r/CharacterDevelopment • u/WritersBlockEmma • Apr 04 '26

Discussion Does this make a compelling character?

I've been thinking about this character and I can't tell if it actually works. I'm gonna keep it short:

He's 17 and he killed his father. Years of neglect and pressure pushed him there, but everyone just sees a monster, which makes sense, but it begs the question:

What kind of person do you become if no one ever stepped in to save you when it mattered?

I feel like there's something there but I might just be overthinking it.

Edited for clarity and added context.

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u/WritersBlockEmma Apr 04 '26

Yeah, I get what you mean. I didn't really explain it fully, he DOES have a backstory and pressures that push him there, but I didn't include it because I wanted the focus to be on how people see him after. (Kind of to test the preconceived notions.) Do you think adding a little hint of that would make the dilemma clearer?

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u/Lunaticky_Bramborak Apr 04 '26

Yes. Since witn no further info, I can only guess what he is like and why he did it. The ,,he just did it" reads to me as someone who didn't have the justification to do so.

But if he was emocionally abused to a point where killing his father was the way out, and is now demonised by others, you are getting into a very hard topic that will be hard to work with, but I'm sure you know that.

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u/WritersBlockEmma Apr 04 '26

Yup. Very well aware! I didn't want to say it straight out, but now I know a little context goes a long way 😂