Just recently I had a giveaway, where I celebrated a special Fierce Reads tour stop in Los Angeles, and one of the ways that a follower could earn entries was to leave a comment on my blog. It wasn’t just any comment though; I asked you guys to answer a specific question: What do you think makes a character fierce?

Now I just like to ask questions like that to keep things interesting, so its more than just “thanks for the giveaway” and such like that.

What I didn’t expect was to get such awesome answers. I felt like so many answers were just SO good that I had to share them on the blog. I kept the names out of it because I want to respect your privacy as much as possible but I really felt like your answers should be shared with my followers.

So enjoy!

What do you think makes a character fierce?

“What makes a character truly fierce: I think doing what you know is right regardless of the consequences. Even if you know you’ll get hurt or worse.”

“That’s a hard question. I think all characters are fierce in their own ways.”

“I would say the look in their eyes.”

“Female which fights for her independence and tackles the problems bravely. Smart, savvy and a hunter/fighter! Definitely not a weak character.”

“I think the most fierce characters are ones who are who they are without apologizing. A fierce character or person is who they are and there is no one who can tell them they are wrong.”

“I guess if a character is truly fierce then he/she is confident and will never back down from anyone.”

“What makes a character fierce is not backing down and standing up for the people they love and care about.”

“Since the majority of my favourite fierce characters are female, I am going to direct this comment to the fierce female characters. I think a fierce character is a character that is multi-faceted and not one sided. When I say this, I mean, a fierce character isn’t someone that has one of their characteristics played up more than anything else. For example. Cat Woman’s sexuality is overplayed throughout everything she does. Although she’s “badass”, I don’t consider her fierce. However, someone like Isabelle Lightwood from TMI is multifaceted because she has so many different sides of her that are displayed throughout the series.”

“I think that a fierce character is someone who doesn’t step down, they fight for what they believe in until the very end. They make sacrifices.”

“I think being brave makes a character fierce.”

“I think what makes a character fierce is a combination of their determination and motivation to reach for their dreams, but also strength and bravery to fight every step of the way for it. Even when the situation becomes difficult she/he does not give up and just fights harder to get what they want.”

“I think what makes a character truly fierce is that they have to be brave at any circumstance, have the power to over themselves, be strong among others and be certain at making choices.”

“What makes a character fierce is the ability to fight for what you want and to not take no for an answer.”

“Something I believe makes a character fierce is when they are willing to put everything on the line to fight and stand up for something they believe in. I find that often characters always have one element in their way that stops them from standing up for their cause and I find the rare times I find characters that do stand up, I sit and go ‘wow, they are brave, they are fierce.'”

“I think it’s when they realize what they believe in and how they will fight for what they want and for who they love.”

“What makes a character truly fierce is their loyalty and love to their friends and family and how they will protect them no matter what.”

“I think a combination of courage, determination and fighting for something they believe in.”

“It isn’t the qualities of ‘strength’ (ie. intelligence, wit, etc) that makes a character fierce, rather it is how they deal with their weaknesses that really make them fierce and strong. How a character deals with a difficult situation reflects on their character. Whether they grow or digress from the experience is what makes them different from other characters.”

“I think what makes a character fierce is being confident about themselves and standing up for themselves. Not depending on other characters.”

“I think confidence and having firm beliefs in what they do makes a character fierce, and it’s something that also inspires people.”

“Being brave and thinking things through before rushing headfirst into danger.”

“I believe that a character who is truly fierce is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve something. Whether its fighting zombies or sacrificing yourself. It is a person who is not going to back down and who will continue, as Jacob Black said, till their heart stops beating.”

“I think characters are truly fierce when they’re not centered around only a single trait but rather a bunch that come together to form a character that can laugh, cry, be serious and strong when needed, smart, compassionate and so on.”

“I think what makes a character fierce is the strength and loyalty they have towards friends and family and how they use their bravery to defend those people and became a stronger person in the process.”

“Honest makes a character fierce.”

“For me, what makes a character fierce is if they are independent and they fight for what they believe in.”

“I think what makes a character fierce is personality and they way they solve problems, how they face the truth and how they face other people.”

“A character’s determination to protect others and to not back down from what she or he believes is right.”

“Doing what needs to be done, regardless of what anyone else (including they themselves) want or feel.”

“What makes a character truly fierce is when they do what they have to do in order to protect others, whether they know them or not. Bravery, loyalty and consideration are all fierce characteristics for me!”

“What makes a character fierce is how they act when put under pressure or how they act when they are in tough situations.”

“In essence, being fierce is being yourself. Both the authors and their characters embody this. Though they trip, stumble and get bruised along the way, they are who they are and we love them for it.”

“Being yourself is fierce because it makes being brave enough to admit you don’t have all the answers but still try anyway. We don’t simply love these characters because they can be strong or badass but because they are weak, fragile humans like the rest of us but still want more for themselves or others. It is the size of their heart and their ability to endure that makes what I consider fierce (flaws and all).”

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Thank you so much for sharing your answers; I truly enjoyed them all!

And if you didn’t get a chance to share, share now! What do YOU think makes a character fierce?