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There are many fictional characters in pop culture whose stories have ended poorly. Whether it be through poor writing and development or underserved deaths, there is no denying that these characters deserved much better fates than the ones they were given. Though these characters may be fictional, their ultimate outcomes still have an immense impact on fans. Characters grow on us, and sometimes we can get a little too emotionally attached. When a story comes to a permanent close, we want to find comfort in knowing that our faves will be okay. Although cartoons and anime are gaining more popularity in the mainstream, the medium still is not always taken seriously by some.
The myth is that animation is only targeted towards children when really it is a vast medium with multiple genres and demographics. With this comes more mature writing and characters that do not always get a so-called “happy ending.” Here are three characters in animation that deserved much more than what they initially received.
Lance (Voltron: Legendary Defender)
Voltron: Legendary Defender had received a vast amount of criticism on how the story concluded, so it’s no surprise that some of the characters had poor outcomes. However, Lance was one of the characters that fans were most outraged about — and rightfully so. Easily one of the most likable characters in Voltron, Lance captured many hearts with his humor and charm. He also had a tendency of being a little too into himself, often flaunting his looks and exaggerating his abilities. But there was much more to him than that.
Lance’s Story
It didn’t take long for fans to find out that Lance had very little confidence in himself and his abilities and showed many signs of low self-esteem. He compensated by being loud, eccentric, and constantly at the center. His low self-worth could also explain why Lance was so intimidated by teammates like Keith, who Lance viewed as a rival. Lance’s low, personal view of himself struck a chord with some viewers who could relate to him, and fans couldn’t help but develop a soft spot for the blue paladin.
As the series progresses, fans see a slew of character development. Fans watched as each member of Team Voltron had a special experience that moved them forward– all except for Lance, whose character development seemed to grind to a halt. In earlier seasons, he does experience some growth. He emitted more confidence rather than cockiness, and fans started to see not only Lance’s best self but also his true self. Sadly, as the series progressed, Lance got pushed to the back burner.
When Lance became the red Paladin it was almost as if his progress was reset. Not only did he have to bond with another lion, but he had to learn a new skill (wielding the broadsword) that he ultimately would never become good at. Lance had a strong desire to lead, and that position was given to Keith (who didn’t want it). In fact, it was Lance who got Keith out of the reckless situation he was in when he first started leading Team Voltron. The whole switch felt completely off balance and out of character, which was quite ironic considering the events that followed.
As the series went on, Lance slowly started to lose his goofy demeanor, replacing it with a more serious, even somewhat somber mood. This only got worse after he and Allura began a romantic relationship. Not that there was anything wrong with the pairing per se, but there was no denying that their relationship was poorly executed. The fact the two were getting together at the end of the series was not only strange, but it just simply didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Lance and Allura’s relationship was probably the biggest blow to his character, as harsh as it sounds. Allura didn’t seem to return his affections at first. She had just gotten out of her strange but intense relationship with Lotor, who not only lied to and betrayed her but essentially admitted that he never actually loved her. While Allura was still recovering, Lance decided to shoot his shot, which looked very, very bad on screen. His emotions easily overtook him, backtracking on some of his character development. He acted like the old Lance by not giving any real thought to how others might be feeling. If anything, it felt like he was forcing his feelings on Allura.
Lance and Allura didn’t even get a happy ending. Most of their relationship was full of foreboding uncertainty, which became a literal tragedy at the end of it all. Lance and Allura’s relationship was sadly cut short due to circumstance and war, and at the end of it, Allura sacrificed herself to save the universe. They part with some loving last words and a final kiss, and Allura dies defending the universe. Lance is beyond devastated, as this was not what he had envisioned for the two of them. At the end of the series, Lance decides to go back home to stay and work on the family farm. This decision negates his previous characterization. Lance initially wanted to stand out and become someone who leads, whether he became a pilot or not. It was clear that recent events had shaped him, but not necessarily for the better.
An Un-Happy Ending
While the rest of the group went on to bigger and better things, Lance stayed home with his family and became a simple farmer. He was written to be content, but it just seemed so out of character for Lance because he originally had much bigger dreams than that. Settling down as a farmer after seeing part of the universe at eighteen years old? That’s a little unrealistic, at least for Lance. By the end of the series, Lance is reduced to a literal shadow of everyone else, including Allura (who left him with Altean markings for some reason). There is a difference between growth and doing a complete 180 with a character and their traits, the latter being a prime example of what happened to Lance.
