I'm tired of OP heros

[Golden_Hyde]

Me too buddy... me too...
OP characters are fine, but if you just throw it wholesale like a candy, then the OPness lost all the charms.

 

[Zagaroth]

I suppose this is a problem only in some genres? Sci-fi like I like to write is, assuming the writer tries to keep *some* manner of realism (Even if the tech is really advanced), means that the power can be lost, taken away, break down, run out of fuel, etc etc.
Depending on the writer, the protag has to be smart in order to be powerful.

It also sort of depends on specific aspects of a fantasy setting.

If the cool people all have very specific powers/powersets/classes, and those can be unique, then they can be uniquely powerful.

If you don't have those and instead have general training and practice for magic and fighting techniques/abilities, and almost anything 'unique' for a trait is an affinity or ability that needs to be actively developed and trained to start being combat useful, then it's hard to be very OP. At least, compared to other highly motivated individuals.

Most people are not that interested in devoting that much of their life to combat focused stuff. They want to live their social lives and hang out with friends and develop their crafting or artistic skills and have a family and so on. Most people want to live a comfortable life.

So yes, most guards and soldiers, even if well trained and experienced, haven't pushed themselves to the same extremes. They go, they train, they do some related work, they go home at the end of the day and enjoy a meal and a drink and spend time with friends and family.

 

[JayMark]

I don't know guys. I kind of like training arcs and seeing characters develop their powers over time. I also like characters that are just over powered however you want to define it and work on how to best use their powers while facing situations that stress their powers. I see no reason to artificially limit my options as either reader or writer.

I like weak characters. I like strong characters. I like characters with ecentric powers. I like characters trying to make the most out of boring powers. I like characters that are nearly powerless. I like characters that are nearly all powerful. I just like good characters. Heros too.

 

[bulmabriefs144]

I’m going to say it: I am so tired of the Overpowered (OP) Hero trope. The character who gets a shiny, world-breaking ability that makes every challenge feel like a minor inconvenience. Where’s the tension? Where’s the fun?

I'm just bored of it.

What truly gets my creative engine running is a hero who has to outthink their limitations instead of simply overpowering them. Because the best abilities, the most memorable ones, sound absolutely terrible on paper.

Think about it:

Luffy(One Piece): Made of rubber

Ueki (The Law of Ueki): Can turn trash into trees

Mirio (My Hero Academia): Can phase through solid objects... but is blind, can't breathe, and falls through the floor while doing it. What a drawback!

On paper, these are C-tier, "stupid" powers. Yet, in the story, they are absolutely incredible.

What makes them so good isn’t raw strength it’s creativity.

These characters take a seemingly weak or deeply limited ability and turn it into a devastating, completely unique fighting style. They rely on strategy, experience, and sheer grit to innovate and find a weakness their opponent never saw coming. They train not just their power, but their minds, to maximize an imperfect tool.

That's the kind of hero I want to write. The underdog who wins because they understand their power better than anyone else. The genius who uses the environment, who sacrifices to get the upper hand, and whose victory feels earned.

It's not about the ability but about how they use it.

So, writers, I beg you: give your heroes a handicap. Give them an ability that makes me scratch my head. Give them a reason to be clever. Let's make our readers gasp not because of a bigger number, but because of a better idea.

Who’s your favorite hero who uses a “dumb” power in a brilliant way? Let me know in the comments!

One Piece's "Super Saiyan" ability comes after about 1000+ chapters, starting as the very weakest Devil Fruit (where he basically had to relearn how to walk because rubber transfers motion weird), then had to train for years to be able to fight. And it's a completely cartoonish ultimate power that drawbacks leaving him a worn out old man.

 

[V8485]

My main protagonist doesn't even have power, just a gun, a knife, and booze. Also he doesn't have a left eye and have a bum leg

 

[LeilaniOtter]

Overpowered heroes still don't know how to talk to or interact with girls correctly, so they still have at least one major flaw. ?

 

[Anarchy666]

I don't mind them as long as there is a villain around who can give them a run for their money

 

[DismaiNaim]

Here. https://www.scribblehub.com/series/967246/a-place-to-bloom/

My MC's "power" doesn't actually show up until chapter 55, he doesn't understand what happened, and doesn't even learn that he has a "power" until chapter 62, at which time he still doesn't understand what it is or how it works, can't control it, and also 1) he'll be burned at the stake for having it and 2) his enemies have the same power and are way more advanced than he is.

