Ending a story: Killing the MC

[georgelee5786]

I was doing my usual shit, walking around the dinner table at 11 PM, when i realized something. All my stories have a common theme. Not that they all have the exact same protagonist just with a different name, but that they all end with the MC being killed.

MC 1: sacrifices himself to kill the main antagonist(with the very dramatic last words, "GLORY UNTO THE EMPIRE!").

MC 2: dies after his traitorism is uncovered.

MC 3: on a beach at the end when a guy he crossed walks up with a pistol. Last word of the book is "BANG!" so whether or not he died is unclear, but it is implied he was shoot.

MC 4: dies behind enemy lines

MC 5: dies alongside his partner fighting not-satan

MC 6: dies when a mountain collapses on him after he kills the main antagonist

I wondered why i always kill them. It was because I can't figure out another way to end the story. I don't believe I can do it right or as well if I had him survive and live out his days as Emperor.

So my questions are, is killing the MC a satisfactory way to end a story? I know that the answer is pretty much, "If you do it right," but I'm more wondering if killing the MC kills the story's rereadability. If you were hypothetically reading and enjoying my books, and I killed the MC, would you be disappointed and not want to reread it? And would it wrap up the MC's character without ruining too much? Is there a better way to end a story that I cant see?

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

What sort of message does it send, when after the MC has accomplished so much in a story, only to die at the end? How would it change if MC lived?

I think that you like one message over the other, which is why you keep using it.

As for reading, either is fine. Both life or death endings can be satisfactory or dissatisfactory. The quality of the message is what matters. Tragedy is a common genre after all.

Why, is the most important question to answer. Why do they live or die? How does it help your story get its point across. What does it say about people's lives? When do you do one or the other? Where does it stop being useful and become a crutch? Who does their death or life benefit?

This is up to you as the author, because only you know what you want to write, what you want to tell others.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

So my questions are, is killing the MC a satisfactory way to end a story? I know that the answer is pretty much, "If you do it right," but I'm more wondering if killing the MC kills the story's rereadability. If you were hypothetically reading and enjoying my books, and I killed the MC, would you be disappointed and not want to reread it? And would it wrap up the MC's character without ruining too much? Is there a better way to end a story that I cant see?

Depends on the theme of your story, since killing the MC, a harem end, and other types of endings have a narrative that suits them better, instead of having a specific rule that applies to all stories of a genre. For example, there are certain harem stories I've read that the readers prefer a specific ship (and would launch an RPG-7 on the plane where the successful—but disliked—FMC is riding just to express their frustrations), while there are those harem LN/manga that readers wanted a harem end. It's usually on how you narrated your work, really.

Let me cite another example: The Web Novel ending of the Rising of the Shield Hero (a harem ending) is well-accepted, while its original ending (it was all just a dream) was panned. This is because, in my observation, Rising of the Shield Hero introduced many likeable characters aside from the FMC, and from the nature of how he got into his powerful moments was something that he did in his own power, so making it all 'just a dream' is anti-climactic. It made the readers feel like they were betrayed.

In comparison, the LN ending of Zero no Tsukaima (MC chose the FMC, and they got married) is also received well, considering it was also a harem story. There were likeable members of the MC's harem, but it was made beforehand that he was just fixated on the FMC (not to mention, her character was fleshed out well), so making it a harem end would kind of piss the fans.

Not to mention, what type of readers do you have? It also affects the general mood in your story ending. For example, if you ask me, a hopeless romantic, and you kill your MC so that your FMC will end up alone, I won't read it anymore. However, my brother is my opposite. He likes that certain kind of ending, and applies it to his own story as well.

As for the death of the MC (wrapping it up), always have his death have some meaning or value; otherwise, it'll be anti-climactic. If you can, do it in a 'grand' manner. Yeah, I know there are useless deaths in real life, but you're writing fiction, anyway. Make his life--and death--count.

 

[Cipiteca396]

No.

 

[georgelee5786]

What sort of message does it send, when after the MC has accomplished so much in a story, only to die at the end? How would it change if MC lived?

Why, is the most important question to answer. Why do they live or die? How does it help your story get its point across. What does it say about people's lives? When do you do one or the other? Where does it stop being useful and become a crutch? Who does their death or life benefit?

