Most fight scenes are so bad, that there is a trend where readers just skip the fight scene to see how it ends.
This is horrible.
If a person can skip a part of your book, and yet they can follow the story without missing anything, that part should not have been in the book.
So, make sure your fight scene plays an important role in the story. Make it memorable. Make it iconic. The question of course becomes how.
How do you write an iconic fight scene?
To write an iconic fight scene, you must write a scene where the character progresses through violence. So you must introduce your character’s flaw, their character arc, show them progressing, and finally, show them changing. The fight scene should start with an introduction of the character’s flaws, shown through their fighting abilities, the environment, or their words, then it should end with all 3 aspects having been flipped fundamentally.
That was a mouthful, but it is fairly easy to explain. I will explain the logic behind it first, then I will begin explaining the step by step practical process you can take to make it happen.
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What Is A Great Fight Scene?
A great fight scene is a fight scene that is consequential.
There are many fight scenes in stories, which tend to appear the same.
One character wants something, and the other does not want to give them. Maybe the one wants an object, or to find another character. Maybe they even want that character’s life. So the other does not want to give the other character what they want. As a result, they fight.
Unfortunately, this is just a good fight scene, not great.
A great fight scene goes beyond just the surface level. It is a scene where both characters want the same thing, and they fight over this thing, and when it ends, the implications to the plot are massive. It is extremely consequential. So, the traits of a great fight scene are:
- Characterization: Whether it is through their fighting abilities, the setting of the fight, or through subtext in dialogue, a great fight scene has stark characterization. This is because at the end, there is a massive shift, and change, that could even change the plot of the story. How could there be a change if there is nothing to change? So the world, the fight style, and the speech styles are introduce to the reader, and at the end of the fight, we see the change in the world, the fighting style, and the speech styles.
- Progression: A great fight scene is not just about the end and beginning. it is also about the middle. In the middle portion, we watch our lead character shift, and develop. We watch them have character progression, in the traditional manner of character progression. (Flaw, false belief, goal, villain, self-realization, truth, final confrontation, reward)
- Change: The ending should feature a change of sorts. A massive change. The change should be so drastic, that anyone whos kips the fight is left completely confused. Either the character changes in personality, physical appearance, or in fighting style. Or the world changes from the destruction of the battle, or the characters running of to fight elsewhere. Whatever it is, it is a massive change.
So, how can you structure you story in such a way that these three elements are best portrayed?
The Kishotenketsu structure
In the west, most stories follow a structure that emphasizes conflict.
In fact, I argue for the same too in this blog. The problem with that is that additional conflicts could take your character’s attention away from the central conflict. So for fight scenes, I prefer to use the kishotenketsu structure.
In this structure, we emphasize self-reflection, and self-realization, and the climax of conflict is replaced with the twist at the end.
The structure goes like this:
- Introduction: The hero, the villain, the stakes, the fighting location, and the main goal of the fight are introduced here. Also, we see the conparative strength level between the characters, as they will have a short exchange of blows.
- Development: The characters take a moment to pause the fight. Here, they will size each other up, realizing the other is more formidable then they thought. Also, they may change fighting locations, so that the setting represents their progression. For example, if the fiht starts with a superior minded character, it could start with the character on the stiars, while the other is on the grass, but at the development stage, they both jump on top of the roof, where they are both above everyone else but they are equals. In dragon ball z, they take of their weights. This is where the characters take of their limits, and start fighting at full power.
- Twist: Then, there is the twist. Here, something unexpected enters the fight, upsetting the power scales. More often then not, it is here that the fighting style switches. If the villain was winning, it’s here the hero picks up the golden bo staff, and starts winning. If the hero was winning, it’s here the villain reveals their cheating, and they start beating the hero.
- Conclusion: Through overcoming their flaw, and false belief, the hero gains the power to finally slay the villain. But it comes at a price. Maybe their body is disfigured, their world view is changed, their fighting style is changed, or the entire building is destroyed.
So, what actionable step by step process can you take to implement the traits of a great fight, and the structure?
How To Write A Great Fight Scene?
1. Introduce The Hero, And The Villain
The first step to writing a great fight scene is to introduce the status quo.
The first step will be an introduction of the fight.
You need to introduce the contenders for the fight, the stakes for the fight, the arena for the fight, and the goal for the fight. Remember, this is supposed to show a character progression, and a character progression goes like this.
- The character has a flaw
- The character’s leads to a false belief
- The character’s actions due to the false belief leads to problems
- The character gets a goal to fix his problems
- The villain is already chasing the goal, and is more successful then the hero
- The hero realizes the villain is winning using the hero’s false belief
- The hero realizes he has a false belief, and becomes aware of his flaw
- He changes his fighting style to fit the new truth
- The villain exposes his flaw, and unable to overcome it, she is defeated by the hero
So, in the introduction phase, you are introducing point 1, 2, 3, 4. This is shown through the hero’s fighting style, the world they inhabit, and his words.
For example, let’s say a farmer is fighting a lord.
The farmer’s flaw is that he thinks he is beneath the lord. This could be shown in the world they inhabit by the fight starting with them outdoors with the lord on his horse, while the farmer is in the farm field. The lord unsheathes his sword, and the farmer timidly holds up his rake.
Then, you must show the stakes, and the goal. Maybe the two both want to reach the boat, and sail across. That’s the goal they share. But the lord is doing it to reach his family, while the farmer is trying to get a sick family member away from the war behind them.
Those are the stakes.
2. Use The World
The second step is to introduce the world that the character’s inhabit.
