Fictional "woobies": they suffer well!

These are the characters we like to beat up mentally, sexually and psychologically and are the stars of "h/c" (hurt/comfort) fan fiction. Or, if the fandom isn't big enough or they are movie characters, they are the characters that WOULD be quickly beat up if they were television show characters or the fandom was bigger.

From tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheWoobie

A woobie (named for a child's security blanket) is that character you want to give a big hug, wrap in a blanket and feed soup to when he or she suffers so very beautifully. Woobification of a character is a curious, audience-driven phenomenon, divorced almost entirely from the character's canonical morality.

The Woobie's appeal lies in how it allows the audience to experience catharsis. The Greek philosopher Aristotle proposed that tragedy is popular because it allows people to experience and let out their negative emotions, "cleansing" themselves. The Woobie is popular for this same reason. A story with The Woobie allows the audience to vicariously experience relief from some pain by fantasizing about relieving The Woobie's pain. (No, not that way! Well, okay, sometimes.) Woobification can also tie into a disturbing hurt/comfort dynamic, in which fans enjoy seeing the Woobie tortured, if only for the chance to wish the hurt away. This is often made manifest in the curious form of the Hurt/Comfort Fic.

An important aspect of The Woobie is that their suffering must have its genesis in external sources: a character, however sympathetically portrayed, who suffers as the result of their own actions is a Tragic Hero and does not qualify.

A properly executed Woobie inspires deep fannish devotion. A poorly executed Woobie earns scoffing and mockery, perhaps at the same time. The difference between the Woobie and such Sickeningly Sweet characters as the Littlest Cancer Patient is that the audience actually finds the Woobie compelling rather than pathetic. Where you draw the line is sometimes a matter of opinion.

Who are your woobies? Are they on the list? Please leave a note!

Some woobie characteristics I have noticed...

1. Almost all of them have had dysfunctional, if not downright abusive childhoods.
2. They tend to act "tougher" than they really are and put on a "brave face".
3. If they cry or become self-destructive in canon, they usually try to do it in private.
4. They usually feel very guilty about the tragic death or loss of someone (parents, siblings, children)- this is almost a universal rule.
5. Often are very bright, brighter than the other characters but also more "sensitive" (even if they try to appear tough as nails, they usually are "softer" than they appear).
6. Genuinely are tough and can handle a lot by anyone's standards.
7. Tend to be picked on or bullied in general, or be seen as outsiders or "weird".
8. Have a propensity for being mildly self-destructive (either obviously and intentionally or more commonly, as subconsciously like taking drugs, drinking, having poor social skills, etc).
9. Have a significant past trauma and PTSD like symptoms (and everyone is just waiting for them to break again).
10. Usually have very expressive eyes and are good at "manipulating" people into thinking they are "fine".
11. Usually are "fighters" (they are in a war, or are cops or FBI profilers hunting bad guys, etc).

In my opinion, the number one characteristic of a woobie is that they feel GUILTY about something, and usually it is misplaced guilt (in some cases, they feel guilty for simply existing, especially the woobies with dysfunctional childhoods).

In my opinion Woobies tend to be the most complicated characters, most interesting and they give you the most emotional bang for your buck. Note that the characters that are overly-dramatic and cause their own suffering are emo characters and not true woobies. ;) Sometimes the line is thin, but you know a woobie when you see one.

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