When I first read a story where the protagonist switched goals, I was irritated.
The entire book had revolved around a certain goal. It had formed the central conflict of the entire story, the focal point of the protagonist’s development and internal conflict. And yet by the end the characters just… abandoned it. The story felt incomplete. The main character had wasted so much time, energy, and effort on a certain goal she clearly cared so much about. What was the point of the entire book when she was going to decide in the end that the thing she had worked so hard for was worthless?
The truth is that this particular protagonist is not alone. From Jack Kelly from Newsies to Megamind from, well, Megamind, protagonists across media have switched goals at the end of the story or simply abandoned their original goal flat out, and yet still left readers satisfied. In fact, their change of goals went beyond that and highlighted just how much the characters had changed. The lesson or theme they learned throughout the story was highlighted even more fully because the protagonist’s goals were changed to reflect it.
So what is the difference between these two types of characters? What makes one satisfying, understandable, and a support to the theme of the work? And how can we use this tip in our own work?
This week to tackle these questions, we’re diving into the animated comedy-adventure Megamind.
Megamind
The rivalry between the boyscout superhero Metro Man and his arch-nemesis Megamind is fairly typical — at first. Their stories mimic some very familiar tropes: Metro Man crash landed on earth as an alien infant, was raised by a loving family, and now dominates the media of the bustling Metro City by saving good people and stopping bad ones — like Megamind.
Megamind is also an alien who grew up on earth and is determined to win its appreciation, but since he was raised by incarcerated criminals, he struggles to adjust to normal society. Despite his impressive ability to invent new technology with limited tools or supplies, from a young age he has been shunned and contrasted with the effortlessly flawless Metro Man. Eventually, the constant ridicule and assumption that he’s naturally evil lead him to decide that if he can’t succeed in doing good, he might as well try to succeed in doing evil.
And — surprisingly — he does.
The movie opens with the battle sequence in which Megamind finally succeeds in defeating Metro Man and beginning his reign of terror over Metro City. With no superhero in the way, nothing stops Megamind from achieving everything he ever wanted. But after just a few weeks of chaos, Megamind is already bored. There’s a part of him that knows this isn’t how the story is supposed to end. He’s supposed to be the one who’s defeated, only to break out of prison once again and cause more terror to Metro Man and the citizens of Metro City.
The forces of good and evil have been unbalanced, and Megamind does not appreciate it. He decides there’s no use in being a villain without some good to try to stop him. So he decides to find a new individual, one worthy of the powers of Metro Man and able to become a fitting arch nemesis and defender of Metro City. But while Megamind’s character judgement proves surprisingly accurate, his execution of the plan does not, and he ends up giving the powers to the wrong person by accident — a deadbeat cameraman named Hal Stewart. Calling himself the Titan and now wielding epic powers, the cameraman-turned villain casts Megamind out of the city and declares his own reign of terror.
And Megamind, watching as the city he grew up in is burned to the ground, realizes that he is the only one who even has the capacity to stand against the Titan. And so, despite the fact that he’s already been beaten and stands little to no chance at succeeding, Megamind charges back into the city, this time fighting for the people of Metro City and determined that nothing will stop him from protecting them from Titan.
When Does Changing Goals Work?
Changing your character’s goal will only work if it is connected to their desire. It’s important to understand the difference between these two terms, because while they can seem similar at first, they have very different roles in storytelling, and understanding them makes using techniques like this one possible.
A goal is involved in the center of conflict for your protagonist. It’s their ideal outcome for the story and what they are working for throughout. If you can get your protagonist to list their future dreams, especially in the more immediate context of the plot, you’ve found his goal.
A desire, on the other hand, is the more personal reason that a particular goal matters to your protagonist. They are indispensable to character development, and arguably the most important way to get your readers to relate to your protagonist. Your protagonist’s desire makes your plot and story as a whole more interesting because it ties the main, external conflict of your book to an internal, very personal part of who your character is (Sophia wrote an entire article on that here.) The thread that ties the two together is your protagonist’s goal.
From the very beginning of the movie, Megamind’s goal is very clear. He wants to defeat Metro Man. The underlying desire driving this goal is made obvious through the internal dialogue we get to hear from the moment that prompted him down the path of evil. Megamind desires success. He doesn’t just want to be a great inventor, he wants to be the greatest. He doesn’t just want to make inventions for good, he wants to be recognized for their goodness. He isn’t satisfied knowing no matter how hard he tries to be good, the people around him will always find fault in him. He decides that since he can’t succeed at doing good, he might as well be successful in doing evil.
Thus begins his downward spiral toward becoming Metro City’s worst terror.
But when he actually does succeed, when he achieves greatness and is recognized for his dastardly evil, he finds that success empty. The recognition and even the rush of achievement ultimately seem pointless, and he realizes his entire life he’s been chasing something that won’t satisfy him.
That realization is what makes his ultimate switch (from being the predictable villain of an animated movie to its unlikely hero) coherent. It is because he completely abandons his initial desire that his change in goals flows naturally for the viewer. It seems far from disjointed or tacked-on, because as the viewer we can see the underlying changes that have led up to this point.
That said, not all protagonists who switch goals have to completely abandon the desire that drove them to pursue it. Oftentimes, characters switch goals because they are able to pursue their desire in a way that they didn’t see in the beginning. An example is Jack Kelly from Newsies, a teenager on the streets of New York desperate to abandon his big, lonely city for the community he’s heard is commonplace in a small town. But by the end of the musical, he’s found the community he always wanted within New York through loyal friends who won’t leave him, no matter what happens. His goal is no longer to leave New York, but his desire never changed. Instead, he found satisfaction right where he is through the community that drove every one of his actions.
What these stories have in common is that the switch of goals is directly connected to these characters’ desires. Megamind’s entire desire changes by the end of the movie, so it makes sense that his goal would, as well. Jack’s desire doesn’t change, but his goal does because he realizes he can pursue his desire in a new way.
Your character’s goal is always connected to their desire, which is the most fundamental part of who they are. Thus, how you handle their goal and how it changes tells your readers about the very core of who they are — or lets them know that it’s poorly developed.
More fundamentally, make sure their desire is well fleshed-out and that it directly connects to their goals. If their goal changes, make sure it does because they realize there is an easier or more effective way to attain their desire. Alternatively, let your character see that their original desire is empty and that it will not satisfy them (as was the case for Megamind).
No matter how you change your character’s goal, make sure it connects to and makes sense in the context of their underlying desire. Without that connection, the shift in desire will seem random and unsatisfying. Readers will close your book wondering why your protagonists abandoned the goal they had spent so much time and effort working toward.
But with this connection, you create deeper and more authentic characters. When you understand how your character’s desire and perception of the world changes throughout the story, you allow them to change or abandon their desires in a way that makes sense, giving them the ability to highlight your theme, show your protagonist’s development, or put on full display just how transformative the message of your book truly is.
Let us know in the comments:
Does the protagonist of your WIP switch goals? If so, how does it connect to their underlying desires?
Hi! My name is Mara, and I’m a Christian artist, violinist, and blogger. I remember the day that I decided that I would learn something new about what makes a good story from every book I picked up — whether it was good, bad, or a mixture of both. I use this blog as a way of sharing some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned, and highlight which books, cartoons, and movies have taught me the most about writing an awesome story.