 

[HotConsensualSalt]

I kinda feel something very similar, I feel that sometimes the coolest part of the journey is actually the growth and the breakthrough moments of the character, like the fights with the boss fight, for example Dragon Ball, Kenichi, Yu Yu Hakusho. Those old school shonen.

I enjoy many of the characters in these shows because there is a consistent sense of tension. Yusuke is the underdog in most of his fights, even if he's talking shit the whole time. It feels like Peter Parker/Spiderman in that regard. We know he's going to win, but the story makes us believe he's going to lose, or that he may have to sacrifice something important to win.

When fights feel trivial and stakes disappear, I very often don't like the character/fighter enough to watch them anymore. I love Cyclops but I wouldn't watch a full season of the X-Men just smashing sentinels. Modern isekai and anime protagonists frequently feel like "Cool guys doing cool things" with no concern for tension or drama or anything more than looking cool. That's an over generalization, but it's born from observing trends.

 

[MFontana]

Honestly, for me [as both a Reader and Writer] it depends entirely upon the kind of story being told, its themes, and nature whether an OP protagonist or protagonists can be interesting and entertaining. When it is done well, they can certainly be entertaining and interesting stories. When it is done poorly... they can quickly become boring, uninteresting, or hollow stories.
I've personally seen a few approaches to the premise, but these were the most common (in my experiences).

When the story is all about the protagonist adventuring and gaining, or increasing, their power with every battle (Dragonbal, Yu Yu Hakusho, X-Men, MCU, DCU, etc etc etc) things can get repetitive and predictable when the action doesn't really maintain tension.
It's never a question of whether the protagonist(s) or heroes/heroines are going to win. They will.
The tension is reflected in "at what cost" will they win, and the struggle against whatever obstacle (antagonist typically) they are up against. Typically, reflected in an irreconcilable ideological conflict between Hero and Villain. The conflict is both external and internal, and the tension runs high in most cases and can really grab and hold the interest of the readers/viewers.

Alternatively, an approach that has seen less use of late (from my own personal watchlist/reading list anyway) is more of a "Superman" style story, where the protagonist(s) is/are already overpowered [As strong as they need to be], because the story isn't about how powerful they are. It is about how they USE the power or powers they possess; and whether it is 'Right' or 'Wrong' to act or intervene with their power to do so. Why they behave the way they do, and the cost and struggles they endure because of the power they have, and the circumstances they find themselves in.

It's not whether they'll win or not. But if they SHOULD act and when they do; WHY they do it and the consequences of their actions (for them, and the others who they crossed paths with) that they have to live with.

 

[Piisfun]

I find that being overpowered is generally only in one aspect (e.g. combat), and the story is about that then the story tends to be very boring.

Honestly though, I think the best written overpowered protagonists I have ever seen was Saito from One-Punch Man. A significant portion of the story is about how his extreme power basically gets in the way of his life.

 

[Blusky]

I’m going to say it: I am so tired of the Overpowered (OP) Hero trope. The character who gets a shiny, world-breaking ability that makes every challenge feel like a minor inconvenience. Where’s the tension? Where’s the fun?

I'm just bored of it.

What truly gets my creative engine running is a hero who has to outthink their limitations instead of simply overpowering them. Because the best abilities, the most memorable ones, sound absolutely terrible on paper.

Think about it:

Luffy(One Piece): Made of rubber

Ueki (The Law of Ueki): Can turn trash into trees

Mirio (My Hero Academia): Can phase through solid objects... but is blind, can't breathe, and falls through the floor while doing it. What a drawback!

On paper, these are C-tier, "stupid" powers. Yet, in the story, they are absolutely incredible.

What makes them so good isn’t raw strength it’s creativity.

These characters take a seemingly weak or deeply limited ability and turn it into a devastating, completely unique fighting style. They rely on strategy, experience, and sheer grit to innovate and find a weakness their opponent never saw coming. They train not just their power, but their minds, to maximize an imperfect tool.

That's the kind of hero I want to write. The underdog who wins because they understand their power better than anyone else. The genius who uses the environment, who sacrifices to get the upper hand, and whose victory feels earned.

It's not about the ability but about how they use it.

So, writers, I beg you: give your heroes a handicap. Give them an ability that makes me scratch my head. Give them a reason to be clever. Let's make our readers gasp not because of a bigger number, but because of a better idea.

