Character Motifs?

[Blaze]

SO. I was reading about Persona 4 (because I'll likely never get to play it myself,) and how each Social Link is represented by one of the Major Arcana cards in Tarot decks and that got me thinking.

When creating characters, do you find they conform to some kind of motif, be it numerical, astrological or whatever? Or do you actually create them with such a motif in mind?

[Maiden Miki]

Called me simple minded but my providing an example?

[Miku-chan]

Most my free form characters...( Mia, Mic, Mimi, Moria) all started out as loose concepts, firmed up thru play...Miku, Zatsune, and the other holograms were based in characterizations that have gone beyond what I planned for them, but have been enjoying them for it as well...the only characters I have made following such a motif have been used for games like Legend of the five rings, vampire the masquerade and a silver age hero called jade zeffer, a zodiac character...

[Blaze]

Called me simple minded but my providing an example?

Sure.

A motif is any recurring element that has symbolic meaning. For example, a stubborn character might have a zodiac motif of Taurus. That character would have the traits common to those born under Taurus and might have some physical characteristics like being built like a bull, having horns or even just the Taurus symbol on them to reinforce this motif.

Pretty much anything could be a motif. Numbers, letters, concepts, anything.

[Maiden Miki]

Sure.

A motif is any recurring element that has symbolic meaning. For example, a stubborn character might have a zodiac motif of Taurus. That character would have the traits common to those born under Taurus and might have some physical characteristics like being built like a bull, having horns or even just the Taurus symbol on them to reinforce this motif.

Pretty much anything could be a motif. Numbers, letters, concepts, anything.

I feel lame now. None of my characters have a real motif. Most of them are off shots of Mike due to the various transformations that I liked to keep.

If they did then I would have to say that Maki is based on a wedding motif due to the energy she has within her. Thinking about marriage and doing things that could be seen in a 'bride to be'.

Francesca has a lot of cat-like qualities due to her being a neko.

Don....He is a bag. I haven't explored his thing much to tell the truth.

[Blaze]

Well, you don't really need to create characters with motifs in mind. My characters, completely without my meaning, could have different Tarot cards as their motifs. For example:

Blaze could be represented by The Chariot. She brought together opposites, four people of different beliefs to create a team that works well together, and the Chariot is about bringing together opposites and making them work together to achieve a goal. It can symbolize determination and leadership, traits Blaze has in spades.

Jean could be represented by The Star. It can represent the combining of two natures, (in Jean's case, the physical and spiritual for her powers,) as well as unbridled hope and optimism.

Lucy could be represented by Strength. It symbolized restraining out primal desires, in Lucy's case, her demonic side. It can represent combining strengths to overcome weakness, some thing Lucy has yet to do however.

Okuni could be represented by Justice. A card that represents balance in all things, logic and objectivity. It's not nice, but it is wise and fair, like Okuni.

Logos could be represented by The Hermit. A wise person who has much to teach, but who is isolated from other people for whatever reason.

Alex could be represented by the Wheel of Fortune. Taking things as they come, not being terribly upset when they go. It indicated happiness and luck.

Felix could be represented by The Magician. He is willful and driven, but smarmy and a smooth talker. It also helps that The Magician is usually shown with the four symbols of the Minor Arcana and Felix has swords named after those four suits

Nova could be represented by the Hanged Man. She tends to see things differently to others, especially Blaze and Felix to whom she is technically related to. While they believe that a weapon should be efficient, she woulds a large unwieldy axe. While they believe that a person should be free, she is happy to be a servant to the Hasanos. While others would see her fire abilities as something special, she is overly modest and thinks she's not all that great.

Fimbulvetr could be represented by Death. Death represents endings, which Fimbulvetr brings about. She ends people's time as an organic being when they join Niflheim, she joins planet's to her empire, ending their time as either an opponent to her, or just neutral or unknowing of aliens. Even her ultimate goal is an ending in one way.

