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After seeing a few of the submissions for the dark!wolfram prompt, it started to make me think, "What exactly makes a character 'dark' and what characteristics of Wolfram would cause others to potentially see him as a dark character?" So I attempted to define what creates a dark character as shown in the below.
The easiest way to start out this discussion is an inquiry on what makes a story 'dark' to begin with. To me, a dark story involves delving into the more hidden and ugly aspects of a character's soul or situation. It's not necessarily horror, although horror would definitely fall into this category, but it can include mysteries, political intrigue, etc. Assassins are typically considered dark characters because they deal with cool calculation and callousness; the dealings of death whether by poison, blade, or brutality. They know every aspect of death which is often shunned and avoided by the common man because of the fear of learning what lies beyond death.
So those characters who seem to love death, the idea of death, or the manner in which people can die could be defined as 'dark' characters because of their secret (or not so secret) fascination and knowledge of such things. In terms of Wolfram, we know that he was denied the chance to see death first hand during the war which occurred during his mother's reign. He knew the manner of performing death, but he had no experience with it. So, we could say that Wolfram might have developed a fascination with death through viewing the effect it had the people around him and how death and the ways of meting out death changed his family. And perhaps the first death that truly affected him was that of Julia's. She was his teacher and that death caused Conrart to disappear for who knows how many years as he safeguarded her soul to a new host.
And this brings me to the second thing which creates darkness around a character. It's the secrets that one has and the hint of them that creates a dark character, especially if said character does everything in his power to prevent others from discovering them. Once one learns about these secrets, an emotional and psychological toll is exacted on the character who was hiding and the character who discovered it because s/he must deal with the fall-out such knowledge exacts. Secrets, are usually secrets for a reason. In Wolfram's case, the "secrets" he keeps are more about his true feelings, which can take the same toll on a person. One thing about Wolfram's character is a very strong desire to protect his pride, which often means a lot of "playing the part," acting as if he's not bothered by things. Any of these qualities could be approached from a dark perspective.
Another characteristic which stems from the assassin example above is the ability to be cool and calculating even in the toughest of situations, especially if these situations would cause a normal man or woman to flounder or go into shock. It is the ability to make the tough decisions that causes that horrified reaction in the reader and causes us to fixate, usually with a touch of morbid fascination, upon these characters. It makes us wonder what past that person has which would allow him or her to let a member of their family to be executed for treason or decide that there is no chance of survival for a platoon of soldiers but that the fallout of not trying is worse. What truly makes these decisions so interesting is the apparent lack of empathy. If this empathy is being suppressed to do what one must, the darkness is more subtle and makes us wish we could ease the darkness within. If the empathy is simply lacking, then perhaps that character lacks an ability to see his soldiers as men and are instead pawns and disposable ones at that. In such cases the darkness within repels us. Empathy, and the subtle roles it plays in shaping a character, can speak volumes about one's motivation and shapes the form of darkness that is revealed within.
Political intrigue is especially steeped in darkness because most of the maneuvering is done behind the scenes whether in engineering scandal, bribing, underhanded dealings, secret alliances or double crossings. It is that necessity for brutality and high stakes which can make a character dark, and the more secret and 'evil' these maneuverings are, the darker a character becomes because we need to know just how far this person will sink to find his endgame.
But how would this apply to Wolfram? He is in a situation where political intrigue has surrounded him since birth due to his mother's station. Political unrest is not even confined to those outside his family because Stoffel repeatedly attempts to ingratiate himself with Yuuri and the kingdom in general, even though the people protest his presence due to the war he embroiled them in. Was Celi and her sons exposed to political assassination? Most likely. Adelbert and his vendetta over the death of Julia is motive enough, but I'm sure the humans would have liked nothing better than to hurt Celi as much as possible. With Wolfram being the youngest, he must have been faced with such attempts and perhaps even grew to love out thwarting his teachers and fellow noblemen /adversaries and inviting those assassins to try their best against him. One can definitely make a case for Wolfram needing to prove himself since he was denied an active role in the war by his family.
