@fcold9402
Always subvert expectations....especially if the audience is expecting the story to be good, or make sense, or follow the rules of the universe previously established by better writers.
@loganstafford249
I'm going to make a character who constantly talks about his backstory, hopes, dreams and aspirations just to raise the tension, then never kill him for infinite tension.
@Mr_Bunk
You forgot one of the unbeatable methods of resurrecting a character: have them reborn through the introduction of a different character that’s near-identical to them in every way! If you need a cheap excuse as to why they’re so eerily similar to the one that just died, just say they’re a twin or part of the deceased’s family whilst assuring the audience they’re totally not a carbon-copy replacement for the departed character, so forget about the fact they’re constantly asking why you bothered killing the original in the first place if they were just going to be replaced by the same character, but with one letter changed in their name!
@shytendeakatamanoir9740
Sometimes you killed a character that have outlived its usefulness, but it turns out it may have been useful for that cool scene you just thought off. But don't fear! You can just replace it with a look alike that have none of the audience's investment and character interaction (though that can be solved by retconning them into the plot. Fans will love it.). See, it's great because it adds more characters to your already bloated story, which means more diversity.
@PossumReviews
The mentor usually dies at the end of the second act.
@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache
But how will my audience understand that my story is mature and for adults unless I start killing indiscriminately and as graphically as possible despite the fun premise? ...Nuance? Advanced themes? ...Oooooooooh! You mean cussing and banging and stuff.
@cubicbanban
Rule 1: if there is no corpse, the character is actually not dead Rule 2: if there is a corpse, the character may not be dead for some reason
@lmpeters
One of my favorite examples of a death scene subverting expectations is in Hamlet. Shakespeare, of course, is legendary for mortally wounded characters giving long speeches just before they die, and Polonius was one of the most long-winded characters in any of his plays. And then when Polonius got stabbed, his entire death speech was, "Oh, I am slain!"
@lemumle
Character: mentions backstory, their ambitions and dreams but is not the protagonist Story: your free trial of living is over; now you are going to be a plot device
@Ehh97
Ah yes, the five stages of character grief: Edgey brooding Edgey brooding Edgey brooding Edgey brooding and Revenge.
@luigiluigi543212345
"If the story doesn't end with the redeemed villain dying that makes everything awkward." All Kirby villains:
@logansheat6720
mentor dies Main character: "Oh no!" Main character: "Anyway"
@Anon-rt3fx
Sometimes I genuinely wonder how many terrible books this poor man had to suffer through to be able to give us this wisdom.
@The_Misanthropic_Magpie
Villain: Kills very experienced and powerful mentor Also Villain: loses to inexperienced protagonists because he’s angry
@donslipo
Let's not forget that dead mother in the backstory should have the "dead mother" hairdo. (look Fullmetal Alchemist)
@sparrrorow
Let's be real, JP was kicked out of Hell cause everyone there were jelous of his amazing writting skills.
@СозданиеБезымянное
And when Comic Relief dies, make sure his last words are: "Z-z-zap-pers..."
@amriakhsan9208
Soldier: Hold family picture Author : "SO YOU CHOSEN DEATH"
@LordSoulSicarious
Unironically, I actually love major character deaths out of nowhere as a jarring toneshift. Stories where it seems like death is off the table, then someone actually dies and everything changes? That feels powerful. 99% of resurrections are shit though.
@-AAA-147