How to Write Complex Characters

[Miss Blonde]

How to Write Complex Characters ​

So we all don't want our characters to be flat, that's just never fun. We always get these fun ideas for characters and then when we put them out there often enough we get bored with them after a few weeks. Sometimes it's for different reasons, but often enough it's due to them just sort of being flat or generic. We'll have our typical Sith or Jedi and they'll go for a bit and then die out. But what makes these characters like [member="Jorus Merrill"] or [member="Darth Carnifex"] among others really stand out among all this sea of generic faces? Is the time they've spent here? All those IRL years that have been committed to the characters? Partially yes, but only a small amount. It's because they have extraordinary layers and depth to them. You can get a brand new character and if they have the same amount of depth that they have then they will easily become popular characters among the site within a month or two. So here's what you're going to need to write a character that can be considered "great" or "amazing"

Depth: Characters are just boring side characters without it. Now what is depth you are asking? Well it's simple, depth is more than what's just on the surface. What one projects outwards might not always be how they actually think or feel. So while you can have a strong and sturdy Jedi knight who follows the code and lives peacefully. On the inside he might see these injustices in the Galaxy and want nothing more than to kill and destroy the people responsible for them punisher style. There's more to the character than face value, and this moves nicely into our next topic.

Struggle: Struggle isn't really weakness. Not at all. Struggle is something your character has a hard time dealing with or something that defines them as a character. Now I'm not talking about how your street rat character might owe money to the Black Suns, that's a problem or an obligation, not struggle. Struggle is something that's internally wrong with your character, for instance they don't have faith in the force or faith in other people. They keep everyone at an arms length because they don't want to be hurt, but in turn that isolation only hurts them more. That's struggle for a character, that emotional pain that leads to heartbreaking moments of raw humanization.

Quirks: These are fun little pieces of unique personality traits or habits that help make a character unique. Maybe they like sweets. Or they secretly love something really embarrassing like My Little Ropo, they can be light hearted or dark in nature. But these quirks can help make a character more fun to write when placed in a scenario where they can be applied.

Drive: This can be one of the most important things to have in a character. What moves them? What makes them get out of bed in the morning? What motivates them to do what they are doing? Now it's important to remember that you shouldn't cliche it on the drive. Like "I saw my parents die in front of my eyes." Or "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die." Those are kind of played out and lame. You just need to find out what works for you.

General themes: While it's not the most important thing, and can even be cast aside most of the time. Your themes for the character can sometimes turn a great character into a brilliant one. I don't mean themes like a theme song, I mean themes as in general feels and ideals you have underlining the character. So let's say you have a Jedi Healer and their theme is internal suffering. So those themes of pain can be placed lightly or heavily into your character to really make what you're writing and character pop.

Now you guys might be asking, what about strengths and weaknesses? While they are a cool thing to have at the end of the day they are kind of meaningless and can just be cosmetic as long as your character has what's listed above. These are all you really need to make a fantastic and truly unique character.

So I'll take what I've said and I'll apply them to my character Miss Blonde aka [member="Patricia Susan Garter"] if y'all been paying attention or just generally thread stalking [member="Darth Abyss"] and I's private threads. Here you'll be able to see what I've been talking about in practice and hopefully it will help you out with your characters.

Depth: Miss Blonde on the surface is this strong, capable, and ruthless crime lord. She's been the death of thousands and at times shows no remorse for anything she's ever done. She rarely apologizes and at times simply acts like she doesn't care. But this isn't really the case. She does care, the deaths of innocent people weigh on her conscious and what she projects outwards is far from what she truly feels. However due to her status as one of the Galaxy's most notorious crime lords as much as she'd love to just stop all the death, she knows she has to maintain that status. So her depth and layers is that while she might be a strong capable leader to others, to her she regrets a lot of choices she's made.

Struggle: Her struggle is that of being a bad mother and wife. She's been in two marriages, one with [member="Romeo Sin"] and another with [member="Jarven Zexxel"] and each ended in the deaths or disappearance of both men. She blames herself for this, she blames herself for not being a good parent and focusing on her work as a crime lord rather than her family and relationships. She never sees her kids half the time and she's ashamed to tell even her kids what she does to provide for them. She hates herself, and she hates what she's become. What used to be a bright eyed young republic field agent is now a pained and internally tortured crime lord, she's not proud of her achievements as many as they might be, because that lifestyle she has lived and those people she's lost or neglected will always taint them. She's so desperate to not be alone that she even fell in love with a Sith Lord, she's having a kid with him because of this loneliness. Because she feels like she's not good enough or righteous anymore, this is all she deserves. Yes part of her loves him to death, and always will, but there's a lot of sadness behind that love. It's not perfect and it's certainly not fairytale, but they tolerate each other's crap and it makes them both feel a little less lonely in each other.

