Chapter 2: Being a Believable Character

If the main character was reincarnated, how can they be some dumb or such a pushover? It ruins the entire story when a million-year-old main character is still dumber than a 20- or 30-year-old reader. The whole point is that the main character is supposed to teach us something as an old monster, not be an absolute idiot with every action that they take.

On the other hand, if the main character is a child that's given a system, the idea is that we see their growth as a person over time and they become wiser over time. It needs to make sense with their life experiences. A super wise 15-year-old with little life experiences makes just as little sense as a million-year-old monster who's as dumb as rocks and follows the whims of everyone.

A main character who lived a million years isn't going to save an enemy who is actively trying to kill them and their family. They would cut the weeds early or at least find a way to neutralize the threat permanently. If the main character spares an enemy and overestimates their own abilities to manage threats while they're still in a weak state, they're clearly immature for their age which is a sign of how lame the story will eventually become.

Always remember to match the personality and actions of the main character with their experiences. Similarly, as they gain more experiences, they should grow. They could develop a worldview that's toxic based on negative experiences, but it must be believable.

Don't just randomly turn a reasonable main character into a killing machine just because one day they woke up and felt like it. People don't work like that. If you think that this is how people work, you either need life experience or you have a screw loose. Maybe you need a system!

So, is that everything? Nope!