So, one could build a 'dark case' around the events which guided him through the hard times. Did he challenge himself more so than others? Did such 'rebellions' lead to an irreversible consequence which stained his soul? Such stains could be the first bits of darkness he would need to hide from friends and family and the first bits he would fear others (re: Yuuri) discovering.
Another aspect of dark characters is their hidden desires and emotions. For instance, an act of violence can be a dark characteristic, especially if that violence is uncontrollable and the character is unable to stop himself from that act of abuse. To us, this could be manslaughter, domestic violence, or even self mutilation. That rage of passion which causes us to go beyond the boundaries laid out by functional society and causes a horror within him/herself would create darkness. It is now something they must hide, whether it's the deed itself and the horror they felt or the forbidden satisfaction or joy gained from the act. The more contrary to normalcy the reaction or act is, the more likely it is to breed darkness within a character.
So again, how can this be applied to Wolfram?
Within Wolfram, lies a need to deny Conrart as kin due to Conrart's human blood. But, perhaps, it is merely an excuse he latches on to because he hates the fact that Conrart is able to accept his human and demon blood so freely and has chosen to walk his life as a demon. The wall that is subconsciously built between them forces a separation that Wolfram doesn't like but is unable to bridge. He hates that distance, and rather then being able to deal with the awkwardness that difference creates between them, it is easier for Wolfram to pretend he hates his brother because Wolfram hates his reaction even more and wishes to hide it. Once Yuuri appears, Wolfram learns that it is possible to ignore social differences because Yuuri doesn't see them and therefore treats everyone as equals. He learns that the wall he always felt was between them was a wall of his own making and that it could be eliminated simply by acting normal.
But how can this lead to darkness within a character? Every snub, every need to hurt Conrart because he felt hurt himself by his inability to break the prison he had trapped himself within would accumulate and devour his thoughts. He would learn to carry a self-hatred towards himself and the man which forced him, simply by existing, to have this feeling. So in writing a fic, one can address those many little stains on his soul and Wolfram's gradual change of heart as he accepts them and puts them to rest.
So, what it boils down to (which I discovered the more I wrote of this) is that those stains on one's soul and the shadows we are afraid to look at within ourselves causes one to be dark. A character appears to be dark in fiction because we focus on the mystery and secrecy behind these characters and the gradual revelation of these myriad details. Murata, out of all the characters, is probably the darkest in Kyou Kara Maou -not considering the villians- because we're not entirely sure if he is friend or foe throughout the series. He has hidden motives and the anime portrays hints of those motives very well. Wolfram, on the other hand, appears to be prideful but well meaning. His character is overall lighter and his biggest flaw is his anger over hurt pride, but he knows this flaw and learns from it, usually. As such, we need to delve deeper into his motivation and build up nuance and subtlety and back story.
By delving into the mysteries and hidden, forbidden desires of Wolfram, one can create a dark character. Whether it's an act of violence, rage, or a psychological need that is buried deep within Wolfram's psyche, we can see darkness within him. Wouldn't it be great to see a fic where Wolfram actually struggles with the concept of one day needing Yuuri/marrying him? He may appear to be lighthearted and committed to the engagement, but maybe that is only the surface he presents to us and deep within him lies a fear of marriage or a fear of being with another man. And so he forces himself to embrace the situation both in sleeping next to Yuuri on an nightly basis and also in tagging along on all of Yuuri's adventures. One might say that his need to stick with Yuuri despite his horrible seasickness is actually an act of self-punishment for his fears and doubts.
It would be a difficult fic to write to portray this wolfram and keep him in character, but it is possible although it may not be easily seen how at first. It's a matter of approach and subtlety and building a case for the reader to become drawn into these minor flaws that would make this story plausible (from my point of view).
So what do you think makes up a dark character? How do you see Wolfram coping with these characteristics or situations? I'm curious to see what you have to say.
