Weak to Strong vs Overpowered Characters

[Corty]

Overpowered. Although I don't like writing it because I am a noob and couldn't come up with definitive methods to keep it interesting. He would just steamroll every issue I throw at him because of the logic he is a beast.

But damn, I love reading about OP MCs face-slapping people left and right. It is my guilty pleasure.

 

[esThr]

For me a weak to strong will eventually become an overpowered protagonist. While I would enjoy the process of getting there for me some stories just seem better off starting off with a strong mc so in the end, preference

Tldr: preference (yes I'm stupid)

 

[Ruti]

this could be a trick question. I've seen so many do a weak to strong, but like, make it take 5 chapters for them to become overpowered, and then give them bad motivations, or give them good motivations, WHICH THEY DONT ACT ON FOR SOMEREASONLIKEWHYITSTHEREFORAREASON

 

[Lysander_Works]

I think overpowered character trope only works well in comedy and if done right. Weak to strong guarantees there is a journey and a resolve through that journey.

 

[aattss]

I mean, I'm fine with characters growing stronger as they go through experiences and as the stakes escalate. Just don't do weak to strong for the sake of doing weak to strong. Power development in great stories is used in moderation to enhance the story/character development, not as a substitute.

"Overpowered" protagonists can mean that certain filler is cut out, though often if you cut the filler out of a bad story, what's remaining isn't exactly good either.

 

[BearlyAlive]

Weak to stronk or stronk to stronker. OP is boring unless you explicitly don't focus on the OP part of being OP in which case I have to ask why even make them OP, then?

Or do it for comedy like OPM, Mob Psycho or Overloled

 

[Nevafrost]

It just depends on the story, but both are good. The only thing I don't like about OP Protagonist is that it often comes with harem.

The same reason I hate most of the cliche animes/mangas. MC just looks at them with tomatoo face and acts like a slut. (Slut is what I'll call those MCs.) I like it when a MC is loyal (not a simp tho).

 

[Lloyd]

Weak to strong every day of the week.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Weak to strong but MC is OP enough to deal with all his problems that faces him in stages.

The first part to enjoy the ride.

The second part to enjoy the fight.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

I like the dynamic of op character, training weak to strong character.

Don’t see it too much though.

 

[Ruti]

I like the dynamic of op character, training weak to strong character.

and when it does happen, it happens in the first 6 chapters, and they end up being 20x stronger then everyone else till a big bad evil guy who's suddenly like 90x stronger then him appears, and then mc does a time skip and gets like 80x stronger

 

[RiaCorvidiva]

OP characters are fine, but the story has to derive its tension elsewhere than the punchfighting. If MC can obliterate anything with a thought, then the central conflicts have to come from someplace where the MC can't just curbstomp their way through the problem.

Perhaps they are trying to rehabilitate a poor legacy, or find love, or perhaps an apprentice to pass the torch on to, or are trying to defy fate in some way or another. Maybe they are fated to be the world's Ultimate Evil, but they don't want that. Maybe they're grappling with past traumas.

There's a lot of places where OP protagonists can work well; even better than weak-to-strong ones. But the story structure has to be different and accommodate that you can't just slot in an OP protagonist into a Hero's Journey and expect it to work (unless you're trying to be satirical or comedic).

 

[TsuruI_am_a_bot]

Which do you prefer and why?

The one that is well done

There is no true winner. Its like the ultimate fight of SWEET VS SALTY => only importance is a tasty dish, that the eater like

OPM is a masterpiece, despite done by a man that did it like doodles for fun on a blog while having fulltimejob
and Gash Bell (Zack Bell in EN/was popular in jp) was a random idea done by author during college years

Before i prefered "OP" bc no one good series doing it
but now bc of OPM and the pletora of CNs that use BS "i awaken SSS power in awakening ceremony" and authors doing pletora of CNs where MC get systems making plot like a meh breeze
i now crave "weak to strong"

Because only "weak to strong", we could have had masterpieces like MUSHOKU, To aru index, Pokemon, DBZ, etc

Also, i stand firm in this personal logic : [No system is best system]

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tldr : both have merits / demerits + (any) stuff is tiring after only focusing on one for a long time