What are the minor things that makes MC (any kind) hateable?

[NotaNuffian]

So we all know the moral event horizon.

I am not going to go there in this thread.

In novels, MC often get the best gear, the most valuable items in the pile of loots, the greatest job book/ skill scrolls/ cultivation techniques in expeditions. So oftentimes, they do not resort to stealing/ robbing/ killing other non-hostiles to gain extra goodies.

Heavy emphasis on non-hostiles, as in these people/ entites did not, have not and will not antagonise MCs. They are either neutral or even at best friendly to MCs.

So MCs will never have the righteous/ just reason to harm or kill them for their loot. Of course the authors can spin the tale and make these non-hostiles no longer friendly due to them being uncoorperative and then it is another story.

Long story short, the minor thing that can make MC disliked is when they decide to start the aggression for personal gains.

So far this is one of the minor things that I have.

What are your pet peeve on MCs?

 

[Tempokai]

Being a pervert when there's no gain from it. Being a doormat precisely at that moment when big bad is there first time, letting it slip away. Infinite resurrections systems that doesn't affect MCs (chinese are very guilty of it). Returned back to time acting cutely despite having traumatic death before going back time.

And other minor things that can be glossed over unless reading too deeply

 

[TheEldritchGod]

When the Author doesn't understand how people work.
Angel X Demon for example
I rant about it elsewhere.

 

[Thraben]

Basic arithmetic.

If a character doesn't seem to do basic math with whatever numbers they come across, I struggle to relate with that character on a fundamental level. It's hard to explain this properly, but if a situation arises where doing any amount of math would be the natural, human reaction, and the perspective character doesn't, it turns me away.

A couple examples: I read a fic once where the author made a huge deal of the character only have some amount of bullets in his gun. Then the character just... didn't count them. Ever. Or even count the number of people they needed to shoot. That type of shit infuriates me.

The fantasy equivalent would be not counting the number of enemies or doing math for how far away towns are and stuff.

Basic arithmetic is a huge part of my ability to relate to characters I guess.

(To clarify, if the character is an idiot, my natural assumption would be that they mess up the math sometimes, not that their brain isn't capable of it)

 

[PancakesWitch]

It really depends in each audience. Some audiences love it when the mc goes out of their way to rob and take all the loot for themselves and be as selfish as possible. Others dislike when he's a meanie and prefer them nice. Usually this varies per genre but the largest concetration of readers that like selfish and narcisstic main characters are xianxia/cultivation readers. Fantasy tends to lean towards kinder main characters, although they can also spin it around and still give them pretty terrible traits like loving to buy slaves and so on. But usually what most readers unanimously hate about a main character is when they're dumb, clueless, and fail. They absolutely hate when main characters fail in anything, they can't take it. They also dislike them being dumb or clueless. They always have to be "literally me" levels of intelligence where its as if they know how the entire narrative will play out without actually having any explanation how.

Basic arithmetic.

If a character doesn't seem to do basic math with whatever numbers they come across, I struggle to relate with that character on a fundamental level. It's hard to explain this properly, but if a situation arises where doing any amount of math would be the natural, human reaction, and the perspective character doesn't, it turns me away.

A couple examples: I read a fic once where the author made a huge deal of the character only have some amount of bullets in his gun. Then the character just... didn't count them. Ever. Or even count the number of people they needed to shoot. That type of shit infuriates me.

The fantasy equivalent would be not counting the number of enemies or doing math for how far away towns are and stuff.

Basic arithmetic is a huge part of my ability to relate to characters I guess.

(To clarify, if the character is an idiot, my natural assumption would be that they mess up the math sometimes, not that their brain isn't capable of it)

you sound autistic

 

[Deleted member 84247]

Denseness beyond reason. I know there are actual super dense people in real life, but if a girl says she wants to have sexy times with the MC. He/she better not be like “what did she mean by that?”

 

[ElijahRyne]

So we all know the moral event horizon.

I am not going to go there in this thread.

In novels, MC often get the best gear, the most valuable items in the pile of loots, the greatest job book/ skill scrolls/ cultivation techniques in expeditions. So oftentimes, they do not resort to stealing/ robbing/ killing other non-hostiles to gain extra goodies.

Heavy emphasis on non-hostiles, as in these people/ entites did not, have not and will not antagonise MCs. They are either neutral or even at best friendly to MCs.

So MCs will never have the righteous/ just reason to harm or kill them for their loot. Of course the authors can spin the tale and make these non-hostiles no longer friendly due to them being uncoorperative and then it is another story.

Long story short, the minor thing that can make MC disliked is when they decide to start the aggression for personal gains.

So far this is one of the minor things that I have.

What are your pet peeve on MCs?

The first idea of the protagonist is to kill anyone who finds out their secret, or who slights them. Granted, this can work if the author put more thought than this seems cool, or this is how my peers write similar characters. It generally however, feels lazy, contrived, and pointlessly edgy.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

An MC who is a writer and keeps getting his manuscript rejected. It's way more common than one might imagine.

 

[BigBadBoi]

MCs that randomly decides to spare an enemy/nemesis only for them to survive and fuck the MC over. Even worse if the MC is a murderhobo. It's just bad writing and a shitty way to introduce future conflict.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

An MC who is a writer and keeps getting his manuscript rejected. It's way more common than one might imagine.

I saw those stories, and I agree. It's kind of like the dense trope, but the edging isn't for him to get the girl, it is for him to get accepted. Ah, I just thought of worst combo. Never gets the girl because he is too dense, and he always gets his manuscript rejected.

