Vengeful Characters. What makes them good?

[RiidDisBuk]

I've been working on writing a vengeful character soon and have taken many notes and tips on how to make a good one. What do you guys think in your opinion makes a good vengeful character?

[WillisAuthor]

That you can side with them a little. Thanos is a great example, he had a traumatic experience, he believes in his cause at the same level as the heroes and he's willing to defend his purpose at any cost.

A good vengeful character, should stand on the line of good and evil. They make sacrifices for the sake of vengeance that they normally wouldn't have made without that passionate driving force.

I suppose it's their passion and willingness to sacrifice themselves to make it happen. For better or worse.

[RiidDisBuk]

Do you mean End Game Thanos?

Also I agree with your opinion.

[IdiotWithPencil]

I've been working on writing a vengeful character soon and have taken many notes and tips on how to make a good one. What do you guys think in your opinion makes a good vengeful character?

from what I've seen/read what makes Vengeful characters "Good" is their complete obsession and addiction to their goal, they don't have fun, they don't like what they're doing, they were happy before but that happiness is gone and now what is left is bitter resentment. They will never stop until their deed is done or they are dead.

some examples would be:
Jhon wick
The Crow
The Punisher
Daredevil (first story)
Oldboy's main character

etc.

they will all do crazy things for their goal.
Also, do not make them enjoy it too much I've read some where they made the character completely infatuated with their revenge and it was ridiculous and disgusting. XP

[Maps]

I have plans to make one of my mains pretty vengeful. Up until now he has been done dirty over and over again. I think this will make it more of a redemption rather than him just being a bitter a-hole. Like I hope the readers would root for him rather than despise him. I think it’s important to make it that way if you still want your character likeable.

[WillisAuthor]

Even Infinity War Thanos.

[DokiDokiTsuna]

Do you mean vengeful as in (a) their main goal in life is to seek revenge for one major wrong, or vengeful as in (b) they don't react well when things don't go their way, and want revenge on anyone who they believe has done them wrong (I guess you'd just call that 'petty')?

There are plenty of examples for (a), but as for (b) I would just say to embrace the pettiness. Don't disguise it as justice or honor or whatever; you'll only end up making them look hypocritical (unless that's your intent). Let them fully feel the bitterness of wanting revenge, and the satisfaction of 'getting back at' the other person.

Then, if you want the character to develop in either the good or evil direction, just manipulate the consequences of their actions. Are they rewarded or are they punished for being vengeful? Do they end up driving people away, people they care about? Do they beat themselves up for it afterwards, or do others convince them that it's okay?

[RiidDisBuk]

I like the punisher.

Unfortunately my character I am writing revels in acts of vengeance. He's not anywhere close to a villain considering that outside of revenge, he's a surprsingly great dude. He's basically a hero that does everything heroic except for following the law.

An Anti Hero

[RiidDisBuk]

I think you and I would trade good ideas for vengeful characters. I'm planning to make an anti hero who is surprisingly a decent hero should you not count him reveling in the torture, pain, agony, and humiliation on oppressors who like being evil just because they can.

[RiidDisBuk]

The anti hero type vengeful. So basically one who does wrong for right. Also, my character thinks that justice and evil are completely one in the same.

A good example is what he thinks of a father taking revenge on a child's murderer and how he feels sympathy for him because normally they're faced with a (if not multiple) homocide charges, making the wife and any other child they might have lose not one, but two family members to justice and evil alike.

As a result, he acts and spits in the faces of justice and rips apart the visages of evil. He also feeds a lot of homeless and poor people. Imagine that.

As an added bonus... and this one is gonna be a big spoiler (scroll down if you want to see spoiler)
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Like Goku and Superman, my main character is a human-like alien from another world in outerspace that landed on Earth post-home planet destruction. So uh.... yeah there's that!

[DiegoPalacios]

I think they need a solid backstory. That could make their vengeance more meaningful.
Show why they were happy, and how whatever tragedy caused by the agressor ruined that.

Also, some solid characterization for the character to avoid making someone who talks like a broken record about vengeance all the time.
An impulsive person would charge recklessly into battle.
A strategist would elaborate a big plan for the revenge
A smooth talker would get his enemies against each other.

