Webnovels and manga/anime are two different things

[f0Ri5]

So, I've been writing my Beserk fanfic and getting Griffith's character down has proven to be very hard.

His particular combination of sociopathy and childlike innocence is not something that is easily put into words. I felt like I sort of got it down, but the thing is... he still comes across as a completely unlikable assehole no matter what I do (and probably because the reader already knows what he will do in the future).

I think that's partly because of how good-looking he is that miura was able to give him a bit of likeability. When you just look at what he actually does without the visual aid of a manga or anime (and in the case of anime you have the voice acting working for you as well) it becomes clear just how much of a psycho he really is. I mean, the kind of possessive language he uses when talking about guts (calling him his, talking about how he'll do anything to accomplish his goals, wanting to kill guts rather than let him leave the band) makes it clear that this dude is totally cooky.

When you're only putting words on paper, you dont have the advantage of the visual and audio aesthetics to help you smuggle a certain impression into the reader's head, which i think is how miura was able to get the readers to make him likable to readers.. What I wound up doing is making him a lot nicer than what he was in the manga/anime, but I can't help but worry that it's too much out of character for him.

I just dont like the lore accurate griffith ive written, and i dont think the reader will like him either. im generally not a fan of making characters that are just awful where you just want the protagonist to murder them, even villians. although i dont think every villian has to really be sympathetic, you can have guys like palpatine who are just absolute scoundrels, but even in the case of palps, they way he's portrayed on screen is kind of this guy who just loves being evil so much and hes so over the top it makes him a fun character.

whereas... griffith on paper is just this angsty emo kid with no emotional intelligence thats really hard to tolerate.

Idk, writing is hard.

 

[Steamdaoist]

You alright man. Just do you bra. Your story is elite regardless

 

[Selias]

I assume you've been rereading the manga chapters that have him, to get a good handle on his personality and behaviors?

Also, I'm not sure I'd really call him a sociopath... at first. It's only as more and more of his followers die for the sake of his dream that he starts viewing them as disposable.

 

[f0Ri5]

I assume you've been rereading the manga chapters that have him, to get a good handle on his personality and behaviors?

Also, I'm not sure I'd really call him a sociopath... at first. It's only as more and more of his followers die for the sake of his dream that he starts viewing them as disposable.

Click to shrink...

I was pulling my punches when I said he was a sociopath, honestly he's more of a psycho.

Some of the traits of a psycho (they should look familiar...):

1. Glib and superficial charm
2. Grandiose sense of self
3. Need for stimulation
4. Cunning and manipulative
5. Lack of remorse or guilt
6. Shallow emotional response
7. Callousness and lack of empathy
8. Lack of realistic long-term goals
9. Impulsivity
10. Irresponsibility
11. Failure to accept responsibility
12. Poor behavioral controls

The only psycho traits he doesnt show is pathological lying and cruelty to animals. Juvenile delinquency is another one that's missing, but it's hard to say whether he really lacks these qualities or if the reader just didn't get the opportunity to see his misbehaviours. We really don't know anything about Griffin's childhood aside from the fact that he was an orphan and that he grew up in a city.

(I've decided to do the fem. version a bit differently. She won't be as mentally deviant as her male counterpart.)