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Design traps I sincerely hope they avoid with Syndra

Overlord Forte·4/14/2017, 1:11:42 AM·60 votes·4,280 views
  • Insanity/megalomania just because she is powerful.

Syndra is a powerful personality, but within the expectation of being unbound from her society's 'oppressive' norms. She isn't of the mind to bend the knee (arguably, in any situation), and pursues her own agenda with a strong, if disregarding of others, purpose. One could argue her sovereignty is not skillful nor built to be a ruler of the state (compared to someone like Jarvan IV and pre-rework Karma). The learning experiences of the state, as much as her own role in Ionia and how to utilize her power, constitutes a hefty part of her early 'human' journey.

Delving into the 'absolute power corrupts absolutely' yadda yadda trap---there is no compelling reason to make her go bonkers simply because she is powerful. Nor should the pursuit of her own power make her go off the deep end. Being of a sound mind, if culturally different, is important to making sure she's wholesome at every level. Otherwise, literally every other idea built on her falls apart.

  • Her power is her own, and not one she steals from others, or recklessly pursues 'dark arts'.

Exploring her power, understanding who she is as a person, and what she can do as a mage, forms a lot of Syndra's core character story. Absolute/infinite/universal power by itself is, inherently, boring as hell. It's a god mode idea, you win, woo. The reason why someone like Superman can be interesting is because we see the human conflict of what Superman does with the vast power at his command. Similarly, observing the human struggles Syndra has, and the reconciliation she must make with her ambition to 'transcend', is what interests us. She has the built in potential to become something more, so taking power from others is just cheating the drama she could have.

The moment you strip her agency away (it's not her magic, she's insane, she's some voidlings puppet, [janky theory of your choice here]), you invalidate her design premise. Literally nothing about the character matters at that point, she's a throw away goon.

  • Culture abandonment just because she's 'different'.

She is still very much Ionian, and things like Ionian pacifism/spiritualism will be dear to her. She won't change Ionia into another Noxus, but she very well might make it a fortified nation that is more starkly aware of what it can do. That depends on how Ionia is doing when her personal story is progressing, though. Karma's main story is being a major Ionian leader, and she will be the primary conflict in how the two of them decide the nation's political future, I think. The back-and-forth here has potential, but I digress.

Similarly, inoffensive Ionian ideas (tea? tree gardening? meditation?) are very likely to be apart of her from her upbringing. Adjustments to the things she hates about Ionian culture will be what draws differences in her way to everyone else. It's important to make her still apart of her people, in some way, and not something by itself just because. Ionian in spirit, if different, as much as form, if you will.

Thank you for reading! If there's any other female power fantasy trope traps you might be afraid she could fall into, let me know! I just covered the three big ones, as far as I could tell, at least.

91 Comments

GenShadow4/14/2017, 1:19:32 AM23 votes

If we could keep Syndra as a human being in search of knowledge and understanding of who and what she is, that would be great. No need to make it over dramatic 'I am the evil within Ionia' especially with this whole Noxian invasion supposedly still ongoing.

To be honest, she might get some common ground with the Vastayans since she understands better than anyone what it is to have your own power stolen from you, just a thought.

Sexy Jack Rabbit4/14/2017, 2:38:41 AM13 votes

I seriously love Syndra's backstory at the moment. She's an interesting character with a legitimately sympathetic background.

Unfortunately I'm pretty sure the lore team will just go with whatever edgy bullcrap they can come up with. They did it with Vayne.

nononthesnake4/14/2017, 3:46:34 AM8 votes

Syndra IS NOT a power hungry character, and that's supposed to be the central point of her lore (alongside the fact that she wants Ionia to change for good). As Forte said she is powerful indeed, she has the biggest magical potential out of anyone in the lore (humans at least), but that doesn't mean she disregards everything and everyone to pursue it. Turning her into a "muh powers are above everything every magic is mine" would be a horrible mistake and it would just end up butchering her character, and I'm honestly scared about what's going to happen to her once her lore is going to be updated.

Gapybo4/14/2017, 10:42:10 AM4 votes

She was designed as a villain though. Reading these comments seems like people expect her to be this nice lady wanting no one to be repressed and live happily on her sky island but that's not what her lore implies at all. There is a lot of hate in her, she probably isn't in full control of her powers and emotions. She is headed down a dark path and will probably be involved into some morally questionable affairs. Doesn't mean she is pure evil and can't change her ways but it's unfair to expect riot to write her into some sort of Ionian power messiah.

TricolorStar4/14/2017, 3:40:34 AM3 votes

She's really bitter because people feared her enough that they locked away her power and sequestered her in a monastery. When she found out, she was so consumed with rage she liquified all of the monks in the temple.

She's not peaceful, obviously. She's trying to find a healthy outlet for her power but she hasn't yet, and that compounded with everyone's (completely justified) fear of her paints her as a very strange anti-villain.

She believes power should be used by the powerful, and that the weak should be chastised, but I don't think she's so cute and dry 'good' or 'evil', as everyone likes to say she is.