I am also pimping a new community to promote the steady progressive writing of WIPs whether one-shots, novellas, novels, fanfic or orginal fiction. This community ismuse_snare
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kkm_wolframfansAfter seeing a few of the submissions for the dark!wolfram prompt, it started to make me think, "What exactly makes a character 'dark' and what characteristics of Wolfram would cause others to potentially see him as a dark character?" So I attempted to define what creates a dark character as shown in the below.
The easiest way to start out this discussion is an inquiry on what makes a story 'dark' to begin with. To me, a dark story involves delving into the more hidden and ugly aspects of a character's soul or situation. It's not necessarily horror, although horror would definitely fall into this category, but it can include mysteries, political intrigue, etc. Assassins are typically considered dark characters because they deal with cool calculation and callousness; the dealings of death whether by poison, blade, or brutality. They know every aspect of death which is often shunned and avoided by the common man because of the fear of learning what lies beyond death.
So those characters who seem to love death, the idea of death, or the manner in which people can die could be defined as 'dark' characters because of their secret (or not so secret) fascination and knowledge of such things. In terms of Wolfram, we know that he was denied the chance to see death first hand during the war which occurred during his mother's reign. He knew the manner of performing death, but he had no experience with it. So, we could say that Wolfram might have developed a fascination with death through viewing the effect it had the people around him and how death and the ways of meting out death changed his family. And perhaps the first death that truly affected him was that of Julia's. She was his teacher and that death caused Conrart to disappear for who knows how many years as he safeguarded her soul to a new host.
And this brings me to the second thing which creates darkness around a character. It's the secrets that one has and the hint of them that creates a dark character, especially if said character does everything in his power to prevent others from discovering them. Once one learns about these secrets, an emotional and psychological toll is exacted on the character who was hiding and the character who discovered it because s/he must deal with the fall-out such knowledge exacts. Secrets, are usually secrets for a reason. In Wolfram's case, the "secrets" he keeps are more about his true feelings, which can take the same toll on a person. One thing about Wolfram's character is a very strong desire to protect his pride, which often means a lot of "playing the part," acting as if he's not bothered by things. Any of these qualities could be approached from a dark perspective.
Another characteristic which stems from the assassin example above is the ability to be cool and calculating even in the toughest of situations, especially if these situations would cause a normal man or woman to flounder or go into shock. It is the ability to make the tough decisions that causes that horrified reaction in the reader and causes us to fixate, usually with a touch of morbid fascination, upon these characters. It makes us wonder what past that person has which would allow him or her to let a member of their family to be executed for treason or decide that there is no chance of survival for a platoon of soldiers but that the fallout of not trying is worse. What truly makes these decisions so interesting is the apparent lack of empathy. If this empathy is being suppressed to do what one must, the darkness is more subtle and makes us wish we could ease the darkness within. If the empathy is simply lacking, then perhaps that character lacks an ability to see his soldiers as men and are instead pawns and disposable ones at that. In such cases the darkness within repels us. Empathy, and the subtle roles it plays in shaping a character, can speak volumes about one's motivation and shapes the form of darkness that is revealed within.
Political intrigue is especially steeped in darkness because most of the maneuvering is done behind the scenes whether in engineering scandal, bribing, underhanded dealings, secret alliances or double crossings. It is that necessity for brutality and high stakes which can make a character dark, and the more secret and 'evil' these maneuverings are, the darker a character becomes because we need to know just how far this person will sink to find his endgame.
But how would this apply to Wolfram? He is in a situation where political intrigue has surrounded him since birth due to his mother's station. Political unrest is not even confined to those outside his family because Stoffel repeatedly attempts to ingratiate himself with Yuuri and the kingdom in general, even though the people protest his presence due to the war he embroiled them in. Was Celi and her sons exposed to political assassination? Most likely. Adelbert and his vendetta over the death of Julia is motive enough, but I'm sure the humans would have liked nothing better than to hurt Celi as much as possible. With Wolfram being the youngest, he must have been faced with such attempts and perhaps even grew to love out thwarting his teachers and fellow noblemen /adversaries and inviting those assassins to try their best against him. One can definitely make a case for Wolfram needing to prove himself since he was denied an active role in the war by his family.
