(no subject)
You know, if anime and fantasy themes in general have taught me anything, it's that having a half of any other species added to human obviously makes you eeeeeeevil. I mean, maybe the half-breeds are used as some more obvious metaphors for being an outsider or humanities xenophobia (much like the X-Men's mutant powers were a metaphor for the changes during puberty), but I think it isn't exactly a subject that has been done in any other capacity other than singular. For example, every half-elf/half-demon/whatever is the only one in the area. It seems to me that it's much more likely that, in a large city situation, that half breeds would congregate if only for protection from the hordes of humanity. If the argument was made that half breeds were just so rare that a large city wouldn't have them, then I think it's stupid to have a main character or supporting character that is one. In a world where they're that rare and still seen as evil, then they would be executed. And if they weren't, it makes the character that is one weaker for it.
I've been thinking about fantasy settings lately (maybe it's all the Zelda and fantasy comics) and this is something that interests me deeply. I personally think half breeds tread a thin line of being interesting additions or cliches. Most writers/artists that include them circumvent this by only including one in the cast, if they do so. I'm thinking that the opposite would also hold true. Basically, if you made half-breeds still a minority, but something that is common enough for a few to exist, then you could get passed the cliche by including a few or solely them for your caste. It just seems to me that halfbreeds of any type, but especially of similar lineages, would gather together when you assume that humanity as a whole is xenophobic in this setting.
Plus, it helps to have a half side because it lets you take outsider perspectives to everything while giving the character a legitimet excuse to be interested without having to explain said interest.
I dunno, it probably comes down to how talented the writer is when you consider how well something as cliche as halfbreeds will do, but I'd like to see them used in different ways.
I've been thinking about fantasy settings lately (maybe it's all the Zelda and fantasy comics) and this is something that interests me deeply. I personally think half breeds tread a thin line of being interesting additions or cliches. Most writers/artists that include them circumvent this by only including one in the cast, if they do so. I'm thinking that the opposite would also hold true. Basically, if you made half-breeds still a minority, but something that is common enough for a few to exist, then you could get passed the cliche by including a few or solely them for your caste. It just seems to me that halfbreeds of any type, but especially of similar lineages, would gather together when you assume that humanity as a whole is xenophobic in this setting.
Plus, it helps to have a half side because it lets you take outsider perspectives to everything while giving the character a legitimet excuse to be interested without having to explain said interest.
I dunno, it probably comes down to how talented the writer is when you consider how well something as cliche as halfbreeds will do, but I'd like to see them used in different ways.