Fatal Flaw: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''"I am writing a list of tragic character flaws on my dollar bills with a felt pen. I am thinking of the people in my universe and distilling for each of these people the one flaw in their character that will be their downfall--the flaw that will be their undoing. What I write are not sins; I write tragedies."''|'''Tyler Johnson''', ''Shampoo Planet''}}

[[Heroes]] have a '''Fatal Flaw''' which they wrestle with on a consistent basis. This may open them up for specific conflicts later -- whenlater—when a protagonist's fatal flaw is encountered through the course of a plot, the audience's reaction is very tense. [[Aristotle (Creator)|Aristotle]] calls this ''hamartia'', and it is a key part of [[Tragedy]].

If the [[Fatal Flaw]] doesn't play any role in the story, it's an [[Informed Flaw]]. If the flaw isn't quite so fatal, you're likely dealing with [[Mr. Vice Guy]].

== Anime and Manga ==

* Light Yagami of ''[[Death Note (Manga)|Death Note]]'' has his overwhelming pride, which reaches [[A God Am I]] at its worst and blinds him to the point of refusing to even ''contemplate'' his own failure.

* Lelouch of ''[[Code Geass]]'' does things without considering their negative consequences, keeps too many secrets, and doesn't trust people. His counterpart Suzaku has a large lack of self-worth and is [[Wide -Eyed Idealist|too much of an idealist for his own good.]]

* In ''[[Chrono Crusade]]'', Chrono's [[Our Demons Are Different|demonic instincts]] and [[Failure Knight|need to protect others]] (particularly Rosette) sometimes combine to give him a very, very [[Unstoppable Rage|dangerous temper]]. Since Chrono's powers [[Cast Fromfrom Hit Points|drain Rosette's lifespan]] due to [[Deal Withwith the Devil|their contract]], it's dangerous not just to him, but to Rosette herself. {{spoiler|In fact, in the manga this trope is taken literally, when Aion provokes Chrono into unsealing his powers himself and come at him with everything he's got. Several people are killed in the battle, and it drains so much of Rosette's life that the next time she unseals the watch, she dies.}}

* The main characters of ''[[D .Gray Man-man]]'' have this. Allen [[Chronic Hero Syndrome|goes out of his way to save others]], even when it's [[Honor Before Reason|impossible for him to do so]]. Kanda is [[Good Is Not Nice|extremely arrogant and rude to the people he has to work with]]. Lenalee has a raging fear of losing anyone close to her. Krory is a [[Horrible Judge of Character]]. Miranda has next to no self-esteem and is [[The Eeyore|easily depressed]]. And Lavi is torn between his duty as a Bookman and the people he cares about.

* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'': Juudai's stubbornness, being headstrong, irresponsible, impulsive, and impatience are cute and endearing for two and a half seasons. Then all of those combine and (he thinks) gets four to five of his best friends killed.

* From ''[[Durarara!!]]'', Shizuo's severe anger issues and Kida's inability to face [[My Greatest Failure|his guilt head on.]] Not only does this put him in a position where he avoids his girlfriend Saki {{spoiler|they make up at the end of the anime series}} but by not facing this head on, {{spoiler|he repeats his whole guilt trip with his best friend Mikado by dropping out of school and leaving Ikebukuro. And Mikado didn't take this well...}}

* The characters in ''[[Puella Magi Madoka Magica]]'' had their downfall brought by their respective [[Fatal Flaw]]. Sayaka's is [[Pride]], Mami's is Loneliness, Madoka's is Self''less''ness, and Homura's is Ambition. And QB is thwarted thanks to his Lack of Emotion.

** Kyouko however, only died ''after'' she set aside her Selfishness. [[Death Byby Irony]]?

* According to Shura of [[Blue Exorcist (Manga)|Blue Exorcist]], Yukio could be exploited by demons because he keeps his emotions bottled up unlike his more hot-headed brother Rin. Likewise, Rin has trouble controlling his flames because he's afraid of them.