Who’s your favorite hero who uses a “dumb” power in a brilliant way? Let me know in the comments!

Frankly, I think anything can be good, OP or not OP, as long as it's well written and there's tension. The key is tension, then overpowering the character or not is just a tool you can use or not IMHO. I mean, maybe he can be overpowered, but he still does not know how to use the power, or he does not know WHY to use the power. Or maybe he's just a total idiot. Or maybe he's got power, but his hands are tied. Who knows. As long as there's tension...

 

[laccoff_mawning]

I very much like OP characters. The problem is, if you truly want to make a story with an OP character, you can't write it in the same way a traditional action story might take. If the MC is truly OP then your MC never truly fights; he/she only performs one-sided beat downs. If there's an actual fight, the MC isn't actively participating in it.

Because of that, the tension in the story has to come from elsewhere. For example, if the MC is trying to hide his abilities, which is often a staple of the trope, then the difficulty arises with the MC trying to manoeuvre everyone else away from the conflict so he can act discreetly.

So if you want to make a story with an OP MC, you need to be able to highlight what's stopping the MC from acting.

Now, a common problem I notice with OPMC stories is that they try and put someone else on the same footing as the MC to try and make actual tension in the fights. This has two problems. Firstly, if all antagonists are able to compete with the MC, then the MC no longer feels OP, breaking the initial premise of the story. Secondly, it greatly reduces what you can do with the other supporting characters. After all, they need to be much weaker than the MC to keep the premise up, but then they become nothing more than damsels in distress.

After @CharlesEBrown Brought up Superman, I started thinking a bit more about it. I wouldn't classify superman as an OP character, because I feel like all his opponents are meant of a similar strength to him. And if superman does have allies (I'm thinking stuff like justice league) then he's of a similar power level to his allies. Hmm. He might make for a good case study on OP MCs, even if we don't consider him one.

 

[AmbreaTaddy]

I very much like OP characters. The problem is, if you truly want to make a story with an OP character, you can't write it in the same way a traditional action story might take. If the MC is truly OP then your MC never truly fights; he/she only performs one-sided beat downs. If there's an actual fight, the MC isn't actively participating in it.

Because of that, the tension in the story has to come from elsewhere. For example, if the MC is trying to hide his abilities, which is often a staple of the trope, then the difficulty arises with the MC trying to manoeuvre everyone else away from the conflict so he can act discreetly.

So if you want to make a story with an OP MC, you need to be able to highlight what's stopping the MC from acting.

Now, a common problem I notice with OPMC stories is that they try and put someone else on the same footing as the MC to try and make actual tension in the fights. This has two problems. Firstly, if all antagonists are able to compete with the MC, then the MC no longer feels OP, breaking the initial premise of the story. Secondly, it greatly reduces what you can do with the other supporting characters. After all, they need to be much weaker than the MC to keep the premise up, but then they become nothing more than damsels in distress.

After @CharlesEBrown Brought up Superman, I started thinking a bit more about it. I wouldn't classify superman as an OP character, because I feel like all his opponents are meant of a similar strength to him. And if superman does have allies (I'm thinking stuff like justice league) then he's of a similar power level to his allies. Hmm. He might make for a good case study on OP MCs, even if we don't consider him one.

I agree with you. If there isn't any physical growth, the story needs emotional growth. A story needs to move forward, and to do so something must change. A story that stagnate isn't a story, it's just a very long (and not so fun) description.

I like OP MC who have a moral dilemma, or OP MC that get their power when they are at their lowest, and the strong power slowly helps them heal their wounds and regain confidence in themselves (that's litteraly my story I Blinked and now I'm Famous'), I find those stories very satisfying because it uses a cliché (OP MC) to tell something more profound and that we can relate with.

 

[Jianzheng1w]

I suppose this is a problem only in some genres? Sci-fi like I like to write is, assuming the writer tries to keep *some* manner of realism (Even if the tech is really advanced), means that the power can be lost, taken away, break down, run out of fuel, etc etc.
Depending on the writer, the protag has to be smart in order to be powerful.

however there are good guy power fantasy scifis that have become extremely popular. Star Trek is one.

IDK if it would even be popular if released today though, since it seems to be coasting on inertia.

 

[Talon88.1]

however there are good guy power fantasy scifis that have become extremely popular. Star Trek is one.

