What kind of protagonist would you prefer and why?

[AliceShiki]

Also, I have a major problem with stories in which a woman tells a man no, he keeps going after her, and he eventually wins her over. It sends the wrong messages about consent. If a woman says no, leave her alone and go after someone else! This is why my protagonist says yes from the start. She knows what she wants, and she doesn't need to be manipulated into sleeping with someone.

I totally get where you're coming from! I generally don't like those much too!

... That said, the best relationship I ever got into was with a guy that I said no to, and that kept pursuing me until he won me over... And honestly, if he hadn't broken up with me, I'm pretty sure I'd still be dating him even now, and it's been two years already.

So uhn... I understand the whole "no means no" message, which makes a lot of sense... But my own personal experience says that No can sometimes turn into a yes and that is not a bad thing.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

So uhn... I understand the whole "no means no" message, which makes a lot of sense... But my own personal experience says that No can sometimes turn into a yes and that is not a bad thing.

It depends on how the "no" is presented too. If it's presented as more of a maybe, in the, "I'm not interested right now," kind of sense, I can see it. To me, that means it's OK to try harder. We need to pay close attention to our language and clarify when necessary.

My husband and I were friends with benefits for many years before we got married, so he was the one saying no to a romantic relationship, but so much changed after he moved in with me and met my other lover and got in touch with his feelings ?

 

[DDTStudios]

I personal like MCs with a dark past

 

[HokuouTenrou]

What kind? I'm a simple guy, so I like "hot-blooded yet smart heroes" like Maito Senpuuji and Gai Shishioh (both from different Brave series). Or straight-out saint-hearted strongmen, ala good ol Kenshiro and Jonathan.

Why? I guess I'm just tired with all the cynicism. I tend to dislike the "overly virtuous paragon knight"-types too, but I don't wanna be extreme and write a despicable fellow as the hero, just because the villain is somehow even worse.

 

[depressedhobo]

me

 

[AliceShiki]

It depends on how the "no" is presented too. If it's presented as more of a maybe, in the, "I'm not interested right now," kind of sense, I can see it. To me, that means it's OK to try harder. We need to pay close attention to our language and clarify when necessary.

My husband and I were friends with benefits for many years before we got married, so he was the one saying no to a romantic relationship, but so much changed after he moved in with me and met my other lover and got in touch with his feelings ?

Aaaaaaaaye! That makes plenty of sense!

I was mostly scared of getting into a new relationship back in the day, but I wasn't particularly against dating the guy flirting with me, I was just afraid of a new relationship as a whole.

He noticed that and pursued me to great success~ <3

... It's a lot different than when you say no to someone because you want to get rid of them, yet they keep pursuing you... Those are creeps.

 

[Grim_Ether]

Well written, and Overwhelming power.
Mainly well written, but I'll always try to be there for Overwhelming power.

 

[ddevans]

I like a prosocial, proactive, professional protagonist.

 

[D4isuke]

I like something relatable. Something that is normal yet they have extraordinary motives and activities when it comes to plot and self-driven character. For example, Subaru, Kazuma, and Darling-kun.

 

[thenewguy]

If, the mc is a noob, i wish to see the mc learning, really fast, and have a huge endurance, and can hold it quite long.

As for why, it's cuz i read ero novel. Its not funny if the mc is down after a miniscule action. It's like watching a hentai gif instead of a video one.

 

[AryaX]

I prefer a Male to Female Gender Bender protagonists, who are generally humanoid, but preferably not a normal human... ie. they could be a vampire, or a demon, or an elf, or a robot, or something... and I prefer for the protagonist to be somewhat mischievous, or lecherous, or in some way eager or at least willing to go out there and use what they've got... I generally don't want to read about the protagonist whining and moping about what they've become too much... although... sometimes it can be fine too, if done right... so that the protagonist comes off as a "cute" as a result...

 

[--MON--]

I used to like antihero protagonist but since jp novels ruined them by making them soft and fluffy and also by adding romcom harem echii on stories like that, i grew up to dislike it a little and now i like pure villain protagonist the cruel and ruthless one that does not play hero by saving others and only do things the benefits the mc or the mc likes to do them.

I think that making a character an the plot together is the best way to blend the story and characters together and make the characters have a fixed personalities that will only change if something major that will affect the characters morals or thinking happened.

consistency is the key to a great story.

 

[Akasora]

i have a character i prefer, but it's never really shown in books, or even media in general.

i'm talking about a generic, strong willed hero, alright? a generic hero fed with all the messages that he's doing good and that whatever cause he's fighting for is against evil. but it's only in mindset. the "hero" believes everything he does is "brave", "courageous" and for "justice", no matter the consequences and the effect, because it's for "the greater good". say for example there's a war. the enemy is shipping civilians to be sent to a refuge station. the protagonist, unwilling to let the enemy escape, bombs the ships without a care for the civvies. the protagonist won't be doing some "it was a hard choice" monologue but fully believes that it was the righteous and only decision to make during that scenario. i want to see a stubborn protagonist that believes everything he or she does is right, and even when faced with direct opposition, he or she will convince themselves that they're the ones in the right and that everyone is wrong, thus framing them all as villains.

you might say, "Hey, that's a villainess story, innit?" and yeah, you might be right but i want that villainess to believe that she is the paragon of virtue, and that every deed she does is correct and morally superior. characters that rather lie to themselves with full ego than to face the music of what they've done. make them the "hero" and everyone else the "villain". that's my favorite protagonist; a complete break down on the troupe and twisting it to its absolute worse. i'm not talking about badly written protagonist with power fantasies, i mean stories with actual self awareness to its protagonist and making them walk down that road

you could say it doesn't count because the protagonist doesn't really exist, at least as a troupe or ones i know. but heck, i'm putting the distress beacon out for anyone that knows such a type of protagonist, because compared to anything else, this would really be compelling if done right.