The world needs to be a visual representation of the internal flaw that the main character faces.
If the main character sees themselves as being smaller that their contender, they should be made smaller. They should be standing at a smaller place then their contender.
If a main character is arrogant, and stands as their worst enemy, a room of mirrors is perfect for them. So on, and so forth. It’s fairly easy to find once you know what your character’s main personality flaw is.
So, introduce a fighting space that reflects the heroes internal feelings. Also, do not hesitate to make it awesome.
3. Introduce Their Styles
The third step to writing an interesting fight scene is to show the hero and the villain’s fighting abilities.
The first exchange between the hero, and villain is only to show just what the hero, and villain are capable of. In the kishotenketsu structure, this is still the introduction phase.
Usually, these are arranged in a manner that we will see the hero’s strength first, and their abilities, as they try to beat the villain. But the villain tanks the attacks. Then, the villain delivers powerful blows. The hero can also handle the attacks.
What I like to do is show how the hero, and villain are beyond normal human in their abilities.
If their fighting style is more realistic, and precision based, like gun fu, then I may have them do an impossible shot to show their skill. Or, you could have your hero crush a brick with a kick, only for the villain to smile, and crush a boulder with their own kick.
That works too.
4. There Should Be Development
The fourth step to writing a fight scene is the development step.
Here you will have the hero, and villain pause their fight after their first exchange. Or if they do not have an exchange, and just destroyed bricks, and boulders, then this is where they would stare at each other, and trash talk.
This part is often marked with a physical change in environment.
They could be fighting so hard, that they end up bursting into another room. Or maybe, they will outright challenge each other, then walk out to the place where they will fight.
The point is, this is where they will start sizing each other up, and the tension is allowed to grow, as the readers wonder if the hero can truly win, having seen this villain crush a boulder.
5. There Should Be A Farther Scaling Up
The fifth step to writing a great fight scene is to start increasing the fight intensity.
In the kishotenketsu structure, this would be the developmental level.
It is also where the true meat and potato happens. If ever you book is made into an anime, or a movie, this is the portion that people would clip, make wallpapers, and make statues out off.
Here the hero, and the villains fight with no bars. They unleash their full strength, and show just what they are capable of.
If you are going by the traditional progression steps, this would be about the second plot point, mid point, and 4 plot point level.
In the second plot point it is where the villain is defeating the hero each step along the way, no matter what the hero tries.
So for our farmer, this could be where the lord gets of his horse, and starts cutting the farmer back, who can barely block with his rake.
Also, it is where the villain wins using the hero’s false belief. So here the lord could be telling the farmer how insignificant he is, and the farmer never strikes back. The mid point is where the hero learns something, and they start being more competent in their fight for the goal.
For our farm, he could perhaps lose his rake, but come to realize now he is faster on his feet, so he can avoid the lord faster. He may even grow bolder and smile, while the lord gets angrier.
The fourth midpoint is where everything goes dark. It is where the hero loses all hope of winning due a horrible wound they suffer. It’s also the beginning of the twist.
6. Twist
The sixth step to writing a great fight scene is to have a surprising twist.
Here is where we see an unexpected element enter the fight, and also its where the self-realization happens. Maybe the hero gains a new weapon, or the villain gains a new weapon, depending on who was winning. Then, the tides of the battle shift.
Here we could say our farmer is stabbed through the leg by the lord at the fourth plot point.
Not only does he lose the ability to continue fighting his strange fight style, but he also loses his ability to farm, which could make the family member he was trying to assist scream in horror.
The lord then rubs in just how worthless the farmer is, along with his blood. The farmer pleads that the lord let his sister cross with him, since there was only space for two on the boat anyway. The lord spits on him, and says he’ll rape her, and toss her into the river.
This makes the farmer realize what scum the lords really are.
He also realizes in his anger, that he should have fought back while he could. That he should have never farmed for his lords in the first place, but should’ve left with his cousin to go to the New World.
So, he grabs the rake, and strikes the lord back.
7. Final Bout
The seventh step is to have the final battle between the hero, and the villain.
Then, you can finally have the final fight between the hero and the villain.
If you followed the progression right, now they should be fighting in a different location, and facing off for a final climactic confrontation.
In our story, the hero ties his leg up while the lord asks if he’d dare strike him. The farmer tells him to get out of his way, or he will use him as manure for the farm they are standing on.
They charge each other, and fight again. The farmer can’t move, so he stands still, and delivers powerful blows that rock the lord, while blocking the lord’s blows away.
8. Resolution
Then, you write the final blow of the fight.
The final blow of the fight is best shown when the stakes are shown again.
Also, when the villain attempts to use the false belief the hero used to have but fail this time around. Maybe the lord sees he is being beaten so he tells the farmer that if he let’s him go then, he will take his sister through.
So the farmer drops his rake, only for the lord to lunge with his sword. The farmer throws him over the shoulder, and the lord falls on his blade.
Also, it never hurts for the hero to elude to the lesson they learned. Maybe the lord could look up at the farmer, and ask how did he know.
The farmer then could say what he learned in a snappy line that I can’t think of now because don’t judge me, I am exhausted.
9 A shift in the status quo
The ninth thing you should do is show the difference.
This is the easiest one. The hero looked one way at the beginning of the fight, spoke one way, and they were at a certain place.
When it ends, they should look different, speak different, and they should be at a different place. Above all, they should speak differently. The fight scene should have changed them, and evolved their character.
As soon as you master how to write a great fight scene, you will have taken a great leap to mastering mastery.