the death isn't to achieve anything really importantly conflict related (e.g. guy staying behind to defeat antagonist's right hand man)? Do you ever feel like it's inevitable yourself or do you make it inevitable for the readers? One important thing to a character death is how it builds up, that I understand, but the reasoning behind it on the author's part is equally important as well in my opinion. I've had considerations for some of my characters, but I can't tell if I'm unconsciously trying to create a sob moment or if I really think their death will have meaning. I don't go through the thought process that I described at the top but most of the time I'm thinking of a scene and I'm like "x-character is probably going to die here" or "x-character could probably die here"

[heterodont]

a lot of people are gonna say they don't like character death, no matter what the reason.

it's kinda annoying when it's just seems like the author is doing it for the sake of killing off characters (ala game of thrones), so it gets to a point where its like - why bother connecting with any of the characters if there's a very likely possibility they're going to be killed off? I'd say if it's not going to affect the plot or character motivations in a significant way, then there's no reason in killing the character unless you just want to piss your audience off. unless the situation calls for it (say murder mystery story)

In both of my stories there are characters who are going to get killed off, but in one its only One character that'll die and in the other, it's two who do - but one dies for plot reasons and the other two to show that the MC has ~learned~ something throughout the story and has to live with the consequences of their actions.

If I'm being frank though there have been times where I've been drawing a panel and the brief thought of killing the character featured in the panel has crossed my mind - only because I found them cute in that panel :Y

[marygold]

@heterodont thanks for the tip I just want to ask your opinion on anime like HunterxHunter or Attack on Titan (sorry for assuming that you watch anime if you don't) if you've watched them.
SPOILER SPOILER so basically a lot of characters get killed. Especially in HxH you remember them from somewhere, or the author gave just enough personality details for you to slightly connect with them. Then they die in the middle of a mission or something. Did technique like that make you numb to character death in that fandom or were you still able to feel some degree of sadness at their death? END SPOILER

[heterodont]

Haha no worries!! I have watched anime, haven't given HunterxHunter a watch but I'm aware of stuff like that!

Though I have watched/read Attack on Titan but I dropped the manga early on around when SPOILER erwin lost his arm I think? I might've dropped it before then but that's the last thing I remember reading END SPOILER

With the first season of the anime it was kinda like, if they were a BG character it was almost guaranteed they were going to die. SPOILER I will admit Eren ''dying'' caught me off guard just because when BG characters were the only ones to die, it's like the author is saying the MCs will never die because plot protection. But just because the sole amount of BG characters dying, characters like Marco - who were shown to have like Personalities and maybe even affected some of the main cast - I felt nothing when it was revealed he was one of the corps that died during the wall break. It was just kinda like, oh yeah. it was expected - he was a background character after all so i didn't expect him to live very long. Even after that part I did feel a varying degree of worry for characters like Hanji and Levi, but if they were to die I'd be a combination of like "I GUESS that was going to happen eventually" and mad just because I Liked Levi HA. END SPOILER

[marygold]

@heterodont so I guess there's a certain degree of numbness. Some settings need to have characters die though, like AoT's. Hard to find a balance, hmm... I highly suggest you continue reading. Things just got really good. Like, really good ;D

[heterodont]

I HOPE SO I dropped it just because I couldn't stand another reveal like - oh NO eren couldn't get to his basement to use his key again because this plan that we were so certain was going to work, failed!!

it dragged on forever and I was getting fed up with it ;_; but I'll give it another shot then!

[Michelle]

It depends on the genre; death feels a lot less powerful in something like a horror story where you expect it to be there. That's not to say a death can't be important, but it's certainly less surprising. Though I think like @heterodont mentioned, sometimes it's a little overdone. I liked playing the Walking Dead games, but it got to a point where I stopped caring about new characters because I knew they'd be dead within the next hour, two hours tops, and as a result I didn't feel that upset when they died.

I think the best deaths are the ones that serve a narrative purpose, especially when they happen to characters that aren't 1-dimensional. I hate when a throwaway character is killed just to give a main character something to grieve about. I see this a lot with vague girlfriend-type characters whose only purpose is to be killed so the hero can have a reason to be angsty. Now, I'm not saying you can't use a loved one's death to build character, but at least give that loved one some kind of history other than "plot fodder", y'know?

[WakaXO]

My comic has at least one character I created for the purpose of killing off, but it wasn't for the readers reaction, but for my characters reactions. Their death has a huge impact on the decisions the characters will make after, it pushed the plot along and it serves as a lesson of action=consequence.
Character death is a tough subject, as most people will likely disapprove of its inclusion in a story, but death is a real thing and I don't think it should be omitted from storytelling just to spare a few peoples feelings. Though the opposite is also true, inclusion of a character death just for the 'shock value' is unnecessary and may feel cheap to readers.

