I forgot what made me think about how certain heroes never get to rest. Might have been when I was watching ‘Highlander’ Season 1. I remember a character telling the protagonist that he can’t stay out of the contest of immortals forever. He would one day be drawn back into battle. Yeah, that sounds right. I mean, we can all think of heroes who never get to retire.
This is probably a really big issue in American comics. These un-aging heroes have to deal with a constant flow of villains. Many end up getting a rouges gallery of repeating foes, who are always up to evil. There may be moments where the hero can take a breath, go on a date, attend school, or be given a semblance of normalcy. I’m sure this is to make sure they remain somewhat relatable. Still, it isn’t long before they are thrown back into the fray and having to save the day again.
In fiction, the heroes usually muster the willpower and desire to do what they always do even if they are getting tired. They might have moments of weakness, but they rarely fall completely. Those that do end will get replaced by a hero taking up their mantle until they return somehow. So, it comes off more as a marketing attempt to freshen up a long series instead of a natural end. Again, this is more common in American comics as well as some long-running TV shows. It plays hard on the concept that a hero doesn’t get a chance to rest or achieve a normal life.
Another level of agony that is heaped on protagonists is that the adventures can all happen in a tightly packed timeline. I remember reading how some comics are said to always cover 13 years. No matter what, it has been 13 years since the superhero set off on his new career. Works for a while until you do the math to find that they are getting into multiple adventures in a 24-hour period. So, you need to spread stuff out, which comes with its own threat. That would be fatigue because a person can only go hard for so long before they crumble. Really does suck for a hero to not get any rest when you start to think of the timeline, which is why I prefer having an ending planned.
Fantasy is strange in that many of the genre’s heroes have a final goal and will achieve some form of rest. Either a happy ever after or they die, but they do reach an ending instead of having to trudge through multiple adventures. Even a D&D campaign will inevitably reach a finale because characters become so powerful that they no longer find challenges. I guess this is why stories where heroes don’t get any stronger or villains match them without it going too far allow for extending the series. Doesn’t really work in fantasy as often as other genres though. Maybe due to the nature of questing involves self-improvement and getting stronger.
Personally, I prefer to see my heroes get some rest. Not a full retirement at times, but giving them some periods of downtime. This helps them stay fresh and makes it clear that they are doing some self-care. Otherwise, readers might wonder how they are healing from physical and mental damage. Throwing healing spells at everything comes off as a cop out, so you need to do something to let them relax. It doesn’t even have to be in a story, but to have time pass with them not seeing any action. For example, an adventuring party gets half a year of resting before they are called back into action. This also allows you to bring them back with either some new toys, having lost old gear, or them needing to get back into fighting shape due to getting lazy.
What do you think about heroes who don’t get any rest?
Legends of Windemere 
Those periods of rest allow the writer to expand on the hero’s personality and quirks and make him or her more three-dimensional.
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That’s usually the plan.
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Back when I read Spider-Man comics regularly, I remember thinking that I didn’t want to be him, because a new villain rolled into town every time an old one was defeated. His life seemed in a constant state of tension.
Even in movies where the heroes engaged in skirmishes early on, they still had the third act battle to go through, sometimes within a matter of hours. Doctor Strange is another character who seems to constantly be challenged as the sorcerer supreme (at least in the old comics). It’s like being the sheriff in the Old West. So I like the aspect of them getting some rest. Like the shawarma scene at the end of the first Avengers movie where they’re resting and eating shawarma. Or like in the animated Avatar: The Last Airbender, where Team Avatar was able to rest a little bit between towns and adventures.
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Team Avatar did a lot of things like stopping to get supplies, or staying somewhere to train with a new sensei. It really added to the veracity.
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It really did!!
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The older Spider-Man comics were interesting. There was always a villain, but you still saw him having some kind of civilian life. Not many heroes did that. Probably to show the balance aspect of superheroing.
I think modern comics got rid of this to keep up the action. Feels like downtime is a bad thing in the genre now.
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As far as RPGs go, I think a lot of groups don’t last long enough for retirement to be an issue. Work schedules change, family commitments change, if you’re at a college the school year ends.
That said, I’m in a group that’s lasted over 30 years. We do reach a point where the characters are set aside. There are new games to try, or a GM gets tired and wants to just play for a while. Even if we state “the module is over and the characters head for their next adventure” it really means we’re ready to do a different game for a while.
As far as fiction, I think you’re right. Stories have an arc, and at the end the characters have either won and can rest on their laurels, or they paid the ultimate price. Either way, there’s a natural stopping point.
I personally am not fond of series that go on and on. Whatever was interesting to begin with, it becomes redundant. This editorial demand for series to never end is really one of the problems in publishing today. I know or have heard several authors say their editors won’t buy anything else but the series. It becomes a grind.
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The never-ending series is why I got bored with American comics. Felt like I’d be trapped there spinning my wheels and can never move on. Things get stale since there isn’t an endgame. Crime won’t go away, so those characters will never retire.
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Non-stop heroes wear me out. There has to be time f0r other than “Protagonist Action,” to get a feeling for the characters.
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I fully agree. Character development happens more outside of action.
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😊
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Cool concept. It’s a balancing act. We can’t waste chapters on navel gazing, but can slow down for a bit of personality and growth. If it’s a horror tale, it has to have horror. Romance, adventure, SFF, are much the same. I’m probably in the minority, but I still love solo titles without the requirement to keep going to get the whole story.
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Solo stories work, but I think you still need downtime moments. Keeping the action constant can cause numbness in the audience.
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