So you like protagonist who keep
self-justifying? Go read "Worm" it's a good story and main character is the expert at
self-justifying. Seriously what you write describe "Taylor Hebert" perfectly.

 

[Nyaa]

Lack of common sense.
Either they're casually doing things others didn't think possible, or they just do things so differently that they leave everyone bewildered.

 

[aattss]

I prefer MCs who are more moral than not. I appreciate MCs who try to make the world a better place, but I'm also fine with MCs who have their own goals as long as the MC doesn't screw over other people for profit or give themselves a pat on the back for not caring about other people. I'm only fine with evil MCs so long as we're supposed to clap when they get their ass beat by the good guys as opposed to clapping when they kill babies or say edgy shit.

I also prefer it when the MC has actual goals. Like, they have some goal before the plot starts and their actions are driven by their overarching goals as opposed to just the plot. So, not like bland isekai protagonists who have no pre-plot goals or experiences.

 

[thedude3445]

I like protagonists who are hard headed and obstinate, but incredibly earnest and enthusiastic. If they were a side character they'd be flanderized into being annoying, but as the protagonist they are a lot more interesting, especially when they are forced to grow up and become more mature. Think Makoto from The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Lady Bird from Lady Bird, etc.

 

[BloodyLycoris]

I prefer when the MC is not swayed by public opinions or any statements from the close ones, he/she can consider their thoughts until they finds out the whole story... so yeah his/her intuition should be high for that. Not putting his/her nose in every situation not related to them unless it benefits him/her or is some how related to their past.
So overall MC requirement should be :
Calm, Rational, Clear-headed and Self-confident
This should be it... unless I am forgetting something else.

 

[NirShrall]

Well, I prefer protagonists that are ruthlessly cunning and take advantage of every option that is offered to them. Backstabbing bastards that lurk in the dark and steal candy from children
Someone like that guy from Warlock of the Magus World, for example.
Idk, I prefer slightly villainous protagonists because I am fascinated by the psychological topic of why people turn evil and so on. Most stories with MCs like mentioned above are rather full of wish-fulfillment, but I enjoy them nevertheless - most of them.

 

[Flashwolf96]

As for me, I prefer protagonists (and characters in general) that show off the vulnerabilities of the human conscience. I find it extremely interesting to watch how a person suffers after experiencing great tragedy, or to see how a person with an unhealthy or self-destructive mindset thinks and interacts with others. Not that I'm good at writing either of those things, but still.

To that end, I find myself liking weaker characters that struggle to overcome personal issues such as low-self esteem, anxiety, inferiority complexes, and the like. Whether they find a way to overcome these issues or fall deeper into them until they're consumed by their own insecurities doesn't matter to me as much as seeing the developments leading up to that point.

Tsumi to Batsu: A Falsified Romance is a favorite of mine, and Aku no Hana is also up there in that same vein. I also loved the beginning of the manhwa See, Hear, Love, as it showed through flashback sequences the protagonist's slow descent into despair as he began to lose his vision while trying to simultaneously take care of his mentally-ill mother and work as a manhwa artist.

Am I a psychopath? Probably. Do I care? Nope.

 

[periodicallymirdered]

As I have signed a very strict and very real contract with this very legitment site that only presents fact, I can not lie. I love a good stupid protagonist. That kind of emotionally dense protagonist who doesn't really fit the scene- doesn't really understand what everyone is freaking out about. Part of me loves a deeep and grounded protag., but a bigger part of me loves a stupid story with no real climax. I like a non-thrilling plotline (ironic considering my favorite genre is horror thriller).

For now, at least, I like a protagonist that has more boldness then the plot has twists. The ratio should be 80-20.

Just wanted to put that word out there because, well, as from what I'm seeing, the mature protagonist, the one with emotional depth and cunning, is a fan favorite. To be honest, I don't mind that either. Like Quick Wear the Face of the Devil- all time favorite BL novel purely because of the cold and cunning protagonist. But It's really easy to over do that type of protagonist. Love interest too. (Although that might just be the twisted minds of chinese novelists). Ah, I think I lost my train of thought.

I think I just hope the protagonist fits the story really. You got a revenge story- good- don't make your cold and cunning protagonist actually someone who should have gotten rid of their anger long ago and is just holding on and stroking that hate b*ner. And a stupid protagonist fits an even stupider story- you got a villianess who doesn't wanna die but doesn't have the idea to escape the life of villiany through abandoning her title? Great! I love it! She also has an entire harem? Hand me the story.