Imagine an overpowered ability and apply it to your favorite character. Their trails, now effortless, are meaningless. Sure as hell makes them boring, doesn’t it? Setting limitations on a characters’ fictional power/ability creates cohesion and relatability in order to keep them engaging.
With the variety of Stands present within JJBA, boundaries need to be set. All Stands have rules similar to a Magic System, instructing readers “how the magic of the world of the story works and in any rules that govern it.”
Rules that apply to (most) Stands
Rules for eccentric abilities like Stands allows for high stakes in battles. Their risk-reward effect keeps combat tense and readers on the edge. Consistently keeping readers in suspense, while sticking to the governing rules, makes a character and their ordeal engaging. Despite their variance, Stands fall under a Rational Magic System, “where every spell is guided by the same metaphysical laws.” Along with the rules, Stands have their own parameters; some have incredible strength but low speed while others have a high range but weak defenses.
Stand Wheel giving an idea of a Stand’s strengths and weaknesses
These rules communicate how a particular stand will fare in their environment. Prosciutto’s Stand, The Grateful Dead (TGD), is frail but has a long range and the ability to rapidly age. Placing TGD into an open field isn’t going to make for an interesting scenario, but placing it into an enclosed area, a train filled with multiple people, will.
Prosciutto and his Stand, The Grateful Dead, aboard a congested train
Playing into an abilities’s strengths hooks the reader on it’s astounding power. Leaving it’s deficiencies open keeps the situation unpredictable, further boosting engagement. The implications of a character using their ability, fully aware of its power and risks, speaks volumes for characterization. Prosciutto unleashing TGD a congested area shines light on his apathetic attitude and lengths he is willing to strive.
Most Stand Users aren’t as unrelatable as Prosciutto. A consistent theme within JJBA is that anyone could be a Stand User, even animals.
Iggy and his Stand, The Fool. Yes, even dogs can be Stand Users
Characters are often placed into moments of failure and can be used to create relatability. The reader “gets the opportunity to see how [characters] respond” to failure and “can admire their resilience or empathize.” Seeing how a character is realistically able to recover forms relatability. If the reader were in the same situation, they’d endeavor as well, allowing readers to be further hooked in a character’s recoverable plight. A characters use of their Stand also reveals faucets of characterization. How a “protagonist fights…tells the reader a great deal about them…they get to investigate your characters by seeing how they deal with violent situations.” Following the basis of show, don’t tell, a character’s utilization of their ability reveals characterization and can further create relatability. Take Josuke and Crazy Diamond, a powerful and fast close-ranged Stand with the ability to fix objects, and their encounter with Highway Star, a fast Stand that tracks people and sucks life force on contact.
Josuke escaping Highway Star by bike
Escaping from it on bike, Josuke comes to a crossing where a woman is pushing her baby stroller. Unable to swerve or slow down, Josuke utilizes his Stand to break apart the bike, flying over the woman and her baby, and fixing it before landing on the ground again.
Josuke flying over the baby carriage
Not only is the reader treated to a spectacle, but aspects of Josuke’s personality, his quick-thinking and consideration, are shown. The reader is able to engage further with Josuke’s conflict and relate to him through his empathy.
Overall, Stand abilities allows characters to be engaging by following cohesive parameters and reflecting characterization.
Sources
Blair, Robbie. “8 Ways to Make Your Characters More Relatable.” LitReactor. 22 Dec. 2014. https://litreactor.com/columns/8-ways-to-make-your-characters-more-relatable. Accessed 12 October 2019.
Miles, Aaron. “Creating A Magic System.” Fantasy-Faction. 25 June 2018. http://fantasy-faction.com/2018/creating-a-magic-system. Accessed 14 October 2019.
Sambuchino, Chuck. “5 Essential Tips for Writing Killer Fight Scenes.” Writer’s Digest. 27 July 2014.https://www.writersdigest.com/guest-columns/5-essential-tips-for-writing-killer-fight-scenes. Accessed 12 October 2019.
Winkle, Chris. “How to Create a Rational Magic System.” Mythcreants. 19 June 2015. https://mythcreants.com/blog/how-to-create-a-rational-magic-system/. Accessed 13 October 2019.
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