Quirks: Blonde's quirks have always been fun for me. She love love loves spicy foods, to the point where she'll put mega death sauce on pretty much everything she eats. It's her favorite and the fastest way to win her favor. She's also got a bit of a drinking problem, what with being from Zeltros she pretty grew up drinking. While she's been able to contain it over the years, often enough if you offer her a drink she won't say no. The list goes on, but these are just little fun things for a character to help them stand out.

Drive: Family and Self Interest. Blonde does the work she does for her family, or at least that's what she claims. Which brings us back to depth in a way. She's kind of got a Walter White approach to it. On the surface she constantly tells herself and others that she does what she does for her family as if justifying it for herself to feel a little less bad about the lives she's taken. And that partially might be true, if only a little. In reality she's damn good at it. She's one of the most well known crime lords in the Galaxy, she's infamous and feared along with being respected. She does it for her at times, for her own self interest because despite the regret she might feel for ending life or hurting people. She secretly enjoys that attention and admiration. That's what drives her to do what she does.

General Themes: Nihilism. That's a big part in my writing and it fits so well with her amoral character. The fact that we're all going to die, or that everything has no meaning. Blonde lives life knowing and accepting this, that there is no grand plan and that if there ever was a god or an all encompassing force. It's dead now, and there is no one guiding this ship. She achieves this theme of nihilism through what she's witnessed. In her forty years of life she's seen three galactic level wars, the deaths of millions, and multiple times of utter heartbreak. The loss of two husbands, holding her friends and comrades as they died in her arms. All these people who were so much better than her and who deserved to live died, and she's still here despite being a truly awful person. She drinks, she slept around, she abandoned her newly born daughter, she killed innocent people, and despite all that she's still here. So the theme of everything is meaningless and there is no destiny really shines in her stories because all that matters is what's with you right now and how we can make our next payday. All that exists is ahead of you.


So that's just my character. If you want to post what your characters Depth, Struggle, Quirks, Drive and Themes are then be sure to do so bellow. Have fun and I hope this has helped you.

 

[Darth Ferus]

Man I need more depth.

 

[Miss Blonde]

[member="Krest"]

Shhh, you're perfect the way you are bby.

 

[Darth Abyss]

Giving this a shot because why not. Might helps with understanding my character better.

Depth: One the outside Abyss is cold and absolutely ruthless and on the inside he is as well. He cares for very, very few people besides himself, but for those few he cares enough to burn down worlds for them. While he might has some remnants of humanity inside of him that show when around those people, he often doesn't act or even feels human. His abilities have offered him insight close to the limit of what he can comprehend, visions of the future and the past as well as the knowledge of many minds that he had devoured, and because of it he no longer feels like he really belongs among the living. He is a sith at heart, but more than once he has asked himself if he wouldn't have been a better jedi instead, and if the light had more to offer to him than the dark, as it would allow him to become one with the force one day. Yet he tries to maintain a live outside of the sith, be it simply for the sake of his sanity or out of love.

Struggle: Abyss struggle is the hunger that rages on within. Every piece of knowledge he adds to his mind drags him a small step further away from his sanity, and yet his thoughts still hunger for more. His powers also strain his body, slowly making it fade away under the pressure. Despite struggling with his inhuman side he struggles with the rest of his humanity as well. On one side it helps him to keep is sanity closer when he tries to be human, but on the other side he feels weak whenever he embraces it, which is why he keeps it at the lowest possible minimum.

Quirks: Super, super weird speech patterns sometimes. Dark sense of humor. Likes to call his enemies with nicknames to insult them. Walks the streets cloaked in shadows most of the time as he didn't wants to be seen. Has a tendency to monolog sometimes

Drive: Abyss deepest desire is to spiritually understand the galaxy and the force on some higher plane of existence, a path to transcendence so to speak. His knowledge and skills already offer him deeper insights than most have, but he wants to see it through in its entirety. Credits and power are only sought out to fund and enable him on this quest as worldly possessions and influence have little to no meaning to him besides a handful of trinkets he holds dear. Another thing that drives him is the desire to leave behind a legacy. Since his youth history has fascinated him, and he wishes to leave something behind after his death, be it cities, apprentices or a child.

