Asshole main characters

That's a tough question to answer without reading it. I've read and loved books where the MC is an ass (even ones where they don't become a better person, or even go from bad to worse), but I've also wall banged some.

I think it comes down to whether or not I get the feeling the person who wrote the book knows that the MC is an unpleasant or foolish person, and can get that across without breaking pov or intruding themselves into the narrative (assuming it's a first person or limited third narrative) or actively moralizing. Also, it matters whether or not the situation and stakes are something I can get into, and whether or not I care about the consequences this person incurs for their asshattery.

Also, it's often the case that there's something about an unpleasant character that I can still relate to, at least a little, or if there's another character I can root for with less reservation. Characters don't have to be great human beings, or even likeable, to be interesting (or relatable at some level).

What tends to make me wallbang is when the bad, misguided or stupid person experiences no realistic (by my standards) consequences, or if it feels like I'm supposed to relate to or share their values.

-Have consequences for their actions. If MC is insulting someone have that person get angry at them. If MC does something bad at work/school have them get in trouble from the boss/teacher. If the supporting characters let MC get away with being an ass all the time I would probably close the book.
-Make the audience empathise/relate to the MC. Most people have said and done things that could be considered 'asshole-ish' usually this happens when people are stressed, frustrated or insecure. If MC is being an ass because they are stressed about something else I'd be more likely to read on than if MC is jovially abusing strangers on the street.
-On a similar note to the above point: give your MC a weakness.


P.s Some of my favourite characters are assholes like Sherlock, Dr. House & Pre-Ultron Tony Stark

Assholes can be fun! As long as they're interesting and somewhat relatable, I think people can put up with that kind of MC. As others mentioned, their actions will need to have realistic consequences. If I get the sense that the character will never be called out for their behavior or punished in some way, I'm likely going to stop reading. How else will the character grow/change if they never encounter anything that challenges them?

Yeah, I don't have anything new to add. Just wanted to reinforce the interesting part. When I read books with main characters I don't like, I keep reading because either they are interesting or their lives are interesting.

Gone with the wind.

In addition to the good advice others have given, I think part of it is making sure that the character's voice doesn't cross the line into being too unpleasant to read. That's subjective, obviously, and you're not going to be able to please every reader. But being in the character's POV shouldn't be totally unpleasant or annoying.

NoirSuede said:

Say I want to make the MC a bit of an ass at the beginning (to start his character development), personally how would you make sure that the reader isn't annoyed by the MC's assness and leave at the beginning without reading through and seeing the character development

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Coincidentally, I've just finished reading "The Naughtiest Girl in the School" by Enid Blyton (Yes I raid my children's bookshelves and/or the children's section at the library. ), and while it's a children's book, the basic principle is the same and it illustrates some answers to your question.

The MC in this book is a spoiled, overindulged brat who gets sent to a boarding school by her parents after yet another governess resigns due to her shockingly bad behaviour and attitude.

How does Blyton make the reader sympathetic to the MC in spite of her being an insufferable brat? (and I had sympathy for the character right from the very beginning) - I'd say there are a few ways she does this:

1. She portrays the MC's genuine emotions about the prospect of being sent to boarding school and how she feels when she gets there, i.e. fear; not wanting to be away from her parents, her pony or her pets; homesickness when she gets there; loneliness when the other kids don't want to be friends with her because she's rude, won't share her things, etc.

2. It's clear that underneath the bratty exterior, there's a kindhearted, caring little girl trying to get out, just that she's been spoiled and indulged too much so she finds it hard to understand the effect her behaviour has on others, beyond trying to manipulate people to get her own way. But there are also things she does and thinks that shows she does care about other people, even if she doesn't show it much.

3. Her motivations for misbehaving are clear - she thinks if she's really naughty she'll get expelled and sent back to her parents. Why? Because she's afraid to be away from her parents and she's homesick (ties in with point 1, above).

