The Asha Effect

[CountVanBadger]

The Asha Effect is when a writer creates a character that they obviously expect the audience to see a certain way (usually as a hero or a villain) only for the exact opposite to happen. Maybe this has a name already, I don't know and I'm too lazy to look it up, so I'm just calling it the Asha Effect.

The name comes from Disney's Wish, where the main character Asha was supposed to be seen as a brave and caring heroine who stands against the injustice of King Magnifico and sets her island free from tyranny. But when the movie came out, people sided with Magnifico because, while he had his flaws, he at least knows that some people's wishes shouldn't be granted. Some wishes are outright harmful, and others can have a Monkey's Paw effect with devastating unforeseen consequences down the road. Asha, on the other hand, is told "no" once, accuses Magnifico of being evil for not giving away even more free stuff than he already does (his kingdom is a literal utopia) proceeds to stage a coup and imprison Magnifico for all eternity, and then ends the movie by promising to grant every single wish that everybody in the kingdom makes from there on out.

Another example is Alan Moore's character Rorschach from Watchmen. Moore is quoted as having written Rorschach to be everything that Moore is not, thinking that he was making a character that his readers would despise with every fiber of their being. Rorschach is an edgy antihero, the one who went farther than the other wimpy superheroes were willing to go while still sticking to his own (admittedly deranged) code of honor. At the end of the book, Rorschach is the only one who doesn't betray his beliefs and cave to the bad guy's demands, and he's murdered for it. In a plot twist I'm sure NOBODY saw coming, he became the most popular character in the book by far.

And then there's Celery Sardonicface from Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass. Spoiled. Selfish. The living definition of vanity. Constantly worshipping herself and getting pissed when other people don't. Claims to be the greatest assassin in the world, and then eats a bag of candy that mysteriously appears in her room when she knows somebody is out to kill her. I hate her.

Anyone have any more examples of the Asha Effect?

 

[Conqueror_Quack]

The Asha Effect is when a writer creates a character that they obviously expect the audience to see a certain way (usually as a hero or a villain) only for the exact opposite to happen. Maybe this has a name already, I don't know and I'm too lazy to look it up, so I'm just calling it the Asha Effect.

The name comes from Disney's Wish, where the main character Asha was supposed to be seen as a brave and caring heroine who stands against the injustice of King Magnifico and sets her island free from tyranny. But when the movie came out, people sided with Magnifico because, while he had his flaws, he at least knows that some people's wishes shouldn't be granted. Some wishes are outright harmful, and others can have a Monkey's Paw effect with devastating unforeseen consequences down the road. Asha, on the other hand, is told "no" once, accuses Magnifico of being evil for not giving away even more free stuff than he already does (his kingdom is a literal utopia) proceeds to stage a coup and imprison Magnifico for all eternity, and then ends the movie by promising to grant every single wish that everybody in the kingdom makes from there on out.

Another example is Alan Moore's character Rorschach from Watchmen. Moore is quoted as having written Rorschach to be everything that Moore is not, thinking that he was making a character that his readers would despise with every fiber of their being. Rorschach is an edgy antihero, the one who went farther than the other wimpy superheroes were willing to go while still sticking to his own (admittedly deranged) code of honor. At the end of the book, Rorschach is the only one who doesn't betray his beliefs and cave to the bad guy's demands, and he's murdered for it. In a plot twist I'm sure NOBODY saw coming, he became the most popular character in the book by far.

And then there's Celery Sardonicface from Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass. Spoiled. Selfish. The living definition of vanity. Constantly worshipping herself and getting pissed when other people don't. Claims to be the greatest assassin in the world, and then eats a bag of candy that mysteriously appears in her room when she knows somebody is out to kill her. I hate her.

Anyone have any more examples of the Asha Effect?

A recent one would be the goth woman from that British propaganda game.

 

[NotaNuffian]

The Asha Effect is when a writer creates a character that they obviously expect the audience to see a certain way (usually as a hero or a villain) only for the exact opposite to happen. Maybe this has a name already, I don't know and I'm too lazy to look it up, so I'm just calling it the Asha Effect.

The name comes from Disney's Wish, where the main character Asha was supposed to be seen as a brave and caring heroine who stands against the injustice of King Magnifico and sets her island free from tyranny. But when the movie came out, people sided with Magnifico because, while he had his flaws, he at least knows that some people's wishes shouldn't be granted. Some wishes are outright harmful, and others can have a Monkey's Paw effect with devastating unforeseen consequences down the road. Asha, on the other hand, is told "no" once, accuses Magnifico of being evil for not giving away even more free stuff than he already does (his kingdom is a literal utopia) proceeds to stage a coup and imprison Magnifico for all eternity, and then ends the movie by promising to grant every single wish that everybody in the kingdom makes from there on out.

Another example is Alan Moore's character Rorschach from Watchmen. Moore is quoted as having written Rorschach to be everything that Moore is not, thinking that he was making a character that his readers would despise with every fiber of their being. Rorschach is an edgy antihero, the one who went farther than the other wimpy superheroes were willing to go while still sticking to his own (admittedly deranged) code of honor. At the end of the book, Rorschach is the only one who doesn't betray his beliefs and cave to the bad guy's demands, and he's murdered for it. In a plot twist I'm sure NOBODY saw coming, he became the most popular character in the book by far.

And then there's Celery Sardonicface from Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass. Spoiled. Selfish. The living definition of vanity. Constantly worshipping herself and getting pissed when other people don't. Claims to be the greatest assassin in the world, and then eats a bag of candy that mysteriously appears in her room when she knows somebody is out to kill her. I hate her.

Anyone have any more examples of the Asha Effect?

