I recently came across this clip of Daisy Ridley being interviewed about her character Rey in the latest Star Wars trilogy, and her perspective piqued my interest. Have a look:
As a writer, I respectfully disagree with Ridley’s view on characters not needing flaws or faults and her perspective that Rey doesn’t have any. Why are character flaws and negative traits important even in a protagonist? Let’s talk about it.
Flaws and imperfections give a character depth and dimension. They humanize the character and create empathy or sympathy between the reader/viewer and the character. Flaws give the character something to overcome or cope with as they work through the narrative.
Just like in real life, there are external events we have to deal with, and at the same time, we have to work through any internal issues we may be facing. Sometimes the two can conflict, which can be frustrating in real life but makes excellent story material.
A perfect character is a BORING character. You want your characters to feel relatable, and negative traits are a great way to do that. This doesn’t mean they have to be evil or do illegal things. There is a wide range of emotions, traits, and flaws you can give a character that will help your reader see them as a person and not just a vessel through which a story is being told.
Think of some of your own personal traits that might be seen as unfavorable or even your own flaws. Do they make you a bad person? Probably not. How do you cope with them? How do you work through them daily? By incorporating internal struggles and flaws, you can add dimension to your characters.
Think of your favorite film, TV series, or book characters. Are they perfect? Probably not. Do they have flaws? More than likely, a lot of them. But even with these faults, flaws, and struggles, we identify with them, root for them, empathize with them and watch the character evolve as the story unfolds.
You know, that whole character arc thing. Pretty important.
Daisy Ridley’s proclamation that Rey has no flaws starts with the writing. If J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson created a flawless character for Ridley to play, that’s an error in judgment on their part, not Ridley’s. She’s merely performing what’s on the page and interpreting it based on what the director – and Disney – wants.
Rey should have flaws, doubts, imperfections, and negative traits. It doesn’t make her a bad person; it doesn’t make her less likable. It HUMANIZES her, giving the audience someone to follow and root for.
These issues enable the character to have an arc, to strive toward being better as they traverse the obstacles thrown at them by the story. If you listen to the clip, Ridley lists several things that she feels people can overcome – “anger and jealousy” – and she’s right. They can. That’s called personal growth in real life. Or a character arc in a story.
Just like the characters in the original Star Wars trilogy.
If you look at the original trilogy, Luke, Leia, Han, and even Darth Vader all have negative traits and flaws, but they overcome them throughout the trilogy. We watch, and we have a vested interest in who they are and what will happen to them. Is it because they’re perfect, flawless humans? Quite the opposite.
So, as you create characters for your stories, remember that it’s okay to have them possess negative traits and have flaws. This gives them something to work on, something for the audience to identify with, and presents the reader/viewer with a dimensional character worth their time.
Apologies for the late post. I will be back to the earlier post time next Sunday!