One of the problems with most stories in any medium is that they always feel “safe” for the main characters. Any life-threatening injury or illness will almost assuredly be overcome. Even when a main character dies, the plot devises any contrivance to bring him back to life or show how the audience was “tricked,” and the hero was never really dead in the first place (think Dark Knight Returns and Star Trek: Into Darkness). The subconscious knowledge of knowing that the main characters will never die (and even when they do, we can totally see it coming) makes it difficult for me to buy into the suspense that the film, book, or television show is trying to create.
However, there is one series that comes to mind which completely ignores this unspoken rule: A Game of Thrones. The HBO show is fantastic, and I am told that the books follow the show fairly accurately (which I am currently confirming). One of the most suspenseful elements of the show is that no character is safe. It does not matter how crucial to the story the character is or how popular the actor is.
I wish more stories would follow this model, putting all characters “at risk.” Especially when it comes to a story with battles, gun fights, or swordplay. Removing all characters' indestructibility will add immensely to the excitement of the story.
However, there is one series that comes to mind which completely ignores this unspoken rule: A Game of Thrones. The HBO show is fantastic, and I am told that the books follow the show fairly accurately (which I am currently confirming). One of the most suspenseful elements of the show is that no character is safe. It does not matter how crucial to the story the character is or how popular the actor is.
I wish more stories would follow this model, putting all characters “at risk.” Especially when it comes to a story with battles, gun fights, or swordplay. Removing all characters' indestructibility will add immensely to the excitement of the story.