So, one could build a 'dark case' around the events which guided him through the hard times. Did he challenge himself more so than others? Did such 'rebellions' lead to an irreversible consequence which stained his soul? Such stains could be the first bits of darkness he would need to hide from friends and family and the first bits he would fear others (re: Yuuri) discovering.
Another aspect of dark characters is their hidden desires and emotions. For instance, an act of violence can be a dark characteristic, especially if that violence is uncontrollable and the character is unable to stop himself from that act of abuse. To us, this could be manslaughter, domestic violence, or even self mutilation. That rage of passion which causes us to go beyond the boundaries laid out by functional society and causes a horror within him/herself would create darkness. It is now something they must hide, whether it's the deed itself and the horror they felt or the forbidden satisfaction or joy gained from the act. The more contrary to normalcy the reaction or act is, the more likely it is to breed darkness within a character.
So again, how can this be applied to Wolfram?
Within Wolfram, lies a need to deny Conrart as kin due to Conrart's human blood. But, perhaps, it is merely an excuse he latches on to because he hates the fact that Conrart is able to accept his human and demon blood so freely and has chosen to walk his life as a demon. The wall that is subconsciously built between them forces a separation that Wolfram doesn't like but is unable to bridge. He hates that distance, and rather then being able to deal with the awkwardness that difference creates between them, it is easier for Wolfram to pretend he hates his brother because Wolfram hates his reaction even more and wishes to hide it. Once Yuuri appears, Wolfram learns that it is possible to ignore social differences because Yuuri doesn't see them and therefore treats everyone as equals. He learns that the wall he always felt was between them was a wall of his own making and that it could be eliminated simply by acting normal.
But how can this lead to darkness within a character? Every snub, every need to hurt Conrart because he felt hurt himself by his inability to break the prison he had trapped himself within would accumulate and devour his thoughts. He would learn to carry a self-hatred towards himself and the man which forced him, simply by existing, to have this feeling. So in writing a fic, one can address those many little stains on his soul and Wolfram's gradual change of heart as he accepts them and puts them to rest.
So, what it boils down to (which I discovered the more I wrote of this) is that those stains on one's soul and the shadows we are afraid to look at within ourselves causes one to be dark. A character appears to be dark in fiction because we focus on the mystery and secrecy behind these characters and the gradual revelation of these myriad details. Murata, out of all the characters, is probably the darkest in Kyou Kara Maou -not considering the villians- because we're not entirely sure if he is friend or foe throughout the series. He has hidden motives and the anime portrays hints of those motives very well. Wolfram, on the other hand, appears to be prideful but well meaning. His character is overall lighter and his biggest flaw is his anger over hurt pride, but he knows this flaw and learns from it, usually. As such, we need to delve deeper into his motivation and build up nuance and subtlety and back story.
By delving into the mysteries and hidden, forbidden desires of Wolfram, one can create a dark character. Whether it's an act of violence, rage, or a psychological need that is buried deep within Wolfram's psyche, we can see darkness within him. Wouldn't it be great to see a fic where Wolfram actually struggles with the concept of one day needing Yuuri/marrying him? He may appear to be lighthearted and committed to the engagement, but maybe that is only the surface he presents to us and deep within him lies a fear of marriage or a fear of being with another man. And so he forces himself to embrace the situation both in sleeping next to Yuuri on an nightly basis and also in tagging along on all of Yuuri's adventures. One might say that his need to stick with Yuuri despite his horrible seasickness is actually an act of self-punishment for his fears and doubts.
It would be a difficult fic to write to portray this wolfram and keep him in character, but it is possible although it may not be easily seen how at first. It's a matter of approach and subtlety and building a case for the reader to become drawn into these minor flaws that would make this story plausible (from my point of view).
So what do you think makes up a dark character? How do you see Wolfram coping with these characteristics or situations? I'm curious to see what you have to say.
I am also pimping a new community to promote the steady progressive writing of WIPs whether one-shots, novellas, novels, fanfic or orginal fiction. This community is
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