Themes: Fate. Abyss is a true believer in the force, as well as a scholar of it. He is certain that some form of fate exists because of it, and that the path the force leads him on is always the right one even if it seems far from logic at times.
The corrupting power of knowledge: Drawing inspiration from Lovecraft here. The knowledge Abyss seeks is already dark and twisting in its nature, but the obsession with it leads on a downward spiral in which his sanity is slowly fading as price for all he knows.

 

[Miss Blonde]

[member="Darth Abyss"] I love how our themes are the exact opposite yet the characters go so well together lol

 

[James Justice]

The only tweak I would add (possibly) to this is I like to have a struggle in Social, mental, emotional, and spiritual locations. Spiritual doesn't have to be Christianity, but its more of an existential thing. Not everyone has to have that, just my preferred thing. I'll give this a go for my two active faces, James Justice and Ardgal cause this kinda thing is fun for me.

Depth:
James
On the outside he is the definition of a drunken billionaire playboy. He seems like a mad guy who has no manners and strikes me as Rockafeller in the way that he really earned his way to the paygrade as those who were born into cash. He drinks, smokes, parties, sleeps with every woman he can find, and is really fun to be around because he loves to make people happy--even if he has a pretty large chip on his shoulder.

But inside, he is really running, always has been and always will be. His momma walked out when he was a toddler, she decided that the life on a tramp freighter raising a kid wasn't really for her. Then his dad disappeared in the whole Netherworld event later on. So, he struggled to ecke his existence out on the tramp freighter. He started his vices (minus the skirt chasing) to just run from that, when his wife died, the one good constant in his life, sleeping around became his way of running from that. After a series of significant relationships and trying to settle down, his heart became so destroyed he decided he could never let anyone in like that again. After so many threats to his daughters', [member="Lady Kay"] and Ryn'Dhal's lives he developed a "shoot, keep shooting, and never stop shooting" mentality to his foes that he wishes he could overcome.

Ardgal
Ardgal really seems emotionless on the outside, like a brute with a gun, or a soldier who is just a massive powerhouse on the outside. He is unflappable, reliable, and good for his pay. He seems to like his life ok, have his crap together. Typical warrior, battle hardened, and touch as bricks, right?
Truth be told he is a man who regrets everything. He was abducted for Project: Madman that was an experiment into supersoldier-dom. He hates his existence, he can barely look himself in the mirror and has to be sedated to sleep 8 hours--let alone 1 because of his intense PTSD and flashbacks. He finds solace in routine after the chaos of war, regrets having no one really significant in his life, and wants nothing more than to have someone who understands and sees him as a human being--not a war machine.

Struggle:
James
James here struggles with his addictions. He badly wants to be in control of his life, but he is afraid to be. He is terrified of pain, even though he seems to embrace it. There is the dichotomy of a man who wants to do good, but ends up only destroying everything around him so he is in a perpetual state of cognitive dissonance. That's a college term for you, lads and lasses. He wants to be good, but all he feels and experiences is evil. At one point he wanted to even make the galaxy a better place, now he wants to just watch the bad people burn--even if that means he burns with them. And, clearly, he struggles with his losses.
Ardgal
Ardgal struggles to find what it means to be human again, even what it means to be himself. He is at a loss to reclaim his humanity pre-experimentation. He wants to try and remember what that means, to make his life mean more than "a guy with a gun" but he is having a hard time with that. He has intense survivor's remorse, that he lived when others died and how he knows he will outlive so many of his comrades around him because he has been augmented. This feeling of 'why should I live when they die? I didn't even ask for this' and "the thing that hurts me makes me invincible" are two of his big struggles.

Quirks:
James

Its hard to not find a quirk for James. For starters he loves to throw things. When he is having a good time, empty glass bottles (or even half full ones) of ale are going to be hurled through the air. I would add drinking an smoking and sleeping around here but that'd be too banal. Instead I'd focus in on his speech patterns--which I like to think of as a unique blend of Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and Old English because he did grow up hopping from planet to planet, he doesn't talkie-right.

Ardgal

A little OCD. He likes his sh!t organized, in strait lines, and feels the urge to totally act like Tony Shalhoub on Monk if it isn't that way.

​

Hold on a second... self hating... OCD.... conflicted.... I just realized Ardgal is Adrien Monk with a gun. Excuse me while I cry a little.

