The REAL Battle of the Sexes
Male characters kill all the time in stories, for a myriad of motivations. While Thriller and Horror are obviously the top genres for body count in TV, movies or novels, we may see killings happen in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Drama and Literary Fiction too.
Look, not everyone likes killing in stories and that’s fine. If that’s you, then you may want to skip this article.
But in many genres, life or death stakes mean our characters’ lives are on the line … which means characters may be forced to kill. Male killer characters may be good buys, bad guys or somewhere in-between. They may be protagonists, antagonists, or supporting characters. Survival and revenge are top motives, but also …
- Ideology or belief system
- Power or ambition
- Obsession
- Moral zealotry
- Covering up another crime
- Loyalty or orders
- Jealousy
- Fear of exposure
- Manipulation by others
- Psychosis or delusional beliefs
- Addiction or compulsion
- Thrill-seeking
- Social pressure or group dynamics
- Business or strategic gain
- Mercy
- Territory or dominance
- Prophecy or supernatural belief
- Scientific or experimental motives
- Emotional numbness or sociopathy
- Economic gain / profit
That’s right … here’s a further TWENTY motivations we see male characters enact all the time in movies, TV and novels. These characters may be protagonists, antagonists, antiheroes, or supporting characters.
The Female Of The Species Is Deadlier Than The Male?
Not in movies, TV or novels she’s not … female characters frequently get pushed into just two reasons: survival or revenge. Eeek!
I came across this tweet recently below and it really made me think. They frequently have to be pushed into killing, whereas male characters often don’t – especially if it’s for the greater good in the long run.
Female characters rarely have the same kind of variety in their motivations for killing. The difference between female protagonists and antagonists can be stark as well. Male protagonists frequently get to be ‘morally grey’, whereas female leads have to be righteous AF.
Equally, male antagonists may be culpable and conflicted, whereas female villains are simply evil. YAWN!
Look, there’s obviously a time and a place for righteous female leads. I just want to see more killer female leads who are not the ‘same-old, same-old’ when it comes to Thriller, Horror and other stories in which killing is a plot point.
So, with all this in mind it’s time to stop playing it safe and let women get messy, ruthless, and morally grey … because that’s where the best stories live. Ready? Let’s go!
1) For Protection & Destiny
Female leads often kill just to survive, but that’s usually it. Male characters can go full-on ruthless when survival is on the line. Society tells us men are protectors, so we will frequently see male characters in the ‘guardian’ trope.
In this trope, a male character will protect a child who is important for some reason. In this role, the protector will do literally anything (including bad things) to protect the one they love or ensuring that child fulfils his/her destiny.
FEMALE EXAMPLE: Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgement Day is the literal mother of the resistance against SkyNet. Her son John will defeat the machines, but she is no Virgin Mary. She is not much of a Mom either! Regardless, she will do literally whatever it takes to ensure her child survives so he can save humanity.
MORE: How Does Character Motivation Work? (Your Secret To Writing Great Characters)
2) Slay First, Ask Questions Later
Male characters will frequently find themselves in the midst of shoot-outs or monster attacks or conspiracies or other adverse life events. When this happens, they will shrug and get stuck right in. There will be time to figure it all out later.
In contrast, female characters rarely kill proactively like this … but when they do, it can be morally messy and emotionally gripping.
FEMALE EXAMPLE: Eleven in Stranger Things takes out threats to protect her friends. These threats range from humans to supernatural creatures. Her kills are violent, necessary, and show how far she’s willing to go for the people she cares about.
3) Oops… She Did It Again
Accidental killings make male characters complicated … but female characters rarely get this luxury. Too often, female characters are pigeon-holed into having ‘good’ motivations, even if they got it wrong.
But what if our female character was killing because of her own issues? These issues don’t have to be good either. It is always great to see a female character who has lost all persepective because it’s still SO rare.
FEMALE EXAMPLE: Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) in WandaVision and Doctor Strange 2 kills unintentionally, letting grief, trauma, and unchecked power collide. Accidental deaths make her human, unpredictable, and heartbreakingly real.
MORE: Feel The Power: Top 10 Witches In Books, Movies & TV
4) Blood for Power, Baby
Men kill for ambition, politics, or greed all the time. Women doing the same? Still shocking – and that’s a storytelling goldmine. While female antagonists and antiheroes have been on the rise in the past 10-15 years, this motivation is still rare.
FEMALE EXAMPLE: Gemma Teller (Jax’s mom) in Sons of Anarchy kills to maintain control of the club and protect her family. Her ruthless, strategic choices create tension, drama, and some of the show’s most unforgettable moments. This includes the murder of Jax’s own beloved wife Tara.
5) Morally Grey and Totally Gorgeous
Male characters can be selfish, grey, or downright terrible and still be ‘cool.’ Female characters are too often expected to be righteous or perfect. But what if they were just utter psychopaths??
FEMALE EXAMPLE: Villanelle in Killing Eve kills for fun, just because she feels like it. Unpredictable, selfish, brilliant – and utterly captivating.
MORE: Top 5 Tips For Writing A Compelling Antihero
Last Points
Female characters deserve the same narrative freedom as men. Also, check out the ages and ethnicity and appearance of the female characters in this list … They’re all white and able-bodied!
Whilst there is a variation of ages here, ranging from a child (Eleven) through to a middle-aged woman (Gemma Teller), the adults are all good-looking and sexy.
Villanelle may be bisexual, but the others are straight and none are disabled (though arguably both Sarah Connor and Wanda are suffering from mental health issues).
So let’s have more diversity across the board … not just in the communities female characters hail from, but their motivations. Let them kill, mess up, get ambitious, and cross lines … Because morally messy women make for the best, most unforgettable stories.
Good Luck!
