Discussion What makes a compelling Imperial Character

[Vortigern Mimkin]

Hello chaos community.

If you’ve been here long enough you might know an Imperial role player here or been apart of the various Imperial Factions on chaos.

Even better you might have seen them in action as an observer. So I want to know what makes a compelling Imperial character to you.

Something that makes you enjoy reading them.

 

[Michael Angellus]

For me, it is everything from the stare to their stance. For every Admiral Ozzel, there is a Paellon or Piet. They also have a very strong "Why? Because 'F' you, that's why!" Attitude.

My old Imperial (Pre-Chaos) never used interrogation droids but blindfolds, friends of theirs and a blaster.

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Consistency

 

[Arris Windrun]

I'd love to see imperial characters that actually have growth and character lives. Not just existing as vehicles to govern, fleet, or warpost.

An imperial that has developed personal relationships, drama, vices, etc. that spread out and develop across arcs is way more compelling than the slew of imperial characters that have been in 3 imperial factions but somehow only have ~50 posts.

 

[Michael Angellus]

I'd love to see imperial characters that actually have growth and character lives. Not just existing as vehicles to govern, fleet, or warpost.

An imperial that has developed personal relationships, drama, vices, etc. that spread out and develop across arcs is way more compelling than the slew of imperial characters that have been in 3 imperial factions but somehow only have ~50 posts.

I actually used to do this on old rp's but the format was more dice based so that opened up to it.

 

[Michael Angellus]

I miss dice based RP(no shade on Chaos at att) GMs controlled the story so you could make some amazing plans and surprises. Great strategic tests

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

There is nothing about being an "Imperial character" that would exclude them from the usual rules of making a character compelling. They should have a worldview that is routinely tested and a personality that makes the results of those tests interesting.

I'd love to see imperial characters that actually have growth and character lives. Not just existing as vehicles to govern, fleet, or warpost.

An imperial that has developed personal relationships, drama, vices, etc. that spread out and develop across arcs is way more compelling than the slew of imperial characters that have been in 3 imperial factions but somehow only have ~50 posts.

Like, it's just this. This is all anyone has to do for any character.

 

[Perseus]

The question should more so be, "What makes a compelling character?"

It doesn't matter the background, or the starting point of the character. If they show believable characterization, motives, actions, and otherwise, then they are just that. A Compelling character. You could easily be playing an Imperial who is only there because its a job. Not because they want to make a career out of it. You could play a hardened man who has been in the force for years, or even a Criminal who found that the Discipline and Order structure helped him to not be one.

Its not the fact they are Imperial. Its the fact that they are well written, and fleshed out for whatever kind of story you want to tell.

 

[Matthew of Valendale]

Vortigern Mimkin
I like characters with beliefs and conviction, especially when I can see the reasoning behind those beliefs. Testing those convictions against different scenarios, pressures, and consequences, then seeing whether the character changes, deepens, hardens, or breaks, can work very well for a roleplaying character meant to be your "main."

In general, a compelling character is one who feels humanized in some way, shape, or form. If you intend to play villainy through the lens of an Imperial, then the question leans more toward what makes a villain compelling rather than simply what makes a character strong.

Ursula, Scar, and Frollo from disney movies work so well as villains because they are not evil in a hollow, decorative way. Each of them has a clear desire, a personal philosophy, and a method of control.

Ursula wants power, but she gains it through contracts, temptation, and exploiting what people already ache for.

Scar wants the throne, but his villainy grows out of envy, entitlement, and the belief that he was denied what should have been his.

Frollo is frightening because he believes himself righteous; he wraps cruelty in law, faith, and moral superiority until he can no longer see the monster in his own reflection.

That is what makes them memorable. They do not simply do bad things to do bad things; they justify those actions to themselves. Their beliefs shape their behavior, their behavior harms others, and the story forces those beliefs into conflict with the people they try to control.

For an Imperial character, that same idea can be very useful. What do they believe order protects people from? What cruelty do they excuse as necessary? What line do they think they would never cross… and what happens when the story brings them to it?

 

[Shokoh al Khayyat]

My favorite writers of fictonal fascists are the ones who do not hold fascistic positions in real life. This is more common, especially in the USAmerican imperial core, than you might think! it is important to deconstruct internalized bigotry and interrogate the things you learned as a child and the media you grew up consuming. That awareness arms a writer with the ability to critically analyze and examine the real-life impact of violent far-right political extremism, in ways that an ignorant writer or one with sympathetic politics might reinforce.

It's important to interrogate the "appeal" of imperials and their imagery; as irrational as it sounds, many people, both when it comes to fiction and real life, will root for whichever side reminds them the most of themselves, even when that side is thoroughly immoral, totally unlikable, or both. It's as simple as it is understandable, to want to see people of your own ethnic group, religion, or social or political class (or who have the same goals or aspirations as yourself) triumph. There is a lot of sympathy for the Imperials as a result, due in part to the overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly male, fanbase of Star Wars.

Star Wars is inherently political, and I suppose mine is just a word to interrogate what you put to page, here and elsewhere. Ideas don't exist in a vacuum! Although fiction is not equal to reality, these ideas are inspired by the real world, and what you write can reinforce them just as well.