Okay, so this is really random, I know. This is a review site, so why am I commentating on characters? Because I can, so sit back and pay attention. I'm about to reveal a terribly important fact:
People. Love. Alpha. Characters.
Not all people, mind you. There really are some who love truly good, decent individuals, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm just not one of them.
Why?
Well, that's the question, isn't it?
Me and my best friend have hashed this out before, so I'm going to try and transfer as much of the pertinent conversation here as my memory allows. This could take some rambling.
We're going to start with the most controversial of the Alpha characteristics, because it's the one I feel most strongly about:
* I love that Alphas are almost universally unapologetic assholes. Seriously. Their upfront honesty and lack of fucks to give are what make me love them. "Oh, I shot/stabbed/killed someone? Well, they shouldn't have gotten in my fucking way."
* Which, of course, ties in with how ruthless they are. If there is someone in their way, I expect my Alphas to take them out. I expect them to a) have clear, valid goals, and b) allow nothing to interfere with them.
I have said this before, and I will say it again: I will never respect a character who has a goal and does not do everything in their power to ensure it. If it requires torturing/killing people, then that's what needs to happen and don't give me your moralistic bullshit when there are fucking deadlines.
(This same speech used in regards to manipulation. Alphas are manipulative when they need to be. And, again, they won't apologize for that fact.)
* There's another sort of trait I demand from my Alphas that most people would probably disagree with: they better be selfish.
Humans, as a species, are inherently selfish beings. Whether because we fucked up in the nurturing department, or just because it's a natural tendency coming from overbreeding and a survival of the fittest mentality, I don't care. The fact is: we are selfish.
I am perfectly okay with being selfish. Does that mean I am never nice to people or I don't sometimes go out of my way to be perfectly helpful for no reason? No. It just means: if I don't wanna, I'm not gonna.
Now, it sounds like I'm setting you up for a complete villain. I'm not. There will be lots of evidence of book/movie characters that are in a good guy role … if only because some evils can only be fought by another kind of evil. (If you can't get that reference: get out.)
But really, every hero in every book/movie the world over has this one thing in common: they're selfish. Oh, you think them saving the world is an act of selflessness? No. That's them trying to save their own ass. But what if they sacrifice themselves? That's because they want to save the people they love. No one cares about doing the right thing without some personal motivation. Even if they're not in the hero role for a loved one, it is because of their own personal image that they have chosen the side of good. It is to stroke their own ego, or at least die a legendary person, or for the simple fact that they want to look back on their life and say they have always done the right thing. Everything is personal.
My unapologetic, selfish, ruthless Alphas know this. And they revel in that fact. As do I.
* There's also this sense of recklessness that I've noticed most Alphas have. And while normally I cannot condone recklessness in itself, in Alphas it usually comes across as fearlessness. It means that they usually take unnecessary risks, but they do so for their own reasons. While it may not be apparent why they are doing what they are doing, they're not truly as thoughtless as you would think. (Most of the time.)
* Of course, that same attitude is what gives us their crowning glory: confidence. The way I see it, there's a reason people identify with an insecure MC: because most people are terribly insecure. And the reason we love Alphas so much is because they lack that. They're fully confident in their abilities and they don't give a crap what anyone else thinks. Everything they do, they do without a doubt that they can/will succeed. Whether it's escaping prison or rescuing a few survivors from some truly maniacal beasties. (Again, if that flew over your head, you need to leave.)
* Perhaps the most beloved feature of a truly well-done Alpha, however, is their sense of being pure animals. These creatures are just that: beasts. There are very simple rules in their world, and very drastic consequences for breaking them.
Rule #1: Don't try to kill them. Consequence: Death.
Rule #2: Don't betray them. Consequence: Death.
Do you see where I'm going with this? The rules are simple. The consequences predictable. It is almost always about literal survival for them.
Now, there are some traits typically associated with Alpha Characters that give them a bad rep. This is not the fault of a character being called an "Alpha" but the creator's inability to convincingly portray an Alpha. We're going to touch on them a bit, and I'm going to bitch about how unacceptable each of them are. From now on, these will be known as the traits of an Alpha Asshole.
