Writing a sympathetic but violent character

To start with I'm not talking about a character like say John Mc Clane from Die Hard or any other typical action hero. More often than not most of these characters are on the defensive and get into conflicts despite their best intentions. Their goal is to save first and kill a couple of baddies to help their goals along.

My character on the other hand is somewhat like Dexter from the TV series of the same name, he's a serial killer who hunts other killers and criminals that have escaped conventional justice. My character is a person with an innate desire to kill or cause harm. They were born that way but were experimented upon until the sight and smell of blood sends them into a frenzy like a shark. A living weapon.

Now much like Dexter, my character (lets call her Jane) encounters a mentor figure to teaches her to rein in her desires and point her violent tendencies towards more acceptable targets. Basically, "hey a drug lord and his goons are holed up in that apartment complex. Why don't you go in and slaughter them all?" Imagine a nymphomaniac but instead of sex they desire violence, combat and the sheer pleasure of the kill.

Jane isn't a broody bore though, she's very Joker like in that she's always smiling and laughing, cracking jokes while smashing skulls which obviously makes her come off as a complete loon and quite intimidating. She talks about her fights like some weird dance or game that only she knows she's playing.

My concern was, how to make such a character sympathetic or at least one that doesn't absolutely disgust the reader and is enjoyable to read about. The fact that she was experimented on and abused both physically and mentally could be a helpful factor or would it come off as try hard?

If nothing else, Jane is quite intelligent and takes acting classes so that she can better interact with regular people and sort of blend in. Like how Dracula is often portrayed as being an upper class and educated gentleman while in fact being a monster. That's another good comparison actually. How do you write, "Dracula saves the world" without losing what makes Drac a monster?

Readers can be very forgiving as long as you show a human side, or if you can explain their motivations.

Dexter was a murderer, yet it was hard not to root for someone that killed criminals that got away; people worse than him. This somewhat distorted noble intentions humanized him.

If your character is just an "animal" that kills. Without any charisma or sensible motivations, he is just going to be another killer that the audience hates.

@Nightlikeday14th

Oh definitely, I do want to humanize Jane. She's not an animal but possesses a wild ferocity to her. One of my goals with the character to have her be very fun to be around if she considers you a friend. She would take you the wildest parties and on potentially risky adventures.

Jane's motivations begin with revenge but ultimately it doesn't bring her any closure or peace. She later takes up the mission of ensuring no one has to suffer like her and there shouldn't be anymore "Janes" in the world which is a noble intention.

She's haunted by horrible nightmares and is willing to go any length to get rid of them. I want the audience to laugh at her antics, be horrified when she goes full murder happy and then feel sorry for her when she crawls up alone in bed and suffers through her nightmares, waking up in a sweat each time. Of course no one except for those closest to her get to see that side.

Charm and Charisma is another thing I want to focus on. She's supposed to be a James Bond like agent so learns to put on a variety of faces for a variety of situations. A lot of the tension comes from the question of how long Jane is able to suppress her urges.

edited 14th Sep '16 10:18:47 AM by SmokingBun

Sounds like you already have an good idea on how to make her sympathetic. The next step is for you to actually write it, provided you haven't already that is.

@Nightlikeday

Thanks for the kind words!

I actually have already written most of the story but basically going through multiple drafts wondering what if anything I should change. As per your comments nothing major is required though I would be willing to re-write some of the dialogue if need be to make her more likable. Or say emphasize her backstory.

edited 14th Sep '16 11:57:45 AM by SmokingBun

Just remember that for many readers, the very concept behind her will be too off-putting for her to be sympathetic no matter what you do, much like your Dexter and Dracula examples, so try to not stress too much on it after a certain point.

Sounds like you can borrow a little bit of the Tragic Villain mindset without a problem—she could definitely think that violence is the only thing she HAS, and at least a little bit of her Boisterous Bruiser mentality would be either a facade or a coping mechanism.

@Eterna Memoria

Oh of course. The worst thing I can expect is for EVERYONE to like my story/characters. I understand that both my protagonist and the story aren't all that mainstream

@Sharysa

That works. Thanks! Initially I wanted to make her turn villain but I was told that the amount of shit she goes through requires some sort of vindication otherwise the reader could feel bad for the villain and start hating whoever ends up the "hero"

edited 4th Oct '16 6:15:04 AM by SmokingBun

On the Dexter examples I remember at the start of the game he digs up evidence and before you do so he monologues something along the lines of, "I steeled myself, afraid of what I would discover, but knew that the horrible truth buried here was the size of the little boys murdered in the church choir." By being repulsed and disturbed by the evil he kills Dexter comes across as super sympathetic.

Another way to make them sympathetic? Make the killing or violence they do their job. Suppose they are an assassin, don't make them grim and brooding: have them talk to the client, make them friendly, sociable, the ways and means someone paying for a contract might want done, maybe discuss the consequences and whether another way might be more appropriate.

@tsstevens

Yeah, as I mentioned Jane has similarities to Dexter and the people she hunts are definitely the worst of humanity. She actively looks for trouble and basically behaves like a human angler fish, baiting those who she suspects of wrongdoing and them chomping down when they reveal themselves to be bad people. Innocents wisely stay away and don't take the bait.

I find your assassin example interesting since one of the characters Jane meets and becomes friends with is someone I call "Pakistani Jason Bourne" since he's a former intelligence agent turned freelance Hitman taking on high value targets like say some corrupt politician. He has a rather free spirited and chooses targets carefully. Jane and P.J.B. interact much like Jules & Vincent from Pulp Fiction, talking about random casual stuff and engaging in banter before getting to the target and literally putting their game faces on.

There is no sitting on a gargoyle and brooding the night away in my story.