* Future Trunks from ''[[DragonballDragon Ball]] Z'' at first appears to have everything together: is a [[Badass]], has a tragic past, able to beat Freeza and King Cold like it was nothing. But as the arcs progress, his fatal flaw regarding [["Well Done, Son" Guy|his issues with Vegeta]] end up costing him big.

== Fan Fiction Works ==

* In the [[Glee]] fanfic ''[[Hunting the Unicorn (Fanfic)|Hunting the Unicorn]]'', Blaine's [[Wide -Eyed Idealist|Wide-Eyed Idealism]] has gotten him [[True Companions|the Warblers]], [[Official Couple|Kurt,]] an [[Unlucky Childhood Friend|unlucky high school friend,]] [[Parental Neglect|an emotionally estranged father,]] and {{spoiler|''a stalker''}}. Not to mention that {{spoiler|he lost his virginity to a guy who did ''not'' share his belief that [[Sex Equals Love]].}}

== FilmFilms -- Live-Action ==

* ''[[CarlitosCarlito's Way]]'' has a variation of this trope. Carlito's Fatal Flaw is either his determination to keep his "reformed" status, or his ties to his criminal past. If he had gotten rid of one of the two, there might have been a happy ending.

* [[Saw|Jigsaw's]] MO is setting people up in traps (or as he calls them, tests and "games") where someone must overcome their [[Fatal Flaw]] or be destroyed. Seriously.

* [[Full Metal Jacket|Sgt. Hartman's]] inability to deal with issues without using force in ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]''.

* In ''[[Percy Jackson and& Thethe Olympians (Literature)|Percy Jackson and The Olympians]]'', it's explicitly stated that every demigod has a [[Fatal Flaw]] which, if not mastered, will lead to their death. Annabeth's fatal flaw is explicitly stated to be hubris (except Percy thinks she says hummus). Percy's is personal loyalty--heloyalty—he will go out of his way to do anything necessary to save the people he cares about. Thalia's fatal flaw is that she has a weak resistance when she is offered power, to the point she seriously considered letting her friend down to become more powerful than the gods (though her conflicting feelings over this were apparent). It's a good thing Mr.D was able to step in otherwise she probably would have given in. {{spoiler|Nico and Bianca}} have the [[Fatal Flaw]] of holding grudges, which they inherited from their father.

* In ''[[The Dresden Files (Literature)|The Dresden Files]]'', Harry saves people. [[Chronic Hero Syndrome|It's just what he does.]] At one point, someone immediately figures out that he's harboring a fugitive because that's Harry's schtick; people come to him for help, [[We Help the Helpless|he helps them]].

** In the Backup Novella a "[[Femme FatalFatale|client]]" deliberately plays the part of damsel in distress complete with kidnapped child to get Harry's help as part of her plan, Thomas steps in without Harry knowing to save him.

* [[Harry Potter|Voldemort]]'s [[Fatal Flaw]] is [[Pride]]. It's not so much petty, plain-old narcissism and arrogance than it is outright full-blown megalomania. He's the smartest and most powerful wizard in the world and he knows it, so he tends to go out of his way to add a flair of grandeur and grace to his plans while attempting to achieve his objectives in the way he thinks will be more terrifying. For example, he challenges Harry to a duel in the graveyard sheerly for amusement, when the most pragmatic option would be to simply give the ''Avada Kedavra'' right there and then when Harry was tied up and couldn't escape. Thus, he doesn't realise that other people could learn about his Horcruxes, or find them, and he certainly doesn't realise that attempting to kill the boy destined to defeat you may result in that boy being actually able to defeat you. And thus, Harry Potter was given the weapons to destroy Voldemort.

** And then there's Harry himself, whose [[Fatal Flaw]] is his [[Chronic Hero Syndrome|"saving people thing"]]. He's willing to do anything in order to save the people he cares about.