Drive:
James
Running from pain and trying to do a little good in the galaxy. It really boils down to that. He will break or destroy anything that lets him do those things, and doing good is honestly a way to get away from pain.
Ardgal
Ardgal wants to do find out what it means to be human, what it means to be alive, and how to live with what has been done to him. He has to find out how to feel again, how to come to terms with himself and find a place where he truly belongs. If that is anywhere.
Themes:
For both characters I'd like to think its the struggle of the primal versus the conscious. James goes for the primal to try and escape the conscious, Ardgal is trying to escape the primal to the conscious. There is pain in their stories because I think that pain is a major part of being human--and more than that, its what you do with it that defines life. Honestly, it is my opinion that life is 99% pain. But pain can make us stronger if we let it--or it can cripple us for life. I would like to think that in the end we can all overcome what hurts us, but that is very idealistic, it moreso depends on what you do with yourself, I like to try and illustrate that pain is what you make of it, life is what you make of it. But trust a psychology major to say all that, right?

 

[Strider Garon]

Years of writing Strider and I am still finding ways to improve upon him.

 

[Darth Ferus]

Oh we can fill out a sheet?

Imma fill out a sheet. Maybe it'll help me find that depth.


Depth:

Krest on the surface is an often confusing person. One moment, he's a friendly happy go lucky Sith with a strong sense of honor that seems to drive him. The next, he's a cold blooded murderer without any sense of honor. It's a complex facade, and a complete lie. To him, the appearance of a Sith is the most important thing they can control. But on the inside, he's hollow. He had a family, a wife, two children, and ruined that. His wife, he killed because she became a Jedi. His youngest child he watched become a monster. His oldest, he's terrified to loose to the darkness that had consumed his daughter.

Struggle:

Krest's main struggle is simply trying to find another reason to exist. Every day he plays the part of the Sith in his own way, acting and moving as he ponders why he's still alive. He hopes that becoming a true Sith, one who manipulates the galaxy and bends others to his will instead of just mindlessly killing, will give him his answer. To him, being Sith is being free so long as you had the power to enforce it. He hopes that by playing this part he may be able to move on from his wife, though deep down he knows he wont.

A lesser one is his struggle to deal with the fact he no longer has a heartbeat. After getting an artificial heart pump to replace a wretched machine his old master had placed in his chest he constantly struggles with the ringing in his ears. It's not the worst thing to happen, but when he sits in silence it becomes a reminder of his pain to become a Sith.

Quirks:

Even if it's an act, parts of it still lay true to who he was before he killed Minna. He loves a wide variety of tea, and always makes time to drink at least one cup a day. He, even though he's trying to be a big bad Sith, acts laid back and casual most of the time. He greets people informally with statements like 'yo' or 'what's up', rarely showing any sort of passion through his words, and laughs and tries to be friendly in an otherwise hostile environment.

Drive:

His drive is looking for a drive and reason to exist. That's pretty much it.

Theme:

I like playing characters who have lost something. Krest when he began had lost his humanity at the fault of his abusive father and struggled to get it back. Later, he lost his path to balance from his Sith Master and struggled to retain the humanity he had found in the Templars. They were always at the fault of another, from torture. But this chapter was his own fault. He had chosen to kill his wife and constantly has to deal with that fact.

 

[Lynn Nantaris]

[member="James Justice"]

I know the Rockefellers. I use to work at a camp and their children were in my cabin.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Depth: Kaine's lived his whole life in the dark, having been taught from an early age that the light is something to be abhorred. He grew up in a ruthless and oppressive environment that forced him to adapt and match in order to survive and keep on going. When he finally got out of that life he tried his hand at freedom and independence, but all he ever did was murder and abuse with a gang of hooligans that only followed him out of fear rather than actual respect or admiration. He inevitably fell in with the Empire and the Sith, where the ideals that had been hammered into his skull from birth were only reinforced, strengthened, and honed to precision as he delved deeper into the Dark Side of the Force.

Now he's a bitter, spiteful individual who only knows how to domineer and inflict suffering.

Struggle: Kaine's always struggled with his own mortality and the weakness of flesh. He's absolutely terrified of death, because that symbolizes a lack of control over his own fate. While he has found methods to circumvent this, he still always has that nagging terror in the back of his mind. Coupled with the fact that the power he's learned to wield cannot be sustained for too long by his own body, he's always scheming and looking for ways to artificially extent his own life in a way to maintain some semblance of control over his own death.

Quirks: I've always imposed upon Kaine an adherence to his people's ancient traditions, and he's an ardent fan of music and art. He tries his hand at both on occasion, but often he finds himself frustrated that not everything he does turns out the way he envisions it. He also tends to ramble on in archaic dictation from time to time.

