DISCUSSION: Mirror/Opposite Versions of Your Characters

[InfiniteBakuphoon]

In my upcoming fanfic Mirror Adventures (and the anime episode that it's based on), the main premise is that everyone's personalities are the opposites of their canon counterparts. Given the endless narrative opportunities of such a premise, I figured that it might be fun to explore what the mirror versions of some of the characters in everyone's existing stories here would be like. Would they be the exact mirror opposites of their "true" selves? Or would a few of their original character traits remain in some way, shape, or form... or under certain circumstances? How would their new personalities affect how they interact with universe of their story? Or would said universe even be the same any more, with everyone's changed personailities resulting in different decisions being made, with different consequences?

 

[jasonwolf]

I'm actually doing a less mystical version of this with two characters in my Pokemon Decolonized fic. Mildly big Spoilers for that.

I have a set of twins who are very much the opposite in their character. Jasper is a sneaky rebel with a sharp tongue and cocky attitude while his brother Adrian is extremely by the books and dedicated soldier. The crossover is in that they are both idealizing the rangers in different ways. In my world, the Rangers are the peacekeeping power that exists after the majority of the human population moves to space. Adrian sees the rangers as ultimate law and power and that they must keep order by any means, while Jasper looks at the rules as a guide while making the world a better place is the goal. They mirror each other in basically everything, but their core characteristics are the same just colored by different thoughts. They are both super strong rangers who fight with everything they have to do what they think is right.

Basically, my advice would be to find the core of the character, and flip how they take things rather than flipping the core itself because if you go that way you end up with someone completely unrecognizable. Ya know the opposite of a good trainer, isn't just a bad trainer its probably someone who despises pokemon in every way or doesn't even know they exist.

 

[canisaries]

My Red is already pretty far from both his TPP and game canon counterparts - not that interested in battling, and then the whole sadistic part. He does still fit in the sense that he's reclusive and antisocial, though.

I suppose an anti-Red (Cyan?) would be polite, sincere, patient, helpful, love spending time with others and believe everyone should be treated equally. Basically a saint. But he'd also be very anxious about what other people think about him and strive for acceptance in groups. Something that being bad with words would probably hinder.

That sounds a lot like Abe, except Abe is not that outgoing. I like having Abe and Red be close to being opposites, and it also twists the knife in the wound of another character I haven't featured yet. An anti-Abe would be an even worse Red, one who actively seeks to bring misfortune even at the cost of his own safety. He'd be reckless and unafraid of death. Really a pain for everyone and everything around him. He'd probably get killed pretty fast.

An anti-HELIX is just DOME. A being that wishes to end all conflict and bring unwavering order to mankind, essentially dulling everyone's mind and creating a hive. Wouldn't mean the people within would be happy, though. At least HELIX promises to grant HIS followers eternal satisfaction, even if it is fueled by the terror of the helpless and weak.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Ah, I'm pretty fond of the "mirrorverse" trope from my time as a low-intensity Trekkie. I watched Discovery and

Spoiler: spoiler!

the entire plot is largely about the mirrorverse, and I kinda loved it.

Mirror Salem is incurious, resistant to change, but totally chilled out whatever the situation. Very comfortable in her own skin, believes that becoming a morph was a bad move but accepts it anyway and moves on in no time. Feels like everything will work out. Basically the lazy, oblivious, purrbox cat to the inquisitive, restless cat that is real Salem.

Not really got other characters worth mentioning here just now, yet.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

This thread inspired me to make a similar one in a group on Fimfiction. Let me just copy-paste something I wrote there:

Flora is a Deerling character I've used a few times; first in the now-deleted Growing Up in a New World, then reimagined in A New Place, A New Attitude's "Wrath in the Woods". Flora quickly makes friends with a deer after she saves his life, is feisty and outgoing, but gets upset when she remembers that she can't find her family. Mirror Flora would be shy, and wouldn't care about finding her family much because the deer gave her confidence after he saved her life.

EDIT: Come to think of it, Mimi from the same anthology (but a different continuity) is basically a mirror version of Flora.