: Re: How do you prevent a character from being a creator's pet? I have a character that I really like. They were originally intended to be the main villain for a particular story arc and then

@Sue2132873

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You have 2 "issues" here, if you want to continue on your original story. First, the issue that you have identified: making this character not take over. Second, the (bigger) issue you've only briefly alluded to:

The interesting traits only show up in the "What-If?"

This tells us that the character's "interesting backstory, personality, and worldview" are all in the author's notes, and not in the story. You need to weave them in, either through flashbacks, or breaks in their "what-have-I-done"-induced depression and PTSD: the moments where they manage to forget all the evil they need to atone for, and be themselves again. These can be happy distractions, raising their spirits, or situations where they are too busy to wallow: disasters and emergencies. Either way, their redemption/recovery arc isn't truly over until they can come to terms with what they did, and return to some semblance of their true personality.

Going back to your first issue, not wanting them to overshadow your protagonist: you've picked some interesting characters for comparison there. Now, here's a couple of counter-examples: Piccolo Jr and Prince Vegeta, from Dragon Ball. Both have more interesting backstories, personalities and worldviews than the protagonists. Both are (to differing extents) reformed villains. But, neither "take over" the story.

This is, in part, because we only see aspects of their life, and (for the most part) only as it relates to the protagonist. We rarely see what other hobbies and interests they have outside of their rivalry with Goku. We don't see Vegeta romancing Bulma between world-ending threats. We don't see Piccolo, well, doing anything on his own behalf, except train himself, train Gohan, and meditate in the wilderness (usually for info-dump purposes). When they are on-screen, it is to help tell the Protagonists' story, not their own.

As for your "beating up the outsider" problem: try refactoring it so that violence isn't the heroes' first resort: they are forced into it to make the villain stop, listen and realise. Not a fight to kill or injure, but a fight to restrain or stop them from carrying out an action (overly simplified, "keep them away from the big red button")

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