He was used to move the story along without any regard for his own character and his outcome. Characters can grow and change, but not at the cost of their traits and feelings. What would have happened had Lance had a chance to pilot the black lion, or even if he had stayed and perfected his skills as the blue paladin instead of jumping ship to red? At the very least, something could have occurred that would display Lance’s newfound confidence in being a leader, which would have been great for coming out of his shell, gaining more confidence, and ditching that cocky attitude. Maybe his love interest would still be Allura, but something that developed more over time and felt more realistic.
Yes, Lance had flirted with Allura a couple of times, but she never seemed to return any of his advances and even seemed slightly annoyed by some of them. If anything, Allura’s response comes off as unrequited, leaving viewers to give the pairing just a passing glance before moving on. On top of that, there was also very little to no romantic chemistry between the two, which made the relationship seem forced. Perhaps if something had been slowly building up between the two of them for a few seasons it would seem more believable, but that wasn’t the case. Or maybe he would have a completely different love interest that ended on a much happier note.
It would even be okay if Lance never had a love interest and decided to pursue his dreams. Any of those alternate timeliness seem better than what fans originally got in canon. Maybe Lance is content on the farm with his loving family, but one can’t help but think of how different things could have been for the former blue paladin had his character been handled with more care.
Ahsoka Tano (Star Wars)
Ahsoka Tano (( “Star Wars: The Essential Story Arcs Of Ahsoka Tano” 7 June 2021, https://gamerant.com/star-wars-essential-story-arcs-ahsoka-tano/. )). has become one of the most important and relevant characters in the Star Wars universe. But, like most characters in Star Wars, her fate was less than joyful. Ahsoka was introduced in the 2008 CGI animated film, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and would continue to be a main character throughout most of Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series and an important supporting character in the Star Wars Rebels animated series.
Ahsoka’s Story
Ahsoka’s story is a long and difficult one, as most fans know. After being discovered by Jedi Master Plo Koon on her home planet of Shili, Ahsoka was raised in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant for most of her life, training to be a Jedi. Little did she know that she would be far more significant than the other younglings, considering that she eventually became the Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, who later fell to the dark and became Darth Vader.
Ahsoka’s young life was filled with conflict, as she was born only years before the Clone Wars began. War was something that Ahsoka had become accustomed to, starting at the young age of fourteen. Given to Anakin Skywalker (by Jedi Master Yoda) as a Padawan in hopes that Anakin would learn to cut emotional ties, Ahsoka managed to do the exact opposite. Though the two did not initially see eye to eye at first (with Anakin rejecting the idea of having a Padawan), they ended up growing closer the more time they spent together.
Ahsoka spent years of her childhood fighting in a war that technically went against ancient Jedi code and principles, but even after being exposed to such horrors to prove her loyalty time, the Jedi Order was extremely quick to accuse Ahsoka, which made her begin to lose faith in the Jedi. This eventually lead her to go on the run, which made her look even more suspicious. Eventually, she was cleared, but her faith in the Jedi had diminished significantly, and she made the ultimate choice to leave the order for good.
When Star Wars Rebels takes place years later, Ahsoka does not associate herself with the Jedi anymore, even stating that she was no longer one. Eventually, she finds herself in a one-on-one battle with Darth Vader himself, and it was then that she discovered the tragic fate of her old master and friend, Anakin Skywalker. Ahsoka is wracked with both grief and guilt.
A Difficult Journey
Ahsoka has a much longer list of events that transpired over the span of her young life, but her fate was sealed from the very beginning. Like other morally gray characters before her, she decided to take her own path and use her force-sensitive abilities how she saw fit, though she did help many others associated with the Jedi along the way and fought with them to bring down the Galactic Empire. Eventually, she was lead to others such as Ezra and Kanan and Din Djarin and Grogu.
Even though she spent her life helping others and fighting the so-called good fight, it is clear that so many years of war and conflict had taken their toll on Ahsoka. Seen as having a bit of a sharp tongue yet full of childlike wonder in the very beginning, Ahsoka was slowly reduced to a war-scarred shell of a person she once was. She gradually loses her enthusiasm as she ages and nearly loses her spirit completely multiple times. She seems a bit wiser and less impulsive when she makes an appearance in The Mandalorian, but she is seen alone in seclusion, much like Luke Skywalker and Yoda eventually ended up.
