Literary Characters That Should've Died/Survived

Welcome to the first installment of "Coffee Break Thoughts" with Aarika. During this coffee break, Aarika had to consider the following questions: Which character do you think should have survived his or her story? Which character would you kill off?

The One Who Should Have Lived:
Aarika Baxter
Manager, Reader, Mom,
Coffee Villain



This one is for Queen Maas... Queen, I am coming for you! Bring back our Sam! He did not deserve the death he was given. He was a pure soul whose only crime was loving and adoring our super vain and egotistical Celaena. He showered her with love and attention, hopes and dreams, a future without death and blood, and you took that away from us.

I understand why he needed to die. I do. I understand why you destroyed my heart and my commitment to the pure cinnamon rolls in your books. But Sam?! He is the reason the books happened. I get it. But it's still not fair. Give him back to us! We're not okay! You have caused us all to need therapy and wine...so much wine. So much counseling. The vengeance dealt was not bloody enough for our Sam.

I get it. I am just not happy. 

The Ones Who Should Have Died:

This answer will not be popular. I promise, I gave this some thought. And sadly, I cannot come up with any character I have ever encountered that I thought, "Hmmmmm, this person should be dead." Okay, that's a lie. A bold faced, non-poker-faced lie. I am a liar. Jayna will call me out on it. Lance will set my pants on fire. Pinocchio and I will be rivals in whose nose is the longest.

There are so many characters who deserved death in so many stories across the time I have read, will read, thought about reading, or even briefly skimmed. But, and this is where my mind will not provide me an answer--It is not realistic for the people I wish to be dead (for whatever reason) to be dead. They will probably live another fifty years, get married, have eight children, find religion, and repent for their horrible deeds. (The ideal version of the story.)

I understand I'm supposed to be discussing books and these people aren't real, but even they were the most evil character to grace a story, not everyone deserves to die for their sins. Yes, some might deserve it and more. But, sometimes people work on their redemption and they have to be the bad guy in order to grow into the hero of someone else's story. 

Those are the stories I live for because I believe every sinner deserves a chance to redeem themselves. So I will refrain from wishing anyone dead, fictional or not. Maybe someone else will write them as a the hero no one else believed they could be. 

This post is brought to you with the help of coffee--all brands, all flavors, all sizes, just no decaf.

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