The complex issue of perfection

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The new Star Wars movies have brought a character type into sharp relief. It's a concept called the "Mary Sue" or "Gary Sue." Originally a one-time character on Star Trek, this type is essentially perfect at anything they do, even beyond experts already doing those tasks, without any flaws. In "The Force Awakens" we are introduced to Rey, who is interesting and charismatic and fun--and also incomprehensibly good at whatever she wants. This isn't necessarily a problem, because the actress makes it interesting. However, what could ever challenge a flawless character? Story is based around conflict, and a main character without troubles has no conflict.

It's a seductive concept for authors, because it's very easy to demonstrate how incredible the favorite character is, because they do absolutely anything with aplomb and confidence. However, this sabotages all the other characters. If the story only requires a single star character, that's one thing (boring, but okay), however if there are more main characters then they never shine on their own. Having perfect characters may well steal any sense of trauma and danger from a story.

While audiences usually want to see the heroes succeed, they also want an exciting experience. A common twist of plot is simply for the good guys to fail, and that's impossible with a perfect character. I think a happy compromise is to give characters a singular skill, which they absolutely excel at, and let that be it. Let a character struggle and you draw in your audience, then your audience and characters somehow work together to bring the final result. It's a magical experience to join with the story and feel the world explode around you.

- M