** Sirius's recklessness - basically, his [[Fatal Flaw]] is being a [[Leeroy Jenkins]].

* Heathcliff of ''[[Wuthering Heights (Literaturenovel)|Wuthering Heights]]'' holds on to grudges and he spends his life getting even with people who were mean to him. He uses his own family as pawns and holds Kathy on such a high pedestal that he refuses to see that everything that happened to him was her fault. He is also blind him to the fact that his revenge can never last so when he dies and everything reverts back to normal, it's like nothing happened.

* Ambrosio, titular character of ''[[The Monk (Literature)|The Monk]]'', commits the sin of [[Pride]] long before he starts committing any of his truly deplorable acts. It is his pride that allows him to believe himself holy while he continues to sin.

== Live -Action TV ==

* ''[[Homicide: Life Onon the Street]]'' - Frank Pembleton's self-righteousness and moral absolutism drive everyone away from him, and eventually {{spoiler|force him to turn in Tim Bayliss, the closest thing he has to friend.}}

** Same goes for [[Twenty Four24|Jack Bauer]].

* [[House (TV series)|House]]'s vicodin addiction, irritability, and inability to have a healthy relationship.

* ''[[Babylon Five|Babylon 5]]'' had Dr. Franklin addicted to "stims" for most of one season, and battling his addiction for a second; and Security Chief Garibaldi's alcoholism (which he had successfully battled for most of the show's run) formed a major part of the fifth season's arc.

* ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'': Pretty much every character on the show has a fatal flaw (drug addiction, insecurity, tendency to explode, [[Good Thing You Can Heal|carelessness]].

* ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'': Dean for Sam, Sam for Dean and both of them for John while he was still alive. Ah, the joys of being a [[Thicker Than Water|clingy]], [[Dysfunctional Family|screwed-up family]] filled with [[Martyr Without a Cause|martyrs]].

** Dean's self-loathing. His struggle to hold his broken family together, along with his sluttiness, death-wish, general bone-headedness, and feeling that he's only valuable as a "blunt instrument", all seem to stem from efforts to ''do'' enough that he feels worthwhile.

** Sam's insecurity. His [[Horrible Judge of Character|gullibility]] and [[The Only One|pride]] seem to be born of his overriding desire to believe that bad people can be good--thatgood—that ''he'' can be good.

* In ''[[Scrubs (TV)|Scrubs]]'', the character Dr. Kevin Casey is an example of [[The Ace]] with a hidden [[Fatal Flaw]]. JD, Cox and Turk all despise him for being such an insufferable genius at everything he does. Until they see him suffering because of his obsessive-compulsive disorder, unable to stop washing his hands.

* In the 1998 ''[[Merlin (FilmTV miniseries)|Merlin]]'' series, the titular character's fatal flaw is that he sees only the good in people, rather than their flaws, and thus expects too much of men. The villains also have their own fatal flaws, with Vortigern's being his [[Pride]], and Uther's being [[Lust]].

* Wesley from ''[[Angel (TV)|Angel]]'' has a tendency to commit rash action usually for a good reason. It comes back to haunt him in seasons 3-4.

* In the system called ''House of the Blooded'', the characters are all nobility, seemingly built for high drama and Mary/Marty Sue-ism. Each character has six characteristics, each based off of one of the major families, and there is no rolling involved. You have four points for one characteristic, three for two others, two for two more... and the sixth characteristic gets a ''zero'', meaning you can never use it. A zero in Strength means you are too physically weak to force open a sticky door, for example, thus ensuring that ''all'' characters have an inbuilt [[Fatal Flaw]] that cannot be legally circumvented.

* In ''[[Traveller (Tabletop Game)|Traveller]]'' the [[Fatal Flaw]] of the Vilani was in trying to call a halt to progress for the sake of stability. Which worked so long as they did not find an outside competitor(I.E. Earth) The [[Fatal Flaw]] of the Terrans was more complex. It was in trying to govern the thousands of conquered Vilani worlds without the experience or inclination. The Vilani system was to repressive for the Terrans to use it and the Terran system was only suited for governing a few dozen worlds.