Drive: Kaine's main drive is to see the Sith become the dominant force in the galaxy, a mindset that had been molded and forged over the many years he's been a driving force within the Sith. He detests anything associated with the Light, pacifism, democracy, etc etc, and views that only authoritarianism and rule by the strong is the only way that the galaxy can be reigned in and flourish. Thus he's often presented himself as a iron-handed tyrant to those he rules, albeit his own people (the Epicanthix) maintain a culture that falls in line with his ideals and they often agree with his sentiments on a wider scale, and is brutal in suppressing any dissent against his views.

Theme: Oppression, tyranny, fear of death, basic Sith themes. I've been told he can feel a little one note at time, but he's not the most relatable character in that regard.

 

[Darth Imperia]

Depth: Beneath the veneer of confidence, beneath the deep seated sadism and utter conviction as to her own superiority, Imperia is...lonely, mostly. Almost incapable of forming genuine friendship or romantic attachment ([member="Aria Vale"] excluded, for reasons that evade even Impy herself), Imperia makes up for that lack of quality with quantity. Slaves ranging from Humans to Hapans, a harem of Zeltrons and Iridonians - incapable of making friends or lovers, she surrounds herself instead with pets and concubines. Their minds are crushed and reformed according to their Mistress's whims, in part an assurance that they never leave her. But of course, it isn't enough. A pet, no matter how beloved, is not the same as a friend - no matter how much she may wish it so.

Struggle: Alright, we have to start with the Obvious: Imperia is going insane. The Dark Side takes its toll on both mind and body, but Imperia's taken a more intense blow to the former. Her grip on reality loosens with every scrap of knowledge she recovers, and her already fractured mind shrieks as it's torn apart by corrupt, tainted passions. Which is an excellent segue into her next struggle. Namely, that she actually has passion. Before her induction into the Sith, Imperia (then known as Mala Arar) was a relatively emotionless woman, cold and calculating. And while that last trait has stayed more or less consistent, the Dark Side is not calmly logical or rational, and Imperia's immersion in it has granted her a range of emotion she'd never thought possible. At first, this might sound like a good thing, but to her, this new vortex of emotion (in truth, currently no more intense than the average human's) is akin to having one's head pushed into the fire they were comfortably relaxing beside.

Quirks: Imperia is exceptionally vain and concerned with beauty, even if her sense of aesthetic is a bit...off, shall we say. There are a few other things - her love of grungy, industrial music contrasted with her love of expense and luxury, for one, and her blatant (if relatively mild) misandry for another. But my favorite trait to play with is Imperia's utter lack of social adeptness. Give her someone to threaten, manipulate or seduce, and she'll perform the task with the flair and creativity of an artist. But in any other situation? She's utterly lost.

Drives: Power and Fanaticism. Imperia is a regal and royal (in her mind) figure, and she deserves to be treated as such. When not dealing with more esoteric matters, almost all of the Knight's energy is directed towards the gathering of power and influence - even if she clearly isn't mentally fit for such responsibilities, she craves them nonetheless. Egomania is a core characteristic of Imperia's personality, and it shows. But even more important than material wealth and political clout is her connection to the Dark Side, a force which she views as a sort of Semi-Sentient All-Mother. Her end goal, beyond ruling a realm fit for one such as herself, is to become a living extension of the Dark Side's will, a sort of primordial demi-goddess.

Themes: Power and its Price; Encroaching Madness; Corruption Both Physical and Spiritual; Humanity and Transcendence.

 

[Ras'kala'han]

Antherion's fairly simplistic, but I think an exercise like this might help me flesh him out to be sure. In practice, I feel he's come across less as conflicted and more as simply confused, so this might help me organize my own thoughts.

Depth: Antherion's depth is largely a by-product of the mask he creates. He wears a veneer that might be considered friendly or affable, but a half-step back from that is always regarding the things around him as what amounts to an elaborate game of Dejarik. He affects care, concern, compassion, and emotion, but is ultimately a very dispassionate creature, driven by shallow emotion, with a fundamental disconnect from those around him. He manipulates, lies, and cheats to get what he wants, and has no qualms about betraying others when the time is right.

Struggle: Antherion's deceptive and cowardly nature leads to a strong dislike of direct defiance of those more powerful than him, save when his hand is forced. Seeking to undermine, and often waiting too long for the right moment, he would much rather consider them an ally. As a result, he currently holds multiple, conflicting loyalties to powerful masters - leading to his indenturement to all sides. He longs to be free, but often lacks the courage to do so.

Another struggle is his own anger with his physical weakness. His shaking hands, his inability to walk - these will eventually be mended, but he will always suffer from a fundamental lack of strength and coordination. This frustrates him to no end, a constant reminder of his own inferiority.

