When I created Eiko, it hadn't quite learned about characterization and I was unfamiliar with Mary Sue and other literary terms. This is actually a good thing. All I knew is that I wanted to make a character to match the picture. Someone who was cool, calm under pressure, strong and powerful, but least of all realistic. She had to be badass, but far from invincible. I found that a character who was so perfect wouldn't be okay with me. I had seen those types of perfect characters in the fanfiction I often read.at the time.
Eiko had to be a character who I would have enjoyed.
Over time, I had to make more changes on her character and as I grew up so did my understand of her.
Eiko has some important character traits, that break her away from being the ultimate female badass.
#1 Eiko is not invincible. Certainly she has powers and has super strength and agility, but she is not unbeatable by any stretch. Even with the combined knowledge she possesses, there are still others who can and will defeat her in straight combat.
#2 Eiko has a narrow view of the world. Being raised amongst assassins, and introduced to killing at a young age, Eiko has seen a done a lot, but has also missed out on a lot of experiences.
#3 Eiko is awkward in certain social situations. When not given time to study someone, there is a great chance that Eiko might misread someones intentions, plus being an assassin means always being on guard. A simple friendly gesture might be taken as an aggressive one.
#4 Eiko can do a lot, but not all. The world of Ieto-En is a world where magick is the predominant force. Eiko while possessing some magickal abilities, is not a spell-caster or mage. There are some enemies that she cannot fight, and some challenges she cannot face. Everything cannot be slain by her sword or skill alone. Eiko is often forced to work with others. Simply put, Eiko cannot solve everything, and so she must depend on others.
#5 Eiko has no qualms about killing, but has no illusions about it either. Eiko is a killer, raised and trained to be so. She also understands that those who kill, take the risk of being killed themselves. She has no illusions that her own skill will save her every time. She has seen the powerful taken down by so called upstarts such as herself, and knows that her own death is an inevitability.
#6 Eiko is cold, but not compassionless. Being an assassin, Eiko has to be cold and emotionless. Never having an attachment to her targets or of anything. That isn't to say that she is without compassion. Her being cold is a matter of necessity, to protect her from those who would do her harm, and to protect the still innocent young woman underneath. Over time Eiko will open up more, but only to those that deserve to know the person beneath the surface.
To me these are what make Eiko a more interesting character than the typical bad ass female character who is just tough on the outside, but soft on the inside once a romantic interest comes into the picture. Now it should be mentioned that while Eiko does fall into that category to an extent, there are reasons why it happens. No spoilers here.
I have always felt that the key to making a perfect character is to not make the character perfect. Eiko is a prime example of that. Even though her experiences have made her what she is, they didn't make her perfect.
No comments:
Post a Comment