* This trope is present (and ''of course'' taken [[Up to Eleven]]) in ''[[Exalted (Tabletop Game)|Exalted]]'':

* [[White Wolf]] are generally pretty fond of this trope. ''[[Changeling: The Dreaming (Tabletop Game)|Changeling: The Dreaming]]'' and ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade (Tabletop Game)|Vampire: The Masquerade]]'' are particularly good examples as every sub-flavour of supernatural ("Kith" in ''Changeling'', "Clan" in ''Vampire'') has its own supernatural disadvantage.

* The ''[[New World of Darkness (Tabletop Game)|New World of Darkness]]'' also has the option during character creation of giving a character a flaw which could potentially hinder them and - if done right - give extra experience points. Some of the flaws include addictions, Coward, Forgetful, and Behavior Blind.

* The Traitor Primarchs of ''[[Warhammer 40000 (Tabletop Game)|Warhammer 4000040,000]]''. Other examples include the Emperor's [[Honor Before Reason|refusal to believe Magnus' warning of Horus' betrayal just because he was forced to break his vow of not using warpcraft]] or the Eldar's undying pride despite being on the brink of extinction.

* [[Older Than Feudalism]]: Pretty much all ancient Greek tragedies had a main character or characters with a ''hamartia'', which is often translated to English as "fatal flaw." It was part of the basic structure for an Ancient Greek tragedy, according to [[Aristotle (Creator)|Aristotle]]. [[Oedipus Rexthe (Theatre)King|Oedipus]] was headstrong and didn't know when to stop, Creon in ''[[Antigone (Theatre)|Antigone]]'' was proud and was intent on making an example out of Antigone, Antigone was stubbornly committed to her traitorous brother...

** [[Macbeth (Theatre)|Macbeth]] is blinded by power and paranoia and [[Out, Damned Spot!|plagued by guilt]]. He's also very wrathful.

** [[Hamlet (Theatre)|Hamlet]] waited too long, and is [[Alternate Character Interpretation|very likely crazy]]. And yet he is completely [[Genre Savvy]] about this:<br />"So, oft it chances in particular men,<br />That for some vicious mole of nature in them...<br />Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect,<br />Being nature's livery, or fortune's star,<br />Their virtues else ? be they as pure as grace,<br />As infinite as man may undergo ?<br />Shall in the general censure take corruption<br />From that particular fault."

** [[Romeo and Juliet (Theatre)|Romeo and Juliet]] are so obsessed with each other they forget about anything else. Romeo is a bit of a hothead, too.

** [[Othello (Theatre)|Othello]] is too rash, not to mention gullible (to be more precise, he believes the people he shouldn't and doesn't believe the ones he should) and prone to jealousy.

* Shown explicitly in Arthur Miller's play ''[[Death of a Salesman (Theatre)|Death of a Salesman]]''. The main character, Willy Loman, is so entranced with his own dreams and desires, that he denies and ignores anything contrary to his beliefs. Willy's conviction that just being well liked is enough to lead to success eventually leads to his downfall, as he can't understand why his sons, who were popular in high school, can't seem to get successful jobs. After Willy commits suicide, the play ends as a [[Shaggy Dog Story]], with [[Lonely Funeral|nobody attending Willy's funeral]]. One of Willy's sons even [[Lampshade|Lampshades]]s his father's [[Fatal Flaw]].

* In Miller's ''[[A View From the Bridge (Theatre)|A View Fromfrom the Bridge]]'', Eddie Carbone's [[Fatal Flaw]] is his unrealized love for his niece, Catherine.

* ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Theatretheatre)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'': Sweeney Todd's obsession with revenge against Judge Turpin (combined with waiting a little too long the first time he had him in his hands) ends up costing him everything in the end (as well as {{spoiler|his willingness to trust someone he really shouldn't have concerning his wife's fate}}).