Quirks: Antherion is possessed of a strong flair for the dramatic. He loves 'waxing poetic', and considers himself 'refined' - this manifests itself in a desire for absurd degrees of opulence and a strong, racist distaste for 'primitives', especially the barbarity of the Mandalorians. He surrounds himself with flowers, and enjoys dressing in 'heroic' outfits, flowing water, and music, manifestations of his love of beauty. In love and intimacy, he desires a being similarly ruthless as he is, seeking a kindred soul to grow close to - a predatory individual.

Drives: Antherion hates the social structures that have imprisoned him since childhood. The etiquette of Dark Lords, the intrigue of Empires, the eternal war between Sith and Jedi -- all of these were Father's. And Father was the one who hurt him the most. He wants to tear it all down and build something new, perfect, and pure in its place.

He likewise wants to attain an understanding of "the Force beyond the Force," a nebulous ideal of his own. He believes that, with enough knowledge, power, and sacrifice, he will eventually and certainly obtain the godhood that he seeks, and ascend to the pantheon of the Force as a being of immortality, wisdom, and omnipotence.

These two drives are frequently subsumed into an endless search for political, financial, and mystical power.

Themes: The Price of Ambition, Sacrificing One's Humanity, Death and Immortality, Devotion and the Divine, Lies and Their Consequences

 

[NightSister]

Depth: Well, it's admittedly not that well hidden, but Aria is very lost. I've sort of decided that she has no place anywhere, that she doesn't belong in any one place, but I haven't told her that yet, you see. This mostly shows in her craving for closeness - that she finds someone she can depend on, and all too often loses her independence for being close to them - but just as much so her want for a sense of belonging that somehow never lasts. It makes her very vulnerable, but it's also what strengthens her; every time she's hurt, she grits her teeth and keeps on moving, and every time she comes back with just a little more fight in her.

Struggle: As mentioned, independence is a huge difficulty for Aria. All too often, when there's someone else to do the thinking for her, she lets them do just that and is content to have no independent thought, although this is less glaring an issue ever since she lived for a year without belonging to any sort of order. But more often, this trait comes together with her obsessive personality and manifests itself in an unhealthy dependence on a person; she'll disregard her safety, priorities, or moral code in order to remain with them and important to them, and being separated from them in any significant way is what hits her the hardest. Next, also sort of mentioned above; she's trying to figure out who she is, who she wants to be and what she wants to be. In her eyes, she spent the first twenty-three years of her life living as someone else wanted her to, and now she doesn't know how to live as she wants to because she doesn't know what she wants. It's terribly fun to write.

Quirks: Aria is terribly socially awkward, hence her active preference for her own company ([member="Darth Imperia"] is the exception), although once she's relaxed - a process which quite often involves alcohol - she's good fun, and has been proven to often be something of a dark horse >.> Her tendency to get lost in her own thoughts also leads to frequently bumping into people by accident. Most amusing, however, is without a doubt her hardcore love for the space equivalent of Sherlock. She once missed a heist to watch the new episode and everything.

Drive: She wants to become her own person, and she wants that person to be powerful. That's her main priority, and it's what she works towards (taking form in training to become a Sith, which she feels achieves both.) In truth, she's become somewhat selfish; she cares about herself, her betterment and her small inner circle. The concepts of good and evil are beginning to matter less now, because to her mind they have no point; as far as Aria's concerned, what's important is that she enjoys life, regardless of how right or wrong her way of living it is. Of course, the altruism that was once her main goal in life is still present...but it's begun to dwindle.

Themes: Fate, fortune, the meaning of good and evil, power, independence, loss of morality, emotion, surrender.

 

[Myles Vylumnar]

Well I know that my writing isn't the best compared to others and that I don't often display who my character truly is. Hopefully this can provide a better understanding. Sorry if it seems all jumbly and all over the place, I just wanted to get across some of the aspects of my character.

Depth: On the surface, Myles is just another rogue trying earn his keep by any means possible. Though really, he sees himself as above that sort of dirty work and would even go as far enough as to consider his affiliates inferior to him. People see him as a happy-go-lucky kid, taking reckless risks while he spouts his loud mouth. He's actually rather intelligent on the inside, he's got his own ideals and ideas, and has a great understanding of the human mind. He had a lot of intellectual potential as a child, but he knows it was wasted on him as his life has only gone downhill since. He realizes that he could have grown up to do something good for the galaxy, but instead his life has amounted to petty crime.