4. Her naughty antics are funny - the kinds of things better behaved children might think of doing, but never dare to. But no real harm is intended. She's not actually trying to hurt people.

5. The other kids and teachers give as good as they get, i.e. people stand up to her. This doesn't instantly make her good, but it highlights her vulnerable side.

Due to the age that this is aimed at, it's rather simplistic compared to books aimed at older children, teens and adults, yet I think that it encapsulates what you need to do to create a character that's a complete arsehole yet one that readers will sympathise with. Just translate the above into your character's situation, only be more subtle about it and make it more complex.

Showing underlying thought process that show a bit of uncertainty/vulnerability is a good way for me to relate to an MC who can be a bit of a jerk. For example, I have an MC who puts up an aloof, tough-guy front to cover for the weakness he feels after being psychologically abused by his parents as a child. As the story unfolds, more of his history seeps through.

As a reader, I'm pretty open to most foibles in MCs. Some, however, I just can't stand. Couldn't finish the first book out of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant because I found the MC to be an unsympathetic, self-pitying whiner—and even knowing his extenuating circumstances can't help me to find even a smidgen of liking for him. And that's a real shame, because I really like the world Donaldson created, and the people (and creatures) he filled it with.

George MacDonald Fraser's 'Flashman' novels? Not a sympathetic character, but he has exciting adventures.

amergina said:

Make the character interesting and relatable, even in his assholeness, and hint that he can grow. Readers will follow an interesting MC, even if they're a jerk.

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Agreed. In QLH, I've read a few queries and excerpts featuring asshole MCs and I've been completely turned off because it felt like the MC's unpleasantness was his or her only obvious attribute. The MC being a violent, racist creep or an angry alcoholic isn't enough to carry the story/query on its own. I need something more than just edginess and shock factor here.

Whereas, when such MC have qualities that make them fascinating and relatable, as amergina said, this works so much better. It's all the difference between your POV character being Jaime Lannister or Gregor Clegane.

I think that's an interesting angle to take. Look at the Wolf of Wall Street, the main character is hardly good natured, but he is charismatic and you look forward to his eventual comeuppance. While I like to fall in love with my characters sometimes it's the intrigue that gets you or the fascination with that person's indecent behaviour. I suppose it depends what kind of asshole you want to create. If they're funny that helps, because most people are drawn to humour, even if it's dark humour. I always like to do that with my villains. If he's an immature prig who is angsty or whiney or whatever, I think that's harder to push, because those kind of characters can just be irritating and lack any emotional depth. But assholes can be a really good thing. Take Lloyd's character in The Stand, if you've read it. He's more of a baddie than a good guy, but he is still a main POV and relatable. You feel sorry for him in a way because he is in the presence of someone much more evil, Randall Flagg. Plus, you see his human side and occasionally he shows bravery, so he comes across quite well sometimes. I think the key is to make your character intriguing in some way. They could be more of an anti-hero, for instance, or have good reason to be an asshole. Maybe everyone else around them is even worse, and that's why they're the way they are. Or maybe they relish being bad and that is quite fun to write. It'd be interesting to see what you come up with.

"Trickster" characters are popular.

Tricksters are, generally, assholes.

Give him a reason to be an asshole. Personally, I'm not the kind of reader that necessarily has to root for the main character, however, that depends on what kind of story the other is trying to tell. If the idea of the story is to get into the characters head, more of to see his psychology and show us the way he thinks (such as a story about a serial killer) than it's not the kind of story where I have to root for the MC, and I don't think the author expects it to be. However, if the desire of the author is for the reader to root for the MC (such as a story with a super hero) than he'd better be someone I can relate to. It really all boils down to the kind of story you're trying to tell.

But, anyway, if you are trying to create a story where the goal is for us to root for the MC, but he's a bit of an asshole, give him a reason to be an asshole. Most assholes aren't assholes out of the blue. Usually it stems from something, maybe he has issues at home, dealt with abuse, sees the ugly of humanity, I dunno, but give him a reason that we can all relate to and see things from his side.

