Characters with scars; cool or clumsy?

[Spirit]

So, I've been noticing a lot of scars on a lot of characters recently, I know scars on a weathered warrior are supposed to look cool and show experience in a 'learn from your mistakes' kind of way... but bloody hell, some of these guys have a lot of experience.

So, scars on characters, is it cool or do too many make them look clumsy and tacky?

 

[Stormageden747]

I say a few visible scars, 1 - 6, makes them look tough. 7 or more scars are way too many. It makes the character look over designed and clusmly.

 

[DeletedUser9]

I'm not in the habit of giving big overarching labels of "good or bad" to stuff like this. All character design details, all archetypes, all story concepts, etc., all of these things work when approached with a (skilled) eye at making things work. Even totally stereotypical characters, or characters from archetypes that are basically loathed (like mary-sues) are beloved when handled right.

If a scarred character seems over the top, perhaps it wasn't the right detail for that character, seems off-kilter from other elements of the character or story, or maybe the story isn't over-the-top enough, or address the scar thing in the proper way.

In general I like wounded badasses, so I like scarred characters a little more than some other archetypes maybe, but I've seen bad ones and good ones. I don't think a physical feature is a good example of something that can make or break a character though.

 

[Turo602]

@Spirit do you mind giving examples of these scarred characters? Maybe I'm not thinking hard enough, but I can't recall many video game characters with scars. The only one that comes to mind is Marcus Fenix and it's not really overdone or anything. Given the plot and kind of game Gears of War is, I think it's rather fitting and helps accentuate the fact that he's been through war.

 

[YIGAhim]

I don't care at all about scars. SOmetimes they are cool, and sometimes they are dumb

 

[DeletedUser9]

The only one that comes to mind is Marcus Fenix and it's not really overdone or anything. Given the plot and kind of game Gears of War is, I think it's rather fitting and helps accentuate the fact that he's been through war.

I'm not that familiar with Gears, but a combat veteran like I believe Fenix is... would have to have a lot of scares or he'd look unrealistic. Baby-faced "super-soldiers" are dumb.

 

[Castle]

Only if it's integral to character development. If the scar is just there to make the guy look like some edgy emo mope then I gag (Metal Gear). Sometimes it makes sense even if the character design doesn't really dwell on it much (Marcus Fenix).

The Witcher Geralt is a good example of scars being used to develop a character. Geralt's profession is a perilous one and he's been doing it for a looong time. He's an old man, and even his natural tissue regenerative abilities haven't been able to fully heal them. Geralt's back and limbs are absolutely riddled with extensive scar tissue and this is especially apparent any time he has his shirt off. In addition to making him look grizzled and rugged, the scars underscore the sad story of a man who's been screwed over by fate since the day he was born, repeatedly beaten by cruel monsters and men and absolutely bored down on by a hard life he has spent in service to the defense of others. They're reminders of his personal sacrifice and the history of pain and suffering he's endured. It makes him relatable.

Of less meaningful use is his adopted daughter Ciri's scar. It's a prominent scar across her eye. In use, it's a cheap way of comparing her personal struggles to Geralt. There's even a scene where they compare scars. It's supposed to be a sort of father/daughter bonding moment, but Ciri's scar just seems undeserved. Even though the scar is obvious from the moment we're first introduced to Ciri, the existence of the scar isn't explained until this scene late in the game and it's an event that happened off screen prior to the events of the game and has nothing to do with anything. Audiences have no context or relation to it at all. Furthermore, the scar inexplicably disappears as the game progresses until Ciri explains in this same scene that she's been using a healing poultice to make it go away. Which it eventually does, completely.

Scars aren't scars. They're statements. So to have Ciri's scar go away is to make it like it never happened in the first place. I can only imagine they gave her such a prominent scar to give her some clout compared to Geralt as though the two are on equal terms (equality!), but the scar is irrelevant to anything and completely unearned. And the writers didn't even have the guts to make her keep it so she could default to being pretty by the last half of the game.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

@Spirit do you mind giving examples of these scarred characters? Maybe I'm not thinking hard enough, but I can't recall many video game characters with scars. The only one that comes to mind is Marcus Fenix and it's not really overdone or anything. Given the plot and kind of game Gears of War is, I think it's rather fitting and helps accentuate the fact that he's been through war.

squall leonhart, colonel volgin, vandham (xenoblade 2)

 

[Dizzi]

I cant think of many scarred characters.....aka none

 

[Ninja]

Auron from FFX, the scar and injury to his left eye from his battle with Lady Yunalesca, that was pretty cool.

Zekenator with his core crystal, is just clumsy.