Struggle: Myles struggles with depression, which can lead to anxiety. It's been a lingering problem since his early teenage years. Even though he holds himself in high regard in some aspects, he often feels like he's never good enough in general. He believes others see him as a disappointment, especially since there were extremely high expectations of him as a child/teen. He's dealt with rejection so many times that he's afraid of it, afraid that people think he's inferior or simply not good enough. He's struggled time and time again to prove his worth, yet knows that his life is worthless (in his eyes). He's got an inferiority complex like that. Because of this he can get a lot of social anxiety even though he does his best to mask it and he even has trouble with insomnia. He is currently lost in life, unsure with what to do with himself or what he'll eventually amount to; at an internal crossroads of sorts. Because of that he doesn't really see the worth in anything in life, though he struggles to maintain inner peace.
Quirks: Throughout his life, he's had an affinity toward the Dark side of the Force. He is his own priority, and all others come after himself. His morals are questionable, though he does maintain a strong sense of justice. However, most would consider his views on 'justice' to be twisted and corrupt, as he often goes to extremes to do what he thinks is right.

Drive: All he really wants is to be happy. For a long time, he's been very discontent with how his life has turned out and he makes his best efforts to improve it. To him, that means making money as he believes money CAN buy happiness. He just wants to do good for himself and possibly even for others, and to be remembered in some way and not forgotten through history. It's the only way he can find significance in his life.

General themes: Internal struggle. I try to make it a point in my writing that Myles often struggles with certain decisions, as his morals are constantly being called into question. He's just a normal guy dragged into a crappy lifestyle after a long time of life hitting him in the balls. His direction is lost in life, and he's just drifting on through trying to find a reason to keep going.

Spoiler

"I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die."

Blatant Johnny Cash reference is blatant!

 

[Soeht]

How I write a complex character: Write as little as possible!

Depth: On the surface, Soeht looks like a typical "I totally have an oh so secret plan to kill you all" type Sith. But deep down, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Struggle: Soeht struggles with the fact that no one understands his heart.

Quirks: During college, Soeht really should have taken advantage of those Toastmaster sessions to cure his crippling lisp.

Drive: To make all the children happy with his Red Lightning™ Candy.

General Themes: What happens when an amateur tries to be J.J. Abrams.

 

[Poro]

Or they secretly love something really embarrassing like My Little Ropo

I see nothing to be embarrassed of in this statement.

 

[Miss Blonde]

You guys impress me with your fantastic characters. Keep up all the great work!

 

[Drogh]

Depth: Drogh, under a blank sheet of paper that he pretends he is, is suffering, constantly. Drogh hates him self, he hates everyone around him, and he fears him self and fears everyone around him. Drogh is drowning in the darkside, unable to use it effectively, other then short uncontrollable bursts of madness, as it builds up and rots him within. Drogh is suffering, and he can never have anyone to talk to, anyone to hug or cry to, no one to call "mother" or "father". As generic as the "family dead" story is, it's what makes Drogh who he is, the only people he ever loved gone, now he is suffering. Not to mention his two conflicting personalities that seem to have wars up in his head to gain control of his body.


Struggle. Him self, he is his own worst enemy, Drogh has split personalities, at the very least their only two, and he is aware when he shifts. One is a fearful meek man that wishes to hide away from the world, the other is a raging demon that wants to see the galaxy burn. Both with conflicting ideas, motivations and struggles. Yet Drogh at the moment seems to be following the simple path of survival, trying to feed him self and have enough fuel for his ship is really the only reason he bothers waking up.

Quirks. Random acts of aggression or violence, then in the same minute running for his life in fear. Drogh is riddled with "quirks", usually just too minds fighting over control.

Drive: Stay alive, that's the most straight forward and clear goal he has, the voices have their own goal, one would like to hide forever in the lowest level of Coruscant, the other wants it to burn to the ground, Drogh has no clear "goal", no long term one at least, he just walks though life, in agony with every waking hour, but he carries on because of fear and hate being his only fuel.

General Themes. Struggle with one self, he is every thing he hates and it's killing him. This isn't some struggle over good or evil, one side light one side black, it's two ways of suffering, screaming or sulking. Drogh has no "good ending" waiting for him, it's just a path of endless suffering, pain, misery and then finally death.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Let's give it a shot myself, I guess.

Depth: Kaalia is confident in her skills and power, and the potential she wields. On the flipside however is her extreme insecurity on a social level. She grew up without her parents, instead she was raised by a Jedi master until age 16. Kaalia feels betrayed by him, and blames him for forcing her down the path of the Light which in her mind held her back. Until she met [member="Ara Ren"] she had nobody else in her life, and the lack of people in her life she was close to has left her yearning for acceptance and respect. Now that she has found friendship however, she feels she doesn't deserve it at all and often feels guilty for taking up other people's time. She believes their time is better spend with other people, which depresses her.