Perhaps this is the fate of all remaining Jedi — to simply keep fighting, as Jedi of Ahsoka’s time did not know much else. Ahsoka still deserved much better, and so did many other Padawans of wartime. Had it not been for the strict Jedi code (and the contradictions to it that followed), then perhaps there would have been a different outcome not only for her but for Anakin as well. Had she stayed, maybe she could have prevented Anakin from falling to the dark? Perhaps she, Anakin, and Padme could have had a peaceful life together, helping to raise their kids Luke and Leia on either Naboo or Alderaan. Ahsoka and Anakin would teach other force-sensitive children not necessarily the ways of the Jedi, but The Force itself. Ahsoka’s fate is not completely sealed yet, technically speaking, but it is clear that her life as a Jedi during wartime has permanently damaged a part of her, a part she will not ever be able to get back.
Kyojuro Rengoku (Demon Slayer)
Rengoku is one of those special kinds of characters that do not come around too often. His enthusiastic charisma was truly a breath of fresh air to the series, as things had begun to take a bit of a darker turn before protagonist Tanjiro was introduced to the Hashira. Rengoku, eccentric yet incredibly powerful in a way that can only be described as badass, had instantly captured the hearts of many Demon Slayer fans, which is why his untimely death was so painful and a terrible blow to the fandom. A renowned Demon Slayer known as the Flame Hashira, Rengoku was a master swordsman who used the technique of Flame Breathing.
Rengoku’s Short-Lived, But Powerful Impact On Demon Slayer
Rengoku had a kind and courageous heart, as well as an indomitable will. He never hesitated or backed down from a fight, even as when his death was inevitable. He held a very strong love for his family, even his father, who did not support his decision to be the next Flame Hashira and became increasingly more apathetic towards him. It is heavily implied that Rengoku had gotten his strong heart from his late mother, who was responsible for his strong sense of justice and kind-hearted nature. He continued to pass down her teachings to his younger brother, Senjuro, whom he cared for and loved immensely. Rengoku also passed down his views to Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu, who (like Senjuro) all highly looked up to him, even calling Rengoku “big bro” when he agreed to take them all on as his underlings.
Despite coming off as overly enthusiastic and silly, Rengoku was actually a highly disciplined fighter, which immediately gained the respect of the three boys after witnessing his impressive skills while taking down a demon during the events of Mugen Train. Rengoku was also very kind-hearted, as he quickly accepted the boys’ offer to be their mentor and agreed to train all of them without a second thought. But, unfortunately, none of the boys got that chance. As quickly as Kyojuro Rengoku’s character was introduced, he was quickly taken away.
Rengoku fought nobly, but his fate was sealed at the end of the Mugen Train arc, as he died at the hands of Akaza, a powerful demon from the Upper-Rank Three, after an intense battle between the two that lasted until dawn. Rengoku displayed his courage proudly and kept his word to protect everyone, even until the very end. His final words to Tanjiro were heartfelt, as he encouraged him and the others to keep fighting and that he believes and them and their strength. This was the first time Tanjiro was seen so emotionally distraught since the slaughter of his family, and it’s clear that Rengoku’s death is going to be very relevant to him in the future.
An Unfortunate Loss
Though Rengoku died nobly and his death was essential to the plot of the story, it still seemed a little harsh to end his character like that after only being on the scene for such a short amount of time. It would have been nice to see him training Tanjiro and the others, returning to his own home with Tanjiro to help him further and introduced him to his brother Senjuro. It would have been nice to see more fun shenanigans between the main three and Rengoku, much like during the beginning of Mugen Train. It would have also been nice to see Rengoku thrive and reach his full potential, and maybe even settle the score with Akaza in the future.
It would have even been okay if Rengoku did end up dying a noble death later on in the story, but it didn’t feel quite right for a character of such importance to be killed off so soon and in such a way. It’s also a little unfair to give fans such a lovable character, only for him to succumb to death shortly after. It has been an increasingly problematic issue how much death is used to move the plot along, especially at the expense of characters that fans have grown emotionally attached to. Rengoku was one of those characters who deserved better, and so did his fans.
Our Faves Deserve Better!
It never feels good to see one of our favorite characters get the short end of the stick, especially when character death is involved. Indeed, it is true that death can very well be an essential part of moving the plotline along, but these days it’s done so much that it almost feels more like a cheap easy out more than a trend. Writers must pay attention to their characters, as they heavily influence the story as a whole.
It would be beneficial for writers to handle their characters with better care, especially those that deserve everything good in this world. Where would a story even be without its characters, after all?