Odile_Blud said:

Give him a reason to be an asshole.

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This.

Character weaknesses should play into the plot. Two reasons: 1) it gives the Opponent more ways to attack the character and 2) gets the Character into deeper doodoo. Often, correcting the weakness allows the Character to enter some sort of final battle (or climactic event) with better odds at winning.

-cb

As long as the character is interesting enough, I don't think being an asshole is a turnoff. A lot of readers love to hate characters. Especially if the asshole MC goes through some sort of transformation through the book that realistically dissolves their assholeishness, I think it's actually intriguing and a breath of fresh air.

I also totally agree with the above: why is the MC an asshole? As long as his personality makes sense to the story and he's not one-dimensional, I think he could be an interesting one to follow.

A few people have already touched on this, but an asshole who is funny will keep the reader around far longer than an asshole who isn't. Or, as Jim Butcher has his (occasionally assholish) protagonist retort after being told that no one likes a smart-ass, "In my experience, everyone likes a smart-ass as long as he's not picking on them."

NoirSuede said:

Say I want to make the MC a bit of an ass at the beginning (to start his character development), personally how would you make sure that the reader isn't annoyed by the MC's assness and leave at the beginning without reading through and seeing the character development

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I've thought a good deal about this because my MC is a reckless brat and my aim was exactly what one person noted in their SYW comments - He made her sympathize with him while also wanting to bang her head into a wall.

I think there are a lot of ways to make it work:

1. Give them redeeming qualities.
2. Make them interesting.
3. Make sure their situation's interesting.
3. Make sure they have sympathetic reasons and let the readers know these.
4. Show another side (at least hints of it or a potential for it).
5. Hold them accountable - don't let the other characters act like it's all fine.
6. Make them relatable in some ways.
7. Make sure you sympathize with them or like them on some level yourself.

Concerning the last one, an example I came across is someone writing a rapist MC, where it was clear the author didn't like this guy and didn't sympathize with him. I think in cases like this, it usually shows and the writer's hand in it then feels too heavy. If you're a person who harshly judges the kind of character you're writing, it's probably best not to make that person your MC. I guess there are some stories in which the purpose is for an unlikeable MC to be taught a lesson, and it works, but overall I think that's going into a risky, inauthentic place. I think an a-hole MC is better written by people who tolerate them well, and maybe have some aspect of that within themselves.


ETA after reading responses: The suggestion to make them funny is another good one. It could fit into the "redeemable quality" one, but it deserves it's own spot because in both fiction and life, it's probably one of the single greatest qualities that make people like certain people they'd otherwise see as jerks.

NoirSuede said:

Thanks for the help guys !

So at the start my MC who never had a friend for the past 10 years has killed his family so that he can finally see the world by himself, and as a result he can't take nonsense lest he gets caught, which combined with his antisocalism
makes him seem like an ass to the other characters.

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Killing his family makes him, er, something beyond an ass.

josephperin said:

Killing his family makes him, er, something beyond an ass.

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Yeah, I agree. You're no longer just talking about someone who acts like an asshole, you're talking about someone who commits evil. Evil > assholery, therefore you're gonna have to dig really deep to make anyone find redeeming qualities in your MC.

Wait, though, what OP said doesn't necessarily make the MC evil. The way I read it, his family was the reason why he hadn't been able to go anywhere or have any friends, and I read it in a much darker and serious tone (as in, like he was being locked up for ten years, or some other sort of abuse). Of course, it could be interpreted way differently, in which case I agree with the above.

That said, it may be harder to make him redeemable, but that doesn't mean it's impossible c:

NoirSuede said:

So at the start my MC who never had a friend for the past 10 years has killed his family

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Just curious - do you mean "killed his abusive parents who kept him a prisoner" or is it more like "killed everyone from his grandparents down to his infant niece so he could inherit the family fortune and travel the world"?