Struggle: Up until a certain point, Kaalia struggled heavily in her attempt to embrace the Dark side. She had broken away from the Light, but it dragged her back while she was metaphorically kicking and screaming against it. She wanted to be free, but her mind didn't let her. Now she finally fully embraced it, and bears the consequences of it. She is free, but the Dark side left its mark on her mentally. In combat she is bloodthirsty, ready to stike down anyone who gets in her way, but it slowly eats away at her. At heart, Kaalia is no killer. All she wants is freedom, to let nobody control her destiny, and to have the people she cares about around her. She merely wants to be happy, but her pursuit of power to gain that is a path filled with sacrifices. At heart, she is an innocent girl who perhaps went too far to achieve happiness. Now, she must come to terms with the fact that her innocence is gone.

Quirks: Kaalia has an exceptional ability to attract friends that can often be seen as sociopathic, distant or even completely antisocial. Her personality leads her to seeing past those traits, and accepting them for who they are unlike most people who would keep their distance. She expects nothing from them, and often bonds with them over the fact she just wants to be a listening ear to them, or perhaps just someone to hang out with at times. She has a knack for staying at their good side.

Drive: I've quickly gone over it already, but it comes down to two simple things: The people she cares about and living in complete freedom. She lusts for power to make sure she can protect her friends and live in freedom, because that is what brings her happiness. Life is too short to pursue anything else in her mind.

General Theme: Freedom, control over one's destiny, working towards accepting one's flaws and accepting the fact she deserves more than loneliness.

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Depth: Alkor is a stoic man who shows nothing, until he is embroiled in the fires of war. Inside, he fights with himself to recognize the things that were taken from him, and to attribute different feelings and meanings to them. There is a degree of nihilism to the man, insofar as he has no innate appreciation for his life, or the things he has. Conversely, he places extreme value on forged bonds- he called many men Brother once, now only a few. Those who are his "family" are not blood, but people who have stood beside him. While powerful in his own right and not particularly impoverished, Alkor willfully chooses a life of few luxuries, even to the point of wearing ratty clothes and appearing poor.

Struggle: "Who am I?" "What am I supposed to be?" "How can I find purpose within myself?" Alkor was convicted as a murderer at a staggeringly young age, and sentenced to death. A series of orchestrated events led him on the path toward his former master, who trained him in the Force and focused him as a weapon for his own purposes. It was a common practice in the organization that they were a part of, yet Alkor was the perfect candidate for full on indoctrination. Stripped of his humanity and twisted into a hollowed out blade, after the collapse of the ruling echelon Alkor found himself hopelessly lost and bereft of a proper identity. He fights with the deeply buried emotions that prick at his conscience, but ultimately is estranged from them to the point that he appears aloof, callous, and apathetic. He wants to understand who he is, and what his place in this galaxy is- on his own terms, and no one else's.

Quirks: As a man innately gifted with Force Senses, Alkor can perceive anomalies that most cannot. The phenomenon called "Shatterpoint" often leads him to be more wary and skeptical. Paradoxically, he has a penchant for fits of outrage, and he has no regard for his own well being. He does not fully comprehend that there are people who care for him, nor does he empathize with them for doing so. As a combatant, Alkor is ferocious and loves the thrill of the battlefield. In social situations, Alkor is widely regarded as a drunkard, since he drinks in order to stifle his senses. He often has to ask questions like a child when normal, everyday interactions are brought upon him, perhaps most amusingly when [member="Joza Perl"] had to explain reproduction.

Drives: Freedom. Revenge. Meaning. Alkor strives to be truly free- he wants to be chained to nothing and no one, only beholden to himself. At the same time, the bons he has forged trouble him. The Mandalorians who took him in and gave him a family also riddled him with doubts about the only life he has ever known. Seeking to understand these things, he distances himself from those closest to him and searches for answers in his own way. When things are stolen from him, he lashes out violently and seeks a means by which to fill the void. Most recently, the loss of Isley Verd- his adoptive brother- drove Alkor to strike out against a Knight of Ren.

Themes: Ultimately, Alkor seeks to understand. There is a great deal to be said for the things that drive him, and those things that make him who he is; but Alkor at his core is a man who's way of life was ripped out from under him at a young age. He is a stranger in the galaxy, and even among those who accept him for who he is. One day, perhaps, he will find some measure of comfort in the life he has found.