[shazzbaa]

There's kinda a distinction drawn here between an author who thinks "this death will really punch the audience in the heart" versus an author who thinks "this death is necessary for the story." I don't think I believe that one's better than the other! I don't think looking to punch the audience in the heart means it's "just a sob moment."

I do agree that it's best when death feels like it has greater meaning, but that doesn't necessarily come from an author being inexorably drawn towards a narrative inevitability. I've seen strong narrative decisions from creator-friends start with the thought of "oh man, what if so-and-so died, that would hurt!! people would cry!!!" and then they would look at that possibility and see if it serves the story and serves that character. Sometimes when you have that instinct, there's a reason for it. Other times, you look at it more closely and realise killing the character doesn't do much and won't have a lasting impact on the story.

I've heard of authors creating a character for the purpose of killing them off, but how does that work?

"Okay obviously she was trained by the Mentor Jedi because that's how this works, but in order for her to really have to face these challenges and make these hard decisions without anyone to give her answers, the Mentor Jedi needs to die. Lemme design a good Mentor for that role; I'll need to develop him and give enough time to really show their relationship so that the Mentor's absence is felt."

"I want to show that they are losing options, so one by one the captains are going down so that Main Character really feels like he's the last hope. I think it would mean a lot more if we got to meet one of the captains. What should she be like? What if she is everything the Main Character struggles to be, so it really feels like Main Character can't possibly fill those shoes?"

Sometimes as author you really do calculate stuff out like that -- "this death will raise the stakes" "this death will make you hate the villain" -- and I think you balance that with "how does this serve the story" as well as the empathy of "who is this person that we're losing, and why do they matter to other people in the story." I also think "because she's his wife" is a boring answer; "because she makes him laugh and finds joy in everything" makes it actually hurt to lose her.

[J.Z.Castillo]

I have a few deaths planned, because the story requires it. I have also created characters just to kill them off haha. And I also have characters that I simply will not be needing later so I'm just going to kill them off, tastefully and off screen (HAHA).

Deaths I Have Planned: These are the ones that I have written because they will help my characters grow, and hopefully they are the most impactful ones to the readers

Character Created to Be Killed Off: Sometimes I need a death, so I will just write up a character for that specific purpose, I will introduce them waaaayyyyy before their death, and then BAM, have them killed off.

No Longer Needed Characters: My cast gets pretty big (around 30 people at its highest) and I just can't keep up with all those personalities and stories, so after a while, a character is just not needed anymore so I will kill them or write them off. I go with killing because that's permanent. If I write them off I still have the opportunity to revisit them and I don't wanna do that.

So, yeah, it all really depends how you write those deaths and what you need them for, just don't over use it so it doesn't lose its appeal (looking at you George R. R. Martin!!)

[Shanny8]

I never write killing a character with the intent that it would have an impact on the audience/readers. If I kill a character it's because A) said character no longer serves a purpose or B) it changes the dynamics of the story itself, either strengthening the other characters or changing their outlook.

So far I havent gotten to that point, though the idea of killing off a character in my comic is a possibility- but it wont come for a LONG time.

[AnnaLandin]

Character-death is a tricky topic.

I'm opposed to having characters die just for shock-value or cheap tragedy. A character-death does not make a story inherently more ~*meaningful *~(or more "gritty and realistic") than it would be without it, and I dislike the use of a character's death JUST for the purpose of making me as a reader cry. As in, their death is ONLY there so that I as a reader can be sad about it.

The same goes for using stuff like the Girlfriend in the Refridgerator trope - when a character is created and exists long enough for us to know who they are, and then they're unceremoniously killed off so that the hero can have some tragedy to motivate his fight with the villain. It's cheap, and it's boring, and it frankly makes me roll my eyes a lot of the time. I've seen it before, and it isn't often that it's actually used for something creative and/or interesting.

That said, I'm not opposed to characters dying. I approve of it wholeheartedly! If the characters are doing something or are in a situation that carries the threat of mortal danger in some way, then there should be the possibility of them dying, and if they do die, that's okay with me! And I want to be really sad when it happens, because I want to care about these characters!

I just want their death to have a point. I want it to accomplish something beyond make me as the reader sad that the character is dead.

Does it impact the story in some way (other than the refridgerator trope mentioned above)? Were they supposed to carry an important message to someone, but died before they could get there? Did they go out in a blaze of glory while they fought to save someone? Did their death happen because they slipped up and weren't cautious enough around something dangerous? Etc., etc.

