MC as Oppressed or Oppressor?

[NotaNuffian]

Context: MC starts as weak and oppressed, because I can't relate with an already strong character. He grows strong throughout the story and it really depends on what the author is trying to do, but overall I bastardized into two catagories.

They are not mutually exclusive but rather, I am asking which you rather read.

1. Still oppressed: even with MC climbing the power ladder, cunts above him (no matter which rung he's on) will no doubt abuse and kill him just because. Expect loads of scenes featuring MC and crew getting bent over and destroyed until they can cross this hurdle. Perhaps watching them do it all over again few chapters later.

2. Oppressor: MC is stronk and decides to not be a noble hero/ saint and bullies others for candy like what the governing power is doing, in their fiction and IRL. Expect to see MC being the biggest dick amongst the field of dicks and authors trying their best to justify MC not being a dick with moral scapegoating and swift pan aways of the camera.

There are also others; true neutral with MC either not being oppressed or an oppressor... that is called slice-of-life and Wakanda dead Chad meme "We don't do it here".

Same with Superman the true boy scout, I am reading Chinese bull, as if I can see an altruistic MC.

Furthermore, if MC grows strong, people gets attracted to him and drama will ensue, no such thing as JP "sage hide from others" turd. Once the standard-Japanese-man shaped monster is revealed, everyone is gunning for him.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

Basically every story ever written is an underdog story. Watching someone punch down just isn’t as fun as seeing a character punching up.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Basically every story ever written is an underdog story. Watching someone punch down just isn’t as fun as seeing a character punching up.

Then could you click the above choices?

Then it becomes a problem with underdogs when they grow to overdog size

The dragonslayer becomes the next dragon.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Oppressor.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

Then it becomes a problem with underdogs when they grow to overdog size

The dragonslayer becomes the next dragon.

I wouldn’t recommend it. When you’re already at the top there is only so many places for the story to go.

You either

Introduce a bigger threat. Basically power creep, like how mmos like wow would make the next end of expansion boss a bigger threat then the last one.

Focus on the decline and rot. An example would be like the Star Wars prequels, Republic is the overwhelming force but is coopted and corrupt until it no longer resembles what it originally was.

Or

Isolate advantages. Basically take the over dog and put them into a situation where they are a localized underdog. A lot of political stories do this but it can also be done for action. Like Black Hawk Down if you’ve seen it. In the movie you never think the Somalians are stronger then the US military, but in the local situation they hold all of the advantages.

 

[NotaNuffian]

I wouldn’t recommend it. When you’re already at the top there is only so many places for the story to go.

You either

Introduce a bigger threat. Basically power creep, like how mmos like wow would make the next end of expansion boss a bigger threat then the last one.

Focus on the decline and rot. An example would be like the Star Wars prequels.

Or

Isolate advantages. Basically take the over dog and put them into a situation where they are a localized underdog. A lot of political stories do this but it can also be done for action. Like Black Hawk Down if you’ve seen it. In the movie you never think the Somalians are stronger then the US military, but in the local situation they hold all of the advantages.

...the first and third are just the standard chinese infinite realms.

I HATE those.

The second one only reserves for villains. Cuz MC is a "nice guy".

Ps. If it was you would clicked the poll, thank you.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

Thank you for the poll.

 

[SternenklarenRitter]

The choice between oppressor or oppressed is only presented with an antagonist that is a person. While all stories need a source of conflict, there does not need to be oppression for this to happen. I generally prefer stories with an internal antagonist, where the source of conflict is instead psychologic. "A real goddess would let nobody die" is a perfect example of this, and the MC starts off with 1000 years of mourning. I also quite enjoy when the antagonist is environmental; the conflict is against an inhospitable setting, which make for great adventure stories. "Chronicles of Sol: The Fall" does this well, and space is a hostile enviornment with extremely scarce resources.

 

[Deleted member 148356]

Dynamic is the only thing I'm going to read.
Weak to strong with different conflicts and challenges.
So other, I do not like repetition.

 

[georgelee5786]

Oppressor

 

[Plantorsomething]

Basically every story ever written is an underdog story. Watching someone punch down just isn’t as fun as seeing a character punching up.

Ikr, who would ever want to read a story where the main character beats people in one punch?

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Prefer that the hero(es) overthrow their current oppressor but know that there could always be another lurking somewhere (and that raw power is not always the only way to oppress).

Not a fan of the Gor cycle (John Norman's Gor novels have the hero going from accidental normal guy trying to survive in a fantasy world and fight against slavers and other, mostly human or near human, villains, only to eventually become a harem-owning slave lord himself about 1/3 of the way through the series), which is pretty much the archetype for the "Oppressed to Oppressor" cycle.

 

[Nolff]

SoL enjoyer watching:

 

[RepresentingPride]

Oppressed who can become an Oppressor.
I like weak to strong stories, I prefer it when the MC struggles. I want to see him overcome anything and sometimes oppress some douchebags (or their whole sect with all those ancient assholes hiding in the cave!)

Ps: The MC can be oppressed without bent over at all if he is cunning enough and plays well

 

[aattss]

Fuck underdogs. Having antagonists that are stronger than the MC is fine and all. Just don't do the whole poor talentless cripple peasant MC with a pathetic skill/class who gets laughed at by everyone thing. Like, they're the MC of a progression fic. We all know how this is going to go. Get on with the plot already.

Anyways, some of my favorite MCs are heroes who try to save people and make the world a better place. Especially the ones who overcome external and internal challenges to their convictions.

 

[Corty]

Oppressor, but the author also needs to oppress the whining people who will come in and complain.

 

[Dark_Phoenix_Zaetyk]

?Who would choose oppressed?, that's is being a masochist.

 

[BlissyMKW]

Honestly, neither. Why does it have to be one or the other? Either the MC is an eternal doormat to the next threat and every victory is so temporary, why even bother and just kill them right away, or they become no better than the people in power before them. The status quo wouldn't change at all, just the person stomping on everyone weaker than them. It gives off the impression that the MC was always an awful person but lacked the strength to lord over other people.

The "slice of life" option honestly sounds far better than the other two scenarios.

 

[BearlyAlive]

Let the MC be slowly corrupted by power, join the evil guys and be the most assholest asshole to ever hole asses. All while the author fails to paint it as simething good since it's the MC supressing others.

 

[Jocelyn_Uasal]

People enjoy an "Oppressor" narrative here it seems, but as a general rule those types of characters are not seen as relatable by any means so try to keep that in mind. If they're ever having a bad time or down on their luck, the reader might just be rooting for their downfall more than for their redemption.

That being said, I would really enjoy reading a story where an unreliable narrator/oppressor main character gets what is coming to them.