Huh. Those are all good questions I'll need to answer before i begin writing. As for my story's point...there isnt one, really. I want to try to give each book some philosophical undertone, but no story would have a large, overarching point.

Depends on the theme of your story, since killing the MC, a harem end, and other types of endings have a narrative that suits them better, instead of having a specific rule that applies to all stories of a genre. For example, there are certain harem stories I've read that the readers prefer a specific ship (and would launch an RPG-7 on the plane where the successful—but disliked—FMC is riding just to express their frustrations), while there are those harem LN/manga that readers wanted a harem end. It's usually on how you narrated your work, really.

Let me cite another example: The Web Novel ending of the Rising of the Shield Hero (a harem ending) is well-accepted, while its original ending (it was all just a dream) was panned. This is because, in my observation, Rising of the Shield Hero introduced many likeable characters aside from the FMC, and from the nature of how he got into his powerful moments was something that he did in his own power, so making it all 'just a dream' is anti-climactic. It made the readers feel like they were betrayed.

In comparison, the LN ending of Zero no Tsukaima (MC chose the FMC, and they got married) is also received well, considering it was also a harem story. There were likeable members of the MC's harem, but it was made beforehand that he was just fixated on the FMC (not to mention, her character was fleshed out well), so making it a harem end would kind of piss the fans.

Not to mention, what type of readers do you have? It also affects the general mood in your story ending. For example, if you ask me, a hopeless romantic, and you kill your MC so that your FMC will end up alone, I won't read it anymore. However, my brother is my opposite. He likes that certain kind of ending, and applies it to his own story as well.

As for the death of the MC (wrapping it up), always have his death have some meaning or value; otherwise, it'll be anti-climactic. If you can, do it in a 'grand' manner. Yeah, I know there are useless deaths in real life, but you're writing fiction, anyway. Make his life--and death--count.

I have no readers. I 'retired' from writing webnovels. This story(MC 1 story) would be published irl(if I can actually write it well enough, which is about as likely as NASA sending a cow to Mars as a steak offering to the Martians. Really low, but not zero). The story's theme is a fantasy best described as the MC running an errand for someone else while casually conquering a third of a continent. Thanks for the advice on giving his death meaning. I'll need to keep that very close to memory.

Though you using harem stories as examples threw me off momentarily because my story is quite far from a harem.

No.

Ow. Blunt. But I can't disrespect your opinion because I think you are wise, so I'll try to see if I can murder myMCs less.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Though you using harem stories as examples threw me off momentarily because my story is quite far from a harem.

I'm aware. But I had no other examples to cite, since I'm focused on writing harems. In any case, there's the idea.

 

[georgelee5786]

I'm aware. But I had no other examples to cite, since I'm focused on writing harems. In any case, there's the idea.

You're aware? But that implies you know about the story and characters... Does psychic happen to be among your many skills?

 

[Deleted member 54065]

You're aware? But that implies you know about the story and characters... Does psychic happen to be among your many skills?

I think you're misunderstanding my reply here. What I mean is, I'm aware that my samples are far from your genre.

However, since I wanted to illustrate the point I told earlier, I used examples from my prime genre (harem) to elaborate the concept of "the ending's effectiveness is dependent on how an author narrates his story".

If you ask me if I'm a psychic, I just observe behaviors and attitude then correlate them. It's part of my job as an educator.

 

[georgelee5786]

I think you're misunderstanding my reply here. What I mean is, I'm aware that my samples are far from your genre.

...'twas a joke. A very shitty joke, but technically one

 

[Deleted member 54065]

...'twas a joke. A very shitty joke, but technically one

My apologies. I'm kinda off today.

I can't get jokes for the meantime. ?

 

[RepresentingCaution]

I liked the butterfly effect, so yeah.

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

Ahh, Z Gundam at it's finest.

But despite MC's death, the big enemy is still there, and the threat is not over. Only the anime is over, and it will be continued by the next anime.


MC isn't dead in physically. He's simply vegetable vegetative state now. But mentally, hes dead. MC is basically killed since there's no trace of the personality left.

Comparable to MC that have been emptied by past user and waiting to be replaced by SI protagonist. But luckily the brain develop new person from it, like when the old file is erased, it will make new file. The old MC won't back tho.

CCA is also like that, MC and his rival died together. rivalry that spans 3 season of Anime that have three different MC finally ended in one final battle.

It's also quite satisfying ending.