3-Point Characterization

[melannen]

Does anybody remember Three-Point Characterization? It started as a meta-essay on Fanfic Symposium by Rachael Sabotini waaaay back in the day, but I still find it a useful tool for talking about characterization. Especially when I've just seen someone else's AU version of a character that is JUST PLAIN WRONG.

The "three" in Three Points is mostly arbitrary, but the basic idea is ( three points )

I've been playing three-point characterization in my head every since t'other day, when I read somebody's tumblr AU head canon for one of my favorite characters that was deeply, deeply wrongheaded and also just wrong based on a very different set of three points than mine. So let's play! What are your three-point characterizations for the characters you currently love - the things that stay the same no matter how AU they go? What does thinking about them tell you about your characters and your tastes?

Here's mine for the leads of all the stories currently marked as active WIPs for me (in order of most recently added words.)

( Highlander )

( SF AIs (and friends) )

( Les Miserables )

( Deadpool (& Cable) )

( Pacific Rim )

( Star Wars )

What are your three points for your current favorites? Do you agree with mine, or think different points are more important, or think I'm utterly wrongheaded? And can you guess which of the above is what Tumblr was most recently wrong about?