Now, this is different from a character fighting their evil twin or a clone. In that scenario, the combatants are identical in most, if not every, way. A mirror match differs in that they characters are opposites in some fashion. Could be appearance, but usually includes powers and behavior as well. So, how does this work in fiction?
This tends to be found primarily in fantasy and science-fiction, but it can pop up in other genres. The concept revolves around the character facing their dark side. It touches on the idea of a person facing their inner demons, but giving them a more corporeal form. I find this to be rather blunt and on the nose, which works out for some readers. After all, you can get overwhelmed by the general concept and miss the meaning. Not that you have to make is so obvious.
I’ve found that this is done in one of two ways:
The mirror character is created somehow over the course of the story and turns into a challenge for the original. It can either be the main villain or a short-term enemy designed to make them face some weaknesses. This mirror character can be lacking in personality and urgency since they are used almost entirely as a plot device instead of a three dimensional entity.
An individual character appears or is around from the beginning. They just happen to be the opposite of the hero in powers and personality. I see this a lot in comics as far as personality goes. Makes for a great archenemy. They can be seen as their own person as well since they weren’t ‘born’ from the hero. You can add more nuance to their behavior as well without losing the general connections.
One thing I’ve noticed is that the mirror match doesn’t always go with different powers and abilities. I know I said this is an aspect, but you can run into an issue. For example, if the hero is super strong and durable, you can’t have a villain who is super weak and fragile. I mean, you kind of get that in ‘Unbreakable’ where Bruce Willis is indestructible and Samuel L. Jackson is easily hurt. Still, this is a rare situation since most authors try to avoid such wide power gaps. People go more for secondary powers or personalities, which still gets the job done.
In fact, I would say that the characters having opposite personalities is more important than the powers. This is where the mirror match has its strengths. You can see how a person with the same abilities, skills, and powers would operate if they had the opposite personality. For the characters themselves, the hero can get a glimpse of how they would be if they fall from grace. The villain can actually develop a sense of jealousy since they are mostly the same, but the hero is beloved. It creates so much emotional and psychological turmoil that you can have a lot of fun with the concept.
For myself, I kind of did this in War of Nytefall: Savagery where Alastyre and Clyde faced off. Both are incredibly powerful and violent, but Alastyre is more of an open monster than Clyde. This was done primarily to create a big challenge for our heroes, but it also showed what Clyde could become if he lost all of his humanity. This didn’t always come off as clear during the story, which is my own fault. I tried to leave it up to the reader to notice. I’m going to have a similar situation with Sin when I get to his series, so I plan on making the emotional side of things more overt.
So, what do people think of this mirror match concept?
Today, the temps are around the negatives and single digits due to the wind. Tomorrow is supposed to be a blizzard, which will leave 8-15 inches. It’s been a long time since a winter storm hit us that hard, so people are getting jumpy. Honestly, I don’t think Long Island is very good at dealing with snow. The roads here are narrow because of all the cars parked on the side. Many of those won’t be moved, so things will be messy for a few days. There might even be a snow day on Monday. Won’t be able to go out for anything other than shoveling, which sucks because it means no Pokemon and I’ll be aching when I take a break to write.
Speaking of writing, I only got a paragraph done this week even though mid-terms meant half-days for my students. I wasn’t able to go home early and I can’t access my books when at work. It was all field trips too, so I was exhausted by the time I got home. I tried to write some of Darwin & the Joy Path on Wednesday, but I kept dozing off in my chair. Ironic considering I would go on to have a massive panic attack that night, which wrecked me for Thursday. My hope is to finish chapter 14 this weekend, which leaves me with three chapters left.
I’m a little torn on the progress in this adventure. I don’t know if it’s a good idea for the latest challenge to go right into the final one. There really isn’t anything I can put between them without it feeling like a stalling tactic. So, I guess this will work, but it creates a 3 chapter ‘rush’ of action with small downtimes. Can’t be certain if I’m simply having imposter syndrome doubts or this is a real problem. Some of my notes also mention a gem that wasn’t supposed to reveal something that’s already been revealed, so I have to repurpose that item. Probably won’t get to that issue until mid-February when I definitely get more time to write.
In non-author news, my son had his mid-terms this week and had to figure out his schedule for senior year. Both have been wild. He worked really hard and we know he passed 2 of the 3. One was barely, but it was his weakest subject and our goal is simply to pass. As I said, he studied really hard, especially for that one, over the MLK Day weekend, so nobody can say he didn’t give it his all. It meant limited video games, which was a small argument, but a snow day tomorrow might make up for lost time there.
The only thing I’ve really had the time for this week is to collapse on my bed and slowly make my way through episodes of ‘Fallout’. I got on the bike at one point, but that exertion resulted in me doing the same at a later time. That seems to be how the winter typically goes for me. The cold is draining even when I’m not running around. The house is staying as warm as it can, but the wind and plunging temps are giving the heating system a run for its money. Today and tomorrow are really taxing, which is why writing will be going slow. Hard to type when I getting drowsy from a combo of cool temps and mainlining hot chocolate.
