A Candidate for Elimination

I recently started thinking about which character types in books, films, and games, especially action games, have the highest mortality rates. Then I did some demographic calculations... So, according to my statistics, it's precisely these character types that have the highest risk of premature death. The hero's parents or guardians The quickest and easiest way to give a character self-dependence, especially before coming of age, is to deprive them of their parents, whether biological or adoptive. With a steady hand, the author cuts out the protagonist's relatives and sends them into the merciless world of adulthood with a vigorous kick. Voila, early adulthood is complete. Good old mentor This point is similar to the previous one. The character who taught the hero everything necessary, especially fighting, is killed by some enemy. Now the protagonist has a reason to put their skills to use. A character who was about to get involved in just one more adventure - and retire He won't make it. One moment he takes one last look at a photo of his fiancée/child/beloved dog, and in the next scene, the team is already missing this fighter. The tragedy of the situation is underscored by the fact that just a little more and the poor guy would have avoided it. But no. This cliché has some psychological basis: someone who's about to retire is no longer working at full capacity. Extreme work may not forgive this. The third wheel in a love triangle He or she loves so deeply, but alas, the object of their affection loves someone else. But the one who loves unrequitedly is generally a good person, and looking them in the eye can be a little awkward... The author kindly spares the happy lovers this inconvenience. A remorsed villain The heroes beat the villain for a long time – and finally finished him off... morally. The remorsed poor fellow finally joins the Good Side – and then dies. So what's the moral of the story? If you've become a villain, stand your ground to the end (maybe you'll last a little longer)? The real reason for this cliché is most likely the difficulty of deciding how the heroes should interact with such a character later on. __ After everything I've seen and read, I sometimes begin to look with condolences on these types of characters in advance (and I think I'm not alone). I don't call for not using clichés - we all do it sometimes. But if you're looking for unexpected plot twist, killing off these characters probably won't cut it. __ Another article of mine about the art of writing: https://fic.fan/readfic/6821-How-to-believably-show-a-characters-tastes-and-priorities