One of my betas and I got into a discussion a few days ago. My beta is of the opinion that Devin is almost too perfect, while I think I've Nerf'ed him pretty heavily compared to his adversaries. He has no magic, no superpowers; everyone around him has one or both. But he's clever, and knows how to use everyone and everything to his advantage.
This got me thinking. I despise the terms Mary Sue and Gary Stu, and consider them to be shorthand for "I don't like this character and am too lazy to say why" at best and "I don't like that this (usually female) character is competent" at worst. But in order for a story to be fulfilling, there has to be something in the character's way. And for it to be really fulfilling, they have to fail at least once. If they can move the world with their little finger, there'd better be a good reason why they don't. Or in Devin's case, if he can manipulate almost anyone to do almost anything, his adversaries better be not only immune, but equally equipped to manipulate people.
So where do you draw the line? When is the character too powerful, too perfect, too infallible? (Superman? I vote Superman.) Or is there no such thing, so long as you can put someone more perfect and powerful and infallible against them?
(And no, I'm not looking for validation. I'm genuinely interested in the discussion.)
When is a character too powerful?
This got me thinking. I despise the terms Mary Sue and Gary Stu, and consider them to be shorthand for "I don't like this character and am too lazy to say why" at best and "I don't like that this (usually female) character is competent" at worst. But in order for a story to be fulfilling, there has to be something in the character's way. And for it to be really fulfilling, they have to fail at least once. If they can move the world with their little finger, there'd better be a good reason why they don't. Or in Devin's case, if he can manipulate almost anyone to do almost anything, his adversaries better be not only immune, but equally equipped to manipulate people.
So where do you draw the line? When is the character too powerful, too perfect, too infallible? (Superman? I vote Superman.) Or is there no such thing, so long as you can put someone more perfect and powerful and infallible against them?
(And no, I'm not looking for validation. I'm genuinely interested in the discussion.)
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