Of course, I could just be reading too deep into things. >.>;;

[Maiden Miki]

Well let me give this a try. This is just me thinking though and something I try to play up at times. The Elements

Mike- I try to make him be a bit like the wind. I always play up Mike's fighting style to be like the wind where he just flows. It really helps that he uses Aura since he can predict what his opponent will do next so he can just move out of the way in time. Also Mike is a wander so he just goes wherever he wants similar to the wind. The wind can also be wild and crazy which kind of express Mike's idea of just being free.

Miki- I would have to say that she is like water. She can flow like the wind but at the same time able to take shape. This can be noted with how she is dressed currently as a bunny girl. She was transform into it but instead of trying to change out of it, she just accepted it and took the form. She is also a bit more strict on rules compare to Mike.

Megan- She is like fire, especially since she was an Indigo and Purple girl. While she is timid, Megan is calm like a campfire but when she is forced to fight the girl can become a wildfire. Megan maybe scared at times but she doesn't let that stop her from doing what she has to do. This may explain why I sometimes like to pair up Megan with Mike at times since the wind can help fire spread.

Mia- The girl is plant-life. She doesn't force herself into anything and is just there kind of like plant-life. She is kind and demure and means no harm. Isn't quick to anger and tries to be helpful. Plants themselves don't fight and Mia doesn't either. She just slowly edge herself into a situation similar to how a flower moves towards the sun.

Maya- Light and Dark I think best fit Maya. She is two elements in one because she has two different personalities within her. On one side you have Timid Maya who is mostly pure and innocent. Then you have the more kinky and fun loving Maya. I haven't had the chance to play both sides as much as I want but they do exist and Maya has to live with her other half similar to how people have to deal that there is evil out in the world. She doesn't like the type of attetion she brings but tries to live with in.

Francesca- I think lightning/electricity fits Francesca nicely. I see lightning as a way to help create life. It can strike a plain and start a fire. The remaining ashes help the plant life that comes next and create something new. That what I try to do with Francesca and her vast experimenting. She comes up with an idea and tries to create it. Sometimes it is good and other times it is bad. Kind of how lightning works.

Maki- I think Metal fits Maki a bit. She is strong in her resolve for love and her goals. The girl knows what she wants and won't let anybody stop her. At the same time she can be heated up and fit to however the situation calls for. May it be to cuddle up with her love or defend him.

Don- I try to play Don as the opposite of Mike which when it comes to elements it would be Earth. He is firm in his beliefs and won't move from them. He is very rugged and thinks about making a profit. While Mike tries to go with the flow, Don goes for a set plan and follows it.

Dawn- I have nothing for Dawn....She is an off shoot of Don so it has to be earth based. Maybe magma since it is a form of earth but moveable. She is passionate due to the Green and Blue within her.

[Miku-chan]

Well... In thinking about it, I guess I do use a motif behind most my characters as well and it seems to be music based...

Miku...even though she is actually a synthetic life form, her music base is modern pop. Experimental, fuzzy happy and bright, but subtle undertones of questing for something more to grow with.

Zatsune...More dark grunge flavored pop. Slightly twists in direction to unexpected thoughts but more focused on the here and when not the where and how.

Luka...soulful and flirty jazz type personality

Meiko...traditional rocker type...pat bennetar, Joan Jett, Alana miles. Soulful, edgy and passionate.

Rin...more bubblegum type music try's to find her place 

Len/Lynn...soulful slow ballad type personality

Delphi...fusion type jazz. Energetic, curious, informative...

Del...garage/tribute type Music. Good times and playful

Echi...old style standards...consistent, mellow, relaxed

Mic...showtunes basis...always there to help things along.

Mia... Brassy jazz, quick, hot , loud

Moria...Celtic rock. Was listening to Winter in Eden when her character fell into place, full of passion ...