* In ''[[Electra (Theatre)|Electra]]'', the title character's unrelenting lust for revenge combined with her nigh incestuous obsession with her brother, Orestes, and her father, Agamemnon, makes for her fatal flaw.

* Though not fatal, [[My Fair Lady|Henry Higgins']] superior attitude causes Elisa to leave him.

* In ''[[Fate/stay Stay Nightnight]]'', {{spoiler|Gilgamesh}} has a titanic ego and tendency to underestimate his opponents.

** Note that in ''Touhou'', a lot of people have the [[Fatal Flaw]] of [[Pride|overconfidence]], but the most vulgar display of it is by Tenshi, ''[[For the Evulz|who destroys the Hakurei shrine just to experience the thrill of being a]] [[Big Bad]]''. She gets what is coming to her.

* In ''[[The Sims Medieval (Video Game)|The Sims Medieval]]'', every Sim in your kingdom has some sort of fatal flaw that directly affects their mood or performance (ex.: Gluttons have to eat more frequently, and require more than one meal to be fully satisfied; [[Casanova Wannabe|Licentious]] Sims get in a bad mood if they don't kiss or [[G-Rated Sex|Woohoo]] with other Sims after a set amount of time). Succeeding in certain quests allows them to drop their fatal flaw and replace it with a Legendary Trait, which can't be selected during character creation.

* Vaarsuvius of ''[[Order of the StickThe (Webcomic)|Order of the Stick]]'' fame has the fatal flaw of Pride in his/her magic power and intellect, which both leaves him/her wide open for the trauma factor of being completely powerless to stop horrible things from happening to his/her friends and loved ones and drives him/her to accept a [[Deal Withwith the Devil]] rather than experience that feeling of helplessness again.

* [[The Nostalgia Critic (Web Video)|The Nostalgia Critic]] is trying to work on his temper and cynicism, but his insecurities about seemingly never being good enough are still getting in the way.

* ''[[Danny Phantom]]'': Danny has two: His [[Start of Darkness|darkness]] which manifests into him constantly abusing his powers which if he isn't careful, would result in a very, very, ''very'' [[Bad Future]]. The other is his emotions which he has a trouble time containing--thecontaining—the latter is often used to his advantage by some of his baddies. Unlike the first example, this is one he has yet to resolve.

* Robin of ''[[Teen Titans (Animationanimation)|Teen Titans]]'' tends to become so devoted to one goal, he neglects other aspects of his life until the issue is resolved. This characteristic has damaged, or even risked losing, many of his friendships and sometimes even proved his undoing.

* While it is undeniably played for laughs most of the time, Omi, from ''[[Xiaolin Showdown (Animation)|Xiaolin Showdown]]'' has a massive superiority complex, constantly talks down to his friends as if they're beneath him, and it has gotten him in trouble more than a few times.

** Also demonstrated with Raimundo. Due to being singled out of a promotion and treated as inferior by Omi, again, Raimundo [[Face Heel Turn|betrayed the team]].

* In ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]],'' Iroh's bizarre [[Fatal Flaw]] is his love of tea. While normally the wisest and more sensible figure in the entire series, he makes some monumental mistakes when around the stuff. Once, when having to hide his identity as a Fire Bender, he used his bending to heat up some cold tea and nearly blew his cover. Earlier than that, when finding a plant whose leaves were either the world's most refreshing tea or pure poison, he ground it up and drank it due to temptation.

* Discord from ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'' loves exploiting these to [[Break the Cutie|break ponies]] [[For the Evulz]], and [[Manipulative Bastard|is very good at it]], but has one himself, namely his own pride and [[Evil Cannot Comprehend Good|inability to truly understand how strong the bond of friendship really is]]. Both of these blind him to the fact the mane cast has reforged their friendship and the Elements of Harmony, the one thing on earth that can possibly defeat him, work again until he gets a [[The Power of Friendship|friendship]] [[Circle of Friendship|powered]] [[Wave Motion Gun]] to the face.

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