Also is important to have a clear idea about what line is the Vengeful person willing to cross.
would he hurt innocents?
would he involve his enemy`s loved ones even if they are unrelated to the conflict?
kind of vengeance. does he plan to torture them? kill them? ruin their reputation?, get them into jail?kill their loved ones?, destroy everything they care about? something else?

[RiidDisBuk]

Yeah, I don't like it when a character ONLY talks about their motive. Showing some diversity is a pretty fun thing.

My character's wound is what I like to call; an ever bleeding wound. After he graduated high school, the FBI broke into his adopted family's house and shot his adopted parents dead due to someone witnessing the main character demonstrating inhuman capabilities. This is because (like Goku and Superman) he's alien from another world with capabilities humans were not able to do.

My vengeful character LOVES to save innocent lives. Even if those innocent lives are an enemy's loved ones.

He only takes revenge on the oppressors and those that directly fight with them. He doesn't like to an innocent life that choses against fighting. Even if it's an enemy's loved one. He saves those that were also tortured and humiliated in any shape or form and takes revenge on a psychopath for kidnapping, raping, and/or murdering an innocent life (he finds out by reading minds).

My character would humiliate, torture, and eventually kill the oppressor all while recording it live on social media.

My character believes that following the law hinders a power being's potential in doing good things.

He's practically a full-time hero driven by vengeance. I would say an anti hero since he loves to spit in the face of the law if it means doing something right. He would free those people that took revenge on psychopaths like he does and free the false convicted criminals out of jail (forbidding them to start revolution).

He also feeds the poor.

Basically he's a criminal to the law, but a hero to the oppressed and omitted innocent lives.

[Jenny-Toons]

For me, I actually enjoy vengeful characters who are very driven in their revenge. So much, that it's unhealthy. But, I also don't wanna strictly say "revenge isn't everything" as a message, so it goes back and forth. It's actually the very premise of one of my developing series.

At 11 years old, Victoria Jackson vowed revenge against the five gangsters who essentially murdered her mother and took her older brother away when she still lived in a Chicago Housing unit. She was driven with so much spite that she turned to dark magic. She made a deal with an undead lich and was given demonic powers -- the strength she desired manifested from the anger and outrage she felt while living in that complex. So for 8 years, she went after the gangsters' smaller groups until she was able to track down all five of them and take her revenge.

Now...Victoria is justified in her rage. She had to see both her mother and brother get abused in order to protect her from these dangers, and being a kid, there was little she could do. Not to mention a very big betrayal (that is a spoiler) that made her wary of trusting more people. While she does put up a defense (biting sarcasm and rude insults), she still has nightmares about the housing unit and will vomit at the mention of certain names. She also carries around her brother's old jacket for sentimental reasons, despite her rather polished, clean look.

But at the same time...Victoria does take delight in getting that revenge. I won't skim on that. She feels it's rightfully justified and she won't make it easy on them. She wants to make it slow, even if this demon rage and her own rage takes a toll on her emotions and mental state. The question of wherever or not she becomes the very people she hates is left in the air (but it is brought up by others in story, and that just sends her in a rage).

I don't really plan for people to like or dislike her. And I don't plan on this having a message of "revenge isn't always good" or "go through with it even if it messes you up". I just kinda wanna explore a story on revenge and see how much it can see-saw.

[Maps]

My guy is definitely going to be hunting down all those who have done him and the ones he loved wrong. And it will be for the betterment of a lot of people, and not just his small circle. I hope it works lol.

[RiidDisBuk]

I like how your character's act of vengeance comes at a cost.

When it comes to my character, his acts of vengeance becomes the salvation of the innocent. So much so that the victims he save would prefer to fight with him, despite him wanting those that he saved to live peaceful lives and taking care of any family or friends they have.

[RiidDisBuk]

the ones he loved wrong

What's that mean? Is it the enemies' loved ones?

[RiidDisBuk]

Also your character kind of reminds me of Kratos from God of War. How he submitted to his brother Ares in order to gain ultimate power at the cost of those that he loved.