I’m going to try to use some of the weekend to finish up the March blog posts. I have a few ideas for the April Sunday ones, but I think I might just repost stuff from long ago. Most of my readers haven’t seen those or it’s been a while. Sounds really lazy though, so I’ll see if I stick with that plan. Simply running out of writing-based subjects. The animal stuff is going to stay on Sundays and I’m going to try to limit the ‘weird holiday’ posts. Trying to gather more future ideas from what I’m watching, but ‘Fallout’ isn’t giving me anything I didn’t touch on when I was promoting Crossing Bedlam. Seems I’m touching a lot more on character types and actions than other aspects of writing. Wish I knew of other fun topics.
Next week is in the air because of the weather. I’m sure it will be more of the same, but with having to drive around large piles of snow. Have a few appointments and meetings as well, so I probably won’t get back to my book unless I get lucky. Yeah, I think Wednesday is the only time I have a fighting chance and it’s slim. Oh well, that’s how things go some weeks. It’s all about my son, so I’m fine with it. Not other people creating appointments and situations on my time without talking to me first. That’s a fairly common issue in my life.
So, what are my goals this time?
Shovel and deal with snow tomorrow.
Write chapter 14 of Darwin & the Joy Path.
Finish March blog posts.
Sleep more.
Drive carefully.
Lego time if possible.
At least look at ‘Phi Beta Files’ even if I can’t tinker with it.
Having a protagonist being a reincarnation of a previous character or reborn as a powerful being can make a fun story. You open up a lot of possibilities. So, what are some tips to this kind of story?
Reincarnation is a plot device that either gets the story rolling or is the goal for getting a character back. It needs to be combined with something else such as a reason for the protagonist to act. For example, Rimuru Tempest above is a human reincarnated as a slime with powers. That is the opening, but the story is about how he creates a kingdom for monsters that lives in peace with the surrounding kingdoms.
The concept of reincarnation doesn’t always mean a human will turn into another humanoid species. At least the real version of reincarnation. In fiction, it’s usually a person being reborn with the knowledge they had a past life. If you wanted to use the real version then you have to consider their deeds prior to death. A bad person will turn into something ‘less than they prior form’. A person who has done good deeds will get a ‘better form’.
Reincarnation of a previously established or world-known hero requires there be some similarities. The new character can look like them or have similar abilities, but they need to stand on their own. This could mean a different personality or change up their abilities. Considering their past life’s deeds can help here because they can even be reincarnated with a downgrade in abilities, which can account for their changes in personality and tactics.
Be careful having too many people identifying this character as a reincarnation. This is really only important if they are a deceased hero reborn since those reincarnated from obscure lives to greatness wouldn’t have this issue. Anyway, having everyone recognize the new hero as a reincarnation of the old takes away from their identity. Unless part of the story is them wrestling with having no reputation beyond what their previous life was, you want other characters to rarely notice they are reincarnations.
Don’t mix up reincarnation and resurrection. The latter is when a person is brought back from the dead as themselves. The former is when they are brought back as a new person.
If the character is reincarnated into another world (Isekai) then you should remember some culture shock. Even if they are considered the rebirth of a local hero, the character’s mind will be that of the one from the other world. So, they might have great powers and abilities, but they will not understand the rules of their new home right away. This allows you to use the protagonist to get information to the audience as well since both will be learning about the world.
Reincarnation in a world doesn’t have to be for only one person. Yes, the protagonist is reincarnated, which is a big part of the story. If it happened to them then it can happen to others. So, you can use this plot device again to introduce new allies, villains, and other beings to increase the impact of reincarnation. You do have to be careful to overuse it like every plot device.
The anime above is what made me think of this topic. Specifically, a scene where the main character (guy) starts accidentally absorbing knowledge. Not going to get into the plot, but he gains the ability to rapidly grow in powers, knowledge, etc. In the comical scene, he is in a library and the voice in his head keeps announcing different spells he is mastering simply by touching books. He is kind of freaked out, which made me think of other ways characters have rapidly gained knowledge.
Touch– All they do is make contact with a person, creature, or source of information. Then everything is absorbed. Sometimes, the physical object/person is taken along with the information. It doesn’t always result in mastery, but I’m seeing sudden expertise be the norm in certain genres.
Ingestion– This one is pretty self-explanatory and I think it’s mostly found in fantasy Isekai. Basically, a person arrives in another world and ends up eating monsters to gain their abilities. It can end up being people too if the person such as in ‘Time I Was Reincarnated as a Slime’. Either way, they devour the target and gain both knowledge and abilities.
Sight– I’ve seen this one with a lot of written knowledge, but also with spells and fighting styles. The character merely has to see these things once and they have completely mastery over it. With the knowledge, this could be seen as eidetic memory, which is fine. Spells and combat are tougher because it bypasses the necessity to train for such things. Clearly, it’s a cheat.
Matrix Download– Just like with Neo, a character has everything they need downloaded into their brain. The thing with the Matrix is that there seemed to be limits such as it being skills or simply knowing the martial arts form doesn’t mean you will win. Yet, many people create a download system where it comes with god-like mastery and no weak points.