* The first of these no-no traits is disrespect. This trait is twisted from our unapologetic but honest Alphas. What good creators use to show that a character is brutally honest--even to the point of hurting feelings--bad creators turn on its head and create a complete asshole. Real Alphas point out flaws in order to help a character either toughen up or at least get a reality check. Alpha Assholes, on the other hand, typically are just jerks with an attitude problem. They come across as insecure little shits that need an ass-whooping in the worst way.
* Stalking has to be on the list, because this is just wrong on every level. I'm going to emphasis this over and over again: stalking is frightening! And I abhor characters that think entering someone's personal space without permission is at all okay. This is not some depraved way to show a character that you care about them and want to know everything about them. This is a fucking crime.
* As is sexual harassment and assault, but that doesn't stop creators from making Alpha Assholes use these instances to intimidate and harm other characters. I don't know why creators think that a convincing Alpha would do anything of the kind. Here's a hint: real Alphas have the confidence of Gods and egos that won't allow them to harm an individual in that way. Why? Because they want others to come to them, begging for their attention. It's a manipulative, unapologetic thrill.
* Of course, the most common Alpha Asshole trait that is making the rounds in many NA books is over-the-top jealousy. I remember reading this one review that described a bar scene: random guy starts chatting up the female MC, and her boyfriend shows up out of nowhere and starts beating his ass. The MC's response? "I was right there!" (I'm paraphrasing of course, and haven't read the book described since said review saved me from the awfulness of it.) But seriously? One: that is the MC's reaction for the Asshole Alpha beating up a stranger for no reason? Two: Seriously? They were just talking!
Anyway, point being, REAL ALPHAS HAVE THE CONFIDENCE OF GODS! They have no real need to be jealous. (Unless another real Alpha serves as competition. And then that's how they handle them: as competition. Not a threat.) If anyone portrays any character as a jealous, possessive jackass, that is not an Alpha.
* Which brings me to yet another no-no: possessiveness. Alpha Assholes have a tendency of looking at their significant other as a piece of property. This is what leads to stalking and sexual assault.
Let me make a point: Alpha Assholes are not real men. They're tyrannical little boys with anger issues.
To give you some perfect examples of awesome Alphas, we're going to look at only two characters, because this post is too long already. (Although I have about 3 others that I could hurl at you right now.) Both of these wonderful creatures come from the already hinted at (and if you didn't get them, I am so disappointed in you and you should not be reading this post) The Chronicles of Riddick.
Riddick is the epitome of an Alpha Male. Is he a murderer? Yes. A liar, thief, and manipulative bastard? Yes. Does anyone who has seen any of the movies (we're not counting that animated atrocity) not love him?
If I have to explain why he is the epitome of a real Alpha Male, then I have not made my post clear at all. This man is a literal beast. His world is simple: kill or be killed. (Let's face it, that really is Riddick's life.) And he's pretty damn good at the killing part. What makes him so fantastic a character is the fact that he does not apologize for anything he has done. He acknowledges and takes responsibility for everything he has done, but it has never stopped him. The reason I respect him is because he goes full-tilt, one hundred percent on everything he does. From leaving human bait for monsters, to breaking his mini-me out of prison. And he does not apologize for what he is and what he does because he is an animal and he's doing what he has to in order to survive.
For this next part, I was going to write about Kyra, Riddick's mini-me. But I can't. Because, for all her attitude, she does not have all the qualities of an Alpha, and her level of recklessness almost puts her ass on the Alpha Asshole list.
No, the real Alpha Female of CoR is Dame Vaako. This is the beautiful woman who lures Riddick before the Quasi-Deads. The woman who manipulates her husband into believing that killing the Lord Marshal is a selfless act for the faith. If anyone in this movie embodies what it means to be an Alpha Female, it is Dame Vaako. She has her goals, she has her motives, and she has her methods. And she's willing to do anything to see them through. This is a woman who has her priorities straight.
Well, since this post is too damn long already, I guess I can wrap it. Now you know the difference between a real Alpha and an Alpha Asshole. And, to be quite honest, confidence is literally the sexiest thing ever. As long as you are confident in yourself and your choices and actions, that is sexy. To create a character that embodies that, is to create an Alpha. Hands down.