I think the authors need to understand one thing; what makes a created character relatable? Rorschach is an asshole yes, but he's the weak and vulnerable's asshole.

Ps. The duck beat me to answering.

So I'm going with Naoya Zen'in. The misogynist got Japan screaming for him because of his southern drawl.

And he's handsome to an extent. So Ted Bundy effect is in full swing.

 

[Conqueror_Quack]

The bee movie guy.

olive from the show "velma"

Amaryllis from the show "High Gaurdian Spice"

Patric Bateman from the "American Psycho"

 

[Corty]

The latest one

 

[CountVanBadger]

The latest one

I'm pretty sure that's the one Conqueror_Quack was talking about.

olive from the show "velma"

put Velma herself on the list, too

 

[Conqueror_Quack]

put Velma herself on the list, too

I was under the effect that you meant like positive reception from the audience. Heh.

 

[CountVanBadger]

I was under the effect that you meant like positive reception from the audience. Heh.

Both

 

[AliceMoonvale]

My own character in my psych-horror story is like that.
She seems like she's a certain way, but oh... oh no. No no no. She is not.

 

[MythicalForest]

The bee movie guy.
View attachment 45767
olive from the show "velma"

Amaryllis from the show "High Gaurdian Spice"
View attachment 45768
Patric Bateman from the "American Psycho"

Lost his house, friends and bitch to a ? goddamn

 

[Jerynboe]

My own character in my psych-horror story is like that.
She seems like she's a certain way, but oh... oh no. No no no. She is not.

You either misunderstood the thread or have a profound problem on your hands. This is about an author failing to understand human psychology/their audience badly enough that they write a character that they, the author, intend to come off in a certain way but the reaction to said character is exactly the opposite.

If you managed to misdirect the audience on purpose, good for you but that isn’t this trope. This trope is for when you make the “obviously evil” character you want the reader to hate into a hot goth chick whose “obviously evil” rhetoric comes off as more reasonable than anything any of your good characters say. Presumably because you have some kind of blind spot or are way to dialed into the MC’s specific personal worldview.

Like Sharpei in high school musical, who was so salty about being passed up for a part in a show she was passionate about that she… introduced the girl that “stole” the role to a group of friends that she is implied to remain close with long term. Such villainy.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

You either misunderstood the thread or have a profound problem on your hands. This is about an author failing to understand human psychology/their audience badly enough that they write a character that they, the author, intend to come off in a certain way but the reaction to said character is exactly the opposite.

If you managed to misdirect the audience on purpose, good for you but that isn’t this trope. This trope is for when you make the “obviously evil” character you want the reader to hate into a hot goth chick whose “obviously evil” rhetoric comes off as more reasonable than anything any of your good characters say. Presumably because you have some kind of blind spot or are way to dialed into the MC’s specific personal worldview.

Like Sharpei in high school musical, who was so salty about being passed up for a part in a show she was passionate about that she… introduced the girl that “stole” the role to a group of friends that she is implied to remain close with long term. Such villainy.

Meant to say similar to that in reverse, but it was a joke. No need to attack me like I committed a war crime. lmao

And on that note, now that I think about it, I think my favorite character off the top of my head is Skylar White. Since she definitely was intended to be a certain way at first, a sympathetic moral anchor, but became the opposite. A top characters to hate on, which I also did at one point. I liked the double standards in which Walt could be forgiven for murder and obviously being a drug lord, but Skylar was shit on for having realistic human reactions.

 

[SwordSong]

This comes to mind...

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I was under the effect that you meant like positive reception from the audience. Heh.

Nah, explicitly stated opposite effect, good or bad.
Two offbeat examples:

Gojira - he was everything Japan feared, rampant, destructive, nuclear, unforgiving, can't be communicated with (well, except by the twins of Infant Island). Yet, somehow, he wound up becoming a hero over time because he was so popular.

Harry Flashman - a throwaway villain in Tom Brown's School Days, resurrected almost a century later as a great comic ... kind of anti-villain. Accidental hero who is out for himself (and likeable and relatable as a result, somehow).

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Idk. I could say something political but that is against the rules. Maybe Dracula since he became a sexy goth depressed man in the eyes of many?

 

[Envylope]

A recent one would be the goth woman from that British propaganda game.

Literally what I was thinking while reading.

 

[SwordSong]

Idk. I could say something political but that is against the rules. Maybe Dracula since he became a sexy goth depressed man in the eyes of many?

Phantom of the Opera as well, come to think of it.

Also, AFAIK, Rei Ayanami & Kaworu Nagisa from Neon Genesis Evangelion were supposed to be seen as creepy & unsettling. Nowadays they're seen as cute shipping material.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Oh, most hallmark movie MC. The girl is a cheater and the usual "villian" is just a guy who worked a little too much and probably just needed better communication skills. Also, the guy she is cheating with is awful because he encourages the cheating when he is aware of it.

 

[laccoff_mawning]

Maybe we can include a large number of cultivator MCs, since heaven's fated person always seems to have an attitude problem or two. Or eight.
Unless all the authors are deliberately making them with the intent on them being as unlikable as possible?

 

[TinaMigarlo]

Maybe we can include a large number of cultivator MCs, since heaven's fated person always seems to have an attitude problem or two. Or eight.
Unless all the authors are deliberately making them with the intent on them being as unlikable as possible?

sounds like a loose description of some noir MC's. A noir hero need not be good looking, a nice person, they can have abundant character and personality flaws. But what they asre is within the context of their world they live in, their story... they're less bad than the bad guy(s). Think "Parker". He's a cold blooded killer. An unrepentant professional thief, too. But he's got better values than the bad guys do. The noir hero MC, is the more complex character. Not just a cardboard cutout of a comic book hero.