 

[Deleted member 166076]

It really depends in each audience. Some audiences love it when the mc goes out of their way to rob and take all the loot for themselves and be as selfish as possible. Others dislike when he's a meanie and prefer them nice. Usually this varies per genre but the largest concetration of readers that like selfish and narcisstic main characters are xianxia/cultivation readers. Fantasy tends to lean towards kinder main characters, although they can also spin it around and still give them pretty terrible traits like loving to buy slaves and so on. But usually what most readers unanimously hate about a main character is when they're dumb, clueless, and fail. They absolutely hate when main characters fail in anything, they can't take it. They also dislike them being dumb or clueless. They always have to be "literally me" levels of intelligence where its as if they know how the entire narrative will play out without actually having any explanation how.

you sound autistic

As someone with AuDHD the comment about autism sounds unfounded and unnecessary. I don't tend to care about math in my stories. I also don't constantly count out every little thing in my life. However, even if I did, "what does that have to do with the price of eggs?" as the saying goes.

 

[NotaNuffian]

The first idea of the protagonist is to kill anyone who finds out their secret, or who slights them. Granted, this can work if the author put more thought than this seems cool, or this is how my peers write similar characters. It generally however, feels lazy, contrived, and pointlessly edgy.

Secret, if life threatening, in the case which MC will die/ powerless to stop death and MC has no effective way to deterring spillage/ stopping blackmail, murder might be the extreme option.

But slighting? Does MC have face of a peach?

 

[Deleted member 166076]

MCs that randomly decides to spare an enemy/nemesis only for them to survive and fuck the MC over. Even worse if the MC is a murderhobo. It's just bad writing and a shitty way to introduce future conflict.

Yeah, honestly, this cliche gets annoying as an author who writes conflicts that aren't always resolved with tons of violence. I mean good and truly resolved never to be brought up again. You can just leave and move to a new town if the mayor's daughter is too spoiled. You don't have to burn the whole place to the ground. You can leave the dead as dead, the random bad guy who worships a particular god doesn't have to represent a whole cult of nutjobs. Yet there's always those readers who say the MC isn't doing enough for not burning every bridge they come across.

 

[3guanoff]

Inconsistency/Hypocrisy

Ok, you are a selfish piece of shit, then act like one. I dislike impromptu character development.
Big bad™ shows up.
Protagonist: "Maybe I should become a good person now. I cannot kill Big Bad™."
Big bad kills a bunch of civilians.
Protagonist: "They may be a murderer, but they are still a living being..."
Big bad makes sexual comment about protagonist's sister.
Protagonist: "Ok, I don't think I will be good after all."

Or even worse, "I Am Really Not A Psychopath™":
Protagonist: I am really good at torture. I do not feel torture is bad.
Narrator: Protagonist is great at torture but he does not enjoy it, he is not a psychopath.
Protagonist: Oh my, this torture left a bad taste in my mouth... but I would do it again.
Narrator: Because it's necessary! He is not a psychopath.
Protagonist goes on a murder spree.
Protagonist: I do not consider other humans human since I am face-blind, but I am...
Narrator: he is...
Both: NOT a psychopath!

In general, if your narrator tells me what to think about the protagonist, I will dislike him. If I want to read what to think, I will read the local newspaper.

 

[Thraben]

you sound autistic

Ok???
I'm wondering why you felt the need to say this

 

[Deleted member 84247]

Inconsistency/Hypocrisy

Ok, you are a selfish piece of shit, then act like one. I dislike impromptu character development.
Big bad™ shows up.
Protagonist: "Maybe I should become a good person now. I cannot kill Big Bad™."
Big bad kills a bunch of civilians.
Protagonist: "They may be a murderer, but they are still a living being..."
Big bad makes sexual comment about protagonist's sister.
Protagonist: "Ok, I don't think I will be good after all."

Or even worse, "I Am Really Not A Psychopath™":
Protagonist: I am really good at torture. I do not feel torture is bad.
Narrator: Protagonist is great at torture but he does not enjoy it, he is not a psychopath.
Protagonist: Oh my, this torture left a bad taste in my mouth... but I would do it again.
Narrator: Because it's necessary! He is not a psychopath.
Protagonist goes on a murder spree.
Protagonist: I do not consider other humans human since I am face-blind, but I am...
Narrator: he is...
Both: NOT a psychopath!

In general, if your narrator tells me what to think about the protagonist, I will dislike him. If I want to read what to think, I will read the local newspaper.

The talking bad about protagonist sister is true. Its so funny the random things a “good MC” will become good for.

 

[HelloHound]

I don't like incompetence or whiners. I can handle complaining but the moment the MC starts doing dumb stuff I am gripping my thighs with enough force to crush rocks and rend flesh

 

[Kamelingil]

Being an asshole. That's it.

 

[Zirrboy]

Protagonists that like to point out others' personal or moral shortcomings in their inner monologue. Now technically this only applies if they're supposed to have moral highground themselves, but I've yet to see that behavior in works without the latter.

So many authors don't seem to get/acknowledge that it will establish the character as someone pointing fingers, no matter how 'realistic' one might consider the stance itself to be. On top of that it makes the protagonist appear like an extremely unreflecting hypocrite once they do inevitably fail to meet their own standards.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Protagonists that like to point out others' personal or moral shortcomings in their inner monologue. Now technically this only applies if they're supposed to have moral highground themselves, but I've yet to see that behavior in works without the latter.

So many authors don't seem to get/acknowledge that it will establish the character as someone pointing fingers, no matter how 'realistic' one might consider the stance itself to be. On top of that it makes the protagonist appear like an extremely unreflecting hypocrite once they do inevitably fail to meet their own standards.

Seen those too.

It just made the MC look stuckup instead of righteous.