Has their character arc built towards it, and does it make sense of their character to die at that point? I'm a big fan of inevitable doom-scenarios - ones where it slowly becomes apparent that no matter what the character does, their arc is building towards their death, and the readers/character are aware of it. That way, the character's actions before their death become more important. Will they have time to do what they set out to do?

Honestly, though, it doesn't matter so much how a creator came up with killing off a character. If their reasoning was "yeah, this would make people cry!" that's okay, as long as they make that death work within the narrative.

I have a character I have yet to introduce in my comic, and I haven't decided if they're going to die yet or not. The story would work either way, but their narrative arc might work better if it ends in death. Or maybe it won't! I'm going to have to sit down and think hard about it, because I want their death - if they do die - to make sense within the story; both the main story, and their own arc.

[zetina]

It's strange really. Though @shazzbaa really laid it out well so it was helpful to show up here, haha~ But anyway yeah I have characters who die before getting old and wrinkly. The thinking for them have all been kinda different. But since I daydream the scenarios, often times their fate becomes sealed just because I like the scene and what it does. I don't think I've ever written a character to die so far (or, well, there are some I have to tbh but I haven't yet), it's usually that they end up dying in my head. Luckily, I can see those deaths saying something so I guess my brain is doing its job lmao

[respheal]

The death needs to either bring closure or motivation. I'm gonna use Fullmetal Alchemist as an example because it has great examples of both.

Motivation: The Elric's mother's death as motivation for...everything. She was clearly written just to die, but still.
Hughes's death. Not written just to die, he did contribute other things, but BOY HOWDY was his death impactful. It became a huge motivator for Mustang.

Closure: I won't name names, but he dies in the epilogue, and it's a relief. That dude just needed some rest and it's about time he got it.

[spadesart]

i did make a character coming up in my comic just to be killed but he'll only appear for 1 or two pages at the most and its just for that scene. other than that i dont think any of my main characters are planned to be killed actually?? never actually realized that wow

[tsukiko]

Oh man now I'm a little worried. I mean im planning to kill a number of my characters, theyll die in the later parts BUT some of them were/will be featured in the beggining of the story! XD since i hate killing extras, the effect it will bring me will be honest and the feeling may reach the readers as well
reading through this thread though. . . I just got more scared of the risk i took xD

[69Michi]

Although it's not to the point of people dropping off left and right, but my comic will have a lot of character death, considering it's on the subject of zombie apocalypse. I respect Game of Throne for how it can reasonably kill of any character without flinching, it gives me the impression that okay everyone is the same, there is no main character in real life, everybody will die eventually; unlike a lot of story you read where "Oh this person is a main character, so no matter what happens, they will survive." Like in AoT. But to be honest, deaths like in Game of Throne tire me out and gave me no reason to connect with any character in general, so it get boring quick haha.

I'm fine with the story making characters just to be killed off if the plot and setting are fit. It's like you can't expect no one to die in a setting like AoT, plenty people are gonna die, no matter if you are emotionally connected to them or not. I do divide the priority when it comes to my character's death though. Minor death (background character, random character we come across) and major death (a person in the main cast) I think it's how you execute it will make it less unacceptable to the readers. If you can't find a meaningful reason for their death, give them something dumb to do that suits their personality, and give them the befitting consequence. Don't just suddenly kill people off for no absolute reason except for the shock factor, I hate that.

[indagold]

If the character serves literally no point besides to make the sads then I can't stand it. I remember reading a short comic where they introduce a puppy with a stubby leg out no where and everyone is all sad over the puppy and it dies immediately by drowning. Literally the worst cliche and it was coming from a comic writer I really liked too.

Also I don't like authors who coddle their characters. They throw such a big fit if one has to die and complain their little cinnamon bun has to have conflict. First of all they're not real, second of all you have a story to write, you're not babysitting someone. I don't know why people get so attached to something you lose the ability to understand how to write.

I don't go through much of a giant thought process for death, I see it as another part to drive the story much like anything else. How character's react, how it changes the plot. Things like that.

[marygold]

Yeah the shock factor, don't we all love that .-. Hope I don't accidentally do that don't know if anybody goes through this but sometimes I can't tell if my thought process is a good one or bad one

[69Michi]

IKR LMFAO In a way Game of Throne sorta is guilty for this shock factor. I won't say the upcoming first death in my comic won't be a shock factor, but at least I think I give /that character/ enough of a reason to die. Also apparently every readers want them death, it's not like it's that unexpected