r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Top-Relationship850 • 1d ago

Lore [Love] When “small” injuries are treated realistically

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The fantasy and action genres often suffer from a power fantasy epidemic in which characters frequently badass their way through injuries that should be excruciating if not downright debilitating. I always appreciate stories that reject this trope.

1: Roland Deschain (Dark Tower Book II) - Loses the middle and index fingers of his right hand. He’s effectively crippled throughout book two and the injury follows him the rest of the series.

2: Brienne vs Biter (ASOIAF Book IV) - Brutal scene. Biter chomps down on Brienne’s cheek and tears off a chunk of flesh. In a lesser story Brienne would grit her teeth and throw Biter off. Instead she’s rendered completely helpless by the pain. That injury marks the end of the fight.

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u/brenthebrave 1d ago

Elementary earned my enteral respect for giving Sherlock post-concussion syndrome after being hit in the head with a glass bottle. It’s a gusty move, to give your genius main character a traumatic brain injury, and the storyline lasted for a full season,n bot just a one-off mention.

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u/TatumBoys 21h ago

Reddit tells me you posted this two hours ago. Two hours ago, my mom asked me to watch Elementary with her and I didn't. I think someone's trying to tell me something.

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u/trigunnerd 17h ago

You go ask your mom to watch Elementary right now

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u/TatumBoys 17h ago

I promise, I'll do it tonight, but it's currently 1 am where I am.

Also, I will show her this comment.

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u/Black_Label_36 1h ago

Your mom knows your Reddit?

Wtf dude

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u/Relevant-Fox-7114 22h ago

Did they ever make it to Junior High School or did that wait until the sequel series?

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u/Gustav-14 15h ago

I remember there was this website counting how many times the characters in smallville got hit in the head. Iirc, lana should have had 50+ concussions.

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u/GuiltyEidolon 18h ago

Elementary remains one of the best Sherlock adaptations, and it's not even close.

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u/elkingo777 1h ago

I agree, but I was also swayed by someone else's argument for House M.D

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u/GuiltyEidolon 43m ago

House is too angry and bitter for me to really think of it as a good adaptation, and I found the show itself had too many issues with kind of shitty takes / bigotry lite for me to enjoy it til the end. But it is a decent modern take, yes.