Neru...jrock. Edgy, willful, proud

These are the ones I tend to work with the most

[Raleigh]

Oh ho, I do like this idea. I do love a break down and analysis of characters and their themes/motifs. As something of a writer I think its one of the key aspects of understanding and even liking a character. They are admittedly tied to the collective subconscious and symbols that humans use which makes it even more of fun for me due to my anthropological habits and tendency to study popular subculture.

My motif, for Raleigh, is a bit hard to notice at first since he has somewhat mutated in a few ways over the... I guess 17 years or so I've been using him. Really? 17? Well I did make him when I was 12-13 so... Bah, sorry getting off course.

The motif for him currently, and perhaps even all along though unknown on my own part at the time, is life. Admittedly its my interpretation of life but it is there. Since my idea is that life is conflict, paradox, learning, knowing, at times scripted (fate/destiny), and several other words and ideologies that I could probably write at least a philosophy paper on I'll cut off there.

To start the character though had the motif of being an example for a friend of mine. I was having an argument with him about the concept of higher powers and the like and he maintained that there was no room for such things and asked me to elaborate an example. I on the other hand felt that if you read enough books you will notice there is always that wily old man or the child who seems to have the preternatural info that the heroes need or is supposedly advising the villains but leads them in the wrong direction. I maintained that one could make a case for that being an agency of or even a kind of higher power that meddles in affairs. Naturally, as a person who has spent years creating, recreating, altering, and adapting various characters and stories I took this as a challenge to create a short story that would hold up the concept. Also this lead to a bit of an argument and him not reading it since it went on for about five pages in explanation and break down of the concept along with examples there of.

Hm.. I'm just getting started and I did a wall of text... bah... I'll leave off there. Suffice it to say the motif is life as itself ultimately. That desire to survive at all costs and never lose. Keep in mind that doesn't mean the motif is about winning but merely making sure the other guy doesn't win. The paradox that lies in the character is rather apparent in several levels such as the level of power he has and how much he talks about it which is usually not something you encounter. Most beings of any real power hold their tongues but he blathers on. That is part of the charm of the character, I think, when you realize its part of the show. Is he really that powerful or full of crap? Which action do you take in response? The fact that he sows order, chaos, good and evil in his wake is also part of the paradox of the character because most assume you have to side with one or the other while he, much like life, tends to be all and none of them.


I'm sure you will notice there are several other motifs in the character such as animals, spiritual harmony with the environment (if you pay closer attention anyway), magic itself, neutrality, and so on. The greatest motif that is readily apparent to all is dragons (given that the character's proper interactive name and title is simply Dragon). Other obvious themes one might notice are wolves and the hunt theme are also present. There is also, though its a more recent addition but one of my favorites, the sense of paternal influence and philosophy.

[AmbushCat]

I've never really given this much thought, but...

Back when I first created Teasy Melika and his family (circa 1989-90 or so), I didn't have any theme in mind for them; I just liked cats. After playing Sonic the Hedgehog for the first time and watching too many cartoons (The Adventures of T-Rex, amongst others), I decided to turn them into superheroes. Even then, it wasn't until I started writing fanfiction in the late 90s that they gained distinctive traits to make themselves stand out. Teasy's brother Chico, for instance, was the family's musician and could be identified by his use of sound waves in his attacks.

My main character at Muffinville, Ambush Cat, is 100%... well, feline. To be more specific, I consider him the manifestation of a cat's playful and sometimes manic nature; pouncing on people from out of nowhere (quite literally, as my family once had a cat that could pull this off regularly) is his means of entertaining himself.

Most of my characters are a mix of different things, so nothing else really stands out to me.

--EDIT: 11/25/2011, 10:00p.m. CST--

Actually, my character Maria Kathleen does have an 'ocean' theme about her (now that I remember, she started life in Muffinville as a kraken). Adores the sea and all the life in it, reveres Poseidon as a deity and acknowledges the Sub-Mariner as her superior, hair resembles a mass of tentacles, and all that sort of stuff.