u/Upbeat_Tea_1461

If I read another book where the so-called "most dangerous guards of all time" are defeated by a squabbling teenager with sticks for arms, I'm going to lose my mind. I get why mooks exist. Our resident budget Sauron #567 needs to seem "intimidating" and "badass," but even he isn't invincible, and so he needs vaguely competent guards that will conveniently fall over like dominoes at the slightest touch. Basically, they can't be TOO competent because then our hero would seem touchable and uncool 😞

Like UGHHHH. It's like no matter how great the story or how skilled the author, I cannot escape this trope. It's like cockroaches. You literally cannot escape them. Ever. Is it really THAT HARD to write a guard or mercenary or whatever that isn't a fucking toddler that is distracted by a pebble? LIKE YOU HAD ONE JOB! How is that "believable?"

I don't understand people when they say, "Oh well, it wouldn't be interesting if they put up a fight," because yes. Yes, they would be. There is nothing more uninteresting and frustrating than Cerinellia Perfectino the third and her barely-there sidekicks laying waste to a room full of smooth-brained temu preschoolers and calling herself badass. Like omfg slay queen?

Anyway, There are books that I have read that avoided this issue. To an extent, Misborn scratched that itch for me(to an extent, the bar is low), and I think the Sword of Kaigen avoided this somewhat too. Holy shit, the wind army and that one dude fighting Takashi and Takeru? DUDE. Also, ironically, Naoki Uehashi's Moribito, which is criminally underrated by the way,, did this in a pretty interesting way that actually had genuine weight to the story.

Nothing makes me more excited than fantasy stories where the enemies actually put up a fight. Hell, let the guard beat the hero for a change. That'd be way more interesting. There's a difference between stylized Tarantino-esque situations, where the whole point is for them to be useless in a purposefully exaggerated manner or played for comedy. I could also see it being played for the opposite effect; to highlight how frail morality is or how morally far gone the hero/heroines are or even how paying people minimum wage ultimately does nothing beneficial to society. Other times, there's literally no room in the story for anything else. I get it. But isn't there a difference when the entire point is for them to be oh-so-powerful, and then it turns out they just suck? It just sucks out all the tension if it's not done purposefully.

Arcane used this trope. Avatar: The Last Airbender did it too(although to a lesser extent). Demon Slayer did it. Six of Crows and Star Wars did it egregiously. Throne of Glass did it. Game of Thrones did it. Red Rising did it. Children of Blood and Bone did it. Help.

Anyway, what do you guys think of the trope? OH, and if you were to write the trope, how would you fix it? I've been asking my social circle this a lot, and I've gotten some pretty fun responses. Please, if you have a good book that avoided this trope, do tell. If I have to read another book full of glorified Koopa Troopas, I'm going to just become one myself.

Also, Night Watch and Spear Cuts Through Water do not count. I'm not looking for parody. They're great books, just not what I'm looking for. Really cool subversions though, and I want to know your thoughts! (PLEASE DO NOT TAKE MY RANT SERIOUSLY)

Hey, so I usually watch True Crime on YouTube, but I always get annoyed when our lord and savior, YouTube monetization, prevents people from actually describing what happened.

I get there's a push for ethical storytelling, which is fine, but I can't say I'm a fan of the sanitization of violence or abuse that real people suffered just because certain people might be disturbed. Nothing wrong with those people, it's not their fault, and I have nothing against them; it's just not my cup of tea, and I'm not a fan of the idea that the pursuit of that sort of knowledge is immoral. I'm 100% against the idea of sanitization of any sort of media discussing reality, if that makes sense(just my opinion).

But that's besides the fact. I'm going to move over to other podcast sites, and I thought I'd save time and just ask here. :3

Other things I like: actually good/creative storytellers, weird, disturbing, or psychologically challenging cases(for example, I liked Nick Crowley and KallMeKris's content), and people who go extremely in-depth.

Thanks, luvs.

Hey, so I usually watch True Crime on YouTube, but I always get annoyed when our lord and savior, YouTube monetization, prevents people from actually describing what happened.

I get there's a push for ethical storytelling, which is fine, but I can't say I'm a fan of the sanitization of violence or abuse that real people suffered just because certain people might be disturbed. Nothing wrong with those people, it's not their fault, and I have nothing against them; it's just not my cup of tea, and I'm not a fan of the idea that the pursuit of that sort of knowledge is immoral. I'm 100% against the idea of sanitization of any sort of media discussing reality, if that makes sense(just my opinion).

But that's besides the fact. I'm going to move over to other podcast sites, and I thought I'd save time and just ask here. :3

Other things I like: actually good/creative storytellers, weird, disturbing, or psychologically challenging cases(for example, I liked Nick Crowley and KallMeKris's content), and people who go extremely in-depth.

Thanks, luvs.

Almost every self-defense video I(17M) watch is like "hit 'em in the groin, dude!" or "kick him in the balls!" which, I mean, is great if my attacker is a guy, but I've been in just as many creepy situations with women as I have been with guys.

I mean, as a dude, I get that I have a strength advantage, but that's not always useful, is it? What if she has a knife or is trained? I can't exactly kick her in the groin(at least not unless I have perfect aim, from what I understand). Regardless of the scenario, I always get the correct answer: to run. But I'm not sure what to do if I'm trapped with her. My strategy with a dude has always been to kick him where it hurts and then get the fuck out of there.

There's also the social aspect of it - I'd be hesitant to defend myself against a woman cause I feel like people would get pissed at me or immediately jump to her defense. I've never been to a self-defense class(can't afford it), and I've found nothing online, so I genuinely don't know what to do there.

If everything goes according to plan, I'll be moving out for Uni. I want to be prepared : )

Thanks, luvs