Telepath– Self-explanatory in that one steals the knowledge and skills right out of a target’s brain.
I’m sure there are more, but these feel like the main ones. In general, I’m not a big fan of how these trick is used. People make it run too smoothly with no downsides. I would like it better if new skills were gained at the sacrifice of others or they had to be crafted with what you get. Otherwise, the character becomes too powerful and you start to wonder how they will ever lose. Not to mention the issue of having multiple ways to solve a problem, so how would they choose in a pinch? There’s never any doubt in these characters when they come up with a solution, so they reach a level of ‘perfection’.
Maybe I’m being nitpicky though. Anybody know of a way to make this power work without it going too far? Can you do it without mentioning Rogue, Taskmaster, and other comic book characters? 😀
Hair– Blue Eyes– Green Race– Human gypsy Hometown– None due to gypsy clans being nomadic Career– Gypsy/Thief/Party Thrower Weapon(s) of Choice– Magic and Daggers Debut Book– Legends of Windemere: Allure of the Gypsies
When we first meet Sari, she is escaping the massacre of her clan and her life gets more difficult after that. Captured by Queen Trinity, made a servant of Kalam the vampire, and pushed to her mental limits, the young gypsy has suffered a lot by the time she unites with Nyx and Luke. With the appearance of Sari, the champion prophecy is revealed and she is given a chance at a new family. This makes her very similar to Nyx in how she acts towards her companions, but she keeps herself a little more distant out of fear of being abandoned again.
Sari is a hero with more tricks up her sleeves than she can remember. Her thief skills range from pick pocketing, burglary, crafting disguises, working with traps, and flirty manipulation. In combat, she is deadly with her knives and has nearly one hundred of them hidden in the layers of her enchanted skirts. Sari becomes an even bigger handful for an enemy when you include her mother’s boots that allow for slow falling, illusion and emotion-based magic, a cunning mind, and a family ability to make her body immovable even if an ogre tried to lift her. To neutralize this champion, one would need multiple layers of defenses and enough knowledge to plan for everything she can do.
Even so, Sari is fragile because of the death of her clan, which she doubts she will ever get entirely over. This causes trouble in most of her relationships because she tends to focus more on making other people happy. Creating smiles and making others feel loved helps to ease her own pain, but it also leaves her open to more anguish. Much like Luke’s bloated sense of responsibility, this can prove to be Sari’s biggest weakness.
While Rogue of the X-Men wasn’t the character who triggered this idea, I think she’s a good example. Although, she steals from other people while I’m thinking of characters who simply learn at a superhuman speed. I’ll go into specific styles on Wednesday, but I wanted to discuss the general idea today. So, what exactly do I mean?
I’m thinking of characters who find a way to learn new skills or gain knowledge without years of practice. They absorb the abilities in some fashion either temporarily or forever depending on the story. I’m not talking about powers here. This is specifically about knowledge-based skills and information such as lockpicking, chemistry, writing, etc. It can be born from a superpower that allows absorption of so many skills and knowledge, but that’s really it. Seems rather simplistic, but it can give a character so many advantages as they progress. After all, knowledge is power.
Typically, I find this ability in the genre currently called Isekai. This is the Japanese name where the protagonist(s) are transported from one world to another. They tend to gain some powers or even a new form when they are carried over. Many also gain the ability to learn at an accelerated or automatic pace. It isn’t always made clear, but you end up with protagonists that can swiftly break the laws of the new world to become incredibly powerful. This usually stems from them gaining knowledge at either a fast pace or it’s something nobody else knows.
An alternative is they arrive with knowledge from our world, which they use to gain an advantage. I find this one odd, especially when you have young heroes who seem to know high level tech. For example, a high schooler is brought to a fantasy world and suddenly knows how to craft themselves a gun from scratch. It could be possible for a 15-year-old to be able to do this, but they usually don’t have any experience. Stories go ‘they read about guns’ or ‘used guns’, which makes the audience go along with it. Instead, it seems more likely that they absorbed some related knowledge and skills as they jumped over.
This ability comes with a downside too. A character can become too powerful because they know everything. This means they can mess with the overall system and get out of every problem. A villain without this power wouldn’t be able to predict everything they know, so their traps will usually fail. This is a common part of late-stage Isekai where the hero is never really in danger even when caught by surprise. So, this internal library of knowledge and skills makes the hero unstoppable. Even if they are physically weak, they can think and craft a way out of it. I mean, look at how Batman is treated on the Internet as the Unstoppable God of Prep Time thanks to him always knowing exactly what he needs to win.
Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of this power when it’s a permanent thing. I don’t mind a character borrowing skills and knowledge. This can help them develop the basics and learn them for good through effort. The other way makes things too easy and creates a temptation to have them learn everything. I do understand if the story is moving quickly and you don’t want to waste time on education scenes or time passing. It works solely as a plot device, I guess. Still, I prefer to have such things gained slowly and spread throughout a group instead of one person knowing it all.
What do other people think about characters who can simply absorb and use knowledge and skills?
Legends of Windemere 