IDK if it would even be popular if released today though, since it seems to be coasting on inertia.

Star trek was a power fantasy? IDK about that, but to be fair, the only one I watched all the way through was DS9 and bits of TNG, so Im pretty far from well versed in it :D

 

[Jianzheng1w]

Star trek was a power fantasy? IDK about that, but to be fair, the only one I watched all the way through was DS9 and bits of TNG, so Im pretty far from well versed in it :D

Federation is more powerful than almost all aliens except a few. They subjugated the Klingons with an unfair treaty that destroyed the (admittedly warlike and destructive) core of their culture. They get out of bad situations with the Borg and Romulans because they are "individuals" or pure luck.

Is this not power fantasy?

 

[Talon88.1]

Federation is more powerful than almost all aliens except a few. They subjugated the Klingons with an unfair treaty that destroyed the (admittedly warlike and destructive) core of their culture. They get out of bad situations with the Borg and Romulans because they are "individuals" or pure luck.

Is this not power fantasy?

Ah, when I think of a power fantasy I usually picture a single person, not a faction as a whole, so thats likely the disconnect there.

 

[Rezcore]

Noblesse handles it well. The MC kills himself a little, every time he uses his ability

 

[CharlesEBrown]

After @CharlesEBrown Brought up Superman, I started thinking a bit more about it. I wouldn't classify superman as an OP character, because I feel like all his opponents are meant of a similar strength to him. And if superman does have allies (I'm thinking stuff like justice league) then he's of a similar power level to his allies. Hmm. He might make for a good case study on OP MCs, even if we don't consider him one.

If you're referring to the Golden Age Superman from his first two years in print, or the Man of Steel Superman John Byrne introduced post-Crisis, who really was the "rule" for the character until he died and came back (Death of Superman, Reign of the Superman), you'd have a point but during the late Golden age and Silver Age of comics, he became a study in Overpowered Characters (heck, he moved an ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM with a bunch of big chains once, and flew so fast he had The Spectre show up in one of HIS more overpowered forms - as the Right Hand of The Master of the Silver City ... i.e. God ... to stop him from destroying everything), and he and The Flash have both managed to redefine the concept of Over Powered in the last decade or so... Though Milkman Superman (yes, that's a thing due to hyperspace/multiversal weirdness) has "base" Superman looking like a Cub Scout with one arm in a sling, and Superman 1,000,000 could bathe in suns and get his power beyond god-like levels...

Written well, Superman does not SEEM to be overpowered (because the story limits his ability to use his powers, either through situational or moral dilemmas). Written poorly, you wind up with Kryptonite Skittles doing odd things to him because they couldn't find any other way to keep him in check or generate tension.

Federation is more powerful than almost all aliens except a few. They subjugated the Klingons with an unfair treaty that destroyed the (admittedly warlike and destructive) core of their culture. They get out of bad situations with the Borg and Romulans because they are "individuals" or pure luck.

Is this not power fantasy?

Classic Era the Federation was equal in power to the Klingon Empire, and superior to the Romulans only in possessing more planets, and thus more resources and people - and also better warp technology (which, by "Balance of Terror" had been resolved neatly by a trade agreement between the Klingons and Romulans, where the Klingons got Romulan cloaking tech, Romulans got Klingon warp drives, and the props department could justify using the three Klingon warships they had instead of delaying production to make two more Romulan models).
They were also severely eclipsed by races like the Organians ("An Errand of Mercy" - the race that FORCED a peace treaty between the Federation and the Klingons, leading, among other things, to Kirk being put on trial in Star Trek IV for crimes against the Klingons), the Talosians (the illusionists behind "The Cage"/"The Menagerie"), the reality bending Melkotians and Excalbians (can never keep them straight ... especially since they used the same animatronic for both - "The Spectre of the Gun" with the O-K Corral stuff, and "The Savage Curtain" with Kirk and Spock set to fight alongside duplicates of their personal heroes - Abraham Lincoln and Surak, respectively, against some of the most notorious villains ever) - not to mention the (then) unnamed race responsible for making Charlie Severn a demi-god (Charlie X), and behind Trellaine (The Squire of Gothos) (a race later revealed to be the Q).

Power Fantasy usually requires one character who rarely or never needs assistance; that's more of a team fantasy with luck as a major determinant, as allies, characters with special skills or abilities, and even literal dumb luck is all needed to save the day.